Book 3, Chapter 1 - They Have... Arrived!

No doubt Admiral Hackett tried his best, but the Alliance did their best to throw the book at me in return. Or maybe part of the book. I was interrogated about my movements from the moment the old Normandy was destroyed to the day I handed myself in to Alliance custody. I must have told the same story half a dozen times, each time to a different person. The questioning was monotonous. By the end, I was ready to leap over the desk and beat whoever was questioning me. Didn't help they kept me handcuffed. I knew some did trust and believe me, but I'd blown up a star system, having only recently left working alongside a terrorist organisation. To many, two plus two equalled four and they simply didn't believe I'd told Cerberus and the Illusive Man to fuck off.

Counting in my head the days, I was past four months when the door to my cell finally opened to reveal Admiral Hackett. Asking me to join him, I wasn't handcuffed for once before being led to the same room as always, though this time it was Captain Anderson waiting for me. Gesturing to the empty seat on the table, I sat down and waited for Hackett to join us. I looked at Anderson. He met my eyes as I glanced at his shoulders. My eyebrows definitely rose. "Promotion, sir?"

"It's a hell of a step up, Shepard."

"May I ask why?"

"All will be explained, Shepard. Patience."

"Difficult considering the circumstances, sir."

"I understand. Once Hackett has returned, all will be explained."

The other Admiral joined us a couple of minutes later, carrying a tray with a jug, mugs and I guess things needed for coffee. He poured each of us a cup, taking a seat next to Anderson. He wasted no time getting down to business. "You're being released today, Shepard. Not completely, but you'll no longer be in a cell. I've fought tooth and nail to get you exonerated, but the Alliance are only going to meet me halfway on this."

"Okay. Where am I going?"

"You'll be given personal quarters, a small apartment, but consider it house arrest. You'll be monitored twenty-four-seven. You make a move for any terminal that leaves the city, whether it be road, rail or sky, you'll be hunted down. Anderson and I are continuing to fight your corner, but… You know, it's a long process."

"Fair enough. Being in some sort of apartment would be better than a cell."

"Kelly Chambers will be waiting for you." That definitely brought a grin to my face. "We're not charging her with anything, Shepard. Like many who joined, they did so because of you. Some may have once believed in the cause, but you discovered enough to change their minds. So while each has been seriously vetted, to make sure they are true to their word, many have chosen to return to the Alliance."

"What about Miranda Lawson?"

"She is assisting us with our inquiries. She's brilliant, Shepard. Not met too many women like her. I'm sure you're wondering where she is. Doctor Chakwas is working for Alliance R&D on the Citadel. Miss Lawson is currently working alongside her."

"And you, sir?" I asked, looking at Anderson.

"I'm taking command of the Normandy, Shepard. It's currently going through a refitting as obvious changes were required. It's going to become a mobile command centre. The idea is that I will be in nominal command of the vessel, but it's going to need a captain to maintain the day to day operations."

"That man is you, Shepard," Hackett added, "Though that is only between the three of us at the moment. Some in the Alliance still want you charged, thrown in a cell and the key thrown away after what happened, but there are more now clamouring for your release and for you to be back doing what you do best. But these things take time. I'm sure you understand."

I took a couple of sips of coffee before nodding. "I understand, sir. I did blow up a star system. Killed a lot of people. It was for the right reasons but… I guess I can't get away with it."

"As I said, Shepard, patience," Anderson stated, "You'll soon be able to stop staring at four walls. But you have allies aside from us."

"How long do you think?" I wondered.

"A few more months at most. You'll see a court room eventually but it will be for show only. I'll make damned sure of that. At most, it'll be a suspended sentence," Hackett replied.

"So that means still found guilty so it goes on my record?"

The two men shared a glance. "As you said, Shepard, you did blow up a star system. Reasons or not, there are people who would almost demand that verdict. The batarians for one. The Council wouldn't approve of us whitewashing it." He paused a moment. "Surprisingly, the turians have sent word that they are taking what you say seriously."

I couldn't help smile. "Thank the Spirits for Garrus Vakarian."

"And so are those in the Alliance Navy, Shepard. We're building up the fleets, waiting for them. Unfortunately, we just don't know if or when they'll arrive."

"Soon enough," I muttered, "But the turians are on board?"

"They think blowing up an entire star system a little excessive, but I've shared with them what you told us. Once we did, they were behind you one hundred percent. Those in the know are aware of what we are facing. They realise the enormous sacrifices that might be required."

"But I'm going to be twiddling my thumbs until…?"

"Patience, Shepard," Anderson stated, "No more interrogations for now. You might be pulled in for questioning, but it won't be like how it's been. Take some time to relax." He paused before adding, "You will have a guard. Lieutenant James Vega. Good man. Probably not the sort of job he wanted, but it was something we needed agreement with to have you released."

I shrugged. "That's fine."

"Want to see her?" Anderson asked.

I couldn't help grin, swallowing the rest of the coffee, as I was led out of the room towards a waiting area, given some clothes to wear, before I was escorted towards a nearby building. Riding an elevator up at least a dozen floors, Anderson handed me my old omni-tool, stating nothing had been changed to it other than it had been checked for Cerberus information, and told me that, for the moment, nothing else was required of me.

Heading to the door number I was told, I pushed the button for the doorbell. When it opened, Kelly burst into tears as I stepped forward to hug her. Her arms around me tightened immediately, walking forward just enough for the door to close automatically behind me. I must have held her for a good five minutes before she was simply sniffling. "Hello," I whispered.

She leaned back a little. "Four months, Shepard! And hello to you too!"

"Trust me, I know how long it's been." I leaned down and kissed her, feeling her hand immediately on the back of my head. It felt good to kiss her again. "Definitely missed doing that."

"Thirsty? Coffee?"

"I'd love one."

She let me go and I followed her into the kitchen. I looked around and noticed there wasn't a whole lot to the apartment. I guess, although released, she'd still be watched. She continued to sniffle as she made a coffee, returning for another hug as the kettle boiled away. I closed my eyes, inhaled her scent, enjoyed the feeling of stroking her hair with my fingers. "We are so having sex tonight, Shepard," she whispered.

I couldn't help laugh. "Definitely missed that about us too."

"I know you're under house arrest. Admiral Hackett has tried his best to keep me in the loop regarding you. Whatever I've been told, I've let the others know." She let me go and started to prepare the mugs. "So how's it been"?

"Boring and annoying. Sitting in a cell most of the day is both. The interrogations after a while was the latter. But I've had people fighting my corner. Enough to get me here, at least."

She handed over a mug as we headed back into the living room. There were a couple of lounges, a large vidscreen on the wall that was switched on but silent. Large windows provided a nice view of Vancouver. A few potted plants added colour. Kelly noticed me look around. "I didn't exactly have a whole lot when leaving the ship."

"I don't really have anything now."

"Except me." I gave her a look, leaned over and gave her another soft kiss. "Hungry?"

"I've had four months of crap food. Definitely want something nice."

"We'll go shopping."

"How mundane!"

That made her laugh, at least. "I'll cook tonight, Shepard. Then you're taking me into the bedroom, you're going to undress me, then you are going to eat me out, then you're going to fuck me senseless." She shuffled across so that she was leaning into me. "For now, though, I'll just enjoy your presence."

"Heard from the girls much?"

"All the time, Shepard. We're friends now. Gianna has been worried sick. She'll be so happy that you're now out. Shiala has been worried though the situation on Feros keeps her distracted. Liara has been keeping abreast by being naughty."

"Ah, using her Broker network. I'm sure her influence has probably helped me."

"The only one I haven't heard from is Miranda. Not that she was really one of the girls but…"

"I was told she is 'co-operating' with the Alliance and on the Citadel. What about you?"

"I'm helping out on the ship every so often. A lot of people I don't know. EDI is pretending to be a VI. Joker is there too. He's not been treated nicely. Turns up in shackles every day."

"He actually joined Cerberus, but he's a damned hero…"

"Those two engineers, Ken and Gabby. They're also back on board. Not sure what happened but they seem to have an element of freedom. More than Joker, anyway."

I sighed. "Don't suppose my bodyguard has introduced himself yet?" The look she gave me was one of amusement. "Okay, that suggests a no. You haven't been informed?"

"I was just told you'd be coming home," she whispered.

I finished my coffee, took her mug and placed it on the table, then made sure she was leaning back on the lounge as we made out. Her legs were soon spread as I rested between them. No doubt between all the clothing she would have felt how hard I was, and I knew it as she couldn't help grin as we made out. She eventually had to push me back slightly, her cheeks looking rather colourful by now. "Shopping first, then we'll eat food, then you can enjoy my body."

"I love you," I whispered.

I didn't mean to make her cry, but it had obviously been months. I ended up on my back as I just held her to my body, fingers gently caressing the back of the head. She mumbled her apologies though I told her not to worry. I was simply enjoying being in her presence again. After a very long cuddle, which I knew she definitely enjoyed, she dried her eyes and suggested we should head out, do a little shopping, and then we'd simply enjoy the night.

We arrived back an hour or so later. I recognised the fact we'd been followed by at least three Alliance soldiers, but they kept their distance, seeming to realise rather quickly we were simply heading out to go shopping. I could have made a deal out of it, perhaps going so far as to take the piss or mock them, but they were just doing their jobs, so I left them alone.

Kelly proved to be a real marvel in the kitchen, insisting she couldn't cook, but her efforts exceeded anything I could do. It was a simple meal. Meat, potato, veggies, but that's all I want most of the time anyway. It was cooked well, it came with at least two bottles of wine, but it was her company that was best of all. We ate, drank, talked about anything that came to mind, and once we were done, settled back on the couch until our we were comfortable… then she grabbed my hand and led me to the bedroom.

I'm sure Kelly thought I would have just stripped her off then thrown her on the bed. So I made her smile as I slowly took off each article of clothing, just enjoying the feeling of her soft skin as my fingertips or my lips. By the time I had her down to her underwear, I put my nose to her groin and simply inhaled her scent, making her giggle, though she whispered to already being incredibly turned on. She then returned the favour, though stripped me naked. I was achingly hard and knew I wasn't going to last long. When she fell to her knees, I almost stopped her.

The look she returned from her knees was beautiful. "Now, Shepard, it's been a long time, so I know this isn't going to last long."

"Five minutes if I'm lucky."

"So I make you cum, and I'm definitely taking a mouthful, then you can return the favour."

"Kelly, I just want to please you all the night." Even on the verge of blowing me, she had to look away for a moment, blinking rapidly. I dropped to my knees and moved her chin with a finger. "Kelly, you know what I love to do, particularly with you," I said quietly.

"Okay…"

We ended up on the bed, me on the back, Kelly above me though swung around so we could pleasure each other. I let her focus on me first, and I was right, not lasting five minutes before I needed to cum, then I simply buried my face in her pussy, unable to stop the groan as her scent and taste drove me wild. She was as turned on as I was, and little wonder she cried when I made her cum, insisting I continue through her quiet sobs. I made her cum again twice more before she needed to stop, swinging around and resting on my chest, feeling her shudder every so often, releasing the final pent-up emotions she'd not doubt kept stored up while I'd been gone.

We made love the rest of the night. I'm sure we would have liked to 'fuck' but that night wasn't the time. This was our reconnection after so long apart. This time, I hadn't lost who I loved, or died. I'd disappeared for a few months, but we always knew we'd end up back together in the end. We both enjoyed the fact I slid my cock into her nice and slow, and my thrusting never grew excessive. I spent half the time simply watching her face, judging my movements on her reactions. She wanted nothing more than to feel me cum inside her to begin with, and once I'd recovered again, that's when she took over, riding me for longer than ever. The day I tire of watching Kelly Chambers ride my cock, just shoot me.

It was late, very late, by the time we had to call it quits. No more tears from Kelly, just a gorgeous smile that lit up her face, shared words of love, a desire to pee, shower, and then snuggle under the covers. Holding her close to me that night, even me, Commander Shepard, was almost overwhelmed for a moment. I'd spent four months completely isolated in a cell, not knowing when I'd see anyone again. Having her next to me that night, her soft skin spooned against mine, she seemed to realise, immediately turning over and cuddling into me. "I love you," she whispered. For once, I didn't trust my voice. I simply kissed her forehead and hugged her tighter.

God, I loved that women. There was only two, maybe three, I would have liked there at the time. Awful, I know, but even Kelly knew that. She'd mentioned them that night, and she knew how I felt about them, knew I loved them as much as I loved her. But that night was about her. Our reconnection. I knew we'd now be together until whatever happened next.

We would have a couple of months of peace.

*****

Lieutenant Vega was a good man. He obviously kept some sort of distance, but what amused me is that I definitely had his respect, having no problem saluting me, calling me 'Commander'. He shouldn't have done either thing, and I told him more than once not to, but it seemed to amuse him, I didn't actually care, so we just ignored it together.

I was fairly sure the job bored him to tears. He spent time 'guarding' me, but I knew he was also assisting in the refitting of the Normandy. He couldn't tell me a whole lot, but in addition to Kelly helping out every so often, Ashley was also working on the ship, while from what he knew, Miranda was also helping out from the Citadel, providing them with information whenever the technical staff found themselves a little lost.

As for myself, I wasn't allowed anywhere near the ship. Whenever I wanted to go out, whether by myself or with Kelly, Vega would accompany me or us, though he generally kept his distance when I was with Kelly, giving us privacy. By myself, I'd happily chat away with him. We never became friends, he wouldn't have allowed it, but after a couple of weeks, we had an understanding that I simply appreciated the company.

One thing I noticed is that, after I was released and put into house arrest, I felt almost… forgotten. The interrogations and interviews ceased immediately. I heard from Admiral Hackett occasionally, Anderson even less, and the news never mentioned my name at all, almost as if what happened had been forgotten and the world was simply moving on. Thing is, it was moving on without me. I had to keep mind and body in shape, so while I might not have been on the job, I spent plenty of time in the gym, something Kelly certainly enjoyed as I put on a little muscle and was as fit as ever, while I kept up to date with what was going on in the galaxy. I didn't want to be too out of the loop whenever I was finally released.

The day it started had dawned like most others recently. Warm but cloudy, Kelly and I starting the day by waking up and fooling around in bed before heading to the shower, where she ended up pressed against the wall, begging me to fuck her. I don't know how she hadn't ended up with a child inside her in all the time I'd been under house arrest. Sure, she was chipped to ensure it wouldn't happen, but considering the amount of sex we had, I figured it would just happen despite it. Whatever the case, she sat through breakfast with a satisfied smile on her face, walking out as Vega walked in. I was sat on the couch as the big man sat at the other end, hearing him chuckle.

"If you don't mind me saying, Commander, you two are at it like rabbits."

"Even been in love, Vega? Or simply found a woman you can't get enough of?"

He looked away, rather thoughtful, not something he often did. "Yeah, there was one girl I was keen on… Didn't end well." He didn't say anything else, and rarely told personal stories, so I knew not to press the issue. "She was an asari," he said after a few minutes of silence. I glanced back at him, his eyes focused on the vidscreen. "Worked together on a job that went bad. And I knew how much I loved her because I chose her over everyone else."

"You speak as if…"

"We're not together, sir. The guilt she felt because of my choice… She appreciates why I made it, and in her own way, she loves me for it, but she admitted that she didn't know what else I would be capable of. So she thought it almost safer to simply move on." He stopped again and sighed. "Yeah, I know what you mean, Shepard." He rarely called me that. "I've been in love and it felt great and sucked all at once. So I've made myself a promise not to mix the two going forward."

"That can be a lonely existence, James. I've done that myself after Annie. Figured I'd never find love, wouldn't deserve love again. I blamed myself for a long time afterwards. But going through life without feeling love, or denying yourself the feeling, is awful. Took me a long time to figure that out. You're going through your own process, but you'll learn that everyone needs to be and feel love."

Vega gave me a glance. "Didn't have you picked as a romantic, Shepard."

"I'm sure you've heard stories about me. Hal of them would be true, at least. There are three, maybe four women I love dearly. If they ever asked me to make a choice, I'm not sure I could. But I love Kelly being here with me now. She's been almost the one constant in my life since I woke up. Thing is, it started out as purely physical, but you realise rather quickly you can't have the intense sexual relationship we had without feelings getting involved."

"You're being quite honest here, Shepard."

"I am, but I'm sure you've heard rumours and stories about me." He nodded. "Some of them would be true. Some would be exaggerated. No doubt a whole lot of bullshit too."

"You regret it, Shepard?"

I knew exactly what he meant. "No, James, and that's the honest truth. Not sure if you believe in the Reaper threat or not, but I wouldn't have done something like that without cause."

I met his eyes. He remained silent and motionless before he nodded. "Not sure about Reapers, but there are plenty of enemies out there who want to fuck with us."

"True, and that's why sitting here is frustrating. I know why I'm here, but I'm wasted here."

"Plenty of those in blue think the same, Shepard. Those who think you're nuts are outnumbered significantly by those who think you're nothing but a damn hero."

"Well, that's always nice to hear. Still stuck in here though."

We sat in silence, watching the news on the vidscreen, when his omni-tool chimed. He headed outside to take the call as I headed into the kitchen to make us a coffee. I was in the middle of preparing when he wandered back in. "News for you, Commander. Defence Committee want to see you."

That brought any coffee making to a halt. "Defence Committee?" I asked, my tone no doubt highlighting my confusion. "That doesn't sound like a courtroom."

Vega shrugged. "No idea but it sounded urgent."

"Okay, let me grab my jacket."

Heading out of my apartment, we entered the headquarters of the Alliance, representing the Americas. I noticed straight away the urgency at which people were walking around. I glanced at Vega, who kept his face blank. I knew something was up but wasn't going to ask why until necessary.

No doubt my arrival was reported as I was quickly greeted by Anderson. He saluted Vega, didn't salute me, but did offer his hand. "Good of you to come, Shepard."

"Didn't think it was an optional invitation, sir. But it gets me out of the apartment."

Gesturing with his head, he turned and I fell in line. "We'll walk and talk, Shepard."

"Okay, I'll bite straight away, sir. What's going on?" I didn't let him answer. "They're here, aren't they?"

That brought him to a halt and he turned towards me. "We don't know that, Shepard."

"Everyone is running around like a blue arse fly, sir. So unless someone like the batarians think they can attack, and the fact that even someone like you looks rather concerned, it would suggest something big is going on." I paused for a moment. "We're not prepared for this. Not really. Has Hackett been increasing the fleets, at least?"

He gestured for us to keep moving. "He's done what he could get away with. Turians have done the same thing, but it's a drop in the ocean to what we likely need." He paused a moment, no doubt to gather his thoughts. "If it is them, Shepard, and I'm still working on it being if, you're the only one who has spoken to one. Hell, you've spoken to two. And you've managed to kill one of them."

"So why am I being pulled in front of the committee? Give me a gun and a ship. Let me at them now."

He gave me a look. "It's not that easy, Shepard. You need to speak to them. Tell them what you know."

"They haven't listened before. Only now we're they're knocking at the door they're finally willing to listen. Typical."

He moved the topic onto how I was, admitting I was pleased that Kelly was living with me, and I appreciated the fact that he and Hackett got me out of a cell. He knew I was bored but said I at least still looked in peak physical condition, which was true. The only thing I lacked was minutes on the battlefield.

Stopped by a sergeant, who spoke to Anderson, I found myself approached by someone I didn't expect to see. She looked different since we had last seen each other, which had been on Horizon. Before handing myself in, we had communicated from time to time, but she'd kept her distance because of Cerberus. When she met my eyes, there was recognition and a slight smile, but also hesitancy, which I immediately understood. Who knows what she thought of me now?

"Hello, Shepard," she said.

"How are you, Ash?"

"I'm well. I've just been in to speak to the committee." I raised my eyebrows. "I'm on my way back to the Normandy now."

"What did they want?"

She smirked, a smirk I remembered. "What do you think? If they want to speak to me, it no doubt will involve you somehow."

I took a step closer. "Ash, what I did…"

"You did it for the right reason, Shepard. You might be hard on people at times, but you're not cruel. Or evil. And more importantly, I've always believed in the threat. And if people like Hackett and Anderson have your back, that's good enough for me."

"Thank you."

"Come on, Shepard. Committee is waiting. Lieutenant Vega, your presence isn't required. Head to the Normandy with the LC here."

I glanced at Ashley. "Lieutenant-Commander?"

She rarely looked embarrassed but this time… She was. "Yeah…"

"Fuckin' deserved, Ash. Should have happened long ago."

"Thank you, Shepard."

"Come on, Shepard."

"Yes, sir. Good to see you, Ash. And no doubt I'll see you later, Vega."

"Sure thing, Commander."

Ashley and Anderson both gave him a glance. All he did was salute with a smirk of his own before he turned and headed off. Following Anderson, he gave me a couple of last minute orders. I was ready to tell him I wasn't technically under his command, but I understood this was serious, not the time for joking. That didn't mean I wasn't annoyed, beyond frustrated with everything. It was obvious time had been wasting. I should have been involved in the preparations. Dragging me out of confinement now to simply tell them what they already knew? Waste of time.

The meeting with the Defence Committee started as I expected. Heads still buried in the sand. I wondered aloud why they bothered calling me in when the truth was clear to see. The Reapers were coming and were coming in fast. When Luna Base when silent, I knew it was already too late. There was a fleet in orbit around Earth. Thousands were about to die before the war barely began. And no doubt they had my number. I'm not sure Reapers take things personally, but I'd stopped their arrival three years ago. And I'm sure my conversation with Harbinger pissed them off.

As soon as I'd been summoned, I knew an attack was imminent, but even I didn't expect the very room we were in to be blown up. I was shielded from the blast by the fact I wasn't near the windows, but I was still blown back against the wall. As the smoke cleared, I was helped to my feet by Anderson, his face already bloodied and dirty. We checked for survivors, finding a few still breathing, but a couple were critically injured. Anderson radioed for medics, but from what I heard through the comm, everything was already falling apart.

"We need to get to the Normandy," he stated.

I searched the ruined room and found a pistol. I'd have preferred a shotgun or assault rifle, but beggars can't be choosers. The way we'd entered was blocked by fallen masonry, so we headed to the windows. I couldn't help sigh at what we could see. The Reapers had arrived, and they had done so in force.

We learned quickly that the giant Reapers towering over us were not the only things we had to deal with. As we scrambled our way along the edge of the building, Anderson mentioned we needed to head to the spaceport, attempting to contact the Normandy at the same time. It didn't take long to run into the enemy. Anderson hadn't seen husks before, but I had, no doubt the Reapers already having hit colony worlds and changed humans.

Any time we had a moment to catch our breath, reload our weapons, I could only look around and already see the destruction. A real cacophony of noise. The Reapers. The returned fire, which barely seemed to dent them. The screaming. The explosions. Ahead, we saw a cruiser firing at a nearby Reaper. The Reaper returned fire and blew it apart. The ripple of that explosion caused where we were standing to collapse.

New monsters descended from the heavens, ugly creatures that must have been a fusion of species the Reapers had taken. They were not particularly intelligent. I'd managed to locate an assault rifle, refraining from using my biotics for now, preferring only to use that in conjunction with a shotgun. We remained in cover where possible, spending most of my time keeping Anderson safe as he stayed in touch with the Normandy.

We made it to the LZ but the Normandy was still a couple of minutes away at least, avoiding Reaper fire. Reapers monsters descended upon Anderson and I, clips quickly running short as they flooded towards us. I used biotics when I could, a warp and a lift here, a throw there, still avoiding the temptation to charge. I'd be dead in seconds, considering I wasn't wearing armour.

When I heard the inevitable click of an empty clip, Anderson and I shared a glance. "Yeah, this was a great fucking decision, sir," I muttered, remembering the days of unlimited ammo.

I was ready to just throw my weapon down and charge for as long as I could. Dying in the opening moments of the war would suck but I wasn't going to lie down and just accept dying. I'd fight until my last breath.

Then the Normandy arrived, firing at the monsters closing in, practically wiping them all out. For whatever reason, the ship was ignored as it came into dock, the hangar bay door lowering, Vega and Ashley appearing to cover us. I leapt first and turned, waving for Anderson to jump up.

He told us he was staying on Earth to lead the resistance. I thought he was nuts, but it was his decision. He spoke a good game, I could only hope he would deliver it. He then did me a solid by throwing me my tags. I looked at them for a moment. "Go to the Citadel, Shepard. Get the Council to help us."

"You think they actually will?"

"If they don't, then Earth is lost. And humanity will go with it. They have to help. I'll lead the remaining forces here. You do whatever you can out there."

I didn't like it but I offered him a salute, walking past Vega and Ashley, ordering Joker to take the Normandy away from Earth, towards the nearest mass relay. Feeling the ship start to take off, I was immediately inundated with questions from Ashley while Vega let it be known he wasn't happy at all. I whirled on him quickly, said I was now in charge, and if he wanted to stay in Sol, I'd leave him on Mars and he could find his own way through the Reaper hordes. That shut him up.

The first thing I needed to do was grab some armour. Remembering what Anderson told me, it was no surprise to find a locker with my name on it, opening it to see the armour I'd worn against the Collectors waiting for me. As I clipped it all in place, Vega continued to mutter while Ashley was already ready for a fight.

"Can you handle me being back in charge, Ash?" I wondered.

"You would have been the CO eventually again, Shepard. Anderson might have been in charge overall, but the day to day operations would have been left to you."

"Excellent. Joker, any word from anyone in the Alliance?"

He told me Hackett was trying to get in charge. Good thing he did as I was ready to get the hell out of Sol. Hackett didn't have much news to tell me but did have orders. I was to head to Mars and the Prothean archives. When I asked why, he told me that Liara was currently on Mars. That left me scratching my head, as the last time we'd spoken, she was happily working on the ship she'd taken from the old Shadow Broker.

"Doctor T'Soni has been researching anything we could use against the Reapers," Hackett stated, "And from her last report, she was on the verge of finding that could do just that. Get to Mars and the archives, Shepard. Grab the doctor and that data. We need any advantage we can find."

"Aye, sir. I'll have the Normandy head there immediately." I waited for the link to cut, Joker stating the Normandy was already on the way to Mars. Figuring it was going to be a short trip, I didn't bother heading upstairs. "Is Kelly on board?" I asked.

"She's probably up in the CIC," Ashley replied.

"EDI, you there?"

"Yes, Shepard."

"Open the comm to the CIC, please." I paused and then added, "Kelly, you hear me?"

"Thank god…" There was a pause as no doubt a sob was choked back. "I'd come down and see you, Shepard, but I'm really busy up with Samantha, working through a plethora of data already."

I glanced at Ash. "Samantha?" I mouthed.

"You'll find out later," she whispered back.

"Okay. Kelly, we're heading to Mars. Soon as we're done there, I'll come up and see you. But I need my mind on the game right now, and you are far too good a distraction." Vega coughed to cover the chuckle. "Just keep track of any reports and news coming in. It was already a shit show back on Earth, and if the Reapers are here, they'll already be elsewhere in the galaxy."

"We're keeping any eye out for anything you would deem important, Shepard. Just stay safe for now."

"I'll do my best."

Hearing the link click off, I wandered over to the weapons bench, placing down the pistol and assault rifle I'd brought with me, grabbing a shotgun instead. "Ash, remember what fighting alongside me used to be like? I'm different now. I'm sure you've heard, maybe even seen that I'm a biotic?"

"I'm aware, Shepard."

Since she was, I explained the tactics of approach when we landed on Mars. I knew nothing about Vega, but considering his armour and the weapon he hauled around, the man was a walking tank. Ashley was a pure combat soldier, but had apparently dabbled in the technical side. Not enough to become a full blown Sentinel, but she had been training how to use her omni-tool to her advantage. I couldn't help grin as she was rather excited at her progress. She noticed me smile and looked away, definitely embarrassed.

"Good to be back, Shepard?"

"Good to be back in blue… Eventually…"

"Are you still angry about Horizon?"

"I was never angry, Ash. I was disappointed, but also understanding why. And it's in the past. Everything now changes. The only thing that matters is defeating the Reapers." I met her eyes and she nodded.

"Shepard, we are ten minutes out from the facility. Finding an LZ nearby. No replies to our hails."

"Reapers have probably stopped there on the way to Earth, Joker. Find us a spot close by and we'll make our way in."

"Aye, Commander. Best spot is perhaps half a click back. EDI believes the entire facility is currently locked down, likely due to the Reaper presence."

"Not a problem."

Grabbing the shotgun, I also grabbed a new assault rifle and pistol, just in case, waiting at the hangar bay ramp, Vega to one side, Ashley to the other. Feeling the Normandy enter the thin atmosphere and begin its descent to the Martian surface. Once the ship settled, we clipped on our helmets, checked we had oxygen, waiting until the ramp had descended completely, the red planet greeting our eyes.

With a last shared glance, we stepped off the ship and into a complete shitstorm.