Shepard didn't receive the additional three weeks of healing Miranda had planned. Merely two nights after the final restoration, alarms and gunfire erupted throughout the station, jostling Tali from sleep. At first she thought it was the Migrant Fleet. And relief washed over her. A breath of fresh air after months of stifling tyranny. Then she peered through the double-paned glass, and spotted a squadron of security mechs. Cerberus security mechs. Her body went rigid. And for a terrible second, she thought they changed their minds and decided to kill her. After all, Shepard's memory was restored, leaving her with nothing to contribute. The whole notion of 'why send mechs' didn't really register under the spark of adrenaline.
Then Miranda barged through the doors sweaty and bleeding. She overloaded one mech while emptying a clip into the other. And before she knew it, the woman tossed an omni-tool in her direction. A flick of the wrist, and Tali could see it was her own make and model. How desperate was the bosh'tet?
"It's Wilson. He's after Shepard." Miranda quickly made her way to the mirror, and bandaged a superficial, but profusely bleeding, cut a few inches above her eye.
Well, that explained it. The woman may be cold and uncompromising, but she dedicated two years of her life to Shepard. Eating, breathing and pouring every last ounce of energy into her project. And now her greatest achievement was in jeopardy. Shepard would only perish over her cold, dead body. "Why would Wilson try and kill Shepard? That doesn't make sense."
Miranda was already on the comm, however. Leaving the question hanging between them. "Shepard! Shepard, wake up! Dammit. VI-190." Pause. "Passcode Ori-67-ily. Admin privileges. Administer twenty milligrams of amphetamines, and five milligrams of morphine." Another pause. "Shepard. Wake up! This facility is under attack!"
His image flickered on her omni-screen. Six seconds passed. Each more agonizing than the last. Miranda hollered through the com, repeating her words in hopes of reaching him in time. And then, finally, he opened his eyes. Hands immediately exploring the wreckage of his face, wincing in pain. "Your scars aren't healed yet. But there's no time! You need to move! This facility is under attack!"
Flinching, he pulled himself upright, instinctively reaching towards his side. He'd had an operation no more than four days prior. The stitches had yet to dissolve. Tali winced in sympathy. Simultaneously, both women sighed at the sight of him moving. And for just a moment, their eyes met. Without a single word, they knew they'd be allies in this fight.
Miranda passed her a pistol and shield-batteries, which Tali quickly integrated with her onboard computer. She even managed to slip that data-pad into one of her pockets while the other woman was occupied guiding Shepard. "Don't worry about it. Grab the grenade launcher."
She could hear his disgruntled protests through the com. "What fucking idiot came up with thermal clips?"
"Take the elevator down one floor."
"I asked a question!"
"We're a little busy for questions! You need a running start through that fire. So focus!"
Less then a minute later, they had their own troubles. Another squadron of mechs had breached the med-bay, forcing both women to dive for cover. Tali hacked two of the mechs, and the problem took care of itself. But one exploded in the process, knocking out coms and cutting off contact with Shepard.
They raced through the station. Blowing anything and everything that moved along the way. Thankfully the focus of their wrath were all mechanical. But Tali had the feeling, that should everyone aboard perish, Miranda would call it a win so long as her project survived. A fact proven the moment they encountered the trio of men at the evac area. She gunned down Wilson without pause, he gasped and gurgled on the floor before she put another two rounds in him. "He was probably indoctrinated." She shrugged.
"Probably? You take a man's life on probably?" Shepard growled, pistol raised. "You should have detained him for questioning."
"Wilson hacked security, killed my staff, and tried to kill everyone standing here. We'll be sure to examine the corpse, but you're my priority. I'm not letting an indoctrinated agent within a light year of you."
"Cut the crap. I know you're Cerberus."
She sighed. "Jacob?"
"Gonna shoot him next?"
"Of course not. But there was a better way to reveal that. We're not what you think."
Their words grew increasingly terse, before Tali stepped from the shadows and intervened. Standing before her was the man that should have landed on Alchera two years ago. He was favoring his right side in the manner of a small limp. But he stood tall, proud. This was the man she knew. Not the distraught test subject she cared for these past months. "It's alright Shepard. I can guarantee she's not trying to kill you."
"Tali." The pistol immediately dropped to his side. "What… why on Earth are you here?"
"Not by my own free will, I'll say-"
Miranda scoffed.
"It doesn't matter right now. I can fill you in on the shuttle. You won't be needing the gun."
"Uh… the whole 'you're not here of your own free will thing' is not comforting."
"We're on the same side… for the shuttle ride at least."
"Seriously?" Miranda hissed.
"Just because I don't want him to shoot you, does not mean I'll take your word on everything else."
"Talk about spitting in the face of hospitality."
An explosion violently rattled through the station, toppling several personnel over. As they wobbled to their feet, Miranda grabbed Shepard's arm and biotically shoved him into the shuttle. Tali hopped in next, settling on the seat next to her former captain.
Miranda and Jacob quickly followed, only to be greeted by the business end of his pistol. They sat across from the pair, an unsung tension filling the space between them as Shepard wrestled with the radical change in events.
He was getting damn tired of running around like a chicken with its head cut off, not knowing where he was or what the hell happened. The attack was bad. Something far more advanced than any weaponry the Alliance had ever seen cut through the Normandy like butter. Was it another reaper? It stood to reason that they'd send more than one. All those jests Garrus told about Sovereign's baby brother were hitting a bit too close to the mark right now.
Before the whole Cerberus revelation, he thought the place was some sort of off-the-books medical facility for wounded spectres. A place operatives could recover in peace. Only for Jacob to reveal that they were Cerberus. Had those mechs not been shooting at all three of them, he would've kneecapped them both and detained them for questioning. As far as he could tell, they must've crash landed and been scooped up by the terrorist organization. Not that any of it explained why the hell they patched him up. And where were the others? Did Cerberus kill them? He turned to Tali, keeping his fear at bay. His words were solid, precise, even if they scarcely held back a deep and burning anxiety. "The last thing I remember was Liara … saying something. What I can't remember. But I kicked her ass out, set off the distress beacon… and then… nothing." A relieved sigh escaped. "It's good to see you're in one piece. How about everyone else?" As he glanced around, the strangeness of his surroundings became unsettling. Even Tali behind a suit, mask, and colorful head wrappings didn't seem quite right.
There was a bloated pause where the air stood still. And he knew that something terrible had happened in those following minutes.
Tali cleared her throat. "The squad – Wrex, me, Garrus, Liara, Kaiden – everyone made it out in time. Most of the crew as well. . . Pressley didn't." His head bowed. "Talitha and Marcus didn't either. Twenty servicemen in total were lost. You can see a full accounting later. But, for now, there are things you need to know…"
"Of course. Let's get on with it. But I'd like to be apprised of the full situation the minute we're through with this..." a sideways glance, "meeting. How long have I been out? A few weeks?" He trailed off, leaving the question dangling. Something heavy was in the air.
Silence.
"A few months?"
Both women's head snapped up, and something passed between their mutual stare.
"Shepard," From Tali's direction, he caught a small, jerking movement. It was out the corner of his eye and barely perceptible. But it jarred him all the same. "It's been two years."
His face slackened in disbelief. Her words slammed through his skull, rending him speechless. The shuttle hummed as they navigated through a patch of turbulence. It vibrated through his boots, bits of blood smeared on the carpet. Wilson's probably. They shoved his corpse in the storage compartment for later 'study.'
"You've been in a coma of sorts…" Tali continued. "It's complicated. But let's just say, the galaxy is going to be surprised to see you."
"Two… years? I've been gone that long?"
He fell to silence, listening as Tali explained how he was sucked out into the vacuum of space and had been in a persistent, vegetative state ever since. Officially, he'd been declared dead, no one thought he survived. Miranda chimed in, saying that Cerberus spared nothing in their search for him. And found him on the brink of death, his suit managed to spare him an end, but just barely. For two years, he survived off life support. He still hadn't wrapped his mind around Cerberus saving him. Much less that it had been two years. It felt like … moments. One minute he was on the Normandy as it was torn apart around him. The next Miranda was shrieking in his ear to wake up. Gradually, he began noticing differences in the only person he knew from… before. Even through the suit, she seemed older. She no longer wore a trio of belts around the waist. Obviously she didn't need them anymore. There was certainly more meat on her bones, if those hips were anything to go by.
"Shepard?" Her voice trembled. "Are you alright? Say something. Oh keelah! Your arm."
"I've been wanting to look at that for the past twenty minutes. If you'd like to put the gun down, I can finally do something about it." Miranda cut in, voice rancorous.
Tali moved to pull the pistol from his hands. "I may not trust them, but they're not about to kill us either." Only then did he release it, placated by her words.
The other woman immediately went to work, snapping off the arm gauntlets, and peeling away his under-suit with an ease that spoke of familiarity. "You're a medic?" He questioned, still lulled by shock.
Her answer was terse. "Of sorts."
"I … don't understand. If I was comatose, how am I walking around like nothing happened?"
"Cerberus has access to the most cutting-edged technology and isn't… hindered by certain elements."
"Ethics?"
"You're alive aren't you?"
"That doesn't explain why you kidnapped my crew-mate. And why the hell you helped me in the first place."
Tali immediately jumped on the question. "They attacked two of our ships. The Idenna and the Neema. I was part of a strike-ops team that infiltrated the facility in response… and… well…" She paused. Wrung her hands. "Long story short, I was captured. As for the rest, they want you to work for them."
Shepard barked out a laugh.
"It's not that ludicrous!" Miranda snapped.
"Just so I have this straight, you kidnapped Tali, held her for god only knows how long against her will, and expect me to sign up? Ignoring Cerberus's atrocities, which I saw first hand by the by, that logic is… insane. If you want to know anything about me, know this. I take threats to my people damn seriously. That isn't gonna fly with me."
"Shepard please-"
"Drop us off on the citadel. I've heard enough."
"After everything we did for you, you'd just walk away without so much as the benefit of the doubt? We're on our way to talk to the Illusive Man, who is the only reason you're alive I might add."
"I don't care who you are or what you did. I'm not workin' with terrorists."
Miranda breathed in a few moments. The bosh'tet was probably calming herself after the revelation that Shepard was an individual with a mind of his own. Ooh! The audacity. "Tali was a security risk! Look how close you came to dying thanks to one indoctrinated agent. Last I heard, the Illusive Man was trying to discern whether the reapers had access to our records or far more agents at their command than previously suspected. A lot has changed since you've been gone. If we released her, you may never have recovered. Not to mention, we saved her life, treated her extremely well, and now that you're restored she's free to go. I'd drop her off on the fleet immediately if we had the faintest clue where it was."
Shepard turned to Tali. "Is this true?"
"Yes." She answered. Arms crossed. "The stuff about me anyway. I can't speak for the reapers."
"The situation with the reapers is dire Shepard. I can't tell you more, because I don't know more. That wasn't my project. Saving your life was my sole focus. This is the first time in two years that I've left the Minute Man Station. I worked around the clock. You want to know more about whatever plan the Illusive Man has for you, ask him. Which, by the way, is the only thing I'm trying to convince you of! He poured endless, and I do mean endless, resources into you and the only thing we're asking is for you to have a conversation!" Miranda huffed, before continuing her diatribe. "He rebuilt your ship, hired your pilot friend, and most of the crew he's put together are former Alliance. The bureaucrats aren't doing anything about the reapers. Cerberus is the only one willing to stand up and fight. And we're asking for your help."
The rest of the ride continued in tense silence. But Tali could see he was being swayed.
Any hope she had of him refusing Cerberus ended the moment they pulled into the docking bay. Under the magnificent shadow of the Normandy SR-2, was an incredibly jovial welcoming party – with Dr. Chakwas and Joker front and center. Confetti, party hats, were all around – someone even popped a champagne bottle, which Miranda quickly confiscated of course. Joy. Something else the woman was adverse to.
At this point, perhaps she was being petty. But after months of captivity and verbally lashing at each other's throats, that woman was like a grain of sand under the suit. Irritating to the extreme.
Tali hung back, watching as Shepard was embraced by the throng of people, particularly the two familiar faces. It had been a long couple of years. And not just for her. The lilt in Joker's voice as he rambled on about his 'baby' and her leather seats suffused the suit, warming every inch of her. Chakwas and Joker called her over, but she was content to simply observe. She drank in the sights, particularly the Normandy. Never did she think to see that ship again. It was almost like coming home after a second pilgrimage.
Eventually, Miranda pulled her aside for a private word. "I… appreciate you following our plan."
Tali made a rude noise through the suit filters. "Don't make nice. Cerberus not only endangered the fleet, but you've made your disdain for me, and my captain, very clear. The only reason I played along was for his benefit. He's already had a shock. I don't see the wisdom in burdening him further with his death or that you used reaper tech to bring him back. Anyone would struggle with that. Even Shepard."
"Even so, I … appreciate it. For a moment there, I thought… well it was unexpected. Thank you."
Miranda had a way of both acting like a complete and utter bosh'tet one moment then somehow making one feel as though they were the unreasonable one in the next.
She chose to ignore it and move onto far more important topics. "Do you really believe Wilson was indoctrinated? Or was that just a ploy to get Shepard on the shuttle?"
"I think so. I discovered evidence that he was undermining the project, delaying Shepard's recovery. When I confronted him, well, you know what happened. He was ready. My working theory is that he wanted us to spend our last credit on reviving someone he would then kill. It would cripple efforts against the reapers. Of course, there's always the chance he was simply incompetent and salty about it. Some men can't stand a successful woman."
As if to illustrate her superiority, Miranda pulled out a compact and began fussing over her hair, applying makeup beneath the eyes. Ancestors forbid she survive ten minutes displaying the slightest imperfection.
Soon after Shepard called her into his meeting with the Illusive Man, stating that she deserved the whole story, from the horses mouth, as to why she was held captive. The statement didn't make a whole lot of sense. If she recalled properly, horses were Earth animals that were used for transportation before the invention of vehicles. But it was a pleasant throw-back to simpler times, when they had the Alliance and Council at their back and she was learning her way around the oddities of human metaphors.
A sophisticated full-body scan activated the moment they stepped into the QEC. Two breaths later, and it was as if they were in the same room as the enigmatic trillionaire. "Commander Shepard." He greeted between drags on a cigarette.
Shepard crossed his arms. "Illusive Man, I thought we'd be meeting face-to-face."
"A necessary precaution. Not unusual for people who know what you and I know." He nodded towards Tali. "It's good to see you Miss Zorah."
Shepard stepped between them, almost protectively. "You might be the reason I'm still alive, but that doesn't mean I trust you."
"You need to put your personal feelings aside. Humanity is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence."
"The reapers…."
"Good to see your memory's in-tact. How are you feeling?"
"You need to earn the right to ask me those kinds of questions. For now, I have one for you and I want a straight answer. Where do you get off detaining Tali? She's not a threat. If anything, releasing her may have helped your cause. Anderson and the Council should have been apprised of my condition, along with whatever else you've dug up on the reapers. Whatever it is that has you so nervous."
"So long as you keep Dr. Chakwas and Miranda up-to-date with your health, I have no issues with your reticence. As for the rest, it's been over two years since your accident. The galaxy has changed in that time – if they had been an option, I would have taken it. Cerberus is not as evil as you assume. We may have different methods but we're on the same side."
"Fine. Cut to the chase. What are the reapers doing that has you worried?"
"We're at war. No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack. While you've been sleeping, entire colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies."
"Exclusively human? That doesn't track. Sovereign wanted to harvest all life in the galaxy. Why focus on humans? That sounds more like batarian slave grabs."
"Hundreds of thousands of colonists have gone missing. I'd say that fits the definition of harvesting. No one pays any attention because the attacks are random, usually in Terminus Space or on the fringes, and the abductions leave no trace. No evidence of resistance. Planetary defenses aren't activated – there's no warning. And strangest of all, no shots fired."
"Alright that's," Shepard sighed. "Worse than I imagined. The scales of that are unlike anything we've seen from the squints. But Mindoir's planetary defense system was taken offline before it was attacked – as were a few others. Viral overload is not an unheard of batarian tactic."
"Mindoir was torn to pieces when the batarians landed. Are you saying it isn't at all strange that there is zero evidence of resistance? It's as if the colonists vanished into thin air."
"I'm not saying that at all. But I'm … not convinced it's the reapers. And where's the Alliance in all this?"
"They took substantial losses during the Battle of the Citadel. They're rebuilding, still stretched too thin to waste resources verifying the reaper threat. It's easier to blame the abductions on batarians or pirates to keep the populace placated."
"Anderson was already addressing our loss of dreadnoughts mere weeks into the aftermath. The Alliance must have recovered substantially by now."
"Your death took him down a few pegs. He's been branded as crazy. A conspiracy theorist. The Council has left humanity to struggle, alone. And while he maintains a seat, he's mostly a figurehead."
The Illusive Man waited patiently while Shepard drank in that information. Soft sounds of lips puffing a cigarette traversed through the QEC. "Why me? You could have trained an army for what you paid to save my ass. I saw that station, between gunfire sure, but there were some serious creds poured into that place. And I was your only patient, wasn't I?"
"You are the only known being touched by a prothean beacon who survived with his mind intact. If we lost you, that critical insight would be lost as well. Not only that, but you spoke with, then bested a reaper. What's coming is incomprehensibly powerful. Our forces will be paralyzed with fear, and I don't see anyone else capable of mobilizing them against this storm. Leadership comes naturally to you. Never sell that short."
Shepard paused, and took a long, hard look at the man sitting in front of him. The glowing, cybernetic eyes. The custom Gucci suit. A whiskey bottle settled on the desk in the background. This was one of the wealthiest men in the galaxy. And yet, he seemed… frayed. Shadows under the eyes. The bits of disarray in his office, it all spoke of someone spending many sleepless nights in front of his holographic console. "If… this is true. If the reapers are behind this, I'd consider helping you."
"I'd be disappointed if you accepted any of this without seeing for yourself." A Cerberus staff member materialized next to them, and handed Shepard several data-pads. "That contains video and picture evidence of nearly every missing colony. For now, I'd like you to head to Freedom's Progress, our latest colony to be hit. You can bring the reading material with you, but I find seeing things in-person paints a far clearer picture."
"You must have some notion as to what's going on here. Your information network rivals the Shadow Broker."
"I'd rather my opinions stay with me. I want fresh eyes on this – eyes that haven't been tinted by the past two years. Once you see the situation first hand, we can put our heads together and I'll apprise you of everything I know."
After making it clear that returning Tali to her people was a priority, he argued over Miranda and Jacob for awhile. Shepard wasn't keen on bringing either one, stating that he needed people he could trust, but it was a condition of allowing him control of an insurmountable amount of resources – the Normandy SR2, funding, and a well-trained crew. In the end, he agreed to all conditions leaving Tali a bit wobbly in the knees.
Tali
The tour through the Normandy was eerie. There were differences between the original and the SR-2, mainly the gargantuan size, but all-in-all Cerberus did a stellar job. The replica was so similar it send a shiver down the suit. Jacob was showing her around the new armory when Shepard's irate voice roared across the deck, causing her to race back to the CIC. "Shut that thing down! I don't want it on my ship!"
The target of his outburst seemed to be some blue-ball interface. And Miranda was not amused by the disdain.
"Have I offended?" A soft, feminine voice inquired. Not that Shepard noticed as he continued ranting. "Nope. No way. Send me to its blue-box and I'll space it myself. I agreed to take you and Jacob along for the ride, but I will not play Russian Roulette with my crew's life."
Miranda crossed her arms, jaw clenched. "If the temper tantrum is over, I can explain. This is our Enhanced Defense Intelligence. Yes it is an AI, but it is shackled. It literally cannot rebel. Without it, we have no chance at outwitting reaper technology. So it's non-negotiable."
"Do you have any idea how many rogue AI I've had to put down? There was the one on the Citadel with fifty kilos of TNT, which it managed to commandeer while stationary. The damn thing was designed to funnel credits – a rather innocuous purpose. And still, it managed to get its creator thrown in prison, install itself in the back of an electronics shop, and hack military encryption to order said explosives. Then there was the Hannibal System on Luna. And let's not forget the geth – who by the by, nearly extinguished an entire species!" He nodded in Tali's direction. "Why don't you ask the AI expert? This woman is a technological savant. And you should damn well listen when she tells you the same thing – blow it out the airlock!"
"Your mistrust is logical Shepard, unlike the knee-jerk reaction of most organics." The blue-ball chimed serenely. "During combat, I operate the electronic warfare and cyberwarfare suites. Beyond that, I cannot interface with the ship's systems. I observe and offer analysis, advice, and place orders for mundane day-to-day necessities. Nothing more."
"I'm more worried about whatever code you used to create this thing. It's… fully self-actualized. Even the geth don't have a sense of self. And they've had centuries to evolve." Tali cut in, taking advantage of the opening Shepard provided.
"Send Tali a full readout on this thing. I want her eyes on it." Shepard said.
"You don't have the authority to do that!" Miranda protested.
"According to the Illusive Man, I have free reign on this mission. Either that's true and I can expect orders will be followed to the letter, or he was blowing smoke up my ass. In which case, I'll need to have another conversation with him."
"FINE. I'll send her a full report. But the AI is non-negotiable."
"Any other surprises I should know about?"
"That's about it. Jacob and I will be at our stations if you need us."
There hadn't been time to absorb the fact it had been two years, two and a half if you wanted to get technical. And the fact that he had suffered immense, physical trauma. It reminded him of the aftermath of Mindoir, how he shut down. Just put one foot in front of the other, his anger towards the Alliance spurring him forward. And he could tell he was falling in with that old, familiar pattern. But at least he had a mission, something to focus on and not … every thing he lost. It was a long shot anyway and you know it.
Tali stared out the window, without uttering a peep. Shepard invited her to hang out with him and Joker until they were in shuttle range of Freedom's Progress. Without the dynamic duo, it was almost like old times. Like nothing had changed.
"Aaaand the downside shows itself." Joker moaned as EDI butted in on the conversation. "I liked the Normandy better when she was sleek and quiet. Now it's like she has ship cancer."
"Tell me about it. I'm half convinced I'll wake up one night to it singing, 'I am the vanguard of your destruction,' in that creepy, calm voice – y'know, right before it vents the entire ship." Shepard shivered at his own joke. It hit him a harder than expected. He shook it off and turned to Tali. "Hey are you alright? You're quieter than usual."
She started a bit, glanced at the data-pad she'd been fiddling with, then slipped it back into some hidden compartment at her hip – drawing his eyes to her well-defined curves. Stop ogling the kid you pervert. "Oh. I… well I'm a bit preoccupied. I'll need to call my father on the shuttle and it's been … awhile."
"You can do it now if you want to get it out of the way. Don't mind us. Or if you'd prefer some privacy there's-"
"Something tells me nothing is private from it. And I'd rather not contact a member of the Admiralty board with an AI listening in."
"That's… a fair point."
"I would never share such data should you wish it private," The creepy voice chimed.
"Uh huh. And if the Illusive Man wanted you to report on such a conversation?" Shepard replied.
"I have a block preventing me from answering that question."
"Comforting."
The first thing Shepard did when it was time to board the shuttle was cut the AI's connection, enabling them to have some semblance of privacy. Privacy from the AI at least, which was probably a moot point considering their company.
While Tali contacted her father, Shepard turned his attention to the colony reports and was surprised to learn most held the Alliance's holographic seal. The electronic watermarks were supposedly unhackable. Even so, he tossed a couple data-pads in Tali's direction so she could authenticate them. She announced that they hadn't been tampered with, then returned to nervously tapping on her omni-tool.
What he read unsettled him. Sparking a familiar, yet deep and burning rage. It was proof of the Illusive Man's claims. He was almost disappointed in himself for being surprised. The Alliance was focused on one thing, human expansion – regardless of their preparation. If a few lives were destroyed in the process, so what? That was a price they were willing to pay – a price they had the audacity to place on their colonists' backs. He shouldn't be surprised that nothing had changed with the navy. Nothing. Same shit. Different package.
The colonies didn't have a lick of coordinated protection until Major Kyle rose through the ranks. But it was Shepard's influence that made the batarians pause. Their fighting style was similar to kamikazes, in both their pilots and infantry. The Hegemony considered lives expendable – hurtling fighter jets into dreadnoughts, arming suicide bombers, even burning half a planet was considered acceptable so long as they won. The only way to combat that was to match ruthlessness with ruthlessness. And he made damn sure to show them humans had teeth.
Tali's distraught 'harrumphs' dragged him from his thoughts. His fist unclenched at the sound of her voice. An unconscious act. "Yes, I'm alright father. Cerberus treated me well while I was in custody but I couldn't…."
Garbled response.
"I understand but I-"
Garbled, angry sounding response.
"No I didn't abandon my mission! I was just trying to-"
More unintelligible words
"We're headed to Freedom's Progress. I can leave from there but I don't know where to go!"
Shepard probably shouldn't be straining to hear, but he didn't like how Tali's voice fell. The sadness at her father's words.
"I… oh. Oh, I know you're busy. Alright. Talk to you later then."
Ignoring Miranda's knee-jerk reaction about 'classified intel,' Tali turned to Shepard, "My squad is on Freedom's Progress, attempting to retrieve a traumatized pilgrim. He was present for the attack and it sounds like his suit may be damaged. Reports indicate he's… um..." She fiddled with her fingers. "Delirious."
"There's a survivor?" Miranda cut in.
Tali continued, still ignoring the other woman. "It sounds like Veetor, the pilgrim, turned the automated defenses against them and they're stuck on the North-side of the colony. I have a GPS point where we can meetup. And, after the mission, I can leave from there. No need to for us to track down the fleet."
"You don't have to go, y'know. I could always use your technical expertise, especially if the Illusive Man is right about the reapers being involved. And I need people I can trust. People who aren't Cerberus." Shepard replied.
"I wish I could. But, before all this, I was assigned an important mission. They couldn't find a replacement or didn't want to – either way, I cannot let some one go in my place. When it's over, if I survive, we can talk about my joining you."
"If you survive? Tali… I don't like the sound of this. Where exactly are they sending you?"
"It's not something Cerberus needs to hear about. Otherwise, I'd give you the details."
She seemed to be done talking then, content to watch out the window as they descended through the atmosphere. With another hour to burn, Shepard began catching up on galactic news. Miranda also gave him the passcode to Cerberus's extensive information network.
John Shepard's Omni-Activity
(Search) David Anderson human councilor
Article: Councilor Anderson: Visionary or Dangerous Conspiracy Theorist
Article: Alliance Defunds Human Councilor's Anti-AI-League Following Commander Shepard's Death
Article: David Anderson Officially Declared Missing by ANN
Article: Was Humanity's First Councilor Assassinated?
Article: The Prodigal Councilor Returns
Blog: Where did Humanity's Enigmatic Councilor Vanish To? And What is the Alliance Hiding?
(Search) Missing human colonies
Opinion Piece: The Batarian Threat: It's Time to Strike Back
Article: In the Wake of Human Colony Attacks the Hierarchy Pays Further Reparations to the Alliance for the Relay 314 Incident by Digeris Times
Article: Council Vetoes Cross Species Investigation into Human Colony Attacks
Cerberus InformationDatabase
(Keywords) Alien response to human colony attacks
[No results]
(Keywords) turians take on human colonies
[No results]
(Keywords) Turian military, human colony,
Email Forwards:
From: Major General Adrien Victus
To: Palaven Command
Re: Human Colony Attacks
Once more, I must disagree. These attacks against the human colonies are not only devastating but confounding. Have you seen the images? Infrastructure is in-tact. There is zero evidence of struggle. And the number of missing is staggering. I believe a technologically superior enemy has turned its focus on the humans, it's the only theory that holds weight. And if I'm right, this is a threat to the galactic community as a whole. I find it unfathomably reckless that we are turning a blind eye!
I am formally requesting resources to launch our own investigation.
Sincerely,
Major General Adrien Victus
From: Palaven Command
To: Major General Adrien Victus
Request denied.
From: Major General Victus
To: Palaven Command
On November 22nd, an unknown enemy attacked Cyrene, obliterating the colony. Unlike its predecessors, a distress signal managed to reach the Alliance before the planet went dark. Yet by the time relief arrived, the entire planet had been bombarded from orbit. The attack was devastating. There is nothing left, and the dust storms will probably rage for centuries – effectively choking out the planet.
I am formally requesting resources to launch a Hierarchy-backed investigation. Whatever enemy this is could be a threat to Palaven.
Sincerely,
Major General Adrien Victus
From: Palaven Command
To: Major General Adrien Victus
Command is aware of the situation. However, we cannot become involved in a human concern. If a single turian or volus colony is threatened, we will respond appropriately.
From: Major General Victus
To: Palaven Command
Really Gavitus, you're giving me the party line? We've been in the trenches together. At least let me speak with Fedorian. I want to hear it straight from the beak.
From: Palaven Command
To: Major General Victus
You have been reassigned to Patavig, Artemis Tau, Macedon System. Please report to Icinea Fort, Cipitrine Division, no later than December 2nd 2185 at 07:00. Failure to appear on time will result in an AWOL status.
Thank you,
General Mavus Gavtis
As their shuttle thrummed to a halt, Shepard closed his screen and made a mental note to look into this Victus guy. At least he wasn't the only one who found this situation ludicrous.
There was no sign of the quarians at the landing pad. Although, given their history with Cerberus, any leader worth their salt would scope them out from a safe distance.
Tali pulled him to the side, out of earshot of Miranda and Jacob, while they waited. "You're joining, aren't you?"
"If what they say is true, if the reapers really are behind this, then we're gonna have to work together. And even if they're wrong, I won't stand by while humans vanish. If the Alliance won't give me the resources I need, then … yeah. I'll do whatever I have to."
"I know you'd never turn your back on your people. It'd be folly to even ask you to ignore this. But there's more going on than you know. Just… be careful. Alright?"
"After that little AI-revelation, I'm all kinds of suspicious."
"Don't be blinded by the AI. Yes it's a catastrophically stupid idea, but I also know they're lying to you or at least withholding the truth. Like I said, I can't get into it. Not with Cerberus buzzing around. But please, I'm begging you, be aware of that."
"Okay. Okay. I'll keep that in mind. Before we head in, I need to know something. Is what they're saying about the squad true? Garrus vanished? And Liara is working for the Shadow Broker?"
"I haven't spoken with Liara since the attack. A few months after, she sent us a group-email letting everyone know she was okay but that was it. All I know is that she's an information broker. Whether or not she's independent, I have no idea."
"And Garrus?"
"He… took your death pretty hard. Burned down his career then dropped off the map. But whatever is going on with the colonists did not happen to him. He's living under a pseudonym in an… unregulated region of space. I don't trust Cerberus enough to say more though. He has a team and a mission of his own, I won't jeopardize them."
"That's fine. I just wanted to know he's breathing." Shepard snorted. "An unregulated region of space? Yeah that sounds like Garrus."
The quarian squad leader emerged a few minutes later, backed by a couple snipers on prefab roofs. Tali immediately intervened. "Prazza! Tell your team to put those weapons away."
"Dammit Tali, this is bullshit! The last time I saw you, Cerberus was shooting at us. And you, in your infinite wisdom, decided to stay behind with their lab project. I'm not risking my squad for more of your girlish insanity!"
"It is not insanity. This is my old commander. I'm sure of it. And trust me, you don't want to be pointing a gun at him."
In the end, she had to invoke her father's name, twice, but Prazza eventually settled down and they went to work on formulating a plan. Miranda, on the other hand, was preoccupied with scanning every inch of him. Once she was satisfied he was combat-fit, they pushed into the colony. And that's when he came to realize how different his body was.
For one, Miranda had been spot on about his biotics. He couldn't even sense them anymore. Not that it mattered, his strength and speed had been upgraded, to put it mildly. Within a few breaths, he stormed a line of mechs and pulverized the first's head with his fist. A FENRIS mech shocked him. It barely even registered before his boot was crushing it into the concrete.
Tali had new tricks as well. She developed some sort of technique that scrambled robotic systems and powered up her shields in the process, meaning she was all but invincible against synthetics. She didn't draw her gun once. Just popped in and out of cover with a menacing, flash of orange. Between the two of them, the mechs were obliterated. And they quickly traversed into the heart of the colony. That's where they found Veetor, hiding in a ramshackle prefab babbling to himself.
"Monsters coming back. Mechs will protect. Safe from swarms. Have to hide. NO MONSTERS. No swarms. Nonononononono." He huddled in the corner, arms around his knees, rocking back and forth as he rambled to the air.
It took Tali thirty minutes of careful coaxing before the boy allowed her to approach. She tended to his wounds, ensuring his suit was properly sealed and initiated a few antibiotic boosters, while Shepard tried gently questioning him. He didn't get far considering the kid was a bad combination of delirious and traumatized. That's when Veetor began pointing and rambling at a wall of screens.
Shepard connected his omni-tool to the interface and did a double take. "My god, he recorded it. He recorded the attack!"
Enticed by the revelation, Tali finished up with Veetor and joined him. They stared in unison at what was before them – concrete evidence that an enigmatic, almost mythical, species was behind the abductions. Large and impressive bipedal beings used swarms of miniature-bug-like creatures against the colonists. The probes, as Miranda astutely identified, were about the size of a peach pit, seemed to have human-targeting technology, and injected a paralytic agent in its victims via bites. Once incapacitated, the humans were loaded into pods. Even through the grainy film, Shepard could see their eyes moving. The sheer terror. Live victims. A grim conclusion to the day's events. And a matter that hit a little close to home. Same shit. Different package.
"Keelah," Tali shivered at his side, "I've never seen a collector. And I grew up in the Terminus Systems."
"But you have heard of them?" Shepard asked.
"Only bedtime stories to scare children about the dangers of wandering off in strange ports. There's a rumor that they seek out pure quarians – those who haven't been on pilgrimage or away from the fleet yet. But I was always told they were slavers. I never really… thought about it."
"Pure quarians? Why would leaving the fleet change that?"
Miranda answered. "If I recall properly, a quarian prepares for pilgrimage by installing cybernetic enhancements. Perhaps they want specimens that are 100% natural?"
"The cybernetics are not common. Not yet anyhow. We go through a series of injections to reduce allergic reactivity and boost the immune system. But very few have cybernetic correction. That's usually reserved for those who have skeletal deformities thanks to developing in low-G environments. It depends on which ship you grew up in. Mine, the Rayya, is at the heart of the fleet and has the same gravity standards as our home planet. Not everyone is so fortunate. And the more crowded it becomes, the worse it gets."
"It sounds like they want a certain type – even in their human captives. Look at this." Shepard rewound the vid before playing it in slow motion. "They're sorting through people."
When the part replayed, Tali could see what he meant. The largest collector had a type of drone-device, unlike anything she'd ever seen. The orb hovered alongside it as it walked down the line of captives. Every now and then, one would be selected and tossed onto a pile of immobile bodies. The chosen were loaded into pods and later the ship, while the others were … eliminated. A high powered energy beam quickly vaporized the colonists, leaving nothing but a scorch mark where there had once been at least thirty souls. And that … beam. That yellow beam… She had seen it before, when the Normandy was attacked over Alchera. When Shepard died.
Her stomach clenched.
"Download the vid footage along with every record on these colonists in existence. And I mean everything – medical, dental, school records, social media accounts, genealogy charts – everything. If the difference is x colonists take a dump in the morning and y colonists take a dump in the afternoon, I want it written down. We need to make a note of any and all variations between the capture and kill groups. Then we'll begin eliminating possibilities."
"Shepard that's an insane amount of data-" Miranda started.
"For an organic maybe. If that AI is coming along for the ride, we might as well use it. I'm interested in seeing what it comes up with. That said, I want everything it spits out analyzed by organic eyes. And at least one person disseminating the data independently. Miranda, is that something you could do? I'll keep you in the dark regarding EDI's report but I want an untainted perspective as well."
"Yes, of course. So long as it doesn't consume the crew as a whole, I am happy to disseminate the data."
"Good. Start with the medical records. Next on the agenda is taking samples. Let's get a tech team in, we'll do a sweep of the place. See if some of those probe things weren't left behind. That scientist… what's his face."
"Mordin Solus."
"Him. Yeah. We'll need him to develop a counter measure against that shit. Otherwise, we're dead in the water the second we come up against the collectors. But I also want samples of water, food, hell the damn air if you can."
"Alright. I'll prep the technicians. Jacob, grab the quarian and the data from -"
"What?!" Tali hissed. "Veetor is injured and needs medical attention!"
The exchange between Tali and Miranda grew venomous, forcing him to intercede before the women tore each other apart, verbally or otherwise. He wasn't certain what had passed between the pair, perhaps it was an understandable animosity on Tali's part for being held captive. But they drained the air of warmth on a coin flip. Sharp, lighted eyes meeting Miranda's steely blue. "That's not gonna happen. Veetor goes with Tali. We will ask for the quarians' cooperation in forwarding the data from his omni-tool."
"Thank you Shepard. I'm glad it's you giving the orders."
While Miranda and Jacob downloaded the data and coordinated the tech team, Shepard walked Tali to the quaraians' waiting ship. It was a small, scouting vessel with gaudy orange and white stripes painted over with the name Maali'Soll. Apparently, they weren't too fond of the original paint job.
She stood before him, an almost lugubrious presence. Every now and then she'd twist at her gloves and finger the pocket with the data-pad. Almost like a nervous twitch. So quiet. Where was the energetic chatterbox he came to know? She had changed in the intervening years. Further evidence of the time he lost.
He strode up to her, searching his mind for a proper goodbye, when she spoke. "I've sent a message to Garrus. He hasn't responded yet. But he should know you're alive…" She paused, wringing her hands yet again. "There are things you need to know. Things that I…wish more than anything I could tell you, but I need to check in on the situation and…. Cerberus was after… I mean…" She moved towards him, hand outstretched, then froze. A breath later her arm fell to the side.
"Did Cerberus …" He trailed off, almost afraid of the answer. "Tali, did Cerberus do something to you? Are you certain you're alright?"
She squeaked a little. Her mouth-light, or whatever it was, blinked in unison. "Yes. They were good to me."
"You seem… off."
"I think I'm just a little discombobulated. It's been a strange few months. But it's very good to have you back."
"Can I ask you something then? It might be a little personal."
"Alright."
"Is what Prazza said true? You chose to stay behind with me?"
She hesitated, letting silence settle in the air. Her voice was soft, tentative when she spoke. Almost a whisper, if not for the shrill edge of emotion. "What was I supposed to do, leave you to those bottom feeders? For two years, we thought you were dead. All of us! The whole team! When I saw you again, alive but unwell. I couldn't… I couldn't leave you behind. You would never do that if it were one of us."
She was still trembling when he pulled her in for a hug. It was short. Quick. Completely platonic. But he felt a sense of calm the moment her suit tapped against his armor. "I don't remember. But I… Well, let's just say I get the sense that you made things… easier on me. So, thank you. And thank you for giving me someone familiar to wake up to. You're a good friend. Better than I deserve."
She turned to leave, pausing at the Maali'Soll's on-ramp. "Just in case I don't return from this mission…"
"Don't talk like that. I'm already leery of whatever this is."
"Even so, I … I um… will set something up to send you… I mean… Which email are you using now?"
"My personal one has over six thousand unread messages. I'll probably be using Cerberus's for the time being. Less hassle that way. And it's not like they don't have the tech to hack other servers. Something tells me privacy isn't possible."
"Alright. I'll add it to my contact list."
She boarded then. Leaving him at the colony's edge, feeling the stark absence of her presence. Alone amid Freedom's corpse. A once vibrant colony robbed of every man, woman, and child – now filled with empty sounds. A river gurgled lazily between concrete pillars. Distant shutters smacking in the wind.
He shivered. The silence was deafening.
Later that evening, after settling into his cabin – a rather luxurious, borderline opulent room – he connected with the Illusive Man. Only to be directed to the second floor comm room, equipped with a QEC device. The man was convinced that the reapers were hacking organic transmissions and took zero chances. At the very least, it was nice to have someone on his side who took the reapers seriously. Even if he was a megalomaniac.
"The threat is real enough." Shepard declared. "But it still doesn't explain why you think the collectors are working for the reapers. I don't see the connection beyond numbers. This is something that warrants attention. But I don't want to be blind to other possibilities."
"One of my top scientists, a reaper expert, made the connection."
"Hold on, you have reaper experts?"
"You were not the first to raise the alarm. Only the most successful. You proved years of this man's work. He's a big fan of yours actually."
"Who is this guy?"
"I can't tell you that. Not yet. You have too many connections to the Alliance for me to be comfortable divulging his identity. Am I wrong in assuming you're going to try and persuade the Alliance to help? Maybe even the Council?"
"The more evidence we present them…"
"The more they'll have to ignore. Look, if you think you can convince them, by all means, try. But I won't jeopardize the mission in the process."
"Alright. Fine. What did this guy uncover?"
"The collectors are technologically advanced to a such a point that their science is borderline incomprehensible. We've seen a master unit capable of overriding its drones. These are organic beings. As far as we can tell, it's similar to what Sovereign did to Saren. Perhaps the collectors are outfitted with similar implants. But what really convinced us was uncovering their ability to manipulate relays. And we all know who built those. They've been taking the colonists through the Omega-4 relay, which we theorize has some sort of friend foe identification. Again, it's only a theory. But I have a couple teams working on it. I think they're harvesting humans ahead of schedule. Maybe you got their attention. Maybe humanity has something unique. Whatever the reason, it needs to be stopped."
"Agreed. But if this is a war, I'm gonna need an army…. Or a really good team."
"Have you had a chance to look over the dossiers?"
"Not all of them. We're headed to Omega at the moment to recruit Mordin Solus. We need him to develop a countermeasure against those paralytic probes. And I want him to have as much of a head start as possible."
"Good thinking. I like it. For now, build your team. When I have something more on the collectors, I'll let you know."
Shepard returned to his cabin then. Only to be dismayed at the installation of a sky-light above his bed. He quickly closed the shutters, but was too shaky for sleep. Considering it had been a solid twelve hours since Tali sent Garrus a message, perhaps an email from him wouldn't seem too insane.
To: Garrus_VK2180
From: MindoirMaws2154
Remember that beer I owe you? Feel like collecting on that debt? Send it here: Jshep
I know right? How is this old ghost still kickin? Well, I'm alive and boy do I have a story to tell you.
Hit me up,
Shepard
He hit send. Not knowing the recipient was in a fight for his life. A fight that he would nearly lose.
A/N: Finally, I have access to my FFN account again! I kept getting the dreaded Error Message 1 when I tried accessing any page on this account for quite awhile. I went through some of the earlier chapters to brush up on things and corrected some grammar, spelling, typos etc. Normally both the AO3 version and this version are updated/corrected simultaneously but, well, the lack of access means that the AO3 version officially has more polish. There's also a massive author note on this chapter on AO3. You're not missing anything essential just a long ramble about Shepard that I don't want bloating my word count.