Just a Mass Effect 3 fanfic

Citadel Business

(On the Normandy, Thorne rushes in and carefully places Ashley on one of the medical beds)

(James also comes in and drops Eva's body on a table)

Liara: To get Ashley the medical attention she needs, we'll have to leave the sol system

Thorne: I know. The citadel hospital's our best chance

Shepard: Get us to the citadel, Joker

Joker: Roger that

Thorne: Just hold on, Ash...

Shepard: See what you and EDI can learn from that thing

EDI: Commander, I'm receiving a signal over the secondary QEC. I believe it's Admiral Hackett

Shepard: Patch him through

EDI: I'll forward it to the comm room

(Shepard, Thorne, and Liara walk into the comm room and start talking to a holographic projection of Hackett, which is a little distorted)

Hackett: Shepard? Are you reading me, Commander?

Shepard: EDI, can you clear this up?

EDI: I'll do my best

(The projection of Admiral Hackett clears up)

Hackett: Did you get to the archives?

Shepard: We were there. But so was cerberus

Hackett: Hmm. I was worried cerberus might try something. Did you get the data?

Shepard: Most of it. The Illusive Man downloaded some before I could stop him. EDI and Liara are analyzing what we recovered

Hackett: What did you learn? Was it worth the effort?

Liara: Preliminary evidence suggests the data is a blueprint for a prothean device

Hackett: Device?

(Liara sends Hackett some data with her omni-tool)

Liara: A weapon. Massive in size and scope, that's capable of unquantifiable levels of destruction

Hackett: Send me the data, and we can do an analysis of our own. If Liara's instincts are right, then this might be the key to stopping the reapers

Thorne: I hope so. Lieutenant-Commander Williams was WIA. We're taking her to the citadel hospital. She's going to be out of commission for some time

Hackett: That's a shame. She's a good soldier. One of our best. I hope she makes a quick recovery. But we all know this is just the beginning. Shepard. Talk with the council. With luck, they'll give you the support you need

Shepard: And if they don't?

Hackett: Then do whatever it takes to get them on board. I'll be in touch soon. Hackett out

(Hackett cuts off his transmission)

Liara: Shepard. EDI is extracting the data from the cerberus machine. We'll have details to present to the council by the time we reach the citadel. I've done what I can for Ashley, but she needs medical attention soon. The admiral's right. It's going to get worse, isn't it?

Thorne: Yeah, he is. Things always get worse before they get better

Shepard: Unless we miraculously stop the reapers, then yes