Normandy-Shuttle Bay
Gunnery Chief Paul Leighy stood behind his station in the Armory going over the inventory…for the fifteenth time today…shooting was beginning to get boring and with the rest of the crew busy doing their mission objectives, he was stuck being a sixth wheel.
But the good news was it left him a lot of time to get to know Cynthia.
"Whoa man," He heard James's voice speak behind him.
He turned to face the Special Forces Lieutenant Commander who was busy standing there with his arms crossed across the chest.
"Whoa!" He repeated.
"What?" Paul asked with a mixture of annoyance and pleasure at seeing his recent friend.
James gestured vaguely at his face, "It's been a while… and you have grown a beard."
Paul scratched at his hair follicles self-consciously. "Yes, and…you have one…Joker has one."
"Nah it suits you man." James chuckled.
"So, been a while since you have been back?"
"Yeah," James agreed, "been busy fighting terrorists. So…where is Cynthia?"
"Would've thought you would've heard." Paul asked, surprised.
"No, I haven't."
"She went to one of the Alliance training bases, decided to at least get certified and have an official rank."
"Whose idea was that?" James's eyebrows arched up just south of his hairline, such as it was.
"Hers." Paul shrugged, "She felt like a fish out of water in the ship without being able to do a lot of things, even though she helped us take down the Disciples she was a bit of an outsider. And she wants to settle down."
"Wow," James grunted, "She wants to make a home?"
"So it would seem." Paul nodded slowly, "besides with her combat experience and technical expertise should everything go well she should come out with a rank of Lieutenant."
"Gonna have to call your girlfriend 'sir'?" James grinned.
"Something like that," Paul acknowledged.
Shepard's office
Abigail, given that Ashley had not chosen an official second in command at this point, had moved into Miranda's…and then Liara's…office on Deck three.
She had removed the entire array of Shadow Broker equipment and replaced it with a double sided bed, and a large screen in place of the 'Galaxy Map' which showed her…anything she wanted, in any way she wanted…with a flick of her hand.
Right now she was going over the intelligence brief her aide had provided her for her upcoming full briefing on the situation across.
I heard you liked briefings…the thought rattled around in her head as she glanced at the spark notes of what she was going to be told by the aide and Miranda Lawson.
In short, nothing much…but something.
The data before her was contradictory, there wasn't a lot going on, finally in the wake of the Disciple incident the Galaxy was pretty quiet. Just there were hints, if you looked deep enough into the data, something was brewing.
Batarian terrorists were on the war march, and while they were running missions and raids off and on since the end of the war, they now appeared more coherent, more centralized. As if some authority was running and orchestrating them, and while the Batarian terrorist she brought down was probably the leader of the movement the reports seemed concerned with, it seemed foolish to believe he was the only one.
Could some other force be behind this? She wondered.
Only one way to find out, she decided.
And with the decision she left her new office, went into the lift, and rode the elevator one floor to the Command Deck. It stopped; she got off, and walked around to the technical laboratory entrance, with the security scanner...and was confronted face to face with Ashley Williams.
"Commander Shepard." The gate guard said.
"Uh…its Captain now."
"Right…sorry." Private Campbell said.
"Ash?" Abby asked turning to the newly minted Commander and nodding at her.
"Shepard." Ashley said stiffly.
Abigail stepped into the scanner and let the ray beams rack over her body scanning her for any traps, and to confirm her identity.
I still wonder what would happen if I ever got stuck in here. She thought. The security scanner utilized a Mass Effect field to hold her in place as it made sure she wasn't a threat.
Finally, after about a minute, the process completed and she was able to step out of it and continue on her approach to Ashley. The door to the tech labs, war room, and briefing room whirred open at her presence.
"So, Commander, it's been a while and we haven't had a lot of time to talk since I got back on board the Normandy."
"Well we've both been busy, you with your mission, and me with my command." Ashley replied cooly.
OK. Abigail thought stepping into the room; her former XO stepped in beside her to follow her. But she seemed stiff, rigid, and aloof.
Should I? Oh for crying out…
"Look Williams, if you got something to say just say it." She stopped pausing to turn around to stare at her XO.
Ashley turned to face her defiantly, trying to stare Abigail down for a few seconds, but quickly blew her breath out and glanced away.
"Look, I just…fell like momma bear has come to keep an eye on the cub when the cub is trying to get a handle on something."
"Oh!" Abby's eyes widened and she smiled shortly. "Is that all?"
Ashley sighed and glanced down guiltily, "Sounds somewhat ridiculous now doesn't it?"
"Not at all," Abby assured.
"I guess I feel like I finally have a command of my own, have the respect I have worked towards for years, and then you come back here to check in on my work. It has to do with my grandfather probably."
"Which is why it isn't ridiculous…a little silly maybe." Abby teased.
Ashley smirked and rolled her eyes.
"I'm just here for the mission Ash, and you know you are in command of one of only two stealth frigates probably in the entire Galaxy…well maybe three."
"But that should mean I should have the autonomy that comes with the position to instigate raids and conduct Special Operations."
"Fair enough," Abby agreed, "but I am the Commander of Special Operations and I want to get out of the house now and then, take a personal interest in what is going on in the Galaxy."
Ash sighed.
"Look, you don't have to justify yourself to me or anyone else. The Normandy is yours, she is your command, I am just a guest here…a guest with rank I grant you…but you conduct the operations on the ship. You have the Captain's Cabin, you give orders to Joker and the crew, and they follow the orders. I cannot override you unless you relinquish Command to me or you get injured…since you do not have a clear line of command."
"I guess." Ash nodded.
"And besides, that pirate group?" Abby continued, "That was all you, you tracked them down, you answered the distress calls, and you executed the mission, and you took them down. Again all you…I wasn't there."
Ashley nodded, "Fine, I guess you are right. But we really should get to the briefing."
"Yes, we should." Abby nodded leading the way.
The door opened into the familiar pit-with-consoles that represented the war room. Miranda and her personal aide were already waiting for her, Miranda looked up from her flexy to stare at the Captain, and the aide looked blatantly bored by her delay.
"So just what state does the universe find itself in?" She asked smirking all the way down the stairs to join them.
Miranda smiled in turn, and the aide frowned.
"It looks pretty quiet, though there was a burst of com activity from several of the mercenary groups just after you and your team captured the terrorist down there and took down his gang. Most of it just basic housekeeping and 'look at what Shepard has done now!' but a few of it would seem to indicate that they were actually a part of his plan and needs to re tool their expectations."
"Meaning?" Shepard asked.
"We can't decipher it all and are only getting a small piece of what looks to be a very large puzzle; we just don't have the communications stations throughout the Terminus to intercept all the information that is out there." The Aide continued.
"Anything else to report on the situation?" Abby pressed.
"Intel would suggest that his next plan he was working on before being captured was to detonate a five kiloton pocket nuke in the Government Meetings currently going on, taking out the Batarians, some of the surrounding city, and then he would seize power using planted evidence that it was a human terrorist group as his ace."
"Wow," Abby grunted, "Anything else?"
The aide hesitated biting his lip looking at his briefing notes, "I…uh…no Captain, nothing else to report."
Abby saw Miranda look up at him out of the corner of the eye arching an eyebrow, but she hid the motion and went back to look at her own notes.
"And what is going on with your own sources in the Galaxy Miranda?" Shepard asked turning to look at Miranda.
"Well…given that my organization is still practically brand new, and given that people still mistrust me for being a part of Cerberus in days past…and given that I am spending a lot of my time helping Commander Williams out on the Normandy…nothing much…yet."
Abigail folded her arms across her chest, "I thought this was supposed to be our first official intelligence meeting? You telling me you have nothing?"
Miranda smiled certainly, "Just nothing solid Shepard…relax."
"Well then, continue." Shepard gestures and refolded her arms.
"And…since I have been having to piggy back off of Alliance feeds for most of my information…there has been a series of odd signals being detected being beamed into Alliance territory from the Terminus Systems."
"Do we have a location?"
"What kind of signals?"
Ashley and Shepard asked almost simultaneously.
Miranda frowned at the pair, "To the first we cannot seem to triangulate, it seems to be happening from everywhere at once and is non-localized. Alliance Intelligence is supposedly running down the possibilities. To the second, we don't know that either…"
Abby frowned frustrated.
"But it seems…organic in nature. Unique…not as though it is being generated by an Artificial Construct. Which is…odd."
"Must be giving off a lot of power to be able to do what you say it's doing." The Aide pointed out.
"Yet, it's doing it." Miranda countered snidely.
"Anything else?" Abby inquired.
"Well there are reports of riots throughout Earth, people demanding more benefits and more regulation and clarification since the Reaper War. Similar incidents are happening on Thessia and Sur'kesh, this is leading the Prime Minister to advocate for an increase in emergency powers so he can act to end the crisis…and…this you might find interesting." Miranda said smirking.
"What is it?" Abigail said stiffly.
"Ranaak Kurl, former leader of the Krogan New Dawn Movement, has moved onto, and taken control of Omega."
"What?" Abigail shot unfolding her arms and leaning against the War Room table.
"It would seem after his little war with you he moved on, after several months, traveled the Galaxy, and as with most people he ended up on Omega. Arrived only a few weeks after your last mission apparently."
"What has he been doing there?" The Captain asked lowly, threateningly, sizing up the situation.
"Well, he has assumed Command of the station in Aria's place apparently. With the gang war occurring when he got there he established his own gang, quickly uniting several of the factions' vying for control and killing anyone who opposed him. Under that arrangement he quickly united the gangs under his banner and has…assumed Command."
"For what purpose?" Abby challenged, hoping another volatile situation just didn't develop while she wasn't looking.
"He isn't making too many overt signs of action, he seems to be doing pretty much what Aria did during her sojourn there, sitting on his throne, and letting the people run amok. Though according to some reports through the Broker network he has laid the ground work for increasing and rebuilding Omega's trade through the Terminus Systems and reestablishing it as a hub."
"Wonderful."
"I do not think he will be threatening us, at least any time soon." Miranda assured.
Abby thought about it for a second, cocking her head, "I agree, but still…keep an eye on things."
"Yes ma'am."
"Really though, are we going to trust a private organization to help us run security?" The aide sneered.
Abby cut in before Miranda could verbally cut the guy's head off, "She provided more valuable intelligence then you did at this briefing."
"I wonder how she could do that." The Aide said sarcastically glancing at Miranda.
"That is enough." Abby snapped, "Both of you, Miranda happens to be someone I trust deeply and considering the state of the Galaxy we need allies, not to antagonize people."
The Aide shrugged, Miranda glared after him wearily.
"Dismissed." Abigail reported, and the meeting broke up.
Port Observation Room
I guess this is the best they can do on such short notice. Cameron thought staring around the room…which was a direct clone of his Normandy's observation room. It looked out at the stars, the same sealed off Poker room/ Poker table, the jukebox over in one corner, and the bar with liquor cabinet.
This is very…eerie. He decided, wonder where I am going to set up my cot.
"You know the Starboard Observation room might be better…isn't as cluttered."
He turned around to see Abigail Shepard standing there in her N7 hoodie…another perfect clone of the one from his universe he would normally wear.
"I wouldn't have thought you would wear that, you don't seem like the type." He explained nodding at the article of clothing.
"Well, technically I am off duty, and I don't want to wear the Battle Dress around at all times, now do I?"
Cameron smiled, "That would seem to be…most uncomfortable."
"So…how are you…settling in?" Abigail told him.
Nice save. But he knew what she was asking him, and he paused to consider his response…to both questions.
"I don't know…it is difficult to settle in when you don't feel right being here. This is not my universe, this is the universe of someone else, yours I guess. You are in command here, you are me here. I am an imposter, and to make matters worse there is no Cameron Shepard, no officer in the Alliance Military, no service in the N7s, I don't exist."
"A fresh start…" Abby said uncertainly.
Cameron snorted, "I had a start in my old life. I had a life there. One I want to get back to."
"But until then?"
"Until then," Cameron conceded with a slight head nod, "I will try and settle in, see the sights, get to know you."
Abby shifted around in her place kicking at the floor. "Well…I would put you to work here, until we can find a solution to the problem and try and get you back, but as you pointed out you do not have a service record, no combat scores, nothing to base your placement on the team on. And I don't even know if you want to serve."
He felt himself shrug, "Well now that I am away from Miranda why not?"
He saw Abby's body tense up. "Miranda? What about her? This is Miranda Lawson we are talking about right?"
Cameron nodded, "And she and I had a relationship in my universe, we were pretty close, due to be married."
Abigail blanched but recovered, "We have a Miranda here on the ship…Lawson…she has served on my squad."
Cameron's eyes widened as he felt the shock rattle through his center and then settle in the base of his stomach, threatening to drag it down to his feet.
"What? Just how many of our crew is similar?" Cameron asked finally.
The Captain, his superior, cocked her head to the side, rolling her eye up, "Well I don't know…you do know James though…I imagine a lot of them." She turned to face him. "No way to be sure."
He thought about it, wondering what else he could say given the situation. But he was interrupted by a meow…purr.
Looking down he saw a cheetah looking cat glancing up at him curiously, he was surprised at its existence, wondering how he could've gotten on the Normandy.
"Why hello there," He said kindly scooping it up and cradling it in his arms, "And whose cat are you?"
"Oh he's mine." Abby said, smiling.
Cameron glanced at her over the cat, "You have a cat?"
"He was a wedding gift." Abigail said.
"You're married?"
"Yes, to James."
"You are married to James?!"
Abigail frowned and knitted her brows together angrily, "Hey at least I am not attracted to Miranda."
"Uh huh." Cameron nodded turning back to the cat, "So what's your name huh?"
"Cameron, I thought it was a good name for a pu…"
Cameron's eyes shot up at her knowing exactly where that sentence was going, he did not know whether to blush, laugh, or attack her for the insult to his honor. But seeing the blush gracing her cheeks was enough to disarm him. At least for the moment. He laughed nervously.
"Well, I think that is enough for the night, I will try and requisition you a bed or something. But other than that just keep yourself fit, we could have a mission at any time."
"Fair enough ma'am." He replied with a nod.
She smiled at him, and left the room.
He scowled after her as the door closed on him.