Alliance Asteroid Prison Facility
Prime Minister Soren walked out of his personal shuttle to face the assembled group of guards of the highest security of Alliance Prisons, their helmets were off, and they were disarmed. They stood at attention, some respectfully, and some with fear. Soren scanned the crowd with his eyes looking for the current superior Corrections Officer on sight. Finding him Soren had to smile as the man looked nervous; it was now his responsibility for what happened here.
"Does anyone have a report for me? A reason why I was roused out of my bed at three o'clock in the morning?"
The man snapped a salute, "Sir, yesterday at fifteen hundred hours, a task force infiltrated the facility and took two of our prisoners with them. This task force was headed by Captain Shepard," the man hesitated, "sir."
Soren grunted, "And how could you let Shepard just stroll in and infiltrate this place?"
"Sir, they were dressed as a construction crew, had the proper authorization from the Terra Nova head of Prison Corrections, and she did not infiltrate as the leader of the band, but used one of her crew to do so."
"I see," Soren drooped his head for the effect of humility, "did any of your people take causalities?"
The leader hesitated for a second. "The squads were using specialized equipment to take out the guards non-lethally. But they apparently ran out of ammunition and used more traditional weapons. Two guards were wounded and one was killed in the action by Shepard's Valkyrie."
Interesting, and fortunate, "I see." Soren commented.
"Sir, I am sorry sir."
Soren smiled and clapped the young man on the shoulder, "There is no need to apologize son, and everything will work out just fine."
"Yes sir," the man nodded, "are we dismissed?"
"I still want to run you through the proper debrief with the Parliamentary investigators, they know the proper questions to ask." Soren reported in confidence.
"Sir," The man nodded and relaxed.
Soren began spun around heading back for his shuttle as the investigators poured in in his place. He subtly jabbed a finger over his shoulder at the assembled guards, Nathan Burke nodded. As he passed the Special Forces Operative he whispered, "Avengers."
Burke nodded again spinning on his heels and heading for the Kodiak from his star ship, he opened the side panel and uncorked a crate handing two of the vintage Assault Rifles to his squad mates, and plucked a third out for himself.
Soren heard his aide fall in with him just behind his shoulder shadowing him before the rapid fire blasts from the Avengers broke out behind them, followed by horrified screams. The aide gulped behind him.
"Sir, what was that for?"
Soren turned to the aide slightly, but did not break his step. "Shepard used a Valkyrie, the Valkyrie has the same model and general make of the Avenger, being done in the same manner and by the same company. So, their signatures just might be similar enough to fool any experts. We can exploit this, claim Shepard massacred the guards to break a terrorist out of jail…which the last part isn't totally false, and that should drive the wedge between Shepard and public opinion even more."
"I see." The aide said.
"Cheer up; we will carry the day yet."
"Cheer up? You don't seem the least bit concerned with Shepard taking a known terrorist, apparently for no reason, and well two known terrorists."
Soren paused turning to regard the aide for a second, biting his lip. "Because I know she will defeat herself in the end."
"How so?" The aide asked puzzled.
"Because I have read her file, I know who she is. I know what she has gone through." Soren hesitated for another moment.
The aide opened his mouth and closed it.
"Imagine for a second if you had grown up in atrocious poverty, if you were forced to join a gang and survive. Through thievery, threats, intimidation, hardly knowing where your next meal was coming from. Dealing in drugs and prostitution, selling yourself to the highest bidder. Imagine if you had committed one crime too many, and were caught, but were saved from punishment." He held his tongue letting the story sink in.
"Now imagine as part of your salvation you were forced to join the military by court order, that you joined the military and became the best soldier you possibly could. But then you were put into hell itself, you saw loved ones die, friends and family, and you killed and lashed out. Only to be saved again, to be given a third chance. So then you made a promise to the universe, that you would do good and be a righteous person, that you would reform and try not to kill everyone who crossed your path. But then you became a hero, but no one believed you, you stopped the abduction of thousands of humans, and no one believed you, no one believed you until the thing you had been saying would happen, happened, and then you became the most important woman in the universe."
"I fail to see-" the aide started.
But Soren held up a hand, "Well if you went through this, and you continue to go through this, how long would it be until you have had enough? Until you start to think the universe or God has broken its promise to you? So you revert, you become as nasty and as hateful as you were all those decades ago? And thus you are no longer the woman who you are, but the woman who you were, and in so doing you destroy yourself, after all you barely made it out alive at the first place."
"I see." The aide's eyes widened.
"All we need to do is keep the pressure on and isolate Shepard, keep pushing her; eventually she will make a mistake." Soren patted the aide on the shoulder before spinning around and moving towards his shuttle.
Normandy-CIC
"So, who is he Abby?" James asked.
The squad was peering into the galaxy map which was converted into a bird's eye view of the CIC and tactical situation within it. Their two 'guests' were standing on opposite sides of the table. Keith was staring at the other man in the room, while he was staring straight ahead with a satisfied smirk on his face.
"His name is Michael Ellison," Abby's blue eyes broke from the image to view the assembled group, "He is…was…a renowned human geneticist graduating with honors from John Hopkins, then he went back to school to study alien xenobiology. Was part of some of John Grissom's missions into the Terminus and into the greater galaxy cataloguing all the species he ran into."
"I seem to remember hearing something about him," Miranda muttered.
"How'd he end up in an Alliance Prison?" James asked knotting his brow.
Shepard let out a shuttering breath, "Just after Torfan intelligence got reports that a human was working with the Batarians to create a super army of genetically superior, but totally loyal, I suppose the best term would be mutants. I was assigned to Commander Anderson at the time as we tracked the target to the Terminus. Finding out it was him. The records were sealed and it was kept hush hush, given the geo political fallout that a well-known and regarded human scientist was working with our enemies to threaten Alliance interests. It would have caused a panic. So silently he was put into prison and his name was quietly filtered out of the media."
James whistled.
"But in the meantime," Abigail moved the conversation forward leaning on the railing, "security?" She toggled her eye over to Miranda and EDI.
"Should be simple," EDI commented.
"I can monitor their extra net and other services." Miranda said, "And then restrict their access."
"And I will keep their access restricted to extranet and non-critical systems via firewall." EDI supplanted.
"You sure you can control them?" Abby pressed.
"Yes." EDI assured.
"Reasonably," Miranda shrugged.
Abigail smirked looking between the two of them as they glanced at each other and then forward. She chuckled internally at the situation.
"Well," She said, "I suppose it's time we go meet our guests."
Abigail Shepard led the procession of officers an unaffiliated squad members into the tech labs, and then through the briefing room, all the way to the War Room. Keith spun on their entrance and Ellison turned to them slightly but made no other outward move.
"Shepard, care to explain, finally, why you have interrupted my stay as a guest of the Alliance?" Keith asked folding his arms over his chest.
Shepard caught herself up short, "I take it you have read the files which were provided on your arrival?"
"Yes, I have, but that still does not explain why you need me."
"Have been studying Reaper indoctrination in prison, could be useful for breaking Leviathan operations." Palin explained breathlessly.
Michael's snort prevented any further conversation, "what?" he asked smirking, "I doubt he can help with his indoctrination under the Reapers, I mean we all know how they can mess with your head, or at least so I've heard, browsing extranet sites, etc."
"Maybe," Shepard concurred, "but you are all we've got, you, Palin, and Keith." She eyed Michael, "Though not sure why we took you along, I probably would've been better off leaving you to rot."
He chuckle, "Please Abby, you are a professional. Well at least you are now. You are a professional and I said just enough to make you curious. And you know I was building an army. One who was completely loyal to its masters, and above mental control from any other source. Sounds like we could use such a force given our current situation."
"Yeah, or the perfect force for the Reapers." Abby said arching an eyebrow.
"What?"
She began to pace back and forth, "I've been doing a lot of thinking since you came aboard, and while I am not sure but if I remember correctly your creatures looked like husks."
"And, what?" Michael blinked at her.
"Well, you were using Husks, Husks signify Reaper technology. You were using Reaper technology to make your army."
"And your point?" Michael hissed.
She sighed, "Think about it, how did you run into the Leviathan's, how did you discover they were there?"
He smirked, "You know them Abigail, the evidence was there, and their signal permeates the Galaxy keeping them in contact with their spheres."
"Which you deciphered how?" Abigail drove her point home.
"I…it's there." He blinked.
She nodded, "uh huh, so you don't know? You just happened to run into information about a grave galactic threat after you ran into Reaper technology which caused you to start using that technology to build an army of super soldiers?"
"What are you-"
"You were indoctrinated, just like Keith here, just as thoroughly and completely. The Reapers played on your desires, to see people safe from harm, just like they do every time they get into you. And you would've given them the perfect army when they were on the march in the war."
He blinked, "I had no idea," he whispered.
"That is also something they are good at, which is why we need to work together to solve this problem." Abigail came forward.
"Together, no arrogance, no agendas, just for the good of humanity." Cameron assisted.
The two scientists looked at one another, Keith shrugged, Michael nodded slowly.
"What do you need from us?" Keith asked.
Abigail glanced back at Palin.
"Your minds helpful," he inhaled sharply, "not through extraction though, technical expertise, someone to bounce ideas off of, compare notes on experiences with Saren, Benezia, the Illusive Man, Shepard, Miranda, other case studies. Could be useful in blocking or breaking Leviathan indoctrination."
"And thus turning the conspiracy around." Shepard supplanted semi needlessly.
"Well," Keith smiled cheerfully, "Shall we get to work?"
Abigail smirked and opened her mouth to respond.
"Captain, we are getting a data burst from the Alliance News Network, I think you better take a look at this." Joker said, almost a perfect mirror for his Eden Prime report all those years ago.
Before Shepard could order it on screen, the hologram in the center of the table reverted to a picture of a desolate city street, Shepard could have sworn she heard gun shots in the background of various models, but she wasn't sure since a female voice played over the recording.
"At this time the eighth such attack today, culminating in a massive wave of violence across Earth resulting in the deaths of more than fifty individuals. The attacks have no coordination and the authorities do not believe they are the works of a coordinated effort; however this did not hinder these 'lone wolves' who used military grade fire arms, and using these firearms to slaughter their fellow citizens.
"At this time the Prime Minister is convening an emergency meeting of parliament to discuss the situation and provide measures curtailing the violence, with protests being staged by the grieving members of several of the families here on Archturus and back in several Capitols throughout the world. More on this story as it develops."
Damn, Abigail sighed.
"What is all that about?" Cynthia asked.
"Control, one way or another, Control." Abigail sighed leaning on the War Room table.
"So what do we do about it?" James asked.
"Liara," Abby said not turning to them and toggling the com links, "I need you to double your efforts into getting into contact with any Earth based resistance."
"I'll try Shepard." Liara said without any more preamble.
"Miranda, how is the Phoenix initiative coming?"
Miranda glanced at her compatriots and cleared her throat, "Well since the coup went through recruiting new members and developing my network has been difficult…but." Miranda walked over to the panel and began to type in commands.
"But?" Abigail pressed.
The hologram changed again, this time a model of Omega, which was already zooming out. It zoomed through the Omega 2 relay all the way out among the star cluster, then to a map of the galaxy, a line shot between the Omega cluster and the local, where Earth was, where it zoomed in.
Miranda turned to them, "I do believe I can forge Government documents and transportation papers, shortly, it's not easy but with them reorganizing their protocols there is a lot of bleed in it, if you know where to look."
"Yes," Liara cut in, "I do believe getting you to Earth should be relatively easy but that still leaves communication."
Abigail turned to Miranda, "any ideas?"
Miranda shifted, "We'll have to wait and see."
Abigail nodded, "Dismissed, go get some rest before we get started, I have a feeling we may not get a lot in the days ahead, this is where we begin to take our homes back."
Cameron and Miranda both nodded as the crew began to filter out.
…
"In the age of the Crisis, no matter the crisis, whether conspiracy or the simple acts of lunatics, people will find a way to exploit the situation to their advantage, to control what they can. For their agendas and their own stubborn pride, this is the promise of our new age."