Chapter 38: Event Horizon
"No doubt you have a conveniently inexpressible reason for your demanding summons?" Shepard snarled at the hologram.
The Illusive Man took a long drag from his cigarette before speaking. *Don't be insolent, Shepard. Your impertinence is unworthy of a Spectre. Do not forget that you have a task to fulfill here.*
"I do not answer to you. If you don't have information on the Collectors, lose this number."
*Have a care Shepard. Or have you forgotten that everything you have now is because I allowed it? My ship, you took it and now command her. Including the shackled AI. I noticed you did not have your quarian disassemble EDI, even though she now, ironically looks far more human. The crew I carefully chose for you, hand selected you assembled by your own choice. You have grown willful Shepard. Your continuing defiance is growing tedious.*
"I am a Spectre. We're allowed to be defiant. Now why the summons?" The expression in her eyes grew colder with each syllable spoken by the odious man across from her. Her stance more than defiant: legs spread shoulder width apart, arms folded over her chest, the command glare never lifting. Never wavering, it had sent more than a few on the receiving end into retreat if only mentally.
*Very well. It will please you to know that I indeed have information on the Collector movements. As you say information is everything. In fact the Collectors are specifically targeting the colony of Horizon. I have never believed in coincidences, the fact your old crewmate 2nd Lt. Ashley Williams is stationed on Horizon is very significant.*
"….."
ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME
The rest of the meeting had left the Spectre with a foul taste in her mouth.
If you can not say what you mean, you can not mean what you say. Details are everything. Shepard knew TIMmy was withholding critical information imperative to the success of the mission to neutralize the Collectors. His refusal to share anything with the Alliance or Council until Cerberus harvested the information on the Collectors and was positive of their movements sent so many alarm bells ringing in her mind she didn't think she couldn't think clearly with the cacophony.
Surely TIMmy did not think she would not contact the Alliance or the Council herself? She was not the pariah he had wanted to create of her from Project Caesar. The thing was who to trust? Anderson - of course. Hackett...her mother… most assuredly. But if Shepard could not establish a direct link to them, she would not- could not trust even their aides to give an accurate accounting of what was happening on Horizon. Cerberus had spies like an old tenement block had cockroaches; they were infested everywhere.
And TIMmy was correct, the fact Ash was on Horizon was significant. The Collectors had taken the Normandy SR1 because they had bad Intel, they believed the Commander to her captain. Now however their Intel was correct and they were targeting the old crew.
What about Liara?!
Wrex?
Shiala?
Aleena
The rest of the crew that were dispatched to other posts? Where they being targeted as well?
Were the others safe because they were not human? Probably. But not all those that had been on the Victory had been aliens. Several of them had been human. It was not a risk Shepard was willing to take with her former crewmates. It wasn't worth the gamble that niggling feeling she had buzzing in the back of her neck was just an overreaction to TIMmy's refusal to share the knowledge.
Liara would be told and though her networks the young Prothean Expert could alert the others that the Collectors however remote the possibility were targeting them. The gestalt had changed Shepard and Liara significantly. What if that information was something too tempting for the Collectors to pass up? Hell Sam worried it was far to tempting of a proposition for Cerberus to pass up never mind insectoids from beyond the Omega Four Relay.
That was it. The notion seeped into the Spectre's mind and could not be dislodged. What is the most resilient parasite? A bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? No. and though it could take on a life of its own it had no true biological life. That was the very nature of an idea. As Shiala once said an idea only needs another mind to grow.
Ideas were resilient. Highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed, fully understood, that sticks. It starts as a seed and grows. It can grow to define or kill you.
Shepard sat upon the floor next to her meditation partner Samara, but she found no calming centre in the matron's generally beneficent company. Her mind ripping past notions after notions, ideas after ideas, speculation on speculation as surely as the Normandy's FTL drive was racing through the Black. These ideas became striations with her as the blur of blue-white illumination of the stars outside the Observation lounge windows. And they all came back to one source.
The Illusive Man.
He was lying.
He was telling half-truths.
He made bold claims of wanting to stop the Collectors, but there was far far more to it then that. He The Collectors obviously had Reaper tech, weapons, data. and TIMmy wanted it. Not to dissect the tech to know how to combat it, but to retro engineer it for Cerberus's gain. A sound plan, theoretically yes. But Mr. Illusive was not so gregarious. He would not share the knowledge with the Alliance or with the Council races to combat the Reapers He would use it to control, to dominate—to seize the power denied humanity—and by proxy Cerberus the day Shepard made that fateful call back on the Citadel nearly two years ago.
A much earlier conversation back when Mr. Illusive was attempting to forge an alliance between his organization and the reluctant Spectre replayed in Shepard's mind Almost as if it were proof of what her subconscious was screaming at her now:
"Cerberus trawls for its thralls amongst the ignorant and unwary, hauling his prey gasping from the stream of destiny. Better to stay out of their nets." Shepard snorted in contempt.
*Spare me your elaborate metaphors Shepard! You are pressed for one purpose. Many believe you must pay for your betrayal of humanity. They look to Cerberus so that balance will be restored to its rightful place at last. Humanity should have held the power that day Shepard. We had the means to overthrow the tyranny of the alien triumvirate, yet you insisted the fleet protect the Council at any cost! You sacrificed them without a second thought to save the oppressive alien Council, to answer to their will. You are their pathetic pawn!*
"Would I be better manipulated by Cerberus?"
*Your tale in the events of galactic import is crude and ill-conceived we must then rewrite the ending of it! You, I and Cerberus. You need only join us in a new 'alliance' to prove you have not forsaken the color of your blood.*
"Your flaunted ideals hang on supremacy of one race, we are not devisable anymore. We haven't been since the discovery on Mars. Those who believe humanity must go it alone are hypocrites! Without the Protheans we would still be stuck in the Sol system. Go it alone, without alien influence? That old rhetoric is a bit superfluous now isn't it? If humanity is to go it alone then we had best rid ourselves of any advancement we have now, including ship drives, weapons, armor, biotic amps and intergalactic travel and the use of mass relays. Humanity isn't supreme, it isn't inferior-it is equal! You and Cerberus are no better then the Reapers, We are ALL one!"
*Just listen to yourself, Spectre. You spout the dogma of the alien witches as if it were your faith! Cerberus is humanity's only hope. If you continue down this path you are on you will become our sublime undoing. Many within the Alliance who are not Cerberus thralls as you call us, feel it. They know you are the ineffable fulcrum in which the entirety of our existence is balanced. Do you know what they say back home Shepard? They say you become a heathen, gone native, you've sinned against humanity!*
"Your sin is greater than mine. You turn your back on the entirety of all organic life, including humanity for the sake of power. Power you don't even understand. Don't play me the fool TIMmy! You lure people like Miranda Lawson and Kelly Chambers in the ether of indoctrinations of Cerberus philosophies. You have seen how the Reapers will come. How can you deny it?"
*Sovereign haunts your mind, Shepard. You are too cruelly used to be so quietly used by the players. You are bound by old memories in ancient beacons. If I am no better than the Reapers you are no better than Saren. Let's drop the moral posturing shall we? We both know there is no altruism in this puissant. Your reckless indignation led you to me. I counted on it. There is no shame in it, Shepard. Revenge is motivation enough, at least it's honest. Hate me but do it honestly!*
"Your arrogance is boundless, TIM!"
He only laughed at her. *And still you need me, don't you? My resources, my people, my connections. My ship. You have no superior high-ground when you use others like drunkard used a cheap dime store whore. Believe what you will, I want the Collectors stopped, at any cost to save those you have seemingly forsaken. Are you a Spectre sworn to be a guardian of the galaxy or are you not? *
"I can feel the ebbing storm within your mind." Samara's voice trickled into the Spectre's turbulent thoughts.
Shepard turned to the Justicar but paused before a word was uttered. Samara's eyes were still the solid white of deep meditation; the sphere of dark energy still conjured and maintained its perfect unwavering shape between her fingertips.
"Sorry." Shepard made the move to stand so she could leave the asari in peace. "I have a lot on my mind."
The ball of energy dissipated, white eyes now normal blue—a hand shot out and grasped the young human by the arm. "It was not a statement of displeasure nor a remark intended to make you leave Shepard." An inviting smile came to purple lips. "An observation only. If I can I am glad to offer assistance."
Instead of returning the smile, Shepard let out a hot sigh and plopped unceremoniously back down next to the more refined posture of the Justicar.
Samara waited patiently. She had seen such a look on the faces of many huntresses over her many years and not a few times on those of her daughters.
After another few beats Shepard drew her knees up to her chest and folded her arms over them, not in a pose of introverted uncertainty but one of contemplation as if trying to fit the words into her mouth her mind was churning over and over.
"You trust your Order." She said at last.
"The Justicars." It was not a question. "Of course. Our Code leaves no room for those that falter in their duty, their Oaths. Is there a reason you mistrust yours?"
"The Spectres? Not especially, no. The actions of Saren speak for themselves. Of course he was indoctrinated so...arguably it sorta lets him off the hook in a way for culpability. As much as I hate to admit it he was not the master of his own mind at the time any more than Matriarch Benezia was. But it isn't my fellow Spectres."
If she were being honest with herself, it was an overwhelming sense of paranoia that kept the Commander awake at nights, nagged her to the marrow of her bones that Cerberus' reach was far deeper than she could have ever truly imagined.
The whispered rumors of Hock's guests only cemented that sense of doubt of whom she could trust within the Alliance and even amongst the Council members or at least their staff. Udina being reinstated into the political arena not just as an Ambassador of Earth Systems Alliance but as humanity's next Councilor...ousting Anderson? Anderson hadn't even served a full term yet and they who ever this mysterious 'they' were already talking of what...impeachment? Forced resignation out of Anderson? Why didn't he say anything? Why didn't Hackett? Hey that smug turian Councilor didn't even boast about it.
It could be speculation. Or the foundation to undermine the public confidence in Anderson. Sometimes out here in the Black it was easy to lose sight of the news back home. Sure there was the extranet but how much could that truly be trusted. The news media...
Samara took Shepard's silence as a reluctance to speak. She wrongly assumed that the Commander was not ready to cross the line of CO and subordinate though they often did during their meditations.
"During our first year of training within the monastery, the Aráto-Cón…" she paused feeling the need to explain just what an Aráto-Cón was to an offworlder rather than the literal translation of 'eminent woman of command'. "An Aráto-Cón is something of a cross between your Shaolin abbots, marine drill instructors and mother superiors. They teach all acolytes of the Justicar order. One of the first of many tenets that predates the philosophies Sari or 'The All is One' although very similar is 'It is to be' The idea that everything and everyone in the universe has a nature and all things come together to form a proper order.
"Without such there is dissonance and discord and the harmony is broken. The Justicars are there to restore that order. Another precept concerns our fears. Justicars are not without fear; in fact we are encouraged to face them. Once we do so can we forge head dauntless in act and deed."
"Face my fears? I've done that. I've been on the Great Hunt in the oceans of Thessia. The firaxon shark at Liara and my wedding feast was killed by my and Shiala's hands the day before. I can face a shark. I can see it, feel it as it disturbs the waters, I tasted that fear. I saw, heard and felt Sovereign. Just like the shark, I fought it. Faced it. I will face the Collectors just like the shark and the Reaper.
"But Samara these are known things. Tangible, terrible and powerful. I was trained at the Arcturus Academy to face those kinds of threats How to think around it and through it. As an N7 I was instructed to breathe in my fears. Confront them. We are told from day one that to conquer fear, you must become fear."
"Justicars are taught this as well." Samara turned facing the much younger woman. Their eyes met in earnest and mutual appreciative understanding. "Justicars are instructed that we must bask in the fear of other sentients. And sentients fear most what they can not see. You have to become a terrible thought. A wraith. You have to become an idea! Feel terror cloud your senses. Feel its power to distort. To control. Know this power can be yours. Embrace your worst fear. Become one with the darkness.
Focus. Concentrate. Master your senses. When you have done so only then can you bring illumination. You must do this as well Commander. But I believe you know this."
Sam ran her fingers through her dark locks and nodded. "Yeah. I do. And that is part of the problem. Any illumination I bring about the Reapers, the Collectors and Cerberus it's all being undermined by TIMmy. My word is no longer fully trusted back home.
"We're headed to Horizon where the Collectors according to his Tyrannical Illusive Mastermind, are to hit. Specifically targeted because one of my crew...my old crew," she corrected herself "is now stationed there. TIMmy has spun so many webs...mixing just enough truth in with lies the Alliance for the most part is buying his bullshit. I have no idea who I can trust apart from three people, whose loyalty and trust in me has never once wavered. But it's costing them. A lot.
"TIMy's leaking just the right amount of misinformation, misdirection and hyperbole into the general public that his Operation Caesar is working exceedingly well. Liara told me he even let slip to the higher echelons of the Alliance Admiralty and the Citadel Council that Operation Lazarus...the recreation of the Normandy SR2 and my 'rebirth' into the Cerberus doctrine was a blaring success for humanity. Now most of them will not trust me even if I come forward with the body of a Collector and a cache of their weapons."
"Then that is your answer." Samara said flatly as if it were an obvious forgone conclusion. "Bring forth the bodies of our enemies, their technology and weaponry to the floor of the Council Chambers if needs be."
Try as she might Shepard couldn't help the burble of laughter that issued forth. "Wouldn't that be a sight?! Hell it might just take something that dramatic to get their heads out of their asses."
Samara shared the smile. "The Illusive Man is overly confident that he has successfully infiltrated all levels of government both foreign and domestic to the Alliance. No doubt he has. Or so he wishes to delude himself. But there are some he can not touch. The Asari Justicars. I swore a pledge to you Shepard. An Oath, I will remind Councilor Tevos that I have undertaken. She cannot deny my word. Nor can she deny the word of her...of one Aria T'Loak of whom as I come to understand it holds you in great favour."
"Yeah. Just don't ask me how that happened. Because truthfully I have no idea when it happened. I do know she is one of the most powerful biotics I have met and I haven't seen a tenth of what she can truly do. Feeling Aria in my mind like she did makes me all the more appreciative of how much Matriarch Benezia held back on Novaria. That internal struggle against Sovereign's hold on her mind truly destroyed her, because what my team and I did in the fire-fight, she should have easily deflected it. And it wasn't just her; it was she, a full platoon of asari huntresses and a squadron of elite geth. We should have been smears on those ice walls."
Shepard chastised herself for becoming sidetracked by memory however haunting and damning it was to relive the death of her bondmate's mother. She had far more important things to concentrate on than self-recrimination.
"Samara whatever we find down on Horizon. I want you to send a full report including samples back home to Thessia to the Justicar Order. Tell them precisely why I've requested you go through such channels. TIM will undoubtedly expect me to use Liara to get the same samples to the Council and I will with her knowledge of course. Ash will take the same to the Alliance, Garrus to the heads of Primarch, Mordin to the STG.
"Let them try and deny such a compilation of evidence. Cerberus will have their operatives in place but not all them. I don't know the full scope of TIMmy's motives but sure as hell isn't in the best interests of humanity and it sure as hell isn't in the best interests for the rest of the galaxy."
"Do you even know why the Collectors are taking humans?" asked Samara.
"No. Only that the plague on Omega was a test for viable candidates they need. Mordin said it back then in his clinic. The plague was designer made and the humans were the control group because we are more adaptable. Whatever they are doing to us...is going to be very bad. And they need a lot of us to do it. Anderson gave me the numbers of the colonies out here in the Terminus. And let me tell you it's terrifyingly high. It's not slave labour. It's something more, darker. Part of me thinks Cerberus knows exactly what it is. But TIM isn't giving any details. At least not to me. And if Miranda or Chambers knows anything they're keeping a very tight lid on it. But I think they are in the dark as much as the rest of us are. It's how TIM can manipulate and motivate them so easily. If they knew I doubt that bastard would have any control over them."
"Then you have only one true viable recourse Commander. You must capture a Collector alive." Samara said
"Easier said than done."
"Indeed, but not outside the scope of possibilities. Cerberus agents managed to capture a living specimen of the seeker swarms did they not? You or I should say Tali managed to incapacitate a geth drone and reprogram its CPU to accept an ancient Prothean VI. Capturing a living Collector is not impossible. I dare say it is imperative."
Shepard nodded. She liked that idea. "Provided of course they don't have some sort of cyanide protocols like Cerberus agents are supposed to employ when captured. It's a good idea. In fact I want you to lead that part of the operation. Chose two others to aid you and get it done."
"Of course Commander." the Justicar tilted her head complying with the order given.
"Just try and avoid tossing it out any windows if it doesn't answer your questions."
They shared a knowing smile for they both had done so on Illium whilst interrogating uncooperative members of the Eclipse.
ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME
The Normandy was four hours inbound to Horizon when Shepard called a team wide meeting in the briefing room. She laid out the idea of the capture first. Capturing a live Collector? Has anyone ever done that? Could it be done? Questions were abound and rampant.
"What are the odds of that happening?" Asked Tali for the others above the din of the others disbelief.
"Whatever comes before zero." Jack said off the cuff.
"We have to try. You never know if something can be done unless you do it. I've made a habit of carrying out the impossible. It will be done." Shepard dismissed their doubts by not acknowledging them. Sometimes it was simply best to forge ahead. "Samara, have you picked your team yet?"
"Yes, Commander "the asari inclined her head. "Though I have not asked them personally prior to this briefing, I believe the ones best suited for this task are Mordin and Tali. Their unique skill sets and knowledge will be much needed if we even have a remote chance of success."
"Yes. Agreed. Most difficult. Will be happy to help." Mordin was positively aglow with the challenge before him. Tali on the other hand seemed less enthusiastic but still thought it was worth a shot.
"One team settled I want two more strike teams. I will lead one Garrus the other. We have the footage of Freedom's Progress. Mordin you are sure these armour upgrades will protect us from the seeker swarms?"
"Certainty impossible. But in limited numbers should confuse detection systems. Make us invisible to swarms. In theory."
"In theory?" grumbled Garrus. "Not the most endorsing sentiments of your work there, Professor."
The salarian's eyes blinked a few times in what was almost certainly a chiding response. "Experimental technology, only test is contact with seeker swarms. Look forward to see if we survive."
"He's crazy as ever and we trust him with our lives with this junk." scoffed a petulant ex-con.
"Yes as I am with you, Jack. You and Miranda are on my team. Full biotic assault. Garrus take Thane and Zaeed you will create a sniper fire squadron. I know snipers generally work in teams of two: one spotter one shooter, this time it's a trio.
"Kasumi and Grunt." Shepard smiled two so far left out of the team build-ups. She hadn't forgotten about them. "I have something special in mind for the pair of you. Stealth and mayhem..." Grunt was all toothy prideful grin at being called mayhem. His laugh was bone rattling deep. "I want you to work along side Samara's team: provide distractions for them. If possible drive a choice specimen into their capture zone, cause as much havoc to the Collectors as possible."
Kasumi smirked. "That shouldn't be too hard. You ready for this Big Guy."
Grunt slammed a fist into a palm and hulked his shoulders. "Bring it on." he laughed once more. "This is gonna be fun."
Shepard flashed him a small if not indulgent smile. "The new weapons we liberated from Hock's estate." Shepard went on. "The omni bowcasters, use if on your off hand if works better for you along side your normal ones. But I want everyone armed with one. Yes preferably we would had some assault training with them against holo-Collectors in the Armax Arena but there wasn't time and we don't have the tech or space on the Normandy to set up a holo-arena.
"That being said you are all trained professionals" she looked to the young krogan. "Or have implanted memories of battle tactics, I trust you to use your best judgment to set up kill-zones. The tripwires will be effective at head level for the seeker swarms. As for the Collector infantry shocktroops themselves, just like any other sentient place them horizontally at torso and leg levels
"Three can be used from any given bowcaster within three feet intervals. Use your team to set up a netting. Kasumi and I discovered on Bekenstein they are very effective working in conjunction with tech assaults and with singularities and shockwaves."
"That is all well and good but what about being fucked-friendly?" Jack asked. "I don't want be out there ground-pounding with shockwaves and bam! cut down by some assholes tripwire." she looked pointedly as Miranda. "Won't want anyone else to be fucked either."
"We took care of that." Tali said having been given a head nod by the Spectre to take over the brief. "Like all omni weaponry, they have a CPU and CPUs can be programmed. Kasumi and I expanded on that. Well with Dr. Chakwas's help."
"Dr. Chakwas? How so?" Shepard was curious she wasn't so sure if helping in the armory went against the Hippocratic Oath or not. It seemed to be a very sticky and fine line to even contemplate walking on never mind doing so.
"We thought of using our species but realistically that isn't exactly a viable option." Tali began to explain. "It's no good if they came up against raiders or merc bands later on, so Kasumi and I thought since IFFs can be personalized like the Spectre arms to DNA then we can make it work so the tripwires don't do friendly fire."
"The doc was great in helping us can out by using DNA readings from the medical recorders into the bowcasters OMNI CPU. They are now all code locked to all of us. The tripwires will not explode if anyone of us crosses it. "
"Oh and we added for a bit of fun, we added some call signs to the bands." Tali seemed to be smirking behind the faceplate. "It won't matter which omni-tool you pick-up they're all programmed to recognize the flag-ship team. Anyone else picks it up they go into shut-down mode. Can't open it."
"Unless you're a really good hacker. I mean wizard-level good." Kasumi said with no small amount of pride. "My design. Keiji couldn't even get past a few of my locks. I used the same with the omni-bows."
She reached for one of the dark orange bands and tossed it to the Spectre. Who, caught it in an overhand catch, then slipped the 'bracelet' onto her wrist as she would any other omni-tool.
"Special Tactics and Resonances clearance verified: Band ID: Spectre Shepard." the tinny mechanical voice of OMNI VI said.
"That's not exactly a call sign guys." Shepard shook her head with amusement.
"Well we thought of 'Queen of the Girl Scouts'." To this Jack chortled. "But it seemed disrespectful so we just stayed with Shepard." Tali quickly pointed out. Hopefully her friend wouldn't take it as offensive that she wasn't given a unique nickname.
"I also thought of going with just Shep." Kasumi added. "But in the end we voted to show a bit of deference."
"It's alright" Shepard smiled to show there were no hard feelings. How could there be when her crew showed the proper respect? "Okay, the rest of you pick one of them up. Let's see what we have."
Band IDs were as followed:
Archangel: Garrus smiled, Shepard clapped him on the back. It fit perfectly.
Science Guy: Mordin shrugged. It wasn't imaginative but accurate. It could have been worse. He supposed.
Cheerleader: Miranda scowled, Jack burst out laughing
Psychotic Biotic: Jack frowned, Miranda was beaming
Ol'Man: Zaeed rolled his one good eye. At the very least it wasn't Scar-Face
Justicar Samara.: A nod of mere acceptance from the matron. Not much else could be elaborated on. Just like Shepard's. Sometimes rank and a name simply worked without a call sign.
Grunt: Well what else were you going to call the tank…wait…that could have worked. Big Guy could have too come to think about it. What was done was done. Grunt had no complaints.
Sparks: It was Kasumi's idea! The others chuckled at the quarian's expense.
Where'd-she-go: … well… Kas wanted something different; practically everyone else got a call sign, she wanted one too. 'Not-funny-Kasumi!' was completely out of the question even if Tali thought it was perfect.
Once everyone was issued their new 'toys' Shepard brought attention back to her. "Our first priority to neutralize the Collector threat and to save as many of the colonists as possible. Here are the knowns: They use the seeker swarms to immobilize their targets for live-capture. We have seen from the same footage the Collectors have some kind of transport pod that looks like their version of sleeper-pods. They have Reaper-tech arms and armour. They are working with the Reapers.
"Here are the unknowns. we don't know if this alliance of Collectors and Reapers is coerced as Saren's was with Sovereign, a full and willing partnership or if it is an alliance of desperation as with Cerberus and...me." the last word was said with great pressure hammering behind her chest, of something she did not wish to admit to.
"We do not know if their ship has the same shield configuration as Sovereign did. Assume it is so. We know do not know what their main batteries are but they tore though the previous Normandy shields like they didn't even exist. We do not know if they can track blue-red-shift emissions but they were able to detect the SR-1'while she was cloaked. We do not know if this is their capabilities or they were given the data on how to find the Normandy by a third party.
"We do know that the Shadow Broker has data on the Normandy SR-1 and quite possibly this ship. We know Cerberus had data on the SR-1 as well and they built this ship."
All faces turned to Miranda as if she had personally leaked the confidential files to the Collectors. Shepard put a hand on the operative's shoulder - not a hand of condemnation but one of clear support. Wordlessly saying she trusted Lawson.
"The Illusive Man refuses to contact the Alliance or the Council and inform them of this immanent attack. Apparently he didn't think I would. Or if I would I would be stopped by is agents wither here or at the recipients end. I have circumvented his interference And while nether the Alliance nor any of the Citadel fleet can reach Horizon on time they will be given mission up dates. Unfortunately not live feeds this far-out but they will be given all data as it comes available."
"I keep sayin' you can't trust that cocksucker." Jack groused. "He wants to save these colonies my tattooed ass. He's after a big fucking score."
"Indeed. My thoughts exactly." Shepard nodded.
"There has to be a better explanation." Lawson said shaking her head. "Of course he wants the technology to use against the Collectors and Reapers but he is sincere in wanting to save these Colonies. The Alliance isn't helping the way Cerberus has. One AA tower and a small squad? That isn't nearly enough!"
"Miranda you and Chambers want to help, your motives are pure but your boss... not so much." Garrus added.
"He told me that his reluctance was due to the fact he wanted to be more confident about the information garnished groundside. He forgets I am not his subordinate." she looked to Lawson this time the message was very different. "On the Normandy there is only one in command of this mission, isn't that correct Operative Lawson?"
"Of course it is, Commander. There was never any doubt." the older woman said confidently. The hand on her shoulder was removed. Only Samara and Shepard noticed Miranda scratched the spot under her collarbone while the others simply dismissed the action.
"It's that easy?" Jack "Her motives are pure. Ha! She's Cerberus you can't trust them or her, Shepard."
Heedless of who else was in the room Miranda whirled around, pushed past Garrus to stand nose to nose with Jack. "Why does it matter if I'm with Cerberus?"
Jack leaned in her brown eyes glaring into gray. "Easy fucking answer Cheerleader. They've been on my ass for years. Anytime I get free, they put a huge bounty on me. That's why Warden Kuril figured he'd struck gold when he caught me. Surprised the shit out of him when he saw his buyer was a fucking Spectre."
"You destroyed Cerberus property and killed Cerberus people, hence the bounty."
"You die first."
"I am as loyal to Shepard and this mission's success as anyone else in this room, Jack. What about you? Are you loyal?"
"Loyal enough. "
"What in the hell is that supposed to even mean?"
Garrus and Shepard shared a look that said rum and chocolate not a bad idea. Lets leave them behind and get on with the real task. They fear what they do not understand, and despise what they do not fear. It was as if Hell went for a stroll with its sleeves rolled up.
"When we go groundside my life is in the hands of the both of you. I trust that." Shepard declared. "As I do with anyone in this room" the argument ended. Full stop.
Shepard continued her briefing as if the bickering had not even begun: "We do not know the reason or motive for harvesting humans or why the Collectors need so many." Shepard tapped a few commands into the guai interface that brought up a large display screen on it was a list of colonies and a large number behind each one. Like some macabre betting sheet at a sports arena
"Freedom's Progress had 912,810 souls. All taken by the Collectors in a matter of hours. The Collectors were there on Omega, not just for the plague but to harvest the 853, 245 human lives that make their home there. Aria gave me the total number when we...had our private conference. Each Colony they've hit has nearly the same number. Ferris Fields, Fehl Prime. Each was targets of the Collectors, each harvested. Horizon has 643,315 lives; they are all counting us to save them even if they don't know it.
"I want everyone to set your omni-tools to make scans for our mission reports. Miranda you will continue as we discussed. Keep feeding TIMmy what he needs to see. I appreciate the difficult role you are playing." She gave a very pointed look to Jack as if asking: there - satisfied of Lawson's dedication and loyalty to the crew and mission?
"After your recordings on the field mission have been complied I will send them through the QIC to Councilor Anderson so he can pass them to the Alliance as well as to the Council themselves. Providence with us the Council may take things more seriously if they have actual proof of Collector involvement." She didn't add as well to her own ship's log but that was a forgone conclusion. Or that the same reports were going to be sent though the Justicars on Thessia as a way of insurance.
EDI was listening. She was always listening and while Tali had been able to get into the AI's matrix to change her outward aesthetics and make sure she was now hobbled by Shepard and not Cerberus there was always a distinct there where backdoor protocols that opened the AI to TIM's direct control or the very lest monitoring. There were still blocks in place in the EDI's matrix that stipulated Cerberus still had dominion over the shackled AI
Shepard already had a long list of compiled data she was going to send to Anderson. The schematics for the new armour upgrades to use against the seeker swarms provided they worked. The recordings she had of her conference with TIMmy, as well as scans of the Collector weaponry namely the assault rifle and SMG weapons that again Cerberus had somehow gotten a hold of. Mordin had compiled everything he had on the captive seeker which would be then added to whatever they discovered of their Collector prisoner, provided of course if they managed to capture one.
The Spectre intended to give what she had to Ash once they reunited on Horizon. 'Goddess' she uttered softly within her own mind. 'Let her be safe, let her be fighting'
"Miranda you mentioned the Alliance AA tower and a small squad groundside." Shepard didn't add 'how you found out without me telling you…' but the silent question was implied though it did not require an answer. They both knew it. TIMmy. While Lawson fed MT. Illusive reports on Shepard and the mission he in trade gave his assumed loyalist various reports as well, things he was not directly relaying to Shepard. "That is correct. Ashley Williams. Most of you don't know her but she was with me along side Garrus and Tali when we hunted down Saren. She's a good marine. Tough. dedicated.
"With her down there, she will be rallying the civilian militia as best as she is able before they become immobilized by the seekers. Hopefully she would have done a great deal of damage before that happens. And the AA tower put a few holes bug's ship. Watch your teammates, watch your six." She looked to each face. "Above all keep frosty. Dismissed."