CRONOS STATION
The Reaper on Suen was broken up into three smaller pieces, and were transported off of the planet. While they accomplished their goal, Cerberus lost a lot of men, and the survivors will never be the same. The Fighter Squadron, the Cruiser, the Frigate, and the transports returned back to Cronos Station. Immediately upon their return, Cerberus Scientists and Engineers began to study the Reaper parts, eventually finding exactly what Cerberus was looking for: The Identify Friend/Foe, or IFF. The device was immediately locked away for examination while Cerberus continued researching other parts of the Reaper, focusing on ways to mimic the main cannon, as well as attempting to reverse engineer it's shields and it's atmosphere landing systems.
Michael woke up two days after the raid on Suen, and was informed that while he wasn't too wounded physically, he had suffered major head trauma. Though, thanks to modern medical science, he should be perfectly fine in just a few days. Michael checked out of the infirmary and made his way to the Illusive Man's Chambers, walking into the massive room wearing the typical black, white, and yellow uniform with Cerberus Emblems. The Illusive Man sat in his chair with his legs crossed, smoking a cigarette. Michael approached, standing next to the Illusive Man and staring out the massive window. There was no speaking for a few moments, only silence, until the Illusive Man spoke.
"You did well on Suen, as I expected"
"We lost a lot of men..." said Michael, not sure if the cost was worth the product. All those soldiers are dead, for a Reaper. The Illusive Man always had a plan though... always.
"Yes, but they're expendable... what matters is we have the IFF. Now we just need to take the necessary measures to take down the Collectors. We do that... and we have limitless Reaper knowledge"
"What is your plan for the Reapers?" asked Michael.
"Time will answer all of your questions. Just keep following my instructions and everything will soon fall into place"
Michael sighed and nodded. "Alright. What's the next mission?"
"You'll be informed later on. I need to make sure everything's in place"
Michael nodded, patting the Illusive Man on the shoulder. "Keep me updated"
MARS ARCHIVES, MARS, SOL SYSTEM
The last few days were spent getting everything in order for when the plan would be carried out. John Rolf exited the facility in midday to meet Dr. Stephen Weber, a false named Cerberus Agent who was to help John extract the data from the Mars Archives. Both Agents knew the stakes, and Rolf knew exactly what was in the records: The solution to the Reaper threat. If Cerberus could build this... this weapon, if Cerberus could study all of this information, the Galaxy could very well be saved.
John introduced Dr. Weber to the rest of the research team at the Archives, then showed him to his quarters. There, they secretly discussed via pen and paper the plan that would take place within a few days. It was important that the data be extracted without immediately being discovered by the Alliance. Both men knew what they had to do...