Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Mars - part 1

They had gotten into the base and Aubrey moved to close the airlock and start equalizing pressure. She hadn't responded to his veiled accusation.

"I need a straight answer, Commander," he started.

"Kaidan," she tried to interrupt.

"Don't 'Kaidan' me!" he cut her off, "Do you have any idea why Cerberus is here?"

"I can't be any clearer, Major - I don't know!" she replied, not backing down. "Why the hell would I?"

She was daring him to accuse her of being a traitor again like he had on Horizon. He clenched his jaw refusing to take the bait. "You worked for them, Shepard, how can I not think that you still are?" Okay, so I'll call her a traitor, but do it really politely, he thought. How very Canadian of me.

"Because I've had no contact with them...hell no contact with anyone...since I destroyed the Collector base and turned myself in."

"She's telling the truth, Major," James jumped in. "The Commander has been under constant surveillance since being brought back to Earth. Admiral Anderson and I have been the only ones in or out of her quarters and I've escorted her to and from every hearing personally."

The pressure equalized and the platform raised them toward the main cargo bay. She took her helmet off and he was finally able to see the pain in her eyes at his continued mistrust. "You of all people should know me better," she said, turning away, drawing her rifle and walking into the bay.

Dammit, he mentally kicked himself. She was right. He couldn't explain why he was still so hung up over the whole Cerberus thing, or why he couldn't shake the feelings of mistrust.

Rattling in the ventilation ducts above them distracted him from his thoughts and any reply he might have made as they all ducked behind cover. He watched as the grate was kicked off the end of the duct and Liara jumped down, two Cerberus commandos hot on her heels. She turned and dropped a singularity over them, sweeping them into it. She pulled a pistol and shot the one down while Aubrey's rifle took the other one. The Asari jumped and turned to face them.

"Good to see you Liara," Aubrey said, coming out from cover and holstering her gun.

"Aubrey!" she cried, throwing herself into Shepard's arms for a hug. "Thank the Goddess you're alive! And Kaidan," she said turning to hug him, too.

"Hey Liara," he replied, returning the hug.

"This is Lieutenant James Vega," Aubrey said introducing them. They shook hands.

"I heard about Earth. I'm so sorry," she said sadly. "Why aren't you there? What are you doing on Mars?"

"Admiral Hackett ordered us here to secure you and any potential intel you found."

"That makes sense. I've been searching for months and finally found blueprints in the Archives to what I think is a weapon that the Protheans were working on to fight the Reapers," she explained. "It turns out they were very close to defeating them."

"So, let's get these plans and build this thing so we can get our asses back to Earth," James said.

"We need to get to the Archives across the tramway," she said, pointing to a building on the other side of a canyon from where they had entered the complex. "But Cerberus troops are everywhere."

"What the hell are they after, Liara?" Kaidan asked.

"They want the plans, too. A weapon strong enough to defeat the Reapers..."

"That would definitely interest the Illusive Man," Aubrey finished for her. She closed her eyes and huffed a sigh of frustration. "Alright, James, I need you to get back to the shuttle and watch the exits. If Cerberus beats us to the plans, I'll need you to track them."