AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey everyone! Before we get started, I have an announcement. I've created a for this story! Now, while I'm not in need of cash, 18 year old living with his parents for the first two years of college to get Gen eds out of the way, then moving out and moving on for a degree (one which will hopefully lead me to become a writer in the Game Industry) the money will however be able to help me with some things. It will help fund the story that will follow the trilogy, and it will help fund the story that follows that one, as I aim to make it entirely original. But also, you can recieve benefits! From a cameo, to sneak peeks, even to your own one-shot story arc! (A nice way to help continue my overall Into the Great Unknown and Normandy Trilogy universe even when the main stories are all complete.) In addition, you can even pledge and receive a fluffy smut chapter. If you're interested, find me at
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Look I know how stupid that looks but this website hates URLs with a passion. add the HTTPS and the www. and all that stuff, remove the brackets, parenthesis, hyphons, you all are smart enough to know how they work. Anyways, hope you enjoy!
Commander John Shepard
"And so Veetor went back to the fleet, and I got this data here," I finished recounting what had happened. Not sure why I told them. Maybe it's just that I'm in a rather good mood, maybe it's that I know they'd bother me incessantly about it. Maybe both.
"You should have brought him back with us. We could have questioned him, seen if he knew anything else," Miranda argued.
"Come on, Miranda, he clearly wasn't in the best state of mind. Cerberus would only have gotten a terrified Quarian in a perpetual panic attack," Jacob remarked.
"And probably a corpse down the line," I glared at Miranda yet again.
"Changing topic, seems this mission did some good for you, Commander. You and Tali' Zorah seemed really happy to see one another again."
"We were, are, good friends," I left my answer short. He was trying to make conversation, but, well, I was giving off an air of 'None of your business.'
"Do you believe the Collectors are agents of the Reapers?" Miranda questioned, changing subject again. I sighed.
"I do."
"And have you come to a decision as to what next?" I gave her a look.
"Your boss is going to have to make one hell of an offer to get me to even contemplate any form of working relationship. And no matter what he offers, I will never wear your logo, I will never take his orders, I will never endorse your organization, and if I ever meet TIM in person, I will shoot him. No matter what is offered," I stated.
"Wait, TIM?" Jacob asked, unfazed by the rest, while Miranda again was frowning, glaring.
"You really expect me to say that jackass' title every time?" I raised a brow. It then clicked for Jacob. He even chuckled.
"Shit, maybe that's his real name."
"A careless way to hide one's true identity. I doubt The Illusive Man would be so foolish," Miranda retorted. In spite of myself, Jacob and I actually shared a glance before I rolled my eyes. It was quiet for the rest of the flight.
When we did arrive back to the station, we docked in the same bay as before, and apparently, TIM was ready to see me immediately. Might as well get it over with. I was still in my armor, as I didn't really have anything to change into, nor did I want to be unarmored in a Cerberus station, but I had left my helmet clipped to my belt. I stood on the circle in the dark room, and the holographic display started up. TIM was sitting in his chair, cross legged again.
"Shepard. Good work on Freedom's progress. The Omni-tool data you retrieved, while it presented no new data, it was a surprising olive branch, given our history."
"Yeah, a history of chasing down little girls, experimenting on them, and slaughtering civilians. Now, where have I seen that before?" I questioned rhetorically. He just took another drag of his cigarette.
"As I said, you and I have different methods. But I can't refute your results."
"Maybe you should try playing nice instead. Then you won't get people like me hunting you and your agents down," I suggested.
He was clearly not at all amused by this conversation. And I learned something about this Illusive Man. He's prideful. Perhaps he can keep it in check most of that time, but I see that his pride is driving him into an argument. I know I have some pride as well, but I'm hostile here because I fucking hate these pricks. I'm arguing at every chance I get because of how much I fucking despise them. I will be as much of a petty inconvenience to them as I can so long as I'm not shooting them. Mark my words.
"Diplomacy is great when it works, Shepard. But it's difficult when everyone already perceives you as a threat."
"Because you are a threat, dipshit! Even to your own goddamn species, you are a fucking threat!" I snarled. That statement set me off. Trying to play the innocent here, fuck right the fuck off.
"I can see this won't get either of us anywhere," he muttered. "Shall we return to the matter at hand?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "You confirmed the Collectors are behind the abductions, that's indeed important."
"You already had an idea, didn't you?"
"I had my suspicions, of course. Abductions without drawing attention or a trace is their MO, but not on this scale before. I needed proof before committing resources against them. I understand you're not familiar with them. What's important is that they keep themselves generally to the Terminus Systems whenever they venture to our side of the Omega 4 relay. And they always want something seemingly unimportant, or living specimens. Usually in exchange for Collector technology. All of it, highly advanced. When their transaction is complete, they disappear back through the relay. This is why so little is known about them. They are virtually ghosts."
"And they're targeting Humanity for the Reapers because of the role played against Sovereign?" I asked, not quite believing it.
"It's honestly our best guess. But that's not what disturbs me. If they're targeting us, why bother kidnapping the Colonists, instead of killing them?" he mused.
"I'd still rather they be alive to be rescued," my brows furrowed.
"As do I, Shepard. My point is that they have some reason to be keeping our people alive. Something that will likely benefit the Reapers. I don't like not knowing."
"Speaking of knowing, how do you know the Reapers are involved?"
"Patterns buried in the data. Patterns that line up perfectly from readings from Sovereign, even Saren. It matches to the exact digit, Shepard. The Council and Alliance want to believe their threat died with Sovereign. You and I know better. I will not wait until they are on the march. We must take the fight to them."
"As much as I hate to say it, I do have to agree."
"And now, for the offer. Do you accept Cerberus' aid against the Reapers? I'm already well aware of what you said to Miranda in the shuttle. I won't give you orders, but I will provide you with intel and with funding. I already have a list of dossiers on the best soldiers, scientists, and mercs out there. You need the best of the best, and that's what I'm prepared to give you, though finding and convincing them could prove challenging. Then again, you are a natural leader.
"I want the ones I trust. My old team."
"That was two years ago, Commander. They've moved on. If they offer their aid, I of course won't complain. But even if you can get all of them to join you, it's also too small. And not enough roles will be filled."
"Where's Garrus? I know he'd join me in a heartbeat," I questioned. I already knew what the situation was with Tali. I planned to message her later, see if she'd be willing to drop a hint as to when and where that mission she mentioned is.
"Vanished. Dropped off the grid a few months after your death. Even we haven't been able to locate him." Damn, I really hope he's not dead… Maybe I can figure something out if I do a bit of digging.
"Alenko?"
"Still with the Alliance and promoted. His file is surprisingly well classified. I don't know where he is at the moment, but it shouldn't be too difficult for you to send word."
"Liara?"
"Illium. My sources say she's working for the Shadow Broker. If so, she can't be trusted." I raised a brow.
"Liara T'Soni? Working for the Shadow Broker? I find that a little hard to believe. Besides, untrustworthy? I know the Broker's after me, but I wouldn't expect her to up and betray me for some credits." TIM just shrugged.
"I don't expect to get him on the crew, but what about Wrex? How's he been doing?"
"He's regained control of his clan, and is still in the process of uniting the other clans. Cerberus doesn't have much intel on what goes on there, but I can confirm that he's having at least some measure of success."
"That's good to hear at least. And I could just go to the Council. I am a Spectre, after all."
"If you can convince them, by all means, go right ahead. Just remember. You have been gone a long time. Things change," he reminded. "So, do you accept?"
"I guess it means I'll have to ignore Cerberus operations?" I asked, already knowing the answer. TIM nodded. Hm, guess I could still pass along tips if I hear something I really don't like. "I… will accept your funding and your intel." I noticed TIM grin, slightly.
"Three things before you go. First, a recommendation. Go to Omega, find Mordin Solus. He's a brilliant Salarian scientist. I believe he's your best bet at finding a countermeasure to the Collector weapon. Second, you'll need a ship. One has been provided, built just for this mission. Third, I've found a pilot I think you'll like. I hear he's one of the best. Someone you can trust."
That recommendation seems solid enough. Though I almost want to just ignore it to spite him. The ship seems interesting, and pilot? Why is there a hint of humor in his features? The door behind me opened and the display went away. Brow raised, I turned to see a relatively small figure step inside. He wore a cap that read, "SR2." White and black in color. His skin was light, even slightly pale with a beard he let grow out a bit. His uniform was Cerberus, but the man certainly didn't fit that logo.
"Hey, Commander. Just like old times, huh?" he smiled.
"Joker! What the hell are you doing here?" I exclaimed, laughing as I stepped towards the man. I reached my hand out for a shake, and he accepted, holding it tight, as I did so gently. Don't want to break him. But I did pull him in to pat him on the back.
"Being your pilot. What else?" he smiled. "They found me at the thousandth bar I was in for about a year and a half. The Alliance grounded me, but they offered to treat my Vrolik's, and not only give me the chance to fly again, but fly for you. Try turning that down," he remarked. He then gestured for me to follow.
"I'm still on the edge of turning it down," I muttered.
"Yeah? Well, there's this too." Joker lead me up a staircase to a viewport. A dark hangar bay. But I could see a shape inside. A ship. But not just any ship… The lights in the hangar bay came online. The lengthy bow, the wings and thrusters at the back. It was almost identical. But larger. And with a different paint job. White and black with the Cerberus logo. There was no name on it yet. But… was there really any other name I could give it.
"It's almost perfect. There a dockmaster nearby?" I think Joker already had an idea as to what I was going to do. Joker led me towards an office nearby. Surprising me with how well he was walking. Still not completely normal, but not the hobble he once had. An older, balding man sat inside.
"Commander Shepard! I trust you're pleased with the ship?" he greeted formally.
"Not quite. I have a few… demands."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Paint job. White and red and black. Just like the old one. And, get that fucking logo off my ship," I requested calmly.
"I'm sorr-" he began.
"You fucking heard me," I slammed a fist down on my desk. "Your boss has a problem with it? Tell him that I will fucking stay right here, not moving a damn muscle until the entirety of my ship is cleansed of the filth that is that logo. And I don't just mean the exterior. Inside too. I don't care what you have to do to get rid of them, just do it. Oh, and then, only then, we have a name for her."
"Uh…" the dockmaster was apparently quite surprised. "Yes, I'll need to send word to the Illusive Man first. And as for the name?" I glanced at Joker. He was chuckling. Upon noticing I was looking at him, he gave a nod.
"Normandy. What else?"
Commander John Shepard
It seemed that TIM wasn't eager to waste so much time on debating this with me. Especially since I was absolutely adamant to not budge in the slightest. He relented, and I relented only to allow Miranda to keep the logo behind her desk in her quarters. She would apparently be acting as XO and would file the mission reports sent to TIM. TIM also did reveal that the ship was, expectedly, covered by surveillance equipment, but that he had also decided to leave my room free of such equipment. Both knowing that I'm more than capable of finding and removing such equipment, and believing that it would only make me more comfortable.
Only when the paint job had been completed, did I finally step foot upon the New Normandy. It was well lit, brightly colored. So far, design seems more or less identical. Though, there is a door behind the galaxy map, instead of a wall with another door behind it. It was fully crewed, all human, of course. Most were in their seats at their consoles, running checks, while Joker went off to the cockpit. Miranda and Jacob were both already waiting in the middle of the CIC. As I approached them, the regular crew couldn't get their eyes off of me. Wonder, mostly, seems like. A few salutes were thrown my way, likely those who were ex-alliance. The display at the Galaxy map was currently one of the Normandy, but changed to the Galaxy as I approached. Must be tied to the Captain's Omni-tool or something of the sort.
"Commander. I trust The Illusive Man told you his suggestion on where to start?" Miranda asked.
"Yeah, Mordin Solus. Get ourselves a countermeasure." I nodded.
"Acquiring Professor Solus seems like the most logical place to start," another woman's voice agreed. Strange, sounds like it came from the sound systems. That would explain the slightly synthesized voice.
"Who, and where, are you?" I asked. I heard a beep, and a blue hologram lit up at the front of the center of CIC. It was a blue ball with a thinner stand below it. Like a pawn in chess. It had a ring surrounding the stand, and along the ball were a series of horizontal lines. Lines that moved in sync with the response.
"I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence. The crew like to refer to me as EDI."
"An AI? Cerberus really doesn't know how to learn from history, do they?" I muttered under my breath. "Already know Joker won't like sharing his ship with anyone."
"I do not helm the ship. Mr. Moreau's talents will not go to waste." Guess she's cut off from parts of the ship? Least there's that precaution. Wait, shit. I've already called this AI a she instead of an it. Huh. Eh screw it, I don't care enough to go through the effort of correcting myself all the time. "During combat, I operate the electronic warfare and cyber warfare suites. Beyond that, I cannot interface with the ship's systems. I observe and offer analysis. Nothing more."
"So, anyone else I should meet?"
"You have a Yeoman, she's up here by the elevator. You'd also want to meet the ship's doctor, she's on the crew level, same as the Mess Sergeant. Finally, only two crew members work on the engineering deck. Both have so far refused the position of chief engineer, perhaps you can help them decide."
I wonder how much of the crew are Cerberus loyalists…
"Well, before I do any of that, I want to get out of this armor. Gets heavy after a while," I remarked.
"I get that. I'll be in the armory. I'm sure you'd like to go over what we have in stock before we arrive," Jacob nodded.
"Just to confirm, Omega, correct?" Miranda asked.
"Yeah, I haven't looked over the other dossiers yet. So, might as well just go there."
"Excellent. I'm sure EDI has already notified the dock crew. We'll be en route shortly. As for me, I will be in the XO quarters on the Crew deck. It's in the same location as your quarters on the old Normandy. As for your quarters, where you will find plenty of clothes, it's on level one. Just above us."
"Thank you. And, Jacob, armory. Cargo bay?"
"Negative, Commander. CIC, just over there," Jacob pointed to a door at the back of CIC, a door to my right, as I was facing the back.
"The hell? So, when we're all getting ready for an op that requires a shuttle or ground vehicle, everyone has to go to CIC, and then back to the cargo bay? The hell? Just put the damn armory in the cargo bay!" I exclaimed. "Waste of time, that." I was already walking towards the elevator before Jacob or Miranda could respond.
"Commander," a redheaded woman working at a terminal at the back of the main CIC display greeted with a friendly smile. I just returned a nod. I take it that will be my Yeoman, but I'll do introductions when I'm out of this armor.
If I'm going to be working with them, it'll help my sanity if I'm not constantly pissed off at everyone. And then, I guess who here even knows what Cerberus is truly responsible for? I got in the elevator, and pressed the key for deck one. The doors shut, I heard the hum of the machinery, and then the doors opened only five seconds after. Good, least it doesn't have the old Normandy's problem with elevators. In bold, white lettering along the wall was "Deck 1: Captain's Quarters." Oh, so the whole deck is for me then, eh? Won't complain about that. I walked up to the door.
"The door to your quarters is synched to your Omni-tool, Commander. It will open only for you. All others must request permission, unless you wish to sync another's Omni-tool to the door. However, this can be overridden in case of an emergency," EDI explained.
"Awfully convenient," I mused. The door opened, and, well, it was evident this was no traditional military ship. My quarters were the size of a small apartment. And a luxury one at that. It had a sizable fish tank that already had a decent collection swimming about. I think only one of them was from Earth.
"A VI will ensure the fish remain fed," EDI added.
"Thought there wasn't any surveillance in here," I questioned.
"Not visual or audio, Commander, but if you look to the left of the fish tank, you will see a display for me. All this does is allow me to monitor your vitals, and I am able to extrapolate your location in the quarters. The only reason I can hear you now, is that we are engaged in conversation, and the microphone is online. Once you are five feet away, it will disable. If you wish to communicate orders from elsewhere in the room, your Omni-tool or your private terminal is always available," EDI explained. I continued exploring. Opposite the fish tank was an office space. A large desk with a wheeled chair, and a display, with a model ship of the SR2 inside. Guess I have a hobby I could start.
Behind the desk was a door activated by motion sensor. A bathroom. Shower, shitter, sink. I then went down to the part of the room that was a mere two steps lower than the rest. Where there was a very nice, comfortable looking double bed, with two large white pillows and white sheets, a nightstand on either side, one with a lamp. Another, smaller desk, and a large sofa with a coffee table. And of course, a closet. I opened it to find that half of it was in fact dedicated to my armor, and a place to keep my under suit. Before I started to undress though, I had to make sure that any of the clothes in the closet I could wear. Of course, they'd all fit me perfectly, but anything that has that symbol? Absolutely not. I dug through, tossing everything I found with that logo out onto the bed. By the time I was done, I was left with one pair of skivvies, jeans, and a black t-shirt. Meanwhile, about twenty of each were on my bed, carelessly tossed aside. I got changed, and then grabbed the bundles of clothes. I could hardly see, but I managed. I walked back to the elevator.
"EDI, take me to CIC." The elevator began to move. The doors soon opened, and I stepped out, walking up to the raised platform that I would interact with the Galaxy map from. I dropped the clothes down into a pile. "EDI, record this, and disable the fire suppression systems in this section of CIC. Once finished, I want you to send the recording to all crewmembers and the Illusive Man," I ordered.
"Com-"
"EDI, do it."
"Yes, Commander."
"Everyone!" I shouted loudly, gaining the attention of all of CIC. "These are all the clothes I found in my closet with the Cerberus logo. From skivvies to shirts. This is what I think of Cerberus. The organization that ruined my life, then had the audacity to think saving it made up for it." I stepped back, and readied my Omni-tool. When I had been fiddling around with it, I noticed it had something called an Incinerate charge. It microfabricated a small incendiary charge that can apparently melt through heavy armor. I fired the charge at the pile of clothes. It entered a blaze nicely. I stood with my hands behind my back, and watched. The smoke rose and spread, but I didn't care. I just watched it burn. It was quiet as the fire crackled.
"I smell smoke, what's-" Jacob began, coming out of the armory. I looked back as he saw what was going on. Me standing in front of me burning a pile of clothes. Surprisingly, he didn't leave. And I returned my gaze to the fire. I then noticed Joker had made his way over too, with a cough. But he leaned back against a wall, and was smirking.
"Want me to add my shirt to the pile, Shepard?" Joker remarked.
"By all means, go right ahead." He pulled his shirt off, and tossed it on the fire, leaving himself shirtless. Eventually, the fire began to die as it ran out of fuel. Through the fire suppression was offline, as ordered, EDI was making sure the air was being filtered out. "If any of you have absolutely no idea as to why I despise Cerberus so absolutely, send me a message. In two days' time, I will gather all who have questions, and explain. EDI, I'm finished here. End recording." I returned to the elevator, and decided I'd go down to CIC. See this doctor and the Mess Sergeant. Then I'd go to engineering, then I suppose ask the Yeoman to meet me in my quarters for introductions.
The door to the crew deck opened, but it was the door towards the back of the elevator. There was a wall ahead, but also a hallway with several doors. All labeled. To my left, the door at the far end was starboard observation. The door to the crew quarters was closer to the back of the ship, and towards the front on the left side was the women's restroom. Right side, life support towards the back, port observation and lounge at the end of the hall, and the men's restroom towards the bow.
I stepped around the bend towards the bow to find that other than the back hallway, the design and layout of the crew quarters was identical to the old Normandy. Though instead of a captain's quarters to the left, it was obviously the XO's. To the right was the med-bay, though it now had windows allowing those in the mess to look inside. And this time it had a fully equipped kitchen. As for the mess itself, it already had a large vidscreen. Guess TIM knew I got one for the old Normandy and decided to keep that little trend. Along the bow of the ship was a narrower corridor holding sleeper pods, again, like the old Normandy. But at the end of that hall was a door labeled gun battery. Must mean we have stronger weapons. Curiously, the Mess Sergeant wasn't present in the kitchen. So, might as well meet the doc.
Inside were two medical beds, and two exam beds. The former for any operations and procedures, the latter just to diagnose. The role of each bed was given away by the equipment beside or even over each. At the end was a door labeled server room, and right by the door I just opened was a desk. A chair with its back turned to me, and a head of white hair sitting. Working at a terminal. Whoever it was must have heard the door open, and turned.
"Commander John Shepard," the woman beamed. My eyes went wide. She stood, and immediately wrapped me in a hug, which I immediately returned. "Words can't explain how happy I am to see you alive."
"Karin? What-what are you doing on a Cerberus ship?!" I questioned as I recovered, and laughed.
"Is it? I thought their mark had been removed," she chuckled. "What you endured would have changed most people. But not you, I see. Welcome back," she smiled again, pulling back from the hug.
"I gotta know, how did they convince you to wear that uniform? To work for them?"
"I don't. I work for you. On a mission that may well be crucial to Humanity's survival. I know you, Shepard. I trust you. Your dealings with Cerberus will remain ethical."
"If you want we can get you a new uniform and burn the Cerberus ones. I just did with all of mine," I offered. Chakwas laughed.
"Of course you did. Is that what the message from EDI was about?"
"Maybe. So… does mom know?"
"I didn't tell her, as I couldn't be certain. On one hand, there's a chance we could all die at the end of this. On the other hand, there was the same possibility against Saren. I'll let you decide. But I will warn you, if she learns your alive through the media? There will be absolute hell to pay."
"You're right about that…" I chuckled, scratching the back of my neck. "What were you up to before this?"
"I was reassigned to the Mars Medical facility. Respectable, but you know me. I much prefer being on a starship."
"That I do. Now, you let me know about anything you could need, anything at all. I'll get it done."
"Thank you, Shepard. Oh, and I thought you'd like to know. I've spoken with all of the crew, and I have made quite the interesting observation. Few of them have been with Cerberus very long. Most are ex-Alliance who believed your warnings, or saw how the Council essentially tossed you aside. Some have been with Cerberus for much longer, yes, but I believe almost none truly know what this organization has done."
"Hm. Interesting indeed… Thanks, doc."
"Anytime." We hugged one more time, and I went on my way to engineering. When the door opened, it was a hallway with windows looking down towards the shuttle and cargo bay. To the left and right were additional cargo holds, as well as doors to engineering, which were behind me. I passed through one of the doors, noticing that there was first an engineering subdeck access before Engineering proper. I opened the next door to see two consoles offline against a wall. I had entered from port side. I stepped forward, and saw that the two engineers were on starboard side. A man and woman. The man was clearly ginger, and the woman, brown-haired.
"Commander Shepard!" the man spoke with a clear Scottish accent. "You came all the way down here to see us?" he was surprised. In awe, a little. Expectedly, both were wearing a Cerberus uniform. Though with some stains. The woman saluted, and glared at the man.
"You're speaking to our commanding officer," she reminded with an angry whisper. The man's eyes went wide, and he too stood at attention and saluted.
"Are you new to Cerberus? Or loyalists?" I questioned. This will determine how I interact with them.
"New, sir. We served in the Alliance as engineers for years. We saw how your warnings were ignored, and our reactions didn't do us any favors. But, it got us noticed by Cerberus, and signed on to work for you on the Normandy," Gabby explained, still at attention.
"Then at ease. I'm just touring the ship. You are?"
"Kenneth Donnelly. I handle the power control systems. This is Gabby," the man pointed a thumb at her. She cleared her throat and elbowed him in the side.
"Engineer Gabriella Daniels. I'm responsible for propulsion."
"Gabby and Ken work for you both, then?"
"Aye, that's what we call each other," Ken nodded.
"Well, the both of you are Alliance, don't really know what these shit bags have done. In the Alliance, I run a tight but informal crew. Cerberus though, I'll run those assholes tight and formal as hell. So, what did you two do in the Alliance?"
"Both Gabby and I served on the SSV Perugia. We were there when Captain Stanford's battlegroup helped you in the Armstrong Nebula. Those battles were a work of art," Ken remarked.
"Pretty sure that's something going into the military history books."
"Don't think it compares to the battle of the Citadel, though. We were there for that too," Gabby added.
"So, two of you have just been ghosting me then," I joked. The two of them found humor in it, smirking in Gabby's case, chuckling in Ken's. "I hear you're not appointing a chief engineer? I'm interested why that is."
"It's just the two of us, and we've been partners in crime since we graduated from tech academy. Technically, Ken was the only one to receive the offer from Cerberus, but I insisted he include me in it. He'd fall apart without me," she began.
"Thanks mum," he rolled his eyes.
"In all honesty, it's just that we work better as a team than one of us as the boss. Besides, neither of us would ever accept the other bossing them around," she chuckled.
"And, just clarifying, you don't know anything about Cerberus?"
"Nope." Gabby answered.
"All I know is that we're off to kick the Collectors right in their daddy bags. That's enough for me." I couldn't help but bark a short laugh.
"Daddy bags? That's a new one. So, two of you set up just fine down here?"
"Can't complain. Just wish it didn't take so long to calibrate the FBA arrays-" Kenneth began.
"Kenneth. You're complaining," Gabby elbowed him again.
"No, no. Go ahead. I know tech, I know how much of a pain in the ass it can sometimes be. If there's something you can get to make it easier, tell me."
"When they upgraded the Normandy designs, they were a bit sloppy with the FBA couplings. You know the attenuators in the transfer system?"
"Yeah, they channel field bleed, manage the radiation and everything, keep it under control."
"Right, well, the models we got are unreliable. Every day they need maintenance, several times a day. And it's not an easy fix. If we swapped it out for FBA couplings, it would almost completely fix the problem."
"I know tech, but models on engine parts aren't something I remember too well. And that's ignoring the two years. Why aren't they already installed?"
"Oversight most likely. Efficiency isn't lost, just maintenance," Gabby answered.
"And the T6 can be hard to find. Nashan Stellar Dynamics discontinued them," Ken added.
"We're going to Omega though, right? We could probably find used ones in the Omega markets," Gabby suggested.
"Consider it done." I took my leave, returning to the elevator. I heard Ken and Gabby behind me.
"I'm amazed Shepard came down to see us."
"Told you he would." The door closed behind me.
"EDI, tell the Yeoman to meet me in my quarters," I ordered as I made my way there myself.
"Yeoman Kelly Chambers has been notified. Shall I stop the elevator at CIC?"
"Why not? Go ahead," I shrugged. The elevator stopped, and its doors opened, a red-haired woman, the same I saw before, entered, she was wearing a friendly grin.
"Commander, I'm Yeoman Kelly Chambers. I've been assigned as your administrative assistant. I will help manage your messages and monitor the crew. That was an… interesting display, earlier. I'm interested in learning just what caused it."
"And I can't wait to spread the word."
"I must say, it's an honor to work under you." The doors opened, and we stepped into my quarters. I took a seat on the couch, gestured for her to do the same across from me.
"So, Chambers-"
"Please, call me Kelly."
"That depends. What do you think of Cerberus?"
"From what I know, our methods can sometimes be harsh, but the goals are noble. We look out for human interests, advanced human technologies, save human lives. They're good goals."
"Those goals, maybe. But I know damn well Cerberus has other, less noble ones, Chambers. Mankind dominating the other races, for example."
"Cerberus looks out for humanity, but that doesn't mean we hate aliens. My sister started a dog shelter, but she loved cats too. I love Humanity. I also love Asari, Turian, Salarian, Hanar, the list goes on. That isn't in conflict with Cerberus ideals."
"I'm willing to believe that you believe that. But what I know from experience? Domination. The ends don't justify the means."
"And I can see how firmly you hold this. Now that we are in private, I can say that I have another role beyond my official role as Yeoman. I have a degree in psychology. I keep an eye on the crew, as this is a high-risk mission. I'm good at sensing when people are overly taxed."
"I see. You're free to go." I'm not sure what to make of her yet. I can't tell if she's naïve and doesn't know what Cerberus is responsible for, or if she knows, and is twisted enough to see past it. She took her leave, and I pulled up the dossiers. I had some reading to do.