As soon as the Cerberus troops were cleared out of the tramway's control room, Shelby went over to the long desk under the big window and brought up the live security feeds. They instantly saw Dr. Eva who was barking orders at a Cerberus trooper, an unsurprising aspect of her character from what Shelby's group had seen of the Doctor thus far.
"Set up a perimeter. No one else comes across."
"We still have teams on the other side..." The trooper started.
"No one! And shut down those cameras!" The doctor ordered before shooting out the cameras.
"Looks like they made it to the Archives." Liara stated with a tinge of worry in her tone.
"And I doubt they'll just send us a tram." Kaidan added.
"Can you override it?" Shelby asked Liara.
Liara turned to the console and tried to override it, but shook her head at it. "The Archives are on a seprate network. We're completely locked out."
"Not if we can find a short-range communicator. Helmet to helmet." Kaidan pointed out.
"And?" Shelby curiously urged him to continue.
"And we convince them that we're on their side, tell them the Alliance forces have been taken care of."
"Good idea. See what you can find." She said with a nod and Kaidan set out.
Shelby turned to go back over to Liara who was sitting at the desk with one of the computers, intently watching Shelby.
"What?"
Liara turned back to the computer. "The Major has become very.... capable."
"That he has." Shelby agreed as she looked to the door Kaidan had gone out of.
"Shepard! I found something!"
"Speak of the devil." Shelby said with a little smile to Liara before she went over to Kaidan. "What've you got, Kaidan?"
Kaidan was crouched in front of a dead Cerberus trooper. "There's a transmitter in his helmet. If I can..." Kaidan started as he popped open the helmet, and was met with a gruesome sight. "My god. He looks like a husk." Kaidan said as he moved back.
"Yeah, not quite. But they've definatly done something to him." Shelby said as she moved over to the trooper to get a better look.
"And by they, you mean Cerberus?" Kaidan started as he moved closer to Shelby. "They did this to their own guy? Is this what they did to you?" He asked in concern.
Shelby stood up and faced Kaidan. "How could you compare me to him??" She was clearly offended.
"Shelby, I don't know what you are? Or who... Not since Cerberus rebuilt you. For all I know, you could be their puppet, controlled by the Illusive Man himself." Kaidan said and finally turned to face Shelby.
"Kaidan... "
"Don't try to explain it. I don't think I'd understand anyway." Kaidan started as he rubbed the back of his hand on his forehead. "I just want to know, is the person I followed to hell and back- the person that I loved- are you still in there...somewhere?"
"They didn't change me, Kaidan. Or how I feel about you." Shelby admitted and briefly put her hand on his upper arm. "But words won't convince you, will they?"
"Probably not." Kaidan said with a shrug.
"I didn't think so." Shelby started with a sigh. "You were always stubborn." She playfully told him.
"Me?" He asked with a chuckle.
"Yeah, you." Shelby smiled out.
"I'm pretty sure there's a second party on that boat." Kaidan said while returning the smile.
"Well, yeah. Liara wouldn't be much of an information broker if she wasn't stubborn. Though, I'm pretty certain you have her beat."
"Liara's not who I meant, and you know it." He pointed out.
"Why, I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Shelby smartassed.
"Uh huh." Kaidan said with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Come on. Let's see what Cerberus is up to. Maybe we'll both get some answers." Shelby said before picking up the transmitter Kaidan had found and started her message. "Hello. This is Delta team. Anybody there?"
"Where the hell have you been?" The soldier started and Shelby and Kaidan exchanged victorious smirks. "Nevermind. What's your status?"
"We're at the tram station, waiting for extraction. All hostiles terminated."
"Roger that. Echo team will ride over and secure the station."
"Think they bought it?" Kaidan asked as Shelby lightly tossed the transmitter.
"If they didn't, they'll figure it out soon enough." Shelby said as Liara came out to join them.
"We should get in position, flank them when they get off the tram."
"Good thinking, Major." Shelby said as she got her sniper riffle out and took cover as Liara and Kiadan did the same. Now it was just a matter of waiting for Cerberus to show up.
****
After fighting Cerberus troops all the way until the door to the Archives, everyone stuck close together, with their weapons ready as they moved through the door. The room surrounding a Prothean becon was vacant of people as far as they could tell, so they lowered their weapons.
"Kaidan." Shelby stated with a sideways nod, sending him to patrol the area as Shelby and Liara scurried over to the beacon.
The girls put their weapons away and took off their helmets as they stopped in front of the beacon's console, looking up at it in amazement.
"Shepard." They heard in a hauntingly familiar voice behind them.
Liara immediately drew her pistol as she and Shelby both whiped around. "Illusive man?"
YOU ARE READING
Second Chances(A Mass Effect Fan fiction)
Fanfiction*UNDER REVISIONS* Shelby Shepard didn't lead a very interesting life in her 16 years on the colony of Mindor. But one fateful day, her life was turned completely upside down. She is forced to leave her home and start a new life. Will she thrive or f...
