A/N: This is what happens when I cannot think of a proper chapter title.
Chapter 64 - That Stupid Fortune Cookie
"Shepard, I received your latest operation report from Admiral Hackett. Damn good job at the Grissom Academy," Anderson says, smiling at her. This is the first time they have made contact since parting in the Vancouver harbor and she feels so relieved to see him on the QEC link, lifted by the very thought of him being alive and kicking. "There was one thing that was not included in the report, and..."
"Don't worry, Anderson," she interrupts him with a flippant grin. "Your old flame is doing just fine. We transferred her, Jack and the students to SSV Nairobi a few hours ago."
"Well, I am glad that your famous tact and courtesy are still ever-present," Anderson shakes his head. "Hackett made a passing mention that your deference to protocol has all but evaporated since we sprung you free from your house arrest. In any case, Shepard, I thank you for the news. You cannot imagine how relieved I am to know that."
"I can imagine just fine," Shepard replies, shrugging her shoulders. I spent six months not knowing what was going on with Liara's life, she thinks, deciding not to voice these thoughts. "By the way, she asked me to tell you to 'stay alive'. I imagine it means more than what I think it does."
Anderson smiles serenely. "Yes, it does," he replies slowly. "Thank you for the first good news this week."
"Everything's gone to hell, hasn't it?" Morgan asks quietly. "I just forced Liara to give up the casualty figures for Earth. 2.3 billion gone... how are you even holding out?"
"Dodging the industrial areas and populated centers, those are the prime target for destruction and harvesting," Anderson replies grimly. "Hear what they did to Adelaide? Didn't even bother to harvest. Just nuked from orbit, blasted off the face of the planet. If they didn't want to harvest us, they could probably do that with the entire planet."
"Seems like time is running out fast," Shepard concludes, a miserable feeling at the pit of her stomach. And the Crucible is far from completed, still. Gods, how could we possibly make it in time? How many will be left alive by the time we get back to Earth, if we even get that far? Maybe too few to even bother launching this mad rescue?
"You'll get the job done, Shepard. You always do," Anderson's words lift her spirits just a little. "The men and women trying to hold the line down here believe in you. And I know you will not let them down."
"Helps to know that, Anderson, it really does," she manages a small smile, then immediately starting to grow concerned, seeing that Anderson is no longer staring at her but turning his head to speak to someone else nearby.
"Looks like we need to relocate, Shepard," he says grimly. "Damn bastards have found us again. We'll talk soon, I promise."
"I'm holding you to that, sir," she replies, with a heavy heart watching Anderson's image fading off the screen.
She stands like frozen for a good while in the comm room, fighting the images of scorched, destroyed cities back on Earth, trying to get them out of her mind. Don't think about that, she tells herself. Don't let it drag you down. Focus on your task at hand, on what you can do to help. On the people around you, those that you care about. Liara, stay strong for her.
It helps a little, and she eventually leaves the comm room, heading back to the elevator, passing the CIC to give Traynor a little bit of praise for leading them onto the trail to Grissom Academy. The young Specialist beams happily at her kind words, making Shepard a little worried if her obvious attraction won't become a problem. Still, I had to acknowledge she did a really good job there, it is only fair. And I suppose I can always have a friendly chat with her at some point to dissuade her from any... illusions, she thinks, hoping it won't go as far.
Her next destination is Liara's quarters, where she finds her favorite asari glued to the consoles, typing something furiously as calculations beyond Shepard's comprehension flash on the screen, Liara busy working on the Crucible equations, acknowledging Morgan's presence with a smile and a nod before returning to her task.
Shepard tries to remain quiet, unwilling to interrupt her from this important task, but still feeling the need to remain in her calming presence, so she sits down at one of the consoles, browsing through the news feeds and messages on her private terminal.
After a while of them both working in complete silence, Liara hits a button on her console and leans back in her chair, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Finally. Hackett will be pleased to have that part taken care of," she says, shaking her head at Morgan's inquisitive stare. "Trust me, you don't want to know the details. They would just bore you," she grins, before changing the topic. "How far are we from the Citadel?"
"Few hours, according to Joker," Shepard replies. "I spoke to Mordin, he believes he needs less than two days to finish the cure. So, it'll just be a short stay at the Citadel this time, I'm afraid."
Liara shrugs. "Of course. I would not dream to suggest that something could be more important than our mission. There are a few things I would like to take care of, several contacts to speak with, arrange more supply drops for the Crucible, and other small issues."
"Fair enough," Morgan nods. "I've got a message from Lawson. It seems as if she wants to meet up, no idea why. I hope she won't ask to join up, the Alliance brass will implode in self-righteous fury if I'm seen fraternizing with a known Cerberus operative... even if she's probably ex-Cerberus by now."
"She is," Liara replies. "She has been on the run from the Illusive Man for a while now."
"In that case, I'll happily aid her, if I can," Shepard smiles. "Also, Kaidan seems to be up on his feet again, so I'll probably check in on him. Do you want to join me?"
"I'd love to, but since time is an issue, it would be better if we dealt with our own tasks," Liara says. "But... we can always meet up at Apollo's afterwards," she adds, reading the sense of disappointment on Morgan's face.
"Sounds good," Shepard nods. "Miranda's message reminded me what I was thinking about Cerberus just now. Damn, we've foiled so many of their operations recently, Sanctum, Eden Prime, Sur'Kesh, Grissom Academy... and they still keep coming and coming! How can they afford to sustain such losses and still remain a threat?"
"We have certainly inflicted heavy losses upon them, yes," Liara agrees. "But they seem to be able to generate impressive amount of shock troops on a short notice."
"That's what I was wondering about," Shepard says. "I'm not hearing about any massive desertions amongst the Alliance. And to train them would require considerable time! Where are all these troops coming from?"
"I have my own theory about that," Liara replies, looking worried and unhappy at whatever thoughts are on her mind. "I have asked some of my agents to investigate facilities that could be used as training grounds, but so far they have had no luck. This work will continue, but Morgan... there is also a possibility that the troops we are fighting are not trained conventionally."
"Indoctrinated and then fitted with Reaper implants?" Morgan asks. Liara nods in reply. "I was afraid you were going to say that. So we might not even be fighting volunteers. They... they might not even support the Cerberus cause," she realizes with cold feeling of dread in her stomach. "Oh god... that monster! This way, he could be turning innocent people against us!"
"I don't have any proof right now, but the implications are there," Liara admits sadly. "I'm sorry."
"Well, we were going to kill him sooner or later," Morgan says, trying to shake off her anger. "Just add another reason to do it to the already impressive list."
"We can do it, Morgan," Liara speaks softly, rising to approach Shepard's seat, starting to softly rub her shoulders, feeling the tension ebb away under the guidance of her tender touch. "Don't you ever stop believing that."
"Just keep telling me that, Liara," Morgan smiles, feeling at ease. "The more you repeat it, the stronger I will believe that we can pull this off..."
Approaching the Citadel is becoming an adventure in itself, trying to squeeze through the myriad of refugee ships, all as one requesting permission to dock and not receiving it, the station already packed far beyond the capacity of what it can support. Why are they all flocking towards the Citadel? Shepard wonders, finally stepping off the Normandy. Do they truly believe that it cannot come under the Reaper attack? It already did once, so that makes no sense. And the more people come here, the more attractive it becomes to the Reapers.
She is surprised to see James and Steve Cortez standing a little ways off the Normandy airlock, leaning over the railing and observing all the different ships outside. "Never thought I'd see you leaving the armory, Steve," Shepard says, giving Vega thumbs up. "Well done, James."
"Maybe so Commander, but Esteban's been depressing, comparing himself to this old, banged up turian frigate," James says, pointing at a once proud turian ship, now in a particularly sorry state, limping back to the dry dock.
"Would have been better to just go down fighting," Steve says.
"We don't think like that on the Normandy, Steve," Shepard shakes her head. "We're not quitters. Too much rests on our shoulders to just give up. Even tired old wrecks like that frigate can be fixed and sent back out to save lives."
"Well said, Lola," James agrees, pointing at an Alliance ship drifting by outside. "Case in point, isn't that the SSV London? The one that was decommissioned years ago?"
"Yeah, look, no guns," Cortez nods. "Someone must have salvaged it from a shipyard who knows where. And she's still flying... even manages to look beautiful."
"See?" Shepard claps him on the shoulder. "Vega and I aren't just spouting platitudes here. You'll be fine, Steve. As long as you let yourself think so."
"Perhaps you are right, Commander. Vega," Steve says, pulling away from the railings and turning around to leave. "I've heard the refugees have put up a memorial wall. Think I'll... just stop by there to... have a look."
Shepard nods at him, then turning back to Vega. "Whatever his problems are... good job, James," she says, giving the Lieutenant an approving nod.
"Heh, I've got to hand it to you, Lola," he smiles back. "You managed to say the right things without knowing what the hell you were talking about. That's damn impressive." Shepard fixes him with an inquisitive glance. "He lost his husband when the Collectors hit Ferris Fields."
"Oh... damn," Shepard sighs. "Well, I'm glad I didn't say something really stupid then."
As she parts with James and heads towards the exit from the docking bay, she is interrupted by a quiet voice calling out her name, almost like a whisper. "Commander Shepard," Miranda steps out from the shadows, offering a smile. "It has been far too long. We live in... interesting times."
"You could say that," Shepard chuckles, allowing Lawson to lead her towards a secluded corner of the docking bay, nobody within their earshot and able to overhear their conversation. "I did once crack open a fortune cookie to find that 'May you live in interesting times' proverb inside. Right before I joined Anderson on the SR-1. I'm tempted to track down whoever baked that cookie and shoot the bastard."
Miranda laughs, before turning serious again. "I couldn't get anywhere near you when the Alliance had you locked up, Commander," she says.
"A well known Cerberus operative seeking contact with me would not have really helped my case, you know," Shepard points out. "So I'm kind of glad you didn't reach me."
"I'm still surprised that they didn't just court-martial you," Miranda tells her. "The Alliance is not known for its flexibility."
"They would have gotten around to it sooner or later," Shepard shrugs. "Alliance also is not known for its speed in decision making."
"They should have listened to you a long time ago," Miranda exclaims, passion in her voice. "About the Reapers, about... everything!"
"I have seen enough about the Reapers to understand that it would not have changed anything," Shepard replies tiredly. "All we ever did was just to delay them, bit by bit. If it proves to be enough in the end... hell, I might even accept some of the praise." Miranda looks about to protest, but Morgan cuts her off. "Seriously though, you are not here to talk about all that."
"I needed to come here to talk to a few people," Miranda says after a slight pause. "Like you. The Citadel is a good place... for now."
"Yes, for now... safe from Reapers... and Cerberus," Shepard points out meaningfully.
"I assume you know by now that I'm on the run," Miranda says, Shepard nodding at that. "The Illusive Man does not take rejection well. But I knew there would be repercussions for walking away from Cerberus."
"Your sister?" Shepard asks, suddenly realizing the issue that Miranda has been pussyfooting about.
"I have not heard from Oriana in a while. I'm getting worried," Miranda finally admits.
"Did you move her location again before resigning from Cerberus?" Shepard asks.
"I did. But... my plan appears to have failed," Miranda says. "I know it would be logical to think that this is the Illusive Man getting his revenge, but somehow my gut feeling tells me that my father is involved."
"You know, remembering what I once told you... maybe it's both?"
"Perhaps, Shepard. I'm still early in my investigation. There are several leads on the Citadel that I am pursuing," Miranda admits. "I have a hunch about what happened, but I'll fill you in when I'm certain."
"So... basically you wanted to meet me to tell me that you have a problem that I can in no way or shape help you with?" Shepard asks, grinning.
"I guess that about summarizes it, yes," Miranda admits awkwardly. "Or maybe I just wanted to see you, Commander."
"That's fine too, Miranda. I was relieved to hear from you, to know you are alright."
Miranda smiles, a little sadly. "I should not delay you, Commander. And I should get out of sight, let you get back to help with whatever next big move that the Alliance is planning."
"You know it's classified," Shepard smiles back at her, tapping at the side of her nose. "Be safe, Miranda."
"You too, Commander," the ex-Cerberus operative replies and walks away, soon disappearing in the crowds, as Shepard is free to continue on with her walk towards Huerta Memorial Hospital.
The hospital is just as stuffed with patients as it was on her previous visit, which means that the doctors are tasked to full capacity and are simply not accepting any more patients, diverting them to other hospitals, even if Shepard does not believe that the situation there is any better. Considering that the overall population of refugees on the Citadel has grown dramatically, all this essentially means that there are a lot of wounded and sick out in the Wards and refugee sectors, not getting basic medical attention and dying from their perfectly treatable ailments.
She cannot spot Thane in his usual place, immediately growing worried that the inevitable has happened, before a nurse explains to her that the drell is currently undergoing the procedures required to sustain his fragile state. At least Kaidan looks better when she enters his room, back in his uniform, staring out of the window, spinning around as he hears her approach. "Shepard," he smiles. "If you came to spring me, you're a touch late. Dr. Michel tells me that I'll be getting out real soon. Also..." he hesitates a little. "Maybe you already saw the vids, but I accepted Udina's offer."
"No, I didn't know," Shepard shakes her head. "Spectre Kaidan Alenko. Sounds impressive."
"Only the second human Spectre," Kaidan nods. "It's humbling, following in your footsteps. Udina thinks they might have a pretty big ceremony, even with the war."
"Wish I could stay for that, but the mission requires that we leave Citadel in a few hours," Shepard says quickly. No, I'm kind of glad I can't stay. I'm fine with Kaidan getting his praise, but watching Udina strutting around like peacock... no thanks. "I guess Dr. Michel isn't going to let you join us for that."
Kaidan laughs, a little awkwardly. "No, I... doubt that," he says. "Not with this whole ceremony planned and everything, I expect I will be very busy."
"And afterwards?" Shepard asks. "Still undecided about joining us on the Normandy?"
"I have been thinking about that, Shepard," Alenko admits. "But I don't want to promise anything. Udina stopped by to ask the same, by the way. The man isn't so bad once you get to know him, Shepard. Seems like he has a lot of plans for me."
"Does he now?" Shepard narrows her eyes.
"Yeah. Seemed to imply I will have too many responsibilities as a Spectre to serve on the Normandy. He's probably got a pile of tasks that he doesn't want to entrust turian or asari Spectres with, and knowing your regrettably sour relationship with him..."
He's making it sound as if Udina has promoted him just to wash his dirty laundry, Shepard sighs inwardly. "I just don't trust the man. You'll be careful with him, yeah?" she tells Kaidan.
"He said you would warn me about working with him, now isn't that curious?" there is tension in Kaidan's voice when he replies, and Shepard immediately understands. Udina's been stopping by ever so often, offering subtle whispers about my activities, maybe feeding Kaidan's suspicions, trying to turn him against me... damn that bastard.
"Well... I'm just glad to see you're doing alright, Kaidan," she finally says, offering her hand for a shake. I'm not going to stick around and demean myself by arguing that he should trust me and not Udina, we've been down that road once before and it doesn't change anything in the end, anyway. "Be safe, Spectre Alenko."
"Take care, Commander," Kaidan replies stiffly, shaking her hand. "Godspeed to you and the Normandy."