Mass Effect: A Measure of Salvation

by Mal Cobb

With the Reapers closing in, Miranda Lawson understands well the magnitude of the threat. But as she breaks free from Cerberus and navigates the perils of a fracturing Systems Alliance, can she reconcile the operative she once was with the woman who's fallen for Commander Shepard? Rated M for graphic violence, language, and strong sexual situations.

28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Menae, Hierarchy Space, Trebia System

"Vega, Private, sweep left," Shepard hollered through the comm, flashes of small arms fire popping all around his field of vision.

"Copy!" James Vega called back.

Shepard flicked his vision up to his suit's tactical map display and watched as the two Marines moved across the fire zone, ducking in and out of cover, while he and Garrus hurled smoke grenades forward and sprayed covering fire downrange.

The wailing, high-pitched staccato of the turian-made Phaeston rifles filled the air, coming in loud and clear through the auditory sensors in Shepard's battle helmet. He kept one eye on the plots of Vega and Westmoreland as they tracked off farther to his left, moving to intercept an enemy flanking action, before a hail of return fire peppered the boulder he and Garrus were hunkered down behind, sending him and the turian diving back behind the shelter.

"Tell the truth, Shepard," Garrus said, crouched down with his back against the boulder and slapping a fresh thermal clip into his assault rifle. "You totally missed this while you were vacationing back on Earth."

Shepard grunted a laugh as he pulled back on the action of his Avenger and stole another quick glance at Vega and Westmoreland's status in the TacNet display. "Maybe," he said. "But not your goddamn aim, Garrus. You completely missed that Cannibal just now. Fucking thing nearly took my head off."

"Oh, ho! So that's how it is, huh?" Garrus said before leaning out to his left, raising his rifle and burying a burst of fire into the center mass of the Cannibal charging toward their position. He then calmly adjusted his fire a fraction upward and to the right until his final rounds hit the mark, striking a cluster of fragmentation grenades clipped to a harness slung over the Reaper's shoulder.

The ground shook as the powerful explosion consumed the Cannibal and threw several nearby husks to the deck amid a shower of grayish blood and gore.

Shepard poked his head back over the boulder, surveying the carnage. "Show off," he said before spinning around, stepping out to his left, and taking a knee. He then lined up the fallen husks and finished them off with several rapid, controlled bursts.

Shepard and Garrus scanned the area ahead of them for another few seconds, sweeping their rifles' muzzles back and forth while their advanced helmet sensors updated battlefield data. There were bodies everywhere, mostly hostiles, but also a few turian defenders that had been caught out in the open and cut down by the latest wave of Reaper ground forces assaulting the moon.

"Don't worry, Shepard. You'll shake that rust off soon enough."

Shepard rolled his eyes behind his helmet's face shield. "Don't get cocky, Vakarian," he muttered into his mic before dropping two more husks that had appeared out from around a corner several dozen meters ahead.

The synthetic-organic humanoid creatures moved with unnatural quickness, even in the limited gravity of Menae, and had already taken many turian soldiers by surprise with their ruthless agility. But Shepard and Garrus had faced the things more times than they cared to remember and knew well not to underestimate them, especially when within grappling range.

Movement farther up ahead and to their right caught their eyes and triggered their tactical computers as another half dozen husks and a pair of the turian-looking Reaper troopers dashed out from around a low ridge. Shepard and Garrus instinctively dropped lower to the ground and spun their rifles around to meet the threat. But before either of the men could squeeze the trigger, the oncoming Reapers were raked by a vicious barrage of gunfire and engulfed in a cloud of fire and smoke.

Fifteen meters to Shepard's ten o'clock, Vega had opened up on the new arrivals with his N7 Typhoon, hosing them down with micro-explosive tipped mass accelerated slugs. Westmoreland was firing as well, but the Avenger she wielded sounded almost dainty next to the hoarse, thundering bark of the heavier squad support gun.

A few seconds later, Vega and Westmoreland's guns fell silent and a wispy haze clung to the ground near where the Reaper troopers had been gunned down.

"Clear!" Shepard called out before cautiously striding forward alongside Garrus. They surveyed the slaughter, carefully inspecting the mangled Reaper bodies littering the ground, and then moved to regroup with the other two Marines near the side of a low, jagged hillside.

"Nice work, Private," Shepard said, glancing at Westmoreland as he and the others took a knee together, wordlessly covering four different directions. "You could stand to be a little more judicious with your field of fire, Lieutenant."

Vega frowned under his helmet. "Damn, that's cold, Captain," he said.

"Don't feel bad, Lieutenant Vega," Garrus said. "He's always been sweet on the girls."

"N School combat training took all the girl that was left out of me, sir," Westmoreland added sourly. "I'm just a Marine now—and not one that plays with dolls or keeps a diary."

Garrus laughed. "I like this one, Shepard. She's feisty."

"Can it, Garrus. How much further to the General?"

"Command Ops camp is just over this ridge and another four hundred fifty meters southeast," Garrus said, pulling up a tactical holo map on his Omni-tool. "Local spotters are reporting the rest of the way's clear of hostile activity—at least for now."

"Alright," Shepard said. "James, you've got point. Private, cover our six. Let's move out!"

The four man team then resumed their overland trek, jogging through the barren, alien landscape and following a vaguely marked path that led to their objective.

The human Marines were all outfitted in fully sealed hard-shell battle armor, complete with combat breather helmets. What little atmosphere there was on the turian moon was too thin for their lungs, especially when the exertion of battle was figured in, and the low level radiation was severe enough to render them infertile if they went unprotected for more than twenty minutes. Another thirty minutes of exposure would mean days of cellular regenerative therapy. More than an hour, certain death.

One of Palaven's two natural satellites, Menae was essentially an enormous turian military installation. The landscape was dotted with air and ground combat bases, supply depots, and extreme warfare and survival training facilities. Below the surface, a network of caverns and passageways branched out like an enormous underground highway, concealing untold numbers of troops, vehicles, and ordnance.

After the Reapers' arrival in the system, the enemy had initiated a steady bombardment of the surface of the moon, intending to eradicate the defenders from a considerable distance. But their attacks were met with a determined and coordinated resistance from both the extensive array of anti-aerospace gun emplacements and the Hierarchy fleets in-system. Menae, and her sister moon, Nanus, were vital to the defense of Palaven and the turians had no intention of giving up their precious real estate without a tremendous fight.

Frustrated, the invaders altered their strategy and began a process of methodically sanitizing the globe, deploying ground forces with destroyers and capital ships in support, and moving from stronghold to stronghold, obliterating any resistance they encountered. The turians were effectively rotating troops and ships in an elaborate shuffling maneuver, but the battle would eventually devolve into one of attrition. And when it came to that, the Reapers clearly had both the resources and patience to slowly grind the defenders to dust.

Pressing onward, the team enjoyed a brief respite from the furious combat they'd been engaged in. In the distance, more than thirty kilometers from their position, a Sovereign class capital ship lumbered along, raking the moon's surface with intermittent bursts of fire from its main gun, vaporizing the turian defenders unfortunate enough to be caught in its field of fire. But, at least for the moment, the enormous ship was headed away from their general direction.

Hiking over the rough terrain, Lieutenant Vega vigilantly swept the business end his Typhoon side to side as he led the way. Garrus and Shepard followed a few meters behind, both the veteran soldiers keeping one eye on the broader combat data streaming in through their tactical feeds and the other on the immediate area around them. Westmoreland brought up the rear, keeping a watchful eye out for any surprises.

Shepard stole a quick glance back toward the young Marine, mindful to watch for any signs that the stress of combat was beginning to overwhelm her.

Before setting out from the Citadel, Shepard had hoped to secure a squad of N7 Marine special operators ahead of the mission to extract the turian Primarch. But their departure window was exceeding tight and there were no experienced combat troopers to be spared in time. That left him with only Vega and the woefully inexperienced Private Westmoreland to comprise his away party.

Under different circumstances, he would have felt much more comfortable bringing Liara and her well-honed biotic abilities along with him instead of a young soldier he barely knew. Far removed from the timid Prothean researcher he'd pulled from Therum all those years ago, his asari ex-girlfriend was now a force to be reckoned with in combat and someone he trusted absolutely.

But the Normandy was still shorthanded and missing an XO. With Reaper warships clogging the system, he felt more at ease knowing her judgment and experience would help keep his ship safe. And, perhaps even more importantly, he needed to ensure that Liara herself was kept safe. Her Prothean expertise was irreplaceable. With the encrypted data they'd extracted from the Mars Archives still residing on the ship's drives, and only a fraction of it deciphered, he simply couldn't afford to risk her safety.

So instead, after the Normandy had entered the turian home system and slipped undetected past the massive Reaper fleet blockading the system, he'd assembled the only other two ground-combat certified Marines and dropped to Menae's surface to begin the extraction of Primarch Fedorian.

But shortly after Lieutenant Cortez had delivered the small team to their designated LZ and they'd linked up with Shepard's old friend and comrade, Garrus Vakarian, they'd learned that the turian leader was already dead—killed along with his staff when the main gun of a Reaper destroyer vaporized the shuttle they'd been traveling within.

Fortunately, thanks to clear rules of succession, the Hierarchy's chief executive post had instantly passed to another turian present on Menae, General Adrien Victus. Shepard, Garrus, and the other two Alliance Marines had been fighting their way through waves of Reaper ground forces ever since, pushing ahead toward a forward operating base that was the last known location of the new Primarch.

Since touching down on Menae, Shepard and his small team had encountered a mixed group of synthetic-organic hostile soldiers. The majority were the same batarian-humanoid amalgamations that had formed the bulk of the Sol ground invasion force. After a full week of unfettered access to the Hegemony's home system, the Reapers had obviously focused much of their energy on harvesting the local populations and transforming the poor souls into what was very likely millions of shock troopers.

The Alliance had taken to calling these particular creatures Cannibals, after observing several instances on Earth when the things had actually fed on their fallen comrades or other organic beings. The horrific behavior, the initial theories suggested, was a means of regenerating tissue and healing injuries. Whatever the reason, it only added to their already unsettling appearance.

Husks were also abundant within the turian theater of operations.

There was still considerable debate over just how the Reapers were managing to deploy the corrupted humanoid soldiers in such great numbers. They had certainly extracted a base population from the smaller human colonies near batarian space and, possibly, from even more remote outposts along the outer rim frontiers. But many Alliance scientists now believed the enemy was also operating extensive cloning facilities, engineering the organic materials necessary to produce untold numbers of husks.

But, upon arriving on the surface of Menae, Shepard had quickly discovered they were also faced with a new and deadly adversary. The Hierarchy military had codenamed these new combatants, Marauders.

Almost indistinguishable from the turians they were derived from, these new foes exhibited greater intelligence and battlefield awareness than the other Reaper troops they'd encountered thus far. Where Husks seemed to be driven by some sort of primal instinct and the Cannibals operated almost like rudimentary drones, the Marauders were cunning, demonstrated both strong individual and cooperative tactical abilities, and were tremendously resistant to small arms fire.

These Marauders were by far the least common enemy soldier that Shepard and his team had encountered as they fought their way toward the Primarch's location. But, as the desperate battle for the turian home system carried on, their numbers were steadily increasing. It now seemed painfully obvious that the longer a Reaper fleet was allowed to operate within the realm of the organic species they sought to eradicate, the more nuanced and deadly their capabilities would become.

Cresting a low rise and then descending back down along a steep slope, the group finally caught sight of their objective.

"Just got a solid lock on the General's transponder," Garrus announced as he slid down the embankment. "He's definitely in there and, more importantly, still breathing."

"First good news I've had all day," Shepard said.

The FOB was little more than a series of high walls, arranged in an octagonal configuration, with several higher guard towers interspersed at regular intervals, and a grouping of tall communication antennas and sensor arrays visible at the center. It didn't look like much, which, most likely, was the intent. Turians weren't usually flashy when it came to their military bases, preferring function over form and seeking to camouflage the strategic importance of many of their command outposts.

The team scampered across another fifty meters of no-mans-land, past the shattered corpses of dozens of Reaper troops, while Garrus shouted out authentication codes over the local tactical comm network, mindful of the turian soldiers posted in the towers tracking their approach with heavy crew-served weapons.

"Friendlies inbound," one of the soldiers called down to the camp. A few seconds later, a pair of heavy armored doors swept open and the team jogged into the armed camp.

Once past the gate, Shepard was momentarily taken aback by the number of turian soldiers concealed inside. There was at least an entire reinforced company of fully armored Hierarchy fighters—over a hundred and fifty at least—contained within the stout armored walls of the nondescript compound.

Shepard strode forward, Garrus at his side, navigating the crowded FOB, and made his way toward a semi-covered command platform several dozen meters away. At the center of the base, he noted two downed Oculus drones smoldering near the communication equipment. One of the Reaper interceptors was partially imbedded at the base of the primary array and still giving off thick, noxious smoke.

"Well, that explains why this guy's been so hard to get in touch with," Vega said, glancing at the charred remains of the comm array. The Lieutenant and Private had fallen in behind Shepard and Garrus as they moved through the base, their rifles clattering loudly against their hard-shell battle armor.

Pushing their way ahead to the command platform, Shepard motioned for the other two Marines to hang back while he and Garrus ascended a short ramp. They found General Victus, surrounded by his staff, bent over a large strategic holo-table, studying a sea of red and blue icons depicted upon the maps.

Garrus stepped forward and snapped to attention. "General Victus," he said and saluted. "Major Vakarian reporting. I have news from Hierarchy Strategic Command."

"Where have you been, Major Vakarian?" the General asked, almost indifferently.

"Temporarily attached to General Corinthus's command, sir. Assigned to lead a diversionary assault to relieve pressure on the Fifth Mountain Brigade."

"I see. Was the maneuver successful?"

"In a sense, sir. We managed to briefly push the Reaper force out of grid Epsilon-Sixteen, allowing for an orderly withdrawal from the area, before the perimeter collapsed."

"I suppose that was a productive use of your time," Victus said bitterly. "What is your news?"

"Fedorian is dead, General. You're the new Primarch."

Victus didn't flinch, unaffected by the news, and continued to move turian military assets around on the command display. "I'm aware of that, Vakarian," he finally said. "The burst transmission arrived from Palaven before our little friends over there cut off our link to strategic command," he said, gesturing to the ruined Oculus drones smoldering nearby. "But it's irrelevant at this point in time. I'm still overseeing the immediate tactical situation in sectors Alpha, Bravo and Gamma and working toward assuming total authority over the entire northern hemisphere. Needless to say, I have more pressing duties to attend to than whatever my new political responsibilities may entail."

Shepard looked at Garrus, his patience for turian idiosyncrasies growing thin, and took a half step closer to the General. The turian soldiers standing around the officer tensed, their hands drifting down toward their sidearms. "I don't think you're quite appreciating the scope of your new responsibilities, General."

Victus briefly glanced up from the holo-table and gave Shepard an impatient look. "And you are, human?"

"Captain John Shepard, Systems Alliance Navy, sir," Shepard said. "However, I'm here in the capacity of a Citadel Council Spectre, on the order of your Councilor, Sparatus. My directive was to extract Primarch Fedorian and deliver him to a crucial war summit. He's dead, so you're the next lucky contestant."

"I'm not concerned with what the Council desires, Captain Shepard. My sole focus is the defense of Palaven. I have no intention of abandoning that duty on the whim of a bureaucrat."

"With all due respect, General, your duties just expanded," Shepard said. "Like it or not, you've got to think bigger."

Victus finally stopped what he was doing, drew himself up to his full height and fixed Shepard with a contemptuous glare. "I'm aware of your reputation, Captain. But the presumption that you, as a Council representative or otherwise, can dictate to me what responsibilities I should prioritize is laughable."

Shepard had had just about enough of turian rhetoric and honor and found himself struggling to keep from throttling the man. "Listen, General Victus," he said, sounding much more calm than he felt. "I understand your reluctance to leave a fight that's right in front of you. I get it, believe me, I do. But I'm telling you, if you remain on this rock and continue to pursue the same dogged strategies against this enemy, alone, you'll be slowly ground to pulp. All your rich martial history and traditions can't outlast the Reapers. You need allies. Earth, and every other civilization that'll be facing this same fate, will need them too. But you've got to come with me to make that happen."

Victus continued to appraise the Captain as he thought through the horrific situation that had taken hold in his home system. He made a move back toward his command table, but then a low rumble rolled across the landscape, rattling the floor plates beneath their feet, followed by a rapid series of loud, supersonic thunderclaps.

"Incoming!" a turian soldier's urgent call came over the local comm channel. "Incoming Reaper troop capsules, impacting to the south and west!"

Victus immediately spun around and began barking orders to his subordinates.

Shepard and Garrus looked at each other and then quickly dashed back down the ramp, joining Vega and Westmoreland and the wave of turian soldiers rushing off to meet the threat. Along the walls, heavy autocannons roared into action, hammering out long, continuous bursts of fire. Then there was another rapid series of sonic booms.

"Incoming ordnance!" Westmoreland called over the squad channel.

A millisecond later, Shepard saw his threat display light up with angry red patterns as new contacts rained down from orbit.

The three Reaper troop capsules descended through the moon's thin atmosphere at an incredible rate of speed, almost too fast for Shepard's tactical computers to recognize. The projectiles struck the surface inside the base's perimeter simultaneously, with a cataclysmic bang that sounded like the Normandy had crashed down on their heads.

Dozens of turian soldiers in the immediate vicinity of the impacts were killed instantly, torn apart by the shear kinetic energy of the event. Shepard and his team were more fortunate and simply thrown backwards through the air, striking the ground a dozen meters away with the force of a skycar slamming into a wall at full throttle.

Stunned after being tossed about like a ragdoll and crashing into the rocky ground, Shepard gathered his senses and saw that Vega, Westmoreland, and Garrus's bio monitors were all still, miraculously, in the green. He then tried to recover the wind that had been knocked from him, and groped for his rifle that had landed some distance away.

"Perimeter breach!" A turian called out over the wider TacNet. "Hostiles inside the walls!"

Still prone on the ground, Shepard pushed himself up and rushed over to recover his weapon. He then spun back around and peered through the thick cloud of smoke and debris the Reaper projectiles had kicked up. He cycled to a broad spectrum thermal imaging filter and watched as three enormous silhouettes emerged from the craters, lumbering off in different directions.

"Holy hell!" Vega shouted in alarm. "What the fuck is that?!"

Shepard glanced to his left and saw the first of the three creatures walking out from the mushrooming pillars of smoke. He whipped his rifle toward the new arrival, zeroing his scope on the threat, and immediately understood Vega's reaction.

His mind immediately jumped to the memory of the yahg he'd encountered on the Shadow Broker command ship a year previous. But closer inspection revealed that this new Reaper variant was something much more sinister.

Standing nearly ten feet high upon large mechanical legs, the thing possessed a clearly turian head attached to a krogan body by an elongated cybernetic neck. Jagged plates of heavy armor covered most of its exposed hide and visible Reaper synthetic tubes and conduits twisted through its torso. An enormous, oversized claw arm completed the hideous picture.

"Concentrate fire, left side contact," he bellowed, training his rifle on the beast and tagging it in the squad's shared targeting network. He then thumbed the setting of the Avenger to full auto, selected armor-piercing rounds, and squeezed the trigger.

Closer to the immense creature, Vega fired his Typhoon from the hip, emptying a full thermal clip's worth of rounds into the beast within a few seconds. A short distance away from the Lieutenant, Westmoreland struggled back to her feet and began firing her Avenger in short, controlled bursts.

The first several hundred rounds seemed to harmlessly plink off the creature's tough, armored hide. It wheeled around in response, shaking off the punishment and moving its bizarre-looking head side to side, seemingly deciding on which member of Shepard's fire team to retaliate against first. Finally, the thing let out a deep, primal roar and began to charge toward Vega.

The Reaper beast achieved a frightening rate of speed in a surprisingly sort distance, but Shepard caught it in the leg with a well-aimed concussive round, sending it cartwheeling into the ground, landing in a tangle of massive limbs.

The three Marines then poured on a few hundred more rounds until it the huge, unnatural soldier stopped moving all together. For good measure, Vega tossed a fragmentation grenade underhanded at where the thing had landed. The explosive detonated with a muffled thud, sending a cloud of dust, flesh, and synthetic parts into the sky.

Then the ground beneath Shepard's feet shook again.

"Shepard!" Garrus called out. "On your right!"

Shepard wheeled around toward the turian's voice just in time to see another of the huge brutes bounding toward him, its enormous clawed arm cocked back over its head. It was on him in an instant.

Too close to bring his rifle to bear, Shepard dropped a knee and rolled away from the charging beast, barely avoiding the Reaper's attack and feeling the air pressure through his helmet as he ducked under the massive, swinging arm.

He then jumped back to his feet and began firing, hitting the Reaper in the back at point blank range. Farther behind him, Garrus had joined in, his Phaeston singing as it expelled mass accelerated rounds at an incredible rate.

But, with impossible agility for a creature so large, the Reaper had stopped on a dime after its initial lunge toward Shepard and begun to turn towards him again. Absorbing the slugs bouncing harmlessly off its armored back, it swung its arm around in a brutal slashing motion.

Shepard backpedaled, trying to avoid the strike. But the Reaper's razor sharp claw landed a glancing blow and carved a deep gash in the front of his armored chest, slicing through the polyceramic woven plating all the way down to his flesh before the follow-through ripped the Avenger from his grip.

Flailing away, Shepard landed hard on his back, his suit's bio monitor alarm sounding in his ear. A second after he felt the searing pain in his chest, his suit's automated trauma responses released a heavy dose of Medi-gel to the wound and injected a potent, synthetic painkiller into his bloodstream.

Stunned by the attack, Shepard looked up at the Reaper warrior towering overhead and watched as it turned its massive body toward him. It fixed its vision on him, began to advance, and raised its huge claw arm, readying to deliver a final blow.

His assault rifle gone, Shepard reached for the heavy pistol holstered on his thigh a split second before the Reaper's left eye disintegrated and the report of a large caliber weapon reverberated through the thin air. The beast let out a sharp howl of pain and its head was wrenched backward. Then it seemed to lose all motor control, went limp, and collapsed in a heap at his feet.

Shepard coughed, tasting bile, and looked over his shoulder toward where the shot had come from. Garrus was standing less than ten meters away, a huge sniper rifle in his hands, and a thin wisp of smoke wafting up from its barrel.

The turian then quickly glanced around the camp, scanning for any other immediate threats, and dashed over to where Shepard had landed. "That looks like it stings," he said, reaching a hand down.

"You're hilarious," Shepard said, accepting the turian's help and climbing back to his feet.

Vega and Westmoreland joined them a few seconds later. "You okay, cap?" James asked.

"Fine," Shepard croaked, wincing in pain but waving off the lieutenant's concern. "Status?"

"The turians brought down the last of those things over there," Vega said, pointing toward the opposite side of the camp. "Looks like they've got a handle on the perimeter now too. But one of the heavies has taken an interest and is turning our way."

Shepard looked to the south and saw the towering Reaper capital ship off in the distance. It was still at least twenty-five kilometers away, but now clearly advancing in their direction. He then glanced back toward the command platform where Victus was standing at the edge, surveying the carnage inside his base, hands on his hips and looking decidedly irritated.

"Come on," Shepard said, looking at Garrus. "Let's go finish our chat with your new Primarch. We're running out of time here."

---

SSV Normandy, Trebia System

After the Kodiak glided through the focused mass effect field that sealed the Shuttle Bay's atmosphere from the vacuum of space, it settled firmly onto the Normandy's deck, landing with a gentle thud. A moment later, the frigate's massive exterior ramp sealed shut.

Vega and Westmoreland piled out of the shuttle first, followed by the Primarch and his two-man security detail. Shepard and Garrus were the last to exit.

"Welcome back to the Normandy, Garrus," Shepard said, placing a firm hand on the turian's shoulder.

Garrus gave a nod and glanced around the interior of the retrofitted compartment, his gaze settling on the aggressively designed Dragonfly combat support shuttle nestled over to one side of the shuttle bay. "That looks like fun."

Shepard smirked. "It will be. As soon as Cortez here gets its avionics and tactical systems sorted out," he said, jerking his head back toward their Kodiak pilot.

Lieutenant Cortez was just climbing out from the shuttle's cockpit. "It's almost finished, Captain," he said, poking his head out the troop door. "Just another three hours' worth of work and I'll be ready to calibrate the targeting systems."

Shepard suppressed a laugh and glanced at Garrus. "Sounds like something right up your alley, Vakarian."

"Always happy to lend a hand, Shepard," he said, reaching back into the Kodiak to begin unloading gear they'd brought up from the moon.

At the opposite end of the shuttle bay, Shepard spotted Liara standing next to Dr. Chakwas and Specialist Traynor, the three women all looking toward the shuttle with varying degrees of concern.

The ship's Chief Medical Officer slowly shook her head before leaning over to say something in Liara's ear. They both smiled and chuckled softly as Traynor gave them a sideways glance, looking embarrassed. The three women then walked purposefully forward and met Shepard midway up the deck.

"Let me have a look at that, Captain," Chakwas said, eyeing the ragged slash across his armor. She placed one hand on his shoulder and directed a small medical scanner at the wound with the other.

"What's our status?" Shepard asked Liara.

"No indication we've been detected," she said. "The Kodiak's stealth features appear to have been effective as well. We didn't observe any pursuit during your return from the surface. Joker already has us on a course back to the relay."

Shepard nodded his approval. "Reaper activity at the relay?"

"Minimal, sir," Traynor said. "But we did identify a turian task group breaking orbit from Datriux and plotting an intercept course for the hostile vessels in the vicinity."

"That's the Primarch's doing. He has them running interference for us, making sure we get a clear shot through."

"Your armor's trauma response systems staunched this wound for the time being, Captain," Chakwas said. "But you still need proper treatment. I don't suppose you'll agree to accompany me to the Medical Bay?"

"As soon as we've cleared the system, doctor," he said, glancing at Chakwas and catching the look she was giving him. "I promise." He then looked to his Comm Specialist. "Traynor, as soon as we've transitioned, I'll need you to work on getting communications up with Tuchanka."

Traynor looked nonplussed. "Tuchanka, sir?"

"You heard me. Let me know once you've confirmed a secure channel and I'll provide more details on who I'm looking to speak with."

"Aye, sir."

Victus and the two turian Spec Ops soldiers he'd brought along with him were then at his shoulder.

"General," Shepard said, "we've confirmed your ships are moving to cover our approach to the relay. You can patch into your networks in our Strategic Operations Center on the main deck." He glanced over at Traynor again. "The Specialist here can show you the way. I'll come and find you as soon as I finish debriefing my crew."

The Primarch looked at Shepard and returned a grim nod. "I'll look forward to it, Captain."

Traynor gave Shepard an uncertain look and then cleared her throat. "Yes," she said. "Uh, if you'll just come with me, sir?" She then led the Primarch and his men forward to the primary lift, casting one last confused glance back over her shoulder toward the Captain as she went.

"Don't forget, Captain," Chakwas said. "I need you to report to the Med Bay as soon as you're able. Don't make me come and hunt you down." She then turned and followed Traynor and the turians and disappeared inside the elevator.

"Well," Liara said, watching the turians leave, "he seems charming."

Shepard shrugged. "I just asked him to abandon his homeworld. I understand how he feels."

"Okay… But Tuchanka?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Something you'd like to share?"

"A new wrinkle," he said.

"Yeah, tell her, Shepard," Garrus said, having just walked up to the pair. "It' gonna to be a helluva reunion."

"Garrus, it's wonderful to see you," Liara said, pulling the big turian into a warm embrace. "You'll be staying on permanently, I hope."

Garrus glanced at Shepard. "As long as the Captain here will have me, I'm here for the long haul."

"Well, you just heard it, Garrus," Shepard said. "We've got plenty of systems for you to calibrate around here."

The three old friends shared a laugh, soaking in the moment, before wandering aft toward the armory where they joined Vega and Westmoreland in stowing their gear and removing the outer layers of their battle armor. Liara helped Shepard gingerly remove his breastplate armor, careful not to reopen the ragged laceration the Brute had inflicted on him back down on Menae.

Liara looked at the gash across Shepard's chest and winced sympathetically. "You really do need to have Chakwas take a look at that."

"It can wait."

Liara gave him a disapproving look but didn't push the issue. "So, you were going to tell me why it's so urgent we contact the krogan homeworld."

"Victus is convinced that we need the krogan at this summit, that we need their boots on the ground to blunt the Reapers' advance," Shepard said and sighed. "And he's right."

"I see," Liara said quietly, exchanging a quick glance with Garrus. "That might not sit well with the salarians, or my people for that matter."

"I know, Liara. But the Reapers are fielding more ground forces every day, entrenching themselves on human and turian soil. If we can get the krogan onboard and coordinate their guns with ours, it's worth ruffling some feathers."

"Asking the other Council species to accept krogan support may do more than ruffle some feathers, John. But I see your point. I assume you're starting with Wrex?"

"He had the major clans on a path toward some sort of cooperation the last time I was on Tuchanka. If there's any hope of getting the krogan to unify and work toward a common goal, it starts with him."

Liara nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I think you're right. My most recent intel indicated that he'd been successful in bringing some of his biggest rivals under the Clan Urdnot umbrella," she said and gave an uneasy smile. "And that he had eliminated a few others that resisted. Still, it will be good to see him."

"Let's hope he feels the same way about us," Garrus said. "He's a moody bastard, that krogan friend of ours."

"So, you've got your intel networks sorted and running?" Shepard asked Liara.

"Yes. EDI was very helpful with integrating the additional equipment. Everything fit quite nicely in the primary Server Room. I'm piggybacking comm buoy bandwidth and have hacked into a few dozen stealth spy satellites and drones that are still operational throughout inner and outer Council space. Everything's relaying back and synchronizing with the hub Feron setup on the Citadel."

"Glad to hear it. You've got what you need to continue decrypting the Prothean data then?"

"I do," Liara nodded. "Karin was kind enough to carve out some space for me in the Med Bay. I've got a comfortable spot to do my research."

"You bunking in the Med Bay again, Liara?" Garrus asked. "That's nostalgic."

Liara laughed softly. "No," she said, "but I'm close."

"The Alliance Navy, in all their wisdom, saw fit to re-configure the Starboard Observation deck," Shepard said, glancing at Garrus as he bent down to remove his heavy combat boots. "Turned it into four separate NCO quarters." He looked up at Liara and grinned. "Her berth's right next to Joker's."

Liara rolled her eyes. "And Karin's, so it's fine. Besides, I don't imagine we'll be spending much time sleeping in our beds for the foreseeable future."

"I haven't slept in days," Garrus said wistfully. "Wait, they took out Starboard Observation? What about Port?"

"The bar? Sorry, Garrus. The Normandy's an Alliance Navy warship now. Alcohol is strictly forbidden," Shepard said, tossing his boots in a nearby gear bin before shooting the turian a wry grin. "But, of course, we still have plenty."

"Damn it, Shepard. Don't scare me like that. You nearly made me regret my decision to leave Menae."

Liara shook her head in mock disapproval, giving her two friends a stern look, but then began to laugh softly along with them.

"Captain, I have an inbound communication to the QEC, originating from the Citadel Embassies node," EDI announced over the nearby PA speakers.

"Sparatus?"

"No, Shepard. The party identified herself as former human ambassador to the Citadel, Anita Goyle."

Shepard exchanged a surprised look with Liara. "I'm on my way," he said.

"Acknowledged, Captain. I will advise Miss Goyle to stand by."

"Any idea what this is about," Shepard asked Liara as he pulled a black N7-branded hoody over his head.

"No," Liara said, shaking her head. "No, I don't."

"Well, you better tag along," he said and glanced over his shoulder. "Garrus?"

"You two go ahead," Garrus said. "I'll catch up with you later. This rifle that saved your ass down there is in need of calibration."

Shepard rolled his eyes and waved his hand, moving off toward the primary lift with Liara striding along at his side. "Have fun."

---

Shepard and Liara stood within the Normandy's long range vid-comm room, tucked in an alcove at the back of the large, circular Strategic Operations compartment, more commonly referred to as the War Room, and waited for the Quantum Entanglement Communicator to initialize and connect them to Ambassador Anita Goyle.

After Liara had told him about Miranda's relationship with the Alliance's first ambassador to the Citadel, Shepard had made a point of researching her, looking to get a feel for the woman that had managed to earn the former Cerberus operative's loyalty—and trust.

His reinstated security clearances within both the Alliance and the Spectre offices gave him access to a sweeping range of digitized archives and ultra-top secret records. What he'd learned was nothing short of remarkable.

At a time when the Systems Alliance was just beginning to hit its stride and expand ever farther beyond the Sol system, Goyle was undeniably the most influential person in human politics. She had been a driving force in humanity's integration within the greater galactic community, negotiated multi-trillion credit trade deals, and even championed the assimilation of humans into C-Sec as well as other important roles onboard the Citadel.

In 2165, when the Alliance's illegal research into Artificial Intelligence on Sidon was exposed, she dealt with the aftermath. Refusing to bend to the Citadel Council's will and accept a laundry list of draconian punishments that would have set humanity's progress back by decades, she shrewdly recognized that the Councilors actually feared the Alliance's rapid expansion and rise to influential status in the galaxy. Instead, she called the Council's bluff and negotiated far less severe sanctions and avoided the humiliation of having alien inspectors oversee Alliance colonial and research operations.

Not long afterward, she had been a driving force in then Lieutenant David Anderson's candidacy to the Council Spectre ranks. She understood well the value of a human occupying such a prestigious and influential position and knew that it was very likely a requisite first step in the path toward adding an Alliance representative to the Citadel Council itself.

Saren Arterius had sabotaged the effort and, in the process, nearly gotten Anderson killed. But Goyle's unwavering leadership endured and she continued her tireless struggle for humanity's best interests for many more years. In a lot of ways, Shepard now realized, this remarkable woman had been standing at ground zero, observing and participating, during a time when the first indications of the Reapers' existence was creeping into the galaxy's consciousness.

After Donnel Udina eventually succeeded Goyle as Ambassador, she quietly slipped out of the realm of galactic politics. Most people didn't even realize that she was still alive, much less still residing on the Citadel, two decades after she'd steered humanity safely through a precarious time in its history.

The vid images he'd seen of her, dating back to the2160's, revealed a striking woman, tall and slender, with long silver hair, warm brown skin, and piercing emerald eyes. When her holographic image materialized before them via the Normandy's QEC interface, it seemed that she had hardly aged since then.

Now in her mid-eighties, Goyle looked every bit as stately and proud as the vids from two decades ago depicted. Even via the QEC's advanced facsimile of her image, she still clearly possessed the vitality and gravitas that had made her such a formable figure in galactic affairs. After studying her career, and now seeing her before him, Shepard could easily understand why Miranda had committed to working with her.

"Hello, Captain Shepard, Dr. T'Soni," Goyle said.

"Ambassador Goyle," Shepard said, tipping his head slightly. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at your access to the Normandy's Citadel QEC pairs."

"Yes, well when you've been around the Citadel as long as I have, Captain Shepard, you can't help but accumulate your fair share of favors owed," Goyle said, smiling benignly. "Still, I had hoped our first meeting would be both in person and under different circumstances. But I'm afraid I have a rather urgent matter to discuss with you."

"Is this about Miranda?" he said, already feeling his heart pounding out a heavy beat, fearing the worst. "Has she contacted you?"

"I do have news, Captain. And yes, I have heard from her since your recent departure from the Citadel. We were able to reestablish communication several days ago. She and her team were on Illium. I'm happy to report that they were all safe."

Shepard allowed a measure of relief to wash over him and felt Liara's gentle touch on his shoulder.

"Illium?" Liara interjected. "Did Miranda have news about what they found on Sanctum, Miss Goyle?"

Goyle nodded slightly. "They were successful in capturing Dr. Kenson. However, the woman was later killed. I'm afraid I don't know the circumstances behind her death. But I can tell you that Miss Lawson learned something else on Sanctum, something that led them to Illium, but only for a short time."

"So they've already left asari space?" Shepard asked.

"Yes. Before their ship departed the Tasale system, Miranda told me that they were plotting a course for the Minos Wasteland. Unfortunately, she couldn't reveal their intended destination more precisely or elaborate on what they hoped to find there." Goyle frowned. "We don't typically have access to a QEC and must always be cautious when transmitting sensitive information through the comm buoy networks. However, before they transitioned through the relay, we agreed upon a strict contact schedule." She paused for a moment, her expression darkening. "They are now more than nine hours overdue for our planned status call."

"Could there be an issue with the networks?" Shepard asked.

"Mr. Krios and I looked into that immediately after they failed to check in and once again right before I contacted you. More than ninety percent of the comm buoy nodes are still active and reachable in that region, more than sufficient to get messages through to the Citadel. And their vessel, the Cassandra, is equipped with an array of advanced and redundant communications technologies. Technical difficulties are not to blame." She fixed Shepard with a knowing gaze. "And I believe you're familiar with Miss Lawson's typical punctuality, Captain."

"I may be able to discover more about what they were searching for on Illium and, hopefully, narrow down their next destination," Liara said. "I'll check my local sources there right away."

"Thank you, Dr. T'Soni," Anita said and then looked at Shepard. "Captain, I'm aware of the significance of your current mission. And perhaps it's selfish of me to ask you to divert time and energy from the effort of bringing this vital summit to fruition. But I would also be misrepresenting myself if I told you my concern for Miss Lawson was merely due to the potentially valuable intelligence she has uncovered." She inhaled deeply again, steeling herself. "I care very deeply for Miranda and Oriana. For them all, really. Kasumi and Kolyat, no less. And I know that you do as well. With the galaxy in such a state, we have to look after those that are most dear to us, don't we?" Her voice was suddenly tinged with emotion, revealing the anxiety she was clearly feeling. "So I'm asking you Captain—I am pleading with you—go and find my girls."

Shepard gave her a steady look. "We'll bring them home, Ambassador. You have my word."

"Thank you, Captain," Goyle said, relieved. "I'll be eagerly awaiting our next transmission. Godspeed."

The ambassador's holographic image wavered for a moment before vanishing completely as the low-pitched hum of the QEC terminal dissipated.

Shepard remained still for a moment, arms crossed and brow furrowed. "EDI, you get all that?"

"Affirmative, Shepard. I already have the swiftest route to the Minos Wasteland queued to the navigational systems. Awaiting your approval."

"You have it. Give Joker the word."

"Understood, Captain. Logging you out."

Shepard then turned to Liara, anticipating a protest. "If it was you, or Garrus, or Ashley. I'd make the same call. Every damn day of the week."

"I know you would, John," Liara said and smiled. "Let's go find them."

---

SSV Normandy, Arrae System

"I already know what you're going to say, Garrus," Shepard said, sensing the turian approach as he bent over his private terminal in the CIC, catching up on the mountains of Alliance Naval bulletins that had been queued up in between their FTL sprints.

It had been more than thirty hours since he'd spoken with Anita Goyle and learned that Miranda and her team had gone missing somewhere in the Minos Wasteland. Since then, Liara had been successful in narrowing down the massive amount of space they needed to search.

They'd learned that Miranda had met with an old friend while on Illium, Chief Detective Anaya, and had enlisted the asari's help in tracking someone by the name of Dr. Brynn Cole, who had passed through the Nos Astra spaceports several months ago. Together, they'd found evidence that the mystery woman had set out for the Fortis system, but then secretly diverted to Arrae.

The Normandy was now hurtling deeper into that remote star system, pushing the Tantalus drive core well past the newly prescribed Alliance Navy safe thresholds.

"Alright," Garrus said cautiously. "But you know I need to say it anyway."

"We have time, Garrus. We can't even start the talks until Wrex gets to the summit coordinates. That's still at least two days from now. Not to mention the arm twisting Udina and Hackett need to do to get the salarians and asari to commit now that they know the krogan are coming to the table."

"I get that, Shepard. The delay is what it is. But I have a responsibility to the Hierarchy. I'm sworn to keep that Primarch safe," Garrus said, pointing aft, toward the ship's new Strategic Operations and Command Center, where General Victus had spent nearly all of his time since coming onboard. "And right now, you're putting him at risk."

"I offered to drop Victus off," Shepard said and shrugged, keeping his eyes fixed on his terminal. "We could have linked up with that turian battle group on our way through Serpent. He wanted to stay."

"Sure," Garrus said, placing a hand on the nearby railing and leaning in closer to Shepard, "right after you'd told him we hoped to recover a major asset from Arrae that would help with the fight."

"Miranda is a major asset in this fight, Garrus."

Garrus made a face. "Okay, I'm going to just leave that one alone. But come on, Shepard. Do I have to point out the hypocrisy you're demonstrating here after that speech about thinking bigger you made to Victus back on Menae?"

"I just needed to get him moving, Garrus. This is different."

"Is it?"

"Maybe."

Garrus sighed. "Listen, I know what she means to you. But you're taking a helluva risk. The future of this whole damn war could hinge on getting you and Victus safely to that summit. Lawson's tough and smart. She can hold out, wherever they are." He paused, staring down at his friend. "Damn it, Shepard. We've been trying to raise them for more than a day now. You don't even know if they're still alive."

Shepard closed his eyes and exhaled. "I know, Garrus," he said, straightening his posture and finally turning to face the turian. "And I understand your concerns. Believe me, I do. Is this personal? Yeah. Am I taking advantage of my position to go find them? Definitely. But we're still doing this. We're committed now. It's that simple."

Garrus gazed back at the man for long moment and sighed. "Fair enough," he said. "I just needed to speak my peace, but you know I'm with you to the end."

Shepard returned an appreciative look. Ultimately, he knew Garrus would never stand in his way over something like this. But the turian was trying to balance his commitment to friends and personal priorities with an entirely new set of responsibilities. The captain was struggling with the same dilemma. But Miranda, or even Oriana, Kasumi, and Kolyat, for that matter, was a personal priority he wasn't willing to compromise on.

EDI's holographic blue orb then materialized near the two men. "Captain, we have detected a likely contact on long range sensors."

"Elaborate," he commanded.

"We are still experiencing significant sensor distortion due to the mass effect envelope and because the contact is at the extreme limit of our scanners, but I estimate an eighty-eight point four percent likelihood that it is a ship in orbit over the planet Gellix. At this range, we will need to exit FTL to gather more precise details."

"Helm, CIC," Shepard said, keying the intercom. "Joker, initiate deceleration and drop us out of FTL."

"Aye, Captain," Joker's voice came back through the nearby speaker. "Throttling back now and reducing power to the reactor. Dropping out of FTL in Three… Two… One."

Thanks to the wonders of mass effect technology, the transition from faster than light speed to sub-light velocity was nearly imperceptible to the crew, reduced to little more than an audible shift in the background hum of the massive engines. Unless one was looking through one of the simulated external viewing ports, the most telling indication of a vessel's return to normal space travel was the sudden availability of expanded sensor data and communication links. Most conventional instrumentation and many other technologies were severely impacted by the Doppler shift and powerful mass effect fields present during FTL speeds.

Shepard and Garrus then walked a few steps to the primary sensor and tactical displays, watching as new data and telemetry on the contact refreshed every few seconds.

"Positive identification," EDI said after a few moments of delay. "Vessel is a Cerberus Icarus class heavy frigate."

"Well, looks like we've confirmed our destination," Garrus said.

Shepard nodded as he studied the tactical display. They already knew that Gellix was the only habitable planet in the system and where they were most likely to find a trace of Miranda's team, but the Cerberus presence in orbit virtually eliminated any reasonable doubt. "Do they see us, EDI?"

"Unclear, Captain. However, given the vessel's known sensor package and capabilities, there is a strong likelihood that they observed our bow wake before dropping from FTL velocity. But I do not detect a reactor power spike that might indicate a move to a heightened alert status and the ship has yet to alter course from its standard orbit around the planet."

"Maybe they're expecting somebody else?" Garrus ventured.

"Maybe…" Shepard said, narrowing his gaze on the tactical screen.

"We're being hailed, Captain!" Traynor called out from her station. "Tight-beam broadcast. It's an IFF challenge, known Cerberus encryption pattern."

"That answers that question," Shepard said. "Maintain radio silence, Traynor. Ignore them."

"Aye, Captain," Traynor said and paused. "Captain, I'm also detecting a multi-spectrum jamming broadcast emanating from the Cerberus vessel. It's blocking any communications from escaping the planet's surface."

Shepard hit the intercom. "Engineering, CIC. Increase power to the Tantalus core and prep for stealth operations," he said and then looked over at Garrus. "No reason to make it easy for them to track our approach."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Chief Adam's gruff voice acknowledged. "All systems in the green. We're a go for silent running."

"Very good, Chief," Shepard said and keyed the intercom over to the bridge. "Joker, approach with caution but get us there as quickly as you can."

"Copy, Shepard."

"That got their attention," Garrus reported a few moments later. The turian was standing astride of Shepard, eyeing the enemy frigate's telemetry.

"Confirmed, Shepard," EDI said. "I'm detecting a main thruster burn from the Cerberus vessel. They are maneuvering to break orbit. I am also reading a series of probes released from the frigate, moving into high-orbital positions over the planet. They are most likely electronic countermeasure platforms designed to continue the jamming broadcast."

Shepard nodded slowly. "EDI, bring the Cyber Warfare Suite to full output and engage our own jamming protocols. I don't want them calling for help."

"Understood, Shepard. Cyber Warfare Suite online. Engaging broad spectrum electronic jamming countermeasures."

"Traynor, sound general quarters and give me the ship-wide comm."

"Aye, aye, Captain. Sounding general quarters. Ship-wide comm active. You're on, sir."

"Attention all hands," Shepard announced. "This is your Captain. A Cerberus frigate has been sighted in orbit over the turian world of Gellix. We all saw what they did on Mars. I intend to blow that ship out of the sky. Assume battle stations and secure all compartments for combat operations. Shepard out."

"I'll be in the Main Battery," Garrus said and dashed back toward the primary elevator. "Good hunting, Shepard."

Shepard nodded back toward him, noted the sound of the elevator doors opening and closing, and returned his full attention to the tactical display. "Hold on, Miranda." he said quietly to himself. "We're coming."

---

For the next fifty-two minutes, the Normandy penetrated deeper into the system, steadily closing the distance to the opposing frigate while actually continuing to decelerate from FTL speed. Joker navigated an irregular course toward the second planet orbiting Arrae's star, maintaining a stealthy profile while they attempted to remain hidden from Cerberus ship's passive sensors for as long as possible.

Shepard had never gotten used to how different space combat was from his core Marine experience. On the ground, he was accustomed to making decisions within split seconds, reacting to any number of threats or scenarios that could end his life in the blink of an eye. But on the Normandy, when enemy vessels could be detected hundreds of millions of kilometers away, he had ample time to consider the best move—and to second guess himself—while he waited for the massive distances to tick away and reach the effective range of the frighteningly powerful weapons systems at his disposal. It was a disconcerting feeling and one that he still hadn't fully become comfortable with.

He stood amid the ship's CIC, arms crossed and watching the tactical screens arrayed around him. The crew members manning their stations were tense, but razor focused on the task at hand. He was still getting to know the vast majority of the men and women serving on this new, non-Cerberus crewed Normandy SR-2, but so far, he was impressed with the skill and professionalism they had exhibited over what had been the most catastrophic week in recorded human history.

Liara had joined him in the ship's nerve center. She'd barely uttered a word since coming up, instead choosing to stay out of the way and observe the well-drilled Alliance personnel go about their duties. Her eyes were busy flicking between the Cerberus ship's telemetry depicted upon the tactical boards and her Captain.

"Approaching Javelin torpedo system maximum effective range, Captain," the ensign at the Tactical Station reported.

"Very well," Shepard said. "Stand by to charge Javelin launchers, tubes one through twelve."

"Aye, sir. Standing by."

They were swinging well around Gellix now, skirting the planet's gravitational field while they tried to catch the Cerberus vessel from the rear. The Normandy was an exceptionally hardy vessel for its size and possessed a wide array of defensive advancements, but even for her, a well-placed shot from any number of advanced spaceborne weapons could still prove fatal.

According to EDI's Cerberus records, the opposing frigate was an advanced deep space recon and special assault vessel. It was known to carry Javelin torpedoes of similar yield to that of the Alliance Navy as well as focused particle beam cannons of a classified output. The ship did not, however, possess the advanced stealth characteristics of the Normandy.

After the initial hailing challenge the Cerberus frigate had broadcast, the ship had gone silent, apparently having determined the Normandy was not the friendly vessel it had likely been expecting. The ship had then pulled hard out of orbit and initiated a standard search pattern, scanning the enormous void of space for the Alliance warship that had vanished from their long range scopes.

While the Normandy continued to creep ahead, stalking the Cerberus ship like a hungry predator, Shepard eyed the complex tactical assessments develop on his screen. For each additional few thousand kilometers they closed, the likelihood of a successful Javelin attack increased exponentially. However, the longer they attempted to remain cloaked, the higher the risk of eventual optical detection. Drawing to within five thousand kilometers of the enemy frigate, he was weighing exactly that risk when the Specialist at the Sensor Station called out in alarm.

"Captain!" she shouted. "We're getting really weird readings here, major spikes all through the EM range."

"EDI, can you identify?" Shepard said.

"Analyzing," EDI said, pausing a brief moment before continuing. "I am reading a high saturation of tachyon particles originating from the Cerberus vessel, wide dispersal. The pattern is similar to data recorded by the Normandy SR-1 during that ship's fatal engagement with a Collector cruiser." She paused briefly. "Shepard, I believe this is an active target scanning technology."

"Confirmed!" The ensign at Tactical called out. "We've been painted."

"Javelin torpedo launch from the hostile ship's aft tubes detected," EDI added immediately.

"Helm, CIC. Joker, full evasive pattern, maximum thrust!"

"On it!"

"EDI, give me full combat power now and deploy countermeasures. Ready point defense cannons."

"Acknowledged, Shepard. Resuming maximum reactor output. Countermeasures deployed. Active defensive jamming initiated and Goalkeeper point defenses readied."

As the Normandy twisted hard in space, her antiproton main thrusters flared with an almost unfathomable amount of thermal energy, propelling her forward while more than a hundred micro countermeasure drones fired from multiple points along her hull, saturating the space around the big frigate with intense electronic jamming and dummy signals. Simultaneously, point defense cannons emerged from hidden compartments along the fuselage and wings, their muzzles covering every direction, and began eagerly tracking the incoming contacts, ready to engage any missile that might slip past the outer defensive layers.

"Detecting six torpedoes in the air, Captain!"

Shepard watched the incoming projectiles depicted on the tactical threat displays, beads of sweat popping on his forehead. Liara stepped closer, brushing against his shoulder as she anxiously studied the same screens, her eyes wide with concern.

"Four torpedoes going wide, chasing countermeasure drones," EDI relayed to the crew in a tone entirely too calm for the situation. "Tracking the final pair… Point defenses engaging."

The ship then shuddered for a brief moment as the enemy's Javelin torpedoes were ripped apart less than forty kilometers away. The resulting dark energy the warheads emitted bloomed outward, assaulting the Normandy's barriers with enough exotic radiation to reduce an unprotected vessel to little more than superheated slag.

"Successful interception," EDI reported a moment later. "Cyclonic barriers holding. Minimal hull damage."

"That one scraped some paint!" Joker added over the comm.

"Bring us about!" Shepard commanded. "Stand by forward Javelin launchers. Charge tubes one through twelve."

"Aye, Captain!" the ensign at Weapons called back. "All tubes charged and ready."

"Ping them and fire when ready, full spread."

"Active scans initiated. Targeting solution acquired. Firing Javelins."

The torpedo tubes slung under the ship's massive wing struts quivered for a micro second before expelling their payloads out into space. The six pairs of Javelins streaked away from the frigate, perfectly aligned on intercepting trajectories, and accelerated to near relativistic speed as they lanced toward their targets.

"Hostile vessel is attempting evasive actions and deploying countermeasures," EDI announced. "They're accelerating away at maximum thrust."

"Torpedoes tracking straight and true," Tactical reported. "Three seconds to impact."

Shepard keyed the comm to the Main Battery while he eyed the plots on the tactical display. "Garrus, warm up the Thanix cannons and ready a firing solution. We'll be within knife range if we miss."

"Copy that, Shepard."

But the use of the devastatingly powerful turian-developed weapon wasn't necessary. A half second after Garrus's acknowledgment, the tactical display illustrated the direct hit of four Javelin torpedoes on the enemy contact in dispassionate, precise detail. The red 'hostile' icon blinked rapidly for a brief second and then vanished from the plot.

"Direct hit!" the ensign at Tactical reported excitedly.

"Target destroyed, Captain," EDI said much more evenly.

"Confirmed, Captain," the Specialist manning the Sensor Station said. "She's breaking up. No escape pod launches detected."

Liara let out a deep breath she must have been holding for a full minute and glanced over at Shepard with an uneasy smile. "That was… stressful."

Shepard cocked his head to the side and gave a relieved smirk. "Main Battery, CIC. Stand down, Garrus. We got 'em."

"Understood," Garrus said through the comm, sounding unmistakably disappointed. "Powering down Thanix cannons."

"Good work, everyone," Shepard said to the crew in the CIC before hitting the comm. "Joker, turn us back around to the planet and put us in orbit. Tactical, stand by anti-satellite missiles. All stations, I want a full systems check right away."

A chorus of "aye, ayes" acknowledged Captain's orders as the crew took a collective sigh of relief and immediately set back to the task at hand. Shepard glanced around at their young faces, sharing in their emotion and grateful the ship had come away unscathed from the brief, intense battle.

He was well aware that he was still something of a novice when it came to the business of starship warfare. His natural leadership skills, savvy and mastery of all manner of combat tactics allowed him to do the job effectively. But he also leaned heavily on the exceptional abilities of Joker, EDI, and the Alliance Navy sailors. Shepard was humble enough to recognize he still had much to learn about the finer points of spaceborne combat. He resolved himself to double his effort in that regard.

Over the next twenty minutes, Joker proceeded to ease the big frigate into a high orbit over Gellix and the ensign at Tactical went about the business of eliminating the electronic jamming satellites the Cerberus ship had left behind. Meanwhile, EDI and Specialist Traynor began scanning the planet, directing the Normandy's powerful sensors and ultra-sensitive optics at the surface, looking both for traces of Miranda's ship and any additional enemy presence.

"No sign of a ship matching the description Dr. T'Soni provided at the starport in Anapondus, sir," Traynor reported. "Not much activity down there at all really."

Shepard nodded, unsurprised by the report. The turian presence on Gellix was minimal with barely any industry or commerce of note. If not for the electronic jamming that was blanketing the high atmosphere, the locals may never have even noticed the Cerberus warship at all.

"I'm starting to get some sporadic calls as the gaps in the jamming coverage open up, originating from the local starport operations center, sir," Traynor said. "They're requesting we identify ourselves and state our intentions."

"Send through our Alliance and Council packages, Traynor. Tell them we're here on Spectre business and are dealing with the remainder of the Cerberus presence in orbit."

"Aye, sir."

The ship continued to coast in a high, elliptical orbit, tracking the last of the Cerberus drones and swinging around to the northern hemisphere, more than four hundred kilometers above one of the larger land masses. Shepard and Liara were standing side by side in the CIC, watching intently as the high res images of the planet's surface scrolled by on a series of holo displays projected above the galaxy map dais.

"Irregular heat source detected," EDI said before one of the cameras panned over to a low range of hills near a small inland sea. The obvious profile of a small starliner then came into view, its fuselage broken upon a rocky outcropping and thick, black smoke pouring from the engines and crew compartments.

Liara gasped softly. "Oh goddess," she said.

Shepard narrowed his gaze on the wrecked starship. "That's the Cassandra, isn't it?" he said, glancing at Liara.

Liara swallowed and nodded. "Yes," she said, her voice almost inaudible.

"I detect no signs of life at the crash site, Shepard," EDI reported, sounding as equally disquieted as her organic counterparts.

"Splash three," the ensign at Tactical reported. "Final Cerberus jamming drone eliminated, Captain."

Shepard nodded absentmindedly at the report and then turned his gaze back to the image of the ruined starship he knew had been transporting Miranda and the others. I'm too late, he thought to himself as he felt the punch in his gut. A fresh wave of despair crashed over him and then he felt Liara's touch as she stepped closer and wrapped her hand around his arm.

"EDI," he said, his voice strained, "advise Lieutenant Cortez to prep Kodiak One for search and recovery operations and ask doctor Chakwas to go to the Shuttle Bay. Let them know I'll be down in a minute to accompany them to the crash site."

"Understood, Shepard. Relaying instructions now."

Shepard glanced down into Liara's moist eyes for a quick moment, his own face ashen, then quickly turned to leave the CIC.

"Uh, Captain," Traynor said, holding Shepard up before he reached the lift. "I'm now receiving a coded transmission from the surface. I've traced it's origin to a structure approximately ten kilometers northwest of that vessel's crash site." She tapped out a rapid series of commands on her terminal. "Planetary records indicate it's a long decommissioned prison facility."

Shepard turned back around and walked over to Traynor's station. "What's the message?"

"It's encrypted, sir. It looks like there's a decryption key interlaced within the signal, but the corresponding code isn't in any of the Alliance or Council databases." She looked up at Shepard, clearly frustrated. "I'm sorry, Captain. I don't recognize it at all."

"I do, Captain," EDI said, her blue holographic orb suddenly appearing to their right. "The authentication sequence belongs to Operative Lawson."

"Are you sure, EDI?"

"Affirmative, Shepard. The code is an identifier unique to Miss Lawson and one that cannot be reproduced without her corresponding biometric authorization. I have validated the code, provided the necessary handshake, and am now receiving an encrypted audio and video signal from the surface. Sending it to your terminal now."

Shepard stepped quickly over to his private console and leaned in as the vid display came to life. At first there was nothing except electronic noise and digital pixilation, but then the signal stabilized and the image of a raven-haired woman with piercing blue eyes came into focus.

It had been five months since he'd watched the grainy vid footage that, at the time, he'd thought depicted the woman's execution. But now he was staring back at her face, her eyes as alive as the day he'd first met her. His heart was pounding out a heavy rhythm in his chest.

He stood there for a long moment, bent over his console and staring down at Miranda's face. Her long black hair was more disheveled than normal and she had a sizable gash over her right eye, but otherwise, to him, she looked like an angel. "Miranda," he finally managed, his voice much quieter than he intended.

"Shepard?" Miranda said through the comm, her voice heavy with emotion. She was gazing back at him through the vid link with a look of disbelief that slowly morphed into something more scolding. "Well, it's about bloody time."

The tension in Shepard's gut then dissolved away and his apprehensive look shifted to an admiring grin. "We saw your ship on the ground, Miranda. It didn't look good. What's your status down there?"

"I know," she said and sighed. "That bloody frigate was hiding behind the dwarf moon when we reached orbit. But we're all okay. Kolyat has a broken arm from the crash, but he's fine otherwise. Ori and Kasumi walked away without a scratch. We've been trying to punch through the Cerberus jamming since we made it here, then it suddenly cleared. I suppose that's your doing."

"We took care of the frigate and just cleared out the drones they left behind," he said and leaned in a little closer. "Miranda, are you okay?"

Miranda's hand drifted up to her eye. "This?" she said. "Its fine, John. Just a nick from when we were scrambling out of the Cassandra." Then her expression hardened and a flame of anger flashed in her eye. "That's the second time I've been shot down by Cerberus. There will not be a third."

Shepard smiled again. "Sit tight down there. We'll be down in the shuttle within fifteen minutes."

"Don't hurry on my account, Shepard," she said almost playfully. "We're only stranded on this god forsaken planet. But there's something else you should know. We're not alone down h—"

The vid image and audio feed suddenly blinked out, cutting off Miranda's broadcast.

"Traynor, what happened to the signal?" Shepard demanded.

"Lost at the source, Captain," the specialist said, cycling through a number of menus on her terminal, searching for additional data. She then glanced up from her screen and over toward Shepard. "It's being actively blocked, sir. Mobile jamming equipment would be my guess."

"Specialist Traynor is correct, Shepard," EDI said. "I am now detected multiple Cerberus contacts on the surface in close proximity to the structure Miss Lawson was broadcasting from."

"Tactical assessment."

"Two Kodiak shuttles identified, deploying full squads of Cerberus troops, Captain. They're spreading into four groups of six, moving along the perimeter of the structure."

"Send it on the big screen, EDI, and tell Joker to move us into geostationary orbit over that structure."

"Acknowledged, Captain."

The ground imagery around the structure flashed onto the primary holo display a moment later. The Normandy was still a good distance from the facility Miranda and the others were holed up in and the visuals of the activity on the ground were at a significant angle. But Shepard could clearly make out the Cerberus Tac team moving along the perimeter of the building, probing for access points. The two Kodiak variant shuttles were already lifting off and climbing for altitude, likely heading for overwatch positions.

"They must have launched from the frigate before it left orbit," Liara said. The asari had discretely backed away while Shepard was speaking with Miranda, but she now approached again, taking up position next to the Captain and studying the real-time feed along with him. "The structure looks strong, but I doubt it'll be long before they discover a way to breach it."

"Agreed. EDI, can we launch an orbital strike?"

"Not without risking significant damage to the structure, Shepard. The assault teams are too close."

He nodded slowly, already knowing they lacked the precision weaponry to execute such a surgical strike from this distance. He made a mental note to look into remedying that particular shortcoming and then tapped the intercom. "Garrus, grab Vega and Westmoreland and suit up. We've got hostiles on the ground. I'll meet you in the shuttle bay in three minutes."

"Copy that, Shepard."

"Shuttle Bay, CIC," Shepard then called, switching the intercom channel. "Cortez, is that Dragonfly ready for action yet?"

There was a brief delay on the open channel before the Lieutenant's voice came back. "Technically, yes, Captain. I've just finished the avionics system patches and the targeting firmware upgrade is all sorted as well. Ideally we'd still conduct a few more simulations and a dry run before a combat drop, but I can make it work."

"Good. We've got hostiles with air support on the surface and I want the extra firepower. Cancel the SAR and get the Dragonfly prepped and ready to fly instead. We leave in ten minutes—not a second longer."

"Copy that, Captain," Cortez said, a clear note of enthusiasm to his voice. "I'll be ready. Shuttle Bay out."

Shepard then began to turn toward the elevator but was delayed by the urgent call of another crewman in the CIC.

"New contact, Captain!" the specialist at the Sensor Station said. "A vessel just dropped out of FTL at the edge of the system and popped up on our long range scopes. It's definitely heading for the planet, sir."

Shepard stepped over to the Specialist's station and gazed down at the display. "EDI, can you clean this up and identify?"

"Stand by. Analyzing sensor data," EDI said and paused for several seconds before continuing. "The vessel is a profile match to a Cerberus Erebus class heavy cruiser. It is an extraordinarily powerful command and control warship, Shepard, equipped with multiple Thanix gun turrets and other advanced weaponry."

Shepard winced in frustration and gripped the nearby handrail so tightly it threatened to buckle. "ETA to the planet?"

"At the current rate of deceleration, they will arrive in orbit in approximately three hours and twenty-two minutes. However, we will be within the extreme range of their weapons systems in two hours and thirty-four minutes."

"Shit," he said under his breath. "What's our escape threshold, EDI?"

"We will need to break orbit and begin accelerating away from the cruiser within two hours and sixteen minutes in order to avoid being overtaken, Shepard."

"Understood. We're on the clock then. EDI, maintain general quarters and let me know the instant anything changes with that bogey." He then glanced back over at Liara. "The ship's yours."

"Shepard," Liara said, grasping his upper arm gently as he turned toward the elevator. "I should go with you. I can help."

He looked down at her. "I know you can, Liara. But I need you up here in case things go off the rails down on the surface." He glanced over at the galaxy map and tactical holograms at the center of the CIC and then back to the asari, his expression turning grave. "If something happens to us or we can't get back within two hours, you need to take the Normandy and the Primarch and get the hell out of here. You run and get him to the summit. Is that clear?"

Liara gave him a pleading look and shook her head slightly. "Yes, John, I understand," she finally said. "But you will bring them back here before it comes to that."

He gave her a quick, encouraging smile and strode back into the elevator. "That's the plan," he said. "EDI, please transfer command codes to Dr. T'Soni and confirm her authority in my absence."

"Acknowledged, Captain. Dr. T'Soni has command authority. Good luck, Shepard."

Shepard looked at Liara one last time, his expression resolute and focused, just before the elevator doors slid shut.

---

Gellix, Arrae System

The Dragonfly pierced the upper atmosphere of Gellix and hurtled to the surface at an incredible rate of speed, looking more like a rogue meteor than the deadly attack shuttle it actually was. The ship remained in near freefall for several minutes before Lieutenant Cortez throttled back the power and sent the craft into a tight corkscrew, designed to throw off targeting solutions, and cranked up the electronic countermeasures and local jamming radars.

Inside the cramped troop compartment, Shepard was strapped into his harness within one of the four jump seats along the starboard bulkhead. Garrus was in the seat next to him while Vega and Westmoreland occupied two of the adjacent spots along the port side.

The AT-10 Dragonfly was nearly forty percent larger than the Kodiak, but was so thoroughly armored and laden with ordnance that it was only capable of carrying eight fully equipped Marines instead of the twelve troopers the more standard transport could ferry. But the reduced troop capacity was more than made up for by the potent array of offensive systems it was able to bring to bear in either a close-air support or trans-atmospheric combat role.

It was also a decidedly meaner looking aircraft than its more humble Kodiak cousin. With an elongated forward cockpit, stubby swept wings, oversized main engine thrusters, and angled vertical and horizontal tail stabilizers, the Dragonfly cut an aggressive profile.

Toward the back of the warbird, within the troop compartment, Shepard perceived the effects of the extreme acceleration even with the localized mass effect field filtering out the worst of the g-forces. He was pressed into his flight harness and driven into the seat but barely gave the sensation a second thought as he watched the pilot's tactical feed mirrored in his combat visor.

"Inbound hostile contacts," Cortez announced over the squad channel so everyone onboard could hear him.

Shepard noted the two red 'presumed hostile' icons on his tactical overlay at the same time his pilot made the call. "Clear the skies, Lieutenant," he calmly ordered.

"With pleasure, Captain."

The two Cerberus A-variant Kodiaks streaked up to meet the descending Dragonfly from two different vectors, looking to press their numbers advantage over the Alliance aircraft. But, as Shepard eyed the converging plots on his display, he already felt confident the enemy craft didn't stand a chance.

Cortez then activated the advanced tactical air-to-air VI suite and acquired targeting solutions on both of the Cerberus ships. "Engaging," the Lieutenant announced.

Beneath the fuselage, two hidden compartments rapidly slid open and a pair of tubular, multi-slotted weapons carriages, each containing six two meter long Shrike air-to-air trans-atmospheric missiles, extended out from the bays.

A moment later, a pair of Shrikes from each rack shot away from the Dragonfly and rocketed toward their designated targets.

The Cerberus Kodiaks had been accelerating hard, attempting to line up shots with their mass accelerator cannons. But those weapons weren't intended for high speed air-to-air engagements and were unwieldy to aim. As soon as the Alliance craft's missiles were in the air, the enemy shuttles peeled away and fired their afterburner thrusters, desperately trying to escape as they deployed a shower of countermeasure decoys in their wake.

But the engagement range was far too close for them to evade the deadly Shrikes tracking them. One of the missiles went wide, chasing a decoy drone, but its counterpart tracked the first Kodiak with deadly efficiency, striking the port engine at supersonic speed and sending the Cerberus shuttle cartwheeling through the air before it disintegrated into a violent, tumbling fireball.

The other Kodiak fared no better. Both assigned Shrikes tracked straight and true and converged on the doomed craft simultaneously, detonating with a resounding boom that the Dragonfly's occupants could hear and feel even through the thick armor plating that surrounded them.

"Splash two," Cortez said over the comm.

"Nice work, Lieutenant," Shepard said. "Now, get us to that facility, on the double."

"Copy," the Lieutenant said. "Have you on the ground shortly." Cortez then rolled the shuttle hard to starboard, flared the primary thrusters, and dove straight for the deck. He slammed on the brakes less than five seconds before the skids touched down and the rear troop door dropped. Shepard and the others thundered down the ramp a moment later, rifles sweeping the landing zone as they emerged from under Dragonfly's tail.

The three Marines and the turian then dashed forward several meters as the Dragonfly pulled back up off the ground, kicking up a storm of dirt and debris. Shepard and Garrus led the way, advancing rapidly toward the nearby building with weapons at the ready, scanning the perimeter with their visors' targeting computers as well as pulling down overhead data from the Normandy. Vega and Westmoreland were close behind, swinging out to cover the flanks.

A squad of Cerberus troopers had taken up position near a pair of big maintenance bay doors along the western side of the structure, turned their weapons toward Shepard's approaching squad, and opened fire, delaying their advance. But, with their air support reduced to nothing more than heaps of smoldering wreckage, the enemy soldiers were badly exposed.

Cortez swung the Dragonfly around, appearing several dozen meters above and behind Shepard's team, with the setting sun behind the big shuttle, and replied with the chin turret-mounted mass accelerator cannon. The Cerberus troopers were peppered with fire, a hail of high-velocity rounds kicking up soil and concrete before obliterating their position entirely.

Before the rasping burst of gunfire from the Dragonfly had ceased, Shepard and the others were already on the move again. Vega and Westmoreland tossed a pair of fragmentation grenades into the decimated Cerberus position—just to be sure—and followed their captain and Garrus up a gentle slope toward the structure's heavy, ten-meter high doors. At the same time, Cortez gave a quick tip of the wings and pulled the heavy assault craft away, its powerful engines sending reverberations through the chests of the soldiers on the ground as he clawed for altitude.

With precise assault and sniper rifle fire, Shepard and the others proceeded to easily dispatch a second squad of Cerberus troopers that had swung around the far side of the building. They then finally reached the storage bay doors and approached a nearby control panel.

Shepard slid his Avenger rifle onto the bracket on the back of his armor, keyed in a series of commands on the panel to expose the hidden interface and activated his Omni-tool. "EDI, I'm ready to receive the hack," he said as the others formed up around him, covering the area with the muzzles of their weapons.

"Copy, Shepard," EDI's voice came back through his earbud. "Transmitting code now."

Less than three seconds passed before a long series of alpha-numeric characters flashed across the control panel's digital display and a resounding thud echoed through the walls as massive locking bolts disengaged. A moment later, the huge doors slid open several meters and revealed a cavernous, dimly lit storage and hanger bay.

Shepard pulled the Paladin heavy pistol from his thigh and took several cautious steps inside, scanning the huge space with the weapon while his tactical visor automatically switched to the most optimal enhanced visual setting. Garrus was right beside him, swapping out his sniper rifle for the more close-quarters appropriate Phaeston assault rifle.

Across the room, partially concealed behind some heavy equipment, Shepard picked out a female's silhouette holding a rifle pointed in their direction. He held up his left fist in the air, signaling the others to halt, and aimed his pistol at the unknown woman. "Come out," he shouted. "Lower your weapon and walk toward us. We're here to help."

The figure didn't move, remaining vigilant, her stance confident and her weapon trained on the squad. "Who's here to help?" a vaguely familiar voice called back. "Identify yourself or I'll drop you where you stand."

"John Shepard, Alliance Navy. I spoke with Miranda Lawson less than an hour ago. Is she here?" He kept his gaze locked on the woman across the room, her face still veiled in shadow.

"Hmph," the woman said and lowered the muzzle of her rifle. "I thought you'd be taller."

Shepard gave a puzzled look and lowered his pistol. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw another figure materialize from a highly advanced personal cloak less than three meters from where he and Garrus were standing. He had no trouble recognizing the diminutive Japanese woman.

"Shep! Garrus!" Kasumi said, stepping closer and giving each man a quick hug. "Boy, it's a relief to see you two." She then turned toward her companion across the room. "You can come out. They're the real deal."

Shepard looked back over at the first woman and watched as she strode forward and came into the light. When he saw her face, he blinked.

The girl was no more than nineteen years old, with shoulder length black hair, delicate features, and possessed an effortless, but altogether striking beauty that was absolutely familiar to Shepard. "Oriana," he ventured. "You've changed a bit since I saw you on Illium."

Oriana Lawson was clad in sleek, form fitting light armor, an M-13 Raptor battle rifle slung over the front of her chest, and a tactical comm uplink in one ear that her wavy, dark hair didn't quite conceal. She looked completely unaffected and, also, possibly a little bored by the situation as she gazed back at the Captain, her eyes heavily shadowed in a stylish smoky look with lashes teased out. "Funny. You didn't even bother to introduce yourself and say hello back then," she said, fixing Shepard with an accusatory look that made her look all the more familiar to him.

Shepard gave a tentative grin that was half-amused, half-incredulous and glanced over at Kasumi, who just shrugged, looking entertained.

Oriana then blurted out a girlish laugh and flashed a glowing smile. "I'm just giving you a hard time," she said. "I'm happy to finally meet you, Commander Shepard." She gave a silly wink. "Oops, excuse me. Its Captain Shepard now, isn't it? Congratulations. Ambassador Goyle told me you'd been promoted."

Kasumi stepped closer and punched Oriana softly in the arm. "Quit screwing around, kiddo."

Shepard watched them, still looking a little befuddled, but at the same time realizing that he felt lighthearted and at ease for the first time in more than half a year. He stared with interest at the suddenly capable and confident young woman, wrapping his head around how Miranda's innocent, unassuming little sister had so quickly morphed into the confident, self-assured woman before him. This family, he thought, shaking his head.

He glanced at Kasumi and shot her an inquisitive look, but the master thief appeared to be resisting the urge to crack up herself, a wicked grin playing across her face, clearly enjoying Shepard's awe over their young protégé.

"You'll want to see my sister."

"Yeah," Shepard said. "I would. Where is she?"

Kasumi looked over at Oriana and nodded. "Let's button up those blast doors first and we'll get moving," she said and walked over to a nearby console, tapping out a series of rapid keystrokes.

Shepard turned to the other two human Marines that had followed him into the structure. "Vega, Westmoreland," he said authoritatively, "establish a defensive position here. We've got another half dozen hostiles still unaccounted for and I don't want anyone slipping in behind us." He keyed his comm over to the TacAir channel. "Cortez, we're moving into the building. Remain on overwatch and we'll check in within ten."

After his team acknowledged their updated orders and the heavy maintenance bay doors slide shut with a solid boom, he turned back to Kasumi and Oriana. "Lead the way."

Oriana smiled and began moving off in the other direction with Kasumi at her side. "Come on," she said. "Randa's at the other end of the facility, checking the perimeter with Zaeed. Those Cerberus jerks knocked out our external security feeds and there's a weak spot back in the northeast corner we couldn't plug."

Shepard quickly caught up to the two women, walking between them with Garrus close by. "Wait, Zaeed Massani is here?"

Oriana flicked her eyes to him. "Yeah, Miranda and Kasumi ran into him on Sanctum. That's how we ended up here in the first place," she said and shrugged. "But Randa can fill you in better about that than me. She's been pretty adamant I don't hang around the big guy too much."

"Yeah… You should probably listen to your sister on that one," he said, thinking that if he had a little sister Zaeed Massani would be one of the last people he'd want her spending quality time with.

Oriana groaned dramatically. "Oh god, you two are perfect for each other," she said and rolled her eyes. "Total worrywarts."

Shepard grunted a laugh and gave her a sideways grin. "I'm six foot one, by the way."

Kasumi laughed softly as she walked along at a brisk pace and glanced back at Shepard. "So, Shep… You getting the old gang back together or what?"

"That's the plan, Kasumi."

"Spirits yes," Garrus added. "It is way too grim onboard the Normandy without you, Goto."

"Aww, you say the sweetest things, Garrus."

"What exactly brought you guys here?" Shepard asked.

"A bunch of Cerberus nerds that have seen the light," Kasumi said. "Miranda figured out that they ran here to hide from you-know-who so we came to try and relocate them before the bad guys found them. Obviously, that's not working out so great."

Shepard nodded as the four of them turned a corner and piled into an elevator. "I understand Kolyat was injured in the crash," he said as the doors closed and the lift began descending several levels.

"Yeah," Oriana said and smiled proudly. "He was awesome, though, getting us on the ground after that frigate shot us up. He's back in the main hall, nursing a bad wing, and trying to get the egg heads organized and ready to move. They're a super smart bunch, but not worth a damn in any proper tactical sense."

Shepard raised an eyebrow and exchanged another amused look with Garrus and Kasumi, still marveling at Oriana's rapid transformation. A moment later, the lift came to a halt and the group continued on through a series of sub corridors and deserted passageways. The facility smelled vaguely of mold and chemicals, but was otherwise clean and tidy. They advanced quickly, but remained alert for threats.

Turning a corner, Oriana stopped abruptly and put her hand to the comm unit in her ear, listening as a message came through. "Miranda says they just dealt with an infiltrator and that there may be more of them inside. Look sharp."

Shepard pulled the Paladin heavy pistol from its holster on his hip and looked at Garrus. The turian brought his Phaeston back up to the ready and dashed forward several meters, taking point. Oriana and Kasumi followed suit, flicking off the safeties of their own weapons before creeping along at a more measured pace.

They advanced down a long hallway, moving quickly but cautiously, and eventually entered a large, open room containing several stacks of newer looking storage containers and what appeared to be medical or scientific research equipment covered by clear, plastic tarps. There were two doorways along the opposite wall, one open and the other closed.

Kasumi gestured to the open hatchway and Garrus began to slowly cross the room, sweeping the corners with his rifle as the others spread out behind him.

Shepard was peering around a stack of deployment crates at one side of the room, his pistol held in tight just below his chest and Oriana close at his side, when he heard the distinctive electronic tone accompanying the opening of a set of doors along the opposite wall. A split second later, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, began to turn his head toward it, and saw a blur of black, white, and yellow as a nimble figure brandishing a long sword materialized from a personal cloak and lunged toward Garrus.

Everything slowed down in Shepard's mind as he realized his friend's back was turned toward the threat and that he was about to receive a killing blow from the assassin's monomolecular blade. He spun around, desperately trying to bring his pistol around in time, when he saw another flash of black charge out from the nearby open doorway.

Miranda sprang forward like a predatory cat, a gleaming sword of her own in one hand, and dove between Garrus and his attacker. In one blindingly rapid motion, she deflected the Phantom's strike away, carried through with her momentum a full three hundred sixty degrees, and sent her blade singing through the air, slicing clean through the Cerberus assassin's neck.

It was all over in an instant. So quickly had the Phantom reached him that Garrus hadn't even noted her presence until her helmet—containing her disembodied head—clattered to the ground some distance away and her body began to crumple to the floor beside him. He turned, glanced down at the dead woman and then over to Miranda, who was still posed in an almost elegant three point stance, sword held slightly behind her after the follow through of her strike, and nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Lawson," the turian said matter-of-factly.

"My pleasure, Vakarian," Miranda said, her eyes still fixed on the fallen Cerberus assassin.

She then straightened her posture, allowed the sword to drift down to her side, and looked to find Shepard watching her from across the room. She froze and her expression softened. A look of uncertainty flashed briefly in her eyes as she held the man in her gaze and she let out a breath it seemed she'd been holding for months.

Time was still moving slowly as Shepard lowered his pistol, deactivated his visor's overlay and stared back at Miranda. She was all in black, dressed in an outfit similar to the Cerberus uniform she often wore during their time together on the Normandy, and had a matching sidearm slung low on either side of her shapely hips.

For a moment, it seemed that Miranda might play it cool and fall back to her old, reserved tendencies. But then she released the sword from her grip, allowing it to drop unceremoniously to the floor beside her, and crossed the distance between her and Shepard in three long, gliding strides. Reaching him, she threw her arms over his shoulders and pressed her lips against his.

Shepard pulled her body in closer and drank in her affection, reciprocating in kind and caressing her head with one hand as he kissed her deeply.

Finally, she released his lips, leaving a pleasant tingling upon them, and rested her forehead to his.

He gently wiped away a tear that was falling down her cheek and brought her head up so he could look into her blue eyes. "Found you," he whispered.

---

Author's note:

This chapter turned out to be a bit longer than I anticipated. But I was committed to follow Shepard all the way from Menae to Gellix and decided to stick with the plan. Apologies if the 'reunion' is a bit of a tease. But this was all really more about Shepard's journey back to Miranda, allowing him to get a glimpse of what her life had become while they were apart. However, I can promise a lot more of those two together over the next few chapters.

You'll notice I've deviated from the canon story somewhat by not having EDI take control of the Eva Coré android body yet. This is for two reasons: One, I'm reluctant to do the whole EDI sex-bot thing at all. I may reference her "relationship" with Joker from time to time, but it'll only be in the periphery—it's beyond the scope of this fic. Second, I actually have a different idea about the android and how/when it fits in with EDI. That's later down the line though. For now, EDI remains essentially as she was at the end of canonical ME2 and the Cerberus android is on ice in the cargo bay.

For the detail oriented readers, I'm also straying a bit from the ME3 configuration of the Normandy. Liara doesn't get the XO's quarters and instead will sleep in one of the newer, smaller officer berths in what was Starboard Observation. She can run her SB network from the Server Room behind Medical. I'll elaborate on some of the other changes as we move forward, but it's really just minutia and not crucial to the story. Just want everyone to understand that I'm not going to be constrained by the layout that the video game sets forth.

Some of the Menae descriptions were taken from and/or inspired by the ME Codex. Backstory on Anita Goyle was derived from ME: Revelation, by Drew Karpyshyn.

Thanks for reading and reviewing.