A/N: YAYYYYYY! I'm back!
I say YAY for two reasons. Firstly, I can WALK muffintruckers! No cane, no limp…I am a walkin' machine!
Secondly, you will not believe how much I missed Del. It's insane how much you can miss a fictional character. I will tell you, two weeks of not being able to write has prompted a lot of ideas…most are for DE3 but you will see some others appear soon
At any rate, I've kept y'all waiting more than long enough. On with the show!
Gloved hands gripped each other frantically, muscles shaking with determination. As the platform around them jolted, Shepard felt her grip loosen ever so slightly, and grit her teeth, holding harder. "I won't let go," she snarled.
Kasumi's feet were hanging over a hundred feet of open air…a distance that was now increasing, as the platform they were on began to rise into the air. Shepard, on her stomach and awkwardly gripping a protrusion with her free hand in order not to fall off herself, could feel her muscles starting to cramp. She had no leverage to actually pull the woman up and after that shock she had sustained, her arms felt like overcooked noodles.
The shock had rendered her only momentarily unconscious. A burning, metallic taste in her throat punctuated her opening her eyes, and almost instantly her gaze had landed on the hands gripping the smooth edge of the platform frantically. Kasumi had caught herself at the last moment but could not hold. Del had lunged forward just in time to catch her hand as it slipped free, and now they were here.
She felt the woman's fingers slip through hers another centimeter, and she shifted forward ever so slightly, trying to maintain her hold. Her grip on the protrusion was sliding as well, her fingers aching as she fought to hold on, she was now in danger once again of falling over right after the thief.
"Kas, hold on…" she urged, but both of them had lost their strength. Shepard's arm felt like it was on fire and her fingers were loosening more and more. Kasumi was about to break free.
Desperately, Shepard released the protrusion and flung her free hand down, grabbing the thief's wrist in a final frantic attempt to help her. The motion and the release of her anchor, however, tipped the balance. Even as she grabbed on she felt her momentum growing as she slid inexorably toward the drop herself, the cant of the moving platform only increasing her speed. In less than a heartbeat, Shepard's shoulders and torso were off the platform, both she and Kasumi starting to fall.
Then, they halted, blue fire surrounding them. Shepard met Kasumi's wide eyes, both women letting out almost simultaneous gasps of relief. Lifted effortlessly through the air, they settled safely to the floor of the platform.
Laying there only a moment until her heart started beating again, Shepard lifted her head and sat up, looking over at Kasumi. "You ok?"
"I think I saw my entire life flash before my eyes," Kasumi said shakily, then nodded. "Yes, I'm all right, I think."
Turning her gaze to Samara, Shepard could see the asari woman still looked a little dazed, slightly paler than she should. Getting to her feet she gripped her arm lightly, peering into her eyes. "Are you ok?"
"I got up a shield but it was an overload rocket," the woman said. "The shield only made it detonate more swiftly. Grunt and I sustained the brunt of the electric shock but I think I will be fine."
"Grunt?" Shepard asked, looking past the asari. The krogan boy looked even more dazed, his eyes unfocused as he peered up at her from where he was sitting. One side of his plates looked scorched. "Grunt, you five-by?"
"I'm fine," he grumped, forcing himself to his unsteady feet. "Nothing more than a massage."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Shepard mumbled, before she headed back toward the console. The platform was still moving, sailing swiftly into the cavernous room. In the distance, she could see similar platforms converging on them…and she doubted they'd be empty.
"Focus fast," she told the krogan boy even as she drew her rifle. "Looks like this party is about to get even more exciting."
"I have completely lost contact," EDI stated. Though Joker barely glanced at the blue orb hovering near his left arm, he was surprised to hear what sounded like actual concern from the AI.
Don't be silly. It's a machine, a computer. Computers don't have feelings. At least, not any good ones…ones that don't involve shooting or setting organics on fire, anyway.
On his other side, the Shepard VI was standing in muted silence, a shimmering yellow ghost of the Commander.
She might even be a ghost right now, he thought, before shaking his head once, refocusing on his work.
"I'm attempting to re-establish communication," he told her. "What happened?"
"I do not know. However I have a suspicion, and if it is correct, we are going to see that ship starting to power up its systems again very soon."
"Normandy to shore party, Normandy to shore party, can you hear me Commander?" He urged. The sound of static was the only response. As he tried to boost the signal he said, "If that ship powers back up we're pancake batter. What's your suspicion?"
"I have just confirmed my suspicion. This is a trap. We need to re-establish communications."
"Yeah, no kidding," he grumped, and tried again. "Normandy to shore party, Commander, are you reading me?"
Static hissed again a breath before a voice finally replaced it. {This is Shepard. We're all right. We're on some kind of platform and we've taken a lot of heat.}
"Commander," EDI broke in. "This entire situation is fabricated. I have just confirmed that this is a trap. The turian signal beacon was falsified. More, I believe the Illusive Man was aware of this fact."
{What?} Joker could hear the absolute fury in Shepard's voice even over the com. It wasn't the hot fury that preceded her beating the shit out of something…this was the cold, almost calm fury that promised nothing short of hellfire and brimstone and utter destruction. {You're absolutely sure?}
"Turians use secondary encryption on their communications and emergency signals. It is corrupted in the signal that we received."
{I have no doubt this is a trap, we kind of figured that out on our own, but you're positive the Illusive Man was aware?}
"I do not see how he could not be. The software I used to detect the corrupted encryption was written by him. He could not have failed to detect it himself before forwarding us the information."
{That goddamn zhu tou son of a yanse lang! Chou wang ba dan! Cao! Shen jing bing!}
Joker didn't understand nearly half of what she said, but he leaned back slightly anyway, as if her words were a blowtorch that might suddenly aim in his direction.
"Commander, I need you to re-establish my uplink to the network. I can complete my data-mine and possibly take control of the platform you are on if I am able to infiltrate their systems," EDI told her, nonplussed.
{I'm re-linking now. Get what you need and get us the fuck out of here. We can't take this entire ship on our own.}
It did not take EDI long to insert herself into the systems of the ship. Shortly after, the platform returned to its base and docked, allowing them off their isolated little island. Not far behind them, new platforms were beginning to swing in, the once absent crew of the vessel now painfully in evidence.
Shepard was like a tempest from the moment she set foot on solid ground again. Her fury at the Illusive Man's betrayal was clamped down, screwed tight, and poured into a controllable force she wielded like a revenant against their converging, insectile enemy. Even Grunt blinked once or twice in observance of it. He hadn't realized humans could go into a blood rage.
Even so, their fight was not easy. They were battling for every foot, EDI struggling to remain in the system even as the Collectors tried to purge her. Doors she would unlock for them would remain open only seconds before they would slam shut again, forcing her to attempt another path. All the while, the ship's cold systems were slowly powering back on. If the weapons regained firing ability, the Normandy would be lost. They had to get back before that happened.
Shepard's back and shoulders slammed against a wall as a swarm of husks appeared just around the corner, snatching her last grenade off her belt as she did so. "Fire in the hole," she called, even as she pitched it toward the abominations.
There was a bark and a cough of flame. Half of the husks dissolved into cybernetics and ash, several of the remaining half catching fire. Almost in tandem she and Grunt rounded out from cover, their rifles erupting into life to mow down the remainder.
SHEPARD.
The voice took her by surprise as the last husk dissolved. A cold ache ran down her spine, a similar feeling to hearing the sound of nails on a chalkboard, but Mordin's failsafe seemed to be working. The voice was irritating, as he said, but her head didn't feel like it was about to explode.
Gesturing firmly at Grunt to take point, Shepard didn't pause as she turned her rifle to aim at the pair of Collector soldiers that just appeared from the rear, waving Samara and Kasumi ahead after Grunt as she took them out.
SHEPARD.
"Fuck off," she growled through her teeth, heading after her team.
I KNOW THIS HURTS YOU.
"Not any more it doesn't, fucker," she snapped. Hearing her, Kasumi gave her an odd look. Shepard shook her head and pointed firmly forward.
YOUR RESISTANCE IS POINTLESS. WE WILL HAVE YOU SHEPARD. EVEN IF WE MUST TEAR YOU APART.
"EDI, how close are we to that exit?" Shepard shouted into her ear-bud, putting on speed as she heard Grunt open fire ahead of her. Her shield generator was beeping at her. The amount of heat they'd been taking had finally overloaded it, leaving nothing but her pads between her and instant death if the Collectors managed to place a good shot.
{Fifty more yards, Shepard. You are nearly there.}
The four were at full speed now, turning down the last corridor and seeing the hovering shuttle in the distance, waiting for them. The final sprint would not be easy, however…drones and husks seemed to be pouring out of every crevice.
Gunfire and biotics filled the air, none of the four daring to slow any more than necessary as they mowed a path. Catching up to Kasumi and Samara in the final yards Shepard all but shoved them ahead of her, barking 'go' as she whirled to cover their flank. Baring her teeth, she raked a screen of bullets over the onrushing foe, knocking down three drones and tearing the legs out from under a pair of husks, even as she continued to move backward toward the shuttle.
"Shepard!" Kasumi suddenly shouted, even as Del turned to make the final run for it…and nearly collided with the drone that had somehow gotten behind her.
No…not a drone. Its carapace had cracked as if the being beneath it had swelled somehow, its eyes yellow balefire.
Too close for her rifle to be of any use, Shepard reflexively punched even as the thing grabbed her. Her fist slammed into what passed for its jaw hard enough to turn its head, her hand flaring with white heat up her arm as every single finger seemed to break at once. It was like punching steel.
Her feet left the ground as the thing gripped her upper arms, hauling her up into the air like a parent might haul a petulant child.
SHEPARD. WE HAVE YOU.
"Fuck you," she snarled, a breath before its skull evacuated, black ichor splashing over her face plate. Her head snapped back at the same time, as if someone had tied a string to the back helmet and then given it a sharp yank. She heard the sharp crack of the casing.
The possessed Collector collapsed forward, the yellow light in its eyes fading. Shepard hit the ground with her back a breath before the dead thing dropped on top of her, its weight enough to bark the air from her lungs, make her ribs and gut protest sharply even through her hard-suit.
"Shepard!" She dimly heard Kasumi's voice. A shimmer of blue swept past her face plate and the weight on her lifted, shifting aside before dropping again. Almost instantly it was replaced by Kasumi's face, her brown eyes wide. Then she was gone, pulled aside by Samara as Grunt descended.
Her stomach lurched sickeningly as the young krogan hauled her up, flinging her over his shoulder. With a struggling gasp, her lungs began to work again, drawing air. Moments later Grunt laid her back on the bench in the shuttle, the door lowering shut as the shuttle swept away from the Collector ship.
"Shepard," Grunt mumbled. She managed to focus on his face and saw something strange in his blue eyes.
She had never seen a krogan look horrified before.
Before she could respond, Kasumi's voice drew near again. "Is she alive?" she asked tremulously. "Grunt, is she-"
"I'm fine," Shepard rasped and shifted, trying to push herself into a sit. Kasumi grabbed her in an attempt to keep her down, and Shepard…not ungently…blocked her attempt and got upright. Unfastening her helmet, she grunted faintly as she drew it off, the motion making her neck and hand protest. Sweat-dampened hair fell over her forehead as she turned the helmet over, regarding it.
The front top of the casing had broken, the metal and reinforced ceramic beneath sharply bent, just over the forehead. The rifle shot that had killed the possessed drone had hit her helmet just high enough that it had deflected rather than penetrating.
With a snort, as if it meant nothing, Shepard cast the helmet aside and touched her ear bud. "Normandy, we're docking now…get us the fuck out of here the moment we're in."
{You don't have to tell me twice,} he replied.
"Anyone hurt?" she asked, panting a little as she peered up at the other three.
"You're the one that got shot in the head and you're asking if we're ok?" Kasumi asked. Shepard gave her a look and the thief just shook her head. "I'm fine. Just a bit exhausted. Maybe a few bruises but nothing to write home about."
"We are fine, Shepard," Samara said calmly.
"Yeah," Grunt echoed. "Once again, you're the one that had all the fun."
Though his words seemed meant to be joking, Shepard could tell his heart wasn't in it. Big and strong as he was, Grunt was still little more than a boy. He had made a stupid mistake, taking that shot at the Collector with Shepard so close to it, and he knew it.
Giving him a tired smile, she shook her head, the motion brief and ginger. "What can I say? I don't like to share," she teased back. She felt the faint bump as the shuttle settled, and immediately pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the ache in her gut and chest as she did so. Grunt picked up her cast aside helmet, one blunt finger brushing over the dent before he followed her out onto the deck.
"Joker, are we clear?" she asked even as she strode for the lift.
{We just hit FTL…right in the nick of time, Commander. Another second and we would have been carved in half.}
"I want a full goddamn report, and tell Miranda to get the Illusive Man on the line, ma shang!"
{Yes, ma'am,}
Catching Kasumi's glower as the small thief caught up with her, Shepard lowered her head a little, conceding. "I'll be in the infirmary. EDI can fill me in there."
{Understood.}
"It was indeed the same ship that attacked the Normandy two years ago," EDI's blue orb supplied. "The same that infiltrated Horizon."
Shepard sat on the edge of the bio-bed, her face grim as Chakwas ran a pulse generator over the back of her neck, easing the whiplash she'd sustained when she'd been impacted by Grunt's shot.
"Same fucking ship," she grumped softly. "Of course it was the same fucking ship."
"I was also able to retrieve a great deal of navigational information from its databases," EDI continued. "I believe I can pinpoint the location of the Collector home world based on this data."
"That's something at least," Shepard agreed. "Any chance you found out what the fuck they're doing with our people?"
"Unfortunately no. If that information was in their network, it was too heavily encrypted for me to access in the time that I had. I have deduced, however, that the Collectors use an advanced IFF system to safely access and pass through the Omega 4 relay. I can provide more information during the crew briefing."
"Good. Good work, EDI. You did a great job getting us out of there and getting us this intel. I owe you one."
"I…you are welcome, Shepard," EDI replied, actually sounding a little flustered. As her interface vanished, Chakwas switched off the pulse generator.
"There, that should do it," she said. "Take it easy on that hand, Commander. No boxing for at least two days. Four fractured fingers are nothing to sniff at, and you'll break them all over again if you go hitting anything harder than a pillow in the next few days."
"I'll try and keep that in mind."
Chakwas lifted a brow, striding toward her desk as Shepard slipped off the bio-bed, shifting her head from side to side as she tested her neck.
"I would, however," Helen continued as she walked, "like to discuss this."
She plucked Shepard's helmet off of the desk, holding it up meaningfully as she turned around.
"What's to discuss?" Shepard asked.
"A half inch lower and that shot would have been in your skull, and we would have been out our Commander."
"He's a boy, Helen. A krogan boy at that. He got gung-ho, made a mistake. He also probably saved all our lives by taking that shot. If he hadn't dropped that fucking drone as fast as he did, we may not have made it back in time to get the Normandy to FTL."
"I know, and I know he's young, Commander, but that single mistake could have been fatal. If nothing else, I don't want to be the one to tell Liara that you took a bullet to the brain…especially not if it's friendly fire. It's going to be a big enough mess when she finds out about this much-"
"She's not going to find out," Shepard said sternly. "She doesn't need to know."
"Shepard-"
"She's got enough worries on her mind, Helen. My helmet did its job. I wasn't hurt. Knowing about this will only upset her and it's not necessary."
"She'll find out eventually. She is the Shadow Broker," Helen pointed out.
"Then I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, done is done. I'm fine, and Grunt will never make that mistake again, you can bank on it."
Chakwas sighed, then nodded as she handed Shepard the helmet. "As you want, Commander."
{Shepard, the Illusive Man is on the line,} Miranda's voice broke in. Shepard's jaw steeled.
"If you'll excuse me, Helen."
The doctor nodded, watching as Shepard turned and strode out.
I hope the fire suppression systems are in good condition, she thought as the Commander left. With the heat that Shepard's about to lay down I have a feeling we're going to need them.
"Wo xi wang ni man man si, dan kuai dian xia di yu!"
"Shepard, you are not seeing the big picture," the Illusive Man said calmly, letting a stream of smoke out of his nostrils as he gently scrubbed the remains of his cigarette out in a nearby tray.
"Big picture? Big fucking picture?" Shepard snarled, incredulous. "You want to know what I see? I see that you fucking lied to us, let us walk right into a trap…a trap that could have gotten my crew killed! Ni shi bai chi!"
Though the depth of Shepard's rage was clear on her face, it was also betrayed by her increasing use of Chinese. Though not a native speaker, Shepard almost unconsciously switched to Mandarin whenever she was especially pissed off…and right now, she was especially pissed off.
"Yes, I knew it was a trap," the Illusive Man explained. "However I also knew that we had to take every advantage of this opportunity. The potential was too great to pass up…and it paid off. Thanks to your venture, we now know the location of the Collector home world, and how their ships pass safely through the relay. If we can manage to get hold of one of those IFFs we will be able to pursue them right into their nest. You'll be able to find Nancy."
"Do not bring her into this!" Shepard spat. "You could have told me it was a trap. We could have been prepared!"
"By doing so the Collectors may have been alerted and taken alternative steps," he said. "It was a risk, I agree…but you and your crew are the best, Commander. I knew you would be able to handle the situation and I was right. Here you are."
"Ni juede wo hen ben ma?" she demanded.
"No, I do not think you're an idiot," he replied, now starting to sound irritated. "On the contrary, I have extraordinary faith in you and your talents. That's why I brought you back. That's why I knew that you'd handle this challenge with aplomb. Like it or not, Shepard, hard decisions have to be made. Risks have to be taken, or we stand no chance of stopping the Reapers or getting our colonists back. You don't like the decision I made…that's fine. However the facts are with me and you know it. We are ten steps closer than we were, thanks to this venture. You and your crew made it out unscathed. Now we put this behind us and continue on, get the job done."
Shepard didn't speak, merely pointed at him, a universe full of threats and promises behind her hard, synthetic eyes before she snapped around on her heel and strode away from the influence of the holographic field.
"That can't be right," Miranda said in a low, baffled voice. Her blue eyes were fixed to the pulsing light on the galaxy map floating above the conference table.
"My calculations are correct, Operative Lawson," EDI affirmed. "All available data points to this conclusion. This is the location of the Collector home world."
"The galactic core," Shepard murmured softly, arms folded and chin lowered as she regarded the map as well.
"That's the reason no ship has ever returned," Jacob added from his seat. "It's normal for a ship to drift when hitting a relay…sometimes quite a distance. You got a 'landing zone' made up of exploding suns and black holes and that drift would be deadly."
"That must be what the specialized IFF does," Shepard agreed, straightening. "Activates more advanced relay protocols that eliminate the drift."
"Logic would then conclude that a small safe zone exists beyond the relay," EDI agreed.
Shepard hummed thoughtfully under her breath, then nodded. "Even more reason to get our hands on one of those IFFs. EDI, forward this information to Liara. See if she can't dig up any research information on mass relays that might help her to possibly fabricate one of these IFFs. It's a slim chance but it would be easier to build our own than try and heist one off another Collector ship."
"I will do so immediately, Commander," EDI replied.
"Miranda, stay on the intel yourself," Shepard added, looking at her XO. "See if you can't find a way to get us an IFF by other means if need be. Everyone, dismissed."
There was a low rumble as the group rose from their collective seats and began to file out. Shepard remained where she was, artificial pupils still affixed to the location marker hovering over the galactic core.
Is that where you are, Nan? Lost somewhere in the very hub of our galaxy? I'm going to find you. I swear it. I'm going to find you and bring you home again.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, a cigar slowly smoldered between her teeth,Shepard leaned forward, her hand against her forehead, eyes closed. Deep inside, she was still all but trembling in unadulterated anger over what had happened. Her safety was one thing…she had no particular desire to die but she could handle danger, handle injuries. It was part of the job description.
However you didn't fuck with her crew. Kasumi, Samara, Grunt…they could have been killed. Kasumi very nearly had been. The Collector ship could have torn the Normandy to shreds…again. Joker, Kelly, Tali and the engineers, Miranda…everyone could have been lost. All because that fucking asshole hadn't bothered to warn her she was walking right into a blazing fire.
One day, she was going to find that man, and she was going to skin him alive.
Shifting the stump of her cigar moodily she was unsurprised by the chime that came from her omni-tool. She didn't even have to look at the ident to know who it was, merely answering the call and activating the projector.
"The galactic core?" Liara said softly as she appeared. Shepard looked up at her with a grim nod. She said nothing about the Illusive Man and his 'trap', nor about Grunt and his mistake. As she had told Chakwas, Liara had enough on her mind…far more than she needed or deserved. Knowing such details would do her no good right now, though Shepard was already cringing internally about what would happen when she did find out.
She will find out. It's inevitable.
"According to the nav data we were able to mine," she said aloud, plucking out her stogie and getting to her feet. "It's not so bad, though."
"Not so bad? Shepard, the core is a tangle of thousands of black holes, impossible gravity wells, intense radiation and nearly constant supernovae-"
Shepard smirked and shrugged. "Yeah. Walk in the park."
"Please, do not be flippant," Liara said in exasperation. "This is serious."
"I know, Tianlán, I know," Shepard said gently, holding up her hands in surrender. "However if that is the location of the Collector home world than it stands to reason that there is some kind of safe zone, some small harbor at least. All we need is that IFF and we're golden, dong ma?"
"Such a simple request," Liara said with light sarcasm, folding her arms. She shook her head. "I will do what I can, but I do not hold out much hope that we can manufacture one. There would be no way to tell if it is calibrated perfectly enough without extensive testing...which would take months. Final stage testing would require passing a…a drone at least through the relay itself, and even then it's hypothetical at best that that drone would be able to transmit viable data back to this side, if it survives."
"I was afraid you were gonna say that. Months, we haven't got. Work on it if you can, but in the mean time it looks like we'll be hunting down another way to get an IFF."
"Just…be careful," Liara urged.
"I will," Shepard promised, then cleared her throat, her hands on her hips. "Well, I do have some good news. Miranda tells me that my new eyes will be ready in another week. Not that I'm not digging the cybernetic hellhound look but…"
Liara smiled softly. "That is good news. I have some of my own, as well. Sydney has returned, and she tells me that the Folly will be ready to accept the Normandy to begin on those upgrades at about the same time. I will be going as well. The upgrades should take nearly a week, with crews working around the clock. It is…time that we can spend together."
Shepard felt her shoulders loosen, a smile appearing on her face. "Your news is better than mine," she teased lightly. "Normally I don't take losing easily but…this time I'm happy to be defeated."
Liara's form stepped closer, one hand lifting to hover over Del's cheek, before it lowered. "I will see you then, Del."
"Sweet dreams, Liara," Shepard murmured back. As the holograph faded, the call ending, Shepard turned and looked at the slowly drifting white brides. What she wouldn't give for a bottle of whiskey on a distant beach somewhere right about now.
"Ain't no rest for the wicked," she grumped to herself. She could do nothing about the beach at the moment, but at least she could do something about the whiskey.