Book 2, Chapter 16 - It's a Trap!

Placing the mug of coffee by her terminal, I stood just close enough she could almost feel me press against her as I breathed into her ear, "Coffee for you, Miss Chambers."

She turned slightly, her eyes moving to me as she smiled. "Why thank you, Shepard," she replied in a seductive tone. Putting it on, of course, but it was enough for me.

I kissed her cheek before moving down to her neck. She moaned quietly as she ran a hand back up and through my hair. I looked up and the crew were focused on their monitors. Many wore headphones to help concentrate. And if anyone did look, they'd be no longer surprised. They all knew I was with Kelly and we no longer had a problem being open with our affection.

Running a hand down her body, I slid under the band of her trousers, pleased to see she wasn't wearing underwear. She liked to do that more often, as we often liked to tease each other during the day, simply to make life more fun as it could be rather dull while waiting around for missions. She kept the hair around her pussy trimmed in parts, shaved otherwise. She knew I liked a little hair, just enough to run my fingers across. She moaned quietly again, pressing back into me. "Shepard," she breathed.

"You're beautiful," I whispered into her ear.

"Bet you say that to all your girls."

"Only those that I love."

She turned around and kissed me for that one, gently pressing her back against her workstation, my hand still down her pants. I kept our bodies close so you'd have to walk around the galaxy map to see what we were doing. She simply gazed into my eyes, feeling her legs part slightly, as I slid a couple of fingers into her. She relented easily, opening the button of her trousers and lowering the fly so I could do it easier.

"So naughty," she whispered.

I kissed her hard though my fingers remained gentle inside her. This was only teasing, though if I could make her cum, even better. I did raise my fingers, ready to suck on them, when I offered them to her instead. When she sucked on them and moaned a little louder, I think my cock got even harder. She then helped guide them back to her pussy. Leaning forward, she asked, "Think I haven't done that before?"

"Oh, I'm sure you have but…"

Moving in closer to kiss her, she moaned into my mouth again. I'm sure we were now being observed, but by now, neither of us would have cared. We could have fucked in the CIC and wouldn't have cared. People would probably watch for a little while then just go about their day. They knew we flirted and fooled around all the time. To be honest, probably one of the few good reasons to be on a Cerberus vessel. Never would have got away with this sort of behaviour on an Alliance ship.

Hearing the cleared throat behind me did bring my fingers to a momentary halt. I glanced back to see Miranda. Now, Miranda when this all started would have stood there with arms folded, scowl on her face. Miranda when we were friends would have probably been a little embarrassed. The Miranda we knew now looked like she'd been watching for at least a couple of minutes. "I don't mean to interrupt but…"

"No, it's fine. I think we might have ended up getting carried away," I admitted.

"Shepard, I was on the verge of just dropping my trousers and pushing you down onto your knees so you'd finish me off."

Miranda laughed. "I can come back in ten minutes."

"No, it's best you taken him, Miranda. I'll see if I can concentrate on work." She did up her trousers before she gave me a soft kiss. "We'll carry all that on tonight," she whispered.

"Definitely." I joined Miranda by the elevator and has to ask, "How long were you watching?"

"Long enough to see her suck your fingers, Shepard. Long enough to know for a fact you two were going to end up fucking in the CIC. It's going to happen eventually. You two can't keep your hands off each other. It's… It's nice to see, Shepard. Even I can admit that. Hell, I sometimes feel guilty for getting intimate with you too."

Stepping out of the elevator, I said, "I used to as well, but Kelly and I have discussed it enough. We're now in a great place. Anyway, you obviously wanted me for something?"

"The Illusive Man sent me a message. He'd like you to contact him shortly."

Walking into her office, I sat at her desk, Miranda taking her usual position. "Hope it's good news about a next step. We're managing to keep ourselves busy but the whole point to this is about the Collectors, yet we've barely heard anything since Horizon."

"Nothing from the Alliance?" she asked.

"I'm receiving updates about colonies that are being attacked. They're trying to track Collector movements, but honestly, they appear pretty clueless. I think they want to help but don't want to send anything through Cerberus channels, not knowing where the information will go."

"I'll see if he's ready to talk yet." She keyed a few commands and I waited patiently. She eventually received a message back. "He's on a conference call at the moment. He'll message when he's finished."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

I think the question surprised her. I wasn't worried, it was just a casual question. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"An innocent question, Miranda. That's all."

She leaned forward. I noticed her buttons were loosened lower than normal, getting an excellent view of her cleavage. No doubt done on purpose and probably for my benefit. "I did enjoy what we all did the other night, Shepard."

"Figured you did. Haven't seen you act like that before."

"In a room full of women, it was… freeing to wander around naked and not feel like a piece of meat. I was so exposed at times but always felt comfortable. I always do with you anyway. And Kelly is certainly talented. You're a very lucky man, Shepard."

"I know."

"She's already sent a message around, asking when we'd like to do it again. I have a feeling some girls would like that to happen constantly from now on. I think it would wear you out."

"More than likely. It was great fun but I do prefer the more intimate setting with just one, maybe two girls at most. But on certain occasions, it's nice getting carried away and just going with it."

"What will you do when this is over?"

"You mean with Kelly? Or with Kelly and everyone else?"

"Well, with Kelly first?"

"Find a way we can remain together. I'm not sure how yet, but I'll figure it out. Regarding the rest of you, I really don't know. I mean, I desperately want Gianna with me, but she's on Illium, I'm here, and the chances of us seeing each other isn't great because I'm only going to rarely be near there. Same for Shiala. I haven't even been to Feros yet. The only chance I will get to see her is on Illium, with Liara, but being alone is difficult because Liara wants to be involved, because Shiala and Liara are involved."

"Bloody hell, that does sound awkward."

"Yeah, but Liara admitted that, if I offered, Shiala would leave her in an instant. I felt sorry for her in that moment, though she appreciated Shiala was only being honest."

"We tried to recruit her," Miranda confessed, "Shiala, I mean. No Alliance affiliation made her rather ideal, to be honest. We sent a couple of our recruiters to speak with her. Suffice to say, she thought we were talking bullshit. She'd dealt with the idea and all the grief that you were gone. She thought it was nothing but a cruel joke. And the fact they were from Cerberus? I think the entire colony wanted to kill them, so they left quickly after that."

"I didn't know."

"Shiala probably didn't want to say anything because it would have been awkward. I mean, how was it with Liara?"

"She told me the truth about everything nearly straight away. I was blown away, to be honest. I did ask if she did it because she loved me or for some other reason. Though it was partly about love, it was more about who I was, or at least what I represented, and also my knowledge of the Reapers. I mean, at least she never gave up on me."

"Neither did we," Miranda added, "Nor did I."

"I know, Miranda," I said softly.

Her terminal beeped, signalling a message had arrived. She read it quickly and suggested I head to the conference room. Once I was standing in my usual spot, the room darkened and the Illusive Man appeared in front of me yet again. Last time we'd spoke, he hadn't managed to get a word in as I ranted, raved and threatened retribution about Jack. He'd barely communicated since, perhaps giving me time to calm down.

Smoking a cigarette, drink in hand, he walked towards me. "Shepard, we caught a break. I intercepted a distress call from a turian patrol. They stumbled on to a Collector ship beyond the Korlus system. The turians were wiped out, but not before they crippled the Collector vessel." I thought it sounded rather convenient, but it was also a breakthrough, a chance to perhaps get on the front foot. "I need you to board that ship and get some hard data on the Collectors. Find us a way to get to their homeworld."

"How the hell did a turian ship manage to disable a Collector vessel? I've seen one in person. They are not easy to take out."

"Reports indicate the hull's intact, but all systems seem to be offline. They could be making repairs as we speak. I'm not saying it won't be dangerous, but we can't let an opportunity like this slip by."

"What about turian involvement? I don't want to trip over them while we're at work. I doubt they'll take kindly to our presence."

"I intercepted the transmissions. They'll find out eventually, though long after you've been and gone. In the meantime, we're feeding them false reports. You're close enough that you can be in and out before the turians learn the truth."

"Okay, time we got on the front foot. Send the details and I'll have the Normandy head there immediately."

"Shepard, one thing. Once you're aboard the ship, establish an uplink with EDI. She'll mine their data for information regarding the Omega Four relay."

"I'll have our experts look into them on the Normandy as well."

"I'd expected nothing less. Good luck, Shepard. This is the break we've been waiting for."

I headed straight to my terminal to see a message from the Illusive Man. I transferred the details directly to the galaxy map. I could sense Kelly watching me as I checked our own position in relation to the Korlus system. What was a turian patrol doing there? A lot of what I was told didn't make sense, but I'd worry about that later. For now, all that mattered was the fact we had a golden opportunity to learn more about our enemy.

"Joker, sending you details now. Korlus system. Get us there pronto. Whatever you can do to get us there yesterday, if possible."

"Well, they still haven't discovered time travel, Commander, but I'll get us there as quickly as possible. I'll update you on our progress once we're on route."

"As ever, that is all I ask, Joker."

Back at my terminal, I sent the message I'd received to the entire ship with my own personal message of what I expected from the crew going forward. For the moment, we would effectively become a military vessel, as the ship might appear to be disabled, but with each passing minute, I simply didn't believe a turian patrol could just disable one of their ships in such a manner. It smelled like a trap, and I didn't know if it was the Collectors or the Illusive Man leading us into it.

Miranda appeared a few minutes later, noticing my change in demeanour. "I want all stations monitored twenty-four seven, Miranda. I want constant updates on how the ship is performing. Until we are finished on the Collector vessel, we are at Defcon Three. Before you ask, we've barely been at Defcon Four since Horizon. It's been that quiet regarding the Collectors."

"I'll make sure you are kept full informed regarding ship and crew performance, Shepard."

"Thank you."

I fired off messages to Jacob in the armoury, ensuring all weapons and armour was prepared, to Garrus, asking that he have the front batteries ready to fire at a moment's notice, to Tali in engineering, asking that the engine be ready to extract performance at the drop of a hat, to Chakwas to be ready for any injuries. Joker reported in half an hour later. Even by pushing the Normandy to its limit, it was still going to be two days. There was nothing I could do to change that, so I asked he just try and chip off as many minutes as possible. The Normandy was a new ship. It could be pushed if necessary.

Kelly noticed I was pumped up and ready for action that night. She was rather excited by it and she definitely leapt on me once we headed upstairs after dinner. I met her expectations as, after an hour and more of lovemaking, she needed to roll off me and recover her breath, giggling away as her legs were still shaking. "My god, give you a sniff of battle, Shepard…"

"Just finishing what we started earlier…" Rolling onto my side, I just gazed up and down her body, and her face lit up as I just drank her in. Running my hand down her chest, over her stomach, my hand returned to her pussy. She almost wanted to stop me, but once I touched her again, she moaned and dragged my head down to kiss her.

"God, I still want more," she whispered, "Do you?"

"Of you, Miss Chambers? Always."

We lasted another hour at least before I was left thinking that we had to cry enough. Kelly was starting to feel rather tender between her legs. Even though we stopped actual intercourse for the moment, she still wanted my touch, making out with my hand still between her legs, her hot breath in my ear as I got her off again. We'd lost track of how often she'd cum by now. She gently bit into my shoulder as she cried out, feeling her squeeze my fingers. "Oh god," she cried out. She was now drenched in sweat like I was. We were both exhausted, but our passion for the other was almost insatiable. I just felt… alive. If I couldn't fight, I just wanted her. She held onto my shoulders, her legs still spread, blowing her hair off her forehead her eyes watching mine.

"Another one?" I asked.

"Don't stop," she begged before she kissed me hard. To my own surprise, I was rock hard again, and she pulled me on top of her, grabbing my cock and almost forcing it inside her. We just fucked after that, Kelly lifting her legs back, holding her shins, legs wide, as I pounded her. "Oh god, fuck me, Shepard," she cried.

All I did was grunt, even growl, desperate to please her but I also wanted to cum one final time. It verged on animalistic at times, both of us desperate to get off with the other. I'd lean down to kiss her, barely slowing my tempo as she let go of her legs, glancing to see she'd spread them as wide as possible. "Deeper!" she moaned. So I changed the angle slightly and she moaned loudly for that.

I lasted quite a while before I felt the urge. By then, Kelly had turned onto her front, resting my chest gently against her back, one hand holding hers, the other wrapped around her body. She leaned back so we could kiss a little but mostly so I could whisper things into her ear. When I did finally finish, I buried myself again and again, and all she did was smile and laugh at the sensation, almost delirious as we collapsed onto the bed together. I immediately rolled off her, onto my back, as she laid on her front.

"Holy shit," I exclaimed.

The only sound in the cabin for at least five minutes was our breathing. Glancing across, her skin was shining in the light, and I realised we both really needed a shower. I could barely stand up, but she could barely move. Gently moving her over, I picked her up, which earned me another kiss, carrying her to the shower, holding her against me as she could barely stand up. When I'd washed us both, we stood under the water, enjoying the heat. "I love you so much," she whispered.

I felt exactly the same way about her and let her know. Once we'd dried off, I carried her back to bed. Our appetites now sated, she curled up against me, now just wanting me to hold her in my arms. Making sure we were warm under the blankets, I gave her a final kiss and she was asleep within a minute. It was rather cute.

The next morning, I was up early, letting her sleep as she was still out cold while I showered and dressed. Only when I was putting on my shoes did I feel her sit behind me on the bed, looping her arms around me, nuzzling into my neck. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Sore, Shepard. Very sore. But I feel… wonderful as well."

"Good. I'm going to head downstairs, do a bit of gym work, then grab some breakfast. Take your time today as from tomorrow it's going to be all hands on deck."

Though it was a transit day, the ship was a hive of activity all day. The only two people who knew of my own misgivings about this operation were Miranda and Kelly. With everyone else, I exuded my usual confidence that we were finally on the front foot against the Collectors and we might finally strike a hammer blow against them. Kelly believed me completely about it all being a trap. The closer she was to me, the more she doubted everything else about the organisation. Miranda still wanted to believe in the cause but I could see she was also starting to doubt. In regards to the Collector ship, she knew it was a trap, but couldn't be sure if it was by the Collectors or the Illusive Man. She thought the worst thought was that it was both of them, working in conjunction without realising it.

I spoke with every member of my ground crew, notifying them that they would be joining. I didn't see the point in leaving anyone back on the ship. If I had the numbers, and the talent they all had, then I was going to use them. The only person I might be tempted would be Miranda, simply because she could run the ship while I was gone. But Miranda had talent to burn, so it would be left to Joker to keep the ship safe while the rest of us left.

Speaking with Joker before dinner, he showed me our location compared to our destination. "Tomorrow morning, Commander. Maybe 0700 ship time. Early night tonight and breakfast tomorrow is probably on the cards."

"Noted. The ship will be in your capable hands while we're gone, Joker."

"Chances of it all going tits up?"

"Let's just play it by ear. Get on the ship, grab what we need, and get off."

Dinner was a little quieter than normal later that evening. Despite projecting confidence, everyone knew what was at stake. The Normandy was puny compared to a Collector ship. Those of us who had seen it on Horizon still wondered how a turian patrol had disabled it. That was the one thing that suggested I wasn't being told the whole truth. But the simple fact was that we had to board the vessel to investigate and find out what the Collectors were intending with all the humans they'd taken.

Kelly tried to remain calm in the face of what was going on, but by the time we went to bed that evening, she simply needed to be held tightly against me as we talked quietly in the darkness. So I told her about my victories, particularly those against Saren and his minions. I'd taken down the Thorian. I'd defeated Benezia, converting her to an ally. I'd blown up Virmire, though had sacrificed to achieve it. I'd taken down both Saren and Sovereign. And I added my victories since waking up. The Collectors didn't scare me in the end. I knew we would win.

I liked to think I made her feel better before she drifted off to sleep.

EDI woke me the next morning, letting me know the Normandy was approaching the final jump. Kelly woke up with me, heading straight to the shower before we dressed. Just before we walked out of the cabin, I held her close, kissing her, and assured her I would be absolutely fine. "I always worry about you, Shepard. But it feels different this time," she said, resting her head against my chest.

"I know. But I had to be honest with you."

"I know. And I'm glad you were. But knowing it could all go wrong, despite the precautions and the fact I know how good you are at your job…"

Heading downstairs, everyone was up and already eating. I was just about to clear my tray when Joker announced we were within sight of the ship. Without a word, everyone started to get ready as I headed upstairs to grab my armour and weapons. Still found that annoying, and I was also considering taking the ship once I ended my time with Cerberus. The first thing I would do was move the armoury to where it should be.

Boarding the shuttle, I closed the door and remained standing as always as I felt the thrusters kick in, watching one of the vidscreens. I looked around, meeting the faces of each member of my team. They were determined and confident. They were smart. They probably knew it was a trap like I did, but if we all thought that, then was a chance we'd get away. The shuttle ride didn't take long, EDI taking readings of the ship, letting us know that it was as the Illusive Man had told us. All systems offline. No signs of life on board the vessel. So the shuttle pilot headed for an entrance point.

Touching down, I opened the door, took the shotgun from my back, made sure my helmet was secured, then move on. The entire team filtered out behind me, taking positions as we started to wander in. The design was like nothing I'd ever seen, completely alien to all of us. And certainly nothing like the geth.

"Shepard, I have some information you may be interested in."

"I'm all ears, EDI. What have you got?"

"I believe the current ship you are on is the same vessel you encountered on Horizon."

"While interesting, I don't believe the shots we fired at it could have disabled it to such an extent. And I doubt it was left as sitting duck to be taken out by this phantom turian patrol."

Board any Alliance, turian or asari craft, and most corridors are straight up and down the ship, port to starboard across. The Collector vessel was nothing like that whatsoever, further evidence it was an elaborate trap. I tried not to tense up, keeping my finger off the trigger off my shotgun, trying to walk as casually as possible. But I could sense the tension from the others at the same time, no doubt all of them thinking like me.

What I didn't expect to find first was a pile of bodies. Clearly colonists. Whether they were from Horizon or elsewhere, we simply didn't know. They'd been dead for some time, left almost as if to mock us. We didn't approach too close as there was no chance any of them lived, blank lifeless eyes staring up at us. Add that to the empty pods around us, and I could only wonder what the intention of the Collectors was. Were they performing experiments? Had these humans not been suitable? Or had they experimented and they were rejected? Too many questions, no answers at all.

And where the hell were the Collectors? Did they abandon ship? I found that doubtful. There were few suggestions on the surface of the ship that it had been fired on.

It was difficult not to be disheartened by the rows of empty pods and the piles of bodies we found. All it did was fuel my fury, though. I let myself get angry, they tempered it to ensure I wouldn't make a mistake. But the Collectors were no doubt leaving the piles as an example, proving they were better, more powerful, smarter. But they were also agents of the Reapers. Nothing but minions taking orders from dark space. And I'd already killed one Reaper and their agent in Saren. If I had to kill every single Collector so be it.

We must have been walking for a good hour before we found something that did leave us scratching our heads. Pods that were not empty, but not filled with the body of a human, but by the body of a Collector. Mordin stepped forward and checked before suggesting EDI also perform a diagnosis. Waiting for the AI to figure it out, I noticed others take watch, making sure we were not taken out bya surprise attack.

"Shepard?"

"Report, EDI."

"The Collectors were comparing genetic data between their species and humanity."

"Why the hell are they doing that? For what purpose?"

"I cannot speculate regarding Collector intentions. However, my analysis has revealed something… remarkable."

"Baited breath is being held here, EDI."

"From the Collector nearby, I have found a genetic strand of which only one race is known to have contained this structure. The Protheans."

"Fucking hell?" I paused before adding, "Liara would be rather disappointed to hear considering her decades of research. Turned into nothing but mindless husks."

"Their genetic structure has been changed considerably. Analysis would suggest this would have been carried out by the Reapers to make them more amenable to their desires. The Collector you currently see in front of you would no longer be considered Prothean."

"So they're like the husks that were once human?"

"Correct. The Reapers no doubt perform changes at the base level of DNA, changing organics to suit their desires."

We moved on. Having spent a lot of time talking to Liara about the Protheans, to hear that this was their fate was somewhat saddening. They'd fought the Reapers for what had been centuries. They'd lost, of course, but they'd gone down swinging until the last man. It seemed this may have been the Reapers revenge for the blood spilled in a galaxy defining war.

More pods contained bodies, these no being humans. Mordin ran his omni-tool over a few, but there was no sign of life. We didn't even both asking EDI to check as it would have been a waste of time. EDI did suggest that, when the power was switched off, life support systems would have switched off as well. Either way, it was a horrible way to die. But it was the next revelation from Joker did bring all of us to a halt.

"Commander, I do believe this vessel is the same one that was the responsible for the destruction of the Normandy."

"Okay, they're making this rather personal now. Are you sure, Joker?"

"I asked EDI to double check. But EMI signatures match exactly. Trust me, I have that ingrained on my memory. The ship you're on… killed you two years ago and blew up my ship."

"Fuck!" Jack exclaimed. She wasn't the only one to voice surprise at such a revelation. None of us on the old Normandy had got a look at the ship that had fired upon us. By the time the ship exploded, the Collector vessel had disappeared. But now it all seemed to make sense. The Reapers must have sent them out hunting for me as soon as Sovereign failed.

"I bet the Illusive Man damned well knows too," I growled, "That fucker. He knows, and why we are here is now starting to make sense." I glanced at Miranda. She met my eyes and nodded, no doubt believing my words completely.

"Watch your back, Commander. Nothing about this is right."

Continuing on, we eventually entered what seemed to be the heart of the ship. It was an enormous cabin, empty pods rising to the roof high above us. There must have been millions of them. More than enough to… I came to a stop again, Thane almost bumping into me, as we all looked up. It was easy what their plan is. They were going to hit Earth. There were billions there. There were at least another billion or so living around the colony worlds.

"We're being harvested," I muttered, "We're the target. Humanity stopped the Reapers in their tracks. And this is proof they have taken it personally. A human stopped them, so they're sending their agents to target humanity first. Take us out of the equation, then focus on the Reapers finding a back door into the galaxy."

EDI directed us to a central node where she believed we could link the Normandy and gain what we needed. Tali and Miranda, being the main tech wizards, got to work establishing a link. Knowing our luck, we'd end up opening a portal to dark space, the Reapers flooding through to start what they might have done over two years ago. Once the link was established, all they could do was wait. Most of the crew spread out, standing guard, watching for anything. The tension was thick. The silence was deafening. And I just kept thinking it was a trap.

When the ship shuddered, I wasn't the only one to curse as I was nearly knocked onto my arse. "What the fuck was that?" I shouted.

"Major power surge, Commander," Joker reported, "Everything went dark but… Yeah, we're all good now."

"Is EDI okay?"

"As I assured you, Shepard, all precautions were taken once the link was established. I diverted the majority of the overload to non-critical systems."

"Status report?"

"The Normandy is fine, Commander. But… You're not going to like this," Joker replied.

EDI was silent for a moment. "Shepard, it was not a malfunction. It was a trap."

All she did was confirm what we already knew, but it was still a kick in the guts. Not to me, I'd expected it. Miranda was definitely not happy. Jack had a few choice words and ideas in regards to the Illusive Man. Garrus complained about a guy just trying to catch a break.

The ship shuddered again, and I knew it was coming alive. EDI was still linked, reporting she was trying to fight off the Collectors, so for the moment, we were on our own. We couldn't head back the way we'd come when Collectors appeared. The only way out was to head the other way and hope for the best.

"Kill anything that's not us," I ordered, and we got to work. I charged immediately for the nearest Collector. Grunt was soon blasting away. Those with biotic talents linked up. Tali had her shotgun out as well, though had to be more circumspect than myself. Kasumi and Thane were fast and nearly invisible at times. Zaeed and Garrus had rifles out, firing in short bursts.

The Collectors had come prepared this time. Many of them had biotic barriers we had to take down first. They sent their bigger colleagues, particularly those big one's we'd agreed on calling a Scion. They were bastards to take down, requiring numerous biotic attacks before we could fill it with bullets. As for myself, I charged, fired, charged, fired, until I simply had to stop and take a breather. Miranda called over the comm, telling me to cool down every so often, otherwise I would drop dead from overworking myself. Whether that was actually true or not, I'm not sure. I think she was just saying to be sensible.

When the glowing Collector arrived, I was now of the belief that it had to be the voice of the Reapers themselves. No idea which one, or if they had names like Sovereign did, but as the Collectors were minions, likely with little functional brain capacity, I had a feeling the Reapers were more than capable of using them to communicate.

We found ourselves bogged down more than once, despite our numbers. They were almost like geth. The more of them around, the smarter they were. Wipe a few of them out, and they become desperate. It was hard work, and after needing to take a break a second time, I stored my shotgun and took out my rifle, linking up with Zaeed and Garrus, the three of us covering each other, waiting for the biotics to lift and pull Collectors out of cover.

As we fought, EDI reported that she'd managed to fight off the Collectors and that she now had full control of the Normandy. While that was good news, we were still stuck on the Collector ship. But that meant she had what we needed, and report something else we already knew.

"Shepard, the turian distress call was faked. The Collectors were the source of the distress call."

"Tell me something I don't know, EDI."

I think she took that literally. "Turians use a unique encryption code in any of their messages. This code is corrupted. Therefore, the Illusive Man would have known this distress call was not genuine."

I looked at Miranda again. Her face told me everything. She was feeling betrayed herself. "Are you sure, EDI?" she asked for clarification.

"The anomalies are in the very codes he wrote, Miranda."

Before we could discuss anything else, nor think about our next plan to move, Joker's rather worried voice then came over the comm. "Uh, Commander. We've got a little problem here."

"I'm guessing not good news, Joker," I couldn't help mutter.

"The ship… It's… uh, powering up!"

"Oh, well, isn't that delightful. Okay team, saddle up. Things are about to get spicy. EDI, have the shuttle meet at a possible extraction zone. You will need to direct us as the Collectors are here in force."

I have no idea how long we fought from the central chamber to the extraction zone. It must have been hours. By the time we made it to the waiting shuttle, we were all exhausted. The only people without wounds were Jack, Tali and Samara. We'd killed an endless number of Collectors and their monsters. Even husks were sent towards us, so that told us that some of the colonists had been taken for a specific reason, another sign, if any was needed, of Reaper influence.

Most of us fought with anger in our blood, furious at the deception that had taken place. I'd been aware, of course, and I guess I could also be partially to blame. Miranda had been aware of my thoughts, of course, but I'm sure, somewhere deep down, she had hoped I was wrong, and that we were not as expendable as it now seemed. I simply didn't understand. The Illusive Man knew the Collectors were a threat yet sent us into a trap? If we were wiped out, what was his grand plan then? I could see the reason for getting the information, but I believed, with a little more thought, there would have been a better way.

There was more than once occasion where we really should have lost someone. We passed through what looked like a killing field, and it was here that the Collectors poured everything against us. I had my shotgun out against by now, zipping around the battlefield when I could. Jack and Miranda were exhausting themselves at the attacks they were firing. Even Samara, as strong and as experienced as she was, felt the strain. Zaeed was now firing with one arm, taking a bullet in his left shoulder, medi-gel applied but he needed a doctor. Garrus took a bullet in the leg, and while he could fire while crouching, Thane helped him walk on. Miranda bled from a wound on her face, joking she'd now have a killer scar. Grunt simply ended up covered in blood, some of his, mostly Collector, but he looked horrifying when he grinned, blood on his face with his white teeth.

The last few minutes before we made it to the shuttle were the craziest of all. EDI was opening and closing a series of doors to lead us in the right direction. Collectors flooded in the opposite direction to stop us. By now, there was little cover, so we simply fired each other as we moved forward. Some of the fighting even turned into hand to hand. I almost felt like suggesting that we should just fix bayonets, not that we had any, and just stab the fuckers.

Making it to the extraction zone, we could see the shuttle approaching in the distance. I ordered the injured to the back, managed to find partial cover, and opened fire on the approaching Collectors. "Jack, Garrus, Grunt, with me. The rest of you, take cover, and wait for extraction."

Jack flung biotics against the flood. Grunt wanted to charge but I ordered him to hold and blast away. Garrus had the scope to his eye, methodical as always. The bodies piled up. I was reminded of zombie movies, where they would just keep coming, no matter what you threw at them.

"Shuttle's here!" Miranda called.

"Grunt, go! Your shotgun is ineffective at range." I waited until he stepped onto the shuttle. "Jack, you next. Get your arse moving!" No argument for once, she simply back away, still flinging warps. I waited until I ordered Garrus back too. "I'll come after five seconds. Go."

Once I knew he was moving, I moved out of cover, short bursts at any Collector that came into my sights. Just before I stepped onto the shuttle, I summoned every little bit of knowhow and flung a shockwave towards them, the sort Jack would have been proud of. That gave me time to step onto the shuttle, feeling it begin to take off as I was shutting the door.

"You guys had better haul ass. You have thirty seconds until those assholes have that ship up and running. And I am not losing this fucking ship!" Joker shouted over the comm.

"Joker, as soon as we touch down, you get the Normandy moving. I don't give a fuck where we end up!"

Striding forward, I could see the Normandy in the distance, the hangar bay door already open, ready to accept us. I ordered the shuttle pilot to simply dump the shuttle on deck, we'd worry about moving in later. It seemed to take forever, Joker counting down over the comm how long until the Collector ship was powered up. As soon as it was, I had no doubt it would cut through our ship like tissue paper.

As soon as the shuttle crunched down, I yelled at Joker to get us the fuck out of there.

"Get us the fuck out of here, EDI. I don't give a shit where. Batarian space for all I care!"

"Very well, Mr. Moreau. Engaging mass effect core."

Though the Normandy took off, it wouldn't knock anyone on their arse within the ship. You'd feel the acceleration but, unlike the old Normandy, you didn't always need to hold onto something. Acceleration, deceleration and turning were all far smoother, despite the fact the new ship was considerably larger.

We all headed straight to the mess, a line forming outside the med-bay. Those who had been shot were seen to first, Chakwas going so far as to recruit Miranda to help her. There were no life threatening injuries, but best to get my people treated as quickly as possible. I grabbed a drink from the fridge and sat down, relieved that we'd all survived, utterly pissed off at the revelations learned during the mission.

Kelly appeared and practically jumped on my lap, admitting she'd listened from the moment I'd left on the shuttle. I certainly didn't mind, and enjoyed the affection as she sat on my lap. Slowly but surely, I was joined by the others, sitting quietly with our thoughts as we drank water, energy drinks and munched on energy bars. Those of us with biotics would spend the rest of the day refuelling. I packed away many more calories than before yet hadn't put in a gram of fat, only muscle from the work I did in the gym.

"Miranda, can you send a message to the Illusive Man please?"

"You want to talk to him."

It wasn't a question but a statement of fact. She stood up and strode to her office. Everyone could see she was as unhappy as I was. No-one was happy about what we'd learned, about what was happening to humans, but also about the fact the Illusive Man willingly sent us into a trap. Miranda walked out and told me he would be connecting within a couple of minutes. I ordered everyone to stay put, but when she followed me, I couldn't say no. I don't know if she was going to say anything or simply observe.

The rest of the crew in the CIC was happy to see me at least, which is always nice, though I set my face to 'furious' when standing in my usual place, waiting for the Illusive Man to connect. When he appeared, he knew he had to get the first word in, lest I really let rip again. "Looks like EDI extracted some interesting data before the Collector ship came back online."

"Do you really think I'm completely thick or something? I didn't get to where I am by being stupid. I knew during our original conversation that something didn't sit right. Turian patrol disabling a Collector ship? No, it didn't sit right at all. But I went along with it, because it was a golden chance. But EDI told us everything we needed to know. I knew you'd stick the knife in eventually."

He simply took a drag on his cigarette, glaring at me before replying. "We're a war, Shepard."

"Don't even think about starting to preach with me. War is all I've known since before I even joined the Alliance."

"While that might be so, the Collectors are taking humans, and every minute we waste is one more we give the enemy to prepare."

"You think I'd don't know that? I've fought a Reaper, faced it down, and I defeated it. I know what's at stake and I know what the cost might be. But that is my decision. I am the one who chooses to put my team in harm's way, not you. Your only use to me is information, and if I can't trust the information you're giving me, then what's the fucking point of all this?"

He paused for a moment, actually considering his words. A first. "Without the information you retrieved, Shepard, we don't reach the Collector homeworld. And you and every other human may as well be dead. Yes, it was a trap…" Oh, I was about to unleash both barrels, but he held up his hand. "Let me finish. Yes, it was a trap, but I was confident in your abilities, and those of your team, considering I was the one who gave you the dossiers. And in all this, don't forget EDI. The Collector's couldn't have anticipated her."

I couldn't help sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. It was just endless bullshit, but I knew I couldn't do this alone. But I also couldn't trust him. Rock, meet hard place. "Look, I see some sense in that, but if you would actually just level with me, there is always another way to do thing. You lying to me isn't going to make this a harmonious relationship. You spend billions bringing me back, give me everything I could hope for when it comes to achieving victory, yet you send me into a trap, almost as if you want me killed."

"Fair point, Shepard. So I'll level with you now. I needed the Collectors to believe they had the upper hand. Telling you could have tipped them off in any number of ways. Besides, I wouldn't have sent you in if I didn't think you could succeed." I'll admit, there was the foundation of a solid argument. Many soldiers were sent in to fight without knowing the facts. But I was in command of the mission, and since he was my direct superior, so to speak, I should at least be privy to most details. He added, "Shepard, you know as we as I do that these are sometimes the decisions that need to be made. And, more importantly for all of us, it paid off."

"Okay, let's move on. What did EDI find for us?"

"The Reaper and Collector ships use an advanced Identify Friend/Foe system that the relays recognise. All we need to do is get our hands on one of those IFFs."

"Where do we get one of those?"

"I already have my best people looking into that for you, Shepard. As soon as I receive word, be sure that I will let you know. In the meantime, I suggest you tell your crew I didn't risk their lives unnecessarily. It will make things easier going forward."

He cut the link as the lights of the conference room blinked on. I turned to Miranda, who had been standing in the corner, simply watching and listening. "We're pawns," she finally said, "Nothing but pawns. He is going to sacrifice every single one of us, Shepard. I know it. We are expendable in the face of his ambitions."

"What's his ambition?"

"Power. But I'm not sure how defeating the Collectors allows him to attain more. Not yet, anyway. I've always thought him rather megalomaniacal, but there was always the brilliant genius side to him that helped you ignore that part of his personality." She slumped against the wall. "God, I've seen it almost since the first day we met, but because of what he did for me, it's almost like I've subconsciously ignored it."

I walked towards her, stopping near her, reaching down to take her hand. "So what will you do?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know, Shepard. I still believe we're doing the right thing here. And there are parts of Cerberus that are working for our benefit. But after what you've told me, then what we did to Jack… I've even heard Tali mention an incident within the Migrant Fleet that apparently we were behind."

Gently pulling her towards me, I gave her a hug, which she seemed to appreciate at least. "Just keep me updated with what you want to do. If you want to make some of great leap, I'll make sure I provide a safety net."

Heading back downstairs, some of the team had returned to their quarters. Joker asked where we should head and I said Illium. After what we'd all just been through, I figured a couple of days' shore leave would be perfect for everyone. That meant I immediately headed upstairs to send a secure message to Liara, letting her know I would be arriving in a couple of days. I received a message back within an hour and she was rather excited to hear, and that she would put in place some plans for me when we arrived. I had a feeling I knew what plans, but just told her I looked forward to arriving.

After dinner that evening, I headed straight upstairs as I wasn't the only one exhausted after the day we had. Miranda barely made it to dinner, almost falling asleep in her chair, before she finally just picked up her tray, telling me she'd eat at her desk, but have a pillow nearby in case she crashed. Jack didn't even make it to dinner, while Samara, as powerful and athletic as she was, looked as tired as I did. Everyone felt the strain, so it was no surprise the mess was empty of life far earlier than normal.

A hot shower is normally invigorating, particularly when it's a shower shared with a certain Kelly Chambers, but though she could coax life into certain parts of my body, I simply didn't have the energy. Just the thought of having an orgasm made me exhaustion feel worse, so she simply led me by the hand to bed, curling her body into mine and I barely remember her kissing me goodnight before I'd fallen asleep.

Still exhausted the next morning, I simply squeezed the naked body lying next to me, hearing her giggle as she was already awake. Neither of us even thought about moving as I was rather comfortable, as was Kelly.

"EDI?"

"Yes, Shepard?"

"Tell my ground team that they are not expected to do anything today. If they're as exhausted as me, then I doubt they'll want to leave their quarters."

"I'll pass the message on, Shepard."

"Another day off?" Kelly whispered, "Some would think you're getting soft."

"Considering we all came out of that alive, they blood well deserve it."

In the end, the only reason we got out of bed was that we were hungry. Heading downstairs, neither of us bothering to dress in anything close to resembling uniform, it wasn't a shock that the mess was practically empty. Garrus seemed in decent enough spirits as he wandered down to grab himself a drink, keeping himself busy by calibrating as usual. Other than that, we saw no sign of anyone. Kelly suggested she would try and do a little work, leaving me in the mess alone, so I figured I'd pop into see Miranda. No surprise she was up and working, though as soon as I entered, she stood up, grabbed me, and dragged me to bed. To my surprise, all she wanted was a cuddle, burying her head into my chest. It was rather nice, and we lay there for at least an hour or so, quietly discussing a number of topics I knew were on her mind.

I spent the rest of the day wandering around the ship, chatting with everyone, making sure they were in the right frame of mind after the previous day. I didn't need to tell them about my conversation with the Illusive Man the previous day, they all knew the truth, but they trusted me to keep them alive, so they were willing to look past it. The mission was the most important thing.

Heading downstairs to see Jack last of all, she now had a larger, wider bed, far more comfortable than the cot she'd been sleeping on. She looked fast asleep, though opened her eyes upon seeing me. She pulled back the sheets, and I found myself kicking off my shoes again and cuddling into someone else. Jack did turn around and kissed me, likely in an attempt to get something intimate started, and while I liked the idea of a little kiss and cuddle, I didn't want to go any further. She understood and appreciated the fact I was happy just to give her some comfort. After everything, she quietly admitted that it was just another betrayal by Cerberus, though this time, it also impacted certain people she gave a shit about.

Joker informed me after dinner that we'd arrive on Illium the next day, which was a relief. We'd been on the go for a while, or at least stuck on the ship, so getting off just for a day or two would be a relief. Miranda suggested that the ship would be basically evacuated, locked up tight, and the entire crew would be treated to accommodation. Sounded good to me as I wasn't the one footing the bill.

Sitting back with a datapad on the couch in the cabin later, the recruiting phase of the mission was definitely complete. Now was… I wasn't sure. I had a feeling people would want to tie off certain things before we went through the Omega Four, such as Garrus wanting to track down the man who betrayed him, and Samara tracking down the fugitive she had been chasing on Illium. Both were keeping me informed of their progress.

Kelly wandered in, having been chatting away with some of the girls. She seemed to be in a good move as she walked towards me, standing before me as I moved my eyes from the datapad to her. "You have something on your mind," I stated.

"I do, Shepard. Would you like to join me in bed?"

I couldn't help laugh before I stood up and gave her a gentle kiss. "Yes, I would. Are you planning something?"

"I am, Shepard. Just for the two of us."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"Well, first of all I will need to be naked. I think you can help with that." So I slowly started to undress her as she added, "Then you will need to be naked as well."

"Shocking, Kelly. What happens once we're both naked?"

"Well, I'm hoping there'll be a lot of kissing. Maybe some touching too. Perhaps you could run your hands all over my body?"

"Oh, I guess I can do that. Is that all you'd like?"

"No, Shepard. Next, I'm going to use my mouth on you, particularly by sucking on your cock. While I'm doing that, I'm hoping you'll use your mouth on my pussy. How does that sound?"

"Fantastic. Something to look forward to. But surely that's not all, Kelly?"

"Oh, definitely not, Shepard. After that, I'm hoping we'll make love." I couldn't help grin as I leaned down to kiss her again as she was down to underwear by now. "Maybe we could do that for a little while, at least."

"It's an offer I simply cannot refuse, Miss Chambers, particularly as you have explained it all so well."

"A girl has to let her man know what she wants."

We ended up on the bed a couple of minutes later, and everything Kelly described happened over the next couple of hours. I think she knew that, once I was on Illium, I would be distracted, so wanted my attention and affection for as long as possible until we arrived. I honestly didn't blame her one bit, though she knew, if things got heated enough with certain people, she was going to be invited anyway. But I certainly sent her to sleep later than night with a big smile on her face, as exhausted as I was the night before, and again suggesting she was going to be feeling a little tender between her legs the next day. She'd loved every second though.

I had a feeling I might be enjoying a long couple of days on Illium.