SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Citadel, Embassies, C-Sec Commander's Office
"We looked over every centimeter of those tunnels, Shepard. Your Cerberus pal is made out of smoke & mirrors."
"He likes to fight. He'll show up again."
"Pardon me if I'm not reassured by that. We can't even get an ID on him. He released a VI into the Citadel's system that erased footage of him wherever he went. I guess he didn't trust that Udina's plan would come together."
"How's the sweep of the station going?"
"Well, with that UNSC/Sangheili fleet that showed up a little while ago, their people and AIs are pitching in to help hunt down any Cerbies still hiding on the station, as well as finding and disabling any nasty 'surprises' the bastards left behind. But what's really come in handy is the UNSC's big-ass hospital ship, the Hopeful. She's huge, she's got top-of-the-line medical tech, she's got a huge staff of people and medical-focused AIs working on her… They've been taking in a lot of refugee and military people, lightening the load on the Citadel's hospitals. Plus, they're accepting volunteers from our races to keep things covered, and they've been lending their med-tech to our hospitals here. After what just happened, I don't wanna think about the catastrophic load the Citadel's hospitals would have if the Hopeful wasn't here. She's ugly as sin as far as ships go, but damn if she isn't invaluably useful."
"I heard the DDF is planning on setting up their own Citadel Defense Fleet to bolster ours."
"Yeah, they're gonna station a couple-dozen ships or so here alongside the fleet we've already got. Every space-faring DDF member-state is lending at least a few ships to it. That oughtta make anyone think thrice before trying anything like what Cerberus pulled; even the Reapers might consider it too dangerous to be worth it… I hope. They're also setting up more and better interior defenses, working with C-Sec and the Council to draw up and streamline Citadel evac plans in case things do go bad, they got some guards bolstering our ranks and workers starting to repair the shitload of damage Cerberus caused, and I hear they're even considering asking permission to help train a civilian militia."
"And now that they've finished putting themselves back together after kicking the Reapers out of their Realms, they'll be joining the assault in this one."
"Right, I heard the Sangheili and TSAB have already liberated two worlds from Cerberus or Reaper control, or at least long enough to get the people trapped on them out. I think it was the planets Tiptree and Garvug… Plus, the 'New Terran Dominion' is helping the Systems Alliance take back Benning and Eden Prime…"
"I just hope this isn't just delaying those people's deaths by a few weeks or months until the Reapers overwhelm us…"
"Yeah… So, what's next for you, Shepard?"
Just then, the Commander's Omnitool chimed.
"Apparently, whatever this is" Shepard replied as he called it up.
"From: Adrien Victus
Commander Shepard:
Cerberus just ambushed a Turian cruiser full of high-ranking Hierarchy officials. The cruiser managed to escape, but its location was top-secret. Cerberus couldn't have located that ship without inside information, and the only other person who knew the cruiser's position was Volus ambassador Din Korlack. I've heard ugly rumors of a bounty out for his head.
My advisors insist I can't bring these accusations against Korlack myself. I admit they're right. The Turian and Volus economies are tightly intertwined, and now isn't the time for the political crisis that would result. But the security of our fleets is at stake.
I ask that you investigate Korlack in your capacity as a Spectre, and find out if he is, indeed, a Cerberus mole.
Regards,
Primarch Victus"
"Korlack…" Bailey murmured, reading over Shepard's shoulder. "His office is down the hall near the elevator, second from the left. I'll radio ahead, tell the guard you're coming."
"Thanks."
Shepard made his way out and over to the embassy offices, and the Turian guard there nodded to him as he unlocked the door. Inside, Shepard walked around the empty office, soon coming to a terminal holding three archived recorded messages. He sat down and started with the oldest one.
"You've never been this uncooperative with us before, Ambassador" a smooth female voice said.
"*Hrrk* That's because you were actually doing some good in the galaxy before" the voice of Din Korlack replied.
"Has that changed? How many colonies would be gone if we hadn't taken action against the Collectors?"
"*Hrrk* Too many. *Hrrk* But fighting the Alliance…"
"Must continue, in order to end the war. We understand it took a lot for you to reach out to Cerberus, Ambassador Korlack. We ask that you trust us a little longer."
The second entry….
"*Hrrk* You people are monsters!"
"Ambassador, please-"
"*Hrrk* Hundreds dead! *Hrrk* Udina betraying the council! *Hrrk* I should have cut ties with you ages ago!"
"And what will that accomplish now? The risks you took by passing information to Cerberus… it's left you in an interesting position. If you sever contact, we can't protect you from the consequences."
"*Hrrk* I don't… *Hrrk* I have no time for this!"
"We'll speak again. Have a good day, Ambassador Korlack."
…And the last.
"*Hrrk* The Turians think I'm still working for Cerberus. *Hrrk* They've put a price on my head! I can't go to C-Sec, *Hrrk* but Cerberus has plans. *Hrrk* An entire Turian colony rests on my life. *Hrrk* If anyone finds this, *Hrrk* I hid a tracking receiver in the office suite beside the human embassies. …*Hrrk* What are you-"
*THUD*
"Damn, Cerberus has them everywhere nowadays" a rough voice said in a Cockney accent.
"You gonna go on about them all night?" a woman asked.
"Just get the car up here, quick. Little bastard's even heavier than he looks."
"Zaeed?" Shepard murmured.
Stepping away from the console, Shepard inspected the room, and it didn't take him long to see something small, curved, and white underneath a desk. Reaching down, he pulled out the tracking receiver, and with his Omnitool he synced it to his personal comm.
"How long 'til we kill Korlack?" Zaeed was heard asking.
"Once the credits go through" the female bounty hunter replied. "Was beginning to think you weren't interested in the money."
"I'm not."
"Because Korlack worked for Cerberus?" an unmistakably Krogan voice asked. "What'd they do to you?"
"None of your goddamn business. He's waking up."
"This is Commander Shepard. Can you hear me?"
"*Hrrk* Yes! *Hrrk* Yes, I can hear you."
"Tell me where you are."
"*Hrrk* Uh… *Hrrk* We're still near the Presidium. *Hrrk* C-Sec will check Selkish Arms when they realize I'm missing."
"They won't give a damn when they realize you sold them out to Cerberus" Zaeed said.
"*Hrrk* Wait. *Hrrk* Cerberus is planning to attack a colony that-"
"Stay calm. Help's coming."
-Break-
Presidium
"Zaeed Massani used to work for Cerberus. Ask him why he's here."
"*Hrrk* Why go after your old employer, Mr. Massani?"
"How do you know my name all the sudden?"
"He needs you alive to stop Cerberus."
"*Hrrk* Cerberus is after a Turian colony. *Hrrk* Kill me, *Hrrk* and they get it."
"Drop my name."
"*Hrrk* Shepard's investigating. *Hrrk* He's… *Hrrk* a recent acquaintance."
"How recent?"
"*Hrrk* Very"
"Shit. All right, I'm listening…"
Soon, Shepard finally reached the Presidium office his transponder led him to. He opened the door to see a familiar older man leaning against the far window, along with two dead mercenaries on the floor.
"Been a while, Zaeed" he said.
"Shepard. Glad I wasn't making an ass of myself over a hunch. Undisciplined bastards… This is what I get for signing up at the last minute."
"Where's Korlack?"
"*Hrrk* I'm here, Commander" the Volus came out of hiding. *Hrrk* I… *Hrrk* You saved my life. *Hrrk* I almost died because the Turians thought I was still with Cerberus."
"Did the mercs hurt you?"
"*Hrrk* I'm fine. *Hrrk* They wanted me alive until the fees were delivered for my capture. *Hrrk* They didn't care about what I had to say."
"You kept mentioning a colony in your message."
"*Hrrk* Information on a Turian planet's defense system. They'll strike soon. *Hrrk* But… *Hrrk* if I tell you which planet they're attacking, *Hrrk* Cerberus will know I turned traitor."
"Turned?" Zaeed growled. "You already betrayed your own people."
"We saved your life!" Shepard said. "Tell us what planet you put in danger!"
"*Hrrk* I can offer a bargain! *Hrrk* The Volus bombing fleet. *Hrrk* In tactical terms, it's worth far more than a colony."
"Or you could give us both."
"*Hrrk* You can warn the Turians there'll be an attack, Commander. *Hrrk* That should be general enough to ward off suspicion."
"You tried to do the right thing before. It failed because you trusted the wrong people. Now here's your chance to make up for it. You're giving us Volus support, and you're going to help us make Cerberus pay for using you."
"…*Hrrk* I can't."
"You can."
"Waste of everyone's time tryin' to appeal to a Volus' better nature, Shepard" Zaeed said dismissively.
"*Hrrk*… *Hrrk* Aephus. *Hrrk* The colony's name is Aephus. *Hrrk* Cerberus wants its shipyards."
"And the bombing fleet?"
"*Hrrk* Yes. It's yours, Commander. *Hrrk* I'll speak with Citadel Security about this… incident. …*Hrrk* You have my thanks."
"Took him long enough to spit that out" Zaeed murmured as the Volus wandered away.
"So what are you doing here?"
"Later" the old merc made his way out. "C-Sec's on their way. Won't be too pleased with the mess we left them. Catch up with me at the docks if you like."
Shepard waited a few minutes after Zaeed left before he made his own way out. As he was heading for the elevator, however, a woman in a suit called out to him.
"Can I help you?" he asked her.
"Jordan Noles, E-Crimes" the woman introduced herself. "It's an honor to meet you, Commander. I've got a saboteur hacking key systems – power, communications… It's bad. If you've got time to help, check out this console."
She called up some data on an Omnitool, and Shepard looked it over, seeing some familiarity. "Got it. Looks like a collection of access codes."
"They're Batarian diplomatic codes, from back when they had an embassy on the Citadel. If you can find them, I can shut them down."
"If I find anything, I'll let you know."
-Break-
Following the nav-point added by accessing the Spectre mainframe, Shepard found his way into Huerta Memorial Hospital. The place wasn't nearly as crowded as one would expect in the wake of an invasion, thanks in major part to DDF assistance in getting people patched up here, along with the UNSC Hopeful taking in hundreds of patients. Moving through the labs, Shepard found an unattended terminal, and with a quick Omnitool hack he was in, shortly finding the Batarian codes.
"Noles, this is Shepard; I'm at Huerta Memorial. I found one of the code locations."
"Okay, I'll shut it down. …Someone used this to cut off power to a dozen life-support machines in the hospital. …Okay, that access code is officially disabled. Can you find any more?"
-Break-
"Noles, I'm in Bay D24. I've found another spot where the Batarian codes were used."
"…Holy crap. These are the remote navigation codes. Last week's crash at the docks… we thought it was an accident. Shepard, there were 117 Alliance soldiers on that ship – all human, just like the patients at the hospital."
"So we've got Batarian codes, and someone with a grudge against humans."
"Looks like… Okay, this code's offline now as well. Should just be one left, Commander."
-Break-
Making his way to the back area of Bay E24, passing numerous refugees and a fair few armed guards, Shepard found his next target terminal against the far wall, tucked into a corner. Tapping in, he quickly found what he was looking for.
"Noles, this is where the last access code was used."
"What's that, Commander? I'm losing your signal."
Suddenly, the Commander felt something pressed against his back: the barrel of a pistol, right between his shoulder blades.
"Shepard…" a deep voice growled, and Shepard frowned as he recognized it.
"Balak…" he snarled.
"You should have killed me on that asteroid over Terra Nova" the Batarian black-ops leader rumbled. "I've been waiting for this. Everything that has happened to my people is your fault."
"All I did was stop you in the Asgard System."
"Yes… After you ruined my plans, my government accelerated research efforts on the Leviathan of Dis! Have you heard of it, Commander? The ancient techno-organic dreadnought my people recovered from Jartar 20 years ago? Sound familiar?"
"A Reaper… Your people were studying a derelict Reaper."
"Yes – looking for a way to reclaim out place as the true power of the galaxy. Hundreds of our best scientists were enlisted…"
"…and Indoctrinated."
"Precisely. When the Reapers reached Khar'shan, our own people betrayed us – defense grids were deactivated, ships fired on allied targets… We were betrayed from within, because of you."
"I didn't destroy your people, Balak. The Reapers did that."
"We were a proud race, a beautiful race! Have you seen what the Reapers have done to us?-! I am trapped on this station. Our warships only know the locations of Reaper forces because I've tapped Council transmissions. I am the highest-ranking military officer left in the Hegemony, and I can't save my people! But I can end you…"
"Balak, you sent that asteroid to try to help your people. But what does killing me accomplish?"
"Vengeance. The Bahak System-"
"-would've died anyway when the Reapers showed up. You know that. Hell, we got half of the population out alive, but then your Indoctrinated government had almost all of them killed! …I've united the Krogans and the Turians, and I'm working on getting the other races onboard as well. We're the best hope for this galaxy. If you care about your people…"
There was dead silence for a few seconds, before the Batarian snarled in fury and frustration, lowering his gun. "Our ships are yours…" he muttered as he walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
"Shepard!" Officer Noles came running up. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. You won't have any more trouble with those codes."
"Was that… Ka'hairal Balak?"
"Yeah, it's him. And I'd really like to see a bullet put through his head. But we need his resources, and his ships. Let him go; Spectre authority."
"Understood, Commander. And thanks."
Taking a moment to collect himself, Shepard then made his way back through the dock, and soon saw an old friend.
"Shepard" Zaeed greeted. "Was wonderin' if you'd find time to swing by here. Figured you might be too busy building your big goddamn army."
"I could always use more help" the Commander replied.
"I'll bet. I've seen footage of what happened on Earth. Tell you what: I'll see if some old contacts of mine are still around. Can't promise you anything, but if enough of them are still breathing…"
"Who were those people you were with?"
"Bunch of mercs from Omega. Signed on with them when I heard they were making a hit on Cerberus. Should've studied the job longer."
"There's no way you could've known Korlack stopped working for Cerberus."
"That's no excuse. I kill Korlack, and I'd have done right by Cerberus. No. The way I see it, those bastards owe me."
"Why go after them?"
"Started with them trying to hire me back after we hit the Collectors. Cerberus paid me enough after the Omega-4 relay… Retired is what I should have done. But it's tough to settle down, knowing the Reapers are on their way."
"What did they want?"
"They wanted anyone with experience leading a fight. Gave me a tour of one of their new cruisers. Nice setup; top of the line ship, organized crew, damn impressive weapons. Thought I'd been shot at by every kind of gun, but didn't recognize half of what Cerberus was using."
"What scared you off?"
"Another hunch. Cerberus wanted me to lead their new recruits, but I slipped off tour to talk to their soldiers. Found a restricted area, and caught an officer without a helmet. Wasn't supposed to have done that, apparently."
"You saw what the Illusive Man did to his people?"
"It's downright sick. I asked the soldier what the hell had happened to his face. Pissed him off… or maybe he didn't even understand the question."
"Things go downhill with Cerberus from there?"
"They didn't want me leaving, I can tell you. Shot my way out with one of their fancy new rifles. You know, I thought I'd find myself a bolthole, sit this one out somewhere warm and quiet. But no one tries to trick me into becoming a goddamn Husk. Been picking up jobs against Cerberus ever since."
"You seem pretty calm about the Reapers showing up."
"Just wish they'd waited until I was dead and buried before setting Earth on fire. At my age, you're supposed to take it easy. But that fleet you're putting together? Might make the Reapers think twice… if you pull it off."
"If?"
"Nothing personal. There's just a hell of a lot that could still go wrong." The old man sighed. "But… I suppose I could do what I can to help boost your chances, even just a bit. I know we've had our… differences, especially on Zorya. Took a look at meself afterward, saw you were right – I was turnin' into another Vido, almost. Sick with myself for a bit after that. I gotta do somethin' right before I kick back on some beach somewhere. So, I was wonderin'… You got room on the Normandy?"
"You're asking to join up again? …Well, I don't see why not. How much am I paying you?"
"Nothing for now; money won't mean shit if we're all dead. Besides, Alliance will probably compensate me for helping out afterward."
"All right, then" he shook the old merc's hand. "Welcome back to the team, Zaeed."
"Always a pleasure, Shepard. I'll see you back on the ship."
As Massani made his way out, Shepard resumed wandering around the Docks a bit more. As he passed by an impromptu medical section, he overheard the head 'physician' trying to explain his woes to someone over the comm.
"I need support! Someone sabotaged the medi-gel dispensers and I've got some idiot preaching about Cerberus down here! …No, I've contacted C-Sec, and they say it's 'not a priority' and it 'doesn't matter'. What matters is that I've got Turian soldiers dying from lack of medication!"
Curious, Shepard decided to investigate. Heading in the direction of the disturbance, he saw a blond man pacing around, shouting out slogans or propaganda or something. And as he got close enough to see the man's face…
"Oh, for crying out loud…"
"Cerberus wants our help! And if they're good enough for Commander Shepard, they should be good enough for us!"
"Conrad… What. Are you. Doing?"
"Oh, Commander Shepard! Hi! Wow, it's great to see you again! I joined Cerberus just like you did!"
"Conrad… I never joined Cerberus; I just worked with them temporarily to stop the Collectors, and I gave the Illusive Man a pretty big middle finger once that was done. In case you haven't noticed, the past few weeks they've been attacking Alliance soldiers, obstructing our plans against the Reapers, trying to kill me every chance they get, oh yeah and they just invaded the Citadel and tried to kill the Council."
The man's smile dropped like lead was attached to it. "That… That was them? Then… Oh… Oh no… I-I screwed up again, didn't I?"
"What can you tell me about your Cerberus contacts?"
"Not much. They wanted me to help recruit people near the medical station."
"Which was sabotaged while you had everyone distracted."
"Oh. Oh wait. Wait, wait… No…"
"I'll deal with it. Just don't… do anything."
"Okay. But I might be able to help you with… whatever else it is you're doing."
"Conrad, I'm building a giant ancient Prothean dark-energy superweapon to stop the Reapers. You think you can help with that?"
"Hmm… Well, I did write my doctoral dissertation on xeno-technology and dark-energy integration."
Shepard's eyebrows went so far up they almost reached his hairline. "…Really?"
"Yes! In fact, I might be able to find some ancient tech schematics that could help you with construction. Hang on, I've got an old contact." He called up his communicator. "…Aw, c'mon, Hossle. Help me out! Sorry. The war has him scared."
"Hossle? Gavin Hossle, the ExoGeni tech researcher? I did him a favor back on Feros a few years ago. Tell him this is for me."
"Ah, he heard you, Commander! Wow, I had no idea you two knew each other! Small universe… Okay, he's forwarding the schematics over." He activated his Omnitool, looking over the schematics. "Oh no. It's in an ancient Asari dialect. We'd need a lot of old Asari writing to translate."
"Would this collection of Matriarch Dilinaga's writings I found during my hunt for Saren do the trick?"
"Um, yes. Yes it would. Okay, it's auto-translating. Let's see… Oh no. The technology falls under an existing patent. I can't actually access the schematics without a license from… let's see… Elkoss Combine?"
Shepard sighed, and with a wave of his Omnitool…
"How did you even…? Well, this is great! Okay, here you go! I hope this helps you with your superweapon! Anyway, good luck fixing the medi-gel dispensers. I'll just be here… not touching anything…"
"Weren't you running a shelter for war orphans on Illium?"
"Yeah, it was doing well… until the Reapers showed up. I ended up spending most of what I had left getting the kids offworld. I'm sorry if that was…"
"No. That was the right thing to do, Conrad. Good job. So, did you lose anyone back on Earth?"
"No. I mean, extranet friends and the like, but I don't really have any family left."
"What about your wife?"
"Um…"
"Conrad, do you even have a wife?"
"Oh, yes! Yes, yes, yes! …Well, no. But see-"
"Conrad… if you have some kind of weird shrine of me, I'm going to be very unhappy."
"It's just a poster with a few candles; it's very tasteful!"
"Gah… I'm gonna… go deal with the medi-gel thing…"
Leaving Conrad behind, Shepard made his round through the dock area. It actually didn't take very long to find the sabotaged medi-gel dispensers and repair the damage; whoever had done it had been sloppy. With that done, he reported back to the medical area.
"I fixed the sabotage" he reported. "The medi-gel dispensers should be working now."
"Thank you!" the doctor said. "I'll get patients moving through triage immediately."
As the doc moved on, Conrad came up, his usual smile back.
"Great work, Shepard! And listen, I'm so sorry for…" As he looked around, his eyes suddenly focused on a tan-skinned refugee leaning against a nearby dock storage crate while talking on a hidden communicator. "Hey… that's him! That's the Cerberus contact. Hey you! You're under arrest!"
The man looked back and forth between Conrad and Shepard a few times… and then, in a flash of motion, he drew a concealed Predator pistol and aimed right at Shepard's chest. The gun sounded out, but Conrad had thrown himself in the path of it, falling to the floor afterward. Shepard gasped softly, and then his eyes glowed bright blue as he glared at the Cerberus man. The infiltrator barely had time to get out an "Uh-oh" before Shepard hit him with a Biotic Throw so strong it left a human-shaped deep dent in the side of the shipping container, the man slumping to the floor, his body bent and broken. Shepard immediately knelt down by Conrad, who was gasping harshly and trembling.
"Shepard…" he said. "Did I help?"
"Yeah, Conrad. You helped."
"…I don't even feel anything."
"That's because I sabotaged his gun right before he could pull the trigger" a new, female voice chimed in. "It might have looked and sounded like it fired, but that was just the thermal clip overheating." The young woman with short black hair and an active Omnitool walked up. "Hi, Commander. It's me, Jenna. You helped me a few years ago when I was working undercover at Chora's Den."
"And now you're volunteering here?" Shepard asked as Conrad got back up on his feet.
"Right. Chellick showed me a few little tricks when he had me working undercover. I guess that paid off, huh?"
"You… You saved my life!" Conrad said.
"I can't believe you were willing to lay down your life for Commander Shepard! You're so brave!"
"Oh, the Commander and I go way back. Lemme give you a hand, and I can tell you about it."
As the two walked off, the doctor shook his head before activating his comm. "C-Sec? Yeah, it's me again. The sabotage situation is under control, but we've got a Cerberus attempted-assassin here."
"What? What happened?"
"He tried to take a shot at Commander Shepard. One of the Commander's old acquaintances, I guess, dove in front of the shot, and then the Commander hit the bastard with a Biotic Throw so strong that… Well, I doubt this infiltrator will live long without medical attention, and considering he's the one who sabotaged the medi-gel, I'm not inclined to give it to him."
"Copy that. We'll be there soon to take the prisoner… or the body, depending on how long it takes us. And the Samaritan?"
"A third party sabotaged the gun; he's fine."
"Okay. Be there soon. Out."
-Break-
Docking Bay D24
Entering the airlock leading back to the Normandy II, Shepard was a bit surprised to find someone already there, waiting for him.
"Shepard…" Ashley started, uncomfortable. "I don't know what to say. I'm trying to go over everything in my head, make sense of it…"
"Your bandages were still fresh. How did you end up working with Udina?"
"You saw me at the hospital. I was going crazy, felt like I was letting everyone down. When Udina offered to make me a Spectre, I thought it was a chance to do some good."
"I couldn't just sit back and watch, either."
"Yeah. But it sure turned into a mess."
"I never wanted to put you in that situation. We're on the same side."
"I can't believe it came to that. We were so close to…"
"Ash, it's okay. We figured it out. We stopped Udina and got to walk away. That's the important part."
"I can't believe he was responsible for all this… I wanted to ask you something. Hackett asked me to join his team. It's a great offer, but I'd prefer to ride this thing out aboard the Normandy."
"Permission granted. Couldn't do this without you."
"I'll grab my gear."
"And Ash? It's good to have you back."
"Commander."
The two turned at the familiar voice, to see two more familiar figures approaching – Kaidan and Thane.
"Shepard," Thane spoke up, "Alenko and I wish to rejoin the Normandy, if you would have us."
"The docks are in good enough hands now that I can afford to leave" Kaidan said. "It'd be nice to help see things through."
"Wow" Shepard smiled. "Zaeed, Ashley, Kaidan, and Thane, all in one day. The Reapers' chances are dropping by the minute. Come on aboard, you two; I could use your help. Right now, though, I need to meet with Hackett …"
-SCENE BREAK-
Normandy-II, QEC Room
"Shepard," Hackett's hologram greeted, "I've got Anderson patched in. I was just getting him up to speed."
"Udina…" Anderson's hologram muttered. "That SOB was always power-hungry, but this?"
"He was desperate to try and get help for Earth after the Council apparently planned to throw us under the bus to protect their own worlds, at least that's how Udina interpreted Tevos' words. Cerberus used that desperation to control him."
"Damnit… And what the hell would Cerberus want with the Citadel?"
"I don't know. Not yet."
"It could've been a lot worse" Hackett said. "Shepard and Krios stopped the assassination attempt on Councilor Valern."
"Kai Leng…" Anderson growled.
"What?"
"Your assassin. I'll have Hackett send you my reports on him. Short story: be careful."
"I take it you two have met."
"Kahlee Sanders and I had our fair share of run-ins with him. I shot him in both legs once, thought that might be the end of him. But he showed up on Omega again, even stronger."
"The Illusive Man patched him up and augmented him?"
"That'd be my guess, given what they were able to do with you and Paul Grayson. It's a safe bet Leng's even more dangerous now. He's smug and arrogant, a decent Biotic, and also has a vicious, racist disgust and hatred of aliens; even Saren didn't hate humans as much as Leng hates the other races. I'll send you whatever else I've got on him."
"I'll take whatever advantage I can get."
"Their attempts may have had at least one unintended side effect" Hackett spoke up. "I received word from Councilor Tevos. The Asari are requesting an update on the Crucible."
"Leng has them scared. Enough to send help, maybe?"
"Yes, the Asari and Salarians are both throwing in their support now. Dalatrass Linron is trying to raise a stink about it, but the STG have basically given her a collective 'screw you' and pledged their full support to us, technically and militarily, even if it separates them from the Union. …For driving the STG away, Linron isn't too popular with a lot of the other Dalatrasses right now."
"How's the progression on the Crucible?"
"Good. Our estimates suggest we've completed nearly 50% of the known work."
"So quickly?"
"Once decoded, the schematics are designed in such a way that allows our scientists to easily translate the information. It's not Prothean-specific."
"Are we any closer to understanding how to use it?" Anderson asked.
"That's still open for debate. Utilized in the right fashion, our scientists are convinced it can generate enough energy to destroy the Reapers. The question is, how will it dispense the energy, and in what form?"
"You mean, how do we keep it from wiping us out, too?"
"Exactly. We think the Catalyst, whatever it is, is the key to determining how to focus the Crucible's energy, how to direct it at the Reapers alone."
"I'm working on that."
"You'll find the answers, Shepard. I'll send you updates on the schematics, and in the meantime we'll keep building."
"And we'll keep fighting, make sure there's still an Earth left to come back to."
"You've always trusted me" Shepard told his old mentor. "I won't let you down."
"We're still in this" Hackett said. "The gods of war haven't given up on us yet."
"Good luck. Both of you. Anderson out."
"How's the Dimensional Defense Force assistance coming, sir?"
"Fairly good" Hackett replied. "They're already striking at Reaper outposts and Cerberus supply lines, rescuing and evacuating colonies, and linking up with our ships for joint ops. They've also been sending technical specialists, heavy machinery, and raw materials to the Crucible; they're donating quite a few Huragok to the cause, even.
"There is something else, Commander. The DDF are putting together a task-force to try and kick the Reapers off Equestria and out of that Realm, and they'd like to know if you could pitch in and help. They can't spare too many ships and resources for it right now, but if you can get the Reapers off-balance enough, help the locals and the DDF forces already there dig their feet in, then maybe you and they can push the Reapers out without too much collateral damage."
"We'll head there as soon as we can, sir."
"Good. I've gotta get back to it. Hackett out."
As the old Admiral's image vanished, Shepard waited a few seconds, and then called up another old friend.
"Shepard?" Miranda's hologram said. "Good to see you're alright. I heard about the attempted coup."
"Yeah. With Kai Leng's help, Udina nearly seized control."
"…Kai Leng? That slippery bastard's still alive?"
"Yeah, and right in the middle of all this."
"That complicates things. I'll be on my guard. Look, I don't have much time, but… I learned what happened to my sister."
"Where is she?"
"I don't know that yet, but my father was definitely responsible. …If he's done anything to her, I'll kill him."
"Miranda…"
"Shepard, listen. I'm being hunted by Cerberus assassins – a lot of them. I need to stay out of sight."
"What? Why?"
"I heard a rumor, maybe more, that my father is working on something for the Illusive Man. Something big."
"Why would your father be working with Cerberus? Especially now?"
"My father is ruthless about preserving his 'legacy'. He has an obsession with making his mark in history, ensuring his 'dynasty' lasts forever."
"And you think the Illusive Man made him an offer?"
"Exactly."
"Whatever's going on with him can't be good. We have to figure this out."
"I agree, but… I need to do this myself. It's time I stopped running from him."
"You're sure?"
"Yes. I can't think straight until I know Ori is safe."
"Be careful."
"I can't promise that, Shepard. Could you?"
"…No. Keep me posted."
"I will."
-CHAPTER END-
Next time: the Normandy-II jumps Realms to assist against the Reapers on Equestria. What will they find? What will they face? And what old, deeply-buried secrets will be unearthed?
A note: my lines by and presentation of Kaidan in this fic may be… lacking, and flat. This is because (confession time) I have never done a Trilogy playthrough with him; I've always picked Ashley. So, I don't have as good a grasp on his character as I'd like. Now, in the next few months I plan to do a "Romance Liara, Save Kaidan" playthrough, and when that is done I can go back and change/update his scenes in this fic. But considering that 'the next few months' hold Naruto: UNS Revolution, Pokémon Omega-Ruby/Alpha-Sapphire, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and the accompanying Halo 5 Beta, and (maybe) Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5, it will likely be quite a while before I can do that playthrough. Sorry.