Saren Arterius was put under house arrest on the judgment of the Council. It happened like this: fellow Spectres began to submit anonymous letters detailing his escalating instability and ruthlessness that made subsequent Spectre actions difficult. Coming behind him to pick up the pieces, to gather intel, to make some headway with their own separate missions was an ordeal with his scorched earth tactics.

The Council was loathe to take action. But those letters continued to accumulate, insinuating that he was on the verge of actually entering the underworld of crime syndicates and networks not in the name of mission success for the Council, but for his own gain. That threat was too much for the Council; they would not be responsible for the transformation of one of their own into a crimelord.

He was summoned. He was told in the presence of other Spectres, many attending in person in the Council chambers or watching over live vidfeed, that he was no longer free to leave Citadel space. His ship and files were seized for investigation and everything was open for selected C-Sec and Spectre analysts to go through.

Nihlus thought to himself that Saren's composure during that stage of the tribunal was admirable.

That would be because Saren was turning his head, surveying the other Spectres in audience.

"He's making a list," Nihlus whispered. "Marking targets."

"That just makes him appear definitely unhinged," Shepard murmured back.

Nihlus could only agree.

The Council spoke on. He needed a watcher from amongst the Spectres. Certain individuals were already excused from the duty. One must step forward.

Nihlus shook his head when Saren looked at him. No past or current apprentices could be in such a position. They both knew it. It was bittersweet that it took a Council tribunal to have Saren looking for his help.

"I'll do it," Shepard stood up.

It did not escape anybody that now Saren's mandibles flared and he looked with undisguised loathing at her.

The Councilors conferred. She was a student of a student. Would that be far enough away from potential influence? On the other hand, he clearly would have no past dealings with her, considering his reputation for hating humans. They asked the assembled Spectres if Shepard met with their approval for the duty of particular watcher of Saren Arterius.

There was an ominous drag of a pause. It spoke of doubt in the new Spectre's ability to handle Saren.

"I have no reservations on her ability," Nihlus announced.

Saren looked away.

Nihlus' confidence in her was enough. The Councilors closed the tribunal. Shepard and Nihlus remained behind and were shown to the safehouse where Saren and Shepard would reside. They began to investigate the facility. It would be futile to remove absolutely everything that could be used as a weapon. Saren was good. But then, so was Shepard. In a bid to make her duty easier, Nihlus began to speak of Saren, of his waking habits, his likes (few) and dislikes (many). She took particular note about how he took his kava. Every little bit was useful.

"This place is nice," she concluded at the end of their walkthrough. "Too bad I'm sharing it with Mr. Sunshine."

Nihlus laughed and agreed.

There was a solarium, a workout room, the kitchen was nicely stocked, and the shared bathroom had a built in hot tub.

"Do you think Saren is... guilty?" Shepard asked. "Crossed the line?"

"... I hope not," Nihlus sighed. "I hope that in the end it's just political maneuvering on the part of the others. But for as long as I've known him, he does what few dare. And because of that, it is easy to think that of him."

Saren himself arrived, with his handlers. He ignored Nihlus. He was glaring at Shepard.

Nihlus went out the front door, it slid shut behind him, the lock indicators blinked red, and he stood to wait.

Saren's opening move was a shockwave. Shepard already had a corona of power flashing to the fore and she caught it. To his surprise, she tangled her energies around it and spun, whipping that shockwave right back at him. He leaped clear and the power slammed into a wall.

This place had the power to withstand holding powerful asari. The wall shuddered, but held.

He lashed out again with a reave and she repeated that strange technique that he had never encountered before, bending and rebounding the attack back at him. He hissed and closed the distance, striking out with outreached claws. She dodged and now they were trading blows augmented with biotic power. Each hit and block zapped with clashing energies.

Was it ten minutes? Fifteen?

Shepard's corona flashed bright once more and to Saren's horror, he felt it enveloping his own field. He flared it out but she covered him with a multitude of pinpricking anchors and lifted him bodily up. Instead of slamming him down on the floor, she kept him in the air.

"You. Are going to stop your little tantrum right now," she said.

Saren snarled and sent out an omnidirectional blast of power. Shepard took it fully, her feet sliding backwards on the floor, as she kept her hold on him absolute.

"Come. The fuck. ON," Shepard shouted.

"NO!"

He expelled another blast. In the moment that he had to catch his breath and his amp seared with warning, Shepard responded with a squeeze over the entirety of his body. Saren had no idea how long he fought that terrible alien biotic vise grip. He blacked out.

When he woke, Nihlus was sitting beside him on the floor. He held out a plate of steak. It smelled wonderful. Saren snarled.

"Come on," Nihlus said patiently. "Cooperate."

Saren could see Shepard sitting at the dining table, eating to recoup her own energy reserves. He snarled again, but took the plate from Nihlus in the end.

Nihlus stood. Saren remained sitting on the floor. Nihlus made an exasperated mandible flick, looking between the two of them before choosing to go stand beside Shepard. When Saren was done with his steak, he wordlessly stood up and stalked to the kitchen, out of sight, where Nihlus had cooked another steak for him.

"He's in a solid sulk now," Nihlus whispered.

"Big baby," Shepard whispered back.

"This won't be the end of it."

Shepard cracked her knuckles.

"I'm counting on it."

Nihlus finally left. Saren went to his room. Shepard pulled up a catalog of books available within the limited network of the safehouse, chose a book, and went to her room to read until she fell asleep.

The next morning, breakfast had uncomfortable tension. Shepard decided to kill time by taking a long shower. Saren stretched out in the solarium. When Shepard saw him, she had to restrain herself from audibly laughing. Turians loved sunning, yet Saren was the only one she had ever seen who could maintain a disgruntled expression while doing so.

She made her way to the workout room and got onto a treadmill. She was ten minutes into her jog when Saren made an appearance. She felt him watching her. Without a word, he went to the treadmill next to hers and began at the same pace.

If he never says another word, that wouldn't be so bad, she thought. Creepy, but hey, she can play the Silent Game.

They went, side by side, until Shepard switched to a slower pace to begin her cool down.

"Tired?"

Shepard looked at him. He was sneering at her.

Oh. Okay. Cantankerous ass. She switched back to jogging pace and looked straight ahead, her steps sure. It is so on.

tbc