Stroyer pulled the large stolen freighter into range of the Mass Relay of the Omega system. As he plotted his course he looked back to see Elanor still fast asleep and Jason sitting at one of the communication stations, stewing.
"You're angry." Stroyer said.
"No shit." Jason replied, not looking up. "We just left our little brother behind to die. Hell, we didn't even give him a name."
"I know, but what could we do?" Stroyer asked as the Mass Relay recognized their approach and shot their ship forward. "If we'd stayed Cerberus would have just worn us down until we were dead."
"Maybe. Let's not keep it open. Where is Shepard?"
"Last report says she's on Illium." Stroyer stated, bringing up the extranet on his omni-tool. "Apparently this woman is so famous she can't go anywhere without being recognized. Tracking her was quite easy."
"Illium." Jason repeated, bringing up the information in his mind from what they had been taught in the clone pods. "Asari controlled city-world. Very wealthy, uptight society. Lot's of questionable legalities."
"According to the news articles made by her adoring fans, Shepard spent last night at some kind of dance hall with another crew member." Stroyer informed his brother. "I believe she's taking shore leave, or something similar. We'll get to Illium in roughly a day so we should catch her long before she decides to leave."
"Agreed." Said Jason, scanning more extranet hits. "That's Shepard, huh? Pretty. Small looking, too."
"Small?" Stroyer asked, raising an eyebrow. In comparison to military males the clones were a little thinner than most. That was mainly due to their genetic muscle weaving. Stronger, faster and more compact.
"I don't know, I expected her to be like six-four for some reason."
"Your idea of a hero is six-four?" Elanor asked as she woke up in the middle of the conversation.
"We've yet to determine if she's a hero." Jason answered. "But I just figured she'd be taller. Not so skinny, either. You sure we have the right person? I mean I really did not picture the savior of the galaxy as a red head."
"She doesn't need to be tall or muscular." Stroyer said, ignoring the red head comment. "She's a biotic, probably a solid shot and from these files little brother was downloading from the Illusive Man, her best weapon was her leadership. Makes sense, I guess. What's worse than a crazy man with a gun? A crazy man with ten thousand."
"Right." Elanor said, halfheartedly. "So what am I supposed to do here? I'm trained to take on pirates, not Alliance military, or assassins or hardcore mercs."
"You just provide overwatch for us." Jason replied, pulling out a Widow sniper rifle. "Ever used one of these?"
"Not that model but I know how to shoot." Elanor replied, gripping the weapon. It was heavier than the rifles she'd trained with, that was for sure.
"Your job isn't to shoot." Stroyer told her. "Not unless we take more than we can manage. Your job is to either watch us or watch Shepard through the scope from far away. Tell us if anyone is heading for us, if she's running, what corner to turn down, things like that."
"But if we're getting shot at, feel free to paste someone to the wall." Jason said with a smirk.
Shepard laughed in a way she hadn't in a long time. As her arm ran out of slack she ceased the spinning she'd been doing and yo-yo'd back to Jacob and began moving side-to-side. She wasn't good at dancing. Not by a long shot, but he didn't seem to mind.
"You know, I think you're getting better at this." Jacob said with a grin.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Taylor." Shepard replied, grinning back. Jacob rolled his eyes and lifted an arm up to twirl her and when she stopped Shepard leaned back, all of her weight in Jacob's hands. He pulled her back up just in time and the music stopped. Of the dozen or so others dancing there Shepard was convinced they'd done the best, mainly because she was used to being the best at everything.
"What do you say to getting something to drink before we keep going?" Jacob suggested, pointing back to the booth they'd been sitting in.
"I could do with a drink, actually." Shepard replied and followed him over. "but I'd rather not suffer a hangover in the morning."
"I'm sure we can avoid that." Jacob replied with a laugh.
Elanor looked down through the scope of her new rifle, admiring the powerful zoom. She was able to see the Normandy docked across the skylane and when she zoomed in further she could make out individual faces. There'd been a bald woman and a raven haired woman who came close to killing each other outside with biotics. That was the first time she saw Shepard as the redhead ran out and broke them up.
Since then, however, it's been onsies and twosies and no one worth worrying over. Some big krogan in white armor, a little quarian who seemed to bounce a lot, a salarian and several humans. All of them came and went at different times, but none of them seemed to know she was watching them. Sure, that had a lot to do with the fact that she was over four hundred meters away, but she was comforted in the thought that she was safe where she was.
"Elanor, can you see me in your scope?" Stroyer asked. She looked by the stack of crates where he said he'd be and zoomed in.
"Yeah, I've got you." She replied and zoomed out a bit.
"Alright, I'm going to sneak aboard." Stroyer continued. "Once I'm in you and I will help Jason get on together."
"So I'm guessing I won't be getting on that ship with you two, then." Elanor asked, half relieved, half disappointed.
"No need." Jason keyed in. "Besides, if things go south and we need to make a quick exit, it'll be easier if you cover our escape with you tank killer gun."
"Right then. Stroyer... on you."
Stroyer looked in the direction that Elanor was in. Sure he couldn't see that far, but he knew where to look and nodded when she said they were waiting on him. Quickly and quietly he crept around crates, slid silently under floating transport carts and made his way to the ramp where a lone guard was posted. The Normandy had no reason to suspect anything, it seemed, or they would have had a better security force.
Stroyer came up behind the ramp and behind the guard as well and flipped himself silently on to it. Once he was certain the guard hadn't heard him he moved forward, grabbing the guard and quietly incapacitated him, dragging the unconscious man up the ramp.
"Alright Jason, just move when Elanor and I both say you're clear." Stroyer called over.
"Got it." Jason said, looking around warily.
"Clear on my end." Stroyer told them both.
"Hang on." Elanor said. "Patrol of Loki Mechs. Must be space port security. Alright... and... go."
Jason sprinted from one set of crates to the other and planted his back against them as he peered around the corner. More mechs walking about the place.
"Hang on." Elanor called over. "They're... just standing there. They haven't moved. Do you think they heard you?"
"Maybe they're static guards." Stroyer suggested. "Jason, think you can take them out quietly?"
"I can." The biotic replied. He turned the corner and before the mechs could demand to see his identification he hurled the trio of them over the railing.
"Won't that trigger an alarm?" Elanor demanded. "I thought you were going to take them out before they managed to get off a signal."
"No, we let them make the signal without alerting Shepard's crew." Jason replied. "By the time Shepard hears about any of this, we'll already be on board."
"I see... Clear on my end."
"Same here." Stroyer called out as Jason sprinted across the last bit of open space. "Alright... in we go."
"I'm not saying it's the best idea, I'm just saying it's an option." Joker said to Garrus at the chow table of the Normandy. "I mean, Shepard's going to go back to the Alliance sooner, rather than later. Probably a good idea to get rid of all the illegal weaponry we have here so they don't, I don't know, impound the Normandy for good or worse, give her to someone else."
"Of course, the Normandy still serving as a recon ship is worse than being impounded." Garrus replied sarcastically.
"Jeff, there is a problem." EDI called over the intercom.
"I know there is." Joker replied. "There's a bunch of crap still aboard my ship that can get us all canned."
"Your ship?" Garrus asked with a smirk.
"That is not the problem I am referring to, Jeff." EDI persisted. "We have a security breach."
"Let me guess." Joker said sarcastically. "That was a joke?"
"No Jeff."
"What? Shit, Garrus is there anyone else still aboard besides us?"
"Just you, me and Thane." Garrus replied and stood up from the table. "EDI, where's the breach?"
"They came through the main entryway and have since moved into the ducts." EDI replied. "I am tracking their movements. Take appropriate precautions, Garrus. They know that we are aware of their presence."
"Shit, they?" Joker asked. "How many?"
"Two individuals." EDI replied. "Unfortunately, while we are docked here under low power I cannot seal them in any of the compartments."
"Don't worry EDI." Garrus told the AI as he headed for Thane's quarters. "Thane and I will take care of our intruders. Joker, if you could, warn Shepard."
"Yeah, yeah I'm on it."
Garrus strolled into Thane's room to tell him the news but it looked like the assassin was already aware.
"I heard what EDI said." Thane told the turian. "I suggest we split up and corner them."
"My thoughts exactly." Garrus replied as he turned and headed for the hatch in the AI control core. Thane made his way to the elevator, taking it down one level. Garrus reached the duct entry in EDI's control room and pulled his sidearm up, aiming down the ladder before hopping in. "Come out come out wherever you are."
Shepard had never been much for slow dances, especially given her unnatural ability to dance horrendously at almost any given moment. Still, she was enjoying herself, latched on close to Jacob as they simply swayed back and forth to the strange, yet soothing hanar music.
"Oh, not now." Shepard muttered as her omni-tool began beeping. "This had better be good."
"Good is not the word I'd use to describe it, Commander." Joker replied over the omni-tool.
"What's the problem?" She asked, pulling away from Jacob.
"Intruders on the ship. Not sure how they got on board but Garrus and Thane went into the ducts after them."
"That seems almost impossible." Jacob said, shaking his head. "They infiltrated the Normandy? Jane, we really should install some kind of shield door or scanner before we dock next time."
"Yeah, I hear you." She said and began walking toward the exit. "Joker, call everyone else back to the Normandy. I'm on my way."
"Aye aye."
Joker turned around in his chair after disconnecting the last call to Jack and headed down into the CIC.
"EDI, did Garrus and Thane find these infiltrators?" Joker asked.
"No Jeff." EDI replied.
"This is Garrus, no sign of anything down here." The turian called over his omni-tool. "EDI are you sure? I mean, Shepard says you don't make mistakes but I've bumped into Thane four times now, but no one else. He hasn't seen them, either."
"They are still down in the ducts, Garrus." EDI replied. "Scans indicate small heat signatures moving all throughout them at a rapid pace."
"How can they be moving so quickly and yet we can't even hear them?" Garrus asked.
"Whatever is down here, they are either highly skilled or extremely small." Thane's voice replied.
"Wait, so the Normandy has been invaded by pyjaks?" Joker asked sarcastically.
"No, Jeff." EDI responded. "Optical scans show that it was two humans who made it aboard."
"Well maybe they can shape shift into cats or something, then." Joker replied, sitting down at the pilot's seat to initiate launch procedures. "Whatever it is, we can't stay and risk more getting on board. Once the whole crew gets back I'm pulling us out."
Shepard walked into the CIC, glancing around at the assembled team and sighed.
"So we've been looking for two humans, stowed away on hour ship for over an hour and nothing." She said aloud, shaking her head. "EDI... do you think maybe the Reaper tech we installed has caused a malfunction?"
"No, Commander." EDI replied. "There is no error. Two humans are aboard the ship. They have moved from the ducts to the port side observation deck."
"Kasumi, Thane, keep sweeping the ducts." Shepard ordered and looked at the rest of the group. "Grunt stay up here and make sure no one gets anywhere close to the cockpit. Jack, you too."
"Fine, whatever." Jack said, propping herself against the wall.
"No one is getting past us, Shepard." Grunt stated with a grin. "I'll make sure of that."
"Alright, everyone else spread out and search." Shepard replied. The group fanned out, most heading to the elevator to spread out between each level of the Normandy. Shepard made her way up to Joker and sighed. "Get us in the air before more sneak on board."
"I was just thinking that, Commander." Joker replied and pulled the Normandy back. "And hey, thanks for leaving the big guns behind."
"Have to keep the most important part of the ship secure." Shepard replied with a wink and headed to the elevator.
"EDI, where are they now?" Shepard asked as she approached the med bay.
"Scans indicate they are somewhere near the main battery." The AI replied.
"Zaeed here, I'm in the main battery and I can't see shit."
"Hold on, I'm coming over." Shepard replied. As she approached the door, they sprang open without the commander being close enough to have set them off.
"I have opened all doors, Commander." EDI said. "I detected hurried movement inside the main battery."
Shepard drew her shotgun and carefully moved into the room. Zaeed was down, sitting against the main gun's firing mechanism, unconscious. She knelt down next to him but something set off a cold feeling in her gut. She turned around and aimed her weapon.
"It's just me, Shepard!" Tali exclaimed, backing away. "Is he alright?"
"Sorry." The commander replied, lowering her shotgun. "Yeah, just unconscious. Whoever did it didn't even give him a chance to swear at them."
"How long did you have between when you spoke to Zaeed and when you saw him?" Tali asked.
"A few seconds..."
"That's not a lot of time." The quarian whispered.
"I know. We need to find these two intruders immediately..."