Back on the Normandy Shepard frowned Grunt immensely happy.

"Urdnot Grunt," he said as he paced up and down. "I like it. I have a clan. That makes me… it makes me want to fight—not able to!" He then clinched his fist in an enjoyable matter. "And Uvenk! I wanted to disembowel him! It's out his spine like a trophy!"

Shepard was slightly concerned by this. "We started this because you were losing control. Now you sound more violent than ever."

"Wrex said I was normal. Just had this built-up stuff because of being born in a tank. Now that I know it's not an outside thing and I have a place as a krogan, I like it." He then smiled. "Our enemies are in trouble, Shepard. And we better not run out of targets."

Shepard smiled at him. "There's no danger of that. They're practically lining up."

Grunt slammed his trip together enthusiastically. "Everyone gets a turn. Ha! Wouldn't want it any other way."

Shepard then it up with Mordin to see how he was dealing with the betrayal of Maelon.

"Still hard to believe Maelon betrayed me," said Mordin shaking his head. "Betrayed my work. Disgusted by his actions. Proud of his nerve, though. Always thought he lacked backbone. Hope you find something new. Better goal, better purpose. Fewer torture test."

Shepard stared at him. "You're really at peace with what happened?"

"Yes. Of course. Can't change what happened. Life continues. Back to mission, back to work. Become like Maelon otherwise. Salarian emotions processing faster than other species. Has to be. Short-lived culture. Can't spend time reminiscing."

"So you really don't feel bad at all what happened on Tuchanka?"

Mordin looked up from his research. "Yes, correct. Now, at least. Greatly distressed at the time. Stages of grief. Loss, anger, rationalisation. Dealt with it. Most issues settled on Tuchanka. Some on shuffled back to Normandy."

"Maelon didn't seem like he possessed his emotions response," Shepard noted. "He was obsessed with the genophage."

Mordin nodded. "True. Didn't mean to imply that salarians were healthier emotionally. Can still make wrong choices, bad decisions from grief, anger, guilt. Maelon couldn't accept feelings, made decisions, executed. Probably before I left for Omega. Wish I'd seen it." He then turned towards Shepard. "Salarians steel feel, just resolve it quickly. Explains lack of marriage. Can't sustain courtship emotions. Or perhaps based on reproduction. Unsure."

"What about Maelon's data on the genophage? His attempts at a cure?" Shepard asked.

"What about it? Have it over there somewhere?" said Mordin dismissively gesturing to his computer. "Not dealing with it now. Need to focus on Collectors. Not important now, regardless. Appreciate you helping me back on Tuchanka."

Shepard then went down to the medbay to see Dr Chakwas. He had a little present for her.

"How may I help you, Commander?" she asked.

"I have a present for you, doc," said Shepard holding out the brandy.

She just stared at it with her eyes widened. "Serrice Ice Brandy?" She then got to her feet and looked at Shepard. "You didn't." Shepard shrugged and Chakwas laughed. "Thank you. I always regretted not opening that original bottle—when I still could. I won't make the same mistake again. Why don't we open this bottle right here, right now, you and me?"

Shepard smiled. "You crack open the bottle. I'll get the glasses."

The two of them then spends her time drinking the bottle dry, laughing and retelling stories of their days in the Alliance.

"I thought Alenko's biotic display might have broken Jenkins' back, but Jenkins pops up and yells, 'That was awesome!'" said Chakwas impersonating Jenkins causing the two of them to laugh.

She then sat back down and sighed. "Ah, Jenkins. Soldier's like him make the Alliance great. Cerberus lacks the same… enthusiasm."

Shepard nodded. "With your service record, you could have gotten a tour on duty on any Alliance ship. Why did you really leave?"

Chakwas frowned. "Maybe it's less about leaving, and more about staying. As a military doctor. I mostly treat people who are in bad shape. Often, they die. And if I can help them, they move on. Either way, they leave."

"Don't you have any friends or family?"

She shook her head. "No, not lacking friendship—just stability. Jeff… Joker will always have Vrolik Syndrome. He would never admit it, but he needs my help. And he always will. I wish it weren't always, but sadly, it's true."

"Treating Joker gives you a kind of stability."

"So does this ship, even if it's just a copy." She then smiled at him. "Or, hell, maybe it's you. Shepard, immovable centre. A place for a person to stop and catch her breath. Or maybe I'm just happier drunk. Wouldn't hurt if it was simple like that for once?"

"To the people we care for," said Shepard holding out his glass.

"May we never take them for granted."

The two of them then drank.

Shepard had a nasty hangover when he woke up from his cabin. His cabin was now practically full of fish and ship models. Kelly had even offered to feed his face when he was away on active duty, and a place he took.

Speaking of Kelly, you remember that she mentioned that Jacob was a bit off after reading something on his emails. When you went to see him the man barely noticed him and only realised that he was in the room when they collided with one another.

"Commander? Sorry, I'm a little unfocused," he said apologetically. "Personal matter. It won't affect my duties."

Shepard very much doubted that. "The yeomen said you wanted to see me. What is this about, Jacob?"

"As I said, it's a personal matter. I don't want to waste our time if it turns out to be a goose chase," said Jacob as he paced up and down. "But…" He started and looked back at Shepard. "Well, I got pinged by a ghost the other night. Family."

Shepard frowned, Jacob told him that he had no family. "I'm listening."

"My private log got an update about the Hugo Gernsback, the ship my father served on," said Jacob leaning on the table. "It sent an SOS last week, reporting a crash and requesting a rescue. Shepard, that ship went missing ten years ago. I hadn't talked to my father for three years before that. I've buried everything but a body. I'm not convinced it's just an automatic distress signal ticking over. It's been too long."

"I'd think you'd be more excited that your father might be alive," Shepard frowned.

Shepard lost his father on Mindor and he would have been overjoyed to see him again. Even know the two of them had different career jobs in mind.

"He wasn't around enough to have bad memories," said Jacob. "It's an old, well-healed wound. Bert if he's actually alive and needs help… I also want to note that it's not a normal procedure for distress call was to be rooted to the Normandy. This was passed to my personal log through Cerberus filters."

"You didn't get along with your father?"

"He may no apologies, I'll give him that. You make a mistake, you own up to it, even if you keep making it. Whatever problems we had were a lifetime ago. I've had ten years to get to where I am now. And as far as I know, he's still a ghost."

"Tell me about the Hugo Gernsback and what was it doing," Shepard asked.

"Privately held figures. I looked over the mission brief when it disappeared. Nothing stood out. Typical research and grid operation. Found an uncharted planet, stake a claim, and establish as large a presence as you can as fast as possible to shut out competitors."

Shepard could see that this was greatly going to distract Jacob I mission of this importance distractions were dangerous. "I think we can spare the time. Pass the coordinates to Joker."

"I appreciate that, Commander," said Jacob gratefully. "I don't expect much more than dusty old bones, but it'll be good to close the record."

They soon reached the planet Aeia and send a probe to investigate the beacon they received from the Hugo Gernsback. The probe sent information telling them that the ship was indeed sending a distress signal.

They soon reached the planet on the shuttle and soon landed on the planet and EDI contacted them the moment they jumped off.

"I have run a scan of the ship. I detect no life signs, but there may be useful technology or information still inside," said EDI.

"There it is," said Jacob pointing towards the crashed ship. "And mostly intact. They could have survived the impact… but it's been years."

"Maybe the beacon was damaged and they just managed to repair it," Tali offered.

"Looks like it was stripped after the crash," Jacob noted. "They'd have tried to get a beacon up as soon as possible."

"Let's check the ship's computer and get some answers," said Shepard.

They accessed a computer terminal and heard the report from one of the survivors. It did not sound good in mentioned beatings and the fact that the cruel was suffering some sort of memory loss.

Then they heard the voice of VI. "Repeat: Toxicology Alert: Danger of rapid neural decay. Local flora chemically incompatible with human physiology."

They made their way over towards the VI and found the beacon operational. In fact it looked as if it had been operational for quite some time, years even.

"From the looks of it, this beacon's been here awhile," Shepard noted. "Why would they wait years to signal?"

"Pausing beacon protocol, eight years, 237 days, seven hours. Pause in recorded as: RECORD DELETED by Acting Captain Ronald Taylor."

"That's not right," Jacob frowned. "My father was first officer."

"Ronald Taylor was promoted under emergency command protocols. Other flagged issues: Unsafe deceleration. Local food and neural decay. Beacon activation protocols.

"Local food impairs brain functions? What are the effects?" Shepard asked.

"Impairment of mental functions due to chemical imbalance begins within seven days of ingesting local flora, regardless of decontamination or preparation. In fact on higher cognitive abilities and long-term memory is cumulative, but significant within a standard month. It is not known if neural decay is permanent. Data collection was not completed."

That did not sound good it that anyone had survived they wouldn't know up from down. Though they managed to get the beacon operational that meant that a few of them knew what they were doing.

"Why wasn't the beacon activated before now?" Shepard asked.

"This emergency beacon became functional after 358 days, 12 hours, following the unscheduled suborbital descent of the Hugo Gernsback. Activation was triggered remotely eight years, 237 days, seven hours on the authority of acting captain Ronald Taylor. Pausing beacon protocol is recorded as: RECORD DELETED."

Shepard doubted they would get much more information. "Come on, let's get going."

"Let's check the ship," said Jacob. "My father had the beacon for almost nine years. Maybe… that neural decay affected him."

Shepard nodded and looked at Mordin. "Mordin, even these effects are permanent?"

Mordin scratched his chin. "Not enough data to form hypothesis. Need specialised equipment to investigate. Recommend research ship for answers."

They investigated the ship and found more records the crew. One mentioned how a girl who lives, who threatened to report him now him with an innocent smile and he mentioned how they all looked innocent. The second came from the ship's doctor, who was clearly suffering from neural decay. The third mentioned how Jacob's father didn't command the same respect as the old captain.

"I have to say Jacob that things don't look good for your father," said Shepard looking at him.

"There still no record of what happened to him all the other members of the crew," said Jacob.

"We should check further inland," said Garrus. "If there were survivors they would choose a nice defendable range with plenty of cover to fend off predators."

"Sounds like a plan," said Shepard. "Let's move."

They made their way along the coastline where they found several crates lying around. Then suddenly out of nowhere a woman appeared, she had a very dazed look and her clothes were ragged.

"You came?" she screamed rushing over to them. "The leader said someone would come! He delayed for so long, but he still has power! Some have lost faith. The hunters! They will have seen your star. They will not let you help him."

Shepard looked bewildered. "What are you talking about? You're not making sense."

"I—I, uh… I don't remember how to say it," she said clutching her head. "He's our leader and we serve so… we can go home. But some want to fight him. They were—they were cast out." Shepard then saw movement behind her and went to investigate. "He exiled them, so they hunt his machines and who help him. They don't believe that rescue will come."

Shepard then saw a man appearing from behind cover with a pistol in his hand.

"Watch out!" he yelled and shoved the woman behind cover.

The woman automatically cradle herself. "Hunters! They won't stop until the leader is dead!"

"Kill them!" said the man is more men appeared with pistols. "Agents of the liar! He will not escape!"

Shepard then looked at his companions. "Injure! Don't kill!" he ordered.

That order was a lot harder than it sounded. Fortunately, Shepard and Mordin use their shock ammo to paralyse the hunters. Everyone else had to take aim at their legs to have them toppled over. Fortunately, they weren't well trained and were acting like animals than anything else.

Once the fighting stopped they tied up the hunters with very firm knot and made sure that they were far away from anything lethal. Mordin went to treat the woman, but she was too stunned to speak.

With the hunters tied up Shepard was certain that she was safe and they made their way up the cliff. On the way they encountered several mechs that have been stripped for parts and worn out, no doubt because of the hunters.

They made their way up the cliff and soon entered into a gorge and it looked as if there were people inside.

"Is that a settlement?" Jacob asked. "They'd better be friendly than the beach group. I need answers."

"Let's try not to hurt anyone," said Shepard. "I very much doubt these people know what they're doing."

Mordin nodded. "Yes. Neural decay indicates that it impairs brain functions. Unknown cure is reversible."

"We need a proper lab for that," said Shepard.

"Though it is clear that some are more violent than others," said Thane.

They soon entered into the settlement and to their surprise they found it completely filled with women. Some looked as if they had been beaten quite badly and their clothes were filthy and ragged looking. None of them attacked them with was a good sign.

"Huh. They're from the same group as the ones that attacked us, but these are docile," Garrus noted.

"There aren't any men here," Shepard frowned. "Maybe it affects genders differently? Makes males get violent?"

"Previous female said hunters were exiled. Behavioural or gendered-driven," said Mordin as he scanned the women.

Jacob then walked up. "It doesn't matter right now. One of these people must know what my father has to do with this!"

The moment they saw Jacob's face the women backed away.

"You have his face! He promised to call the sky, but he sends nothing."

"He forces us to eat, to… decay. You are cursed with his face!"

Shepard looked at Jacob. "Not the best reaction to the family resemblance, Jacob."

Jacob shook his head. "Why would my father forces crudity toxic food? Whatever's happening here needs to stop."

Shepard nodded. "Agreed. Mordin, you probably should stay here and find out what you can about this toxic food. Maybe you can find a way to treat them."

"What about the rest of us, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"We investigate the camp."

As they looked through the camp things got worse and worse. There was absolutely no food except for the toxic food and there were some sort of sculpture in the centre of the camp. From the size of it it looked as if that they drag it all the way from the beach.

Suddenly they came across several mechs attacking a woman. They intervene just in time before she got to badly beaten up.

"His mechs shoot without question? Not exactly long-term discipline solution," said Garrus.

"Well that would make them hate him. But maybe it was just for defence," said Jacob.

"I'm sorry Jacob, but I think we've gone well beyond that," said Shepard.

The woman that the mechs attacked for a doctors uniform. No doubt she was the ships medic.

"Please. Here. You could end it," she begged. She then turned to Jacob. "You… have his face… but you fight is… machines. You might stop this." She then handed Jacob a datapad. "This… I forgot how to… read, but this… was the start. What he promised, and what they did to us. We need the sky. Take us back to the sky."

Doctor then walked off and Mordin went to check for injuries. Jacob then access the datapad and what he saw looked troubling.

"Jacob? What does it say?" Shepard asked.

"It's a crew logbook. Some of them thought the beacon repair was taking too long. They were afraid they'd run out of supplies and lose their minds to the decay. My father restricted the ship and food for himself and the others officers so they wouldn't be affected. Everybody else had to eat toxic food and hope for treatment later. The rest is a casualty list. A few mutinied over the decision. My father and the officers turned the mechs on them."

Shepard nodded, he had seen the sort of thing before. "He was in command material, and it got to him. Couldn't keep the crew in line without violence."

"It didn't stop there. More incidents, harsh punishments. It's like they're cattle. Or toys. In a year, all the male crewmembers are flagged as 'exiled' or dead." He then looked at Shepard with disgust. "They separated out the women. Assigned them to officers like pets. And after the beacon is fixed, the officers appear in the casualties, too. After! My father took control and didn't stop it."

Shepard can believe that Jacob's father created a harem. "Does it say widely separated the men and women? Or is it as bad as it seems?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, it tends to gibberish. Maybe the men got violent early on, but from the state of this place, I'd say the hunter thing is recent." Jacob then clinched his fists. "What he allowed him, Shepard… I don't see any justification."

Shepard frowned. "We haven't seen any other offices. He killed them?"

"There were five after the crash: medical, engineer, bridge staff," said Jacob looking at the datapad. "Should've had no problem fixing the beacon and keeping people safe. All killed within the same week—about a month after the beacon was repaired."

Shepard shook his head. "Do you see any explanation for this? He's your father?"

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "Is he? None of this fits. Maybe the initial decision, but the rest? Abuse of power doesn't get any clearer than this. I need to find this man."

They found the entire path blockaded, Tali was able to reconnect and circus on a damaged mech. This course and overload the neck exploded destroying the barricade.

"This is Captain Ronald Taylor!" said a voice on their radios. "Thank god you're here! My crew went insane. I only just got free!"

"Goddamnit," said Jacob clenching his fist. "It's really him. Just got free? He's covering his ass."

They didn't go far down the line when they saw some corpses.

"The old corpse was posed, like a warning," said Garrus. "The new ones were left where they fell."

"The hunter started fighting back," said Jacob.

"Can't say I blame," said Shepard. "If we get out of this alive he'll be locked up quite some time."

"I cannot understand why a father would not wish to be reunited with his son," said Thane looking at Jacob.

Jacob shrugged. "At least you try to make up with your son. My old man didn't even try."

Seconds later they were attacked by mechs.

"Careful," said Ronald Taylor. "I automated my defences after the crew turned violent. They keep attacking! I had no choice."

"He had plenty of choices," Jacob growled as he shot down a mech. "Little late to blame his victims."

They kept on pushing through the mechs, who didn't pause one bit. Shepard managed to hack into a mech and had it turn on the others which gave them a bit of breathing room.

"I had to keep them busy, distracted, but it's getting dangerous," said Ronald Taylor over the radio. "Thank god you've come!"

"He had his fun and now he wants out," said Jacob furiously. "Son of a bitch."

"You do realise he just insult your grandmother," said Shepard.

"It's very hard insult your own family," said Jacob.

"I have to admit that this is an interesting family reunion," said Garrus.

"Considering the last two we had involved the death of one's father and the other stopping his son from assassinating this is quite normal," Shepard pointed out.

Tali looked at Garrus. "He's got a point."

They soon reached some sort of settlement on top of the cliff and found that not only mechs regarding it but some feral men.

"It took years to train my guards," said Ronald Taylor. "I'm afraid you'll have to fight them to rescue me."

Jacob looked furious. "Throwing people away. This… thing… is not my father."

"We just do the same thing we did on the beach, injure and not kill," said Shepard. "Then will have a talk with your father."

Taking down the mechs was easy, try not to harm the guards was another. Tali use a drone to distract them and Thane snuck behind them and knock them unconscious. Shepard uses shock ammo to paralyse any others.

Then suddenly a heavy mech blocked their path. Shepard fired a few rocket launchers that it severely damaging its armour and Garrus finished it with a well-placed shot from his sniper rifle.

"Enough with the toys," said Jacob they made their way towards the podium. "I need to look my father in the eye and hear him justify this."

They made their way to the podium and saw Ronald Taylor, he looked like an older Jacob and he was the first person they met to actually able to make sense.

"You're here!" he said with relief. "I knew a real squad would blow through just fine. Sorry if the mechs scuffed your pads." Shepard leaned over the balcony that overlooks the sea. "I'll get you something nice when we get back to Alliance space. I've got to have some back-pay coming."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "What about your crew, Acting Captain?"

"Total loss," said Ronald Taylor. "The toxic food turned them wild. They propped me up here in some kind of ritual behaviour. Waiting for a chance to signal has been hell."

Jacob shook his head in disbelief. "That's the best you can do?"

Ronald Taylor looked at Shepard. "You let all your people talk back like that… uh… who are you, exactly?"

Shepard turned to face and folded his arms. "Commander Shepard of the Normandy. I believe you are acquainted with Mr Taylor."

Ronald Taylor's eyes widened and looked at Jacob. "Taylor? Jacob?" He shook his head. "No, not Jacob."

Jacob marched up to him. "Why not me? Would ten years of this look better to anyone else in the galaxy?"

"You have to understand. This isn't me," said Ronald Taylor. "The realities of command, they change you. I wasn't ready for that. I made sure you were taught right. Before I left. I had hoped to leave it at that."

"I'm not unreasonable, Captain," said Shepard. "But ten years? What happened?"

Jacob practically spat at him. "Goddamnit, why did you do this to your crew?"

Shepard notice out of the corner of his eye that some of the guards had regained consciousness.

"There was resistance to the plan," said Ronald Taylor. "Mutiny. We had to take a hard line to keep order. And things settle down." He then looked over the balcony and stared at the sea. "As the decay set, we made sure the crew were comfortable. Some even seemed happier. Ignorance is bliss, right? And they were grateful for guidance, like an instinct. Pure authority was… easy. At first."

Shepard then saw more of the guards approaching them, he turned around and gestured to the others. They pulled out their weapons and pointed them at the guards, thankfully they didn't bother to attack and surrendered. Walked up to Jacob as his father continued to talk.

"Months in, the effect lowered inhibition. They got territorial. Rank, protocol—they couldn't understand. We had to establish dominance. After a while the perks seemed… normal."

Jacob looked at the furious. "That's it? You created a harem and played king? Ten years in a juvenile fantasy?"

"I can't point to where it all went wrong. But when the beacon was ready, revealing what happened didn't seem like a good idea," said Ronald Taylor turning towards them.

"What happened to the other officers?" Shepard asked.

"Anders found his conscience a little too late to step back. He had an accident. Things got… tense. End of the day, I was the one with the mechs. I got a little basic in settling examples, but I was kind to my people once things settle down. Seemed like I earned some peace."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You fought over people like they were toys. Things."

"The stores from the ship couldn't last forever," Shepard pointed out. "You have to know this would end one day.

"Dining for one really stretched things out," said Ronald Taylor. "Besides, I can think of a lot worse retirement plans than stripping down and joining the droolers. That was before the hunters of course. Dumb or not, I'd feel it if they got their hands on me now. They want the blood. I prefer to keep it."

"It's all about you. Everything," Jacob growled.

"You didn't feel any responsibility to get out for the sake of family?" Shepard asked gesturing to Jacob.

Ronald Taylor waved dismissively. "I gave them a good start. He was a smart kid and was better off not following me. We figured that out a long time before I took jobs in deep space. And after things escalated here, it seemed best to just disappear off the galactic map."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "Until you needed someone to save your ass."

"What triggered the males to change and threaten you?" Shepard asked.

"This planet has some strange cycles to it. I've seen some plants around I never saw before, odd weather. Maybe some just adapted a little too well."

"And if you treat them like animals—big shock—they become animals?" said Jacob furiously.

"We can help these people," said Shepard. "Cerberus that have ships here in days and pull everyone out."

Jacob then pulled out his pistol and aimed it at his father, who backed away fearfully. "He's not worth the fuel to haul him out, or the air he's breathing. He's damned lucky I don't even think he's worth pulling the trigger." He then lowered his pistol and glared at his father. "I don't know who you are. Because you're not any farther I remember."

Shepard folded his arms. "We'll secure him for an Alliance court. For every year here, he'll have ten to think about it."

"Give them all the time in the galaxy," said Jacob he then looked at his father with disgust. "The man who did this doesn't know right from wrong."

"I'm sorry, Jacob," said Ronald Taylor. "I did the best I could."

"I'm ten years past believing that," said Jacob as he walked away.

"Alliance ships are inbound secure Captain Taylor and his crew, Commander," said Joker over the comm. "We'll be long gone by the time they get here."

"Don't even given the taillights," said Shepard.

"Roger that."

Shepard then entered into the briefing room where Jacob was talking to the Illusive Man.

"What you mean, it wasn't you?" said Jacob.

Shepard entered into the hologram projector next to Jacob and soon came face-to-face with the Illusive Man.

"Jacob, if I had leaked information about the Gernsback, I would be smiling at your resolution of the situation," said the Illusive Man. "I'm not smiling."

"Nothing goes through this ship—my ship—without a report to you," Shepard reminded.

"I had no more reason to believe Jacob's father was alive than he did," said the Illusive Man calmly. He then looked to Jacob. "But I'm happy to know the situation is behind you."

"Fine. You didn't forward it. So who did?" Jacob asked.

"I did."

They all turned and found Miranda had just entered into the hologram projector.

"Figures," said Shepard folding his arms. "Who else could get into Cerberus channels?"

"It was hardly classified. Just obscure." Miranda looked at Jacob. "There was a time when it mattered to you. Sending this along seemed like keeping an old promise. I keep my promises."

"Miranda, we'll discuss your liberal interpretation of security protocol in private," said the Illusive Man. "Shepard, Jacob."

The hologram soon faded and Shepard and Jacob looked at Miranda, who walked out of the room. Jacob then turned and looked at Shepard.

"You good with this, Jacob?" Shepard asked.

"It's all bull, Shepard," said Jacob. "Captain Taylor can rot in prison—it doesn't change who I am or what I know. I've already worn mourned the man used to be. I guess he was a good enough father that even he can't screw up what he taught me."

Shepard looked at the doorway where Miranda had just vanished from. "You had no idea Miranda was behind this?"

Jacob shook her head. "No. She's got a good memory. Selective, but good. I haven't thought about those days in a long time. Can't figure which promise she meant, though. Not sure I really want to know. She… requires a better man than I."

Shepard smiled. "Come on. We've got work to do."

Jacob nodded. "Aye, Commander." He then looked at Shepard awkwardly and finally said, "Shepard? Thanks for the help."

Shepard shook his hand. "Anytime, Jacob."

Rick was in his quarters going through the mess that had happened on Aeia. Hackett had sent him and his team to investigate and what he found was unbelievable.

Ashley looked disgusted as well. "I can't believe what that guy did."

"His name is Ronald Taylor," said Rick looking through the ship's manifest. "According to this it was the first officer on board the Gernsback. According to the large the captain died on re-entry and so he took charge as Acting Captain."

"Taylor?" Ashley frowned.

Rick nodded. "Yes, he's the father of Jacob Taylor, the man that is on Shepard's team. From what we could get from the survivors, or as much as we can put together, Shepard and his team arrived on the planet and sorted things out. I imagine it was then that signalled the Alliance about this mess."

"So Shepard beat us to it again," said Ashley.

"He does have a habit of getting around," Rick nodded.

The door of his quarters opened and the ship's doctor approached him.

"Well, doc?" Rick asked.

"The reports are accurate, the survivors, apart from Captain Taylor suffered neural decay from the toxic food on the planet. Symptoms include memory loss and behaviour that is similar to primitive instincts."

"Is it curable?" Ashley asked.

"With a bit of work, maybe," said the doctor.

"Then don't let me slowly down doc," said Rick.

The doctor nodded and left.

Ashley looked at Rick. "What's going to happen to Captain Taylor?"

"It's out of my hands, but it's safe to say that you'll be locked up for quite a few years," said Rick. "He'll be lucky if he ever sees the light of day again."