"Normandy, this is Alliance control. Please dock at docking bay 2B," the flight controller calls through the helm comms. Shepard stood behind Joker, her nails nervously digging into the headrest of his seat.

"Commander, could you not tear up my seat?" he asks, looking up at her. Shepard looks down, seeing the nail marks she'd just left.

"Siha, be calm," Thane mutters from her side. Shepard couldn't help it, she was so scared. Hackett had assured her she was being questioned about her relationship with Thane, nothing else would be brought up. But this was the Alliance she was thinking about, they weren't exactly known to go by their word every time.

"Alliance control, Normandy SR-2 has now docked. Awaiting instructions," Joker announces. There was no response but the docking clamps startled them all. It was very loud to say they were only coming to Earth for a short stay. "Please tell me they haven't just locked the ship down," he drawls.

"They have locked control on the ship. I have unlocked it without them knowing, we can leave whenever you wish Commander." Shepard scoffed, she just knew the Alliance wouldn't play nice with her coming back from the dead. She appreciated EDI being there, at least they were not confined and could escape if they needed to.

"Admiral Hackett is asking for permission to board," Joker announces. Shepard sighs heavily, closing her eyes to control her breathing.

"Permission granted," she says with a shaky voice. She and Thane both moved to the bridge, standing in front of the docking doors. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, hoping the reassurance would balance her panicked breathing.

Shepard looked at his hand, smiling slightly. She then snaps her head back when the doors begin to hiss open from the decontamination system finishing. She stood tall, first seeing one soldier, gun in hand. Hackett, then another stood at his other side.

"Shepard..." he drawls with a slight glare to his eyes. He looks her over, seeing if it's the same girl he knew from all those years ago. She was the same, minus the scars along her face.

"Hackett," Shepard nods, she doesn't salute. She didn't want to, being forced back to Earth was insulting enough. She was saving humanity for a second time and this is how they are thanking her.

Hackett moves forward, his soldiers close behind. They were checking the ship out, looking at the crew members, getting a good mental image of each of them. "It's good to see you, Jane," he whispers. He holds his hand out to her.

"You too," she replies, accepting his handshake. They both hold a level of eye contact of almost pure judgment toward each other.

"Look," Hackett began as he pulled his hand back behind his lower back. "This isn't good Shepard. You disappear for two years, come back with Cerberus, another ship almost identical to the SR1, and with a Drell that has some very disturbing rumours involving himself."

Thane moved forward at that moment, he was shocked by the vulgar words Hackett spoke. Shepard pulled it back so he didn't move closer. Hackett's soldiers moved in closer, but he waved them back. "Do not speak on her actions or motives. She died saving the crew of the previous ship and gave her life for them. Cerberus brought her back from the sea, and gave her the resources needed to help defeat the collectors."

"I understand that, Krios. But, to the brass, this doesn't look good at all." He looks at Shepard. "We need answers for your disappearance, Shepard."

"What answers can I give you? I was in a damn coma." One of the soldiers stepped forward. He places a hand on her shoulder.

"Shepard, you are hereby summonsed to represent yourself in front of the Alliance Brass. Anything said from this moment may be used against you whilst being questioned. Do you understand?" he finished the words and looked at her, he almost quivered with the cold look she gave him.

"I understand just fine, but you won't be fine if you don't remove that hand." The soldier looked at Hackett, who only nodded at him to move it. He slowly moves his hand back to his side. "Thank you," she sarcastically says before looking back at Hackett. "Are you leading the way then?"

Hackett sighs slightly to himself, looking back at Thane before at Shepard again. "Please drop this mindset Shepard, the brass won't appreciate the attitude." He waves her along to follow.

"What about the rest of the crew?" Shepard asks from his side. Hackett moves his head slightly to look back at her, not slowing his pace.

"They will stay aboard under strict instructions to not attempt to leave otherwise we'll have no choice but to open fire." Thane hitched a breath from behind, his lungs contracting in the pure shock of the words that left Hackett's lips.

"You can't be fucking serious?" she shouts, "you'd kill innocent people?!" she questions. She had stopped walking at this point, and Hackett did the same.

"Not innocent people when they are working for an Alliance Black-ops," he states with a pointed finger. Shepard looked at him, almost wanting to take her chances and leave without bloodshed.

"Admiral, that is not what these people are doing. We are fighting for humanity right now!" she argues back. Hackett only shakes his head and continues marching with haste, they both fall in line with him. Shepard could only hope she would convince the brass that the crew and Cerberus had humanity's best interests for their attack on the Collectors.

Hackett had led Thane and Shepard through the sprawling wards of the Alliance HQ, stares from all came their way as they walked past. Some looked disgusted with the human and her Drell partner.

The walls came tighter and tighter the further in they went, and soon Shepard and Thane were separated into small rooms across from each other. Thane could see the large mirror in front of him, which was a one-way window, but his exceptional eyesight made it easy for him to see through which had another small room in it, two male humans sat inside with a single desk and recording equipment.

He circled the metal, plain table that had one chair on one side and two on the other. He knew which seat was his, he sat down in one fluid movement, not letting his emotions out. He was good at hiding them, it would take a lot for them to be truly shown.

Shepard's room was the exact same, on the other hand, she was pissed off and made sure those that could hear her knew. "This is bullshit! I died for you ungrateful assholes," she shouts to the window.

Her door opens, and Hackett walks in with a female officer, she has a face of stone, unreadable to Shepard. She wished Thane was here, he'd be able to know the woman's true intentions with just one look.

"Commander, please take a seat," Hackett says as he and the woman sit on one side. Shepard gulped back her nerves and took a shaky seat across from them. "Shall we begin?"