A/N: Just a bit of silly before we get into all the drama A conversation with EvilSwissMiss prompted this, so blame her ;)
**clears throat**
I am the very model of a hyperactive literist…I'll use my fic to decimate that coward of a Catalyst...in matters Li and Shepard I will be extremely amorous but in-evit-ably I will be the fade-to-black-iust…
When it comes to smokes and Li Del Shepard is in fact the greediest…the bars she likes to hang in are unfailingly the seediest…
I let my writing lead so that I am the left-of-canon-ist…I am the very model of a hyperactive lit-er-isssst!
**sketches bow**
**crickets**
**straightens and clears throat** Ahem. On to story.
"Where are you now?" she heard herself demand. Some part of her was aware of her fingers pressed hard to the edges of the console. Some part was aware of the form that moved to her side, not having to glance to know it was Sydney. Some part could also feel the distant pulse of her heartbeat, a heavy warning drum calling the natives to war.
"We were able to make an FTL jump out of the system. We travelled only far enough to elude the Collectors. We are returning to Hagalaz now, and should be back in solar orbit in five minutes. Our long range scans show the Collector vessel has already departed the system."
"This should not be possible," she heard Liara say from several feet away. "Feron, Ori, why did our own…"
Her voice continued but faded away from Shepard's radar as she continued speaking to EDI, asking the question she knew Sydney was fighting not to just blurt out. "EDI, what about the Pale Horse?"
Sydney's ship remained in solar orbit whenever the blonde was aboard the Broker ship. It provided yet another warning system in case anyone entered the system and sported enough gun-power to at least delay two or three frigates. The ship had been flanking the Normandy when they'd departed it to dock here.
"It is gone, Shepard," EDI replied bluntly. "The Collector vessel has more advanced FTL technology than any Alliance vessel. It appeared within latching distance of the Normandy. Unfortunately, the Pale Horse was in its landing path. It was destroyed at the same instant the hostile was upon us."
Shepard's grip on the console turned her knuckles white as she ducked her head a moment, before snarling, "How the fuck did we not know they were there?" she demanded furiously. "Ship that size should have tripped every alarm in the goddamn system!"
"The vessel-" EDI began to explain, only to cut off as Shepard interrupted.
"Save it! We can discuss it aboard ship. We're heading back now. I want the Normandy turning on its head and out of the system the instant we're aboard!"
"Understood."
Turning around, Shepard regarded all the eyes staring at her. "All right! My people; we're going to the shuttle now! We have to get after those fuckers before they get too far!"
"Wilcher, get this mess stowed and get this ship on full lockdown," Sydney barked at her second-in-command. Instantly the silence in the room shifted to chaos. The blonde followed Shepard as she headed over to where Liara and Feron were searching through a second console, a dozen screens lit up and hovering around them.
"Why did we get no alarms?" Del demanded.
"Not a single one of our systems was tripped," Liara told her. "Our short-range and long-range scans show the Normandy and the Pale Horse in orbit…and then the Pale Horse simply vanishes. The Collector vessel must have a stealth capability even greater than the Normandy."
"That's not possible," Sydney grumped. Shepard looked at her friend. Though she was holding herself together admirably, Del could see the grief and simmering fury in the blonde's eyes, her bearing. Shepard's crew had vanished, true…but Sydney's ship had been destroyed, fourteen men and women under her command lost beyond any hope of recovery. "Sovereign and the geth ships that attacked the Citadel showed no sign of stealth capability!"
"Liara," Feron, who had continued to dissect the files, suddenly spoke up…his voice troubled. "It's worse than that…"
"What?" Liara asked, looking at her friend.
"The Collector vessel has no stealth capability," he said. "Someone altered our security program algorithms to return a false negative when detecting the signature of both Collector and Reaper ships."
"What?"
He sent the display over to her, showing the gathered women the lines of code. "It was cleverly done, and would be unnoticeable unless something like this occurred to draw attention to it. Our systems are specifically attuned to treat these hostile ships as if they are completely invisible."
"Had to be that geth," Sydney growled. Shepard fixed her with a look, but Feron spoke again before she could reply.
"No. These alterations were made quite some time ago, long before the geth unit ever came aboard the Normandy. In fact, they nearly coincide with the arrival of Thanatos."
"No!" Sydney growled. "No, one of my people could not have done this. I trust every goddamn one of them with my life-"
"Syd," Del said sternly, and the blonde glared at her, literally trembling with fury.
"No! They would not have done this! Del, do you honestly think I would trust your life or Liara's to anyone that hadn't been proven through fire first? These are good people-"
"Who may not have had a choice!" Shepard snapped back.
"What are you talking abou-"
"Indoctrination," Shepard reminded her. "It's what the fucking Reapers do, Syd!"
"How would any of them become indoctrinated?"
"I don't know, and I can't stand here and figure it out. I need to get back to the Normandy and get after those fuckers before it's too late-"
"I am coming with you."
The words came from two different throats almost simultaneously. Both Liara and Sydney's jaws were set, determined.
Jesus fuck I don't have time for this! Del thought before she pointed at Syd. "Inform Wilcher what's going on. Get your crew to strip these systems and see if they can't find any trace of who might have done this. Tell him not to let anyone else on your team know what we suspect…you don't need your men shooting each other because they see traitors in every shadow."
"What if it's Wilcher?" Feron asked.
"Then he's either going to lay low or he's going to do something really fucking stupid, in which case it'll be obvious," Shepard told him.
"Deeds is coming too," Sydney stated. "She's a strong biotic and she has more than a few fights under her belt. She wasn't aboard yet when this happened so she's not the saboteur."
"Fine. Just get your orders set and get aboard. I'm not waiting for your tun."
As Sydney strode off, already barking for Wilcher, Shepard grasped Liara's arm and drew her a few feet away. "Liara-"
"I am going with you," Liara insisted firmly.
"This is a suicide mission!" Del hissed. "Do you understand what that means? I am not going to debate this with you-"
"No, you are not, because the decision is made," Liara said hotly, folding her arms. "I am not staying behind while you go off once again into more than certain death. If you are to die in this fight, Shepard….then I will be there and take that journey right alongside you."
"This galaxy needs-"
"This galaxy needs you just as much as it needs me," Liara contradicted instantly. "I am not staying behind again. You are running out of time, Shepard. We can either stand here arguing this or we can go after your crew."
Shepard's eyes turned darker a moment. That was a low goddamn blow, and she could see the faint wince in Liara's eyes that let her know the asari knew it.
They had no idea what to expect beyond the relay. Even with the IFF there was no guarantee they would even survive arriving at the galactic core. If they did, they still had an entire Collector home world to fight, unknown odds, unknown defenses, unknown terrain. They had done everything they could to prepare but there was no way to truly be ready for this. Taking Liara into that fire was an idea that made Shepard's gut quiver with an unfamiliar sensation.
Sheer, unadulterated fear.
Yet, she could not argue that Liara was more than capable of handling herself. Another powerful biotic on the ride would be helpful…at this point, any additional set of hands would be invaluable, so long as they knew how to point and shoot.
Secondly, it still remained that there was some kind of traitor aboard the Broker ship. Indoctrinated or not, the saboteur had compromised the security of the system and the vessel. This place was no longer safe, and could come under direct attack at any time. Liara would not be protected here, and they could not afford the time to take her anywhere that would be secure.
Stepping back a pace she spoke in a low voice edged with steel. "Get your gear and get on the shuttle. We need to move."
Joker couldn't have looked more beaten if he had tried, as he stood in front of Shepard, one hand cradling his ribs. Pain both physical and emotional were on his face, and he couldn't seem to meet her eyes. He kept them cast toward the ground throughout his entire report.
"EDI, why did you not alert us the moment the Collector ship appeared?" Shepard demanded, shifting her gaze to the hovering blue orb.
"Several reasons," EDI told her. "Firstly, the Collector ship was emitting an electrostatic pulse which immediately disrupted communication. Using the same encrypted signal that had transmitted our location, they attempted to introduce runtimes into my systems. I was successfully able to purge them, however it took a great deal of processing power. Had I attempted to send off a communication the runtimes would have gained a foothold and I would have been completely corrupted. Also-"
Here the AI paused, making Shepard lift a brow. "Also…?" she prodded.
"There would have been nothing you could do, Shepard," EDI admitted. "Were we to alert you to the situation, you could not have left Hagalaz without compromising its position. Any shuttles launched in an attempt to aid would have easily been targeted and eliminated by the hostiles before they could reach us. Your attempts to render aid would have resulted in the death of the rest of you, and we would stand no chance to rescue our people."
Our people, Shepard mentally noted, realizing just how far the AI had come. She had to concede that EDI had a point. Notifying them wouldn't have done anyone any good, but thanks to her and Joker's efforts, they at least had something of a fighting chance.
"Why did the Collectors not fire on Hagalaz?" Liara asked, standing with Sydney, Mordin, and Miranda nearby. "If an indoctrinated traitor was able to cripple our defense network in the system, surely they could have revealed our coordinates."
"Evidence suggests the traitor was never in direct communication with the Collectors," EDI told her. "An indoctrinated servant would conceivably corrupt defenses, perhaps in preparation for the full Reaper invasion, but would not necessarily know that a Collector ship or Reaper would enter the system anytime soon. Our activation of the IFF while in that particular location was mere happenstance…one a servant of the Reapers could not anticipate. Our experience with indoctrinated individuals also suggests that there are varying stages of the effect. One might be willing to disrupt defenses but not necessarily desire to reveal a target they were currently aboard…an attack would have left them as dead as it would the rest of you. We do not know the level of devotion yet needed to override the survival instinct."
"Besides, they didn't need to attack Hagalaz," Shepard grumbled. "They knew that if they took the crew we'd do exactly what we're doing…we'd come to them."
"Precisely."
"There's still the little matter of Joker unshackling an AI," Miranda pointed out.
"Hey, if I hadn't, you wouldn't even be standing on this ship," Jeff replied tensely. "EDI is the only reason any of us are here."
"Yes, but nothing is preventing her now from taking over the entirety of the ship, going rogue-"
"You wanna pick nits? Nothing's stopping you from drawing your pistol and shooting us right now," Joker shot back. "Just because someone can do something doesn't mean they will."
To hear Joker defend EDI so vehemently took Shepard aback. Normally he couldn't stop griping about her or arguing with her.
"That's enough, Joker," she warned. "Miranda is still your XO and you will show her respect."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I trust EDI. She could have betrayed us the instant those shackles came off if she wanted, she didn't. She's proven her devotion to this crew more than once," Shepard said, then looked at the salarian. "Mordin, I want you to take Joker down to the infirmary and patch him up. I want my pilot back at the helm as soon as possible."
The pair moved out, and Shepard returned her attention to EDI. "How long until we are at the Omega Four?"
"Four hours and eleven minutes, Shepard."
"All right. I want every goddamn one of those minutes to count. Miranda, I want personnel gear inspected and prepped, weapons, armor, barriers. I want full ship diagnostics and dry-run tests of the Thanix power systems. I want every single soul aboard this ship save Joker ready to hit the ground hot the instant we're through that relay."
Moving through the ship only punctuated its emptiness. Shepard distracted herself with orders and preparations as much as possible, but she could not tune out the empty stations, the fearful thoughts, no matter how hard she tried.
Kelly…gone.
Rupert…gone.
Gabriella and Kenneth…gone.
Helen…gone.
Closing off as tightly as she could, Shepard targeted her anger, shielded herself in her fury until she was every bit the seasoned Alliance Commander…every bit the wrath of damnation about to descend upon the heads of the unrighteous.
She returned to the Nest to retrieve some of her gear, only to slow to a halt, the set steel in her eyes momentarily losing some of its cohesion. Stepping forward a pace, her fingertips lightly brushed over the plasti-glass side of the habitat.
Rat lay unmoving within.
EDI had vented the ship when they ran, to clear the hostiles. She sealed Joker in the engine room but the rest of the ship was utterly exposed. Neither Rat's habitat nor her wall-sized aquarium was air-tight. Behind her in the shimmering blue, the lifeless white brides drifted like withering, fallen petals.
"I am sorry, Commander," EDI's voice sounded soft, almost tentative, as it spoke up from nearby.
"You did what was necessary, EDI," Del replied in a dull voice. Dropping her fingers from the side of the habitat, that impenetrable resolve descended upon her again like the slamming of a vault door. Turning away from her lifeless pet she strode down toward her locker, gathering what she needed. "Status?"
"I have finished a fifth full scrub and diagnostic scan of the IFF," EDI replied. "There is no trace of hostile code remaining. However, I would recommend at least three test runs with buoys once we've reached the relay."
"The return rate?" Shepard demanded.
"Each test would yield a return rate estimate of an hour, Shepard."
"Three extra hours sitting on our thumbs while the Collectors are doing fuck knows what with our people? No. Time is of the essence."
"I am confident the tests will be successful. There is only a .0042 percent chance that our journey through the relay will fail."
"I'd call those acceptable odds," Shepard straightened. "Notify me when we're in range of the relay. We're going to hit it hot, no delays."
"Understood, Commander. The Illusive Man would also like to speak to you. He has received the report on what has occurred."
"Understood, EDI," Shepard replied. Damn if the man didn't have the best goddamn timing. One wrong button push and-
No. No, Del, you are not going to rage at him and lose control of yourself. Keep focused. Get the goddamn job done. You're a marine. Act like a goddamn marine!
Returning downstairs she was unsurprised to see Sydney headed for her, the woman already geared up as if she expected to drop planet-side in the next five minutes.
"Garrus and I have just finished the final calibration and power test on the Thanix," she informed her friend, her look no less resolved. Fury and vengeance for the loss of her ship and friends were the weapons Sydney was honing right now, and while the blonde was far more laid back and had far fewer anger issues than Shepard did, she was a force to be reckoned with if she felt the need to lay down the law. "That gun couldn't get any better if God Himself pulled the trigger."
"Good. Help Tali with a final scope on the kinetic shielding and the engine draw. Where's Liara?"
"Helping Mordin to prep the med-bay and finish the armor adjustments for that little 'fail-safe' of his. He says it'll only work if we encounter small swarms…it'll be useless against big ones but…something's better than nothing."
"Understood. I have a call I need to take and then I'll be in the CIC. ETA to the relay is just over an hour."
She stepped into the conference room and onto the holographic pad, tightening the bolts on her resolve just a thread or two more.
No matter what he does, what he says, bottle that temper up and use it against the Collectors. Don't waste it, Shepard.
"Commander, I know you are busy with preparations and I won't take up too much of your time," he began the moment the holograph gained cohesion. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I wanted you to know that I do respect you. What you have accomplished, how far you've come…no one else could have done this."
"It wasn't even close to being on my own," Shepard reminded him. "I have a good crew. I'm going to get them back."
"I know you will, Shepard. That determination is exactly why I brought you back. Our thoughts and prayers…the thoughts and prayers of all of humanity…go with you. I know that you will do them proud. I will leave you to your work now, Commander. Good luck."
The call ended, the image fading away, leaving Del to blink slightly in shock. "Huh," she said to nothing. Fucker had almost managed to sound like a decent human being, for once.
As she emerged from the conference room, Liara was waiting to meet her. "We have about an hour until we are at the relay," the asari told her. "Preparations are almost complete."
"How is everyone?"
"Resolved," Liara informed her. "Confident and determined to see this through. They know that you will see this through. I am less concerned about how they feel, however…and more concerned about this ship's commander."
"I'm as fine as I can be," Shepard told her as they moved down the corridor toward the CIC. "I know the mission and I've got the team to accomplish it."
"Yes, you do. We will get them back, Shepard. Kelly, Helen…all of them. I just want to say…thank you, for bringing me along. I am…I am honored, as always, to serve with you."
Shepard suddenly turned on the asari, grasping her arms and pinning her against the wall. The motion was forceful though not painful. The kiss that followed was urgent, firm, almost desperate. Liara, her arms held firmly at her sides, was unable to embrace her. Instead, she returned the kiss with as much passion as it was delivered, fighting against the tears that wanted to heat her eyes.
Then Shepard released her, her brown eyes revealing more than the woman would ever dare say. Silent pleas with the asari to remain safe, a fractured vulnerability she would only ever allow Liara to see. She said nothing verbally, but there was no need. Stepping back, Shepard only turned and continued into the CIC, Liara watching her go, her eyes gloss.
"I love you, too," she whispered.
"ETA to relay, three minutes," Joker warned. Shepard, Miranda and Liara were standing in the helm, a heavy silence upon them. A few yards away, behind them, Deirdre and Sydney were standing hand in tense hand. Every single one of the women were fully hard-suited, and Liara could hear the faint creak of Shepard's glove as she unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fist.
Joker had fractured numerous ribs during the attempted Collector take-over. Mordin had done a superb job patching him up and getting him back to pilot's seat. Though he had to still be immensely sore, he had refused any and all pain medication…he wanted his wits as sharp as possible for this.
"Keep steady," Shepard told him. "EDI, is the transmission protocol set?"
"Yes, Shepard. I will activate the IFF the moment we are in range of the relay. We should be able to pass through without pause."
The glove creaked again. Snaking a hand out, Liara took hold of Del's hand and gripped it tightly. "This is it," she murmured softly. "Goddess be with us."
Shepard squeezed her hand back just as tightly, her eyes fixed on the nav-screens over Joker's shoulder. She saw the blip as the relay appeared on the scan.
"ETA to relay, fifteen seconds," Joker announced.
"IFF is transmitting," EDI declared. "No errors in protocols. Relay has received signal and is calibrating. We are powering up."
"Seven seconds, this is it," Joker said, his fingers flying. "Everyone get ready…three, two, one!"
Crimson static seemed to lick out from the relay even as it filled the view screen. Shepard felt the familiar, faint jolt as the Normandy was caught in its grip. The ship was cast into ultra-light speeds, transporting across distances that would take them decades to traverse with only FTL drives. For a second or two, time seemed to slow, stretch, the space between one heartbeat and the next drawing out into an eon of time.
In truth, it was less than a second before Normandy was caught by another relay, this one halting its speed like a catcher snagging a fast ball.
Instantly, all Shepard could see through the view screen was ship.
"Oh shit!" Joker gasped, desperately hauling the Normandy away from a collision, only to find another vast plateau of ruined metal looming far too close.
Though the inertial dampeners reduced the drastic swings of motion to a barely felt shift beneath their feet, Shepard still fancied she could feel her gut sink and then swoop up into her throat as the Normandy skidded just past a ragged wall half the size of a moon.
A pilot of any lesser skill would have been the ruin of the frigate in only moments. As it was, it was an intense few seconds before Jeff managed to lift the ship away from the crowded wrecks, and up into the open.
"Too close," the pilot murmured to himself, heart pounding. "Too close…"
Shepard gripped his shoulder, stepping up beside his seat as she stared out of the view screen.
Space seemed lit on fire, a brilliant ball the size of ten of their suns forming the hub of what seemed an endless memorial of ruin. Ships…millions of them, trillions…formed a tragic tableau that was utterly breathtaking…and terrifyingly familiar.
In a swirling green mist of nausea, images rose from the dark and faded away again into fire. The great metal hands. The shrieking synthetic, melting and peeling away. A great twisting inferno, ringed by a floating graveyard.
"These must be all the ships that have tried to pass through the relay before," Miranda noted, unable to hide the wonder in her own voice. "Some must be billions of years old…
"Del," Liara said softly. She, too, recognized the scene…indeed it was one she would never be able to forget. "The…the Protheans must have come here at one point. Perhaps seeking a way to stop the Reapers, as we are. At least one of their vessels must have returned long enough to add this image to their Beacons-"
"You saw this in your beacon visions?" Sydney asked, blinking.
"Yes," Shepard told her. "Liara must be right…some lucky Prothean ship must have made it through and back."
"For what purpose though?" Miranda wondered. "We're here to stop the Collectors, but the Collectors are Prothean…what remains of them, anyway. They didn't exist when the Reapers were last here. So what drove the Protheans to the galactic core?"
"I don't know," Shepard said, then shook her head. "And right now, it doesn't matter. We're here for a reason. Any sign of the Collector's home world?"
"There are no planets or orbiting natural bodies large enough to hold a colony," EDI replied. "The radiation from the galactic core, supernovae and black hole phenomenon that surround it are far too great to scan at any significant range. However I believe our postulation of a 'safe zone' is correct…this appears to be the only location where the radiation is nominal enough that organic life can endure undamaged. I am detecting an anomalous signal, however…stand by."
A moment passed, then a second before she resumed. "Shepard, the signal is a large, artificial structure that matches familiar Collector signature traces. Judging by the size, I would guess that it is an immense space station, and not a ship."
"Get us closer, Joker…nice and slow. I want a better scan of it," Shepard ordered. "Don't do anything that will give us away…try and look like just another piece of debris."
Things could never be easy. Then again, Del supposed, she hadn't really expected it to be easy…there was a reason it was called a 'suicide mission'.
Their attempt to appear as just a piece of debris hadn't lasted long before some damned automated sentries had appeared from nowhere and closed in on them. They were as relentless and dogged as any Alliance fighters, but the kinetic barriers and shielding held long enough to EDI to take them out with the small guns.
The reprieve was only short-lived. The sentries had clearly alerted the station they'd been trying to sneak up on, for barely had the last one disintegrated than an old friend was sliding out of the base, heading right for them.
Lit with the brilliant glow of the galactic core, Del Shepard's eyes looked almost yellow as she narrowed them, her gloved hands creaking slightly again as she gripped the headrest of Joker's chair. Virtually on his navigation display and visually in the distance outside the view screen, the Collector ship was unmistakable.
"Is there any chance our people could still be aboard?" Sydney asked.
"No," Liara told her. "They arrived here at minimum two hours before we did. Whatever they want with humans, the answer lies within that station. They would have offloaded them the moment they docked, especially if they anticipated us following."
"Joker, heat up the Thanix," Shepard growled. "Let's show these fuckers the wrath of God."
"Gladly, ma'am," Joker replied. "Board is green, power draw is stable, canon is ready, solution is locked…firing!"
A lance of light sailed away in front of them, and as fire bloomed from the side of the great ship sailing toward them, Joker whooped in triumph.
"Ha! That's what the fuck you get when you mess with us!"
The smaller and faster Normandy sailed in, closing the distance, its cannon igniting again and lancing a path of fire along the side of the larger vessel. Like a man with a harpoon struggling to take down a whale, the frigate tore a ragged wound along the length of the beast. Banking around for another shot, the ship all but danced out of the way of a retaliatory strike, before ripping in for the kill. The old and once feared predator shuddered in its death throes, seeming to shatter in slow motion as its former prey sank its teeth in again and again.
Then, the teeth sank into the most vital organ of all. Its eezo core compromised the Collector ship started a slow roll, shattering in a glut of momentary flame and brilliance and sending debris sailing into the Normandy.
Joker managed to evade most of it but they were clipped, then clipped again, then finally slammed hard enough that the inertial dampeners failed a moment, sending everyone reeling to the floor at the impact. Alarms began to wail and Joker's displays flashed to red as he struggled to maintain his course, to recover control.
It was too late. Skipping like a stone, the Normandy bellied into the side of the huge station, trailing smoke and debris behind it, before it finally skidded to a rough halt along the uneven hull.
Joker blinked stars from his eyes, coughing a little as he sat back. He didn't bother to backhand the blood from his eyes, swiftly taking in the reports scrawling over his displays before he half turned. Instant claws dug into his side and he gasped, pressing a hand to his newly patched ribs.
Newly rebroken ribs…good going Moreau. You're picking up Shepard's bad habits.
"Shepard?" he coughed, turning again, more gingerly. "Everyone all right?"
All he could see behind him was smoke and the dim outline of bodies scattered over the ground. The smoke was lessening so the air filtration systems were still working, but all he could think was great, we've come this far and I've just killed everyone.
"Commander?" he tried again.
Then there was motion. One form, then two, then another, started moving. Shepard was the first to push herself to her feet, wobbling a moment before she took a step, crouching down at Liara's side.
"You ok?"
"I am fine," Liara reassured as the other woman helped her up. "Just a little…rattled."
"That was quite a ride," Sydney noted, as Deirdre helped her up. Shepard moved over, crouching beside Miranda who was sitting nearby, a small gash on her head. Miranda waved her hand away weakly.
"It's not bad," she promised. "Just a scratch."
"Crew, status!" Shepard barked as she rose back to her feet. "Report in!"
"Bit shaken up down here but I'm all right," Tali's voice was the first to report, followed in short order by the others. Other than bumps and bruises, no one seemed seriously injured.
"Joker, ship status. Where are we?" Del asked.
"We're on the side of the station," Joker told her. "Doesn't seem as though they know we're here…they might think we didn't survive that blast."
"The Normandy has sustained heavy damage," EDI informed. "I have multiple hull breeches on the lower levels. They are fully contained with kinetic barriers, however, and the drive core is not damaged. The barriers should last indefinitely. Were it not for our new shielding, the Normandy would have been lost."
"You're welcome," Sydney said with a weary grin in Del's direction.
"There are other repairs that will have to be made, however, before we can navigate or attain any level of speed," EDI added. "With damage as it is right now, I am not even sure I can break the minor gravitational hold of the station keeping us here."
"How long until repairs can be made?" Shepard asked.
"I believe, with Joker's help, I can effect enough repairs to get us into flight, however further repairs will be impossible without at least two engineers and a support crew. We could take off, but we would never make it through the relay back into civilized space."
"Well, we knew this was likely one way," Miranda murmured. Shepard shook her head.
"I'm not giving up without one hell of a goddamn fight. Joker, see Mordin to rebind those ribs, then I want you and EDI to get started on repairs until we can at least take off. With any luck we'll find our people and they can effect more extensive repairs to get us home…but we gotta find them first. EDI, find out what you can about this station and send it to the conference room. I want a full meeting in ten minutes. We need to figure out just how deep up their ass we're going to stick our fucking boots."