Mass Effect: Transcendence

Periphery

Periphery 

by writeowl

The reflection from the comm screen glowed orange on Shepard's face. She stood in her quarters on the Normandy, her profile outlined in the room's diluted light. She stood, waiting patiently until the figure of an Alliance captain finally appeared on screen. The skin crinkled around the corners of the captain's pale blue eyes as she smiled at Shepard's image. They saluted one another. "It's good to see you, Captain," Shepard said. 

The captain tucked the graying strands of hair behind her left ear. "You as well, Commander," she replied. "I must say, it's a welcome relief to see you. I don't usually get the honor of a personal meeting with you these days. Most of the time, I've got to knock down the door of every hard-assed Alliance brass out there just to find out where your ship has docked, let alone what you're actually doing. But I guess I shouldn't complain. Happy to have the privilege, I suppose. Especially since we hadn't heard from you once everything went to hell in a hand basket out there on Earth. Thought maybe they did you in for good this time. " 

Shepard scratched the back of her head and grinned. "I've got eight more lives." 

The captain crossed her arms and shook her head. "And from the reports I heard, it was nearly seven. Don't be so eager to use them all up at once." 

Shepard nodded. She couldn't hide the amused expression on her face. "Noted, ma'am."  

"So tell me," the captain said as she leaned against the desk behind her. The neatly stacked datapads shifted slightly against her weight. She readjusted them. "What's the situation out there, Commander? I don't want the fluff or the speeches. What's really going on, plain and simple?" 

Shepard thought for a moment. Her expression was pensive. She hesitated. "It's grim," she said finally, her voice firm. "The resistance is splintered everywhere. There's no focus. Earth's burning as we speak. The turians are slowly retreating from Palaven--" 

"Are they trying at all to hold it?" 

Shepard shook her head. "They've focused their military forces on Menae at this point." 

The captain sighed. She rubbed her forehead. "They've retreated to one of their moons already?" 

"It's the best shot they have." 

"The bases are strongholds, but they won't last forever," the captain replied.  

"They know. The Reapers have been sending in ground forces to pick them off one by one." She paused, balling her hand into a fist by her side. "But they're holding on for now." 

The captain sighed again, exhaling deeper than before. She rested her forefinger and thumb against her temple, watching in silence as Shepard wandered over to the wall of model ships. The commander ran her fingers along the curve of the miniature quarian vessel. 

"Shepard, is there any way to get assistance to Earth?" the captain asked finally, her voice almost pleading. 

"We're working on it, Captain." 

"I thought for sure that the turians were our best bet. But from what I've seen, the Reapers are trying to divide and conquer as swiftly as possible. Truly a blitzkrieg of massive proportions, if I've ever seen one. And the sickening part is that it's working. No one is willing to risk their corner of the galaxy for someone else."  

"We haven't exhausted all our options yet. Where's the Orizaba now?" Shepard asked, turning to face the comm. 

The captain shifted her weight again against the desk. "Our ship is in the Petra Nebula, cleaning out the remnants of Cerberus after you plowed through here. We were previously hailed to the Horse Head Nebula to assist the Shasta. But we were delayed in our own battles at that time in the Maroon Sea. We...didn't get there in time."