Book 3, Chapter 2 - Ancient Plans

Cerberus was on Mars. We learned that within five minutes when we found them executing Alliance soldiers. I wasted no time charging forward, shotgun blasting, killing most of them myself, Vega and Ashley barely getting off a shot themselves. And Cerberus had arrived in force, or so it seemed. Approaching the entrance to the facility, there were more troops milling around, supposedly on guard, but we managed to sneak up on a couple of them, then simply laid waste. I'll admit, it felt good to kill Cerberus people once again. I'd put up with co-operating with them for long enough. Now I could let the blood flow once again.

Making it to the entrance, we needed to ride an elevator down into the facility. That allowed us to take off our helmets for a moment. I glanced at Vega, sharing a nod, before Ashley asked, "What are Cerberus doing on Mars, sir?"

"I don't know, Ash. But I understand the suspicion."

"I know you're not with them anymore. It's just… You know…"

"I know. But I had no problem killing them just then. This is obviously a rescue mission now. If Cerberus is here, they're here for Liara and more than likely whatever she's looking for. Always knew the Illusive Man would interfere."

"Guess we should find Liara then," Vega stated, injecting a little humour in his tone, no doubt to diffuse any possible tension building. Ashley met my eyes and nodded grimly.

"Can we talk later, sir?"

"Shepard. Just like the old days, Ash. And yes, we can talk later. Whatever's on your mind, clear the air if necessary. It's been a long time."

"That it has."

We didn't have to search for Liara, as she ended up coming towards us, being pursued by more Cerberus troops in ducts above our head. We heard them chasing her, and assumed it was shoot to kill, as we heard gunfire as well. I watched her kill a pair of them with ease as she gracefully dropped to our level, turning and using her biotics before putting a pair of bullets in each. Stepping out of cover, I was unable to stop my chuckle. "Damn, T'Soni, that was cold."

She turned, concerned in one moment, relief and a smile in the next. "Shepard!" I found myself wrapped in the arms of a grateful and affectionate asari. "Good to see you," she whispered, "Goddess, I've already heard about Earth…"

"Thanks, but we knew this was going to happen." I paused before asking, "Liara, why are you on Mars? What brought you here?"

"Why are you here?"

"Hackett sent me as we escaped Earth. Told me to find you. Didn't tell me much more than that. I'm figuring I grab you, grab the plans, then we head to the Citadel and try our luck."

She led us to a nearby window, pointing towards the other end of the facility. "Your archives, Shepard. Your researchers didn't discover everything. Obviously, much of what is discovered here is secretive, not wanting it to fall into the wrong hands. What was called a 'small cache' was… Well, a white lie, let's call it."

"I know anyone who did get sent here had to sign a NDA," I stated, "And the vetting process is something else entirely. So what have you discovered?"

"Plans for a device, hidden deep within the data."

"A device? What sort of device?"

"That I'm not sure about, Shepard. What we need to do is grab the data and leave. Cerberus is obviously here, but the Reapers appear to have bypassed Mars for Earth… I'm sorry, Shepard."

"We're only the first, Liara. And if they've attacked Earth in force, then they'll soon spread across the galaxy."

Joker then came in over the radio, stating a storm was incoming and we'd better get a move on. Now that we had Liara, I figured working with a small team wasn't a bad idea in the facility, so I ordered Vega to head back towards the shuttle for a quick extraction if necessary. He wasn't particularly happy about being left out of the fight, but I didn't want to be stuck on Mars. Cerberus was already here, the Reapers would now doubt have an interest eventually.

And, of course, they knew we were there by now, so sent troops forward to deal with the three of us. But I was already pissed off about everything, Ashley hated Cerberus with a passion, and Liara certainly hadn't appreciated being chased across the facility. Armed with a shotgun and my biotics, I cut a swathe through their numbers, leaving numerous troops left battered and bloodied on the ground.

Making our way out of the maintenance bay, we entered what looked like a reception area. Alliance personnel had been shot, a few executed where they had been sitting. Ashley and I shared a glance. "Shepard, when we have time, I'll have to show you a biotic move," Liara stated as she took a seat, glancing over the cameras across the facility, "Your charge is something else, but I have something you can immediately after that which will just cause havoc. Might not even need your shotgun half the time." Then she paused and I heard her mutter something. Leaning down beside her, she pointed at one of the screens. "I know her. Doctor Eva Core. She arrived a few weeks back."

"How well do you know her?"

Liara shrugged. "Not a lot. I've been so busy…"

I immediately grabbed her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Don't even think about blaming yourself about it. We don't know if she's involved, but if she's still alive… Those are live pictures?" She nodded. "Well, if she's still alive, then I guess we do have questions for her. Maybe she's just really good at avoiding Cerberus patrols?"

Ashley snorted behind me, which made Liara and I both chuckle. Pissed off as we were, we definitely needed a reason to crack a grin, at least.

Moving on, we had to head outside, making sure out helmets were secure and our magnetic boots were switched on, as the wind was now howling, and having to make our way across the roof to the next building. Coming to what should have been a closed airlock, the fact it was open was a bad sign. And it was soon obvious that the air had been vented, immediately asphyxiating everyone inside the cafeteria. Liara was now upset in addition to angry, while Ashley practically growled what she was going to do to the next Cerberus troops were ran into.

The poor bastards we did run into never knew what hit them. Liara practically threw them across the room with her biotics while every bullet fired by Ashley was a headshot. I charged here and there, but the pair left me with little to do. Finding power, we closed the door and turned on the lights to reveal the scene. I couldn't help sigh while Liara recognised more than one face. There was little we could do except walk away. Unfortunately, the three of us knew they would not be the last.

We continued to fight our way through the facility, the narrow confines turning many corridors into shooting galleries, perfect me to simply charge and shoot, while Liara could get her singularities firing, dragging troops out of cover, leaving them as easy pickings for Ashley and myself. Liara stated we were now passing through the labs, and our progress was brought to a halt by a turret that was bound to turn us into mincemeat.

"Okay, who's bright fucking idea was this?" I muttered. Liara couldn't help chuckle at my tone. "Right, I'll draw its attention. Liara and Ash, once it's got me targets, make your move and get it turned off."

"On your go, Shepard," Ashley stated, noticing her fiddle with the shield pack at her hip. Liara merely met my eyes, a hard grimace.

It worked, but my shields failed and I was lucky not to lose a limb. But the turret missed the movement of my colleagues, moving one way or the other. Stuck behind cover, I had to wait for the all-clear from Ashley before I could stand up, noticing Liara already at a console hard at work. Checking shields, armour and weapons, I joined the pair in an office, thankful for the moment of silence, left wondering how many Cerberus troops we'd already killed.

"Where the fuck has he got these numbers?" I wondered.

"Did you ever…" Ash started to ask. I glanced her way and gestured. "Did you ever work beside his own people?"

"Apart from Miranda, Jacob, and the few people on the ship, no. What Miranda told me must ring true. Each cell separate, no idea of what goes on otherwise."

"Do you believe her?"

I heard the tone. She'd only ever met Miranda the once. I doubt she knew I'd slept with her, and I wasn't going to broach that subject. "Miranda left Cerberus, Ash. The Illusive Man would now be scouring the galaxy for her. And I'll be honest. I don't think she ever outright lied to me, because I don't think she knew everything she thought."

Liara ignored our conversation, interrupting us to let us know what the situation was. We needed to get a tram, which was currently locked down, so it needed an override. Having fought Cerberus all the way through the facility so far, there was no doubt more laid on the other side and we needed a tram sent over. So I ordered Ash to search bodies for a short-wave transmitter so we could contact them.

Ashley was gone no more than a couple of minutes before hearing a cry of surprise. I headed towards her voice with shotgun already in hand, to find her hunched over the body of a Cerberus trooper. Taking a knee beside her, I immediately noticed what caused such a shock.

"That could've been you, Shepard," Ashley stated softly, "For all I knew, that's what Cerberus has done to you."

"You mean when we met on Horizon?"

"You were dead, Shepard. We all thought you were dead. Then you return like nothing has changed. And now this?" The trooper looked sort of like a husk. "Whatever that is, it's definitely not human. I thought Cerberus was meant to represent us?"

"I think we both know that's bullshit."

"I know. It's just… It's Cerberus, Shepard! And they had you for god knows how long. And with everything…" She trailed off and sighed. "Guess I still need some time to compute everything."

"Bahak?" I wondered, "I mean, if anything was going to make you question me…"

She met my eyes and looked guilty, but nodded. "Bahak. It's… It's a big thing, Shepard. I'm still processing it."

"I know, Ash. Live with it every day." I rested a hand on her shoulder, earning a small grin. "Take as much time as you need. I'll still be here when you want to talk."

"And there you go, being all understanding and stuff."

"A lot of shit has gone down since I was spaced, Ash. And to be honest, we've barely talked since."

"Guess we need to, right?"

I nodded. "Right." Grabbing the receiver inside the helmet, I could hear a crackle that suggested the line was still open. "Hello. This is Delta Team. Do I have a copy?"

"Copy, Delta Team. Where the hell have you been? Never mind, what's your status?"

"We're at the tram station, waiting for extraction. All hostiles terminated."

"Roger that. Echo Team will ride over and secure the station."

Clicking off the link, I couldn't help chuckle to myself. "Idiots," I muttered.

We laid waste to the few troops sent over, and boarded the tram, weapon still in hand. But Cerberus was not completely stupid, and they'd set charges on the tracks in the event of someone retaliating. We only made it halfway across before our tram was halted, a tram sent in the opposite direction. Lambs to the slaughter, as we slaughtered them once the tram was alongside. Okay, so maybe not completely stupid but most of the way there…

Boarding the tram, now riddled with bullet holes, and I knew they'd be ready for us. We managed to get off the tram without being killed, but the next few minutes were not easy. I managed the occasional charge but the firepower being returned left us wondering how the hell we survived once it was all over. Cerberus troops lay dead everywhere, the station was in ruins, and the blood pooled on the ground. The three of us needed to check ourselves over, shields, armour and weapons. Ashley needed medi-gel on a wound, Liara simply looked exhausted. "I haven't had to do this in months," she muttered, "Guess I got a little lazy."

"How do you think I feel?" I retorted, "I'm going to sleep like a log once we're done here."

That was it, as far as Cerberus troops, Liara leading the way to the archives themselves. They were rather impressive and nothing like the 'small cache' we'd always been told. Or maybe they'd continued digging since that first discovery. I didn't know, nor did Liara. But it didn't really matter. What we needed was that data.

Ordering Ashley to sweep the perimeter, I followed Liara to a nearby terminal, hoping she could just download the data. Before she could get started, there was a voice. A voice I remembered rather well. A voice that just annoyed me.

Swinging around, shotgun raised, I knew he wouldn't have been in the archives. It had been months since our last communication. He didn't look any different. Still liked to smoke. I could feel his eyes look me up and down as I stored my shotgun. No point keeping it in hand when he was just a hologram.

"Shepard," the Illusive Man stated.

"Illusive Man," I growled in return, "The fuck are you up to now?"

He gestured with the cigarette in his hand. "Fascinating race, the Protheans. They left all of this for us to discover, yet we've done nothing but squander it. The Alliance has known above the archives for thirty years, and what have they done with it?"

"Cut the sermon and just tell me what you want."

His eyes moved away from me to the archives behind me. "What I've always wanted, Shepard."

"Can you stop talking in code and just speak plainly for once in your life. Remember, I'm no longer working alongside you so don't have to put up with your bullshit."

"The data in these artefacts holds the key to solving the Reaper threat."

"You mean like thinking that saving the Collector base was a good idea?"

"Once again, Shepard, you are proving your lack of critical thinking. Where you consider destruction, I consider control. To control, dominate and harness the Reapers power. Imagine how strong humanity would be if we controlled them."

I couldn't help chuckle at the mere thought. "Fuck me sideways. I always thought you had delusions of grandeur, but you have gone far off the fucking deep end. Control the Reapers? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"I didn't ask you to understand…"

"Look… Tim, yeah, I'm going to call you that from now on… Anyway, there is no way on god's green earth I am going to ever ascertain the thought of you controlling the Reapers. And even if such a thing was possible, I would definitely, categorically, one hundred percent confirm I would not allow that to happen."

"This isn't your fight anymore, Shepard. You can't defeat the Reapers, even with the Prothean data."

There was something in his tone that suggested I was out of the loop. Not surprising, considering I'd been cooped up for six months. I shared a glance with Liara. "I've not even started yet," I stated vehemently.

"Granted, you'd do better than most, Shepard, but this time, the odds just aren't in your favour." He took another drag of his cigarette, and what he said next chilled me to the core. "More importantly, I don't want the Reapers destroyed."

"What?" I asked, completely deadpan.

"We can dominate them, use their power, harness their very essence to bring humanity to the apex of evolution."

"I take back that you've gone off the deep end. You are clinically fucking insane."

"I didn't and don't expect you to understand, Shepard."

I flipped him the bird. "Go fuck yourself, Tim."

He took a final drag of his cigarette. "Don't interfere with my plans, Shepard. I won't warn you again."

Before I could retort, Liara made a strangled cry that caused me to turn around, not noticing the Illusive Man fade away. Stating the data was being deleted, she was busy working away as I took the shotgun from my back and looked around. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving fast. Almost inhumanly fast.

Rifle fire grabbed my attention as Doctor Core sprinted past my eye line. I tried to charge in her direction, but she moved so fast, by the time I arrived in a blink of an eye, she was already passed me and gone.

That set off a chase through the archives and eventually out onto the rooftop, where the storm was now virtually on top of the facility. We had a few minutes at most before leaving would be impossible, and I didn't plan on being stuck on Mars for any longer than we needed. Doing whatever I could, the doctor simply remained out of range, even if I switched between charging and sprinting. Having not used my biotics so often in a long time, exhaustion soon swept over my body.

Ending up on the very top of the facility, I watched helplessly as the doctor boarded a Cerberus shuttle. "Can anybody read me?" I yelled over the comm, "She has the data!"

Over the howling wind, I heard the crunch before turning to see our shuttle slam into the side of the Cerberus shuttle, sending both of them hurtling in my direction. I leapt out of the way, feeling one of the shuttles fly over my head, before there was the sound of a few small explosions and a final crunch. Somehow, Vega managed to survive, hearing him kick open the cockpit door, dragging my sorry arse up as Ashley and Liara appeared.

Ashley immediately moved towards the Cerberus shuttle as I called in Joker to bring in the Normandy. That's when the doctor appeared through the flames, and proved she was anything but human. Definitely an advanced AI, the sort of thing you would have once watched in science fiction films. Ashley immediately went on the offensive, opening fire, which did nothing to what looked like some sort of alloy body.

The AI moved fast, catching Ashley by the helmet and swinging her around. Without hesitation, she slammed her head more than once into the shuttle before flinging Ashley away with ease, watching as her body crumpled to the ground. The AI then thought charging at me was a good idea. I charged back, slamming into it, before unloading a shotgun blast into the centre of its chest.

It joined Ashley on the ground.

Moving to her side, I checked for signs of life. She had a pulse and was breathing, so that was a relief, carefully removing her helmet. She was unconscious and a feel of the back of her head brought my hands back bloody. "Vega, grab whatever the fuck that thing is," I ordered, Joker calling in thirty seconds later, sighing with relief when the Normandy came into view.

Gently picking up Ashley, Liara looked as exhausted as I felt as we made our way to the hangar bay, now hanging open as the ship manoeuvred into position. Stepping on board, I knew the chances of seeing the facility again were practically zero. The Reapers would no doubt arrive and destroy it.

Ordering Joker to take us immediately to the Citadel, I carried Ashley up to the med-bay, Vega alongside, walking through to dump the AI into the core as I placed Ashley down. I couldn't help feel a little guilty, this time Liara placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "She needs a doctor, Shepard."

"Can you help her?"

"I can do the basics, Shepard, but she's got serious cranial trauma." I looked down at my bloodied hands. "Exactly. I can keep her stable until we get to the Citadel."

"Already ordered Joker there."

"Good. Then I'll do what I can here."

"Vega?" I asked.

"Don't worry about me, sir. You do what you need to do."

"Who do we even have on board?" I paused a moment. "Kelly?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Meet me upstairs in my cabin. We need to discuss everything."

"I'll head up now, Shepard."

Once the comm cut, I looked at Liara. "Do what you can for Ashley then make sure you get some rest, or at least a little food and drink. Vega, good bloody job on taking out the shuttle. Crazy, but it worked. Take a load off while we get to the Citadel. I'll worry about organising everything once we hit the Citadel. I don't know about you but I'm worn out."

"Too long sat on your arse… Sir," Vega stated with a smirk.

"Good thing it's like riding a bicycle. Never forget. Okay, I'm going to head upstairs. We'll meet at the airlock when we approach the Citadel."

Heading to the elevator, Kelly must have already been upstairs as she wasn't in it when I boarded. Opening the door to my old cabin, I was surprised to see only a few subtle changes. Kelly was waiting for me, immediately wrapping me in a tight hug. Soon as I wrapped my arms around her, she had a little cry. I didn't blame her. "Was always going to happen, but still…" she murmured.

"I need a shower then a nap. I'm exhausted." I leaned back as she looked up. "I can't think about it all right now, Kelly. There's already so much to do."

She grimaced but nodded in understanding. "Want me to join you?"

"Absolutely."

Peeling off all my armour, I placed it on the desk before taking off the thin shirt and shorts I always wore underneath, then my underwear, padding naked into the shower, Kelly joining me second later, naked as well. She could obviously sense my tiredness as she seemed to just enjoy washing me down, not doing anything other than that, before suggesting I do the same thing to her. When all I did was wash her down, without doing anything overtly sexual, that's when she smiled and simply whispered, "You must be tired, Shepard. This always leads to sex."

"We'll do that after I've slept. Feels like I've been on the go for hours."

"It's early morning, Earth time, Shepard. It's been well over a day so far."

Turning off the shower, I grabbed us both a towel as I checked to see if the fridge had anything. Thankfully, there was water and some nibbles, sitting back on the lounge with Kelly alongside me. "Joker, how long until we're at the Citadel?"

"We're looking at mid-morning, Citadel time, at best, Commander. So around ten hours."

"Okay. I'll be up and about by the time we arrive."

Throwing off my towel, I took Kelly's away too, looking her up and down in all her naked glory. Despite the tiredness, I still felt the familiar stirring in my loins. She just had that effect on me. It simply made her grin as she pressed her body into mine, kissing me softly as I felt her hand grasp my cock. "Want to make love?" she whispered, "Nice way to end the day."

"You always make a good argument, Miss Chambers. But while the body appears willing…"

Her smile broadened. "So you just want snuggles?"

"For now. When we wake up…"

"I'm getting fucked?"

"Spoken so eloquently as always, Kelly."

"I know what I love, Shepard."

So despite the fact I was naked, with a raging erection, and she was naked, and definitely up for it, she spooned her body into mine and seemed to enjoy just snuggling up against me. I was asleep within a couple of minutes, no doubt to her amusement. But it was the first time I'd done anything that strenuous in months. I might have kept myself fit in the gym, but it wasn't battle-fitness. And it wasn't just the physical. Mentally, battle is perhaps even more exhausting, as it wasn't just my life in my hands.

Kelly was already awake as I woke up, and the colour of her cheeks suggested she was being naughty. When she lifted her fingers to my mouth, I could taste her, and figured I might as well help finish her off with my mouth. One orgasm turned into a few as I couldn't get enough of her. While she may have loved that, she wanted my cock even more, and we both made noises of appreciation as I gently slid it inside her, sharing a glance once I was completely buried. "Fuck, that's good," she muttered.

"It hasn't been that long."

"Shepard, we fuck twice a day." I couldn't help chuckle as she wasn't lying. Our sex life was sensational. Again, surprised she wasn't pregnant. "I know things will likely change, but I know we're both going to enjoy this."

She wasn't lying. Despite the situation, during moments like that, it was only about her and I. The feel of her skin in my hands. The warmth of her pussy around my cock. The taste of her lips on mine. The look in her eyes as I picked up the pace, lust, desire, love and need all in a glance. Feeling her body move as I pumped her even faster, her heels ending up resting on parts of my body, urging me on to go harder and faster.

Then I'd grunt and cum inside her, needing to relax as I found myself wrapped in her arms and legs, soft kisses on my cheek or body, whispers of love and affection, which I'd return after I'd spent a couple of minutes just getting my thoughts in order.

Once I rolled onto my back, she simply cuddled into my side for a few minutes. Though I'm sure she would like to ride me, I just appreciated her being next to me as always. "How bad is it going to get?" she asked quietly.

"This is just the start. It's only going to get a hell of a lot worse. We're not prepared. None of us are. It's going to take a miracle."

"I know one man who's capable of performing them."

"Going to be one hell of a Hail Mary attempt this time. Still, long as we win in the end. Almost a case of 'no matter the cost'. But a lot of people are going to die before that." I paused and sighed. "And that's a mood killer."

She gave me a gentle squeeze. "One thing you'll need to do is talk to me, Shepard. If not me, then someone else. Don't bottle it all up. And if you're angry about something, you know I'm always up for a really hard fuck." I met her eyes and couldn't help chuckle. She kissed me before adding, "No promises from either of us. But I'll worry about you all the time regardless."

After another shower, I realised Anderson hadn't exactly got around to emptying the cabin of all my stuff. The fish must have died, as the tank was empty, but nearly everything of mine was still around. The only clothing I did lack were Alliance blues, so I just threw on what I had been wearing when boarding the first time. Kelly also has some blues to wear as well. Before heading downstairs, I asked EDI to request everyone assemble in the mess so I could have a quick chat with them.

Heading down a few minutes later, Kelly holding my hand the entire time, as despite the brave face, I knew she was upset and simply needed my support, I headed out to find a half-empty mess. I knew that would be the case as I stood in front of them. After swapping a salute with them, I simply asked, "Is everyone okay? It's been rather hectic since this morning. You probably feel out of the loop right now. I'll tell you the basics. The Reapers have invaded Earth. We made a brief stop on Mars to acquire data from the archives. We are now heading for the Citadel to petition the Council for assistance. At the moment, I have no further objectives. I'm sure you have a million questions. I only ask that they wait until I have further information myself. Okay?"

A sea of heads nodded in my direction.

"Good. We should be arriving within the next couple of hours. I'll issue orders once we've docked. We obviously don't have a full crew on board, which needs rectifying, and I'm sure we all want more information. Once I have that, we'll debrief in here once again, hopefully with a full complement of crew and an objective on taking the fight to the Reapers."

I saluted, the gesture returned, and the crew was dismissed. I would have made introductions personally, but now wasn't exactly the time, though Kelly helped point out a few people I would like to know later. Vega approached, stating the armoury had been cleaned up but we'd need more supplies if we were going to fight. Liara was next to approach, immediately asking about taking over Miranda's old room. She added briefly the story of what happened to her old ship, and that she kept items in storage on the Citadel in the event of something going wrong. Since Miranda was no longer on board, I agreed to the idea immediately.

Heading up to the CIC, the immediate changes were obvious. My old terminal was still in place, though it looked like it was being used by someone else, sensing a presence next to me. "Um… Samantha uses my old one so… I've been using yours."

"That's fine. I can work upstairs."

"No… I'm sure we can figure something out."

"I might not be on here much longer, sir," the woman standing across from me stated before she approached us, stopping and saluting, "Communications Specialist Samantha Traynor. I was going to wait for introductions later, but since… Well… It's awkward already…"

"What brought you on board?" I wondered.

"The retrofits. Admiral Anderson was refitting the Normandy to be a mobile command centre. You'll see a few of the changes soon enough. Anyway, I have a feeling I'll be moved on soon enough. I've never been on a warship before."

"Shepard?"

"What's up, EDI?"

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

"Got it, EDI. The Specialist will remain on board."

"Thank you, Shepard."

"Hang on, since when does a virtual intelligence make requests?"

I cleared my throat and leaned forward. "EDI isn't a VI, Specialist."

"Oh… Oh…." The instant reddening of the cheeks had Kelly chuckling next to me. "Oh god," she muttered. Then she quickly angered, which was rather cute, to be honest. "I knew it! I knew Joker was lying!"

"There was a good reason, Specialist. We like EDI and wanted to protect her."

"You knew?"

"Sort of. I knew enough. Well, the idea was always to keep EDI safe. But it was out of my hands anyway, once I'd handed the ship over. But Anderson knew as well, and he knew the benefits of keeping EDI as she is."

"Shepard and Jeff thought it was best that pretend to be a VI to protect myself, Specialist Traynor. I apologise for the deception."

"That's okay, EDI. Though I also apologise for all the times I talked about how…" She didn't meet my eyes and blushed even brighter, definitely wanting the ground to just open up and swallow her by now "How attractive your voice was…"

Kelly and I had a good chuckle before I replied. "You're good where you are. Kelly, we'll figure out something." Turning around, I noticed the old armoury had been boarded up. "What's the situation there?" I asked.

"It's now just an empty shell."

"Solution to the problem. Knock down the partition, I'll move a desk in there, few things to make it comfortable, and I can work in there. You're free to stay here, Kelly. I'll leave my door open."

"So you can look at my butt?"

"It's a very distracting, tight little butt, Miss Chambers." I paused before asking, "Are you officially part of the Alliance?"

"Not really. I wear the blues so I fit in."

"Then I might just have to induct you into the Alliance Navy, make you an official yeoman, just like before."

"What about fraternisation?" She paused and chuckled to herself. "Like that's stopped you before."

"Exactly."

Problem solved, it was a case of waiting to arrive on the Citadel. Ashley was brought up on a stretcher as we docked, and thankfully doctors from the hospital were already waiting for us, stating she would be taken to Huerta Memorial. Never been there but I'd heard of its reputation. Though I would have liked to follow her, there was nothing I could do until Liara suggested she would meet the approaching welcoming committee and I should go with Ashley. "You sure?"

"I'm the Shadow Broker," she whispered, "Trust me, I'll talk rings around everyone while we're waiting for you to arrive. Go with Ashley and make sure she's being cared for. I can handle this end."

I headed straight for the hospital, Ashley already taken into surgery, so I sat down and waited by myself until the seat next to me was occupied, glancing to see an old friend sitting beside me. I leaned across and gently kissed her cheek. "Nice to see you, Karin."

"Been a few months, Shepard. How are you?"

"Could be better, could be worse."

"Thought I should pop out and say hello. They're doing all they can for Ashley. She's not in any danger, I know that much." She paused before adding, "The news about Earth…"

"I hated leaving."

"But now you're in the fight again. That's important. What brings you to the Citadel? Will you petition the Council for assistance?"

"Yep, and no doubt they'll stonewall me completely." I sighed and leaned back. "I'm mostly wondering what I'm going to do. Anderson suggested getting help from the Council, but if they don't… What then?"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"Want to join us on the Normandy? Or are you doing important work here?"

"I'll pack my things and head home immediately, Shepard. I'm not missing out on another adventure, no matter the dangers." She paused before adding, "Chloe is here too."

"Has she heard from Garrus lately?"

"I know they talk as often as possible. I've heard rumours the Reapers have headed towards Palaven though."

I let that news sink in. "Makes sense. Turian is the largest military threat. And I think the Reapers have taken all my attempts to stop them rather personally." I patted her thigh before standing up. "I'll go speak to one of the doctors then head off to see the Council. See you back on the ship?"

"Of course, Shepard. Is Kelly on board?"

"Aye."

"Back in your cabin?"

"Christened it again already."

That made her chuckle as she kissed my cheek and wandered off in the opposite direction. The head doctor treating Ashley couldn't tell me too much. Swelling of the brain. Still unconscious. Would be kept medicated until the swelling eased and a further assessment could be made, but other than the cranial injuries, she was otherwise uninjured. But anything to do with the brain was treated with caution.

Heading off to see the Council, I was already in a bad mood and knew the meeting coming up was only bound to make it worse. As I walked in, Liara was explaining the plans of what we'd found on Mars. It was some sort of wonder weapon that we didn't understand, but there was belief it was a possible way of stopping the Reapers. It already sounded like some sort of 'Hail Mary' weapon, but to defeat the Reapers, I didn't think we'd beat them by conventional means. I wondered why we didn't just try and nuke the fuckers but that would end up destroying Earth anyway.

Once Liara was done, I gripped the railing and leaned forward. "Earth needs your help. Anything you can provide to help take the fight to the Reapers."

That's when Sparatus confirmed that the Reapers had also arrived around Palaven. And I knew, for that reason alone, the turians wouldn't be able to assist. The salarian councillor was typically useless but when Tevos stabbed me in the back, I was ready to take the pistol from my hip and just start shooting. Through it all, Udina didn't say a word. Tevos ended by saying that Earth would basically be a sacrificial lamb as the other species could rally forces and prepare to counter-attack.

I swallowed down a number of scathing retorts. Instead, I turned on Udina. "Have you lost your voice all of a sudden, you spineless prick?"

"Watch your tone, Commander."

I flipped him the bird. "So much for being the fucking fourth councillor. Where are you balls, man? Do you even care about Earth? The other species have just stated that we are to be sacrificed but you don't make a peep."

"I already have plans in motion, Shepard. If you would give me a minute to explain them, you might not feel the need to bite my head off."

I groaned. "Fuck me gently, you're our beacon of hope now? I'd rather just head off now, fight who I can and see what happens."

"You're free to do what you want, Shepard. But if you come at least see me in my office, I might at least present avenues that would make gathering assistance for Earth easier."

"Shepard, maybe you should listen to him," Liara whispered, "I know you're angry but no point making him an enemy right now. Right?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine," I finally stated, looking in his direction, "Give me a few minutes to cool off. I'll come see you later."

"Very well."

He disappeared through a side door as I leaned forward, grabbed the railing, gripped it as tightly as possible. Then I yelled loudly, enough that it echoed around the chamber. Once I stopped, the echo continued for a few more seconds before there was near silence, only my heavy breathing. I turned to Liara and asked, "What are the chances of that weapon working?"

"It will depend on Hackett and his people. But I have hope, Shepard. If we don't have hope, we've already lost."