Disclaimer: not mine

I get it, no one's reading this one, but I'm having fun anyway.

Chapter 16

She turned as they heard weapons fire outside, being pushed back by the others to the most protected position. It went quiet and then the doors opened, admitting three armoured forms with weapons up. And then the leader stepped further in, where the light hit and her heart leapt into her throat. That…that was impossible! "Stand down Prazza!" She snapped, pushing past the others to stand before the impossible man. "Shepard…is it really you?"

"It's me Tali," he nodded to her, holstering his rifle, the other male following his lead while the woman hesitated before doing so. "It's so good to see you." He stepped towards her and she stared at him before holstering her pistol and reaching out to take his hands, scanning him, horrified by the results the program returned.

His body was full of cybernetics, without them…evidence of massive internal and external damage, cloned organs…all proof of a body that had gone through something catastrophic…like being spaced and re-entry. How was he alive?!

"Shepard…" and then her gaze went to his companions…and the symbol on their armour. "What are you doing here with Cerberus."

"Apparently they're the ones that fixed me up, I only just woke up. They told me it's been two years."

"It has," she agreed. What was Cerberus playing at? She looked at them again, the male was familiar…she'd seen him before, but where?

"They're Cerberus!" Prazza growled, rifle aimed their direction.

"I trust Shepard," she told him firmly.

"Something happen?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Cerberus attacked the Flotilla," she informed him, relieved to see the angry look he shot the woman, intrigued by the surprise the younger man showed briefly. Then again, if he was new or not highly ranked in the organisation, he would not be informed of all operations. Cerberus couldn't only hire xenophobic monsters, there had to be normal people too just looking to make a living.

"Why?" the young man looked at the woman who shook her head.

"I'm not informed on all operations, but I'm sure the Illusive Man had a good reason."

"To attack ships with children and civilians?" the man pressed and it suddenly clicked. He'd been at the Citadel ceremony, had received a medal…for leading the defence of the hospital. He'd been in an Alliance uniform then, why was he now with Cerberus. He looked at her and bowed his head respectfully, obviously not happy with the answer.

"Why are you here Tali?" Shepard asked to get them back on topic.

"Looking for a Quarian Pilgrim."

"Why would a Quarian come to a human colony for their Pilgrimage?" the ex-Alliance soldier asked, but he sounded more curious than anything else so she answered.

"Veetor wanted to help people, and he doesn't handle crowds well, which for a Quarian is dangerous. So he came here, to help this colony succeed. We were on the way here to retrieve him due to the other colony disappearances. When we arrived we found this."

"Is Veeter the one controlling the mechs?" Shepard asked, and she nodded.

"Most likely. That he had them attack fellow Quarians, the most likely cause is a fever and delirium. A tear in his suit, an infection at the exact wrong time."

"He's seeing us all as attackers," Yar…Yam…Yamada! That was his name.

She nodded in agreement. "If we split up and search, we will find him faster."

"We don't need Cerberus' help," Prazza spat, and she shot him a glare.

"We'll help. Hopefully he'll have something on what happened here," Shepard agreed.

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Sora paused in front of the screen, watching the advertisement. The Andromeda Initiative…it sounded crazy. Something like six hundred years in stasis, travelling through dark space, and for what? Then again…the Reapers…had someone actually paid attention and made moves to ensure there were survivors if what happened to the Protheans happened again?

It was very interesting that it had begun as a human initiative considering how hard the Alliance was pushing the idea that Shepard had been crazy for talking about the Reapers. Jien Garson was certainly charismatic and eccentric, but there was no way she didn't have other investors.

Sora shrugged it off and headed towards Eternity to meet the contact Liara had asked her to see. She was growing tired of Ilium but where else could they go? It was really the best place outside of the Citadel for Liara to work.

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Riku leant back in his seat as they headed back to base. The Collectors were behind the colony attacks, but why? What could they want with so many humans? That Quarian, Tali, even masked, the way she looked at them for being Cerberus…why had the Illusive Man attacked the Flotilla? It didn't make any sense, the Quarians were no threat at all, to anyone really. He didn't trust the man, but Cerberus had been an alternative to the Alliance, a way to keep serving humanity. He didn't mind them being a bit anti-alien, he wasn't really fond of the majority of aliens himself, though he'd work with them if necessary like he had in the hospital or Dr T'Soni's help in finding Shepard.

He was glad they'd found the missing kid, Veetor. Then again, they seemed to be of a similar age, so not a kid? He'd been obviously compromised by illness due to his suite being breached but it also partially seemed to be his personality. In a society like the Quarians that had to be a liability but Tali had been supportive and protective of him. Only one other of her squad had survived their suicidal rush but both had been ready to fight when Miranda suggested they send Veetor to a Cerberus base for treatment and to see what else he might know.

Riku wondered what would happen next, would Shepard agree to work with them to stop the Collectors? Or would he refuse and return to the Alliance and Council? Their shuttle docked and he walked off with them, Shepard heading to speak with the Illusive Man while Miranda began compiling reports. He grabbed a passing agent and got directions to a spare room where he could clean up and rest for a while. He'd gone a bit too heavy on the biotics out there thanks to the drones and his head was aching from the overuse. How much worse did L2's have it? He shuddered to think.

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"Shepherd, good work on Freedom's Progress. The Quarians forwarded their findings from Veetor's debriefing, no new data but it's a surprising olive branch given our history," he paused to breath in smoke. "You and I have different methods, but I can't argue with your results.

"You ever think about playing nice once in a while?" John asked, arms crossed as he stood in the small room, staring at a holographic display of the Illusive Man. There was nothing in the image to give a clue to his location, sadly.

"Diplomacy is great when it works, but difficult when everyone already perceives you as a threat. But more importantly you confirmed that the Collectors are behind the abductions."

"Why do I get the feeling you knew about them already?"

"I had my suspicions," he admitted, "but I needed proof. The collectors are enigmatic at best, they periodically travel to the Terminus systems looking to gather seemingly unimportant items or specimens, usually in exchange for their technology. When their transactions are complete they disappear as quickly as they arrived, back beyond the unmapped Omega 4 relay. Until now, we've had no evidence of direct aggression by the Collectors."

"Why is the Omega 4 relay unmapped?" It seemed strange that no one would have managed it.

"All we know is that no ship passing through it has ever returned. Our best guess is that the relay reacts differently to Collector vessels, allowing them safe passage. If they can manipulate relays that's just further evidence of the connexion with the Reapers."

"Any ideas on why they've shifted their focus to humans?" it seemed an odd change and so soon after Sovereign.

"If they're agents for the Reapers then it could be any number of reasons. Obviously humanity played a huge role in Sovereigns' destruction, that might have been enough to draw their attention. What really concerns me is why they bother abducting the colonists once the humans are paralysed."

John had to agree with that. What use could they have for so many humans? Whatever it was, it wasn't good. He listened to the mans' theories but that's all they were at the moment. "You're holding something back, how do you know the Reapers are involved?" he demanded after a while.

"The patterns are there, buried in the data. The Council and the Alliance want to believe the Reaper threat died with Sovereign. 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," he pointed out warily.

"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 on notify you and your team be ready."

"Keep your list, I want people I trust, the ones who help me stop Saren and the Geth." He wouldn't trust a team suggested by Cerberus. Miranda was not someone he trusted, though depending on why Yamada had left the Alliance and signed up, he might be at least somewhat trustworthy. He was young, likely not too hard to manipulate under the right circumstances and that was definitely something he could see Cerberus doing.

"That was two years ago Captain, most of them have moved on or their allegiances have changed. Alenko is still with the alliance, promoted I believe, his file is surprisingly well classified," the Illusive Man said before he could ask. "Wrex returned to Tuchanka and he hasn't gone off world in over a year. He's trying to unite the Krogan clans. Vakarian disappeared a few months after you were declared dead, even we haven't been able to locate him. You saw Zorah yourself on Freedom's Progress and I assume you asked her to join you there."

There were two others he hadn't mentioned. "Liara and Sora?" they were fine, Sora was an excellent fighter, she'd have kept her sister safe.

"On Illium. My sources say that Dr T'Soni is working for the shadow broker while her sister has left the military and is serving as her bodyguard. If so, they can't be trusted."

He could see Sora resigning for Liara. But working for the Shadow Broker? He didn't believe it, she was too independent to work for someone, especially someone so shady. So why say it? Did he not want John to approach them for some reason? Because Cerberus was anti-alien or for some other reason? Well, that meant the first chance he got he had to send a message to them. Besides, Wrex had been doing a job for the Broker when they'd met, so that wasn't a reason to not trust them.

"OK I get it they're not available," he said to make it seem like he was conceding.

"You're a leader Shepherd, you'll get who you need."

"I'm still a Spectre, maybe I can get the Council to help us out."

"If you think you can convince them, by all means. Just remember you've been gone al ong time, things have changed."

"You worry about the Collectors, I'll make sure my team is ready," John just wanted the conversation over, he had a lot to think about and to get moving on.

"Good. Two things before you go - first head to Omega and find Mordin Solus, he's a brilliant Salarian scientist and our intelligence suggests that he may know how to counteract the Collectors paralysing seeker swarms."

"Sounds good, what else?"

"I found a pilot I think you might like; I hear he's one of the best, someone you can trust."

John turned as he heard the door open only to stare in shock as a very familiar figure limped into the room. He was limping…but without crutches. He ignored the Illusive Man as the connection was cut to walk towards Joker, seeing he was wearing a Cerberus uniform.

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"Hey Comm…Captain, just like old times huh?" he asked with a grin, having to correct himself on the other mans' rank. Though, would the Alliance try and take it back once they found out he was alive and working with Cerberus?

"I can't believe it's you Joker," Shepard answered even as they walked away from the comm room.

"Look who's talking, I saw you get spaced," and he knew it was his fault. Seeing him alive, scarred sure, but fully there mentally and with all libs attached…

"I got lucky with a lot of strings attached," Shepard shook his head, and Joker wondered just what kind of strings there were. Was the Illusive Man making him work for Cerberus? Did he need ongoing medical help and they were threatening to withhold it? "How'd you end up here?"

Joker grimaced. "It all fell apart without you Captain. Everything you started; the Council just wanted it gone. The team was broken up, records sealed, and I was grounded. The Alliance took away the one thing that mattered to me. Hell yeah I joined Cerberus."

"Do you really trust the Illusive Man?"

"I never trust anyone who makes more than I do, but they aren't all bad," he shrugged. "They saved your life, gave me a way to be more mobile, let me fly, and there's this," he stopped at the window and outside the lights came on to reveal a ship. It's shape was familiar, though it was larger. "They told me last night, though I'd already figured it out with the questions they've been asking me since I signed on. "It's good to be home," he grinned. "What's next Captain?"

"I guess we'll have to give her a name," Shepard answered, staring out at the SR-2.

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Liara read the reports of the latest colony disappearance, worried. Everyone was ignoring it as a human matter, blaming it on the colony locations, but she could tell there was more to it. She suspected the Collectors after what she had been learning in her search for the Broker. But those in Citadel space dismissed the Collectors as tales to frighten children, thought that they didn't exist or if they did then they were not a true threat. But…Alchera was in the Terminus and the computer had not recognised their attacker. Had the Collectors been the ones to attack them, a first attempt on John?

She didn't like what she was finding but she knew she didn't have the whole picture, not yet.

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Riku looked around the armoury, it would do. There was a small bunk at the back, that was all he needed and still beat the sleeper pods on the Cape Town. He dropped his bag on the bunk and then stripped out of his armour, stretching. He got the bunk area set up and then began exploring the armoury to see what they had and what he'd need to order or source elsewhere.

He'd seen the blueprints for the ship, had seen the original SR-1 in person, and this ship was definitely bigger but looked much the same. it wouldn't have been that difficult to make changes so why? The Illusive Man did everything for a reason, Riku had seen that much in his actions, so why make a replica of the SR-1? To make Shepard more comfortable? To remind him of his death and the consequences should they fail? He wasn't sure he liked it…and he'd expected to see Pressly at the Galaxy Map, his absence had hurt even after two years of knowing he was dead.

A glance outside showed they were leaving the station so he left the armoury for the CIC, finding Shepard at the console beside the Galaxy Map, scanning down the screen.

"Captain," he greeted, using the man's new rank.

It was easy to think of him as Commander Shepard, but he had been acting as a Captain from the moment he replaced Anderson on the Normandy even if it had taken the Alliance until after his death to promote him. Riku nodded to the young woman on the other side, Yeoman Chambers. Her addition to the crew could be useful with her psychological training, Shepard had to be having issues dealing with having missed years of his life. Riku had needed it, though he'd been drugged rather than dead. He still called his therapist on occasion; the woman was technically retired now but she had kept him on as a patient due to the classified nature of what had happened to him.

"Yamada," the Captain stepped back from the now blank screen. "We're heading for the Citadel; Anderson left me a message."

"I'll have a list of things we need for the ground team by the time we arrive."

"We're not fully stocked."

He shrugged. "I assumed you would something more than the standard loadout."

Shepard nodded. "Good work."

Riku returned to the armoury. The ground team was currently Shepard, Miranda, and him…would Shepard take them to meet Anderson? He wasn't sure how he felt about that though at least he wasn't Admiral Hackett.

He shook his head and got to work on figuring out what they'd need. He wasn't Alliance anymore; he was with Cerberus now and he'd have to get used to others not liking that.

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Sora slipped out of bed and walked over to the window, looking out at Ilium. What a strange dream…and that was saying something considering her usual dreams. Even at night, the traffic on Ilium was non-stop, the city lit up. She wished she understood her dreams, they were never entirely clear though. Mostly voices, snatches of hazy images…emotions. She walked over to the terminal and switched it on, no urgent messages and nothing on her calendar for the day. So she turned off her alarm and got back into bed, hoping for a dreamless sleep now.

TBC…