By the time Shepard made her way back to the war room, a number of the Normandy's crew had already congregated around the central console, talking in low voices among themselves as they waited for the Commander to arrive. Wiping quickly at her face with her sleeve to make sure no telltale streaks remained, Shepard entered the war room, taking a look around and surveying the gathered party. As soon as EDI saw her approaching, she quickly broke away from the rest of the group, moving towards the Commander with her hands folded dutifully behind her back. "Asari forces are in full retreat," she reported, looking on as Shepard approached the war hub, tucking her hands in the pockets of her hoodie as she did so. "It is no longer safe for us to remain in this system."

"Then get us out of here," Shepard agreed, moving to stand beside Liara at the console. Glancing over towards the asari, she hesitated, unsure what to say, before finally lifting a gentle hand and settling it reassuringly on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she told her, quietly. "I'm sorry things turned out this way."

Liara faltered at the sentiment, sucking gently on her lower lip, before her gaze finally turned up towards Shepard, her blue eyes misty as she took a shuddering breath. "Shepard," she breathed, quietly, shaking her head. "I…" She paused again, her gentle voice trailing off, before finally taking another deep breath, her expression hardening, difficult to read. "Nobody could have predicted Cerberus would reach Thessia before us," she acknowledged, solemnly. "It's not your fault."

Shepard frowned, giving a deep huff of breath, her hand falling away from Liara's shoulder as she turned her attention back towards the slowly-spinning hologram of the Crucible. "It's my job to be prepared, no matter what," she answered, shaking her head, obstinate. "And now Thessia is lost, along with the data on the Catalyst. I'm sick of Cerberus beating us to the punch!"

"Let's kick them in the balls first for a change," Vega agreed, eagerly, causing Shepard to look up at him, pleasantly surprised by his enthusiasm.

"I'm with James," she announced, pushing herself away from the war hub and folding her arms across her chest. "Anyone know where they're hiding? Anyone?"

An awkward silence filled the war room as everyone tried to think if they had any relevant information, until, finally, Traynor lifted a tentative hand, tensing as she felt every pair of eyes in the room turn suddenly towards her. "Um, well… there is something," she said, quietly, barely loud enough for Shepard to hear her.

"Let's hear it, Traynor," Shepard prompted.

Reaching forward towards the war console, Traynor typed a few quick commands into the hub computer before taking a step back and watching as a holographic diagram of her work suddenly popped up in the place of the Crucible model. She watched as a tiny blue shuttle pinged its way across a digital map, moving from one relay point to the next before suddenly vanishing as soon as it reached the last one. "I was able to track Kai Leng's shuttle through the relay and extrapolate his destination," she explained, pointing towards the diagram, which had started its loop from the beginning again, repeating its trajectory over and over. "But… the signal disappeared in the Iera System."

"Naturally," Shepard sighed, discouraged.

"It's not just gone, though," Traynor rectified, looking up, gaining momentum the further she explained. "The signal is just being actively blocked."

"How?" Shepard asked, frowning as she leaned in towards the hub again, watching the little blue shuttle bounce from point to point across the map.

"I'm not sure," Traynor admitted, taking another step back to study the diagram as well, thoughtful. "But something is interfering with all signal activity in that region of space."

"Commander, the Iera System is home to Sanctuary and little else," EDI informed her, matter-of-factly. "Sanctuary is a supposed safe haven for war refugees."

At this, Shepard paused, considering this information. "You think it's worth checking out, Traynor?" she finally asked, turning her attention up towards the young yeoman again.

Traynor hesitated a moment, surprised at being asked her opinion, before quickly smiling back, her dark eyes lighting up at the prospect of her work being put to good use. "Yes, ma'am," she answered, shortly, giving a sharp nod in return. "I do."

"If Specialist Traynor hadn't examined the data so astutely, the interference would have been undetectable," EDI put in, causing Traynor to look up at her in surprise, a hot red blush rising to her ears and face.

"Nice work, Traynor," Shepard acknowledged, causing Traynor to blush even darker, tucking her hands behind her back as she stared intently down at the floor, self-conscious and flattered. "You've given us a shot. Now let's make sure we don't waste it."

Shepard lingered warily at the threshold of the vidcomm room, staring in at the incoming message light flashing on the console. Traynor had informed her that Anderson had requested an audience with her, and while she knew full well she had no reason to fear that little indicator, every muscle in her body seemed unwilling to comprehend, leaving her frozen in place, unable to move, watching the little button flash. The last time she had pressed that button, it had been to inform Councillor Tevos that her entire planet had been decimated by Reapers, and while she knew that this was not going to be anything like that – Anderson likely just wanted to check up on her, to see if she was doing all right – the painful memory still hung like a thick, toxic fog in the vidcomm room, making it difficult for Shepard to even will herself to go inside.

"You're being ridiculous," Shepard breathed, frowning, steeling her expression. Then, taking a last deep breath, she passed through the doorway into the vidcomm room, crossing to the console and pressing the flashing indicator. She watched as the blue holographic image of Anderson flickered into life before her in the pit, taking a moment to solidify before the Admiral turned his kind, observant gaze on her. He paused a moment, considering Shepard, before offering her a small, sad smile of greeting, but the smile quickly faded away, replaced instead by a look of grim concern. Tucking his hands behind his back, Anderson gave a soft, tired huff of breath.

"Shepard," he addressed her, solemnly. "I heard about Thessia. I'm… sorry."

"We were so close, Anderson," Shepard told him, her voice wavering as she shook her head, clenching her fists in her hoodie pockets. "So damn close to ending this war."

"You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" Anderson asked, pointedly, causing her to look up at him again, taken aback.

"I knew going into it there wouldn't be a minute of this war that was easy," she answered, honestly. Then, turning away from the vidcomm pit, she shifted her gaze to the far wall of the comm room, not wanting him to see her expression waver again. "But watching Thessia fall… and knowing it was my responsibility…"

"Shepard, do you know how many times I got my ass handed to me over the years?" Anderson insisted, earnestly, doing his best to bring her back around. "Surviving the first Contact War back in the day was a goddamn miracle. They said I was a hero, but I… just felt lucky to get out alive." Pausing then, he frowned, before taking a step forward towards her in the vidcomm pit and pointing an indicative, challenging finger in her direction. "So maybe Kai Leng did beat you," he told her, matter-of-factly. "What of it?"

"It could cost us the war," Shepard answered, harshly, realizing only too late how severe her tone was.

"These guys are the resistance," Anderson assured her, not even seeming to notice her hard tone, or not to mind it. "They know it's a losing proposition. They know the chances of seeing tomorrow are slim to none. But we all signed up anyway. Hell, I'm sitting in London right now staring at rubble. I was born here… and it's looking like I might die here, too. So I say point us at the Reapers and we'll take our chances."

"You'll make it, Anderson," Shepard assured him, turning back around to face him again. "And when this is all over, you can show me London."

Anderson chuckled, the sound weak in his chest, but deep and sincere nonetheless. "It might need a new coat of paint first," he told her, jokingly.

Shepard gave an equally weak chuckle in response, moving up towards the vidcomm pit again and tucking her hands back in her pockets. It did not take long for the laughter to die out, however, and she soon found herself staring down into the vidcomm pit in thoughtful, uneasy silence, considering whether to continue talking or let the conversation go at that. "Anderson," she finally spoke up again, looking up at the hologram, apprehensively. "I… have a question. It's kind of a personal question, and I don't really know if you'll have an answer – and if you don't, that's okay, but… I thought… I should ask anyway."

"I'm not sure I'm the best person for this kind of question," Anderson told her, half-jokingly. "I barely know which sock goes on which foot most days. But I'll see if I can help you out. No harm in trying, after all."

Shepard bit her lip, nervous to ask her question now that she was actually getting around to it. "I was just… wondering," she finally told him, speaking slowly. "Why you and Kahlee Sanders decided to dedicate yourselves to the war instead of having children. Especially since… I know you said you wanted them, and you seem like you'd be such a good father. No offense intended… Sir."

"None taken," Anderson answered, fairly, offering her a thin, sad smile. Then, taking in a deep breath, he lifted his gaze, thoughtful, considering how best to answer her. "You're wondering why we decided against it, even knowing our time was so limited," he observed, astutely. "And it's true that we were never spring chickens – at least, not while we were together. We had a very small window of opportunity for having children, and we wanted to take advantage of it, we did, but, unfortunately…" Here, he paused, his brow furrowing, thoughtful, considering how best to explain his decision. "Well, things got tough, with the Alliance," he finally told her, his dark gaze returning to her face, frank. "And we had to choose one or the other. It just seemed selfish to pick children when the Alliance needed me so much and Grissom was just starting to get on its feet."

"So you decided that the galaxy's needs outweighed your own?" Shepard asked, frowning faintly, focused on his words. "The selfless act was the more important one, even knowing you might not get the chance to do what you wanted to do for yourselves if you went down that path?"

"That about sums it up," Anderson agreed, giving a soft, telling exhale. "Albeit a bit poetic. But – just because that was the best option for me and Kahlee doesn't mean it's the best option for everyone. Take our decision with a grain of salt, Shepard. We weren't nearly as young as you are, but even so, there might not always be time to do everything you want to do. Don't take time for granted. It has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it." Shepard nodded, understanding, dropping her gaze to the floor again. "And, Shepard…" Anderson suddenly added, causing her to look up again, attentive. Shepard watched as Anderson shifted from one foot to the other in the vidcomm pit, glancing once over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Admiral Hackett tells me you've been having some… difficulties, lately," he finally told her, turning to face her again and speaking just loudly enough for her to hear him. "Skipping doctor's appointments. Not sleeping well. Barely eating. All of Doctor Chakwas' reports that I've seen have been… troublesome, at best."

"I'm doing okay, Anderson," Shepard lied, quickly, reaching up a hand to rub distractedly at the back of her neck. "Just… stressed, is all. What with the disaster on Thessia, and the hit-and-miss information about the Catalyst…"

"Understandable," Anderson returned, offering her a short, sympathetic nod. "Even so, you can understand why I would be worried, can't you? You're the best soldier the Alliance has. If anything were to happen to you…" He paused, frowning, cutting himself short, before finally letting out a deep, overworked sigh. "I respect your need for privacy, Shepard," he told her, raising his thick brows, earnestly. "I do. Lord knows none of us get enough of it, especially in times like these. But…" He hesitated again, faltering, his lips drawing into a hard, thoughtful line as a thin, worried exhale escaped him. "If something is going on," he finally told her, speaking slower and more solemnly, making sure she understood. "Something you don't feel comfortable talking to Doctor Chakwas about – hell, even if it's something you don't feel comfortable talking to me about… I just want you to promise me you'll be careful. Don't do anything unnecessarily rash. I'd rather you come to me for help with an embarrassing situation than get hurt trying to keep whatever it is out of the Alliance's eye."

"Yes, sir," Shepard told him, honestly, giving a sharp nod of confirmation in return.

"Good," Anderson answered, offering her a nod in response. "Good. And, Shepard?" He hesitated again, one hand moving up to his mouth, the calloused knuckle of his index finger resting pensively against his lips as he thought. Then, letting his hand fall back to his side again, he took in another deep, earnest breath. "I just wanted you to know," he told her, fairly. "I might be your superior, but I'm also your friend. I care about you as a person, not just as a soldier, and I'd much rather put my career on the line than you your life. You understand that, don't you?"

At this, Shepard faltered, taken aback. All throughout her Alliance career, Anderson had looked out for her wellbeing, making sure she was treated fairly and given due credit for her accomplishments, but to be willing to risk dishonourable discharge to make sure she was doing all right was above and beyond the call of duty, even for him. Still, she made an effort to keep her expression as impassive as possible as she nodded again, clearing her throat gently as she did so. "Yes, sir," she repeated, quieter this time. Then, taking a deep breath in, she held it, thinking, before letting it out in a long, low sigh. "With any luck, this will all be over soon," she told him, changing the subject.

"It better," Anderson returned, giving a soft, weary exhale as he reached up to massage his aching shoulder. "Shake this off, Shepard."

"I will," Shepard answered, giving an assured nod in return.

"All right, then," Anderson told her, satisfied, offering her a small, sad, reassuring smile. "Anderson out."

It took several more days for the Normandy to reach the Iera System, which gave Shepard time to go over her and Anderson's conversation in the comm room. Though she had never expected the final decision concerning her baby to be easy, the information she had gotten from Anderson, while sensible, had done almost nothing to help. The decision had been so much easier near the start, before she had allowed it time to settle into her mind and instil a sense of doubt. Now she had no idea what she wanted to do anymore. She knew full well that neither the War nor her child was going to simply wait around for her to make up her mind, and that she could not realistically continue doing both. She also knew that her convictions towards motherhood were tentative at best, and if Anderson, who had actually wanted children and would have made a wonderful father for them, had given up his opportunity to do so to continue serving the Alliance, it felt selfish on her part not to do the same.

The thought had been quickly pushed from her mind as soon Joker had announced their imminent approach of Horizon over the intercom, and she had hastily made her way up to her cabin to begin getting ready for the mission. She had already laid her armour out on the bedspread by the time Liara made her way up to the Commander's quarters to help her fit into it, and she stood with her hand resting absentmindedly on her stomach as she considered it, chewing distractedly on her lower lip as she scanned over the pieces, thoughtfully. "I'm thinking about a colour change," she commented, not even bothering to look up as Liara approached from behind her, curious. "I've been wearing this grey-black for so long that it's starting to feel… outdated, almost. Kind of stale." Reaching down to the bed, she picked up the breastplate of her armour, turning to face Liara and holding it up to her chest.

"What do you think?" she asked. "Would a different colour look better on me? I feel… antsy, for some reason. I just need some kind of change. What do you think about red?"

"Well, red would certainly make you more visible," Liara offered, helpfully. "But if you want my opinion on the matter, I think you should just stick with grey-black. It's your signature look, one, and two, it's also kind of, well…" She faltered, nibbling anxiously at her plum lower lip as she tried to think of a tactful way to say what she was thinking. "…Slimming," she finally finished, frankly.

Shepard paused at this admission, staring at Liara, before letting out a sigh and tossing the breastplate back to the bedspread. "Yeah," she agreed. "You're right. I'll keep it the way it is. Lord knows I need all the slimming I can get." Then, letting out a tired, horse-like huff of breath, she sat down on the bed beside the displayed armour, stretching her legs out in front of her to observe her swollen toes. Liara moved over to the bed as well, lowering herself gently beside Shepard on the bedspread and watching as Shepard turned her attention dourly down towards the protruding curve pushing out from under her thin undershirt. "You know… I can feel it," she suddenly spoke up, making a face as she lifted a hand, letting it hover, seeming hesitant to even touch her stomach. "I was able to kind of, y'know, ignore it before, but now…"

"You can feel it kicking?" Liara asked.

Shaking her head, Shepard slowly and tentatively slid her hand across the surface of her stomach until it came to rest underneath, supporting the curve. "I can feel it in my lap," she said, her tone as if she were being forced to hold a particularly slimy lump of seaweed in her bare hands. "My stomach. I can feel it… pressing against my lap when I sit. I can feel it on my thighs. It's…" Running the pad of her thumb along the curvature of her abdomen, she grimaced, feeling how round she had become without even realizing it. "I don't like it," she finished, giving another short, frustrated sigh. "It feels terrible. I feel enormous."

"Well, you're hardly enormous," Liara assured her, supportively. "Would it make you feel better if I were to measure you, tell you how much you've actually grown since leaving Earth?"

"God, no," Shepard answered quickly, looking up at Liara again, mortified, as she pulled her hand away from her stomach, moving it instead to rest beside her on the bed. "If I hear for a fact that I've gotten more than four inches bigger around since leaving Earth I might actually cry."

"It would probably be closer to five at this point," Liara estimated, quietly, just barely loud enough for Shepard to hear. "Maybe six. But – that's just an estimate! I don't know for sure unless I measure you. To be honest, it's really not that noticeable, especially when you're wearing armour. I'm probably overestimating."

"That doesn't really make me feel better, Liara," Shepard told her, frustrated, getting to her feet and turning to pick up her undersuit off the bed. Stepping into the stiff bodysuit, she pulled it up to her neck, sliding her arms into the sleeves before folding them up to her wrists. "Help me zip," she instructed, reaching back to push her hair out of the way. Quickly getting to her feet as well, Liara pulled the zipper smoothly up the Commander's back as Shepard took a deep breath in, faltering only momentarily at the waistline before pulling it the rest of the way to the top. Satisfied with a job well done, Shepard let her breath out again, turning back to the bed to start putting on the rest of the armour she had laid out across it.

"New undersuit?" Liara asked, picking up one of the pieces and handing it over to be put on.

"Men's cut," Shepard answered, taking the upper-arm guard from Liara and sliding it into place on her body, tightening the straps before locking it in and reaching for the next piece. "Still women's armour, though. Haven't gotten too big for that yet, thank god. It's a little snug, but I'm going to keep using it as long as it still fits." Pulling the straps securely tight on her forearm guard, she gave a soft grunt, locking it firmly in place before reaching for the elbow-guard that hinged the two parts together. Liara watched her pull her armour on, chewing again thoughtfully on her lower lip as her eyes dropped to Shepard's stomach, debating whether or not to say what she was thinking. Then, taking a short, soft breath in, she turned her attention up towards Shepard's face again.

"Maybe you should think about… sitting this one out, Shepard," she told her, speaking quietly, just loud enough to get Shepard's attention. "For your baby's sake. I know you're doing this so people won't know you're pregnant, but you said yourself you wanted to keep it, so maybe… maybe it's time to stop and tell everyone the truth. Before something happens, and you really hurt yourself or your baby. Or both of you."

Shepard faltered at this logic, irritated by Liara's gentle honeysuckle tone, before turning her attention towards Liara and frowning, her expression hard. "I wish you would stop telling me to do that," she told her, giving a sharp, frustrated huff of breath. "You know I can't skip out on these missions. You know that."

"I know," Liara answered, quickly. "But, after what happened on Thessia, with Kai Leng… I don't know that it's advisable for you to go up against him again. Not just for your physical health, but for your baby's as well." Hesitating again, her painted brow furrowed deeper, concerned, her anxious fidgeting growing more noticeable as she took another, deeper breath in, preparing to speak again. "You tired out so quickly during the last fight…" she told Shepard, worriedly. "It's just… if it hadn't been for Kai Leng calling in the gunship to destroy the temple, he very well may have killed you back there."

At this, Shepard gave a short, sharp snort of a bitter, humourless laugh. "Isn't that ironic," she said, flexing her armoured glove to make sure she could move her hand in it. "If he hadn't cheated, he might have won. He probably would have won."

"I don't know about that," Liara admitted, haltingly. "All I know is that that fight took a lot out of you, and if you exert yourself too much, you could very well send yourself into—"

"Premature labour," Shepard answered, solemnly, looking up towards Liara again. "I know. You warned me about that before, back when we were going after the Leviathan. Down in the mining tunnels. But – how exactly do you suggest I bow out of this mission, Liara? Sorry, everyone, I can't go on the mission to Sanctuary because I'm…?"

"Sick?" Liara began to suggest, but seemed to realize halfway through how bad a suggestion it was, as the word quickly died in her mouth before it even had a chance to finish leaving her lips.

"Oh, yeah," Shepard scoffed, grabbing up the second upper-arm guard off the bed. "That's a great idea, Liara. A full medical physical examination is exactly what I need right now."

"You really should get it checked out soon," Liara suggested, pointedly, taking the upper-arm guard from Shepard's hands to help her slide it securely into place. "It's important for you to take extra special care to make sure you're doing what needs to be done for it to be healthy and safe—"

"I know what I need to do," Shepard snapped, cutting her off, sharply. Then, catching her bad mood, she stopped, letting out a low, steadying breath as she sat down on the bed again, running a tired, frustrated hand back through her hair. "I'm sorry," she apologized, softly. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I just… I don't know if what I'm doing is the right thing. That's all." Letting out another soft sigh, she leaned forward a bit, crossing her arms self-consciously across her waist as she looked up, her gaze distant as she stared distractedly at a spot on the nearby wall. "I don't mean to keep going back and forth on this," she said, frowning faintly, feeling Liara's eyes on her, intent, as an unspoken, held-breath tension began to slowly grow in the space between them. "I really thought, after Thessia… but then I talked to Anderson, and… now I'm just not so sure anymore."

"What did Anderson have to say about it?" Liara asked, tentative.

"Nothing," Shepard admitted, shaking her head. "I didn't ask him about it directly. But just the thought of me being a mother, taking care of a baby…" She paused, her frown deepening, considering this for a moment, before she finally turned her gaze up towards Liara, intent. "There are so many people out there who deserve this opportunity so much more than I do, Liara," she told her, decisively. "Who want this opportunity. But me? I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't plan for it to happen, I didn't want it to happen… I'm not even any good with babies. I'm just not a baby person, you know? I freeze up around babies. They scare the living daylights out of me. So to have one of my own would be…" She trailed off, taking a deep breath as she shook her head again, wetting her suddenly strangely dry lips. "Cruel," she finished. "It would be cruel. There are so many other, better people out there who never get this chance. To take it just because I can, knowing I can't provide the same quality of life for her that they would, if they could… it's… evil."

"You could always put her up for adoption," Liara suggested, raising her painted brows, hopefully.

At this suggestion, Shepard looked up again, surprised. Then, giving a harsh, almost unintentional scoff, she shook her head again, uncrossing her arms as she reached across the bed for the next piece of armour to put on. "Put her up for adoption, Liara?" she asked, closing the thigh guard she had picked up around her upper leg and strapping it securely into place. "Are you serious?"

"What's wrong with adoption?" Liara challenged, frowning faintly. "I'm sure there are plenty of families out there who would be thrilled to have your baby. The baby of Commander Shepard, hero of the Alliance."

"Sure, if that was all there was to it," Shepard returned, frankly, reaching for the second thigh guard to fit into place over her leg. "But it's not. Do you know what any parent who adopted this baby would be signing up for? Unknown, endless medical expenses for the rest of the child's life, however short that might be… neverending hurtful and insensitive questions, incessant bigotry and social stigma…" Pausing in putting her armour on, she rested a moment, overwhelmed and out of breath, feeling her heart tightening in her chest as if someone had reached inside and squeezed it. "It's not fair," she finally said, clearing her throat as she reached under her bed for her armoured boots, willing her voice not to crack. "It wouldn't be fair to the parents, and it wouldn't be fair to the child. There's enough pain and suffering in this world already, Liara. I just don't see a reason I need to add to it."

"Hey, Commander," Joker's cheerful voice suddenly crackled over the intercom, causing both Shepard and Liara to look up, pausing in the middle of pulling on Shepard's hefty boots. "Just letting you know we're closing in on Sanctuary. Thought I'd give you a little head's up to get your ground team gathered and down to the hangar." Turning to look at Liara again, Shepard raised her brows, and Liara gave a short nod of silent agreement in return. "Cortez told me he's all set with the Kodiak and ready to go when you are," Joker continued, helpful. "Just waiting on you, Commander. Whenever you're ready."

"Tell Cortez I'll be right down as soon as I finish suiting up," Shepard told him, returning her attention to her armoured boot. "And tell Thane to meet me down in the hangar."

"Will do, Commander," Joker returned, assuredly, before cutting off the comm link and leaving them alone once more.

"Are you certain you want to bring Thane to Sanctuary?" Liara asked, fidgeting distractedly with the hem of her lab coat as she watched Shepard pull her second hefty boot out from under the bed and onto her foot, locking it into place. "His last run-in with Kai Leng was… close. Too close."

"Which is why I think he'd be the best person to come with us to Sanctuary," Shepard answered, matter-of-factly, pushing herself back to her feet again. Picking up her abdominal guard from the bed, she pressed it flat against her protruding stomach, tightening it as far as she dared, allowing herself just enough room to breathe. "Give Leng a taste of his own medicine. Make him face up to his failures."

"And possibly kill Thane this time around in the process," Liara pointed out.

"Well, who do you think I should bring, Liara?" Shepard asked, trying not to sound frustrated as she pulled her breastplate on over her head, snapping it into place over her abdominal plate and tightening the straps securely. She tried to ignore how hard the abdominal plate was pressing up against the base of the breastplate, but she could feel it straining every time she took a deep breath. Picking up her daunting hip-guard, she stared at it for a moment, considering it, before turning towards Liara again and offering it over to her for help. "I'm open to suggestions," she added, letting out a grunt of effort as they forced the hip-guard snugly into place against the abdominal guard, making sure it aligned correctly with the thigh-guards as well. "Anyone but Javik will be fine."

Shepard stared across the Kodiak at her ground team, her lips drawn into a taut, thin line as she watched the two of them sitting as far apart on the shuttle's bench as they could possibly manage. Liara was staring determinedly at a spot on the far wall of the shuttle, her hands folded together thoughtfully in her lap, one thumb rotating over the other as she took soft, pensive breaths in, saying nothing, hoping to avoid conflict. Javik, however, did not seem quite as concerned with avoiding confrontation, as he had spent the entire trip since leaving the Normandy staring back at Shepard, unspeaking, barely moving, and only blinking when he absolutely had to. The Kodiak gave a rumble as it passed through into Horizon's atmosphere, causing the three of them to clutch at their surroundings to steady themselves, Liara and Javik taking hold of the edge of the bench as Shepard grabbed for the overhead handlebar, but the shuttle was quick to settle again, allowing the three of them to return to the same uncomfortable silence as before, interrupted only by the soft crackling sound of the jammed radio from the Kodiak's controls.

"Incredible," Javik suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence for the first time, causing both Shepard and Liara to look up at him, surprised.

Shepard hesitated, debating whether or not to humour him. She was not entirely certain she wanted to know what he was talking about, but at the same time, ignoring him had never seemed to work well for her in the past. "What's incredible?" she asked, warily, her brow furrowing even deeper, preparing herself for something blunt, needling, and insensitive.

Javik blinked, his expression impassive, as if purposefully ignoring her vitriol. "The way that your armour fits," he informed her, speaking evenly, almost matter-of-factly. "It is incredible. One might even call it impressive… all things considered."

Shepard faltered, taken aback, not entirely sure she trusted this sudden, almost uncomfortably nice side to Javik she had never really seen before. "Thanks, Javik," she finally told him, haltingly.

"Do not thank me," Javik answered, bluntly, baring the tips of his teeth as he let out a sharp, disapproving scoff. "I am not complimenting you. Humans are so vain. What is impressive is that you can still fit into it, considering how fat you have let yourself become. It is nothing short of a miracle. Thus, incredible."

"I—" Shepard started to respond, but quickly cut herself short, sucking in a sharp breath and pursing her lips, stubborn. She knew full well that Javik was simply trying to get under her skin, and that reacting in turn would only work to feed the fire of his vitriol. This had been exactly the reason she had not wanted to bring him along in the first place, but Liara had insisted, telling her that he was the only other person on the ship with the fighting experience they needed on Horizon, as well as the knowledge needed to help them complete the mission with little to no 'unspoken' incident.

"What do we know, Shepard?" Liara asked, quickly changing the subject, getting to her feet as well and reaching up to take hold of one of the safety bars. "About Sanctuary, I mean. What information do we have so far?"

Shepard paused, turning her attention towards Liara, still somewhat torn. Then, letting out a low, hard sigh, she shook her head, clearing it, before quickly returning her train of thought to the mission at hand, determined not to let Javik's provoking get to her any more than it already had. "EDI?" she prompted, turning her attention towards the screen built into the wall of the Kodiak, causing Liara and Javik to do the same. "What do we know?"

"The Sanctuary facility was devoted to aiding refugees from Reaper-controlled systems," EDI informed them, helpfully, flashing a slideshow of what appeared to be promotional images of the compound's various amenities across the in-shuttle screen. "The facility went offline recently and no communications have come or gone since. It is unclear why Kai Leng or Cerberus would be interested in Sanctuary."

"If there's a clue to Cerberus here, we find it," Shepard returned, determinedly, turning her attention away from the screen again as the shuttle gave another light rattle, causing her to reach for a handlebar as well.

"Ma'am, I'm picking up a signal from the facility," Cortez reported, causing Shepard to look up in his direction, intrigued. "It's weak, but I'll try to boost it." Tapping a few buttons on his digital display, Cortez frowned, his brow furrowing in concentration as he attempted to clean up the incoming message as best he could before allowing it to play across the shuttle's radio speakers for the rest of the crew to hear.

"This is Oriana Lawson," the transmission fizzled, barely discernible over the loud, obscuring sound of white noise. "Stay away from Sanctuary! It's not what it seems! Please, you must listen to me – they're using—" But whatever else the message had been about to say was cut suddenly short by the harsh, crackling sound of static, drowning out Oriana's voice and leaving them just as empty-handed as when they had started.

"Oriana?" Shepard asked, frowning, troubled. "That's Miranda's sister. If she's here, Miranda can't be far away."

"That's our link to Cerberus," EDI agreed over the intercom.

"Approaching the LZ," Cortez informed them, glancing once over his shoulder to make sure the ground party was ready to go. "I'm seeing some damage, Commander, but no activity."

Shepard frowned, wary, her free hand reaching back over her shoulder almost subconsciously to touch the butt of her waiting Marauder as her grip on the overhead safety bar tightened anxiously. The Kodiak gave one last tilting lurch as Cortez manoeuvred it in close to the entrance of the facility, allowing it to hover just low enough to the ground let his passengers depart safely. "Cerberus does not get the jump on us this time," Shepard told her crew, firmly, turning to glance back at both of them as the door of the shuttle unsealed and opened with a low, hydraulic hiss. "Stay sharp, people."

"Will do," Liara agreed, offering her a solemn nod in return.