Chapter 3

Comm Room – Cerberus Station Titan

"Good work on Freedom's Progress, Shepard," came his voice as soon as the hologram appeared. "We scrubbed Veetor's omni-tool for any information. Nothing new, but them giving it to us is a surprising olive branch given our history." He looked at her and nodded in approval. "You and I have different methods, but I can't argue with your results."

Shepard shook her head. "You ever consider being diplomatic once in a while? You'd have a lot more sympathizers if you dropped the 'cooperate or be killed' attitude."

"Diplomacy is great when it works. But it's difficult when everyone already perceives you as a threat." Once again, he lit a cigarette and puffed on it before speaking. "But more importantly, you confirmed that the Collectors are behind the abductions."

Shepard eyed him curiously. "Confirmed? So, you already knew?"

"As I said before, I had my suspicions. But I needed proof. The collectors are enigmatic at best. According to Alliance records, you've heard more than enough about them to know what kind of threat they are," he said, giving her a knowing look with those piercing eyes.

She nodded solemnly. "They're a species set beyond the Omega 4 Relay who only come out to trade. They trade ridiculously advanced technology and resources worth billions of credits for slaves."

"They do buy slaves, but I do not believe they need the labor," he responded after another hit.

"Another of your theories?" asked Shepard curiously.

"Call it a hunch. They're well beyond the technological threshold for full automation. It's highly unlikely that they need them for working. But I've spoken to some of the sellers about what kind of people they sold to the collectors. They were especially interested in biotics and those with other unique genetic mutations," he said with a knowing smile.

"So, they're less interested in slave labor and more interested in genetic variations," she responded as she reached up and scratched her chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case, then are they harvesting human colonies because of our genetic diversity?"

"As far as genetics go, we are one of the more diverse species in modern history. However, what they're doing now goes far beyond a hunt for unique genetic variations. They're taking entire colonies, entire worlds of humans," he said as he let out a puff of smoke. "They're no longer exchanging for anything, Shepard. They're hunting us."

"But this shift in focus isn't a connection to the reapers by itself. What makes you think they're reaper pawns like Saren was?" she asked as she crossed her arms once more.

"Occam's Razor. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct one. In this case, the Omega 4 Relay. No ship that's ever gone through the Omega 4 Relay has ever returned except for the collectors. They pop out of the relay ever so often. And if they can get through the Omega 4 Relay safely, that means they know how to manipulate the relays," he said as he swirled his glass again.

"A bit of a reach. They could just destroy anything that comes through the relay. It wouldn't be too difficult to set up gun stations on the other side to make sure nothing gets through to your homeworld," she said skeptically.

"We can't say for sure what's on the other side or even where the other side is. But one thing we can do is look at their methods of cleaning up colonies. And the ship that took down the Normandy was easily capable of seeing through the cloaking of one of the most advanced stealth ships in the galaxy," he said as he swirled his glass. "We may not have absolute evidence that they're connected to the reapers. But I haven't been wrong yet, and I believe their technology speaks for itself."

"Regardless of whether the reapers are involved, we need to get the Council and the Alliance involved in this. We can't just go into this ourselves without any backup and expect to clash with a technologically superior species and come out in one piece," she remarked as she shrugged.

"As you're well aware, both the Council and the Alliance are at severe odds with my organization. If I thought it were possible to get their assistance, I would have already tried. However, like with Eden Prime, the Council seems to disregard these occurrences because they mostly happen in the Terminus Systems. And the Alliance are stretched too thin to do much about it. With the expansion of Alliance Space, they've had to spread their forces out to keep out batarians and other undesirables from the Traverse. So how much help they will be is questionable. Either way, if you can get them to fight for the cause, then you're free to try," he said as he took another puff.

Her eys narrowed at the wording, but she ignored the slight commanding tone of his. She knew he liked control and wording his statement as if he gave her permission was one of those obvious quirks of someone who was used to never having their orders questioned. "I'll need to talk to them first. And that means I'll need to get to Council Space in a vehicle that isn't registered to a terrorist organization."

"You'll get your ride, Shepard. It's waiting for you in docking bay F68 on the station," he said giving her a small smirk. "I've already enlisted a pilot for you. One of the best from what I've heard."

She cocked an eyebrow at him as the hologram began to fade. She turned away from the entanglement communicator and exited the room. But as she saw the figure standing before her, her jaw nearly dropped. "Holy shit… Joker?"

Despite a few grey hairs added to his meticulously grown beard, he had changed little. He still had that confident smirk on his face, still had that power pose while he stood despite needing a cane to support him, and still had the military style cap on his head. "I don't believe it…" he said, a sigh of what sounded like relief escaping from his lips. "When they told me… I… didn't believe it at first. But I figured, 'what's the worst that could happen?' But… here you are."

"Here I am," she said in return as she stepped up to his stoic form.

He looked her up and down in her armor before locking eyes with her. "I… saw you get spaced. I saw you stop moving before you fell into Alchera's gravity well. I saw you… die," he said, his voice clearly betraying some repressed sadness. "Is it really you Shepard?"

She let out a sigh of relief as she very delicately placed a hand on his should and gave him a piercing glare. "Did that dancing video ever get to the extranet?"

Joker snorted and shook his head. "No worries, Shepard. I'll take it to my grave."

She smiled at him as the sadness in his voice dissipated into relief. "If you don't want to end up in an early one, keep it that way," she said, getting another laugh from him. She then returned the favor and looked him up and down. "What are you doing here?'

His cheeriness vanished again, and he donned a look of mild annoyance. "After you… uh, died, I went back to the Alliance. They didn't know what to do with me. They offered me a job on a hundred different ships. Every captain in the Alliance wanted the former pilot of the Normandy. Eventually, your mother offered me a place on her dreadnaught. I took it and helped them out for a little while, but I just felt empty sitting in the pilot seat of anything besides the Normandy."

Shepard frowned. She knew that seeing her die on Alchera had to have a devastating effect on him. And on top of losing a close friend, he lost his home, the place he felt at peace. "I'm sorry."

He smirked again. "Not like you could have helped it. I'm sure it wasn't exactly your choice to nosedive at a planet without landing gear," he said, making light of what he saw. "Either way, I just kinda drifted around the Kilimanjaro for a while. But then I was approached when I was on the Citadel and asked if I wanted to fly like before. They knew a lot about the Normandy and our time on it for someone I had never met. When they mentioned they were from Cerberus I about throat chopped him with my cane. But then…"

"Then?" asked Shepard curiously.

"They said you were alive, and that you'd be here," he said as he looked down. "I… had to see for myself that you were alive." She looked down at his cane and saw that he was gripping it extremely hard for someone with brittle bones throughout his body. "And here you are, as if nothing had ever happened."

"Not exactly," she said as she was waved down by a Cerberus lackey. They motioned for her to follow, and she and Joker both began to move at a slow pace. The pilot looked up at her curious about her statement. "I have no memory of Alchera or why we were there. Do you remember?"

The man moved as fast as he was able, using his cane to keep him steady on his feet. "Not really. You said you were investigating something about Saren, but you wanted to keep it pretty close to your chest for some reason."

Shepard frowned again as they entered a long, tunnel-like hallway in the station. "Hmm. Well, let's hope whatever it was comes back to me. Because the last thing I remember was ordering the ship to leave the Citadel weeks before my apparent death."

"Well, I guess that's for the better. Remembering being exposed to the vacuum of space would probably give you nightmares for years," he said as he shook his head. "Memory or not, it's really good to have you back, Shepard. The galaxy… and I really didn't know what to do without you."

"Should I be recording this?" she asked with a smirk, making him roll his eyes. But then her smirk melted into a genuine smile. "Thank you, Jeff. You mean a lot to me as well."

He nodded, then let out an extremely heavy breath. "Alright, got that off my chest. Now back to making fun of you and your ridiculous dancing," he said as a door opened in front of them. She snorted as she looked up and saw the label above the door that read F68. "Oh, right. They just told me about this," he said with a glowing smile as he stepped out of the tunnel and into the open docking bay area.

Shepard stepped out as well and her eyes widened immediately as she saw a familiar curved hull. "You're kidding me…"

"That's what I said," joked the pilot as he too let his eyes roam over the ship's curves. "It's about twice the size of the last ship we had and has a much bigger drive core. That'll take some getting used to. But it's home."

Shepard's eyes scoured the hull for a moment before looking to Joker. "No name yet?" she asked, getting a shrug from him. "I guess we'll have to give her one." She then turned and looked over the ship once more. Despite the elated surprise, she knew who was giving her this ship, and knew that there was work to be done on the inside before she allowed any information to flow through the ship. "Come on, Joker. Let's go take her for a ride."

Combat Information Center – SSV Normandy SR2

Miranda and Jacob had come with her, both of them carrying their gear in cases as she stepped into the decontamination chamber. Joker had gone in ahead of her as she went to grab her own things. But finally, she was here on the doorstep to a new ship. Once the process was finished, she stepped inside and immediately turned her head to the cockpit to see Joker sitting in his regular spot at the helm, a giant grin on his face and two thumbs straight up.

"Leather seats, Shepard! The Alliance always skimped on comfort, but the private sector really knows how to treat its pilots," he said excitedly as he practically wiggled in the seat.

Miranda and Jacob continued down the long corridor at the entrance and further into the ship as she smiled back at the pilot. "Glad you're enjoying yourself. Just make sure you get used to the new setup so we don't end up crashing into a relay."

"Oh, I'm gonna fly the hell out of this thing," he said as he spun around and began typing at the control panel.

Shepard snorted and then turned to walk down the same corridor the others had walked before her. She stepped into the CIC itself and saw that it was much more brightly lit than the last Normandy. The galaxy map and captain's station had multiple terminals set up, as well as a chair to sit in as well. She shook her head as Joker's comment about the private sector made her snort again.

Crewmen stood at attention as she passed, all of them decked out head to toe in gear that practically screamed Cerberus. "I'll have to take care of that later," she said to herself as she stepped in front of the holographic projector for the room.

Miranda and Jacob once again stepped up to her. The young man had a confident smirk on his face, while the operative looked about as warm as her icy demeanor would allow her to. Jacob was the first to speak up. "Welcome to the new Normandy, Spectre."

Shepard looked at the technology, the design, and the crew moving about animatedly as they started to work on power the ship up. "This must have cost a pretty penny," she said as she looked at the pair. "The Illusive Man doesn't seem like the type to splurge on comfort for anyone but himself. So why all the extra effort?"

Suddenly, a synthetic sounding voice spoke up from behind her. "The Illusive Man wanted to make sure that everyone working aboard the SR2 was as comfortable as possible given the stakes of this particular mission."

Her brow shot up as she looked around. "And you are?"

Suddenly, a holographic figure, a simple sphere with a neck-like support popped up in front of her over the holographic table. "I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence. The crew like to refer to me as EDI, as it is an acronym for my full title, Enhanced Defense Intelligence."

"Caution to the wind, is it?" asked Shepard as she crossed her arms and looked around the room. She knew that the hologram wasn't where the intelligence was, it was just a focus point for the organic crew who were used to talking to something in front of them rather than a disembodied voice. "Why would the Illusive Man hire Joker if he already had an AI flying the ship?"

"I do not have control over the helm of the ship. Lieutenant Moreau's talents will not go to waste. I am a defense platform that is in charge of cyber and electronic warfare suites during combat. Beyond the ship's defenses, I have no control over any other structure on board," they said in a rather monotone feminine voice.

Nodding, Shepard asked curiously. "How do you prefer to be spoken to?"

There was a moment of silence before the AI spoke again. "I'm unsure what you are asking."

"If you are an AI and not just a virtual intelligence parroting prerecorded messages, then you have an identity. It means you are a member of my crew, and I want to know how you wish to be spoken to. Do you prefer any pronouns? Do you have another name you wish to use? That kinda thing."

"Another… name?" asked the AI. Shepard noticed that the hologram fragmented for a second before reforming. "Due to the feminine nature of my voice, the crew have referred to me as 'she' and 'her.' These will suffice. As for a name, most of the crew already knows me as EDI. For expediency, it would be best if I kept this name."

Nodding, Shepard turned to the two Cerberus agents. "So, any other controversial crewmates I should meet?"

"Not yet," said Miranda, getting a curious look from the former spectre. "As of right now, Cerberus has filled the crew roster with the best in their fields that were available."

"Available and loyal to Cerberus, no doubt," said Shepard as she stared at Miranda. Shepard imagined her icy mask cracking and volcanic heat spewing out. But if the woman were angry about the addendum, then she didn't show it.

"That is, perhaps, something you'll have to come to terms with in the near future if you plan to work with us," said the operative in a clipped tone. "In the meantime, your quarters are on the top floor. The door can only be accessed with your DNA and handprint. Should you wish to whitelist anyone, feel free to let me know and I'll get those taken care of. My cabin and office are on the crew deck along with everyone else, so if you need anything from me, you know where to find me." With little more than a small, effortless smile, the woman turned around and headed for the nearby elevator behind the wall surrounding the captain's station.

When she was gone, Jacob just shook his head and gave a genuine awkward smile. "Man you know how to push her buttons," he said, trying not to chuckle. "If you need anything from me, my station is in the armory in the cargo hold. If you need help with the ship, feel free to ask EDI. She has terminals all over the ship," he said before giving her one last nod and heading for the elevator.

After he was gone, she sighed to herself and looked around the CIC. She recalled when the Normandy was first handed over to her almost three years prior. She spent the first few hours walking around it and getting to know the crew. She didn't know this crew, she had never worked with them, and while their ties to Cerberus were questionable, she knew she was going to have to get used to them. Most of the crew from her previous ship was dead, and the Alliance was spread too thin to offer her new members, all of which she would have to investigate thoroughly anyway.

Sighing to herself, she turned to the captain's station and noticed that a young woman with mousy brown hair was quietly trying not to stare at her. Shepard stepped towards her, and the woman stood straight and saluted with a smile on her face. "Spectre Shepard! It's so good to finally meet you!"

Shepard tilted her head curiously at the woman before looking her up and down. "In the military, you don't salute on ships. Only outdoors when your headgear is on," she said, and the woman's smile vanished while her hand slapped down to her side rapidly. The spectre smiled playfully and shook her head. "But this isn't a military ship. No need for formalities."

Nodding, the girl chuckled. "I'll try to remember that," she said, before gasping slightly. "Oh! I haven't introduced myself! I'm Lieutenant Kelly Chambers, your new Yeoman!"

Shepard was slightly surprised about how animated the woman was. "Miss Chambers?"

"If there are no formalities, then please feel free to call me Kelly," she said with an adorable grin.

"Kelly it is," said Shepard, only becoming more confused about her. "Kelly, how are you associated with Cerberus exactly?"

From the change in her expression, it appeared that Kelly was aware of the optics of her position. "I understand how most people see Cerberus. But they are truly trying to help humanity."

Shepard shook her head gently, not wanting to make the woman feel guilty. "Save me the pitch, Kelly. I just want to know how you came to be associated with them."

Nodding, the lieutenant continued. "I was in college for xenopsychology and ROTC. I was intending to go into the Alliance, but I was close enough to the Citadel to see what they did to you when you were trying to go after Saren. I… became disillusioned to them. About a year ago, when I finished my psychology degree, they approached me saying that they had a position for me."

Shepard's brow cocked curiously. "Their files are mostly classified, but there's enough circulated publicly that you had to know what kind of organization they were. That didn't bother you?"

Kelly sighed and looked at the ground. "I knew what they were. But I also couldn't deny that they were a rogue part of the Alliance," she said, getting a surprised look from the spectre. "You of all people should know that the Alliance isn't as clean as they try to act. They've done things comparable to Cerberus, and it went ignored because it was ordered from High Command," she said, finally looking up at the woman again.

Shepard smirked at her, making the nervous young woman rigid. "Music to my ears," she said as she placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep that oath of questioning orders and you can be my yeoman for as long as you like, Kelly."

Wide-eyed, the young lieutenant nodded stiffly. "A-Alright," she said, then gave Shepard a small smile. "The main reason I joined Cerberus was because they said they weren't giving up on you and your mission. I… wanted to be a part of that."

"You will," said Shepard as her eyes hardened into a glare. "But I want to make something blatantly clear. I am in charge on this ship, not Miranda, not the Illusive Man. Anything and everything he asks you to send him goes through me. Are we clear?"

The yeoman went to salute again, but then caught herself and instead stood at attention. "Understood, Shepard."

"Good," said the spectre. "Back to your duties, Kelly." Turning away from the newcomer, Shepard smiled slightly, a small fire of hope burning inside her that her influence may be stronger than even the Illusive Man himself.

Med Bay – SSV Normandy SR-2

She moved past most of the officers on board the ship, all sporting that same nauseating uniform that Cerberus liked to plaster on its soldiers. This Normandy was much bigger than the last one, meaning more crew was required to run it. That also meant that she had a lot of work to do in weeding out undesirables from said crew. But also, she'd have to adjust her normal method of sitting down and talking to them all. For now, she needed to know the staple officers of her crew.

She knew Jacob had control of the armory, and Miranda was the executive officer aboard. Despite her limited time with them, she didn't feel she had to have the 'I'm the captain here' talk with them again. Next in line was the medical officer. Given the danger of their mission ahead, they would likely be seeing them a lot and it was important to touch base.

She entered the medical wing on the crew deck and looked around for a moment. There were medical beds lining the walls to the right with top-of-the-line surgical equipment hanging from the ceiling, ready for use. On the left side of the room was a small administrative area with several terminals, a grounded and locked cabinet full of medications at the ready, and a rack on the wall with dozens of different medical instruments.

Directly in front of the administrative desk were a pair of chairs, one of which was facing the other way from her. Despite this, she could still see someone sitting in it. Approaching slowly, she put on her most diplomatic smile. "Are you the medical officer?"

The chair slowly spun in place, revealing to her the person who sat there. And with each second that past, her smile vanished and was replaced by surprise. Finally, the chair had turned a full hundred and eighty degrees. "Karin?" asked Shepard, the shock apparent in her voice.

"Spectre Jane Shepard," she said with a tired smile on her face. Despite this, her tone was no less caring than it had been two years ago. "I watched the Normandy burn with you on it."

Shepard shook her head for a moment and looked once more to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Karin, what are you doing here?"

The older woman smiled lightly. "You," she said simply, getting a look of confusion. "I watched you struggle as your oxygen escaped. I was close enough to see you burn as you entered the atmosphere. So, when Cerberus approached me and said that you were alive, and that you needed my help, my safety became my second concern. Seeing the truth about whether you were alive was my first."

"But… you were an Alliance lifer," said Jane as she sat down in the chair opposite to the doctor.

"I was. I've spent a great many years serving the Alliance. And after the Normandy was destroyed, they reassigned all of the surviving crew. We were split apart. I was assigned to the Mars Naval Medical Center for a while, and while I was there, I saw what they were doing," she said with a heavy sigh.

Shepard leaned forward in her chair and eyed the woman. "What were the Alliance doing?"

"You changed everything. You took down a reaper ship and saved the entire galaxy from being harvested and killed. And what did they do when you died?" she asked, her face now a mask of bitterness. "They slapped you on a recruitment poster. They sold the rights to make a movie. They turned you into their golden cash calf, a device to recruit young men and women too ignorant to know what they were getting into with stories of the heroism of Shepard."

"I… I don't understand," said the spectre as she sat back.

Karin grinned slightly. "You taught the galaxy what it took to survive. You taught them that through cooperation with other species, that truly working together in a hostile galaxy, we can overcome any threat. And before they even announced your death to the public, they dropped all of that, and instead turned you into their own personal corporate logo." The doctor sighed again and shook her head. "I couldn't stand to see it. I couldn't stand to see your face everywhere, smiling at me from posters and movies after I watched you die. I had to leave the Alliance."

"I see…" said Shepard as she looked at the floor. "A lot has happened since my… disappearance."

The spectre was surprised when Chakwas leaned forward and cupped her cheek gently. "Yes, much has happened. We've had to deal with mourning while the Alliance shuffled around and tried to use your image. But right here, right now, you're back. And there's nothing in this galaxy that could make me happier than seeing you walk through that door."

Shepard clenched her fist slightly and slammed her eyes shut. "Jesus Christ, Karin. Are you trying to make me cry now," she said as her eyes actually began to sting.

The doctor chuckled and released her face before sitting back once more. "Apologies, Shepard. But all of this," she said waving her hands at all the equipment and beds. "This means nothing. I'm not here for Cerberus, or to get back at the Alliance. I'm not here because of the human colonies, or whatever noble goal Cerberus wants to pretend it cares about," she said as she held up two finger. "I'm here for two reasons. You, and Jeff."

"Joker?" she asked curiously before the realization dawned on her.

"You'd never be able to tell because of his never-ending fountain of humor and sass, but he hasn't gotten better since the Normandy was destroyed. His illness has no cure, and likely won't in his lifetime. While I can't cure him, I can provide him what he needs to live longer and happier, and that's stability. His constant movement from ship to ship, doctor to doctor has only caused him more harm. And I intend to undo as much of that harm done by the ableist Alliance as I can," she said with a serious stare.

Shepard's stare turned serious as well, but she also smiled at the stone-faced woman. "Good," she said, standing up. Karin stood up as well and the two faced each other, Shepard standing taller, bot no more resolute than the doctor herself. "It's really good to have you back, Doctor."

Chakwas smiled back, and reached out, surprising Shepard as she pulled her in for a hug. "You as well, Jane. It does this soul good to see you not just alive but leading again."

Shepard sighed but smiled and hugged her back firmly. "It's good to be back."

Mess Hall – SSV Normandy SR-2

It was fairly easy to gather everyone on the ship into one place. On the old Normandy, she'd have had to talk to communications officer and have them contact the heads of each department on every floor to get everyone gathered. But a simple word to EDI, and now here she stood. The crew numbered near sixty, minus Joker who elected to call in through Karin's omni-tool rather than walk all the way down to attend the meeting.

She stood near the weapon battery, the amount of crew filling the tables to overflowing, leaving many standing within the mess hall. She looked over all of their faces. She wasn't sure what she expected, but she had planned to see at least a few of the crew who were less than impressed with her being at the helm. But if facial expressions were anything to go off of, everyone was either excited, or resolved to be here, their faces a mask of either grins or stoic seriousness.

After a few moments of silence for her to analyze everyone, she finally spoke. "I'm going to assume you all know who I am. If you do not, raise your hand now," she ordered. Not a single hand was raised. "Good, that means I can make this short," she said, standing at her full height and looking between them all. "My name is Jane Shepard. I'm an N7 infiltrator, a Council Spectre, and a reaper killer," she said, getting a few cheers and chuckles from the crowd. "I'm a very skilled individual and I intend on using these skills to destroy anyone who plans to harm the peaceful people of this galaxy." She once again received nods and shouts of approval. But her stare hardened at them, causing a wave of silence to fall over the crowd. "Two years ago, one of those threats was listed under the name Cerberus, a rogue wing of the Alliance Military operating without the permission of High Command or Citadel Council's authority."

The crowd suddenly became a mix of silence and awkwardness. Some people looked away from her, looked at the ground, did anything they could to avoid eye contact with her. Others continued to stare at her, but had their jaws set firm at the realization of where this conversation was going. She let the thought sit in their minds for a moment before finally continuing.

"In case you weren't informed, I died two years ago. And from what I've been told, a lot of things have changed. Not just with me and those closest to me, but with the galaxy as well," she said as she began pacing back and forth in front of them. "I haven't had the time since blasting my way out of an exploding space station to get updated on the situation, but my guess is that Cerberus hasn't changed its methods all that much. But that doesn't mean I consider you all a threat," she said as she pointed to the crowd and waved her finger over them. "I still believe in the individual over the organization. So, for the moment as long as you haven't personally blown up any buildings or killed anyone without a legitimate reason, then we can work together. But one thing I want to make blatantly clear is that as long as your feet are touching the floor of this ship, you are under my command, not the Illusive Man's. You are to follow my orders, not his. And if you need a reminder of who is in charge here, just remember that only one of us was brought back to life to fight reapers," she said to them with her arms crossed over her chest.

She felt a bit of relief as some of the crew began chuckling at the mild joke. It meant that they understood, even if they didn't agree. It was going to be a long road ahead, not just for her, but for the entire crew. No doubt some of them wouldn't see that road to the end, but if they were good people, she was going to work damn hard to make sure they stayed on the right path. Her thoughts went to her previous squad and how she had to guide them as well, from Garrus holding his gun to Saleon's head, to Tali crawling backwards on her bed to get away from the omni-tool with an AI, to Wrex aiming his weapon at her on Virmire, to Ash scowling at any alien that came within ten meters of her. Any one of those moments could have led her crew down a much darker path. And if she was worth a fraction of the credits they spent to bring her back, then she could guide them the way she guided her crew years ago.

Finally, she nodded to them all. "Operative Lawson will have already assigned you to your stations. As for now, she is the executive officer aboard. If you have any questions or requests…" she said, thinking about what she was actually saying. Miranda would rather space someone out of the airlock before taking simple requests from the crew. "You know what, just ask me as long as I'm not busy." More laughter from the crew who no doubt knew the XO's frozen demeanor. "Now, let's get to work and find some damn colonists!" she snapped, getting cheers from the crew who then scattered back to their stations. She watched them go before turning back to the elevator, her eyes lit with a smoldering fire as she headed for the CIC.

CODEX ENTRIES

Grounded | Terminology | Military
Nearly all space-worthy ships used by any species has artificial gravity generators that make it easier to move around aboard the ships. This also makes it easier to store equipment. However, should something happen to the gravity, most equipment aboard the ship is either melded directly into the floor or welded there to make sure that nothing goes flying and injures any crew members during such an occasion.