Chapter 2 – Clueless

Shepard stopped himself. He stood, unmoving, in the walkway as a smattering of diplomatic and C-Sec personnel made their way around him to whatever tasks required their attention. He ignored them, inhaling deeply. A long, slow breath that allowed his thoughts to catch up with his frenzied actions. The loss of the Normandy had kicked him into overdrive and he had been acting with little thought, hoping that speed and determination would undo the reality of the Normandy's theft. Perhaps it could have worked, had the thief not been a step ahead and made an ass of him with his tricks. Shepard could be as angry about that as he wanted, but the chance for speed to get the Normandy back was gone. He took another deep breath, willing himself to change gears. Willing himself to think through his options and use his resources as efficiently as possible to locate and retrieve the Normandy.

One step at a time, Shepard sifted through what he needed to do. He needed to respond to The Illusive Man's message. It was clear that The Illusive Man already knew there was a major problem or he would not have reached out to Shepard through a public source, even in such an oblique manner. Shepard also needed to inform the crew of what had happened. Some of his non-Cerberus crew might even have resources of their own that could help to locate the Normandy. He needed to talk with Admiral, no, he reminded himself, Councilor Anderson. The Alliance might be his best bet for resources to aid him in locating and retrieving the Normandy. Shepard realized he did not even have a functioning omni-tool since his had been so dramatically sabotaged. One more thing he would have to ask of Anderson, though at least that request would be a simple one. He might have obtained one from C-Sec had he thought of it at the time. He shook his head. Too angry. Too rushed. Too much action, not enough thought.

Shepard turned and began walking to the complex of offices now assigned to the Systems Alliance. Since the elevation of the Alliance to full Citadel Council membership, the office space and resources had expanded with the responsibilities. Shepard recalled his previous visit to Anderson's personal office. He had reconnected with his old friend and even conversed briefly with the Council via holographic communication. They had restored his Spectre status at the cost of a few insults, insinuations about his mental health, and even a passing mention of treason. A small price to pay for the additional influence and authority conveyed by that title, even if it were just "symbolic" as Anderson had warned. Shepard knew the complex of offices was far more extensive than Anderson's one office and would have the resources he needed to make his next carefully considered steps.

Shepard walked toward the receptionist overseeing the entrance to the Alliance office complex and watched him shift from boredom to alert attention the moment he recognized who was approaching. No surprise that he would know Shepard by sight, especially with his recent escapades. "Welcome to the offices of the Alliance representative to the Citadel Council. How may I be of assistance, Commander Shepard?"

Shepard nodded to the receptionist. "Thank you. I'm dealing with an emergency situation and I need immediate access to a private and secure communications terminal. It is also imperative that I meet with Councilor Anderson immediately."

The receptionist appeared thoughtful and perhaps a bit flustered. "Um, I can provide access for you to one of the diplomatic terminals, Commander. It will allow secure, priority access to station communications and to the general communications network. I will have to inquire as to whether Councilor Anderson is available at present. If you will follow me to the terminal, I will inform you when you are done if the Councilor will be able to meet with you."

Shepard nodded curtly, his mind on the tasks ahead. He followed the receptionist past a number of closed doors. He paid little attention to these, thinking instead of what he would say to his crew, to Anderson, to The Illusive Man. When they reached the door that led to the secure communications console, Shepard turned to the receptionist, realizing he needed to ask another favor. "I'm going to be assembling my crew and need a private conference room to accommodate seventy-five. When my crew members arrive I would appreciate if you would direct them to that room."

The receptionist raised an eyebrow, but simply nodded and stated, "I'll see what I can arrange, Commander. Let me know if there is anything else you need."

Shepard thanked the man and closed the door. He turned to the communications console that filled much of the small room. As a console designed for Alliance diplomatic and military communication, he was as confident as he could be in the encryption and security protocols it contained. Much more so than the security of his own panicky communication with C-Sec on a public terminal immediately following the theft of the Normandy. He shook his head again at that decision, though he could hardly fault himself too much given the sliver of desperate hope that drove him in that moment.

Activating the console he sent a transmission to the crew of the Normandy on the channel specified for mission communications. Anyone listening without the communication protocols present in the crew omni-tools and comms would hear only static and gibberish. He ordered all members of the crew to gather at the Alliance offices in thirty minutes. With that tended to and his request to meet with Councilor Anderson already submitted, he turned to the task he could no longer avoid.

Shepard entered the communication code he had been sent by The Illusive Man. He took more breaths as he waited for the system to process the code and make the secure connections to wherever The Illusive Man was located. He'd have bet good credits that whatever location the system logged for The Illusive Man, that wasn't really where he was. A few more seconds and the image of The Illusive Man appeared on the screen before him. Shepard consciously uncrossed his arms, refusing to appear defensive.

The Illusive Man was seated. No other details of his surroundings were visible, likely on purpose. The flat image was not as detailed or impressive as the three dimensional hologram Shepard usually conversed with. Nonetheless, and without a word, The Illusive Man had no difficulty making Shepard feel like a misbehaving schoolboy being called before the principal. His calm demeanor, his silent stare as he languidly lit a fresh cigarette and exhaled a cloud of billowing smoke, all sent one message. You fucked up and you better have good answers when I get around to asking the questions.

Shepard struggled not to defensively recross his arms. He tried to project that calm demeanor himself, but knew he was unlikely to successfully bullshit a galaxy class bullshitter like The Illusive Man. He tried for resolute defiance, but landed on recalcitrance.

"So…Shepard." The Illusive Man's words were as calm as his exterior. "I was hoping you could enlighten me as to why all my tracking and communication links to the Normandy have suddenly gone dark." No accusations, no demands, just the innocent question.

"I would guess they were deactivated by whoever it was who stole the Normandy." Shepard had immediately decided there was no point in trying to soften the truth. He didn't know if The Illusive Man already knew what had happened to the Normandy, just that he had lost contact with the ship and with EDI, which was bad enough for a control freak like The Illusive Man. A part of Shepard hoped that his blunt revelation would shake The Illusive Man's self-control. Another part of him wondered if whoever took the ship would share how he shut those systems down.

The Illusive Man took another long, leisurely pull at his cigarette. "You lost the Normandy." Smoke drifted from his mouth and nostrils as he matter of factly stated the words. He ended with a long exhalation of the remaining smoke and stared through the drifting cloud, waiting for Shepard's response.

Shepard had been hoping for more of a reaction. A gasp of surprise followed by his jaw hanging open in shock. He wanted The Illusive Man to be at a loss for words, but now suspected he was aware, or had at least guessed, that the Normandy had been stolen before he had contacted Shepard. Shepard felt another surge of his own defensiveness. As usual, The Illusive Man had him at a disadvantage. "No, the Normandy was stolen. Taken from the Alliance controlled repair facilities here on the Citadel. We're working on locating her so that we can get her back."

"The Normandy and EDI are critical tools in accomplishing your mission to stop the Collectors. I shouldn't have to remind you of the investment Cerberus has made in researching and building them."

And yet you just did. "I'm well aware of what Cerberus has invested in this mission. Given that, I would expect you would want to provide what resources you could to aid in the Normandy's recovery. I'll do what I can as quickly as I can to locate the Normandy, but I doubt I can just take commercial transport in pursuit. I need to know where to find the thief, so if you have access to any sources of intel that can help us, now would be the time. I'll also need a ship of some sort to pursue the thief once I know where to find him. I know you can't pull a new Normandy out of thin air, but I would hope you could provide a ship to get us where we need to go."

The Illusive Man continued staring at Shepard impassively, slowly rolling his cigarette back and forth between his thumb and fingers. "Tell me, Shepard, do you know what the goal of the thief was?"

Shepard was caught off guard by what seemed to be an irrelevant tangent. "To steal the Normandy. Now we have to get her back." The answer was so patently obvious that it seemed ridiculous to ask.

"Anyone clever enough and bold enough to successfully steal the Normandy would also be clever enough to accomplish multiple goals in so doing. The Normandy and EDI are both valuable prizes, but the thief could also be attempting to expose the workings of Cerberus. Cerberus is a powerful, but relatively small and clandestine organization. If I carelessly divert financial resources, hardware, and personnel to aid your investigation I could easily expose other Cerberus cells, allies within the military or corporations, and financial links. That information, in the wrong hands, could be…problematic."

Shepard frowned. "Nothing is more important than me completing my mission. You should be ready to provide additional resources despite the risk."

"I have provided you with resources, Shepard. The most technologically advanced warship in the galaxy with the most advanced VI known." Despite the security measures The Illusive Man avoided specifically calling EDI an AI. "And of course, your life. I've given you the freedom to pursue this mission how you choose. When you have chosen to spend time, effort, and resources on your personal side quests I have chosen to regard this as necessary to your ongoing focus and crew morale. This mission is yours, Shepard. If you've lost important resources, it is up to you to retrieve them. Of course I will assist how I can, but not at the cost of the organization as a whole. What information, what equipment I could safely obtain and divert to your location would take time. More time I think than you have to find and retrieve the Normandy before it is gone for good. There is one thing I can do. I was able to arrange for a new shuttle to replace the one you destroyed on Ilium. With your delay at the Citadel the shuttle was directed there to be loaded aboard once the modifications to the Normandy were complete. It is waiting in the docking bay. Not a warship, but at least it can get you where you need to go to retrieve the Normandy, once you figure out where that is. Perhaps the Alliance or the resources of your non-Cerberus crewmembers could be helpful in that regard. The Normandy was, after all, docked at an Alliance controlled facility."

Shepard ground his teeth together. He didn't care at all for The Illusive Man's subtle barbs and veiled insults. The more so because he knew he was right. The Normandy was his responsibility. Alliance security had dropped the ball in allowing the thief to reach the Normandy, but it was his security aboard the ship. His people that had failed. That made it his responsibility. The Illusive Man's message was clear, clean up your own mess. Maybe there wasn't much The Illusive Man could do. At least not quickly. And The Illusive Man was right about that. The more time passed the less likely the Normandy could be retrieved in a functional state, if at all. He was also right about one other thing. If Cerberus couldn't or wouldn't be of immediate help, then he had to draw on his resources outside Cerberus. He would hopefully be able to meet with Anderson and get more assistance from the Alliance. And he had multiple crew with resources of their own. Given that what he really needed was knowledge of who took the Normandy and where, he even thought about trying to locate Barla Von, an agent for the Shadow Broker. That thought died quickly though as Shepard recalled how he had refused to sell information about Cerberus to the Shadow Broker in the past, not to mention his recent escapades on Ilium that resulted in the death of one of the Shadow Broker's best agents. The Shadow Broker was unlikely to be sympathetic. For all he knew, the Shadow Broker could be behind the theft of the Normandy.

The Illusive Man broke into Shepard's reverie. "I take it by your silence that you are working through your next steps. You've always been able to pick apart a problem and find solutions, Shepard. It's one of the reasons Cerberus brought you back. Despite your animosity toward Cerberus, I only want your success in retrieving the Normandy and completing your mission. If there are additional resources or information I can provide I will contact you on your extranet account or through the communications aboard the shuttle. In the meantime, do what you do best. Tackle this problem head on and retrieve the Normandy. Keep me apprised of your progress."

The screen went blank as The Illusive Man severed the connection. Always the one in control, aren't you. Shepard stood for several seconds, staring at nothing, wheels turning. Miranda had been right. Cerberus provided the resources and the goals and expected you to accomplish them. Even if one of those goals became regaining said resources after losing them. Okay. No help from C-Sec. Likely no help from Cerberus aside from the shuttle The Illusive Man mentioned. Anderson was his last and probably best chance for outside assistance.

Shepard stepped from the cubicle and returned to the desk occupied by the receptionist. "I've finished using the communication console..." Shepard paused, realizing he had not asked for the man's name. "Mr.?"

"Smithers, sir. I was able to set aside the conference room you requested. None of your crew have arrived yet, but I will direct them to the room when they do. I also inquired if Councilor Anderson could meet with you. You can go up to his office via the elevator you passed returning from the communications console."

"Thank you, Smithers, you've been very helpful." Shepard nodded to the receptionist and returned to the elevator that he indicated. The door opened immediately as he triggered the haptic interface to summon the car. Shepard stepped in and faced the door as it closed. As fraught as his current situation was, he was looking forward to seeing the man who had been his commander, but who he now considered a friend.

The elevator doors opened on the same office where Shepard had previously met with Anderson. Stepping from the elevator brought him before a man seated at a large desk. His smile died immediately.

"Udina. I requested to meet with Councilor Anderson, not his assistant. Perhaps you could inquire if Councilor Anderson could join me so that you can return to your regular duties?" Shepard could not resist taking a dig at the man. He had never cared for Udina, but he had come to despise him after his past betrayal. A betrayal that had nearly cost the galaxy dearly.

"Yes…Shepard. As Councilor Anderson's assistant, I received your request for a meeting. Unfortunately, he is busy cleaning up one of the messes you created. Your abduction, the dangerous maneuvers around the Citadel, the necessity of diverting elements of the Citadel fleet to rescue you. Do the words political shitstorm mean anything to you?"

Great, Shepard thought. I've put Anderson in hot water. "I could ask you the same thing, Udina. I've just come from C-Sec and they were none too pleased that they have not been given access to Dr. Manuel. Apparently he was spirited away by the Alliance despite assurances that C-Sec would be able to question him. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Udina smirked condescendingly. "You mean the human Alliance citizen affiliated with an illegal group that has access to military equipment, connections to Alliance military personnel, and unknown financial support? Of course we took him for reasons of Alliance security. You can't possibly be naïve enough to think it is a good idea to give C-Sec access to Dr. Manuel before we've determined what he knows and how damaging it might be to the Alliance. C-Sec will have access, once we've vetted that information and protected Alliance interests. Now, I imagine you have some new calamity that you have triggered that requires Alliance support?"

Shepard frowned and ground his teeth together. His fists clenched. Among Udina's many flaws was the fact that he was a consummate politician. Shepard knew that others would not consider that a flaw, but he certainly did. Mostly. He had to grudgingly admit that Udina was good at tearing apart a problem from a political perspective and finding weaknesses, much as Shepard would do from a tactical perspective. It troubled him that those two things might be more similar than he had realized. No, he decided. Udina used his talents to manipulate and scheme as much for himself as for any cause. It reminded him of someone else with whom he was forced to work.

"Well, when you are constantly on the front lines saving the galaxy, you're going to make a few enemies and encounter a few problems. We don't all get to sit comfortably and safely behind a desk. Less than two hours ago my ship, the Normandy, was stolen from an Alliance controlled repair facility here on the Citadel. Assisting me to locate and retrieve her is in the Alliance's interests."

Udina almost choked on a laugh. "You can't be serious, Shepard. You crash through the galaxy like a bull in a china shop heedless of the damage you create behind you. Damage those of us sitting behind desks have to repair. Now you've lost your ship and expect the Alliance to devote resources and materiel to aide a member of a known terrorist group? Again? Good god, Shepard. You really don't know what a political shitstorm is, do you?"

"I'm still a member of the Alliance military. It's not unreasonable for me to expect the assistance of the Alliance in retrieving the Normandy." Shepard wished he were talking with Anderson. This conversation would be going so much better.

"You use your military record at your convenience, claiming to be a part of the Alliance when it suits you and hiding behind your Spectre status when it doesn't. Or maybe you're loyal to Cerberus, as Ashley Williams believes. Your status in the Alliance is murky at best, but there is no question the Normandy is the property of Cerberus and not the responsibility of the Alliance. Your ship was stolen? Go and find it, Spectre. Show us what the great Commander Shepard is capable of."

Shepard considered showing Udina exactly that, especially after his comment about Ashley. As satisfying as it would have been, it would have done nothing to help him retrieve the Normandy. Shepard took a breath and unclenched his fists. "I would think that the Alliance might have some sense of responsibility given that the Normandy was stolen from an Alliance controlled facility."

Udina leaned back in Anderson's chair and steepled his fingers. "Yes. You are right. That is a concern. I will authorize an immediate investigation into how this person or persons thwarted our security. I don't imagine it will take longer than a week to produce preliminary results. I would be happy to inquire if these results might be forwarded to you, Shepard, since you are still part of the Alliance military."

Shepard couldn't decide if Udina's impassive gaze as he stripped away any hope of assistance was better or worse than his smirk. Shepard decided they were both irritating. He gave himself a moment to fantasize about pulling Udina across the desk and beating cooperation out of him before yielding to the inevitable. "Very well. I won't forget what a help you've been, Udina. I imagine Councilor Anderson will also appreciate the way you've looked out for the interests of the Alliance."

Udina's gaze never faltered. He leaned forward and tapped commands into the computer on the desk. "Yes. Well, I will forward your request for a meeting to Councilor Anderson and you can tell him yourself when he is available at…eleven o'clock…three days from now. Shall I put you on his schedule, Commander?"

Shepard kept his breath even as he turned away from Udina and summoned the elevator to leave. He didn't bother to answer Udina's question. Udina knew he was in control and Shepard didn't intend to give him any more opportunities to humiliate him or waste his time. Udina was the gatekeeper to reaching Anderson at the moment and he had clearly chosen to impede Shepard rather than help him. There had to be some way to reach Anderson directly, but if he were in hot water due to Shepard then trying to reach him, if he could reach him, could cause more problems than it solved. And it would take time he didn't have. No. It was strike three. But he wasn't out yet. He still had his crew and any resources they might bring to bear. And he hadn't heard from Tali. She seemed as if she was on the trail of some kind of answer. He again resisted the urge to contact her. He didn't want to distract her if she was making progress on identifying the thief. Anyway, it was nearly time for him to meet with the crew and break the bad news. If he hadn't heard from her after that he would contact her.

Shepard exited the elevator and approached the receptionist. Looking at Smithers he realized that the man had sent him into an ambush with Udina. Shepard shook his head. He had always been more comfortable on a military battlefield than a political one. He shouldn't be surprised that Udina would have people loyal to him, people he controlled, as his underlings.

With nothing to gain from antagonizing the man, Shepard chose to stay focused on his goal. "Smithers. Have my crew arrived as I requested?"

Smithers looked up at Shepard from his desk and smiled a professional smile. "Quite a few individuals have arrived and been directed to the Uranus conference room. It should be large enough to hold the numbers you indicated. A number of non-humans have arrived as well."

Asshole, Shepard thought. "Thank you. I'll let you know if I need anything further." Shepard turned and walked toward the indicated room, passing other rooms that he now noticed had been named for the planets of the Sol system. He paused outside the conference room to organize his thoughts before entering and realized that with his conflict with Udina he had again failed to get a new omni-tool. He'd be damned, he decided, before he'd go back and request one from Smithers.

As Shepard entered the room he could hear the low murmur of the quiet discussions that were occurring among crewmembers. All fell silent as he entered and walked to the front of the room. He stopped near a console that he surmised allowed for information to be projected for the purpose of presentations. He turned and faced the assembled crew. The room was arranged with rows of long, curving tables, each row raised slightly from the one in front of it to allow those in the back to see and hear clearly. The vast majority of the Normandy's crew was arranged in the second and farther rows, the front clearly having been reserved for the human and non-human ground team members who would almost certainly be involved in any attempt to retrieve the Normandy. Miranda and Jacob stood at either side of the front row and Shepard suspected they had directed the crew to sit in their current arrangement.

Miranda looked to Shepard, placid, but with a definite downturn of the corners of her mouth. A look that told him she already knew the Normandy had been taken. Shepard realized that The Illusive Man had probably spoken to Miranda even before contacting him. And if Miranda knew, it was likely Jacob knew as well. Shepard scanned the faces of the Cerberus crew. He didn't find any hint of awareness that they knew why they had been called to this meeting. Miranda had left the joy of that revelation to Shepard.

Shepard turned his attention to the crewmembers filling the front row. These were the crew that had been hired or recruited for his mission against the Collectors. Zaeed Massani, the mercenary hired by The Illusive Man sat with his arms crossed, reclining against the table behind him, waiting patiently for whatever information was about to be shared. He was getting paid regardless, so had little reason for worry. Garrus Vakarian, the ex-C-Sec and now ex-vigilante Turian who had become one of Shepard's most reliable friends and allies. He sat forward, his hands clasped. Shepard read tension in his body. As he met Garrus' gaze the Turian flared his mandibles in a way that told Shepard Garrus was already aware of what had happened as well. Shepard expected he maintained contact with his own sources within C-Sec and had learned of the situation with the Normandy through them.

Next to Garrus sat Thane Krios, the Drell assassin he had recently recruited following his activities on Ilium. Next to him sat Samara, the Asari Justicar. He was still learning about these two, though he already trusted their reliability and skill in combat. Next to Samara sat Mordin Solus, the Salarian doctor and former STG operative. Along with Miranda and Jacob who were waiting patiently for him to speak, and Tali, who was busy with her own investigation, these were Shepard's team. People who would form the squads he would lead into combat, against the monsters of the galaxy, and now, hopefully, to retrieve the Normandy.

Shepard turned to Miranda and spoke in a low voice. "Is everyone accounted for?"

Miranda matched his volume, recognizing he wanted to know who was missing before speaking, but not reveal what had occurred prematurely. "Crewmen Harris, Sosa, and Shen were assigned to security. It is likely they are missing. Engineers Daniels and Donnelly were aboard to supervise and monitor the armor upgrades that were supposed to occur. Kelly Chambers declined shore leave due to an unspecified professional issue and was also aboard. All other crew are present and accounted for."

Shepard again scanned the front row, then glanced to the rest of the room. "I don't see Jack. Did she respond to the meeting announcement?"

Miranda rolled her eyes. She and Jack, the powerful, unstable, and criminal biotic were practically polar opposites in personality. And it showed in their limited interactions, though clashes was probably a better word. "Probably drunk somewhere. Or aiding whomever this meeting is about. I suspect we will function more efficiently without her disruptions."

Maybe, Shepard thought. One of his wild speculations following the theft of the Normandy had been that Jack had been responsible. He still thought that very unlikely, but couldn't fully discount the possibility. He considered it more likely that Jack simply did not feel any obligation to attend a Cerberus meeting. He'd have to track her down to be sure. Regardless, he couldn't wait any longer.

Shepard composed himself for a another moment, taking one more deep breath. "Thank you all for your prompt arrival. I called this meeting due to a situation that has arisen. Approximately two hours ago, the Normandy was stolen from the Alliance repair bay where she was berthed."

The crew of the Normandy was disciplined, the best that Cerberus could assemble, but that discipline could not fully hold in the face of what Shepard had just revealed. Shuffling and murmuring arose throughout the room, along with a few outbursts of disbelief. Shepard let the crew process for a few moments, observing their reactions and looking for any indication of anyone acting suspiciously. Shepard found it hard to believe that anyone in this crew might have abetted the theft of the Normandy, but after Miranda's colleague, Wilson, betrayed Cerberus, who could be certain. Regardless, Shepard could not spot anyone acting suspiciously, either among the crew or among those recruited for his mission. Of course not, he thought. That would have been too easy.

After several seconds, Shepard raised a hand to quiet the crew. Discipline reasserted itself and he quickly had their full attention. "We do not know who has taken the Normandy or where she is currently located. Efforts are already underway to try to determine what person or group is responsible and to track them down. Whoever it was, wherever they go, we're going to find this thief and get our people and the Normandy back."

Murmurs of assent arose from the assembled crew, but were interrupted by a clear female voice that cut through the chatter. "If you are looking for a thief, then you should ask a thief."

Shepard started in surprise, reflexively drawing his pistol and aiming it at the source of the voice. Throughout the room, the focus shifted to this sudden, unexpected interloper. Shepard would have sworn the woman who was the source of the voice had not been there, sitting casually in what had been an empty seat next to Jacob, seconds before. It was as if she had simply manifested into existence.

The intruder was a slight human, dressed all in black. A cowl covered much of her head, embroidered with a design that seemed meaningful, though it meant nothing to Shepard. He couldn't see her eyes, but could see the colorful streak of lipstick across the middle of her lower lip. Her hands were raised, signaling she was not a threat. Shepard would decide that for himself. Shepard kept his pistol aimed squarely at the intruder's head. "Who are you and what are you doing here? What do you know about the theft of the Normandy?"

"Kasumi Goto, Commander. Infiltrator and master thief. I was hired by Cerberus to assist you with your mission. Given that you had not gotten around to contacting me, I decided it was time I contacted you. My price was your assistance with a personal matter and I'm not likely to get that assistance until we retrieve your stolen ship. Besides, once you remembered I was aboard the station you were likely to suspect that I was involved in the theft of the Normandy. I thought it wiser to clear my name proactively."

Shepard did not lower his weapon. "How do I know that you didn't have something to do with the theft of the Normandy?"

"If I had taken your ship, I would be long gone with it. Besides…" Kasumi became quiet. When she spoke again there was melancholy in her voice. "I've learned that some things are too big, too important to be stolen without serious…repercussions."

Shepard lowered his pistol, but did not put it away. "So if you weren't involved in the theft of the Normandy, how do you know she was taken?"

"I keep my eyes and ears open, Shepard. In the high-end procurement community we tend to know each other, at least by reputation. When something big happens we know how to hear about it. Given that I was right here on the station, there was no way I wouldn't know about this theft, at least after the fact. I promise you I'd heard nothing prior to the theft."

Shepard frowned. A good thief was often also a good liar. "Do you have any idea who took the Normandy?"

Kasumi was silent for a moment. "There are not many who could quietly pull off the sort of heist involved in taking an advanced warship like the Normandy. I was not aware of any others who would be capable of this on the Citadel. However, I believe I can help to narrow down the list of possible culprits. The fact that I had heard nothing prior to the heist suggests it was a small team, maybe even a single individual, but with serious backing. Bigger teams tend to make more noise, so to speak, which makes them easier to hear about or spot."

Shepard collapsed his pistol and returned it to his belt. Jacob had kept a hand on his own weapon, watching Shepard for how to handle the intruder. He spoke up now, incredulous. "You're not going to trust an admitted thief right when our ship has been stolen. Her presence is a little too convenient if you ask me."

"She was recruited by The Illusive Man, Jacob. She was already here for her own reasons and we need all the help we can get. As head of security for the Normandy I would expect you to keep an eye on her and let me know if there are any concerns or deal with any problems..." Shepard paused to look significantly at Kasumi, "if necessary."

Kasumi seemed to look Jacob up and down, eyeing him speculatively, though it was hard to tell with her eyes in shadow. "Thank you, Shepard. I'm used to handling security. I would expect you to keep an eye on me, Jacob. And besides, I've already been of help. I made sure there were no operational listening devices spying on this meeting of yours."

Jacob frowned. Shepard could see Jacob was trying to size Kasumi up, but she was difficult to read. Deceptive, that was the word. Shepard hoped Jacob was up to the task. He was also grateful that no one was listening to or recording their meeting. With all the difficulty of dealing with C-Sec and Udina, he had not considered the possibility, though he should have. "All right, Ms. Goto. Do you have any other thoughts on who might have stolen the Normandy, or where she might be?"

"It's Kasumi, Shepard. Since we're working together now, we should be on friendly terms. Unfortunately, no. As I said, I was not aware of any other individuals on the Citadel with the ability to pull off this level of theft. But I can narrow it down. Eliminate some possible suspects and assist you in determining who did this."

"I think I can help with that." The voice came from the doorway. While all eyes had been on the conversation with Kasumi, Tali had quietly slipped in the door and was standing at the front of the room.

Shepard started to step toward Tali, glad to see her again, even more glad that she was indicating she might have a lead, but stopped short. Her voice was dripping with anxiety and her posture and body language betrayed more tension than he had ever seen in her. She looked ready to bolt. "Tali, is everything okay?"

She didn't answer. She stepped to the console and activated her omni-tool, tapping in commands on her interface. After a few seconds she paused. "I would appreciate, Shepard, if anyone who won't be directly involved in retrieving the Normandy could leave the room. I'm going to share some…sensitive information." She hadn't turned around to make this request. She was staring at the front of the room, at the holographic display that was currently blank, but glowing with its readiness to display the information of which Tali spoke.

Shepard's worry for Tali increased again. She clearly didn't want to share her information with the entire crew, especially those who would likely stay on the Citadel while a select team retrieved the Normandy. And it was true. Shepard suspected retrieving the Normandy would be a combat operation and most of the crew, while skilled at their jobs, were not trained for combat. Not to mention that the shuttle The Illusive Man had provided certainly wouldn't hold the entire crew of the Normandy.

Shepard returned his attention to the assembled crew. "Anyone not assigned to ground combat is dismissed. Your shore leave has been extended until the Normandy can be retrieved. Cerberus will be responsible for your food and housing. I would stress that all information regarding the loss of the Normandy and efforts to recover her are considered classified. If anyone reveals that information Miranda and I will hear of it. Also, Cerberus is not exactly popular on the Citadel, so lay low and do not discuss the organization or your affiliation with it. Hopefully we can resolve this matter quickly. Dismissed."

Shepard watched as the crew filed out of the room in a desultory manner. He turned to the remaining crew. People he'd fought beside and trusted with his life. New people he was only just beginning to know and trust. And Kasumi. Only time would tell if she was the ally she claimed or a disguised enemy. He hoped he would not have to learn that information the hard way. Shepard's eyes moved beyond these people to the second row. One person had remained. Someone who had never been on a combat mission for good reason. "Joker. I said the crew was dismissed."

"I know, Shepard. But I need to be here. They took her and I need to help rescue her. And you'll need a pilot. Both for whatever ship will get us there and to fly the Normandy home."

Retrieve, he meant, not rescue. Shepard had never seen Joker looking so somber. "I understand, Joker, but this will likely be dangerous. You can stay and we'll talk after Tali finishes." Shepard wished he would stop finding new things to worry about. The loss of the Normandy was severe and people he needed at their best were struggling, maybe even falling apart. Maybe even you. Hold it together. Hold them together.

Shepard turned back to Tali, hoping the information she could provide would set them on a path to retrieving the Normandy as soon as possible, for everyone's sake. "Okay, Tali. If you could please continue."

Tali remained tensed, facing away from her crewmates. "When the Normandy was taken the thief couldn't resist taunting us. Gloating how he broke my security and implanted malignant software in our omni-tools. That gave me hints about who we were dealing with. The personality of the person, haughty, cruel even. They didn't want to just be better than us, they wanted us to know we were beaten. When I stopped him from destroying my omni-tool I was able to salvage the code he used. Examine it. The more skilled the programmer, the more likely they will leave evidence in their code of who they are or, more specifically in this case, what species. Those indications along with the way he very specifically used my full name helped me to better know what I was looking for. I traced back through multiple C-Sec and Alliance security cameras and found what I was looking for…here."

Tali had not changed in her almost mechanical voice tone, maybe hadn't breathed since starting her monologue. Images scrolled by on the holographic display, indicating what she had been sifting through. They had settled on an image that looked to be a public area not far, he thought, from the restricted repair facilities where the Normandy had been docked. People milled about, tourists and Citadel personnel going about their business. "I don't see what is important about this image, Tali. What am I looking at?"

"Here." Tali pointed at a section of the image that looked like any other. "The thief appears to have been able to move covertly through service tunnels and access corridors, avoiding people and monitoring systems for the most part. But here, he had to move briefly through a more public area to get where he was going."

Miranda had stepped closer to the display, studying what Tali was describing. "But the image has been deleted. We can't see who or what he is."

"No, we can't. Not on the systems that are networked through the station. Our thief was very thorough in destroying evidence of his identity. He left just enough so we would know he was there, but not be able to identify him. Another opportunity to mock us. But this time his arrogance cost him. Look here." Tali pointed at the lower corner of the image. Shepard squinted and could make out a family. Parents and children, tourists from the look of them. Tali continued. "See here. I've highlighted where the thief's identity has been concealed. You can see as he moves through this area and then vanishes into the restricted docks. As he moves past here this family stops moving. They hold position for the several seconds while the figure moves past them in the background."

Posing, Shepard realized. He could see now where Tali was going, but he could also see that she was stalling. That she was reluctant to reach the conclusion of her presentation. That really she had been stretching it out this whole time. Sharing information they did not need in order to delay, even for a few minutes, what she was about to share. He held his breath and let her reach her conclusion at her own pace. His crewmates, taking his cue, waited in silence for her to finish.

"I tracked down this family. It wasn't hard with C-Sec's resources at my disposal. I sifted through the images they had taken. They are happy images telling a happy story. I think this was their first time on the Citadel and they were so amazed, so joyful in every image. They have no idea what they recorded in one of their happy moments.

Tali keyed commands into her omni-tool and the image shifted. Shepard had realized what was coming. His heart sank for Tali at the understanding and it took him only moments to spot it in the display. Behind the laughing children making bunny ears behind each other's heads Shepard saw him. In those few seconds he had been randomly captured in this family photo. Tali sighed and enlarged the image, which clearly showed a male Quarian in a gray environmental suit passing behind the family to slip into the restricted dock area. They were, without a doubt, looking at their thief. Tali knew this and the knowledge was clearly tearing her apart. "Well, fuck", was all Shepard could think to say in the moment.