Hannah paced Steven's office, waving her hands in the air, clearly upset. "It dishonors her memory!"

"Calm down, Hannah," Steven demanded, sitting behind his desk with his hands on its tabletop.

"I won't calm down! It's insulting. They just want to keep me quiet."

"Do you blame them?" Steven questioned her. "For two years all you've done when interviewed or talked to is pontificate about Jane's visions and Reapers."

"Her visions were real!"

"I know, but…"

"And now this? A promotion just to get me to shut up?"

"Captain, sit down!" Steven yelled abruptly. Hannah halted in her steps and turned to glare at him, but obeyed nonetheless. Steven had never yelled at her like that until now.

"I want you to take some deep breaths and listen to me. That's an order." Steven's blue eyes bore into her. Hannah nodded begrudgingly, and took her first breath to try and clear her angry mind. "Now, I don't think you comprehend how many times I've had to mediate between you and the brass. I've stood in the gap and kept you from being ousted more than once."

Hannah bit her lip. She hadn't realized she'd put Steven in such an awkward position.

"They did imply that making you an admiral might help the situation, but I want you to be an admiral because you're a good officer, an asset to the fleet, not because I want you to keep quiet."

Hannah twisted her lips, thinking. "Of course, I'm grateful for your confidence, Steven. But they still want me busy with the duties of an admiral so I'm distracted from Jane and I won't give in to them. I don't want to be an admiral anymore. That means nothing to me."

Steven sighed. "Hannah, hear me. Jane's death changed you, ate you up. You need to get out of this place of anger…"

"It's not anger!" Hannah shouted.

Steven raised his eyebrows and stared her down, a look that proclaimed she was giving him all the evidence he needed to prove she was consumed with anger.

Hannah shook her head. "Look," she explained in a more subdued voice. "I was angry in the beginning. Now, I want to honor her memory and the best way to do that is to keep her visions alive, remind people about what she saw and convince them it's true. These Reapers will come."

Steven leaned forward across his desk, fixing his eyes on her. "You know I trusted Jane. If she was convinced these visions were indications of a coming assault, I believe her. Anderson has complete faith in what she experienced. That's really all the proof I need. But the Parliament won't make decisions based on the fleeting visions of a dead Spectre. They aren't willing to commit the resources to prepare for something unless they believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"But you're the head of the fleet, you could…"

Steven held up his hands. "I answer to the Parliament. I can't just take the fleet and do what I want with them. You know that."

A harsh breath escaped through Hannah's nose. Yes, she did know that. Red tape. It was everywhere. For the past two years, any preparations for the Reapers had been hampered by the disbelief of leadership. Anderson had told her once he felt like he was beating his head against a wall dealing with the Citadel Council. Nothing he said made a difference. They staunchly refused to believe any "unfounded nonsense" about Reapers. The Alliance Parliament had its hands full with its Terra Firma delegates who kept insisting that any talk of Reapers was an invention by aliens to keep humanity living in fear and distract them from alien subversion. They claimed Jane had been manipulated by aliens into believing lies. Other members of the Parliament disagreed that Jane had been manipulated, but admitted that they couldn't legislate on the basis of her visions.

"What about the colonies attacked and gone missing?" Hannah challenged Steven. In the past few months, more than one human colony in the Terminus Systems had suffered perplexing attacks.

"The Alliance doesn't think they're the work of Reapers. The best intel they've got points to Cerberus."

Hannah put a hand to her head, digesting what Steven told her. The theory made sense. Cerberus was knee deep in nefarious activities. Still, an uneasy feeling dominated her mind. She felt there was more to the story when it came to the colonies.

"Let me check it out."

Steven shook his head. "A parliamentary committee's already been commissioned to look it over."

"A committee?! Steven, you know they won't…"

Steven raised a hand. "Do you think I like this? Do you think I like being told to sit back and do nothing? Hannah, I'm doing what I can, give me some credit."

"Well it doesn't look like much."

Steven now sighed in frustration. He leaned back across his desk as close as he could get to her. "You don't know everything, Hannah Shepard. You need a good dose of humility."

Hannah felt like a child being reprimanded. In her chagrin, her ire was raised and she came back with a harsh reply. "Oh yeah? Enlighten me."

Steven shook his head sadly. "I miss the old Hannah Shepard, Captain." He sat back in his seat.

Guilt assaulted Hannah. Steven had always been a good friend. Apparently, he'd also stuck up for her in the past two years. He shouldn't be the one bearing the brunt of her frustration. "Sorry," she whispered. "I don't mean to take it out on you."

Steven now grimaced sadly. "I know. You lost your only child. Who am I to judge how you handle that?"

"I'm just sick of this denial. Some days I feel like I'm going to explode and march into the Parliament myself and give them an earful."

Steven chuckled. "That would be a sight. I couldn't protect you then, so don't do that."

Hannah chuckled, too, the tension in the room easing as she did so. "I won't." She thought she wouldn't anyway.

"I'm going to tell you something I shouldn't," Steven said, his voice lowering, his tone deadly serious. "There's something in the works. You remember Amanda Kenson?"

Hannah nodded. Dr. Kenson had made quite a stir on the news when she had reported findings that the mass relays predated the Protheans, concluding that the Protheans had not created them. At the time, Hannah thought this was just the confirmation the galaxy needed to concede that the Reapers were real, but the doctor's findings had been debated and disparaged.

"Dr. Kenson is working right now to prove the Reapers will invade. She's going to get proof, hard proof, and then maybe the Parliament will listen."

Hannah's heart beat faster. So, Steven was doing something. "I'm sorry I implied you weren't doing anything."

Steven waved her apology away. "You didn't know. Just trust me. I'm doing all I can to help the situation." Steven paused, then spoke again quietly. "So, do you give in? Will you become an admiral now?"

Hannah shook her head. "It wouldn't honor Jane. I wouldn't feel right becoming an admiral when Jane's dead. It would be pursuing my own agenda over my daughter's."

Steven sighed again. "I understand. I don't like it, but I understand."

Hannah stood. "I've taken enough of your time. Thanks for listening and…putting up with me."

Steven smiled. "You know me, Hannah. Come by anytime. You need to vent, I can take it."

"Thanks." She walked to the door and left Steven's office.

Hannah lay on her bed in her cabin on board the Orizaba. Supposedly, she had retreated to her cabin to get some sleep, but she was still wide awake. Her conversation yesterday with Steven weighed on her mind. She was still mad about the lack of Alliance action and its focus on petty squabbles, but what currently occupied her mind was Steven's assertion that he missed the old Hannah Shepard. What had happened to her?

A chime sounded and Hannah stood up, moving to the lounge area and sitting in a comfortable chair. "Come in."

Lucas stepped into the room. "You need me, Captain?"

"Have a seat, Lucas," Hannah said. He ambled over and sat down in a chair across from her.

"What's up?"

"I have a question for you."

"Okay."

"Have I changed?"

"Uh…how so?" Lucas ran a hand through his graying brown hair, obviously uncomfortable with the question.

Hannah nodded. Lucas' behavior had indicated the truth. "So, I have changed. And not for the better."

"Uh…"

"You can be honest with me. I'm not going to snap at you."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked, eyes cautious.

Hannah's eyebrows creased. "I'm sure."

"Good. Because really, it's a good thing you hired me. I don't think the crew likes you much and I've worked hard to assure their patience, that they give you enough time to get over Jane, but two years? I'm getting worn out, Red."

Hannah sucked in a breath and said nothing, contemplating Lucas' admission and pushing automatic excuses to the back of her mind. If she was going to be a good captain, she needed to hear the critique and consider it. Her crew didn't like her. Hannah reviewed the way she'd treated them. She had to consent that she'd often barked orders and been less than gracious when mistakes were made. She'd yelled quite a bit, too. She was thankful Lucas had had her back.

"You don't get over the death of a child," she whispered, her eyes on the folded hands in her lap.

"I didn't mean it like that," Lucas backtracked, his tone repentant.

"I know you didn't, but I was going to go on." Hannah locked eyes with Lucas. "I was going to say that you don't get over the death of a child, but that doesn't mean it's right to take out your pain on others."

Lucas smiled softly. "That sounds like the Hannah I knew."

Hannah frowned sadly at the irony that Lucas had echoed Steven's sentiments, implying he also missed the old Hannah. "I didn't realize how I'd acted. I guess, I took out my frustration with the Alliance on the crew."

"Yeah," Lucas affirmed. "You have to understand that they didn't join the Alliance to fight Reapers."

Hannah sighed. She'd harped on the Reapers so much in the last couple years. She'd wanted to fill the gap Jane left. Maybe she had filled it, but too much. The crew must think her as deranged as Jane.

"Do they think I'm crazy?" she ventured.

"What?" Lucas asked, his tone deriding the thought. "No, they just think you're a grieving mother who's taken it really hard. That's why I tell them to brush off your anger when it strikes them."

Hannah shook her head. She was disappointed in herself. She was supposed to instill confidence and trust in her crew, not make them afraid the hammer would fall every time she addressed them. It occurred to her that, Lucas, too, had kept his distance these last two years.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I haven't treated you the way you deserve."

"It's okay," Lucas said, sitting back in his chair.

"It isn't okay. I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. Don't beat yourself up over it."

Hannah folded her arms over her chest. She couldn't help but beat herself up over it. The room was silent, Hannah thinking of all the times she'd mistreated the crew, Lucas not sure what to say anymore.

"Hey, uh, I heard from Keta," Lucas said, seemingly wanting to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Oh. You still keep up with her?"

"Yeah, well, a little, you know." Lucas shifted in his chair. "She's still retired. I'm not sure where she is right now. I think she was going to try and sneak back into batarian space to visit her family."

Hannah nodded. She hoped Keta got to reconnect. She wondered what her batarian friend had been up to lately. "Anything else?"

"No. We don't chat a lot about stuff like that really."

Hannah eyed Lucas, whose cheeks had become slightly pink. "What do you talk about?"

Lucas shrugged. "This and that."

Hannah laughed. "It's so strange, you and Keta friends."

Lucas smiled. "She grew on me. She's a good person…batarian…really, when you get to know her."

"Yeah," Hannah agreed. "Well," she slapped her hands on her knees, "I'd better get some sleep seeing as we're back patrolling the Terminus Systems." Now and then geth activity was reported in the area, leftovers from Saren's army. The Orizaba had been sent out with a small number of ships to catch any threatening activity in the area.

"I'll let you rest." Lucas stood up at the same time as Hannah.

"Lucas," Hannah said. "Thanks for being here for me."

"You know I always will be." He saluted Hannah, then made for the door, exiting.

Hannah walked back over to her bed. She didn't have the willpower to change clothes. She huddled under the covers, uniform and all. She picked up her data pad for one more check of her mail, then a quick tab to see if anything interesting had popped up in the news. One article title made her snort derisively: "Commander Jane Shepard Spotted on Omega?"

Hannah turned off her data pad and closed her eyes. Every few months since Jane had died, someone would claim they had seen her. No body had yet been discovered, fueling the suspicion that Jane hadn't died. But Hannah knew she had. If she were alive, Jane would have made sure her mother was the first to know. As she drifted off to sleep, Hannah tried to estimate how long it would take the conspiracy theorists to figure out Jane was never coming back.

An insistent beeping woke Hannah from her light sleep. She rolled over and groggily picked up her comm, pushing it into her ear.

"Yeah?"

"It's Commander Cox," Lucas spoke professionally, obviously on duty.

"What is it?"

"We have a distress call coming in from Ferris Fields. Sounds like another attack."

"Head there ASAP. On my way."

"Aye, Captain."

Hannah jumped out of bed. She tore off her wrinkled uniform and quickly changed into a fresh one. She pulled her hair back into a tight bun, ran a toothbrush quickly over her teeth and bolted through the door. She passed crew members in the hall, who saluted as she went by. She made her way to the CIC. When she entered, Lucas was leaning over the communications officer.

"How long will it take us to get there?" she demanded.

Lucas straightened, turning to her. "Forty minutes at most."

Hannah took a breath. Whoever attacked the colonies was usually in and out so fast, forty minutes was cutting it close. Hannah spoke to the communications officer, Jillian Toureau. "Connect me to the shipwide comm."

"Yes, Captain," Toureau replied brusquely, tapping a few times at her terminal, then nodding to Hannah.

"This is the Captain speaking," Hannah said, her hands on her hips as she made the announcement. "We're heading to Ferris Fields. It's another attack. I want you to know, I have put my utmost trust in every single one of you on this ship. You've risen to the occasion every time I've asked and made me proud. So, let's make this count. Show me the strength of the Alliance. Captain out."

Toureau stared at Hannah, then glanced at Lucas. Lucas nodded and smiled. Hannah guessed she'd never mentioned how proud she was of her crew before.

"One minute to arrival," Lucas called out in the CIC. Hannah was ready. She stood straight and tall.

Thirty seconds later, her tactical officer, Sadik Jenson, began reporting. "Two unknown ships. No Alliance ships. Debris scattered in the atmosphere." Hannah had seen this before. Any Alliance ships attempting to escape had been blown apart the moment they hit the atmosphere, prevented from reaching safety.

Hannah put her hand to ear and now spoke across her small fleet, which included two cruisers and two frigates. "Engage the enemy the moment we arrive." She heard all four captains affirm they'd received her communication.

"Ten seconds," Lucas called out. Hannah counted down inside: 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1.

"Engaging enemy ships!" Jensen called out.

"They're headed out of the system already," Lucas observed. The tactical map displayed the enemy ships speeding away from the Alliance fleet.

"After them!" Hannah cried out into her comm.

The Alliance ships moved towards the enemy, trying to catch them before they could leave the system. Hannah's heart sunk as she watched the map. They wouldn't get to them in time. Their ships moved much faster. In five minutes, it was over. The ships had escaped. In mere minutes, they'd be in another system and through a relay. Hannah kept her disappointment and anger off her face. She didn't want to portray defeat to her crew. She put her hand to her ear.

"Assemble rescue teams," she spoke out, her voice confident. "Let's save any we can." Her tone belied the grief that rose within her. Save who they could? All attacks on their colonies had been thorough. She doubted if anyone was left down below.

Hannah gathered the leaders of the rescue teams in the conference room. "Report."

"Nothing, Captain," one of them, Lyons, spoke dejectedly. "There was no one to save."

"It's like they just disappeared," another, Boliver, stated. "Food on dinner tables, letters on data pads stopped mid-sentence…children's toys lying on the floor like they'd just been played with."

Hannah rolled her eyes over to Lucas, sympathizing with the grim darkness that covered his face. Ferris Fields had ended up just like all the other colonies: innocent humans ripped away from their lives without a reason, at least, without a reason anyone had discovered. Steven had said the Alliance thought the terrorist organization Cerberus could be behind the attacks. But Hannah now thought otherwise. Cerberus did its dirty work, but she didn't think it would abduct whole colonies when it claimed to want to protect humanity. She didn't agree with Cerberus' ways, but nothing they had done previously made her think this was their doing.

"You're dismissed," Hannah released the leaders in front of her. They filed out silently. Hannah looked to Lucas. "Something's after humanity and the Parliament won't get off its butt and do a dang thing about it."

Lucas nodded, his eyes troubled. "Someone hates us badly."

"Reapers," Hannah said shortly.

"I don't know…"

"I do," Hannah interrupted Lucas. "We're a threat to them. Our Navy shot down their plans at the Citadel. They're after us."

"I don't want to make you mad," Lucas said, "but I'm not sure."

"Think about it," Hannah pressed. "We stop them getting here easily. They must think we're a formidable foe. But people can't see it's them because Jane's visions portrayed an all out assault on the galaxy, not several hit and run operations on human colonies."

"Maybe," Lucas equivocated.

Hannah sighed. When would people believe what she already knew to be true?

"Captain?" a voice sounded in her ear.

"Yes?"

"Admiral Hackett's coming through on the vid comm," Toureau's voice informed her. "He wants to speak with you privately."

"Got it. Shepard out."

"Hackett," Hannah informed Lucas. "He probably already received our report. Encourage the crew, Lucas. It's devastating to lose a whole colony. Don't let them give up on themselves."

"They won't. They're good people," Lucas said. He saluted and then walked out of the room.

Hannah marched to the end of the conference room and tapped a few keys at a panel attached to a rail, activating the vid comm. A full size hologram of Steven came to life in front of her.

"You received our report," Hannah stated.

"It came in a few minutes ago. Another colony gone."

"Steven, nothing we're doing out here is helping. We need to protect these colonies, stake our entire fleet around them…"

"The Parliament would never agree to that."

"They've got to. I swear, I'm going to…"

"Our ability to deal with the situation might have just gotten a boost," Steven interrupted her.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked.

"Maybe you should sit down." Hannah saw a twinkle behind Steven's tired gaze.

"Why?"

"I have some good news and some bad news."

"Give it to me straight."

"Alright, first the good news. Jane's alive."

Hannah put her hands on the rail in front of her and glowered at Steven. "Don't kid with me about her."

"You know I'd never joke with you that way. It's true. She's alive."

Hannah felt her heart sail into her throat. After two years, could Jane really be alive? "You've seen her?" she asked warily, not ready to trust Steven completely.

"No, but Councilor Anderson has. He didn't just catch a glimpse of her. He talked to her in person."

Hannah's eyes narrowed. "Maybe it isn't her," she suddenly asserted, not yet sure about the truth of Steven's revelation. "A look alike or a clone."

"It's her. Anderson is sure of it and I trust him."

She trusted Anderson, too. Jane had to be alive. It had to be true. Her blood raced and she put a hand to her head, feeling lightheaded. She didn't know whether to jump for joy or faint in disbelief. "How…" her voice started to ask, then faded out.

"That's the bad news. I can't tell you where she's been or what she's up to. She's on a covert mission again, still a Spectre. It's best for her if her work remains classified."

Hannah wanted to press Steven for more information, but she knew nothing she said would sway him. Then another thought occurred to her. "Why hasn't she contacted me?"

"You'll have to take that up with her. I'm sending her current e-mail address to you."

Hannah stared at Steven, her eyes losing focus.

"I think you need to sit down after this call," Steven said, chuckling. "She's really back, Hannah. It's the honest truth. Your girl's back from the dead."

Hannah nodded.

"Hackett out." Steven's hologram shimmered and vanished. Hannah turned to the conference table. In the few feet it took to walk to it, she felt her knees buckle. She only just made it into a chair before she collapsed. She sat with her head between her knees, breathing slowly in and out, waiting for her fuzzy mind to clear. She's not dead, Daniel. She's not dead.

Questions assailed her mind. How had she come back from the dead? Where was she now? What was she doing? Why all the secrecy? She didn't have the decency to even contact her mother? Her mother who had spent two years tormented by her loss? Hannah felt suddenly affronted. She sat up slowly and pulled her data pad over. She brought up the address Steven had sent her and started to compose a message to Jane.

So I have to find out my child is alive third-hand from the Alliance brass? Where the hell have you been?

Hannah paused. Yeah, she was mad at Jane. She was overjoyed and furious at the same time, vacillating between overwhelming relief and outright anger. But could she really blame Jane? She didn't even know what had happened to her in the last two years. She didn't know enough to judge her actions yet. She softened the next part of her message.

I figure whatever you're doing is classified, likely part of your Spectre Operations. Just stay safe out there, and keep doing your mom proud. And sneak something through a secure channel next time. Love, Your Mother, Captain Hannah.

She decided to add in her parental title, figuring Jane needed a little reminding that she had a mother. She pushed send and then lost it, tears of happiness streaming down her face, her body shaking with sobs that expressed her deep relief.

Less than two hours later, she received a reply to her e-mail that pacified any insult she'd perceived in Jane's lack of communication:

Mom, I'm so sorry. I should have found a way to contact you, but from the moment I woke up, I've been moving from one crisis to the next. I really feel like I talked to you only a month ago on the Citadel, after the battle. I lost two years of time. I'm sorry.

It's so strange being here now. It's like I'm in some kind of unreal movie, getting to see how my death has affected the galaxy. My friends, my team, they've changed, gone on without me. And you have, too. The worst of it is, my death seems to have caused nothing but devastation to those I love the most. I curse myself for leaving in the first place, but then, it wasn't my choice. Honestly, I don't know how to feel. Most of the time I just hide the pain of it all and concentrate on the task at hand, just so I can keep going.

Mom, you're probably going to start hearing a lot of rumors about me and most of them will sound bad. But I promise what I'm doing is only to help the galaxy, to save it from the Reapers. Don't believe everything you hear, please. I swear to you that I'm me, that I'm your Jane. Please trust me. I love you. Love, Jane (Dad's sunshine).

Hannah's data pad grew hazy as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. Jane had used Daniel's nickname for her. Now she knew for certain: Jane was back.

Author's Note: Hannah's e-mail to Jane comes straight from the game.