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Beta(s) :

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Requested by :

Espacole

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To all concerned-

So, we're just gonna pretend I'm not a massive fucking dumbass that forgot Zaeed existed, and agree that he was there. In the scene. Just being quiet and… Squinting threateningly.

Sorry.

.

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When he'd commissioned the Normandy SR2, he'd built in two terminals linked directly to his personal data feed. The first, and by far most used, was in the second officer's cabin. Miranda used it regularly, forwarding him mission reports that he sent responses to as he received them. Occasionally, Miranda sent smaller messages with simple notices meant to inform him of whatever she felt would interest him. Interpersonal problems, upgrades to the Normandy he needed to know of to provide maintenance supplies and funding for, research items that Cerberus could put to use elsewhere, the like. Normally, they were ear-marked for the department most appropriate for them courtesy of Miranda's attentiveness, and after a skim for his personal edification, he'd forward them as asked.

When she'd forwarded one simply labeled 'Geth', he'd been more than a little interested.

When the second direct-connect line, located rather predictably in the Commander's cabin, had been activated and he'd received a second message titled 'call me' he'd been properly intrigued.

The message itself hadn't included anything except the same words, 'call me'. It hadn't even been properly tagged, when he cared to look. Instead, the system had drawn on the message itself for a title. Chuckling, he opened up his line to his secretary and ordered a fresh glass brought in for him, and his schedule cleared for the next hour. Whatever she needed, he doubted Shepard would contact him for something small.

Once his fresh glass had been brought in, he sighed and pressed the button on his chair. The little circle in front of him flared to life quickly, glowing subtly for a few moments until the connection was made and Shepard appeared, arms folded and face set in a deep frown. The moment their eyes met, that frown deeped and her eyes hardened.

If looks could kill…

"Commander Shepard, it's so good to hear from you." He nodded his greeting, pausing to steal a sip from his glass and sighing contentedly. "I was beginning to wonder if something about that line had been… Compromised, somehow."

"It works fine."

"Yet, you never use it." He frowned, "That's… Unfortunate."

"Using it now, aren't I?" Shepard pointed out, raising a thin brow challengingly. "And what, you want two copies of the mission reports Miranda sends you every damn day? I figured I would save you the data costs."

"Considerate of you, Commander. Very much so." More likely, she detested him and didn't want to even mildly bend to satisfy him. Which, to be fair, that was all her reports would have been. And he didn't need her obedience besides… Only her success. "Very well then, Shepard, let's cut to the chase. I sense this isn't a call you would make lightly so what is the matter?"

"I have a feeling you already know…"

"I know there's a damaged, inactive Geth that was brought onto your ship." Though with how upset she was, he doubted the last descriptor was accurate anymore. And yet, her armor showed no signs of damage. And he had a feeling Miranda would have mentioned a battle inside of the Normandy, no matter how short it was. Raising an eyebrow he let the woman have the lead she no doubt wanted, "Care to enlighten me to whatever else has happened, Commander?"

"I wanted to destroy it." The woman answered simply, "Nikos convinced me to let it speak for itself first."

"I see…" The Illusive Man murmured, blinking away his surprise. "And?"

"It… Wants to help us, apparently." She answered quietly, chewing on her already sore looking, red lips anxiously and sighing. "Against the Reapers."

"And the Collectors…?"

"I mean, I think that's fairly obvious."

"Hm." Nothing was ever obvious where AI were concerned. Technicalities, specificities, and the obvious leaps of logic an organic mind might make were almost always beyond them. But having that argument now wasn't nearly interesting enough to bother. Instead, "And what was your response to that?"

"That it was awfully convenient." Shepard said, "Especially after Saren."

"That's a fair conclusion to draw, I suppose." Especially with as fresh as her memories of that conflict were, compared to his own. How could he expect a more open mind given that, for her, it had been scant weeks since the Geth posed an existential threat to the galaxy at large? Shaking the glass in his hand and watching the liquor spin in slow circles, he went on, "I can have a science vessel rendezvous with you within the week to collect it, then. All I need is-"

"That won't be necessary." Shepard cut him off, eyes narrowing when he looked to her in surprise. "I didn't call you to take it, TIM. I… I was hoping you could provide the me supplies to allow me to shut it down anywhere on the ship, if it turns on me."

"Such as?"

"I don't know, a jammer or something. Maybe something that puts out an EM pulse." The woman shrugged and shifted her weight from one foot to the other in what her psych files told him was a show of anxiety. Discomfort. It drew his full attention to her, too. He'd put too much into her to risk her falling to pieces over something like this. "You have to have something."

"I have a few items I keep in regular supply in case of Geth related issues, yes." The Illusive Man lied smoothly. Truth was, most of it would have to be ordered from shell companies and even outside his own sphere of control. But if it would keep the Commander stable and on task… "Until then, I'm glad you contacted me. I was going to reach out to you this evening, so it's convenient."

"Oh?"

"I've received word of a potential target for Collector attack." He started simply, flicking a finger over his terminal display to forward a data-packet to the Commander directly through the terminal she was using, instead of EDI as he'd planned. "A small colony world called Horizon. Have you heard of it?"

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"And this is where we've been staying, while on the Normandy." Pyrrha said as she, Penny and Legion stepped into the observation deck turned bedroom. The room was in a bit of a mess still, with so much going on neither of them had found the time to clean, but Legion didn't seem to mind as they thumped into the room. "It's not much, but… Well, it beats Omega, as you can probably see."

"It's so much cleaner!" Penny cheered and laughed, flopping spread eagle onto her cot and sighing contentedly. Clutching the blanket around her she inhaled and sighed, "Aaaaah, the crew came in and did laundry, too…"

"We are glad that your accommodations have improved." Legion said quietly, pacing across the room to look out at the starfield that stretched out around them. "We did not think we would escape from Hock, Donavan intact…"

"Well, luckily we were there to save you." Pyrrha smiled, joining him at the window and folding her hands behind her waist. "And I know you offered to help her, but… Legion, you must understand that Commander Shepard-"

"Mistrusts Geth." The machine cut in, bobbing its head slightly as its flanges flicked and twitched. One stuck and ground against its hinging until Legion reached up to straighten it themself. "We- That is, the Collective was already aware of such problems when we decided on this course of action."

"And yet you risked destruction to come here…"

"The Old Machines must be stopped." Legion responded simply, "Our people depend on this too. As such, the risk is… Worthwhile."

"Legion…"

"We are still damaged beyond a fully functional state." The Geth said, turning to face her and gesturing at their armor and head meaningfully. "Is it possible that this vessel possesses the necessary supplies and facilities for our repairs?"

"We can ask Mordin, I suppose?" Though she doubted even he would have the needed technical skills, or supplies to implement them, he was at least the most scientifically inclined. Still, "He's a scientist and a friend, and the only one aboard that might have the skills and the will to help you."

"We understand the difficulty in this situation, Pyrrha." Legion answered quietly, waving a hand to its scratched and scuffed, but mostly at least holding together, body. "Do not fear. This chassis is more than capable of sustained activity. It is only unworthy of combat for the moment, until repairs are able to be arranged."

"I'm glad to hear-"

"Pardon the interruption, Miss Nikos. Commander Shepard requires your attendance in the conference room." EDI suddenly cut in, her voice echoing pleasantly around the room. "She wished for it to be made clear to you, given the circumstances, that this is for a mission briefing."

"I see…" And that was why she'd not asked for Penny, she supposed? Pyrrha turned to her less mechanical friend and took from her frown that she'd concluded the same. Sighing, Pyrrha asked, if only to save the Commander some face, "Penny, would you mind keeping Legion company?"

"No, I would not." Penny answered quietly, smiling widely as she bounced to her feet and then over to Legion beside the window. "Have you ever played Star Shapes, friend?"

"We have not." Legion answered quietly as Pyrrha turned to leave.

At least she could count on Penny to entertain them, while she was out and dealing with work. And who knew, maybe another kind of synthetic altogether would be a good source of study for Legion? If nothing else, Penny was sure to be a very unique example to draw on for organic understanding.

When she got back to the conference room, she found the Commander waiting in her seat yet again. And, for the moment, alone. She met Pyrrha's gaze and nodded as she stepped into the room, "Nikos."

"Commander." A handful of chairs had been brought into the room, three to either side with one at the head, and she tried not to feel too satisfied about that as she took one. Leaning her elbows on the table, she asked, "Something came up already?"

"In a manner of speaking." The Commander nodded, looking up as Garrus slipped into the room. Nodding again, she said, "Garrus."

"EDI made things sound urgent." The Turian grunted, more falling into his seat at the Commander's right than sitting down. Turning to face her, he asked, "What is it, then? Pirates. No, not in Citadel Space… The Collectors?"

"It can wait until our last member gets here, Garrus." Shepard answered quietly, sharp eyes narrowing on the Turian man for a moment before she asked. "Is something wrong, Garrus?"

"I don't know what-"

"I know how to read you, Vakarian." She chuckled, laying a hand on the table and smiling warmly. "Don't try and hide it if something's wrong. It won't work, and more than just one person here will worry about you if you do."

"I…" That gave the Turian pause and, when he turned to Pyrrha and she nodded, he sighed and flicked his mandibles irritably. "Just some… Awkward news, is all. Personal matter, Commander. I'll tell you about it later."

"You swear it?"

"Yeah." Garrus nodded, "Turian's honor."

"Didn't you always say how you 'weren't a very good Turian'?"

"Come on, Commander, that was… About somethin' different." Garrus chuckled, scratching at the base of his fringe idly and shaking his head. Flicking his mandibles, he said, "It's really not that important. Certainly not right now."

"If you say so…" Like he'd been waiting for it, the door whirred open to let Mordin step in and Garrus nodded. "And hey, convenient, the doctor's in the house."

"Feel like I interrupted something." Mordin said, freezing at the end of the table and looking between the Turian and the Commander herself. He raised a ridged eyebrow and cocked his head, "Commander?"

"You didn't interrupt anything, Doctor, we were just waiting for you." At a press of a button in front of her, the lights dimmed around them and the table began to glow a cool blue around its edges. A moment later, an image of a planet blinked to life and Shepard spoke, "This is Horizon, a small colony fronted primarily by the Alliance and a conglomerate of numerous Alliance based business interests. None of which are in a position to steadily defend it."

"Then why found it at all?" Pyrrha asked, "Defence of a stead ought to be guaranteed before it becomes a home. No?"

"You'd think…" Garrus sighed, shaking his head, "But, uh, by the time Humanity got a chance to start, most of Citadel Space was spoken for. Closer you get to Batarian space, worse it gets for pirates, mercs and slavers."

"Dark Brother…" She murmured, grimacing and shaking her head. "No wonder you were so driven on Omega."

"Yeah." He chuckled, turning a hard stare on the planet in front of them. When he spoke next his voice was low, as if he wasn't even recognizing them, too lost in his own world. "No wonder..."

"According to Cerberus intelligence, Horizon will be the next target for Collector assault. I spoke to The Illusive Man about it, and apparently the Alliance is unable to help Horizon. Or unwilling to listen to Cerberus' intel." Shepard cut in, dragging them back to the matter at hand and sending Pyrrha's stomach straight into her throat. "Whatever the case, The Illusive Man believes the raid will occur in the next five weeks, and has asked us to go and monitor the situation."

"Travel will take time." Mordin pointed out, pacing at the end of the room rather than sitting with them. Finger tapping his chin, he said, "Two weeks. Estimation, but likely accurate. Assumes few distractions or detours."

"I've already ordered a course plotted, and Joker will have us under-way shortly." Shepard nodded, "Once all crew have returned from their… Abbreviated shore leave, that is."

"You mean cancelled…"

"They know the costs of an operation like this, and given they're Cerberus, I don't think they'll mind us rushing off to save a Human settlement like this." Shepard countered the Turian easily, smiling like it was familiar. Comfortable, even. After everything that had happened, Pyrrha could grasp why it would be, she supposed. Folding her arms over her chest the Commander sighed and turned by to the holographic planet. "Doctor Solus, I asked you to check your status on a solution to our Seeker problem."

"Working it." The doctor answered, "Should have usable results on arrival. If not, shortly after. Prioritizing it. Have had simulations and sample tests running since joining."

"Good." She nodded, turning, "Garrus, Nikos, I want you on the ground team. Vakarian, you know how I operate."

"Yeah." It hadn't been a question, but he answered it regardless and turned to Pyrrha. "She's the markswoman, I'm close-in marksmanship. Assault, suppression, the like to support our heavy brawler. Which, uh, would probably… Be you."

"Me?"

"Normally, I use Krogan." Shepard smirked, raising a brow at the Huntress when she turned, blinking, to her. "But as you can literally have a punch out with a Krogan Biotic… Well, I have faith in you."

"You also have an actual Krogan…" Pyrrha murmured begrudgingly, rushing to explain when the Commander's brows flew into her hairline. "I-I do not mean to imply I disagree, or am unwilling to comply! I'm… Merely thinking."

"Dangerous."

"Oh hush, Garrus, before I show you some real danger." Pyrrha sniped back, teeth clicking shut the exact moment she realized what she'd said. Blinking, she stammered, "U-Uhhh, I did not mean-"

"Ha!" The Turian hooted suddenly, cutting her off and slamming a fist down into the table. "There's some of that fire I saw on that vid-feed back on Omega! Was wondering when it would crawl free. Thought at this rate I'd need to run you to Tuchanka, pitch you at some Krogan warriors."

"What-"

"Thought along similar lines." Mordin smirked, clasping his hand behind his waist and turning to her. "Though, considered simply hiring mercenaries instead."

"That is not necessary!"

"Let me know what sort of travel accommodations you need, I don't mind facilitating." Shepard chuckled, standing and tapping the same button she had before. Looking between each of them she said, "Be ready when we arrive. The Collectors may very well already be at work, and we won't be able to stop them in space. So we will be looking for ground-based assets to drive them off. With or without the Normandy's help."

"Will be ready." Mordin promised, "No matter what."

"Same here, Commander." Garrus nodded, standing and turning to leave. Waving over his shoulder, he grunted, "I gotta get my rifles properly calibrated, then. Sooner rather than later, right?"

"I'll, uh, be ready too, I suppose?" Pyrrha murmured, standing awkwardly and meeting the Commander's pensive look. Feeling awkward, she asked, "And, uh… Would you mind… Legion is damaged, and we need parts, so-"

"I'll see what Cerberus has, if anything, to help. Otherwise, well… It will just need to make do with what it can cobble together out of our spare parts until we manage something better." She answered quietly, hiding the grimace she caught the head of in a sigh. Waving towards the door, she added a sharp, "Dismissed, then, Nikos. Unless you need something else…?"

"No, uh… Good day then, Commander." Nodding, Pyrrha turned to leave.

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Arch Calamity :

As a comm, I work on it when the requester puts in for it. Sorry.

Jahoan :

XD

Green the Ryno :

I… Kinda wanna work that line in, about how dying makes Shepard the most normal person in the room if Pyrrha's around. XD

Joe Cola :

XD

Simply Christian :

What you pointed out about the dangers of a Geth being on the Normandy are true, and I should have considered that. My bad.

As for the rest… I despise you sometimes, lol.