Delay caused by having to work on a few other things before and during work on this chapter, as well as unexpected circumstances popping up.

I know things seem like a play-by-play of canon, but rest assured, things will start being different as we move further in – canon-death characters surviving, Team Shepard visiting some of the DDF worlds that are under attack, maybe a couple more 'new' squadmates besides Kal'Reegar, and something big planned for the ending. Just hold on; it's a-coming.

SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS

PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES

-CHAPTER START-

Realm ME-N7 – Serpent Nebula – Widow System

The Citadel – Docking Bay D24

A group of EMTs hurried through the docks, two of them carrying a stretcher with Ashley Williams atop it.

"Barely got a pulse here" one reported.

"Alright, move 'em out" a Turian nurse said.

"Where are you taking her?" Shepard asked as he followed behind.

"Huerta Memorial," the Turian replied, "best care on the Citadel."

Team Shepard watched as Ashley was carted away, stopping by the large window overlooking the docks.

"We're not going with?" James asked.

"We need to see the Council." Liara replied.

James then noticed a man in a C-Sec uniform approaching. "Looks like they might be coming to see us" he said.

"Commander Shepard," the man said, "I got word you were arriving."

"Captain Bailey" Shepard shook his hand. "Good to see you again."

"You, too… though, it's 'Commander' Bailey now…"

"…Congratulations?"

"Thanks. Now, half my job is dealing with political bullshit and escorting dignitaries around. …No offense."

"None taken. So, you're here to bring us to the Council?"

"I'm here to tell you that the Council is expecting you, but they're dealing with their own… problems, with the war and everything. They apologize for the inconvenience, and blah-blah, yadda-yadda. Meet them at Udina's office; they'll be ready soon enough. You might have time to go by the medical office first, if you wanna check on your subordinate over there."

"Thanks, I might do that."

"You go on ahead" Liara said. "I'll head up to Udina's office."

"One of my men can show you the way" Bailey replied, before then turning to the others. "You folks?"

"I'm just a tourist today" Vega replied. "I'll try not to get in any trouble."

"I'd like to try contacting my people," Kal said, "see how they're doing, if the Reapers have hit them yet."

"Well, from what I hear," Bailey replied, "they haven't reached the Tikkun System yet, but who knows how long they'll have? In any case, just follow this map," he sent a bit of data to Kal's Omnitool, "it'll take you to a long-range comm. connection so you can get in touch… if the Reapers haven't destroyed any of the comm. buoys between here and Rannoch, that is…"

"I'll follow Commander Shepard around for now, I guess" Asa said.

"Commander, we've got a situation in the embassy quarters" an officer said over Bailey's comm. "We could use your help."

Bailey sighed. "I'll be right there." He turned to Shepard. "The other half of my job" he grumbled. "I'll see you around, Shepard."

"Commander Shepard! Asa!"

The two turned to see a tall, shapely green-eyed girl in dark-blue jeans and a green shirt under an open brown jacket, her blonde hair in a ponytail. As she got close, Shepard saw that there was a bit of dark discoloration beneath her eyes.

"Sarah?" Asa asked. "What're you doing here?"

"I've been here with the kids – Erika, Timmy, & Mariko – for the past week or so, helping around and listening for trouble. And then, all hell breaks loose across the entire galaxy; I can't get a hold of anyone on our other worlds' bases."

"Where are the kids right now?" Shepard asked. "Are they safe?"

"Yeah, they're helping Kaidan out running things around for the refugees. But…" She looked worried. "Marie was helping Garrus with something on Palaven. And Palaven's getting hit, hard, by the Reapers. I haven't heard from her in a couple of days… How bad is it?"

"According to Hackett, in addition to having steamrolled over Khar'shan and, just earlier today, sacked Earth, the Reapers have managed to open dimensional rift-ways and hit six DDF planets in other realms – Equestria, Shakuras, Lucavos, Midchilda, Sanghelios, and Cybertron."

Sarah's expression shifted to one of horrified realization. "The whole rest of Gamma Team…" she murmured. "Oh, God…"

"Where are they?"

"Tia's on Mid, Shion & 'soka are on Shakuras, Kaede's on Lucavos, Mai's in Canterlot…"

"It's gonna be okay, Sarah…" he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "They're survivors; I'm sure they're all fine."

"But for how long…?"

"Where's everyone else from Theta and Sigma?"

"Mana, Kaede K., Anya, and Aqua are all on their homeworlds, and Erio, Caro, & Laicixa are on the UNSC's Earth. They're all safe, for now. …You said the Reapers are hitting Sanghelios?"

Shepard smiled a little. "Trying to. But the Sangheili navy is handing them their butts."

"Recalling what those ships can do and how they're built, as well as how smart the Arbiter is in commanding fleet engagements, that doesn't surprise me much. So, what brings you here?"

"At the Mars Archives," Asa replied, "we found the blueprint for a Prothean anti-Reaper superweapon. We're going to show it to the Council. Also, Ashley Williams was badly injured by a Cerberus assassin-droid; they just rushed her to Huerta Memorial."

"I see… Well, let me know if anything plays out, or if you get any news about my teammates that I don't get first."

"Sure thing" Shepard replied. "Take care of yourself, and the kids."

"Will do; I'm gonna go find them now. I… I think I need to hug Erika for a while, for myself just as much as for her…"

As Sarah walked away, Shepard became aware of a commotion nearby, as a lady with a camera droid was pestering an Alliance man.

"Ma'am, I can't say when we're deploying," he was telling her, "or when, or why."

"But you're on the Normandy, right?" she asked. "I saw it dock. It was last seen on Earth. Did Commander Shepard escape? He did, didn't he? So why would he be here, unless he's seeing the Council?"

"Ma'am, I can't talk about that."

"Ah, you don't have to!" she said as Shepard finally walked up to investigate.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Commander," she said, "just who I was looking for. Diana Allers, Alliance News Network. I think we can help each other."

"I suppose you want an interview…"

"Even better. I'm a military reporter with a show called 'Battle-Space'. We're carried on just about all Council planets. My producers want me embedded on a human ship, and I want that ship to be the Normandy."

"Why would I want that?"

"Wars can be won or lost in the editing room. And this war needs to be won. I've got Alliance security clearance, and I operate without a crew. You get veto power over the segments I file. Can I handle an arrangement like that, or do I keep looking?"

"Hmm… Tell your producers yes for now. We'll see how it works out. Report to the ship as soon as possible. Any questions?"

"How much gear can I bring?"

"One footlocker."

She saluted. "Aye-aye, Commander."

-Break-

Citadel – Huerta Memorial Hospital

Entering the hospital, moving past worried relatives and lightly-injured people, Shepard was about to head through the checkpoint into the ICU before he noticed a familiar face, and moved to check.

"Dr. Chakwas," he said, grabbing the woman's attention, "you're here?"

"I'm working at an Alliance R&D lab down in Shalta Wards," the old doctor replied, "coordinating closely with Admiral Hackett. I heard you escaped Earth in the Normandy II, and that someone was critically injured. I came as fast as I could."

"We had a run-in with a Cerberus synthetic on Mars. Ashley took the worst of it. How's she doing?"

"Very well, all things considered. I'm impressed with Lieutenant-Commander Williams' resilience, as well as Dr. Michel's expertise. …I wish I could have been there to help on Mars."

"How have you been the past few months, Doctor?"

"Good. I've been fortunate. When they dry-docked Normandy for the retrofits, Hackett had me come here to work on something for him. At this point, the little project's just coasting on momentum; I'm just standing here watching it finish."

"Well, if it doesn't need your help anymore, you should come back to the Normandy. Your place is with us, not holed up in some lab."

"I couldn't agree more. Just say the word."

"The Normandy wouldn't be the same without you, Doctor. Get your things. Docking Bay D24."

"Yes, Commander. And thank you."

"Don't thank me so soon. Remember: Joker is still aboard."

"And I'd be surprised if he's been remembering his medication."

With that done, Shepard passed through into the ICU, and headed for the door currently marked "LT-CDR WILLIAMS, A." He entered, to find Ashley laid out on a hospital bed by a window overlooking the Presidium; her head was covered in bruises, and her breathing was slow and deep as machines monitored her unconscious vitals. He stood by her bedside.

"You got pretty banged up there, Williams" he spoke softly. "Had me worried. …I just wanted to check in on you, see how you're doin'. …Despite all this, it's good seeing you again, Ash. Get some rest, okay? I'll come by when you're feeling better. We'll talk. …Take care, Ash. I'll see you soon." As he made to leave, he turned to a Doctor who'd come in. "You need anything, Doc, let me know."

-Break-

Citadel Council Chamber

"We've got our own problems, Udina" Councilor Sparatus was saying as Shepard entered. "Earth is not in this alone."

"But Earth was the first Council world hit" Udina replied. "By all reports, it faces the brunt of the attack."

"By your reports…" Councilor Valern remarked.

"The reports are accurate" Shepard said as he walked up to stand beside Liara. "Earth is being ransacked by the Reapers. And it's just the beginning. We need your help – everything you can spare."

"Each of us faces a similar situation" Councilor Tevos said. "Even now, the Reapers are pressing on our borders. If we lend you our strength to help Earth, our own worlds will fall as well."

"We must fight this enemy together!" Udina said.

"And so we should just follow you to Earth, no questions asked?" Valern replied.

"Even if we were to unite our fleets," Sparatus asked Shepard, "do you really believe we could defeat the Reapers?"

"I don't expect you to follow me without a plan" Shepard replied.

"Councilors," Liara spoke up, "we have that plan: a blueprint, created by the Protheans during their war against the Reapers."

"A blueprint for what?" the Turian Councilor asked.

"We're still piecing it together…" she called up a hologram of the device plans, "but it appears to be a weapon of some sort."

"Capable of destroying the Reapers?" the Salarian Councilor asked.

"So it would seem."

"The scale is… It would be a colossal undertaking."

"No" Shepard replied. "We forwarded the plans to Admiral Hackett. What remains of the Alliance Navy is already gathering resources to begin construction."

"Our initial calculations suggest it is very feasible to build" Liara added.

"If we work together…"

"Have you considered that the Reapers destroyed the Protheans?" the Asari Councilor asked. "What good did this weapon do?"

"It was incomplete" Liara replied. "There was a missing component, something referred to only as 'the Catalyst'. The Protheans almost pulled through, but they ran out of time before they could finish building it." She dispelled the hologram.

"Do you really believe this can stop the Reapers?" Councilor Sparatus asked.

"Liara believes it can work," Shepard replied, "and so do I. And while I haven't always agreed with Udina, he's right about this. We need to stand together, now more than ever. The Reapers won't stop at Earth. They'll destroy every sapient being in the galaxy if we don't find a way to stop them."

Councilors Sparatus and Valern looked between them to Tevos, who shook her head.

"The cruel and unfortunate truth," she said, "is that while the Reapers focus on Earth, we can prepare and regroup."

"We are convening a summit amongst our species" Valern added. "If we can manage to secure our own borders, we will once again consider helping you."

"So that's it, then?" Udina growled to Tevos and Valern. "You're going to sacrifice the human species to protect your own?"

"We never said tha-" Tevos started.

"We may have a seat on this Council, but it is clear humanity will always be considered second-rate and expendable to you! Our world is dying. And unlike your people spread out across the galaxy, the percentile majority of our species population still dwells in our home system. The Reapers will reduce us to below the minimum needed to maintain a genetically-viable population, if they don't just wipe us all out directly! And you… you just plan to stand back and watch as we're exterminated! …When – not if, when – the Reapers render humanity extinct, our species' blood will be on your hands!"

Udina then slammed the power-down button of his console, and stormed out of the chamber.

"This…" Tevos spoke, sounding rattled. "This meeting is adjourned…"

"They don't know that humans' minimum number is somewhere between 600 and 2000, do they?" Liara murmured to Shepard.

"I didn't know that either" he replied quietly. "Don't tell them; having the 'knowledge' of a species' existence at stake might spur Tevos and Valern to help us sooner… I hope…"

-SCENE BREAK-

Citadel Embassies – Councilor Donnel Udina's Office

"They're a bunch of self-concerned jackasses, Shepard!" Udina growled.

"I can't see how they could be so blind" Shepard replied.

"They're scared, and they're looking out for themselves; to hell with anyone else, in their eyes."

"Our people are scared," Councilor Sparatus chimed in as he entered, "and we're looking out for them the best we know how. …And I, for one, strongly disapprove of Tevos throwing humanity to the varren like this." He turned to the Commander. "Shepard, I can't give you what you need, but I can tell you how to get it."

"I'm listening…" Shepard said.

"Primarch Fedorian called the war summit," the Turian leader said, "but… we lost contact with him when the Reapers hit Palaven. Those meetings won't proceed without him. The Normandy-II is one of the few ships that can extract Fedorian undetected."

"So far you've only explained how I can help you."

"It might seem that way… but the leaders of this summit will be the ones deciding our future – the fate of our fleets, where they fight and with whom. A grateful Primarch would be a tremendous ally in your bid to unite us."

"We're at war, and you want me to play politician?"

"If it gets you what you need, what does it matter? Our latest intelligence says that the Primarch was moved to a base on Menae, Palaven's largest moon. …I've done all I can to help. The rest is up to you. …Oh, there is one more thing. The others wanted me to tell you… we've chosen to uphold your Spectre status. Various resources will be made available to you. Good day."

With that, the Turian Councilor made his exit.

"Well," Shepard said, "that went well."

"It's a start" Udina replied as he sat as his desk. "I'll talk to the others in the meantime - see if we can support this summit, move things along. …The Council… You saved their lives, and for what? Apologies that boil down to 'maybe later'. …If we don't figure out something, 'maybe later' will be the epitaph on a mass grave of 11 billion."

"I know what I'm gonna do" Shepard said. "What about you?"

"Humanity has created some goodwill in the galaxy. Now we cash in our chips. I'll get what funding I can, what materials I can, and spread the message: 'Help the humans, help yourselves'. I'll institute a draft in our colonies and order all civilian ships armed. Work on the Prothean device will be around-the-clock."

"You're a Citadel Councilor. Don't you have options when the others block you like this?"

"With Parliament destroyed and Shastri gone, I have more power than any human in history. But today, you saw how little that is. But rest assured, I will not be counted out long. I know I can move mountains. Do not lose sight of that, because the task before us is moving planets."

"Any news from Earth?"

"There is constant news, all of it bad. The Reapers are destroying satellites and the old nuclear missile silos, along with everything else that could help. We have a handful of quantum entanglers spread out over the continents; all other communication is cut."

"Did you know a lot of people on Earth?"

"I must know… I must have known most of the Alliance Parliament on a first-name basis. I required a second VI just to track all their birthdays and anniversaries - rose garden stuff. But to have it all gone… hmph."

"I should go."

"I'll be here."

Shepard left the office behind, but as he passed by the C-Sec Commander's Office, he heard what sounded like an argument inside. He went in, and saw Bailey at his desk, talking to a familiar paparazzi.

"There is no anti-humanity conspiracy, Ms. Al-Jilani" he said. "The Council's simply not granting interviews at this time."

"My viewers are going to know that C-Sec and the Council are denying them access" Khalisah replied.

"Listen, lady, you think I like playing gatekeeper between the paparazzi and the politicians? I don't have time to babysit them, and I'm not here to hold your hand."

"Well, I'm camping out until I'm granted an audience."

"Fine. I hope you brought your sleepin' bag."

Khalisah stormed out, with Shepard standing aside to let her through. She nodded, then double-took.

"Commander Shepard? Commander, humanity has questions!"

The door closed between the two of them, and Shepard walked over to Bailey.

"Damn press…" Bailey grumbled.

"I see you're keeping the peace" Shepard said.

"Yeah, I feel like a glorified doorman."

"Most people would see it as a move up."

"Wedged in here with all the stuffed shirts? I'd rather be back down on the streets. I appreciate the higher pay-grade, but I'm not a political creature."

"If you didn't wanna be upped, why'd you accept?"

"You don't say no to Councilor Udina. Well, maybe you would, but I've gotta live here. I know, squeaky wheel gets the oil, but I didn't lobby for a promotion like some other officers. I'm not even sure why he picked me; ya never know with politicians. I hate political BS." He scoffed. "It's killin' me about Earth…"

"You and me both."

"I haven't been back in years. Now I may never. If this ain't the end of days, it's pretty damn close."

Shepard nodded, and then left. As he neared the elevator, he found a certain reporter waiting to ambush him.

"Commander Shepard, Khali Bint Sinan al-Jilani. Isn't it true that you were on Earth when the Reapers attacked? How do you justify running away while millions of people on Earth die? Is that the best we can expect from the Alliance?"

"I came to get help for Earth," he replied, "for everyone."

"What about all the people suffering while you play politics with the Council? What about them?" It was clear she was getting distraught. "How can you stand here while our families die? What are you going to do?"

"Khalisah…" he patted her on the shoulder. "We're doing everything we can."

"Before they cut the feeds… there were so many dead…"

"I'm gonna stop the Reapers or die trying. But I need your help. Keep asking the hard questions. Don't let the Council forget about Earth."

"I will… Thank you, Commander. We may not have always seen eye-to-eye, but I'm glad you're on our side."

As al-Jilani walked away, Shepard found one last person here in the Embassies, looking out a window at the Predisium.

"'Sup, Loco?" James asked. "Liara told me the Council's not interested in helping us."

"Something like that" Shepard replied.

"Why would they? I mean, look at this place. There's no war here. People are whispering about it, talking about it, but they don't really believe it."

"I take it this is your first time here, with the 'elite' of the galaxy."

"I've been to the Citadel, but never up here on the Presidium. It's… not right. It looks pretty, calm and peaceful, but it's not right. It's all just an illusion. They'd rather believe in this" he gestured around "than face the truth."

"I can hardly believe it myself…" Shepard murmured. "Like everything back on Earth was some kind of nightmare…"

"Yeah. That's what I hate most. It's like this place wants you to forget that."

"…So, you still wanna go back to Earth?"

"Hell yeah, but…"

"But…"

"You were right. So was Anderson. We can't stop them alone. Besides, looks like you're gonna have your hands full convincing these pendejo politicians to help us. And I'm up for it, whatever it takes."

"Glad to hear it."

"I'm gonna head down to some of the lower levels, where they keep it real. You got some spare time, you should come and find me."

"I think I'm gonna head back to my cabin on the Normandy, try to get a couple hours' sleep."

"Yeah, I think you kinda need it after all the shit you been through the past 24 hours. See ya, Shepard."

-SCENE BREAK-

Midchilda

Nanoha launched an Accel Shooter barrage that took out another pack of Husks, while Teana and Fate used their energy blades to carve through a squad of Cannibals. With this area now clear (for the moment), everyone gathered together in the middle.

"How many did we lose?" Fate asked.

"Three" Ginga replied. "Two of ours, and a UNSC marine. We've got four wounded, also, but not too serious."

"This is messed up" Vita said. "The Bureau's never faced something this bad before…"

"My first experience with war was the invasion of Reach" Teana remarked. "It feels like it's been forever since then, and now I'm right in the middle of another invasion, this one much bigger. …I hope the others are okay…"

"How's the fleet doing?" Nanoha asked.

Signum checked with her Omnitool. "They're holding for now, but they're on the defensive. The rest of the Bureau Navy has arrived to help, but it seems a stalemate. The real problem is the enemy leader…"

She displayed an image of a command-subclass Reaper, 2500 meters in size with orange 'running lights' – the Reaper who called itself 'Pinnacle'.

"That behemoth's main gun can burn through the shields and armor of a Lance-class heavy cruiser in only four shots."

"And as far as we know," Subaru said, "the Bureau's 'trump card' is still undergoing retrofits at the Naval HQ station. And our ships can't close the warp breach as long as Reapers are still guarding it and actively coming through it, so…"

"Shit…" Teana grumbled.

"We can't give up hope" Fate said. "The other DDF fleets will probably be able to send help soon."

"Why haven't they already, then?" Vita asked. "They're probably being hit by Reapers, too, in which case they'll be too busy fighting for their lives to help us."

"I wish we could just blast these monsters…" Nanoha said. "But the big ones are so huge, and so durable, it'd take a full-power Starlight Breaker or Kamehameha just to kill one, and the 'little' ones are still durable enough that we'd all exhaust ourselves before taking out even half of them. Not to mention, the ones in space are too far out of our range…"

"Yeah, these things are so tough and so many that even Goku or Vegeta would exhaust themselves out of the fight from making just a dent in the Reapers' overall numbers" Teana added. "They can each take out maybe a dozen big Reapers each per run-through, sure, but if new Reapers are made from each sapient race for every cycle, and the Reapers have been doing this cycle for over a billion years… Plus, like you've said, they can't breathe in space; all the Reapers would have to do is micro-jump out far enough from the planet and start bombarding from long-range."

"At least we can carve through their ground forces like nobody's business" Subaru said. "We can't do much against the Reapers themselves, but we can make things a hell of a lot easier for the DDF's soldiers who have to fight Husks."

"Except when the Husk forces are dug in at urban areas" Signum replied. "At that point, we can't go all-out or we risk bringing buildings down on our own heads, or those of our fellow soldiers or even surviving civilians."

Teana looked up at the sky, seeing the flashes of the ongoing space battle.

'We're gonna need some miracles. …I hope you girls are all right…'

-SCENE BREAK-

Normandy II – Commander's Cabin

Shepard snapped awake, breaking free of the depressing nightmare he'd been having. He sat on his bed, holding his face on his hand, until a knock on his door brought him out. When he went to open it, he found Liara waiting.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I've been forwarding the Turian Councilor information on the Prothean device" she replied. "It can't be built without Council support, but he's not budging until their Primarch is safe."

"I know…"

"Are you alright?"

"I didn't get what you'd call a good night's rest."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there? What's really bothering you?"

"When the Reapers hit… I could hear people screaming in the streets below me. We left a lot of them behind…"

"There's no way for you to save them all. But I know you're doing everything you can, and you'll get back there in time to help."

"I hope you're right…"

"Don't blame yourself, Commander."

"Commander Shepard?" a woman with a British accent wearing an Alliance uniform walked in off the elevator. "I'm Specialist- …Oh. Uh, I beg your pardon. I thought you were alone."

"It's alright" Liara replied. "I was just leaving. …Try not to let things you can't have changed haunt you so much, Commander. I'll see you later."

As Liara left via the elevator, the new woman saluted.

"Commander Shepard? I'm Comm. Specialist Samantha Traynor, with Alliance R&D. I was part of the team retrofitting the Normandy II after you turned it over to the Alliance. There weren't many of us aboard when the Reapers hit…"

"You're doing fine, Specialist Traynor."

"Thank you. I worked in a lab; I never thought I'd be serving on a ship. In any event, I'm honored to serve under you, Commander. For as long as you need me, that is. They only sent me here to oversee the retrofits…"

"Shepard," EDI chimed in, "some of our systems require further testing, and Specialist Traynor has been extremely effective during installation. I would prefer that she remain."

"Got it, EDI" Shepard replied.

"Wait…" Traynor said. "Since when does a virtual intelligence make requests?"

"EDI's an A.I.," Shepard said, "fully self-aware."

"Oh, I knew it! I knew Joker was lying!"

"Jeff requested that I pretend to be a simple VI to protect myself" EDI replied. "I apologize for the deception."

"Thanks, EDI. And I apologize for all those times I talked about how… attractive your voice is. A-Anyway, let's move on, shall we Commander?"

"Alright. Why don't you tell me about the retrofits?"

"The ship's in line with Alliance regs now, and it has new top-of-the-line quantum entanglement communicators. The CIC is basically unchanged. The new War Room houses a strategic command center, for mission-specific intel and war analysis. We've moved the armory down to the shuttle bay on Deck 5. And finally, Liara has set up a lot of hardware down in the old XO office on Deck 3. I think she's claimed that room. And there you are; still the same ship as before, it just flies Alliance colors now. Speaking of which, I believe Admiral Hackett would like to speak to you at the vid comm."

-Break-

Deck 3 – War Room – Comm. Room

"Commander, Udina updated me on your meeting with the Council. Sounds like they're running scared."

"We did present them with a lot of unknowns. They're feeling threatened, and want immediate solutions, not theories."

"Theories are all we've got right now. What's your plan?"

"I'm trying to get the Turian Primarch for a summit meeting with the Asari and Salarians. I'll bypass the Council and appeal directly to their leadership."

"That's good. I like it. This is where we start laying the groundwork for our counterattack."

"Unfortunately, we don't have a whole lot to back it up right now."

"Then build alliances. Gather everything and everybody you can for the cause."

"What about the Prothean device?"

"Find me people who can help build it. And if you can't, I'll take ships, soldiers, supplies, whatever you can get. We need to keep hitting the Reapers across every theater of war they open – buy us time to figure out the device."

"And when it's finished?"

"Assuming it ever is, we pool all our resources, create a giant armada for delivering the device when the Reapers are most vulnerable. The stronger you can make that armada, the better its chances of punching through."

"What about Earth, sir?"

"We'll just have to hope that Anderson, and what's left of the Sol system's Alliance forces, can hold out until we've dealt with the enemy."

"I understand."

"Good. Then make it happen, Commander. I'll be expecting regular updates on your progress. Hackett out."

As the communication ended, Shepard decided to go check on everyone, first heading up to the cockpit to check on Joker.

"Hey, Commander. Y'know, I had my doubts about the Council, but after years of ignoring your warnings, they're finally willing to step up and tell us they just can't help. Did they at least validate our parking?"

"Nope."

"Well, lemme know if you wanna get them on the channel and then hang up on 'em. Y'know, for shits-n-giggles…"

Next came the medbay on Deck 3, where Dr. Chakwas was already getting settled in.

"Everything okay down here, Doctor?" he asked.

"The Alliance team cleaned up and restocked," she replied, "but it's still my old medbay. Feels like home."

"Welcome back."

"Thank you. Let's waste no time; if I may, I'd like to examine you." She brought her Omnitool up.

"Nothin' wrong with me, is there?"

"No, but we should keep an eye on all those cybernetic implants Cerberus grafted into you."

"Expensive stuff, bringing me back…"

"And worth every credit. Let's just make sure everything is okay."

"I guess a checkup never hurts. Just no scalpel this time, Doc."

"Alas, to my great disappointment it is nothing invasive. I'm just going to run some diagnostics on your implants." She waved her Omnitool in front of him a couple times, and then looked at the readouts. "Your implants show no signs of rejection. Just keep up that positive outlook of yours, and you'll be fine."

"How's our inventory of meds?"

"The medbay was fully stocked before you left Earth. We should be good for a long time, even given the amount of fire you take each day."

"Do you ever regret working for Cerberus?"

"We didn't work for them. We used them. If I were to feel anything, it would be guilt; we took their money, took their best people, took their best ship. We used them to defeat the Collectors, and now we are using their resources against them." She smirked. "So no, I don't regret it one bit."

"Right. I'll see you around, Doctor."

"Take care, Shepard."

Next, he headed over to the XO office. Upon opening it, he was greeted by the sight of a wall covered in synchronized display screens, with at least three computer consoles throughout the room. Soon, a familiar little light-blue drone floated before him.

"Commander Shepard," it said, "it's a pleasure to see you again."

"You're the drone from the Shadow Broker's ship."

"Dr. T'Soni now refers to me as 'Glyph' instead of 'Info Drone'… 95% of the time. She would like to speak with you. Have a pleasant day."

As Liara walked up, Shepard looked around.

"Looks like you brought more than just that drone from your ship" he said.

"A few things were necessary" she replied. "I'd be a very silent Shadow Broker without data feeds."

"So you have access to your resources?"

"What I can get. We'll need it to research this Prothean device. Until we understand precisely what it does, it's far too dangerous to use."

"It'd be nice to know we're not kids playing around with a loaded gun."

"Absolutely. The damage it could cause if it backfired is unthinkable. I'm working with EDI; hopefully we can discover what the Protheans left for us."

"You don't know anything more about it?"

"No; we're fortunate that enough survived to piece together the blueprints. Decoding them will require many specialists."

"It's that high-tech?"

"I'd have killed for a glimpse of it during graduate school…"

"What have you been up to since I got stationed on Earth?"

"Since you helped me defeat the last Shadow Broker, I've been looking for defenses against the Reapers. The Protheans were the only ones with substantial information on them; the older civilizations barely had records. I knew the Illusive Man was hunting for the same thing when our agents began crossing paths."

"Like on Mars?"

"I thought I'd covered my tracks, but he had surveillance there all along."

"What's been happening with you as the Broker, Liara?"

"It's been… exciting. The old Broker's ship was impressive, but it was never meant to be space-worthy. Which meant the Illusive Man eventually tracked me down on Hagalaz. I knew he was coming. Feron and I loaded as much of the ship's specialized hardware onto an up-sized shuttle as we could, and the quantum-crystal data-storage technology donated by the UNSC allowed us to save every last bit of the software and stored data. We got away after arranging an… appropriate distraction."

"That being?"

"Sending the Broker's ship to ram into a Cerberus heavy cruiser and explode on impact. I don't think the Illusive Man expected me to give it up in such a… spectacular fashion."

"Can you still operate as the Broker without the ship?"

"Well, I couldn't let the Illusive Man have it. I saved what was crucial. My network of agents is intact, although the Reapers have taken a toll on their numbers. It's taking a while to reestablish contact."

"So where's Feron?"

"He convinced me he was recovered enough to work. And I do need more agents…"

"Agent Feron didn't report any trouble or injuries in his last call to you, Doctor" Glyph reported.

"True. Given what he's survived, I should probably worry less."

"I should let you get back to worth. We'll talk later, Liara."

Next was Deck 4, Engineering, where Shepard found another familiar face.

"Commander! Welcome back to the Normandy! Or maybe you should be saying that to me."

"Engineer Adams. What're you doing here?"

"I was put in charge of the drive-core retrofits. My experience on the Normandy-1 made me an obvious choice."

"So what do you think of the N2?"

"She's incredible. If there's one nice thing I can say about Cerberus, it's that they know how to build a ship. And about that – Cerberus, I mean – I owe you an apology."

"How so?"

"Back when you got this ship, Dr. Chakwas contacted me, asked me to help with your mission against the Collectors. I refused. I didn't have your back, and I'm sorry for that."

"Why didn't you join us?"

"I saw what happened to you when the Normandy went down. I didn't trust that it was really you. And I certainly didn't trust Cerberus. Also, as an officer of the Alliance, I don't just leave my post, y'know?"

"You're Alliance first. That's the way it should be."

"Thank you, Commander. Glad to be aboard."

"Does the new Normandy stack up to the old one?"

Adams chuckled. "Stack up? It blows the old ship away. The Tantalus drive core has been completely overhauled. The SR-2 might be nearly twice the size, but the new drive core is three times bigger. This ship can fly. That said, Cerberus isn't too high on safety. If pushed past her limits, this core would vent into Engineering. Guess it gives my team incentive to keep her well-balanced during a firefight."

"Do your job or get vaporized."

"Pretty much. I noticed you upgraded the barriers with cyclonic technology. That should help reduce the draw when under missile fire."

"Hopefully that means fewer vaporized engineers?"

"Hopefully. The IES stealth system is significantly improved. It can handle a higher blueshift of our emissions; we should be able to drop out of FTL without triggering every sensor in range – very handy for stealth-reconnaissance. All in all, the Normandy II is a marvel of engineering."

"What do you think of EDI?"

"We had a good talk during the retrofit. A little strange at first, talking shop with an AI…"

"I thought EDI posed as a VI to keep the likes of you from unplugging her."

"Yeah, but I saw through her. Have you seen her hardware? Processing power is off the charts. And then there were the problems that kept fixing themselves. If I hadn't had her pegged, I'd have sworn I was losing it."

"You never expressed any skepticism, Lieutenant Adams."

"I figured I'd better play it safe with a Cerberus-made AI, EDI. No offense."

"None taken… as long as you keep your fingers out of my cognizance processors."

"Heh. In the beginning, I tried disconnecting her from key processes without giving myself away. Easier said than done. But Joker seemed to trust her, and in time I saw her advantages, even grew to like her."

"Is your family okay?"

"My parents are serving on Viridian Zenith, an Alliance agricultural vessel. My sister is a navigator on the SSV Benjamin Davis. Happy to report that both vessels are safely under Hackett's command."

"Right, then. Carry on, Adams."

"Aye-aye, sir."

Before heading down, he swung by the starboard cargo, where Zaeed used to hang out, and found the place with plenty of gear set up, one wall covered in pictures. The reporter was just finishing setting up.

"How's your new assignment working out, Allers?" he asked her.

"Fairly normal," she replied, "except for the unshackled AI, Matriarch Benezia's daughter, and the communicator that can reach Earth. The first two I can deal with, but that last one gets my attention."

"So, what are you asking for, exactly?"

"Anything from Earth is the lead story right now; that's a fact."

"Maybe I can pass on a few non-classified progress updates."

"Seriously? You just doubled my ratings. I don't need face time, just a data upload."

"Tell people what's really happening on Earth. We need long recruiting lines on every planet after you air a story."

"Can do, Commander."

Next was a trip down to Deck 5, where a Latino-looking man was working on one of the consoles, looking up as he heard Shepard coming.

"Lieutenant Steve Cortez," he introduced himself, "shuttle pilot. Got news about our supply chains, Commander."

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant" Shepard shook his hand. "What's goin' on?"

"Sorry to just jump in, Commander. There's so much to be done, I get caught up in the tasks at hand."

"He's always like that" James chimed in from across the shuttle bay. "You need to chill out, Esteban."

"So you do care, Mr. Vega. Or is that the cerveza talking again."

"So what's happening with our supply chains, Lieutenant?" Shepard asked.

"Alliance procurement chains are in chaos, but the Citadel economy is still running. I can network to Citadel retailers. You can view inventory and make purchases right from this console. It does cost more to coordinate delivery to the Normandy, so it's cheaper to buy stuff when you're there."

"So you're my shuttle pilot, but you're setting up procurement chains?"

"I wasn't assigned as Normandy's pilot; not much need for one on a dry-docked ship. I was overseeing the retrofit of the cargo hold. I'm quite familiar with the operation and maintenance of the UT-47 Kodiak and the M44 Hammerhead. With my experience, it made sense to take over as shuttle pilot when we left Earth. Especially given Mr. Vega's love of midair collisions."

"To save the day, pendejo!" James replied.

"I'm also responsible for logistics, making sure the armory and shuttle are properly stocked and maintained."

"You maintain the armory?"

"I share that duty with our illustrious Mr. Vega. Though I believe the only weapon he really cares to maintain is himself."

"You know you love the show, Esteban!" James called out while doing chin-ups.

"Heh. First retrofit we did was to move the armory down from Deck 2. I'm not sure what Cerberus engineers were thinking… Now you get off the elevator, pick your gear, and head right into the shuttle."

"Just like the original Normandy."

"Welcome back to the Alliance, Commander."

"The Kodiak seems a bit different."

"Good eyes, Commander. This is the UT-47A Kodiak. It's got an upgraded eezo core and prototype stealth technology based on the Normandy's design. For quick drops, I can get you in and out virtually undetected. But she flies like a brick, so that's why you need a good pilot."

"Yeah, Kal'Reegar said the same thing. How long have you been with the Alliance?"

"About 10 years. I enlisted in the 1st Fleet on the SSV Hawking, flying F61 Tridents mostly. I love the Trident – practically dances in low-atmo. I spend as much time tinkering with my bird as flying her – got a bit of a reputation."

"So, you can fly fighters and fix them."

"Yeah. I got a knack for procurement, too. They were grooming me for CAG, but my skill-set made me more valuable commanding a flight deck."

"You were stationed on Earth. Do you have family there?"

"I'm an only child, lost my parents years ago. I had a husband back when I was stationed at Ferris Fields; the Collectors took out the whole colony. …I'd rather not talk about it."

"Alright. Keep up the hard work, but don't kill yourself."

"Yes, Commander."

Shepard headed across the hangar bay, to where James was still working out.

"Hey, Shepard" James said between pull-ups. "You down here for a reason?"

"Just came down to chat" Shepard replied.

"Great. Not sure what there is to talk about. You already know my service record."

"I don't, actually. The brass kept me so damn busy I didn't have time."

"Right. Forgot about that. Well…" he dropped to the floor, cracking the cartilage of his neck. "Think you can dance and talk at the same time?"

"I think I can handle it" Shepard replied as the two headed to the center of the hangar.

"Okay, loco. Let's dance."

"Don't push your luck, Vega. With age comes wisdom… and rank!"

He made the first few blows, which James blocked.

"Hah. You sound like my old CO." A few return blows.

"Oh yeah?" A blocked uppercut. "And who was that?"

"Captain Toni. He was a hard-ass son of a bitch, but a good leader." Shepard moved in, landing a blow to the chin. "Heh. Nice."

A few blocked blows. "What do you mean, 'was'?"

The two circled each other.

"Died, with most of my squad, protecting a civilian colony from a Collector attack." Two more blows blocked.

"And the colony?"

"It was either them," a punch, "or intel we had on the Collectors," a more aggressive series of strikes, "intel we could've used to destroy 'em. I chose the intel."

Shepard back-stepped to avoid a blow. "Sorry. That's a tough call."

James panted lightly. "And the 'best' part was, we didn't really need the intel in the end, 'cause you were out saving the galaxy by taking out the entire Collector homeworld." Another wave of strikes that Shepard blocked.

"You didn't know. You can't blame yourself, Vega."

"Who says I'm blamin' myself?"

A rising blow to James' chin. "I do."

"You're a shrink, too?"

"No," two blows that James blocked, "but that stunt back on Mars was reckless." Two more Shepard blows blocked, and a strike from James dodged. "You're lucky to be alive."

"So?"

"So," a blow blocked by James, "maybe you don't care if you live or die."

"Or maybe…" a blocked strike that pushed Shepard back a step. "I'm just willing to do whatever the fuck it takes to end this goddamned war!"

He charged, but Shepard caught his blow and judo-flipped him to the floor. "Maybe you are. But if you're even half as good as I think you are, we need you alive."

James got to his feet. "Thanks for the pep-talk."

"Any time."

"Thanks for the dance, loco."

"Loco, huh?"

"I can think of worse things to call you."

"As long as you remember who's in charge, you can call me whatever you want."

"Oh, I will…"

-Break-

Deck 2 – CIC

"Commander?" Traynor turned to face him. "Come to check on your new recruit?"

"Just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Still trying to get my bearings. When I was working on the Normandy's upgrades, I left at the end of the day. I didn't even have a toothbrush or a change of clothing until I made some emergency purchases on the Citadel."

"Next time you need something, just ask. We're all in this together."

"Oh, i-it's no trouble, Commander. I'm sure you have larger concerns."

"We can put in a requisition order."

"My toothbrush is a Cision Pro Mark-IV. It uses tiny mass-effect fields to break up plaque and massage the gums. It costs 6,000 credits."

"Okay. Yeah. You're on your own with that."

"In any event, I appreciate you giving me the chance to stay."

"Where are you from, originally?"

"A colony in the Terminus Systems, actually, though I studied on Earth, at Oxford. My parents were from London; they loved Earth, but they wanted the freedom a colony life could offer. Even if that freedom has its share of danger."

"How'd you end up in the military, anyway?"

"My family didn't have money for a university. When the Alliance saw my aptitude scores, they offered me a full scholarship. I served my required years after graduation, and decided to stay. I really like the challenges of the lab. A-Although I'm sure I'll grow to love frontline service as well."

"So, you worked in Alliance R&D?"

"Yes. You'd think quantum entanglement would make communication easy. But imagine incorporating multiple incoming sources, and then networking them with extrapolations of time-lagged data to construct a coherent situation GUI… It's an exciting challenge! Um, for me, anyway."

"Right, then. Carry on, Traynor."

"Yes sir. Oh, and you've just received a message from Command."

Shepard looked at his terminal, sorting through a few minor things before finding the 'Priority' message:

"Commander,

Cerberus has attacked Eden Prime and is now occupying the colony. Alliance forces are stretched too thin right now to attempt to liberate the colony, but we're doing what we can to covertly aid the local resistance.

In the process, we've learned that Cerberus has uncovered a major Prothean artifact. We don't know what it is, but it appears to be the reason for the attack on the colony. We need you to infiltrate the colony and recover the artifact."

-SCENE BREAK-

Next Time: Eden Prime (and the N7 mission on Sanctum)

Sorry this chapter's so talky-talky; we'll get back to action soon.