The Elusive Man

Sdebeli

Well-Known Member
#29
Pretty good so far. Needs a post conversation scene from TIM though.
 

Lord Raa

Exporter of Juice Tins
#30
Forum migration has borked stuff, so prepare for updates.
 
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Lord Raa

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#31
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Lord Raa

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#32
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Lord Raa

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#33
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PCHeintz72

The Sentient Fanfic Search Engine mk II
#34
Is anyone actually still reading this?
I've been noting that it updates, and glance at it so in that respect I would say that I do in fact read this, but to be honest, except a few crossovers, I generally do not read non-crossover and non-SI stories centered on Mass Effect.

It is a interesting universe, appealing characters, but I've never played the game.
 

Lord Raa

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#35
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Lord Raa

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#36
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Lord Raa

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#37
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Lord Raa

Exporter of Juice Tins
#38
Reposting for the new forum!


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The Elusive Man



By Lord Raa


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Disclaim-me-do: No-one wants a card that reads: “You are the wind beneath my butt”.


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Henry Lawson looked on with pride as he finally realised his dream of a legacy. The two previous attempts had ended in failure.

He couldn’t fault Miranda’s bravery, though he did wonder if it was wise to encourage her to have so much ambition and foster independent thought in her since Miranda had abandoned him.

She was also the cause of the failure of the second attempt at a legacy.

The second attempt was Oriana, a genetic twin of Miranda. Things had gone well until Miranda had interfered and whisked her away from his control.

Still, Henry Lawson was a man of considerable resources, ingenuity and deviousness. That was why he’d made plans for a third daughter.

Yvonne Lawson was as strikingly beautiful as her oldest sister, but Henry had decided that this daughter should be a redhead, rather than have black hair.

His team of specialists had asked him about this change, but the only reason he would give them for such a departure from the tried and tested genetic formula of Miranda and Oriana was their betrayal.

“Perhaps a minor change will bring success this time?” he had asked the lead geneticist, slightly rhetorically.

And thus Yvonne had been brought into this world. As fast a learner as her sisters, a more powerful biotic than Miranda and a sense of purpose that rivalled his own.

“Hello, Father,” the redhead smiled as Henry entered the office she was working in.

“Hello, Yvonne. What was it you wanted to tell me?”

“I’ve got some good news: I’ve taken the first steps to ensure that humanity will be a major player in galactic affairs.”

“You have? And just what has my little girl done to bring the human race to the forefront of galactic politics?”

“I’ve taken control of Cerberus,” Yvonne replied with a smile that chilled the old man to the bone.

“You what?” Henry Lawson’s omnitool sparked into life with a message that the Illusive Man wanted to talk to him.

“¬Henry, I just wanted to tell you that I’m dead. Your daughter was a lot more cunning than I expected. The Shadow Broker had better watch out.¬”

The old man rapidly switched his attention from his daughter to his omnitool and realised that she was the one broadcasting the message.

“H-how did you hack my omnitool? How did you fake this message?”

“¬It’s a spot of clever VI programming. Fortunately, Cerberus was able to gain access to some of the technology behind the Prothean VI Vigil,¬” the hologram explained in unison with the redhead. “¬Oh, and I haven’t hacked your omnitool, I’ve only disguised my appearance.¬”

There was a flicker on the projection and it turned from the Illusive Man to Yvonne Lawson.

“¬Hello, Father. By the way, thanks for your assets. I’ll be needing them for my task.¬”

“Task? Yvonne, what are you talking about?”

Yvonne terminated the call and walked up to her father. “Bringing back Commander Shepard. Project Lazarus is having some difficulty. It seems that exposure to space doesn’t help in resuscitation, despite the cold.”

“What about the Illusive Man?”

“He’s dead, Father. I staged a coup because I don’t trust him.”

“H-how?”

“You made me, Father. You gave me looks, intelligence, biotic ability and the drive to use them to further your goals. There’s one thing I lack; the spear to thrust into the hearts of my enemies. But now I’ve found that spear.

“That spear is Commander Shepard. And there will be much thrusting...”

“What have I done?”

“Ensured the advancement of humanity, Father. Just as you always wanted. Now, when Shepard is revived, I shall have to meet him. Not at first, of course. He’ll be too disorientated, may even be angry,” Yvonne mused. “But eventually, I’ll gain his trust. And then, when we meet...”

A thin trail of drool slipped down the redhead’s chin as she considered just it was that she’d be doing with the first human Spectre.


@@@@@


Elsewhere, in a classified Cerberus space station...

“There’s some unusual brainwave activity... He’s waking up!”

“That’s impossible!”

“Ungh...”

“Quick, get the sedative!”



@@@@@


Commander Shepard was pondering the situation as the shuttle he was in sped away from the Lazarus Research station.

What was he doing here with Cerberus?

Could he trust them? These were the people who had committed countless atrocities under the guise of advancing humanity after all.

Not to mention the fact that they were the ones who led his squad into that thresher maw nest on Akuze. There were times when screams of his fellow marines still haunted his nightmares.

“Shepard,” Miranda Lawson said, shaking the resurrected man from his reverie.

“What?”

“We need to perform some tests. The Illusive Man will want to know if your memory is still intact.”

“Really, Miranda? You don’t think this can wait?”

“Jacob, it wouldn’t be necessary if we hadn’t been interrupted by Wilson,” Miranda replied curtly. “Now, a few questions about your background.”

“Alright,” Jacob nodded. “Your record says that you were the only one left alive after a mission on Akuze.”

“It was hard. Seeing your team slaughtered like that,” Shepard said in a pained voice. After a moment he looked up at the two Cerberus operatives. “I think I remember something about that mission being a Cerberus trap...”

“It’s not what you think,” Miranda said, holding her hands up in an attempt to placate Shepard. The look in the Vanguard’s eyes was scaring her more than she would like to admit.

“So, Admiral Kahoku wasn’t killed by Cerberus?” Shepard asked, folding his arms across his chest. “Either my memory is shot to hell and I’m no good to you or there’s something someone’s not telling me.”

“The situation is complicated,” the Australian-accented woman said, carefully choosing her words.

“Cerberus is willing to do what it takes to protect humanity,” Jacob added quickly, seeing that things were balanced on a knife edge.

Miranda nodded. “Cerberus started out as an Alliance black-ops division. In fact, if things had gone differently, you could have been one of their best agents, Commander Shepard.”

“I’d say I find that hard to believe, but stranger things have happened. Like coming back from the dead after two years. Next question.”

“On Virmire, where you destroyed Saren’s cloning facility,” Miranda said. “You had to leave one of your squad behind.”

“Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko was killed in action,” Jacob added.

“Kaidan... He died a hero,” Shepard said, looking down. His anger at Cerberus dissipated at the memory of the loss of one of his team. “I... It was a hard choice. If I could have brought everyone home, I would have.”

“I’m not criticising you, Shepard, we all know that that sacrifices have to be made,” the former Alliance man replied sympathetically.

“I know, it’s just not something you want to get used to having to deal with.”

“See, Miranda? His memory’s just fine and I can vouch for his combat skills.”

“Let’s just hope that the Illusive Man will accept our little field test.”



@@@@@



Commander Shepard looked at the image of the smoking man sitting before him.

“So, you’re the Illusive Man? I thought we’d be meeting in person.”

“¬This is a wise precaution, when you know what we know,¬” the Illusive Man replied. ‘I might not be able to keep my hands off that hot ass of yours...’

“I think it’s safe to say that you me brought me back here for a reason.”

“¬Straight to the point as ever. Yes, I need you, Shepard.¬” ‘I need you so badly, Shepard... those scars... You look so manly...’

Shepard coughed when the silence grew uncomfortable.

“¬Yes, sorry about that, I was getting an important update. I brought you back to investigate abductions from human colonies.¬”

“Who’s attacking the colonies?”

“¬We think the Collectors are behind the attacks.¬”

“Isn’t defending human colonies an Alliance issue?”

“¬The attacks are seemingly random, and on isolated outposts, but the patterns are there in the data if you look hard enough. Blaming slavers and pirates is a simpler, more convenient option. Besides, the Alliance fleet is still rebuilding after Sovereign’s attack on the Citadel.¬”

“What do you want me to do?”

“¬...¬” the Illusive Man pretended that his cigarette was making him cough and he took a moment to compose himself.

“¬I want you to investigate an attack on a colony called Freedom’s Progress. See if there’s evidence that the Collectors are behind it. Take Jacob and Miranda with you.¬”

Shepard nodded. This seemed to be just the sort of thing he needed to get back into the swing of things. “You expect me to trust those two? I saw Miranda execute a man in cold blood.”

“¬Wilson was a traitor and he got what he deserved. Miranda is one of my best operatives. Jacob’s never fully trusted me, but he’s always been honest about it and he’s a good soldier.¬”

“He is. What happens if you’re wrong and there’s no evidence of the Collectors being behind the attacks?”

“¬Then you’ll be free to continue your plans to prepare for the Reapers.¬”

“So you’re taking the Reaper threat seriously?”

“¬The Collectors are enigmatic at best, but my data suggests that the Collectors are working for the Reapers.¬”

“Very well, I’ll investigate Freedom’s Progress.”

“¬Excellent. We’ll talk when you get back.¬”



@@@@@


After the meeting with the Illusive Man, Shepard decided that it would be good to get to know the people he was going on a mission with better. It might have only been one mission, but bitter experience had taught him that not everyone makes it back from every mission.

“What’s with all the questions, Shepard?”

“I like to know the team I’m going into battle with.”

“Look, Shepard, I can crush a mech with my biotics or shoot its head off at a hundred yards. I can handle myself.”

Miranda’s attitude towards his questions was making the Vanguard wonder if it was worth heading back to the Alliance regardless of the outcome of their investigation.

“I wasn’t looking for a résumé, Miranda. But I can see you’re not interested in getting to know me, so how about you tell me about the Lazarus Project instead?”

Shepard didn’t like what he was hearing about Miranda’s failed plans to place a control chip in his head.
“I’m not a machine, damn it!”

“You have to understand that the Illusive Man has poured a fortune into bringing you back; it’s a risky investment at the best of times. If you go off the rails...” the biotic woman saw that she wasn’t helping the situation and changed track. “The Illusive Man needs you to be you – Commander Shepard, hero of the Alliance, saviour of the Citadel. Any kind of control mechanism would jeopardise things.”

“We will finish this discussion later.”

Jacob Taylor saw the way Miranda had backed down from Shepard’s response to the answers she’d given him. ‘Holy shit, Shepard’s scarier than I thought! I’ve seen her stare down mercenaries...’

“Jacob, what can you tell me about Freedom’s Progress?”

“What? Freedom’s Progress? Not much, Shepard. It’s a small colony in the Terminus Systems.”

“I see, well, grab your gear and head to the shuttle.”


@@@@@



The trio exited the shuttle and as they quickly moved into cover, Miranda noticed that some rocket drones were flying in and alerted everyone before they deployed in good firing positions.

The two drones started to lay down suppressing fire almost immediately.

“I’ve got this,” Shepard said, pulling out his M-3 Predator pistol. “Keep down.”

Two rapid volleys later, their path was clear.

“That’s some precision shooting there, Shepard,” Jacob noted.

Miranda caught herself from commenting, “What do you expect, he’s been using pistols since he was 14. It’s probably the only reason why he survived Mindoir...”

‘Yeah, I really shouldn’t upset Shepard any more than I already have. He did kill a thresher maw that’d swallowed him.’

“Let’s get going before more drones come,” Shepard instructed as they made their way through the outskirts of the colony.

Shepard took point as they searched through the various buildings looking for evidence of what had happened to the colonists.

“There’s no trace of anything,” Jacob growled in frustration as they cleared a third pre-fab building. “Not one damned clue.”

“¬Intruder Alert!¬”

“Shit, get down,” the Spectre barked as three LOKI mechs stood up and started to open fire on the Cerberus team. “Stay here, I got this.”

“We are trained...” Miranda trailed off when she saw the man she’d spent the last two years rebuilding close the distance to the me security mechs with a biotic charge and blow their heads clean off with his shotgun. “Are you going to do that every mission, Shepard? Should we just send you in on your own?”

“Maybe, then I wouldn’t have to worry about people I don’t trust.”

Miranda didn’t like Shepard’s tone, but she couldn’t deny that he had a point. Cerberus hadn’t done much over the years to engender trust with the Spectre.

Akuze, the other horrific experiments, the plan to put a control chip inside Shepard’s brain.

No, she’d have difficulty trusting Cerberus too, even if they had spent billions of credits rebuilding her shattered body.

“Let’s get going,” she said. “I think I saw some movement in that building there.”




@@@@@


Shepard, still on point, burst into the room and saw several Quarians tending to a wounded member of their team.

"What are you doing here?” Miranda asked.

“What business is it of yours, Cerberus bosh’tet?” a particularly aggressive Quarian demanded.

“This is a human colony,” the biotic woman sneered.

“Calm down, Prazza,” a voice familiar to Shepard chided.

“Tali?”

“Shepard,” Tali confirmed. “I thought you were dead. What are you doing with Cerberus?”

“It’s complicated, Tali,” Shepard replied. “They brought me back to investigate the disappearances on human colonies. What about you?”

“We’re here for a Quarian that was on his pilgrimage. But can you really trust Cerberus, Shepard?”

“They can’t be trusted!” Prazza declared.

“What happened between Cerberus and the Quarians?”

“They tried to infiltrate the Flotilla,” Prazza answered, glaring at the humans from behind his mask.

“That’s not quite how I’d put it,” Miranda shrugged.

“Yeah, well you wouldn’t,” Shepard shot back, not even looking over his shoulder. “Look, we’re here to investigate what happened to the colonists and you’re here to investigate what happened to your pilgrim. If we team up, we can cover more ground.”

“Work for Cerberus? Never!”

“You wouldn’t be working for Cerberus, you’d be working for me, Prazza,” Tali chided. “Yes, Shepard, we’ll work together. The Quarian we’re looking for is Veetor. It looks like he hacked the colony’s defence mechs to protect himself.”

“Why is he here on a human colony?”

“Veetor was always uncomfortable around crowds,” Tali answered. “His suit’s been damaged.”

“Then we better get him some help,” Shepard said, checking the thermal clip in his shotgun.


@@@@@


On the shuttle back to a Cerberus station, Miranda was had just finished her preliminary mission report for the Illusive Man. There was one thing bothering her.

“Shepard, why did you side with the Quarians?”

“They haven’t tried to kill me before,” the veteran answered, casting his steely gaze towards the woman he was beginning to think of as arrogant. He started to count on his fingers. “Akuze, Edolus, Binthu, Nepheron.”

“What about Veetor? Those mechs were programmed to kill us.”

“Post-traumatic stress disorder coupled with a history of mental health issues and an infection all clouded his judgement,” Shepard replied. “I can’t hold that against him anymore than I can hold a grudge against fire for being hot.”

“Cerberus brought you back from the dead!” Miranda insisted. “I think that cuts us a little slack, don’t you?”

“Ok, so I’ll forgive you for all those times when Cerberus associates tried to kill me. What about Corporal Toombs and Admiral Kahoku? Plus there’s also that time when you planned to destroy my free will.”

“Which I told you we didn’t go through with. God, you’re not easy to get on with.”

“The team I assembled to stop Saren would disagree. When was the last time you managed to get a Krogan and a Turian to work together?”

Shepard was right, but there was no way Miranda Lawson was going to admit that just yet. There were too many unknowns about Shepard and his resurrection that made this mission difficult for her to deal with.

She had no choice other than to be strong and make back up plans in the event that Shepard just wasn’t up to the task at hand. Though getting the people necessary to go through the Omega-4 relay without Shepard or breaking the bank was going to be a challenge.

“Look, Miranda, I don’t like being an ass about things,” Shepard said, his voice taking on a softer, more thoughtful tone. “Especially when there are thousands of people who’re missing and having who knows what done to them right now. I can’t stand by and let innocent people die – it’s not who I am. Tell the Illusive Man that I’ll help him stop the Collectors.”

Miranda was a little taken aback by the kindness and humility the scarred man was showing. “Thank you, Shepard. I will.”

Jacob nodded in approval. ‘Shepard’s the right man to lead this mission.’



@@@@@



Shepard stood before the holographic representation of the Illusive Man. “I’m in.”

“¬Excellent.¬”

“I need an army. Or at least, a team of people I can trust with my life. What happened the old crew of the Normandy? What about Garrus, Liara, Tali and Wrex?”

“¬They were reassigned. And the non-Alliance crew went their separate ways. The Quarian went back to the Flotilla, though I must admit that it was a surprise to see her on Freedom’s Progress. Wrex returned to Tuchanka and hasn’t been off-world in over a year.

“¬Garrus Vakarian disappeared off the face of the galaxy. And as for Liara T’Soni...¬” There was a pause as the Illusive man searched for the right words. “¬Well, I think she’s involved with the Shadow Broker and that means I can’t trust her.¬”

“OK, I get that it means I need a new team. Got any suggestions?”

“¬As luck would have it, I have assembled some dossiers that should help you with your mission.¬”

“Thank you. Oh, one last thing,” Shepard said. “I do this my way. If you try to fuck me over with anything on this, I will find you. And then I will tear out your spine. Are we clear on this?”

“¬Perfectly.¬”


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To be continued...?
 

Lord Raa

Exporter of Juice Tins
#39
The Elusive Man





By Lord Raa





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Disclaim-me-do: I need to change my pants.





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Part 2





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Yvonne Lawson shivered in pleasure at the stern talking to she’d received from Commander Shepard.



If any other man had spoken to her like that, she’d have them fed to hungry varren.



But this was Commander Shepard. A man capable of surviving being eaten by a thresher maw. The man who managed to get a Krogan to work with a Turian. The man who saved the Citadel.



The man who would father her children.



“Yvonne… is everything alright?”



“What? Oh, yes Father. I was just talking with Commander Shepard. He’s agreed to help stop the Collectors,” the redhead answered.



“I can’t help but feel that you’re a little obsessed with Commander Shepard,” Henry Lawson said disapprovingly.



“The Commander is a good person, Father. He’s saved countless lives – if he could have saved both Alenko and Williams on Virmire in exchange for his own, he would have. He’s strong willed; any number of his combat missions would have broken a lesser human. That’s not to mention Mindoir…”



Henry Lawson sighed. He knew that Yvonne wasn’t going to change her opinion of Commander Shepard any time soon. “Do you even know what his first name is?”



“Of course I do, Father. I know all about him. His name is Stormtrooper.”



“You’re in love with a man known as Stormtrooper. Just let that sink in for a moment. Do you really think that a man like that is suitable for a normal life? That’d be like falling for a pirate called ‘Throat Slasher’ and wondering why people start leaking blood everywhere!”



“No, Father. He’s not known as Stormtrooper,” the redhead corrected. “That’s his actual name – I’ve got a copy of his birth certificate. His parents named him Stormtrooper. A perfect case of nominative determinism if ever I saw one.”



The businessman sighed. “And how is that any better, Yvonne?”



“It just is, Father. And before you get any ideas about trying to stop me, remember what happened to the Illusive Man.”



Henry Lawson held his hands up in defeat. “Alright, I won’t stand in your way, but when it all goes wrong, I will remind you that I told you so. Repeatedly.”



“And when I present you with your grandchildren, I will remind you about how awesome I am and how I told YOU so,” Yvonne smirked. ‘Best not do that in front of the Commander though. I don’t want him to think that I’m petty and small minded. Like that Williams bitch…’





@@@@@





Commander Shepard looked at the new Normandy with Joker.



“She’s a beauty, there’s no doubting that, Joker.”



“Yeah, bigger, faster, stronger, harder,” the bearded pilot nodded. “Shame our work is never over.”



“There’s always someone trying to save the galaxy from. First Saren, his Geth and Sovereign, now the Collectors. Soon, it’ll be the Reapers themselves.”



“Jeez, you’re cheery today, Commander. Come on, let’s get on board and you can see all our new toys.”



“Right behind you, Joker.”





@@@@@





“Welcome aboard, Commander Shepard,” a synthesised voice greeted as the former Spectre stepped onto CIC with Jacob, Miranda and Joker.



“Is that an AI? Aren’t they dangerous?”



“Well, yes, but we know what we’re doing,” Miranda insisted.



“If you say so, Miranda. So then, Computer, where do you think we should first?” Shepard asked.



“Omega, since we will need Mordin Solus to start work on counteracting the stasis effect of the Collectors.”



“Joker, set course for Omega,” the Spectre said, waving his hand towards the cockpit. “I’m going to take a look around, get to know my crew.”



“Aye, sir,” the pilot said as he hobbled into his seat and started the launch sequence.



When he reached the galactic map, a young woman snapped to attention.



“Yeoman Kelly Chambers at your service, Sir,” she saluted.



“Yeoman,” Shepard returned the salute. “So, what are your duties aboard the Normandy?”



“I’m your assistant, Sir, I keep track of your messages,” the redhead answered. “I also observe the crew and act as a counsellor. This is going to be a stressful mission, and we need to keep everyone at peak efficiency.”



“Very good, Yeoman,” Shepard smiled.



“Y-you can call me Kelly if you like, Sir…” the yeoman blurted out, her cheeks colouring. ‘I can’t believe I’m working with THE Commander Shepard!’



“If it’ll make you comfortable, then I will. And to be honest, I’ve never been big on formalities. If you’ll excuse me, Kelly, I need to familiarise myself with the rest of the Normandy.”





@@@@@





Doctor Karin Chakwas looked up from her computer screen when she heard the voice behind her.



“Doctor Chakwas? I can’t say that I expected to see you here on a Cerberus ship.”



“I don’t work for Cerberus, Commander,” the physician replied as she turned around in her chair. “I work for you.”



“Regardless, I’m glad to have you on board,” the Spectre smiled. “So, what happened after the destruction of the old Normandy?”



“I was stationed on Mars, but while I was helping soldiers, it didn’t feel the same. It was too safe. I guess that I just missed the excitement of serving on a starship.”



“Don’t forget that the last time we served together, we had so much excitement the ship got destroyed. This mission’s not going to be any easier than stopping Saren.”



“I believe in you, Commander. You will save us, that’s what you do.”



“No pressure, then,” Shepard grinned at his friend.



“None whatsoever, Commander,” the doctor grinned right back at him.





@@@@@





Flanked by Jacob and Miranda, Shepard stepped out of the Normandy’s airlock, his keen vision scanning the area for threats. He was surprised to see a Salarian rush up and greet him.



“Ah, Commander Shepard…”



“Beat it, Fargut,” a Batarian growled, scaring off the Salarian. “Aria T’Loak wants to speak to you. You can find her in her club, Afterlife.”



“Can I now?” the Spectre replied. His hand moved towards his hip for his pistol.



“Aria runs Omega. So what Aria wants, Aria gets. You. Afterlife. Now.”



The Batarian turned on his heel and departed, leaving the trio of humans to make their own way to Aria T’Loak.



They followed the corridor to see a human in armour punishing a Batarian.



“What’s going on here?” Shepard asked.



“Please… help me…” the injured alien begged.



“No-one said you could talk,” the surly, Australian-accented man said, punching the Batarian in the face.



“I’m not a fan of beating up defenceless people,” the Spectre said in a warning tone.



“Ah, you must be Shepard. I’ve heard about you,” the scarred man said turning to face the trio. “This poor bastard pissed off someone rich enough to pay me to bring him in alive.”



“And you are?”



“Zaeed Massani. The Illusive Man hired me to assist in your little suicide mission.”



“Yeah, I read a brief dossier on you. You don’t seem like the sort to take a suicide mission.”



“Most suicide missions don’t pay what Cerberus is paying me,” Zaeed smirked. “But there is one other thing to take care of.”



“There’s always some other thing to take care of. It’s like my life if one big quest,” Shepard sighed. “What is it?”



“I need some help getting revenge. You ever hear the name Vido Santiago?”



“Can’t say that I have. What’s he done?”



“We used to work together in the Blue Suns. We had a falling out and he betrayed me. Don’t worry, I’ll kill him myself. I just need your help getting to him,” Zaeed clarified.



“Welcome aboard,” Shepard said as he extended a hand to the mercenary.



The Batarian took the opportunity to make a bid for freedom as the two men shook hands, only to fall victim to the mercenary’s quick reflexes. Zaeed hit his prisoner in the leg with a single shot.



“I’ll see on board the Normandy,” the scarred man said as he dragged his bounty away.



Shepard turned to Miranda. “See, I’m not such a bad person, am I?”



The biotic woman shook her head. “Let’s get to Aria before we catch something nasty from this dump.”





@@@@@





Aria T’Loak wasn’t terribly impressed with Commander Shepard. Sure, he wasn’t the ugliest human she’d seen, but he didn’t look like the invincible killing machine that his reputation suggested.



“You don’t seem that bothered that I’m here.”



“I’m not. Unless you start interfering with things. Then we’re going to have a problem. There’s one rule on Omega: Don’t fuck with Aria.”



“We’re cut from the same cloth: neither of us likes being messed around. What can you tell me about Mordin Solus?”



“He’s a Salarian doctor. He keeps to himself and doesn’t like to bother people, which is good. But the thing I like most about him is that he’s practical; I heard he took out some Blue Suns mercenaries that tried to shake him down for protection money,” the Asari answered. “Just don’t get him talking – he doesn’t shut up.”



“I see,” the human nodded. “What do you know about a man named Archangel?”



“Every criminal organisation around here hates him. Eclipse, Blood Pack and the Blue Suns all want him dead for the trouble he’s caused them.”



“Sounds like just the person I’m looking for.”



“Ha,” Aria snorted in derision. “Well, if you want to find him, there’s a mercenary recruiting freelancers for the big push downstairs.”



“Thanks,” Shepard said as he rose to his feet.



“One last thing, Shepard… Is it true you killed a thresher maw single-handed?”



“Yeah. I used my biotics to burst through it after it swallowed me. Why do you ask?”



“You have a reputation and I’m trying to determine how much of it is bullshit,” Aria answered. “Some versions of the story don’t mention biotics, so I was curious as to what you’d say.”



“I’ve got a galaxy to save, Aria,” the human replied. “I don’t have time to bullshit people.”





@@@@@





It had taken only a little bit of negotiating with the Turian guarding the quarantine zone to let Shepard through to track down Mordin.



Miranda’s statement that it was a simple task to locate the Salarian and that Zaeed wasn’t necessary had been reasonably logical, up until the fourth Vorcha ambush.



The Spectre glared at the biotic woman.



“Hey, how was I supposed to know how many damned Vorcha were down here?” Miranda scowled.



“You’re right. I’m being unreasonable,” Shepard conceded as he opened the door to Mordin’s clinic.



“Don’t try anything,” a receptionist warned, gesturing to some armed mechs.



“We’re here to talk to Doctor Mordin Solus. Where is he?” Jacob said, hoping that there wouldn’t be too much friction between Shepard and Miranda.



“He’s through there.”



“Thank you,” the black man smiled.



Mordin Solus was quickly issuing instructions to his assistants. He looked up to see who had just entered the room.



“Armour not covered in normal mercenary liveries. Too well equipped for local criminals. Outsiders, but who? Omega too far from Earth Alliance space for standard military jurisdiction. Terra Firma unlikely to come to Omega. Only logical conclusion is that you are Cerberus.”



“That we are,” Miranda confirmed.



“I’m Commander Shepard and I’m here to recruit you for a mission. The Collectors are abducting human colonies and I’ve got to stop them.”



“Yes, the Collectors. Suspected that they had involvement in this plague. The virus DNA has been engineered. Curious as to why it doesn’t affect humans,” the Salarian mused.



“It doesn’t affect the Vorcha, either,” Shepard added. “They could be behind it.”



“Vorcha immune to disease, true. But the Vorcha are too savage, too primitive to create a sophisticated plague like this. No, they are just the vectors.”



“Will you help us?” the Spectre asked.



“Yes. But must stop plague here first. Also, need to find my assistant, Daniel. He left to help others, but I fear he has been captured,” Mordin sniffed. “Told him not to go, but he said he had to help those who couldn’t make it to the clinic.”



“If he’s out there, we’ll find him,” Shepard said reassuring the scientist. “How are we supposed to stop the plague?”



“Airborne antidote, but must be dispersed via the environmental system.”





@@@@@





After the distribution of the antidote, Mordin Solus was being formally inducted into the Normandy crew.



“Synthesised voice, but with inflections… AI?”



“Yes. My designation is EDI,” the ships computer answered.



“Cerberus has impressive assets at its disposal,” Mordin noted. “Will make data analysis easier.”



“I’ll show you to the lab,” Jacob said, saluting the Commander.



When they were alone, Shepard turned to Miranda.



“Shepard about the assessment, I…”



“Miranda, what happened is that we, the team, underestimated just how difficult that task was going to be. Given that we have to stop advanced aliens that managed to carve up the old Normandy like it was pumpkin, it’s easy for us to focus on big picture rather than the immediate task that’s on hand,” the Spectre said calmly.



Miranda blinked. “You’re not angry? When we were on the mission, I could tell…”



Shepard shook his head. “Miranda, I might have been unhappy, but chewing you out in the middle of a fire fight isn’t going to change that we underestimated the situation. What am I supposed to do, toss you out the airlock? We are going to be outnumbered every step of the way. That means we have to use our heads so we can use our guns more efficiently.”



“Understood,” the Australian accented woman nodded. ‘Yes, I can see why the Illusive Man wanted Shepard to lead this mission.’



“Good. Now, tell Joker to set course for the Citadel. I want to check in with Captain Anderson.”





@@@@@





The Illusive Man was negotiating with Kasumi Goto for the use of her services.



“And just what is it that you think that I can do for you?” asked the thief.



“¬I take it you’re aware of the disappearances of human colonists?¬”



“Yes. The Alliance doesn’t seem to know what to do about it.”



“¬But I do,¬” the Illusive Man smiled.



“I’m good, but I can’t steal the colonists back from the Collectors.”



“¬I fear that those who have been abducted have already been lost. But I have taken steps to prevent further Collectors attacks on humans.¬”



Kasumi cast a sceptical eye over the hologram in front of her. “Short of shutting down the relay network, I don’t see what you can... Wait... a little bird told me that you’re behind Commander Shepard’s return. Is he part of your plan?”



The Illusive Man smiled. “¬Can you think of a better man to lead the mission than Commander Shepard? You have skills that he will need. Of course, you’ll be well compensated for your time. In addition, I believe that he will be able to retrieve the grey box that Donovan Hock stole...¬”



“All right, I’ll help you.”



“¬Excellent. Oh, one last thing, it’s unlikely that we will have direct contact like this again. However, you may find yourself contacted by a young woman called Yvonne. She may have some other work for you. It’s nothing dangerous, but it’s good money for minor inconvenience.¬”



“Understood.”





@@@@@





Having cut the communication link, Yvonne Lawson allowed herself a giggle. ‘Yes, Kasumi Goto, the greatest thief in the galaxy, will finally allow me to get my hands on my greatest treasure…’



Yvonne knew that her father wouldn’t approve of her desire for what would be the crowning glory of her shrine, but he was a fool in all matters but those of business.



Henry Lawson thought that he could control his eldest daughter, Miranda. When that failed, he tried again, only for Miranda to take Oriana away from him. He thought that the Illusive Man would allow him to get Oriana back without a struggle from Miranda.



That was never going to happen – Miranda would never stand for what she saw as the enslavement of others. Despite what her father thought, the ends did not always justify the means.



Yvonne was following in his footsteps in that she was ensuring that the human race thrived in the galactic community, but she didn’t feel the same enthusiasm for human dominance that the Illusive Man had felt.



She knew the difference between anti-alien and pro-human, but that didn’t mean that she felt comfortable pulling strings and manipulating people to achieve Cerberus’ goals.



The best way for humanity’s standing to improve in the galactic arena would be for it to win the battle for hearts and minds. Stopping Sovereign was a key part of that battle, but it wasn’t enough.



Especially since the Council wanted to keep people calm and carry on. A war footing would not help if there was no enemy to be fought.



No, things had to be as normal as possible. Yvonne understood that.



However, she was now in control of Cerberus’ considerable resources. Perhaps, once the Collectors had been stopped, she could convince Commander Shepard to take control of Cerberus and use these resources to protect the galaxy from the Reapers?



All it would take for such a helping hand for the galaxy would be marriage to a beautiful young woman. Hardly the biggest sacrifice Shepard could possibly be asked to make.



Even if that wasn’t enough, perhaps the dowry of her father’s business empire would be enough to sweeten the deal?



Once the Reapers were defeated, the Commander would have earned some time off. And a honeymoon would be a great way to spend that time off.





@@@@@





“¬Commander, we’re coming up to the Citadel,¬” Joker announced over the comm.



“Thanks, Joker. I’ll be right down,” Shepard replied. He looked at the newest dossier that had been sent to him. ‘A thief? I’m not sure I approve, but I need all the help I can get. At least I won’t have to go far to find her.’



Activating the comm. system, the Commander told Miranda and Zaeed to meet at the airlock before putting on his armour.





@@@@@





Armando Bailey looked up from his computer screen at Commander Shepard. “It says here you’re dead. You weren’t using it as a tax dodge, were you?”



“I was declared MIA a couple of years back. To be honest, it’s getting pretty annoying having to tell people I’m not dead,” Shepard admitted. “What do you mean tax dodge?”



“Some people think that by spending a year dead, they can reduce their tax liabilities. I’m not sure cost effective it is to actually be brought back from the dead. The amount it would cost would dwarf any actual income tax owed unless you were Henry Lawson,” Bailey explained.



Miranda frowned for a moment. ‘Why can’t I escape my father?’



“But I can see you’re actually alive and now with a few keystrokes, I have updated your records.”



Shepard looked thoughtful for a moment. “Wait, won’t that get both of us into trouble?”



“I just saved you weeks of running round trying to get appointments with various bureaucrats.”



“In that case, thank you,” Shepard smiled. “I hate having to deal with red tape.”





@@@@@





Captain Anderson was surprised to see Commander Shepard walk into his office with Zaeed Massani and Miranda Lawson.



“Shepard?”



“Captain,” the resurrected man smiled as he shook his friend’s hand. “How’s it going?”



“I’m on the line with the Council.”



“¬I see that the rumours of your return are true,¬” the Salarian councillor mused.



“Yeah. I was dead, but Cerberus brought me back. Listen, what are you doing about the Collector attacks on human colonies?”



“¬There’s not a lot we can do, Commander Shepard,¬” the Asari councillor admitted. “¬It is a human affair.¬”



“But the Collectors are working with the Reapers,” Shepard insisted.



“¬Ah yes, the ‘Reapers’. We have investigated that claim and found it lacking credibility,¬” the Turian councillor said dismissively.



“… What about Sovereign? Didn’t that prove anything?”



“¬Saren was a charismatic individual who managed to procure an advanced ship from the Geth. He was very persuasive,¬” the Asari replied.



“… Alright, if you say so. What about the Collectors? Are you going to let me go about my investigation?” Shepard asked. He was beginning to wonder if this part of his visit was a waste of time.



The Council looked at each other. “¬I believe that it would be best if you were the one to conduct this investigation into the attacks on human colonies,¬” the Salarian stated. “¬We will reinstate your Spectre status on the condition that you restrict your activities to the Terminus systems.¬”



“Thank you,” the Spectre nodded respectfully.



“¬Captain Anderson, we have other business to attend to,¬” the Turian said before the signal was cut off.



“That was surprisingly civil of you,” Zaeed mused. “Not one swear word.”



“No sense in burning bridges,” Shepard shrugged. “So, Captain-”



The door opened and in walked Councillor Udina.



“What’s going on here?” he demanded. “Shepard?”



“We were discussing the Collector attacks with the Council.”



“Without me?” Udina protested. “That’s a massive breach in protocol!”



Shepard rolled his eyes. “That’s one way of looking at it. Another is that Captain Anderson was securing my reinstatement as a Spectre allowing me to stop the Collectors without any political fallout for the Council.”



“Yes… that’s a good way to spin things. I’m not happy that you went over my head, Anderson, but I’ll see what I can do to help,” the Councillor said as he left for his private office.



“So, you’re still alive,” Anderson said as he looked out from the balcony.



“Yeah.”



The older man smiled for a moment. “And now you’re working with Cerberus.”



“They’re the only ones who can stop the Collectors. What else was I supposed to do, Captain?” Shepard asked.



Anderson let out a chuckle. “That’s the Shepard I know – always trying to save as many as possible.”



Anderson’s omnitool sparked into life. “¬Anderson, I need you in my office.¬”



“We’ll talk later, Captain,” Shepard saluted before shaking hands with his former CO.



When they were alone, Zaeed took a look at the view. “Prothean architecture certainly beats Omega.”



“It’s like nothing else,” Miranda commented approvingly.



“It’s not Prothean,” the Spectre corrected. “The Citadel, the mass relays, all created by the Reapers.”



“Who told you that?” asked the mercenary.



“Sovereign did. It’s part of the Reapers’ plan to direct our development down a certain path. Anyway, I need to find this Kasumi Goto person. The Illusive Man thinks that she’ll be a great asset on our mission.”





@@@@@





To be continued…
 
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