Twin Fates

by Tobias5

Fate played as much a role in Shepard's defeat of the Reapers as did his skill. What if fate had different plans? Did you know that the Shepard on Mindoir was born as a twin? What if both had survived the raid? How would the Reapers have dealt with TWO great heroes instead of one? It's time to find out just how much better and worse things get with TWO Shepards fighting a war.

12. Chapter 11

Twin Fates

By Belle and Tobias

Automatic Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the Mass Effect or any other referenced copy righted material.

Toby's Note: So, now we know what happened to Jane while Cerberus brought John back to life. I hope you guys enjoyed 10 and understand why we didn't kill anyone off during Virmire now. I personally think it hit Jane a lot harder because of that and well, it's John. So, let's see how John reacts to being on his own, among the enemy…

Also, I meant to get this out before Andromeda came out but work, the hellish process of buying a home and BotW kind of delayed this a bit. And retyping the *beep*ing conversations…seriously can't we just leave those spots blank and let you guys fill them in?

Belle's Note: I don't know about other people, but I had a blast with Andromeda and I was totally stoked that they have the Ryders as twins. I was so thrilled that I actually started two playthroughs just to check that Sara is always the older archeologist protector and Scott is always the younger Alliance Relay guard. I never thought we would be presented this kind of scenario so I have to state "We totally did it first!"

Chapter 11: The More Things Change...

Earth Date: January 8th, 2186 CE

Location: Lazarus Facility, Subject's Sterile Recovery Room

"…wake up Commander…"

It was that woman again. Her voice was insistent, commanding, alluring and echoing.

"Shepard, do you hear me?" John felt the room shake and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Get out of that bed now, this facility is under attack." John groaned and reached up to rub his chin and jaw as the room shook again, rattling him and sending a jolt through him. He felt better than the last time he woke up but there was a dull ache in all of his joints, along his back, up to his neck and even his skull. His face felt taunt and it felt like all of his teeth were throbbing. He winced as the room shook again and John recognized an explosion in the distance. "Shepard. Your scars aren't healed, but I need you to get moving. This facility is under attack."

John grunted and sat up, wincing as he did and grabbing his side as his ribs began to throb. Every movement hurt, like his entire body was one giant pulled muscle. He glanced up and saw large windows displaying the halls surround this room. Fire was in the halls and he saw the occasional tracer bullet streak. The woman on the room's communications system was right. They were under attack but by who? He swung his legs over the side and was surprised to note he was dressed. He didn't recognize the colors but assumed it was related to the hospital as they weren't Alliance colors.

"There's a pistol in the locker on the other side of the room. Hurry!" John focused and saw the locker near the bed he was on. He hopped off the table and made his way to the locker, noting that he felt bulkier and heavier. When John opened the locker, he couldn't help but smile. Not only was there a pistol in there, there was also a full set of N7 armor inside. He didn't recognize the model but that didn't matter. He quickly suited up, noting that it fit perfectly. Obviously, they'd taken his measurements while he'd been out and procured the suit. He checked the pistol over, again not a familiar model but a pistol was a pistol, however there was a slight alteration. There was a round, empty slot in the base of the grip and…

"This pistol doesn't have a thermal clip." John called. His throat twinged and he forced himself to swallow several times. It felt like he hadn't spoken in days. How long had he been here?

"It's a med bay." The woman snapped. "We'll get you a clip from..." she cut herself off with a startled noise. "Damn it! Those canisters by the door are going to blow! Get behind cover, now!"

"Yes dear," John muttered softly, already moving behind a piece of machinery. He reached it in time as the canisters exploded, taking out the door with them. John didn't hesitate, moving up to head through the doors.

"Someone's hacking security trying to kill you. Look for a thermal clip for your pistol." She ordered and John rolled his eyes. Like he hadn't asked for that just a moment ago. He found a body in a jumpsuit like the one he was wearing under the armor. Shaking his head, John searched them and found a thermal clip. It was slightly different than he was used to. It looked cheaper, mass produced and was colored black and red with several notches on it. It also fit perfectly into his pistol which beeped and displayed a shot count the moment he slapped it in. He'd heard word about trying to go back with a pop and switch system to allow you to shoot more and not have to wait if you over heated your gun but word was that wouldn't have been rolled out for a few more months. Had he really been unconscious for months?

John moved into the next room and saw that several of the desks and containers had been positioned around the door to his room, along with several more bodies.

"Looks like they set up a barricade to try holding the mechs off." The woman noted and John felt guilty. They'd given their lives while he'd slept. Damn it, he had to help them! John moved swiftly into the other room, easily moving over the barricade. Out of the corner of his eye to the right he saw something move. He swung to the right and…then everything slowed. He heard the woman on the overhead PA exclaim but it was slow. A security mech was raising its gun to shoot, in fact a few shots went off but slower than usual. John raised his pistol, moving as fast as he always did and popped it twice in the head, making it explode.

Then it was over, everything was moving normal and John felt himself breathing hard, fingers and arms tingling, his brain awhirl. What the hell was that?

"Keep moving. We need to get you to the shuttles." The woman ordered and John swiftly headed for the stairs.

"Something just happened to me, it felt like time slowed down but I kept moving at normal speed." John called out, swiftly checking the rooms. Some security mechs entered the next room and John felt time slow again as he opened fire. It lasted just about as long as before but this time John was ready for it, dropping the mechs as fast as he could.

"Your kidneys were severely damaged and your adrenal glands were destroyed when you were spaced, Shepard." The woman noted. "Along with a few more key organs, nerve clusters, and most of the nerves throughout your body we had to replace them. The artificial hormones, like adrenaline, flood your system just like your natural ones did but are much more potent. You have enhanced reflexes as a side effect. It'll last for a few moments and eventually you may even learn how to trigger it as you like."

"Which way?" he asked, grabbing a few clips the mechs had dropped and popping out the used one for a fresh clip.

"Straight ahead!" John immediately moved through and saw a large mech stomping through the halls, mowing down people who weren't even wearing armor. John snarled at the sight. "Don't waste time. I can't keep the mechs distracted for long."

Annoyed but knowing she was right, John headed down the hall.

~*TF*~

Twenty minutes later John was thoroughly pissed off and he was getting a bad feeling. Everywhere he went all he'd found were dead bodies and hacked mechs. Shortly after finding a grenade launcher the comms had gone offline too, cutting him off from the woman guiding him out. A few minutes later he'd found an office with a video log of the woman, who was apparently named Miranda. He'd recognized her as the one speaking to him over the comms and from when he woke up the first time. He'd also seen this strange orange symbol on the walls and the shoulders of everyone's clothes. He noticed it on his own clothing as he'd clamped his armor over it and he felt like he'd seen it before. He'd downloaded all the files he could, noting that they were all talking about one thing, him and his medical care. Add that to the fact he'd yet to see one connection to the Alliance and he felt like something was wrong.

"Hostiles!" a voice shouted ahead and John picked up the pace. He stormed through the next doorway and found a man in a black and white combat suit. He was of African heritage and had buzzed hair with a stubbly chin goatee.

"Shepard?" he exclaimed in surprise as John slid into cover next to him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still a work in progress."

"Are you with Miranda?" John asked. He glanced over the edge and took a couple of shots, sending a mech flying back as they impacted its chest.

"Yeah, sorry. I forgot this is all new to you right now." The man replied. "I'm Jacob Taylor and I've been stationed here for-" Jacob was cut off as more mechs came in from the other side and began opening fire, forcing both men to duck lower behind the railing panels. After a second Jacob popped up and shot one in the head, blasting it to pieces and the mech's body slumped to the ground. "Things must be worse than I thought if Miranda's got you running around. I'll fill you in, but we better get you to the shuttle first. I'm low on thermal clips, but I'm also a biotic. Just give the order when you want me to hit them with the good stuff."

"How about now?" John replied, standing up to quickly plant a few rounds into one of the mechs. Jacob quickly followed suit and yanked the last two towards them with a pull. As the mechs lurched over the side and floated towards them. As Jacob aimed his pistol to shoot them John motioned for him to wait. John shot the last mech standing in the head sending it crashing to the floor in a flurry of sparks and robotic error noises. It was quiet for only a moment just as Jacob's biotic field on the floating mechs expired and they fell to their destruction in the shaft between the two areas. John nodded, satisfied and holstered his pistol.

"I'll take that explanation a bit later if you don't mind," John said gesturing to the door way. "I'd like to meet up with this Miranda and get the whole story instead of bits and pieces." Jacob grinned at him and nodded.

"Sure thing Shepard," Jacob replied heading for the door, "I'll show you the way."

~*TF*~

"Hold still damn it," John growled at Wilson. The doctor finally stopped his belly aching as John jabbed the medi-gel from his suit's dispenser into the wound. It quickly spread and sealed. John nodded and stood before extending a hand down to Wilson. The doctor grabbed John's gauntlet and John helped him to his feet as Jacob finished clearing the crates out of the way. Shortly after John had headed off with Jacob, Wilson had called out over the comms for help. They'd hurried to the man's location and found him bleeding from a gunshot.

"Thanks Shepard, I never thought you'd save my life. I guess that makes us even, huh?" Wilson muttered looking down at his leg and tested it by putting some weight on it. Apparently satisfied it wouldn't buckle under him, Wilson sighed and stood normally. "I thought maybe I could shut down the security mechs, but whoever did this fried the system. Completely irreversible."

"We didn't ask what you were doing." Jacob replied, turning back from shoving the last crate aside with his biotics and fixing Wilson with an annoyed look. "Why do you even have security mech clearance? You were in the bio wing." John raised an eyebrow at that.

"Weren't you listening? I came here to try and fix this!" Wilson retorted. "Besides I was shot! How do you explain that?" John shook his head. Numerous ways listed itself in John's mind, Wilson shooting himself at the top of that list followed by being careless with reprogramming the mechs and not marking himself as friend in the mechs' friend/foe system. Dozens of possibilities came to his mind but surrounded by killer robots in an isolated facility wasn't the best time to get those answers.

"You're all strangers to me. Let's get someplace safe, then we'll sort out whose fault this is." John replied, heading past the two men and walking over the walkway.

"Look this is getting tense." Jacob spoke up from behind John. He was going to keep walking but stopped at what Jacob said next. "Shepard, if I tell you who we work for, will you trust me?" John turned around and saw the hesitant expression on the man's face and Wilson's continuing scowl.

"This isn't really the time Jacob," Wilson snapped.

"We won't make it if he's expecting a shot in the back." Jacob snapped at Wilson, turning to fix the man with a glare. Wilson huffed and crossed his arms like an angry toddler.

"If you want to piss off the boss, it's your ass Jacob." Wilson bit out and John couldn't help but roll his eyes at the man. Jacob turned back to John before speaking.

"The Lazarus Project, the program that rebuilt you…it's funded and controlled by Cerberus."

Terror.

Anger.

Rage.

Hate.

All these emotions blasted through John in an instant. Hunting them, those experiments he and the others had stopped. The Admiral. Akuze and the hell Jane had gone through. He hadn't even realized his hand had drifted to his pistol until a large crack echoed in the suddenly dead quiet room. John blinked and took a deep breath, releasing the iron grip he'd had on his still folded pistol on his side, the handle now showing a thick crack from where John had gripped it.

"If you hadn't saved my life, I'd have shot you both," John snarled. Wilson's eyes were wide and he glanced at Jacob as the other man approached John just a few steps.

"Look, I get it. With you and your sister's history with some of the rogue cells of our organization, I'd be calling for blood too. But us, the Lazarus cell, we brought you back after the Alliance gave up on you, declared you dead. Right now, though we have to work together to get out of here." Jacob stated. "I thought you deserved to know what's what." John grunted and considered it. Jacob had ample opportunities to shoot him in the back and he hadn't. This facility was dedicated to him and his well-being. They'd spent billions in credits on him to bring him back to one hundred percent. He'd take Jacob at his word for now but there was a hell of a lot of questions to be answered when this was all over and they were safe and sound.

"I want to find out exactly what the hell is going on when this is done," John replied. Jacob nodded in agreement.

"Once we're off the station, I'll take you to the Illusive Man. He'll explain everything, I promise." Jacob said and John snorted at that. So, he'd already learned one thing, their leader called himself the Illusive Man. Oi vey.

"I don't care how well he explains everything, I don't work with terrorists," John snapped turning around to head for the shuttle bay.

"Tell it to the boss, anyway we're almost to the shuttle bay." Jacob retorted. John grunted and stormed down the hall.

This day just kept getting better and better…

~*TF*~

"Which way?" John snapped to Wilson as the last of the mechs fell to the ground in the docking area with a shower of sparks.

"Through here." Wilson replied, jogging ahead of John to one of the docking access halls. Wilson started entering his code into the door lock. "We're almost at the-" Wilson was cut off as the doors snapped apart revealing Miranda. Dirty and scuffed, her hair a mess and sweaty, she had an annoyed expression on her face. John was again struck by the ethereal beauty she had as Miranda glared at Wilson. "Miranda! But, you were-"

Wilson was cut off one last time as Miranda raised her pistol and shot Wilson in face, smearing the entry way with blood and brain matter. John instantly snatched up his pistol aiming it at her.

"Dead?" Miranda finished at Wilson's corpse with a sneer.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jacob exclaimed, rushing over with an expression of shock on his face.

"My job," Miranda said coldly, "Wilson betrayed us all."

"Even if you're sure, did he really deserve that kind of a reception?" John snarked. Miranda turned to face him and an amused expression came over her when she saw John's pistol pointed at her.

"He sabotaged the security systems, killed my staff, and he would have killed us." Miranda retorted.

"You sure about that, Miranda?" Jacob replied. "We've known Wilson for years. What if you're wrong?"

"I'm never wrong," Miranda said, a little smirk that John found scary but sexy as hell. This woman was the definition of a femme fatal. Worse, was that she knew it. "I thought you'd have learned that by now, Jacob."

"Still, you should have tried to take him alive. Seen what he knew and who he worked for." John noted, lowering his pistol but keeping it in his hand.

"Too risky." Miranda noted, shaking her head. "I've put too much time and effort bringing you back to life to let you get killed now."

"You really think Wilson's capable of that?" Jacob questioned. Miranda glanced at Wilson's body and back to Jacob, raising at eyebrow at him.

"Not anymore." She noted and John bit back a laugh. Damned if he didn't find himself starting to like Miranda and her snark. He bit the side of his tongue and shook his head. They were Cerberus operatives. He had to keep them at an arm's distance until he knew where they stood.

"So what's our next step?" John asked, holstering his pistol.

"We get on the shuttle and go. My boss wants to meet you and I want to run a few simple tests on the flight there to make sure your mental faculties are intact."

"You mean the Illusive Man? I know you work for Cerberus." John noted. Miranda shot Jacob an amused look.

"Ah, Jacob. I should've known your conscience would get the better of you." Miranda drawled.

"Lying to the commander isn't the way to get him to join our cause." Jacob noted and John couldn't help snorting at that. Right, join Cerberus. And Laira's mother was a Krogan.

"I've had enough of this station for a lifetime, let's get going." John cut in, heading for the shuttle.

"Or two in your case. This way." Miranda replied moving past him to lead the way.

~*TF*~

Earth Date: January 9th, 2186 CE

Location: Transport Vessel Paxtau

"How dare you?" the batarian growled as Jane pressed her foot into his chest, her pistol was aimed between his eyes.

"Really? You just attempted to enslave the passengers who paid you to take them to Omega and you're going to be insulted by me fighting back?" Jane asked, tilting her head to the side.

"You killed my crew!" he roared and Jane shoved him down.

"As I recall, your crew tried to shoot my varren," Jane said and there was a whimper from behind her. "Sounds like at least one of your crew is still alive. Keep, Blasto." She heard Blasto snarl before the Batarian behind her made ac hoking noise. Knowing he would keep the Batarian incapacitated with his jaws around the man's throat she focused on the one under her boot.

"I would have the luck to have the Terror of the Hegemony on my ship," the batarian hissed and Jane blinked before smiling.

"Is that the new Hegemony nickname for me?" Jane asked. He glared up at her.

"You are the epitome of the racist humans out to destroy Batarians!" he roared and Jane laughed. "You sadistic bitch!"

"I'm not laughing at you. It's hilarious because the Dramye call me the Terror of the Hegemony too," Jane said and his eyes widened.

"Those traitors deserve your wrath," he hissed and Jane chuckled more.

"The Dramye were just approved for Citadel membership, they have an embassy and have been invited to join colonies. Seventy percent of those colonies were offered by humans on my recommendation," Jane said and the batarian glared at her.

"You killed my brother!" he snarled and Jane nodded.

"Fair, but I kill all the slavers I meet," she said before she shot him. "Kill, Blasto." There was a gurgle from behind her and Jane stroked Blasto's head as he nuzzled her side a moment later. "Good boy." She headed down the blood soaked hallway to the bridge. She pressed the comm. "The ship has been secured, our hosts are dead, anyone who can fly this bucket is welcome to claim it once we dock at Omega. Looks like we have a couple of days to make it there."

~*TF*~

Earth Date: January 10th, 2186 CE

Location: Unknown, Secret Cerberus Facility, Early Morning

"Well rested Shepard?" Miranda asked, leading John down the halls. They'd arrived at a station late yesterday and shown John to a very Spartan room with a simple bed and bathroom. Besides a locker room and staging area, there was an empty room that Miranda was leading him to. He had been restricted to this area of the station for the night they spent here. He'd had access to the basic room with the bed and toilet, this locker room, the room with the hologram machine used to contact this Illusive Man, some sort of waiting area and the dock where the shuttle was stored. That was it and it drove him up the wall. Obviously, they didn't want him wandering despite giving him an extranet account and a support account with a generous budget. He didn't know how Cerberus had gotten him here but they obviously intended to keep him on a short leash.

"Fine but it was a little hard to get some sleep last night." John replied. Miranda stopped before a set of closed doors.

"After being unconscious for so long your natural sleep rhythms will be a bit skewed. You'll fall back into a normal pattern soon. The benefits of some of your implants will be a shortened sleep cycle. Sleep will be mostly for mental exhaustion versus physical." Miranda informed him. John grunted, taking that bit of info with a grain of salt. Miranda may have been his doctor and rebuilt him but anything she told him would be taken with a healthy skepticism until he got checked out by a doctor he thought he could trust.

"He's waiting for you inside. I'll see you after." Miranda said, moving away. John sighed and straightened his shoulders before striding forward the doors opening for him and sliding closed behind him. He entered the room and stood in the middle of the glowing pad. He glanced around and as he did holographic projections began to light up and surrounded him. John scowled and glanced around as the image of a large open room displayed itself and John saw a man sitting in a chair with holographic read outs near him. It was hard to make him out as there was a dying star lighting the room behind him. He was wearing some sort of black suit, with a lit cigarette in one hand and drink in the other. Besides him being Caucasian with brown hair, he had bright, glowing blue eyes that John realized were implants.

"Commander Shepard." The Illusive Man said, his voice smooth and even. And also unfamiliar. Damn.

"Illusive Man." John said in a frosty tone, crossing is arms. "I thought we were meeting face-to-face."

"A necessary precaution. Not unusual for people who know what you and I know." The Illusive Man noted, taking a drink.

"You might be the reason I'm still alive, but that doesn't mean I trust you." John retorted.

"You need to put your personal feelings aside." The Illusive Man replied. "Humanity is up against the greatest threat of our brief existence."

"The Reapers." John agreed.

"Good to see your memory's still intact. How are you feeling?"

"You need to earn the right to ask me those kinds of questions." John snapped.

"Cerberus isn't as evil as you believe." The Illusive Man replied, taking a drag of his cigarette. "You and I are on the same side; we just use different methods."

"Cut the bullshit. What are the Reapers doing that made you decide to bring me back?" John growled. The Illusive Man stood and walked towards John giving him a better look at him.

"We're at war. No one wants to admit it, but humanity is under attack." Illusive Man began and John raised an eyebrow at that. "While you've been sleeping, entire colonies have been disappearing. Human colonies. We believe it's someone working for the reapers. Just as Saren and the geth aided Sovereign. You've seen it yourself. You bested all of them. That's just one reason we chose you."

"Why not approach my sister? With the money you sank into me you could've built an entire fleet and put her in charge. She's just as good as I am." John wondered. The Illusive Man smirked at him and shook his head.

"A lot has changed in the past two years. Your sister let the entire team fall apart and sank herself into deep black ops missions for the Alliance and the Council. Since then she's been waging a one woman war trying to eliminate the entire Batarian race." The Illusive Man raised his left arm and activated his omni-tool. He keyed something and a video screen lit up before John. Jane's emotionless face stared at him and it made John shiver. Her eyes were cold, blood running freely down the right side of her face from a cut above her temple.

"Attention Hegemony vessels, this is Jane Shepard, Human Spectre. This is the remains of the latest slave ship I have taken from you. Any Batarian slave ships I find in Citadel space will need to pray that I am as merciful as I was to these sorry bastards. In the future I will kill every member of the crew, gouging out all four of their eyes before I place a bullet into their brains. Any Hegemony ships that attempt aggression in Citadel Space will be asking for my special attentions. This is your only warning." Jane said with her eyes staring directly into the camera before the message cut off.

"She recorded that into a Hegemony shuttle's system, set it for open broadcast and set the shuttle for autopilot straight for Khar'shan. She was the only agent on the ship and the entire crew was massacred." Illusive Man informed him. John clenched his fists. It had to be fake, it had to be. Jane would never threaten to violate a batarian so they would never go to their heaven.

"What about the rest of my team?" John couldn't help but ask. The Illusive Man took another drag of his cigarette.

"Liara T'Soni has set herself up on Illium as an information broker. Urdnot Wrex hasn't left Tuchanka in two years, shortly after uniting the clans under his leadership. Tali'Zorah is working with the Migrant fleet. Garrus Vakarian resigned from C-Sec and even we can't find him. Kaidan Alenko and Ashely Williams are making their way from colony to colony, checking over their security. It's the only sign that the Alliance is trying to deal with the situation."

"If what you say is true…if the Reapers are behind this…I'd consider helping you." John allowed.

"I'd be disappointed if you accepted any of this without seeing for yourself." The Illusive Man noted, making his way back to his chair and sitting down. "I have a shuttle ready to take you to Freedom's Progress, the latest colony to be abducted. Miranda and Jacob will brief you on the way." John rolled his eyes at that. So those two were going to be his keepers. Fan-friggin-tastic.

"Is this a volunteer job, or am I being volunteered?" John growled.

"You always have a choice, Shepard. If you don't find the evidence we're both looking for, we can parts ways." The Illusive Man said in a smug tone. John rolled his eyes. "But first go to Freedom's Progress. Find any clues you can. Who's abducting the colonies? Do they have any connection to the Reapers? I brought you back. It's up to you to do the rest." The Illusive Man hit something on his console and the holograms on John's end shut down and faded away. He grunted and shook his head before turning around. He needed to gear up and see just what was going on.

~*TF*~

An hour later John was going through the supplies in the locker room, going over in his head what the Illusive Man had told him and what John had been able to verify on the extranet. He'd found numerous videos on Jane, some grainy far away vids, security vids and even a Spectre recruitment video someone had made when Jane had fought a Krogan hand to hand. As he settled on the armor and color scheme he wanted he had to wonder how things had gone so far off the tracks for Jane since he'd been gone. No mention of the rest of the team helping her out. Just vague suspicions, a really creepy fan-forum that was compiling her stats and mission record, and public speculation. She'd never given an interview to any reporter, blowing off Emily Wong and even punching one. Not one picture with any of the others since the public memorial they'd had for him. He had to grin smugly at that. He wondered how hard Anderson had to pressure Jane to give that speech.

John set aside his selected armor to choose his weapons. Again, a generous selection but some of it he wouldn't need, ever. He wasn't a biotic or a sniper so he passed on the biotic amp, SMG and rifle options. After getting an assault rifle, shotgun and pistol setup that he could work with he looked for a grenade box. Frowning when couldn't find one he began digging through crates looking for them.

"We'll be leaving for Freedom's Progress shortly, Commander." Miranda's voice called out behind him. John grunted, continuing to hunt through the crates. "Anything I can help you find Shepard?"

"I can't find where you stored the grenades," he snapped, realizing how childish he sounded a moment after he said it. Miranda clucked her tongue and John looked at her with an annoyed expression to counter the disapproving amusement she was displaying.

"Grenades, Shepard? What do you need grenades for? We have a varied selection of heavy weapons here." She said archly and John frowned.

"No one in Cerberus uses any kind of grenades, ever?" he pressed and Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Not under my team, I've never seen the need to use them," she stated, primly. "Even that grenade launcher you found uses heavy weapon cells, no grenades."

"Well this bodes well."

~*TF*~

Earth Date: January 10th, 2186 CE

Location: Freedom's Progress, Nightfall

Despite the security mechs still being on it was the quiet that bothered John the most. Nothing was on. Not a roof top heating unit, the low human of water recycling system, or even the putter-putter of colonial tractor belonging to a late night worker hauling minerals or crops. Nothing. Food and pads left out in the open, laying where they were dropped. It was a ghost town.

Well mostly a ghost town. They approached a prefab unit and John heard low murmurs from the other side of the door that was slightly cracked open. John gave a low whistle and signaled to Jacob and Miranda to take up positions on the door. When they were ready, John counted down with his hand before slamming a hand on the door control, forcing the doors to shoot open and he stormed in, his rifle at the ready. He saw a group of Quarians clustered around a holographic map. One of them jumped up and brought his rifle to bare on John.

"Stop right there." The man ordered.

"Prazza!" A familiar voice barked, storming up and forcing the man to lower his gun. "You said you'd let me handle this." She turned around and John got a good look at her. She'd grown a few inches and the hood of her encounter suit was slightly different. He figure was fuller and was more woman than girl. John couldn't help but smile as she took a step back.

"Wait…John?" Tali trailed off in wonder. John gestured to Miranda and Jacob to stand down and holstered his assault rifle.

"I'm not taking any chances with Cerberus operatives!" the Quarian called Prazza snapped, trying to move past Tali.

"Is there anyone you guys haven't pissed off?" John bit out over his shoulder to Miranda who huffed and Jacob let out a bark of laughter.

"Put those weapons down!" Tali barked at the Quarians and John felt a swell of pride.

"John? Is that…really you?" Tali asked, hope in her voice and John smiled at her.

"How did your pilgrimage gift go over Tali? Did they like the shuttle, the supplies that we all stuff into it or the geth data the best?" John asked. Tali's eyes widened behind her visor and he could tell that she was smiling.

"The kids liked the supplies the best, especially when they found those human toys you hid on there. The Admirals and Captains liked the data the best." Tali replied before turning to glare at Prazza. "Prazza, weapons down. This is definitely Commander John Shepard."

"Why is one of your old commanders working for Cerberus?" Prazza snapped.

"I don't know, maybe we should ask," Tali retorted and John sighed, running a hand over the top of his head before speaking.

"I nearly died Tali. Cerberus spent two years rebuilding me after they found me. They want me to investigate the attacks on the human colonies in return." John explained.

"A likely story," Prazza bit out, crossing his arms. "No organization would commit so many resources to bring back one soldier."

"You've never met a Shepard, Prazza." Tali snapped. "Trust me it was money well spent." Tali turned back to John. "Perhaps we can work together. We're here looking for a quarian named Veetor. He was here on Pilgrimage."

"Isn't that a little strange? A quarian visiting a remote human colony?" John asked and Tali seemed to hesitate.

"Quarians can choose where they go on pilgrimage and there was an invitation for quarians on pilgrimage to visit human colonies no too long ago. Veetor liked the idea of helping a small settlement. He was always…nervous in crowds." Tali explained and Prazza huffed.

"She means that he was unstable." Prazza snapped. "Combine that with damage to his suit's CO scrubbers and an infection from open-air exposure, and he's likely delirious."

"When he saw us landing, he hid in the warehouse on the far side of town. We suspect he also programmed the mechs to attack anything that moved." Tali explained and John grunted. Well that explained that.

"Veetor is the only one that can tell us what happened here. We should work together to find him." John noted and Tali nodded.

"That's a good idea. We'll need two teams anyway to get past the drones." Tali mused.

"Now we're working for Cerberus?!" Prazza cried out.

"No, Prazza, you're working for me. If you can't follow orders, go wait on the ship." Tali ordered. Prazza huffed and stormed off as Tali turned back to them. "Head for the warehouse through the center of the colony. We'll circle around the far side and down off some of the drones to clear you a path."

"Make sure to stay in radio contact." John said and Tali nodded.

"Will do. Good luck, Shepard. Whatever happens...it's good to have you back."

~*TF*~

John rolled to the left and slid behind a stack up of crates as he cursed out the stupid quarians who had rushed into this. He'd barely got Tali's warning in time as they'd opened the doors and the YMIR mech opened firing, slaughtering the poor bastards as John and his team moved into position.

The YMIR mech whirred, pausing in its shooting to scan the area for targets as John settled against the crates. He slapped his pistol to his thigh, ignoring the hum as the magnetic holster snapped it to his thigh with a clunk as he yanked his assault rifle from his back. As it unfolded in his hands he peeked around the edge to see what the YMIR was doing and John cursed a moment later as the damn thing was just turning to face his position. It spotted him and aimed with its other hand, firing a rocket at him. John jerked back just as it impacted with the crates, blowing a chunk of them away.

"Commander!" Jacob called out and he turned to his left, seeing Miranda crouched with the other man behind some other crates. Jacob signaled with his free hand, asking for orders. John winced as the mech opened fire again with its machinegun, loud metallic thuds preceding it as it advanced on his position. He hated to do it but it had him pinned down here. He signaled to Jacob, who was still watching him intently, what he wanted them to do. When the Cerberus agent got the message, he indicated his acceptance before turning to inform Miranda. John winced as another rocket hit the crates, sending the top portion flying over his head.

"Grenades, Shepard?" John muttered to himself in a passable imitation of Miranda's voice, "What do you need grenades for? Well I can't roll heavy weapons under an approaching death machine so they explode, can I?" He glanced again to his left and saw the Cerberus agents were gone. "They better have done what I said." More stomps followed John's mutterings and he dared peak around what was left of his crates…to peer straight into the YMIR machine's legs.

"Fuck." He muttered, trying to bring his gun to bare as the machine peered down at him and extended the arm with the rocket launcher at his face, the arm humming as it charged just moments before two large crates smashed into it, both glowing biotic blue.

"We've got you covered Shepard!" Miranda called out from the other end of the courtyard, both biotics glowing as they each biotically lifted some more crates to throw. Following its programming, the YMIR mech turned to face the biggest threat and began opening fire. John didn't hesitate and scrambled to his feet, moving around the corner of a building not too far away to get some distance. He looked around the corner and frowned. The mech had shrugged off the impacts, firing on his biotic teammates forcing them to dive out of the way of a rocket and splitting them apart. Miranda made it to cover just fine but Jacob was thrown by the explosion to smash into the top of a concrete barrier and go over the edge. John checked the team hud momentarily and was relieved that Jacob was still alive but unconscious.

"Whoever invented these fucking machines should be drug out into the street and shot." John snarled, opening fire from his position. The YMIR mech slowly turned to John's new position before opening fire. John ducked back just in time as the machinegun fire shredded the building corner. It stopped firing the gun and John leaned out to fire again just moments before it shot a rocket at him. He ducked back and after the rocket hit the edge of the building he leaned out again to open fire again, ducking back yet again as it switched to its machine gun again. John nodded to himself as he slowly got a gauge of its programming. There were pauses as it switched, unable to fire both at once but the fucking thing kept advancing to the target deemed the highest threat. Just after the mech's shields dropped he got a decent plan together in his mind. He'd have to chance the comms and order Miranda to switch off between the two of them. They could keep it in the middle of the court yard and whittle down its armor. He brought up his fingers to press-

"Get away from him you bosh'tet!" John jerked at Tali's cry and looked out just in time to see a holo-drone explode next to the YMIR mech. His eyes followed the YMIR's head turn toward the building where the Quarians were taking cover. He saw Tali there, her omin-tool glowing and her shotgun in one hand. He recognized the pattern scrolling on her omni-tool even from this distance. She was trying to hack the mech but to do that her omni-toll needed a line of sight to the hacking target which meant Tali couldn't take cover. John felt his blood run cold as the mech raised its rocket arm at her. It was going to…

"NO!" John felt the shout escape his lips as he charged. Its back was to John, he had to draw its attention back to him. He opened fire and felt his heart sink as it didn't turn away. Its arm was starting to hum and his adrenaline kicked in as time seemed to slow again. He had to kill it, here and now. He took a leap as he ran, slamming into the mech's back, clinging to it with his left hand clamped on its shoulder. The sudden weight threw its aim off and the YMIR mech's rocket went sailing by Tali. It began to thrash, trying to throw him off as John pulled himself up by his left hand and planted his feet onto its hips. He snarled and jammed the tip of his assault rifle into the joint where the neck met the shoulders. He opened fire, emptying the clip into the YMIR mech as it stomped backwards, intent on crushing John between it and the building. John tossed his assault rifle away, unable to change the clip one handed. A dark expression came over his face as he ignored Tali and Miranda's screams for him to let go, thrusting his right hand into the smoking hole he'd blasted open and grabbed the YMIR mech's wiring, hoses and the ragged edge of the hole. He leaned back, snarling with the effort as he tried to rip its head off. For a moment, nothing happened just the mech stomping closer to the wall. Then it shuttered and slowed, as John felt the head begin to pull up. John strained and then let out a shout of rage before yanking upward, tearing the head free with the loud sound of metal shearing.

John tossed the head aside as the wires from the neck stub sparked, the hoses gushing hydraulic fluid and coolant. He blinked in surprised as the YMIR mech fell to its knees as it began to beep and whine loudly. Then John was flying through the air, encased in a biotic field, just before he was slammed to the ground next to a glowing Miranda. As soon as he landed by her feet she encased them in a biotic shield just as the YMIR mech exploded. John blinked in shock as shrapnel rained down around them and bounced off the shield. As she lowered the biotic field Miranda shot John an exasperated look.

"Those mechs explode if their heads are removed, Commander." She informed him in a superior tone and John rolled his eyes before getting to his feet.

"I really need some sort of primer on what I've missed," he retorted just before a purple and grey blur crashed into him, hugging him tightly.

"You crazy bosh'tet!" Tali barked, hugging the Spectre tightly. Then she looked up at him, smacking a fist and her forearm against his chest. "What were you thinking?"

"Probably what you were, that I wouldn't let my friend die," John pointed out. Tali muttered something but moved away from John, holding one of his hands in hers. As Miranda went to check on Jacob, Tali shot the Cerberus agents a look before leaning towards John.

"I can't promise it'll be soon but I'll try to send Jane a message as soon as I'm able. You should probably see to Veetor now while I tend to my wounded." The Quarian whispered softly.

"Thanks, Tali." John replied and squeezed her hand reassuringly before moving towards the colony's control building. He idly noted that Jane would have had a fit if she saw where the building was located and how unguarded it was. As the doors opened and he entered the room he was willing to bet they didn't have any auxiliary stations either. In the far end of the room was single workstation with several screens. There was a Quarian frantically working away, muttering to himself as he did. Relieved John entered to room and approached Veetor.

"-ide. No monsters. No swarms. No-no-no-no-no."

"Veetor?" John called out to the man. Veetor didn't turn around, just kept working at the console.

"No Veetor. Not here. Swarms can't find. Monster coming. Have to hide." The man gibbered.

"Nobody's going to hurt you anymore." John said in his best soothing tone. "Just turn around and talk to me. Can you do that for me?"

Silence was his answer and John sighed.

"I don't think he can hear you Commander," Jacob mused, watching the frantic quarian working away. John sighed and ignored Veetor's continuing rambles to access his omni-tool. He sent a basic command to the screens to power down. Veetor seem to feeze as the screens shut down and he shook his head. Seeming to come back to himself the quarian turned around and looked at John and the others as if he had just realized they were in the room.

"You're human." Veetor said with surprise in his voice. "Where did you hide? How come they didn't find you?" he asked getting to his feet.

"Who didn't get us?" Miranda asked.

"The…the monsters. The swarms. They took everyone." Veetor said with a gesture of his left hand.

"We're not survivors Veetor," John explained. "We just got here."

"You don't know then. You didn't see. But I see everything." Veetor replied, turning back to the screens. He tapped something on the console and video began to play using all of the screens.

"Looks like security footage, He must've pieced it together manually." Miranda mused. John made a distracted hum as he watched the screen. He saw insect like aliens, bipedal and extremely organized. They were loading colonists in pods who seemed to be in some sort of stasis. An occasional group of bugs would fly by the camera.

"What the hell is that?" Jacob muttered, unknowingly echoing John's thoughts.

"My God, I think that's a Collector." Miranda said, freezing the security footage.

"I always thought they were urban myth." John mused. "But seeing is believing."

"The seeker swarms." Veetor said, pointing to a portion of the video with a cluster of the flying insects. "No one can hide. The seekers find you. Freeze you. Then the monsters take you away."

"Go on Veetor, what happened next?" John prodded the man.

"The monsters took the people onto the ship and then they left. The ship flew away. But they'll be back for me. No one escapes." Veetor whimpered.

"Thank you Veetor." John said, patting the man on the shoulder. Veetor took a deep breath but sat in the chair and huddled into it.

"I scanned them. The monesters. The swarms. I recorded them with my omni-tool. Lots of readings." Veetor said, raising his omni-tool.

"We need to get that data to the Illusive Man. Grab the quarian and call the shuttle to come pick us up." Miranda ordered. John frowned and was about to reply just as the doors opened to the room.

"No, absolutely not." Tali said as she entered the room and conversation. "Veetor is hurt and needs medical attention. We can send you the data after we take him back to the ship we're going to rendezvous with."

"Your people tried to betray us once already. If we give him to you, we'll never get the intel we need." Miranda retorted.

"Prazza was an idiot and he and his men paid for it. You're welcome to take his omni-tool data but please. Just let me take him." Tali countered. John smiled. Tali sure had come a long way since he'd last seen her.

"Done. That works out best for us all anyways." John said and Tali sighed and Miranda nodded, acknowledging the order.

"Thank you Shepard. I'm glad you're still the one giving orders." Tali said. John headed over to Veetor and helped the quarian stand and led him over to Tali who put an arm around the traumatized quarian's shoulders. As John walked them outside Tali looked over Veetor's shoulders at John.

"I'm sorry I can't go with you John but I have my own mission to complete." Tali explained and John nodded in understanding.

"Can you send Jane a message as soon as you take off?" John asked casually. Tali shot him a look and John could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry John but we're on a communications blackout till we complete our mission." Tali explained and John sighed.

"Well it was worth a shot. I'll give you the extranet account Cerberus gave me. Stay in touch."

~*TF*~

Jane sat on the bridge with Julius Rex, a young turian pilot who had volunteered to take the batarian ship. He was already planning on naming it Terror of the Hegemony and painting Jane on the hull like the old human warplanes. Jane wasn't sure she was all that comfortable with that and told him it was more likely to get him into fights with batarians. Julius had only laughed and said he wasn't dumb enough to work with batarians. Jane had countered he was dumb enough to fly with them. The kid still hadn't answered but had asked to take a holo with Jane. She had allowed it and he had it sitting on the flight console. It was somewhat amusing to have a turian Conrad Verner.

"How far out are we?" Jane asked and Julius chuckled.

"We'll be there in two days," he said and Jane sighed.

"They sure took us off course," she muttered as she rubbed Blasto's belly. The varren's long tongue was laying on the floor as he grinned the happy grin of all friendly quadrupeds.

"Urdnot-Shepard," Tomrux, a krogan mercenary nodded as he entered the flight deck with food. Jane paused and Blasto sat up, sniffing before flopping back down and rolling all four legs up. No poison in the food. "You made that varren weak."

"That's not what your mom said," Jane shot back and Tomrux laughed. It was a hearty krogan laugh. Tomrux and Jane got along, he had helped her get the passengers hidden away while she had taken out the slavers. He was going to Omega for his son's wedding to an asari dancer.

"You Urdnot always go for the mothers," Tomrux laughed as he handed a plate to Jane, a plate to Julius, and put a plate on the floor for Blasto. "Good varren, you kill well, but you're an embarrassment to your race." He petted Blasto before getting up. "What plans do you have to Omega, Urdnot-Shepard?"

"I'm on a vacation," Jane said and the krogan stared at her with one green-yellow eye.

"Is that was Spectre's call this?" he asked.

"A friend of mine is missing, last location was Omega. I'm hoping to find him," Jane said and Tomrux nodded.

"Alive," he muttered.

"He's not dead," Jane said, giving Tomrux a look and the krogan smirked.

"Ah, so you're here to kill your lover, admirable," Tomrux chuckled and Jane shook her head.

"Just a friend, I know he's not dead because if he were...I'd hunt him down in the afterlife and kill him again," Jane said and Tomrux nodded.

"The Urdnot were right about you," he said. "You should have been born a krogan."

"A male krogan, your women are too political, talking all the time," Jane said and Tomrux let out another krogan belly laugh.

"Tell me about it," he said before he headed out.

"It's gross when you flirt," Julius said and Jane laughed.

"Why is it I always get the sarcastic smart ass pilots?" she asked and Julius flared his mandibles happily.

"You just draw out the best in people?" he suggested and Jane chuckled as she began to rub Blasto's belly again. Garrus was alive, Jane refused to believe her friend was dead...the thought of Garrus dead in one of Omega's back alleys made her throat want to close up. Not Garrus, there was no way he was dead. He was going to wish he was when she caught up to him though.

~*TF*~

Earth Date: January 12th, 2186 CE

Location: Unknown, Secret Cerberus Facility

"Shepard, good work on Freedom's Progress. I was surprised you were able to get the data from the Quarians without having the take the quarian." The Illusive Man commented.

"I work best by getting along with people, especially old teammates. You should try it sometime." John retorted.

"Most importantly, however, you confirmed the Collectors are behind the abductions." The Illusive Man noted.

"I get the feeling you already knew about them." John mused, crossing his arms.

"I had my suspicions but I needed proof. The Collectors are enigmatic at best."

"You're holding something back." John accused. "How do you know the Reapers are involved?"

"The patterns are there, buried in the data." The Illusive Man began.

"That's not an answer, that's deflecting the question!" John snapped.

"The Council and the Alliance want to believe the Reaper threat died with Sovereign." The Illusive Man explained. "You and I know better. I won't wait until the Reapers are on the march. We need to take the fight to them."

"If this is a war I'll need an army. Or a really good team." John mused, placing his hands behind his back. "You told me before that my old team wasn't possible to bring in. I assume you've already got some ideas on who to recruit this time around."

"I've already compiled a list of soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries. You'll get dossiers on the best of them. Finding them and convincing them to work with you could be challenging but you're a natural leader. I'll continue to track the Collectors. When they make their next appearance, I'll notify you and your team. Be ready."

"You worry about the Collectors, I'll make sure my team is ready." John agreed.

"Good. Two things before you go." The Illusive Man said, tagging a drag of his cigarette. "First head to Omega and find Mordin Solus. He's a brilliant scientist. Our intelligence suggest he may know how to counteract the Collector's paralyzing seeker swarms."

"All right, I'll think about it. What's the other thing?" John asked.

"We found a pilot you might like. I hear he's one of the best. Someone you can trust." The Illusive Man said, before cutting the transmission.

"Hey Commander." A familiar and very welcome voice called out behind him. John turned around and couldn't help the big grin that spread across his face as he saw Joker come strolling into the room. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Ha, damn good to see you Joker! I can't believe it's you!" John exclaimed, striding over and giving the man a firm hand shake. Joker winced a bit but grinned at him.

"Look who's talking I saw you get spaced." Joker replied and gestured for the Commander to follow him. John did and noticed Joker was walking without crutches. He hoped it was due to new medical treatments. Joker deserved that much.

"I got lucky, with a lot of strings attached. How did you end up here? Why aren't you flying for Jane?" John asked and Joker sighed.

"It all just fell apart Commander. Everything you and Jane stirred up the Council just wanted it gone. Jane went into a deep mission right after we got attacked and when she got back she just drifted away. We all called and left messages. Nothing. Then the Alliance grounded me. Said I wasn't needed any gave me an honorable discharge. I sent Jane an email begging her to ask for me. I mean someone had to be piloting for her, even in a shuttle. Found out later she signed off on the discharge. I think she blamed me for what happened to you. She said she didn't when I last talked to her but six months after that but I was still grounded and then railroaded out. So hell yeah I joined Cerberus."

"Shit Joker, I'm sorry." John replied. "You trust this Illusive Man to do right by you?"

"I don't trust anyone who makes more than I do. But they aren't all bad. Saved your life. Let me fly, and then there's this." Joker said. John finally turned and realized that Joker had led him to window, overlooking a spaceship dry dock. As the lights came on inside the bay John felt his heart skip a beat.

The Normandy. Or at least a stealth ship in the same class. The basic design was there and she was a bit larger but he knew instantly it was his ship. He was home. As his eyes drank her in, he noted the white, yellow and black colors along with the Cerberus logos and the bold SR2 on her.

"They only told me about it last night." Joker said and John just smiled. "It's good to be home, huh Commander?"

"I guess we'll have to give her a name." John noted. "I already have one all picked up."

~*TF*~

After John had been led from room to room, given a detailed tour of the Normandy SR-2 he'd retreated to his quarters, his mind still swirling. He didn't know most of the crew, and while most of them seemed to be nice people but it all seemed too perfect. They all seemed genuinely enthused to be here, working for Cerberus and following his lead. The thing that disturbed him most was that Joker and Dr. Chakwas were here. Joker he understood after the other man had explained how the Alliance had turned their back on him but he didn't understand why Jane hadn't helped him out. Couldn't she have requested he be transferred to her ship? John was just happy Joker wasn't absent without leave but Dr. Chakwas's reasons just didn't seem right. Why wasn't she with Jane if she wanted to still be treating soldiers? Still he had promised some Serrice Ice Brandy, maybe it would loosen her tongue but the fact that she was here cast doubt on her examination results. He needed a doctor who wasn't in Cerberus' pocket to examine him. And speaking of… John hit the release commands and passwords on his omni-tool and his armor unlocked with a hiss and then a click. He stripped it off, letting it fall to the ground with an uncharacteristic impatience. When he was clad in only his casual clothes he headed into the bathroom. He steeled himself for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping in front of the mirror.

He'd caught glimpses of himself the past few days, a reflective surface here, a pool of water there. He'd seen the red lines glowing on his arms, chest and legs as he'd suited up but he finally had a clean, unhurried look at himself. The scar from Elysium was gone and he saw glowing lines beneath thin layers of skin. Miranda had assured him as his body healed and the skin grew over they'd fade but right now it scared the hell out of him. There was even a red glow under the blue of his eyes. He frowned and his mirror self-copied the expression. He reached down to the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up and tossing it aside. The lines followed his ribs and veins. He turned to look at his right side and blinked. The N7 tattoo he'd gotten on his bicep when he'd made N7 was partially gone. The skin looked clean and healthy but most of the 7 was gone and only one leg of the N remained. Dread filled him and he quickly turned to his left and saw the tattoo on his left bicep of the date of the Mindoir raid was still there but the Never Forget he'd had put below it was gone. He slowly faced the mirror again and stared.

"What do I do?" he murmured. "Do I take control of this ship and lock them in a storage room as I set course for Earth? Or do I work for someone who killed my sister's men and might make me do the same things to someone else?" His reflection didn't answer and he shook his head. An irrational thought was creeping into his mind, that he had died and this was his hell. He stuck his hands under the facet to activate it and splashed some water on his face.

"I'm not dead, I'm not dead," he mumbled into his hands, the water running down his face. He had to focus, think and figure out a way to contact Jane and the Alliance. As he pulled his hands away and reached for a towel he pondered it over in his mind. The Collectors were taking humans, entire colonies. They had to be stopped and he could use Cerberus to further that goal and gain valuable intel on them. To make this official and ensure he wasn't arrested on sight he needed to contact the Citadel Council, the Alliance, and Jane. He couldn't contact any of them directly, Cerberus was sure to be monitoring the extranet account they'd given him and he couldn't access his old one with their system otherwise they'd have access to it too. He needed someplace that didn't have their moles. As he dried his face he mentally sorted the dossiers they gave him and then it hit him.

Omega. EDI was right they could get Mordin Solus first and with his STG contacts and Omega being Omega John could obtain access to a terminal not monitored by Cerberus easily enough. He could then, after getting Mordin onboard, recruit Zaeed Massani, followed by Archangel, and have a team not beholden to Cerberus at his back. Mordin was Salarian and Archangel was supposed to be a Turian, neither would be Cerberus plants with Cerberus humans above all else policy. Contacting Jane would serve two-fold. He'd be contacting a representative of the Alliance and the Council. As a Spectre, Jane could provide him with safe passage under her protection to the Citadel.

John threw the towel toward where it was supposed to be and headed out to order Joker to set course.

It was time to go home.

~*TF*~

Jane headed off the newly titled Terror of the Hegemony after the passengers left. Tomrux took a large portion of the credits from the batarian bodies leaving the rest for Julius to get his artwork done. A familiar form greeted Jane as she entered the station.

"Moklan," Jane said.

"Elaina," the batarian replied as he looked over her shoulder at the ship. He rose a set of eyebrows.

"They got paid to take us to Omega, they decided they rather take the money and then sell us," Jane supplied and he shook his head.

"That kid is going to make enemies calling that ship Terror of the Hegemony," he said.

"Tell me about it, he plans on painting me on the side," Jane said and Moklan chuckled.

"We should send him a vid of you dancing," Moklan stated.

"I was earning more than the others by the end," Jane said.

"That's cause you can do a pretty light show," he replied.

"She have time to meet?" Jane asked and Moklan gave her a look. "It is polite to ask the owner of Omega if she wants to meet and not just assume."

"The second she heard the ship's name she sent me here," Moklan said and Jane sighed.

"I'm not the one who named the damn thing," she said and he shrugged.

"Orders are orders," he said as the two headed into Afterlife.

Jane scanned the crowd, as always there was a large turian presence, but while some had the right skin tone and some wore the Palaven face mark, none were Garrus. It wouldn't be that easy after all.

"Well well well, if it isn't my favorite human dancer, did that Citadel job not pan out?" Aria asked and Jane chuckled as she stood in front of Aria.

"I'm not here for business, pleasure this time," Jane said and Aria nodded. "As soon as we got that ship's name we checked, vacation time, you deserve it."

"Lord knows you didn't give me any," Jane said and Aria smirked.

"I am a hard task master, but fair," she said and Jane nodded.

"I'm looking for a friend. Former member of my Normandy crew. Garrus Vakarian. Turian, Palaven. Sniper. Should have been a Spectre but had trouble with rules...turians don't get to be Spectres without following rules now," Jane said and Aria blinked.

"If he's causing trouble, he's not doing it alone, no one by that name is making trouble or leading any of the groups who are," Aria said.

"He wouldn't join a mercenary group, he'd be making their lives miserable," Jane said and Aria nodded with a satisfied smirk.

"The only person waging war on the mercenaries is Archangel," Aria said and Jane snorted.

"Archangel...really?" Jane shook her head. "The codenames people chose."

"Are you complaining, Elaina?" Aria asked and Jane shook her head.

"I had no choice in that and you know it," Jane said and Aria nodded. "May I check out this Archangel to see if Garrus is with him?" Aria's face locked down.

"Archangel's crew just got hit. Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack actually joined forces to hit the team hide out," Aria said and Jane felt her kill face lock. Garrus and his team were in trouble.

"They're dead?" Jane asked and Aria shrugged.

"Unknown. Someone's been fighting back, might be some of the team are dead, might be that all but one is dead. All I know is that Archangel is back in the fight at the hideout and the three merc teams have been throwing men at it since last night," Aria said and Jane clenched a fist. Had those bartarians not decided to fly in the opposite fucking direction Jane would have been able to get Garrus out of Archangel's team before the hit. Aria stared at Jane's fist.

"Someone's still alive on that team you said?" Jane asked and Aria simply stared at the Spectre. The woman had changed since she had danced for Aria and Aria had to respect this new killer. If her turian friend was dead, Jane Shepard might just finish off the three mercenary groups on Omega herself. Aria almost hoped that Jane found her turian dead, it would make a profitable betting event.

"Yes," Aria said as Jane began her questions about the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack leadership.

~*TF*~

Earth Date: January 14th, 2186 CE

Location: Omega Docking Ramp

The thing that hit John first as soon as the doors opened into the ramp area was the smell. A dusty, grimy smell and one he was unfortunately familiar with from his time spent clearing mines and their support towns from merc or pirate raids. The dock was filthy and the first thing to greet the group was a twitchy Salarian.

"Ah! Welcome to Omega! You're new here, aren't you? I can always tell. Allow me to-" he didn't finish as a Batarian approached and gave the Salarian a glare. "Oh...hello, Moklan! I was just-"

"Leave, Fargut. Now," Moklan growled. John shook his head at the terror that filled Fargut's face.

"Of course, Moklan! Whatever she wants!" Fargut said with a salute before turning tail. Moklan made a half-hearted swipe and Fargut took off running, hauling ass down the corridor. John idly noted a Batarian came stumbling past Fargut to collapse against the wall. A human merc followed the batarian and seemed to be talking to him.

"Blasted scavengers. Welcome to Omega...Shepard," Moklan said and John turned back to face the batarian talking to him.

"You know who I am?" John inquired. Given that'd he'd been incapacitated for years he'd have thought he'd have faded from other people's memories.

"Of course. We had you tagged the moment you entered the Terminus Systems. You're not as subtle as you think. Aria wants to know what brings a dead Spectre to Omega. I suggest you go to Afterlife now and present yourself," Moklan growled.

"I'm not here to cause problems for Omega," John explained and Moklan smirked.

"Things explode around you, Shepard. You can't blame Aria for keeping an eye on you. Afterlife. Now," he barked before turning and walking away. John rolled his as he heard Miranda sigh behind him.

"So much for quietly moving about the station," she remarked a moment before their comms came to life.

"I'm receiving quarantine warnings about the slums where Dr. Mordin Solus runs the clinic. Anticipate resistance at the transport station," EDI's voice stated over the comms. "I have also accessed messages between mercenary groups regarding plans to deal with Archangel. There's a recruiting station at Afterlife that may have information on him."

"Thanks EDI, I guess we're heading to Afterlife. We'll keep you posted." John replied before leading the down the corridor. As they got closer to the human and batarian at the end John recognized the man's armor from one of the dossiers the Illusive Man had given him. He was probably the third man John was going to recruit on Omega.

"Ugh...please," the Batarian cried out, reaching towards John.

"Shut it!" the human growled before kneeing the Batarian in the chest. He dropped to his knees, head rolling on his neck as he stared at John.

"Please...you have to help me," the Batarian pleaded before the man above him kicked him.

"No one said you could talk, jackass," the human growled.

"You Zaeed Massani?" John asked with a sigh. If his luck was still the same as when he'd woken up…

"Yeah. That's me. You must be Commander Shepard. I hear we have a galaxy to save," Zaeed said, glancing at John. John pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath as a headache settled in. So far, the Illusive Man's choices for this team were John's own personal Dr. Frankenstein, a disillusioned former Alliance merc and now a half blind, surly merc who beat his prisoners. This just kept getting better and better. He missed his old team, especially Wrex.

And Tali.

And Garrus.

And Liara. Especially Liara.

Hell he just missed them all.

"I assume you've been briefed?" John asked, pulling his hand away to glare at Zaeed who gave him a look.

"I've done my homework. Cerberus sent me everything I needed to know," Zaeed replied.

"My contacts told me we're picking up one man. Not two," John said looking at the Batarian on the ground.

"Batarian delinquent. Pissed off someone rich enough to hire me to go after him. And for my "bring 'em in alive" rates, even," Zaeed Comment and John rolled his eyes. Oh joy, this was going to be fun.

"Please...I didn't do it..." the Batarian pleaded. Zaeed turned and kicked him in the face.

"I said shut it!" he barked. "Tried to lead me on a chase all over the systems. He should have known better. These people always run to Omega."

"What's going to happen to him?" John asked, curious despite himself.

"I'm going to turn him in for the bounty. Don't much care what happens after that," Zaeed said.

"What's your relationship with Cerberus?" John asked.

"Easy. Cerberus is paying me a lot of money to help you on your mission. That's the long and short," Zaeed replied.

"Not many mercs would take a suicide mission for the pay," John noted.

"Most mercs don't get an offer like the one Cerberus sent me," Zaeed shot back. "This mission doesn't sound like good business. But...your Illusive Man can move a lot of credits."

"Welcome aboard, we have a lot to do," John said, not fully meaning it. Still he figured he ought to play nice and extended his hand towards Massani.

"That's what they tell me," he said as he shook John's hand. He took out a gun and indicated that the Batarian get up. "I assume the Illusive Man told you about our arrangement?"

"No. I guess he decided to leave that information out of the dossier," John said not really surprised. The Illusive Man probably knew but wanted to test how John would react to that.

"Good thing I asked," Zaeed said as he looked at John. "Picked up a mission a little while back, just before I signed on with Cerberus. Thought you might be interested. You heard the name Vido Santiago? He's the head of the Blue Suns. Runs the whole organization. Seems he recently captured an Eldfell-Ashland refinery on Zorya and is using their workers for slave labor. The company wants it dealt with."

"I'll make sure we get that done," John said. If the mission was on the up and up John would defiantly be willing to help.

"Good. Get it out of the way so we can concentrate on being big goddamn heroes," Zaeed said. The Batarian decided to run and Zaheed shot him in the leg from the hip. The man dropped with a grunt and passed out as he slammed face first into the metal deck plate. "I better turn this thing in before it starts to stink. I'll be locked and loaded next time you're ready to get some killing done." Zaeed walked over to grab the Batarian and start dragging him away. John watched for a moment before leading the others into Omega proper. Though he had to turn towards Miranda and say-

"If these others are anything like him your Illusive Man sucks at picking personnel."

Miranda just made an indignant sound as they entered Omega's main area. The entire area was lit up by the huge neon of Afterlife and John felt amusement fill him.

"Omega. What a pisshole. At least it keeps you on your toes. I've had to come here on business before. I feel like I need a shower afterward...in addition to normal decontamination," Miranda muttered as they headed towards the club. Just as they reached the back of the line of hopefuls waiting to get in an elcor bouncer and a batarian at the door looked at them. The batarian waved them over and as they stepped out of line John heard a man begging the elcor to let him in.

"Aria's expecting you," the batarian said before opening the door.

"Thanks," John said to the batarian who shot him a calculating look as John led the way into the hall. John rolled his eyes at the gaudy flames images on the screens on either side and briskly walked by the group of drunk batarians. One them tried to slur some insult at John but he just ignored him and quickly entered the interior. John immediately noticed the large circular screen lit up by various shot of the dancers on the round stage surrounding it. Tables on either side of the room, a private meeting room to the left and the bar on the right. It was easy to see where Aria was, in the back overlooking the entire area from a private area. John went to the stairs on the right and was waved up by the batarian guard. John quickly headed up the first set of stairs but was stopped just before he reached the top of the second set.

"That's close enough," the asari who had to be Aria said. She was staring out the large glass window of her private booth, dressed in black jumpsuit and white jacket. As her bodyguards drew on the group, Miranda and Jacob aimed at the two guards closest to John. She flicked her head and the guards holstered their weapons and John gestured for his team to do the same.

"Stand still," the nearest Batarian ordered while activating his omni-tool and running a scanning program on John.

"If you're looking for weapons, you're not doing a very good job," John said in amusement as he held up his pistol.

"Can't be too careful with dead Spectres. That could be anyone wearing your face," Aria replied.

"I was told you're the person to talk to if I have questions," John said, ignoring the batarian scanning him as he holstered his gun

"They're clean," the Batarian said and Aria turned to look at John for the first time. John blinked. He had noted her skin tone was purple but she had various marking surrounding her face and a smirking, smug look. Dangerous and beautiful, she had the bearing of a regal Queen.

"Depends on the questions," she said.

"You run Omega?" John asked and she gave him a condescending chuckle before turning her back and holding out her hands like she was able to grasp Omega in her arms.

"I am Omega," she said proudly. "But you need more. Everyone needs more something. And they all come to me. I'm the boss, CEO, queen if you're feeling dramatic. It doesn't matter. Omega has no titled ruler and only one rule." She turned and sat, gazing at John. "Don't fuck with Aria." She finished with a little smirk and waved a hand at the couch end to her right.

"I like it. Easy to remember," John said as he sat down.

"If you forget, someone will remind you," she said looking at the Batarian.

"And then I toss your sorry ass out the nearest airlock," he said.

""So, what can I do for you?" she asked. John leaned back and resting his foot on the opposing knee casually. Aria raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing, just looking amused by him.

"I'm looking for Mordin Solus. Do you know where I can find him?" John inquired.

"The Salarian doctor? Last, I heard he was trying to help plague victims in the quarantine zone. I always liked Mordin. He's as likely to heal you as he is to shoot you," Aria said with a slight smile.

"What can you tell me about him?" John asked.

"Used to be part of the Salarian Special Tasks Group. He's brilliant and dangerous. Just don't get him talking. He never shuts up. If you really need to find him, take a shuttle to the quarantine zone. No guarantee they'll let you in, of course," she said.

"Thanks for the information, Aria. Maybe I'll come back later," John stated.

"Maybe I'll be here," Aria retorted.

~*TF*~

"Complaining is pointless, human. There's a plague. Nobody gets in or out," a turian guard said to a human woman as John and his team approached.

"You can't keep me out! I live in there!" she cried.

"I'm doing you a favor, lady. If you go in, the guards will cut you down," the turian said growled, shifting his gun in his hands.

"You can't do this! Everything I own is in that apartment!" she wailed and the turian snorted.

"I told you to get lost, lady! The plague has the whole zone quarantined! Nobody gets in!" the turian growled.

"I'm human, you ass! Humans can't get the plague! Now let me get my stuff out before looters get it!" the woman shouted.

"This thing affects every other race out there! We're not taking chances. Nobody gets in until the plague has run its course," the turian stated, matter of factly.

"So, you're saying the slums are completely sealed off?" John asked, stepping closer and inserting himself into the conversation.

"Finally, a human that can hear. Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," the turian said in exasperation.

"You can't keep me out! I'm going to lose all my stuff!" the woman cried.

"I'm doing you a favor, human. Anybody in the quarantine zone will be dead from the plague or the gangs in a few weeks," the turian retorted.

"There's a Salarian named Mordin Solus in the slums. I've got to get in there to find him," John interjected as the woman took in a deep breath to either scream or continue shouting.

John wasn't sure which and didn't want to hear either.

"The doctor? Crazy bastard opened a clinic in the district a few months ago. The Blue Suns weren't too happy when he moved in. I hear Mordin's trying to deal with the plague. I wish him luck, but the area is still locked down. Our orders are to wait until either the plague or the Blue Suns kill everyone, then go in and clean up," the turian said.

"Listen, you're stuck here until this quarantine is over. That could take weeks. What you really need is to get this problem solved right now. That's what I do...solve problems. Let me in and I'll get this district straightened out," John reasoned.

"You think you can fix this, why not? The quarantine is more to keep infected people in, anyway. I'll radio ahead, tell them you're coming in," the turian said.

"Wait, you're stopping me but not them? You son of a bitch!" the woman cried.

"You don't have a grenade launcher, lady. Get lost," the turian dismissed the woman and John shook his head in amusement as the woman stormed away.

"Fortunately, humans are immune to the plague," Miranda commented to Jacob as they headed inside.

"Is that why we didn't get Archangel first?" Jacob asked John.

"That's part of it," John agreed but not explaining the rest of his reasons to Jacob as they passed the armed guards. After they passed the last set of doors John was immediately assaulted by a smell he'd wished he'd never have smelled again.

"They're burning the bodies, trying to stop the spread of the plague," Miranda noted, a disgusted expression on her face. John just grunted, moving quickly by the bonfires. He could understand the reasoning of it but it still brought back bad memories. They swiftly made their way deeper into the slums. John ignored Miranda and Jacob's protests as he stopped momentarily to help a sick batarian. After getting the man on his feet they headed swiftly past him and ran into a group of mercs, their arms loaded with stolen valuables. They dropped their loot to scramble for their guns when they spotted John and the others but they were quickly put down by the team. Later still they ran into a couple who'd barricaded themselves inside their home. After convincing them to follow them into Mordin's clinic after John had cleared the way, John hurried deeper still with Miranda and Jacob at his heels. After clearing out another area of mercs and looters John found two humans looting an apartment and the body of dead turian. Despite being tempted to shoot them both John gave them a chance to clear out. A short while later, after clearing out more mercs they finally arrived at the clinic.

The receptionist had mechs behind them was the first thing John noted as they entered the front area of the clinic.

"We're here to get some help from Professor Solus. May we speak with him?" Miranda spoke up before John could. John rolled his eyes but stayed silent, looking around the wide area with various people. He saw human help a batarian lay down on a couch and turian who was lying on a hospital gurney breathing air through a mask.

"The doctor's in the back, seeing to a couple of patients who came in. End of the hall on the right." the female receptionist stated, pointing to the hall just past the receptionist desk. Nodding his thanks John headed down the hall and into the room she mentioned. Several patients were lying on tables but John noted they were all breathing clearly and not one was coughing. A salarian was taking readings over one of the patients and John mentally compared him to the dossier on Mordin Solus. One horn was cut short, scars doted his face, one noticeably in a crisscross pattern. Wearing salarian armor similar to STG but outfitted with medical colors and equipment.

"Professor Mordin Solus?" John asked even though the man matched the dossier description of him perfectly.

"Hmm. Don't recognize you from the area. To well-armed to be refugees. No mercenary uniform. Quarantine still in effect. Here for something else. Vorcha? Crew to clean them out? Unlikely. Vorcha a symptom, not a cause. The plague! Investigating possible use as bio-weapon? No. Too many guns, not enough data equipment. Soldiers, not scientists. Hired guns, maybe? Looking for someone? Yes! But who? Someone important. Valuable. Someone with secrets. Someone like me," Mordin quickly thought aloud.

"Relax, Mordin. I'm Commander Shepard, and I came here to find you. I'm on a critical mission, and I need your help," John interrupted.

"Mission? What mission? No. Too busy. Clinic understaffed. Plague spreading too fast. Who sent you?" Mordin asked.

"It's a covert and privately funded human group," John said, purposely avoiding naming Cerberus just yet.

"Related to plague? Doesn't affect humans. Human-centric interest. Few human groups would know me. Equipment suggests military origin. Not Alliance standard. Only one human Spectre. Terra Firma too unstable. Only one option. Cerberus sent you. Unexpected," Mordin said, narrowing his eyes. John blinked at that. The dossier had said Mordin was above average intelligence for a Salarian, even possibly genius level. To see the man quickly whirl through all scenarios and possibilities was impressive…and just a bit unnerving.

"You're very well-informed. How did a Salarian scientist hear about Cerberus?" John asked.

"Crossed paths on occasion. Thought they only worked with humans. Why request Salarian aid?" Mordin inquired.

"The Collectors are kidnapping entire human populations. We're going to find out why and stop them," John stated simply and Mordin made little hum sound as he turned back to his work.

"Collectors? Interesting. Plague hitting these slums is engineered. Collectors one of few groups with technology to design it. Our goals may be similar. But must stop plague first. Already have a cure. Need to distribute it at environmental control center. Vorcha guarding it. Need to kill them," Mordin rambled.

"I'll get in and deal with the vorcha," John offered right as the air system shut down. John blinked and looked up with a frown.

"That sounded troubling," Miranda muttered.

"Vorcha have shut down environmental systems. Trying to kill everyone. Need to get power back on before district suffocates. Here, take plague cure. Also, bonus in good faith. Weapon from dead Blue Suns mercs. May come in handy against vorcha. One more thing. Daniel. One of my assistants. Went into vorcha territory. Looking for victims. Hasn't come back," Mordin said handing John the cure and a high end pistol.

"If I see him, I'll do what I can to help," John promised.

"Thank you. Told him not to go. But he's smart. Bright future. I hope," Mordin said and paused. He turned on his omni-tool and tapped away for a moment. When he turned it off John's beeped to indicate a received message.

"What did you send me Doctor Solus?" John inquired turning his on.

"Old STG encryption codes. Use to secure the air filtration system. Codes several years out of date but will keep vorcha and others from accessing again. Cypher included, distribute to someone trust worthy on Omega."

"Is there such a person?" Jacob wondered and John just sighed.

"Thank you, professor. Come on you two, let's head for the environmental plant," John said heading for the clinic's other exit, Jacob and Miranda quickly following.

~*TF*~

It was more of the same. Running into groups and groups of mercs, the number of vorcha amongst them was increasing the closer they got to the ventilation system. That made sense to John, given that the virus would be higher concentrations closer to probably dispersal site. As they were about to head down the stairs after dealing with the mercs setting up another poorly thought-out ambush, John heard angry voices. Judging from the tone it sounded like batarians to him. When a terrified, male human responded to them John sighed. It looked like they had found Mordin's assistant. John abruptly changed direction and headed for the room. Jamming the open command on the console the door swung open to reveal Daniel being held by a batarian in a miner's jumpsuit, two other batarians watching. The man holding Daniel by his shirt glared into the doctor's face as he stammered out a plea.

"…came here to help you!" Daniel finished as John took cover on the corner.

"We know you're spreading the plague virus!" the man growled. "We saw the vials in your bag."

"No, those vials contain the cure!" Daniel protested. "Please…you have to believe me."

"Maybe we should cut off your fingers." The man snarled and John had heard enough. He swiftly entered the room with his pistol raised. "That should…"

"Look out!" One of his friends barked out. The batarian holding Daniel shoved him away and John was mildly impressed with how fast he faced John while raising a pistol to aim directly at Daniel's face.

"Don't move!" the leader barked and John stopped. "One more step and we kill your friend."

"Just take a deep breath." John advised. "I know everyone is bit tense right now so don't jump the gun. I'm know you're scared. Of the vorcha. Of the plague. But this man isn't to blame." John slowly pulled his offhand away from his gun before settling the gun on his thigh and then holding his hands out in front of him, palms out. "I want you to take it easy and just think for a moment. If this man was spreading the plague why would he come into vorcha territory? They're immune."

"He's right, it doesn't make sense," The one who had alerted the leader to John and the others presence. The leader seemed to consider that before narrowing his eyes at John.

"If we release the prisoner, we can go?" he asked and John nodded.

"You have my word on that." John replied instantly, ignoring the grunt of disagreement Jacob made at that. The leader lowered his gun and looked at the man behind Daniel.

"Let him go," he ordered before turning to face John again. "You got what you wanted, human. Are we free to go?"

"Of course. We had a deal." John said, lowering his hands and stepping aside. The leader grunted in surprise but quickly started walking by them.

"Huh, human nobility. I didn't think such a thing existed, especially since your only Spectre is the Terror of the Hegemony." The man said. John blinked in surprise at that. Jane was still the only human Spectre since he had been declared dead. Did that mean…?

"Hey wait! What did you mean by that?" John called out after them but the door swiftly closed behind them. Frowning and even more concerned for Jane, John turned to face Daniel who was shakily leaning against some crates, trying to gather his composure.

"You alright kid?" John asked and Daniel nodded.

"I think I'll be okay. Thank you for that, I thought they were going to…to kill me." Daniel replied, wringing his hands. "Did Mordin send you to find me?"

"He asked me to keep an eye out for you. We're going to distribute the cure in the ventilation system, head on back. The way should be clear." John replied, turning to head out of the room.

"Thank you, guys!" Daniel called out after them. It was quiet for the rest of the way to the ventilation room as John thought about what that batarian had said. Jane had earned the nickname 'the Terror of the Hegemony'? What had she been doing while he'd been in that hospital? As soon as he could he'd needed to be brought up to speed. Hopefully his Spectre and Alliance clearance would help fill in the gaps when they were reinstated. Hopefully he could read Jane's mission reports and see what his twin had been up to. e'd read the mission reports Jane had filed and try to readTaking the stairs two at a time up to the control room John hoped Jane hadn't gone off the rails completely. As soon as the doors to the air filtration system opened a vorcha came running over to them, hissing.

"You no come here. We shut down machines, break fans!" the vorcha snarled, skidding to stop not too far from them, making John blink. "Everyone choke and die. Then Collectors make us strong!"

"What do the Collectors want?" John snapped at him. The vorcha threw his head back, shaking it back and forth as he hissed.

"Collectors want plague! You work for doctor, turn on machines, put cure in air. We kill you first!"

"Yeah, screw that," John replied to the snarling Vorcha, snapping up his pistol and placing a round right between his eyes. Miranda made some sort of annoyed sound behind him as a biotic shield sprang to life around them, covering them from gunfire as the other Vorcha opened fire.

"Was that really necessary, Commander?" she questioned as they dove for cover just before the barrier fell. John just shot her a grin as Jacob shook his head before popping up from behind cover to hit a Vorcha screaming as it rushed at them. Jacob's biotic Throw caught the Vorcha square in the chest and sent it hurtling away, smashing into a pyro Vorcha and sending them both over the edge to their deaths.

"Nice shot, think you can clear a path to the right side?" John asked, looking to the left. He quickly switched out for his assault rifle and shot a Vorcha aiming a rocket launcher at him. His timing couldn't have been better as the Vorcha collapsed back, involuntarily pulling the trigger, killing itself and some of his comrades.

"Not a problem Shepard," Jacob said, shooting two Vorcha in the chest, making them stagger back just enough for Miranda to slam them together with her biotics.

"I'm going left then, you two move right and hopefully we'll reach both fan controls at the same time," John ordered. He didn't wait for a reply, getting up and quickly approaching the Vorcha coming for them from the left. As he fell back into the old rhythms he took stock of the groups approaching him. Swifty shooting the ones he saw as the biggest threat, he steadily made his way down the ramp and towards the fan controls taking out the others as he moved. One Vorcha tried to surprise him by leaping from behind a pillar, snarling as it jammed its gun at his stomach. He reacted in an instant, slamming the butt of his assault rifle in its face. The Vorcha staggered back, blood gushing from its nostrils just before John kicked it in the stomach. The vorcha went stumbling back, frantically clawing for something to keep itself upright and luckily managed to snatch John's rifle from his hands. John cursed but rushed it and slammed a fist into its face sending the Vorcha tumbling back and eventually slamming into the edge railing before falling over the side. As John caught his breath and noted that no one else was shooting at him just before he heard a bellowing roar from his left and turned to see a charging Krogan barreling down on him.

"Shit!" John cried, diving to the right and narrowly missing a Krogan charge. The Krogan skidded to a halt, turning to glare at John as he got to his feet.

"Not bad human, but I'm going to rip your skull off and roast your carcass over-" The Krogan was cut off as John slugged him. The Krogan's head whipped to the left but his furious eyes never looked away from John. The Krogan growled and moved his mouth about before spitting out a broken tooth.

"You talk too much." John noted. The Krogan straightened and growled at John, making John wish he had his knife. Damn stuck up Cerberus operatives and armory budgets.

"I like you human, I'll give your skull a place of honor in my trophy case," the Krogan snarled, lunging at John to try and grab him in a bear hug. John ducked and stepped to the right, slinging his left arm under the Korgan's arm and then grabbing his shoulder. John struck out with several punches, aiming for where he remembered the Krogan kidney cluster being. The Krogan bellowed in rage, grabbing John's arm and throwing him at the edge railing. John tucked and used to the momentum to turn himself so he slammed into the railing feet first. He connected with a loud thud and let the momentum push him into a crouch before John extended his legs into a jump. The Krogan's eyes widened comically as John leaped back at him, his momentum carrying them both back and impacting them both into the wall, the Krogan taking the brunt of it. John rolled away and hopped to a crouch, looking at the Krogan with narrowed eyes. The Krogan shook his head and staged to his feet. John noticed the back of his opponent's armor was cracked around the hump and the back of the Krogan's head crest was bleeding profusely.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" the Krogan bellowed, charging again. John waited, staying crouched and watching. Just as the man was almost on him John stepped to the side, grabbed the Krogan's arm and tripped him. The Krogan smashed face first into the ground with a loud crunch. Not waiting for the Krogan to recover John stepped over and stomped his right boot on the back of his neck. The Krogan let out a wet gurgle as he began to twitch. Remembering that Kroagn had redundant nervous systems, John pulled his pistol and placed it to the back, under side of the man's crest before emptying the clip into his head.

"Sorry, I know that was a bad way to go but you didn't give me much choice," John remarked to the man's corpse as he holstered his pistol. He turned away to continue his steady march towards the fan control room. He reached the door shortly and slammed a fist into the open button of the console. As the doors popped they revealed a Vorcha Pyro standing in the doorway, raising its flamethrower to aim at him.

"Really?" John asked, snatching the flamethrower from the Vorcha's hands and yanking back so hard it ripped free of the hoses leading to the tanks on the Vorcha's back. "This was your brilliant plan, stand in front of the closed doors and incinerate me point blank without any cover?"

The Vorcha just hissed at him and John rolled his eyes before using the flamethrower like a club and smashing the Vorcha in the face. Dropping the now bent flamethrower on top of the unconscious Vorcha he quickly moved to the controls and turned them on before inputting the encryption code Mordin had given them. He promised himself he'd send Aria a message with the cypher before he left. No reason to get an angry message from the Queen of Omega a few days later asking for it. He raised his fingers to press against the earbud in his ear.

"This fan is going and the controls are encrypted. How are you guys doing?" John inquired. The comms crackled for a moment before he heard the fans starting up over them.

"All set, Commander, and the remaining mercs are retreating, I think they've given up for now." Miranda replied and John sighed in relief.

"Good to hear, Vorcha are easy to take out but fighting wave after wave of them is tiring. Meet me by the exit and we'll make our way back to Mordin's clinic." He ordered before shutting down the comms. John made his way back and met them where expected. Not even speaking he just waved a hand for them to follow. The walk back to Mordin's clinic was quiet. They met the couple who were heading to the clinic and escorted them, the rest of the way. He noted they passed the humans who had been looting an apartment and was pleased to see them entering a hover car empty handed. They arrived just after Mordin's assistant, Daniel, did and followed him into the back after seeing that the couple John had cleared the path for earlier was settled in okay. John nodded at the Batarian they had met on the way in who was receiving treatment. The Batarian nodded back just as they headed down the hall to the room where Mordin was working at a console.

"Environmental systems engaged." The Salarian spoke, not even turning to look at them as he did so. "Airborn viral levels dropping. Patients improving. Vorcha retreating." Mordin pushed away from the console and turned to nod gratefully at John as he walked by to another machine. "Well done, Shepard. Thank you."

"And thank you from me, as well. Those Batarians would have killed me." Daniel added and sighed, wiping some sweat from his forehead. "For a second there I thought you were going to shoot them even after they let me go."

"I gave my word I would let them go if they didn't hurt you and I keep my word, if I can," John replied and Mordin made a disagreeing hum.

"Merciful of you. Risky." Mordin said, turning back to face John. "Would have killed them myself."

"Professor, how can you say that?" Daniel retorted moving to look his mentor in the eye. "You're a doctor. You believe in helping people."

"Lots of ways to help people. Sometimes heal patients. Sometimes execute dangerous people. Either way helps." Mordin stated and John blinked at that. Well he wasn't really wrong but John had never expected a doctor to say that.

"I guess Salarians don't have the Hippocratic Oath." John said quietly under his breath.

"Go check on the patients. Lots of work to do. Think about what I said." Mordin told Daniel who scowled but moved to comply. When Daniel had left the room Mordin sighed but smiled.

"Good kid. Bit naïve. He'll learn. Letting him take over the clinic. Should be able to handle it now that Vorcha are gone." Mordin stated and John smiled.

"So, you're ready to join the mission then Mordin?" John asked and Mordin nodded.

"Yes. Unexpected to be working with Cerberus. Many surprises. Just need to finish up here at the clinic. Won't take long. Meet you at your ship. Looking forward to it."

"You two head back to the Normandy, I'll help Mordin pack up and stop by Afterlife to make sure Aria has the cypher to encryption we put on the air filtration system for the district." John ordered Miranda and Jacob. Miranda frowned, obviously not pleased but Jacob nodded.

"See you later Commander," Jacob replied, heading for the entrance. Miranda gave them a cold look, appearing to debate arguing against it before huffing and heading out of the room. John sighed in relief and turned around to find Mordin watching him in amusement.

"No offense is meant to be given Shepard but you are horrible at hiding ulterior motives. Have seen you wishing to be alone with me and eying the medical equipment I have here. You wish for a medical examination by someone not associated with Cerberus, correct?" Mordin asked, already turning away to gather some equipment. He pointed at one of the examination tables. "Sit there will begin shortly. Remove armor impedes examinations."

"You got it right in one doc," John replied, removing his armor as he went, setting it down by the table. "I also need access to a terminal not monitored by anyone. I need to send a message to Jane and the Alliance." Just as he sat down Mordin hurried in front of him and stuck a thermometer in his mouth seconds before thrusting a portable terminal pad into his hands.

"Anticipated such a request. Write your messages as I begin examination." Mordin replied holding up some sort of medical device John had never seen before. John rolled his eyes and began to access the extranet. He needed to see if his old account-

THUNK!

"OW! Hey, watch it doc! You hit a rib!"

"Pardon need to perform a biopsy of the bones in each major area of body and each organ. No worries, will not take a biopsy of heart or brain. That would be fatal in humans. Hmmm, perhaps will avoid taking samples of spine as well. Human spines have no redundancies. Such a poor evolutionary design. Will commence several scans of body as well. Have several different scanners, must choose most invasive yet non-fatal. Refresh my memory please, several years since medical school. Are Gamma rays fatal to humans?"

"Oh, this is going to be such a pain in my ass."

"Excellent idea Shepard! Stool sample will also help confirm body functioning as should. Please bend over as I get extraction machine. Lube too, humans very fragile and do not have a cloaca."

"This is the worst decision I've ever made. Of all time."

~*TF*~

Jane was preparing to sign up with the mercenary recruiters when her omni-tool pinged. She was about to ignore it but considered how she had lost Garrus, she needed to rebuild her bridges with friends. Jane looked at her omni-tool and her head reeled for a moment.

One unread message from John Shepard titled Olly Olly Oxen Free. The room swam as she stared at the message. John was dead, he had to be dead, it was over two years, he was dead. Her brain screamed at her that her brother was dead, but her heart, oh her heart wanted it to be real. She stared at the time. It had just been sent, it had only just been sent. She moved smoothly to a corner of Afterlife. She flagged down a waitress and ordered a shot of something hard. It came and she paid the girl before swigging it down. It burned and made her eyes water.

Jane opened the message and her heart nearly stopped. John was alive. John was alive. The room froze for a moment. Reality shifted and then came back hard, like a krogan charge to the gut. Cerberus had him. Cerberus had John. If it was Cerberus was it John? Jane's mind raced as she stared at the message. John was alive. Cerberus had John and had saved him. He was on Omega for a little longer, but they would no doubt be moving him and he didn't know if he could reach her.

It had to be a trap. Jane had been seen when she protected the Dramye from the Cerberus infection. Cerberus had tried to kidnap her, everyone knew how much Jane loved her brother. The damned Spectre reporters always tried to get an interview with Jane, stating their viewers wanted to know Jane's feelings about her brother's death anniversary. It wasn't John, but Cerberus wanted Jane's attention. Fifty-fifty chance was that Cerberus knew Jane was on Omega and this was a trap. Still, they hadn't hacked John's account, Jane had hired a special security firm and had put an alert on any hacking of John's accounts. Two young salarians got in quite a bit of trouble for attempting it. The Salarian anti-hacking firm hired quarians to beef up their system and Jane was happy to pay the fee to protect her accounts with them. No, but then again, an infinite amount of monkeys banging on an infinite amount of typewriters might one day compose the works of Shakespeare. Cerberus could have figured out John's password. Jane had changed all of hers after John had died...but still.

Jane stared at the message for a moment more. John or not, Cerberus wanted her attention and they chose the worst way to get it. Jane types a reply and snapped. Blasto was alert. Hopefully whoever was left on Archangel's team could wait a little longer. Jane would be there shortly. Best case scenario, with some Cerberus flunky who thought he was fooling her, worst case, with Jane warmed up from killing said Cerberus flunky.

~*TF*~

After Mordin's…thorough…examination he delivered the news John had been hoping to hear. Cerberus may have replaced some organs with artificial implants such as his stomach, parts of his kidneys and other areas but his brain was still organic. There were no implants in his brain or anywhere else in his body that would affect his mind, memory or even control of his own body.

John Shepard was still John Shepard.

He felt such relief at that but even more so that Miranda had not lied to him during the shuttle trip from the station to where the Normandy SR-2 had been built. He found himself considering opening up the Cerberus operative a bit more. If he could get her to come around to his way of thinking and doing things his way, it would be a major coup. Mordin's report in his hands also spelled out exactly what had been done to him as well.

He did have artificial nerves throughout most of his body and even implants that refused his spine but most of himself was intact. The results of skin grafts, artificially replaced organs or cloned implants and there were mechanical implants to help regulate some of his bodily functions and his new nerves. The bone and skin weaves Mordin assured him were being applied to people who had the credits to do so or soldiers it would most benefit from. John promised himself as soon as he could he'd go through his old exercise routine to find out what his new limits were. The only downsides Mordin informed him were his implants took greater amounts of enzymes from his body and he'd have to maintain an intake of roughly four thousand calories a day, just like a biotic. He was also approximately thirty kilos heavier as some of the implants were denser than the organic systems they had replaced. So, while he looked the same it explained why he felt bulkier and heavier. He'd have to be careful if he had to walk over something questionable until he could properly assess his current weight.

Still the highlight was shortly after introducing Mordin to the ship, crew and his new lab John had received the message he'd been hoping for.

'I'm on Omega already. Firefly Bar in the lower quarter by the eezo mine entrance twenty-eight. 2100 hrs. Tonight.'

Jane.

Jane was already here.

Jane. Was. Already. Here.

John checked his omni-tool. It was already quarter till nine. He barely had time to grab Mordin and as he couldn't figure out a way to ditch Miranda and Jacob when EDI had reported to Miranda that he was getting ready to disembark. He swiftly headed out of the airlock and ignored Miranda pestering him with questions. He was going home, he was coming out the cold, his sister was here! The walk to the bar was quiet and swift but John couldn't help but day dream a bit. How had Jane coped? What were she and the others doing? John chuckled to himself as they took the lift down to the lower quarter earning an annoyed and calculating looking from Miranda that he ignored. He'd just thought of Kaidan. With the doe eyes Kaidan and Jane had been making at each other John just knew Jane would have reached out to the other Alliance soldier. Had they gotten married? Was John, Uncle John now? God, he hoped so. He'd always wanted more family and Jane needed that in her life. His mind awhirl in possibilities, he barely noticed when they reached the door to the bar when he felt it. The feeling that he was being watched by someone. Eyes, a presence, something familiar yet dangerous.

Jane.

From the alley beside the bar a flash of white, blue, and yellow flew at Jacob, he was knocked prone as the flash rushed around. Miranda drew her gun only for biotic blue to throw both her and Jacob's guns into the darkness. A form in black armor kicked Jacob across the face before grabbing the wrist of Miranda's gun hand. A foot behind Miranda's leg gave the figure the chance to spin Miranda by her wrist so her back was to the figure's chest.

The white, blue, and yellow streak was back, a varren, with its mouth sealed around Jacob's throat. Jacob had one hand on top of the varren's head and the other on the bottom of its jaw. There was no way it was going to let go, but it wasn't pressing down more than to let him feel its teeth. Its yellow eyes were on Mordin and John. The figure was standing with Miranda as a human shield. One arm around Miranda's side, pinning that arm down, with a large sharp blade pressed against Miranda's carotid artery. Broken skin allowed blood to well, the blade was too close, Miranda couldn't get a barrier up between her and the blade just as Jacob couldn't get a barrier between his throat and the varren's teeth. The figure's other arm was between Miranda's arm and side, a pistol aimed between John and Mordin.

John watched it all with amusement and listened to Mordin verbally appraise his sister as she stood statue still. John felt joy and relief flood through him when Jane finally turned to face him. John couldn't help the happy smile that spread across his face as he finally got a clear look at her. She was wearing some kind of armor that he didn't recognize. It was plain and heavier than she usually wore. There was no sign of the Alliance insignia, Spectre insignia, or even the N7 insignia. Her hair was a bit shorter, her scar from Akuze was gone and she was paler than he remembered but it was her. The one person he loved and trusted above anyone else, even more than Liara the woman he loved.

"It's good to see you sis."

~*TF*~

End of chapter 11

~*TF*~

Toby's AN: I always thought the adrenalin ability in 2 & 3 was something that Shepard only got cause of the rebuild. I hope my little idea works for you guys. *grins*

Belle's AN: We are now entering ME2 and here is where the world begins to shift. The major points will be the same, but now we get to alter the world even more. Be warned, we will be throwing your preconceived ideas out of the window, so don't worry if you see things you think are contradictions or defiances, we have a plan and you will see all of our machinations as we continue.

Toby's AN 2: Argh! I hate watching the videos online and retyping dialogue word for *beep*ing word! And this script I found for ME2 sucks total *beep*! Anyone know where we can find a script, or dialogue of ME2 and ME3? Retyping these scenes takes up most of the time between chapters! If we had something we could copy and paste it'd save so much time! Anyways since the last two chapters were, well not overly serious but kind of somber and serious it didn't feel right to put omakes on them, especially with how big ten was. So, we are proud to present, omakes for nine, ten and eleven! Enjoy!

Belle's AN 2: We? You're the one who wants the script, I have videos that I don't mind using and you know that.

OMAKE 9-1:

"What about your wife, Conrad? She trusts you too. Aren't you letting her down?" Jane asked. She had people she trusted, people she knew had her back. John, Ash, Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex, Tali, Liara, Joker, Chakwas...Conrad looked shocked.

"What? I don't understand," Conrad said and Jane gave him a good look.

"You know what keeps me going out here?" Jane asked and Conrad gave her a confused shake of his head. "Knowing that people back home are keeping humanity strong." He stared at her.

"You...you're right," he said and Jane nodded. "I just so caught up in all of it. I wanted to help. I'll go home. Thanks for setting me straight." He turned and headed off. Jane watched him go.

"He so totally has a shrine to you," John commented and Jane gave him a look of horror.

"What?"

"Yeah like one of those shrines where he has pictures of you he kisses and pieces of your hair and he cut me out of all of the pictures of us."

"…I should call C-Sec. And he probably has one about you too."

"Yeah but unlike you I'd just shoot him."

"And I wouldn't?"

"Not if he sneaks up on you. He probably wants you to have his babies."

"Hurk!"

"Hey when did you eat corn?"

"Blargh!"

"Wow throwing up that much can't be healthy."

OMAKE 9-2:

As Liara led John to the medical office John paused. The elevator doors had opened and he saw Kaidan stepping out. When Kaidan saw John he froze.

"And where do you think you're going lieutenant?" John said in an icy tone. Kaidan swallowed.

"Um to bed sir?"

"Which bed Alenko?" John hissed and Kaidan let out a meep.

"M-my cryo pod sir. Alone!"

"Damn straight."

OMAKE 9-3:

"Damn it, John, learn to knock!" Jane hissed as she covered herself with the sheet.

"God damn it, Jane! We share that bed!" John cried.

"We were going to change the sheets," Kaidan said from further down and under the sheets.

"THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM!"

OMAKE 9-4:

"Liara let go of Vigil's console!" John cried, clutching one of the Asari's legs by the ankle and pulling. Jane had the other leg and the Asari was horizontal in the air clutching Vigil's terminal.

"No, I don't wanna! You can't make me!"

OMAKE 9-5:

"SHOOT!"

BANG!

"I MEANT THE SAREN THING NOT ME!"

"YOU DIDN'T SPECIFY WHO TO SHOOT!"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

OMAKE 10-1:

As John was blown away from the Normandy he faced the Collector vessel and slowly raised his hand, middle finger extended.

"Fuck you very much!"

OMAKE 10-2:

"This is a baby Varren," she stated as she held the struggling beast. It snapped at her and Jane caught its mouth with one hand and grasped it by the scruff of the neck by the other. It froze and its golden eyes rolled up to look at Jane.

In the afterlife where John waits for his body to be restored: "Oh fuck you Wrex! You know I hate Varren! They chew on everything and keep trying to bite me! I swear to God if that thing lifts its leg on me one time I'm going to turn it into food for Fish-Dog Food Shack!"

OMAKE 10-3:

"Knave? Hick-John? That's it when you die I'm selling the rights to have you made into a VR sex sim!"

OMAKE 10-4:

"You'll get her home safe and sound, right?" Kaidan asked as he tucked Jane into Garrus' vehicle. Garrus grinned.

"Oh, I'll take care of her...I'll take care of her aaaaaall night," he purred before he took off leaving Kaidan staring in horror.

OMAKE 11-1:

As John stands behind Joker on the Normandy SR-2 for the first time:

"Joker do me a favor and open a general comm signal."

"To who Shepard?"

"Everyone. Everywhere."

"Uh...okay. Channel open, sir." Joker said. John smirked and cleared his throat before doing his best impression into the comm…

"I'M BACK BITCHES!"

Belle: No Toby, you do not get to quote TFS Vegeta!

Toby: Why not it'd be a pretty good twist! John comes back…Renegade for Life! *strikes a pose with explosions behind him and sunglasses he got from somewhere*

Belle: *groans in exasperation*

OMAKE 11-2:

"Grenades, Shepard?" John muttered to himself in a passable imitation of Miranda's voice, "What do you need grenades for? We have a varied selection of heavy weapons here. Well I can't roll heavy weapons under an approaching death machine, can I?" He glanced again to his left and saw the Cerberus agents were gone. "They better have done what I said." More stomps followed John's mutterings and he dared peak around what was left of his crates…to peer straight into the YMIR machine's legs.

"Fuck." He muttered, trying to bring his gun to bare as the machine peered down at him and extended the arm with the rocket launcher at his face, the arm humming as it charged just moments before two large crates smashed into it, both glowing biotic blue.

"We've got you covered Shepard!" Miranda called out from the other end of the court yard, both biotics glowing as they each biotically lifted some more crates to throw. Following its programming, the YMIR mech turned to face the biggest threat and began opening fire.

"BOY IT SURE WOULD BE NICE IF WE HAD SOME GRENADES, DON'T YA THINK?!" John shouted at Miranda.

Belle: Really Toby, Firefly quotes now?

Toby: I apologize for nothing! *more explosions and cool pose*

OMAKE 11-3:

"You crazy bosh'tet!" Tali barked, hugging the Spectre tightly. Then she looked up at him, smacking a fist and her forearm against his chest. "What were you thinking?"

"Probably what you were, that I wouldn't let my friend die," John pointed out. Tali muttered something before yanking off her face mask and planting a kiss on his face.

"I missed you so much John and you almost got killed! I'm not waiting anymore!"

"Tali what are you-whoa baby!"

"Take me right here and now Shepard!"

Belle: Oh come on! Why do you write this filth!

Toby: Cause I can. Besides it's not like there isn't millions of gigs of Tali porn already out in the internetz.

Belle: You're disgusting.

Toby: Like you haven't read any Kaidan or Garrus smut?

Belle: …

Toby: That's what I thought.

OMAKE 11-4:

"I might be here," Aria said just as the next dancer got on the stage. John's eyes moved over the dancer and then proceeded to bug out.

"JANE?" he cried as his sister spun around a pole upside down and topless.

"She needed the credits," Aria explained and John passed out from shock.

OMAKE 11-5:

After the Shepards reunite…

"Oh John I'm so happy you're alive!"

"Jane I've missed you so!"

"Quick John I need to tell you that I want to have your bab-dfregqebtrq3qb5bn67a^%$lkwdef

Toby: *has currently been knocked face first into his keyboard*

Belle: *standing behind him holding the bat she used on his skull* No just no. I know you don't mean it but that's not funny it's just disgusting.

Toby: You could have just told me that.

Belle: Now where's the fun in that?

~*TF*~

Also, here's my playlist cause Belle is not the only one who uses music to write. *sticks his tongue out at her* Mine changes depending on my mood so this is as it is shortly before we published 11:

Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith (this one is perfect to play during John's fight scenes, especially the one with the Krogan)

Get Up by All Good Things

Blow Me Away (feat. Valora) by Breaking Benjamin

Soldiers by Otherwise

We Are by Hollywood Undead

Feel Invincible by Skillet

X Gon' Give It To Ya by DMX

Till I Collapse by Eminem

Monster by Skillet

Human by Rag'n'Bone Man