Before Shepard even made it to the CIC to plot a course to the Citadel, Anderson contacted him and asked that they meet out near the Far Rim – an extremely odd request. As they neared the coordinates, the Normandy was hailed by another ship, the SSV Einstein, asking permission to dock with them and for the Commander to come aboard. Seeing Anderson's pass-code, Shepard immediately accepted the request. A squad of eight salarians greeted them in the docking tube, one of whom upon seeing Garrus in the CIC asked that he come as well.

As they made their way through a rapidly dispersing crowd of salarian, human, and quarian marines, Garrus spotted Anderson standing on the bridge. He hadn't seen the man in person since Shepard's funeral, and the differences were staggering. For one, he was much thinner. The skin around his eyes and cheeks was pinched and sallow. And there was… a presence that hung off him like a bad cold. Exhaustion? Illness? Whatever it was, he couldn't put a talon on it. But it made the air feel heavy.

Anderson pulled Shepard in for a hug. Hands traveling down his arms as he spoke, "damn if you're not a sight for sore eyes. Your little quarian friend told me… what happened. I just had to see for myself."

"It's good to see you too, sir. Though I thought we were meeting on the Citadel."

"That was a few weeks ago, Shepard. My focus is not exclusive to the goings on of Citadel Space."

"It's fine. I just didn't expect to meet you on the borders of the Perseus Veil."

"You check out and I'll tell you all about it. The data Tali sent was… thorough. But we need to see for ourselves."

"What are you talking about?"

"A medical exam. Nothing more."

"Look, I have more colonies to protect than ships. And a stack of dossiers the size of Texas."

"Whatever you have scheduled, it's time to cancel. Right now, the Normandy is locked down. My marines had a portable viral device. The AI is offline. Manual controls too. This isn't optional."

"Anderson?" At the corner of his vision he saw Garrus bristle, movement in the fringe if he wasn't mistaken. A strange wondering at the fact it moved meandered through the back of his mind.

"Cerberus exposed their entire station to reaper technology. I need to ensure you are not indoctrinated. Pass our exams, and you're free to go. Or you can stick around and I'll tell you why I'm out here and why you care about it."

"Huh." Shepard rubbed the back of his head. "I … didn't hear about that."

"I imagine there are a lot of things Cerberus hasn't told you."

A salarian materialized next to the pair, who Garrus could swear he'd seen before. An explanation came moments later when Anderson introduced him. "Shepard, this is Chorban, one of my medical officers. I believe you two are acquainted."

"The… keeper data. Yeah."

"He's now my foremost expert on indoctrination."

"Wait, you … know what it is?"

"We're able to detect certain degrees of synthetic influence."

"Never thought I'd hear you talk without revealing anything. You're shaping into a fine politician."

"Ooh," Anderson slapped a hand to his chest. "How you wound me."

The Councilor's eyes trailed after Shepard as he was escorted to the medbay. Then he turned to Garrus, voice low. "Tali mentioned she sent you an email about… everything. How much did she tell you?"

"Only that Shepard is alive and needs our help."

"Nothing about how he's alive though?"

"N-no. What's going on sir?"

"Before I get into that, Vakarian, I owe you one hell of an apology. Everything that happened with Jane …"

"No need sir. It worked out. Besides, given your missing status, I figured you were occupied. Good to see you alive."

"With what we now know about Cerberus, it's probably for the best. Could you imagine the power they'd have over him otherwise?"

"I'd rather not." Garrus paused, the peculiarity of the situation irking him. "Sir, what's going on?"

"We just need to be sure of some things. The files Tali sent were… grisly. And I'd simply prefer Chorban take a closer look."

"Do you really know what indoctrination is?"

"Yes."

"But you won't tell us?"

"Cerberus has me jumpy. That, plus, even if Shepard checks out today, it's possible for symptoms to start months or even years after…" The Councilor halted mid-sentence, clearly concerned over revealing too much. "It's the type of technology that, in the wrong hands, could be used to exert control over individuals. Especially if humans were at the reins."

"Humans… why… why humans?" Garrus muttered to himself. Not really expecting a response.

"Because we have a resistance to it. We lost a lot of salarians studying this crap before realizing only humans should be in the lab where… well… Look, right now, Cerberus has John's trust. Maybe not all of it. But he's been angry at the Alliance since the Massacre of Mindoir. And I don't blame him. We failed him, his colony, and countless others. Then sat back and let the slaver threat flourish. His anger is well-placed. But the Illusive Man is using that to manipulate him."

"You're familiar with the Illusive Man?"

"I ordered a full investigation after being appointed to the Council. I know who he is and how he works."

"There hasn't been an opportunity to talk with him openly. I..." Garrus hesitated. A nervous edge crept into his subvocals. "I… suppose I could here though. Your ship is secure, clean of bugs and..."

"Provided he checks out," Anderson interrupted, much to his relief. "I have a big ask of the man. His head needs to be in it. But the second that's dealt with, tell him."

Twelve hours, and a dizzying array of brain scans and needle pokes later, the Commander was given the green light. For reasons that were beyond either man, Anderson sent Garrus to the med bay. He was now in the corner, swiveling awkwardly on the stool. "So," he started, letting the question dangle between them. "Any word on why we're both uh… here?"

"They thought I was indoctrinated. Honestly, I," Shepard's voice caught. "I'm not sure I want to know more."

"I was referring to Anderson's big ask. But consider the rest forgotten."

The human pulled an Alliance-T over his head, removing several stickers in the process. "He said we were needed, desperately. But nothing else. He tell you anything?"

Before Garrus could respond, the med-bay doors swished open and the man himself entered. "How about I clear that matter up? I'm sorry for the secrecy but…"

"I understand. Indoctrination is not something you trifle with."

"Glad we're on the same page. I'm sending you a neurologist with a degree in psychiatry to you. She has experience working with the indoctrinated. And will be tasked with completing regular checkups to ascertain your mental state. All reports will be sent my way. Other than that, her skills are at your disposal."

"That's fine. I'm more interested in why we're here. We're playing with fire sitting around the Perseus Veil. Geth aren't exactly friendly to trespassers."

Anderson stood, pacing the room, hands clasped behind his back. "Fourteen days ago, with precision strikes across the Dholen System, we initiated the war for Haestrom, a former quarian colony. The sun is of… unique interest. Our scans of the planet are dire. The star is dying and as a result, everything including coms, shields, even certain weapon types fry in the light. Our men have ways to compensate, but this mission is DOA without reinforcements."

"Why would you do such a thing? You kicked the hornets' nest! I could understand if you were trying to wipe out the geth before they have the opportunity to join the Reaper fleet, but this? All this for an abandoned colony?"

"You don't have to care or know my motivations Shepard. I have a feeling you'll want to head there regardless."

"But you're asking me to risk my ass and my team."

"For a friend. Tali's down there."

Both Shepard and Garrus started at that.

"We knew this was gonna be a high-casualty mission. And we prepared for that. But we underestimated the geth naval response. Their dreadnought blew through out blockade like paper. We now have the forces to keep them at bay, but they managed to land reinforcements before that. During the last com planetside, both teams were pinned on the northernmost pole, where the sun doesn't set. Not during the summer anyhow. Which means no shields and little in the way of equipment. They can't hold out much longer. And if we lose Tali, I lose Rael." The following part was muttered, almost bitterly. "Regardless of his assurances. That man is like the edge of a blade."

"How long since you lost communications?"

"Four days. The sun fried through everything."

"Sure they're alive?"

"I sent Diamondback Company, accompanied by another two hundred quarian marines. Four hundred in total – not counting the tech team. There's a battalion down there. No way the geth took them all out. And even if, this mission must be completed, at any cost."

"Honestly, you had me at Tali. She's a good friend and I… owe her."

"I heard. Find the men, mobilize them, and secure the Northern bunker. I'll forward you the coordinates."

"You okay with me bringing Cerberus operatives? If things are as bad as you say, we're gonna need them."

"Just secure the area and get the tech team to where they need to be. I don't care how you do it. So long as it gets done."

Then Anderson introduced them to Kelly Chambers a bouncy, young thing that didn't seem as though she belonged anywhere near a war ship. She chattered away like a little bird. Didn't stop until they returned to the Normandy and found themselves face to face with an irate Miranda. She was mid-argument with Joker when they docked and all but flung herself towards them. It took twenty minutes to talk her down. And another twenty when she learned that they were heading beyond the Perseus Veil to pick a fight with the geth. Then she stormed off to file a report with her (their) boss. She may be a plant, whose purpose was to report his every move to the Illusive Man, but at least she was honest about it.

"ETA to Haestrom, is 12 hours." Shepard paced in the com room. Any other vessel would take three, maybe four times that to reach the Dohlen system – even one on the edge of the Perseus Veil. But the Tantalus Drive Core on the Normandy had been upgraded with a Mass Effect core nearly three times size of the original. They could soar at speeds that put the SR-1 to shame. "Since we've got some time, I'd like to hear from you about what's going on. Though, this is still a Cerberus vessel. So, expect bugs."

Anderson sucked in the air through his teeth. "Yeah. I figure if they've really reconstructed your memory, then we have a lot of potential leaks."

"From what I understand, yeah, they did."

"Well, isn't that peachy?"

"Not to add shit to the compost heap but …."

"Seeing you alive again Shepard? I'm pretty sure I'll be in a good mood for awhile. What's on your mind?"

"I need some answers about what's going on with the colonies. Over three-hundred thousand have been taken – entire families. Young children. With absolutely no response from the Alliance. What the hell is going on? I recommended you for the councilor seat so that if shit like this went down, someone would give a damn! I just… I don't understand."

Anderson sighed. A weary, spent sound. "There is nothing I would like more than to help those colonists. I know what's happening. I know it's the Collectors. And I even know that they're working for the Reapers. But I'm focused on the impending invasion and ensuring our species doesn't go extinct. I wish I could do more…"

"Wait, you know the Collectors are working for the Reapers? You have proof?"

"Yeah. They're a race that was subjugated and transformed by the Reapers. My scientists say the genetic rewrite is similar to what they did with the Keepers. Only these husk-like creatures are terrors on the battlefield – a far cry from our passive, Citadel friends. Barring that, it's obvious that this is a far more advanced race than is known to the galactic community. So either another species evolved, achieved space flight, and established an empire all without alerting the Council, or the Reapers have been here for a lot longer than any of us realize."

"Why the hell haven't you brought this to the Council? If you have that kind of evidence…"

"I have my reasons."

"You won't tell me?"

"Not while you're with Cerberus, no."

"And the colonists?"

"Our hands are full. Besides, say I did deploy what's left of our fleet along with the marine corp. Those colonists would be spared what, a few months? A year? Maybe two? My time is better spent elsewhere."

"So you are doing something."

"Even Cerberus knows that I'm preparing us to fight the Reapers. I tried to keep it quiet, but their moles are everywhere. I can confirm that at least."

"I never should've saved the Council. Dammit."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Although, I was surprised by it."

Shepard sighed. "I thought… damn. I thought. What would happen if whomever replaced them denied the Reapers' existence? Look how bad things nearly went when it was one reaper on our ass. It would be catastrophic to our efforts should it happen again. In fact, it could cost us everything. Now I wake up, two years later, and find out that despite seeing a reaper with their own two eyes – despite my proving them wrong at every turn, they wind up doing exactly that. I mean, how? Just how? They were on the Destiny's Ascension! They saw Sovereign first hand!"

"Tell me about it." Anderson said miserably.

"Dammit. I'm sorry. It was a bad call."

But the Councilor merely shrugged at that. "I'm not that down on it. There was one positive side to saving them. Humanity has the trust of not only the Council, but every species in Council Space. I have a lot more freedom to maneuver than I would, had we left them to their fate."

"But you'd also have a larger fleet. And we all know at the end of the day, the guy with the bigger gun gets his way." Shepard paused. "Blegh. I didn't mean for that to rhyme."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. What's done is done son."

"It's hard not to when I'm hearing reports of Tevos's victory tour."

"Don't get me started on that waste of taxpayer creds."

They both excused themselves then. Shepard needed to make some last minute preparations then get some shut-eye. He all but stumbled into Garrus, who was waiting outside the com room. "Shepard, I'm coming on the Haestrom mission. You're short-handed enough without me sitting on the side lines."

"I watched you walk into a wall the other day."

"That was without corticosteroids. A few drops in the ear canal, and I'm steady. Chakwas cleared me this morning."

Shepard glanced at the medical report Garrus opened on his omni-screen. "Start prepping for the mission. But I want to talk with the doc before I commit."

"Aye, aye commander."

He then dropped by Mordin's lab, to update him on their impending mission and their needs, before heading to his cabin. Whatever was waiting for them, he wanted to be bright eyed and bushy tailed when it was time to face it.