There were few people in the galaxy that the Illusive Man would rise in order to greet, but the cultured man who served as humanity's first Councilor was the second most powerful human alive – after the Illusive Man himself – and thus deserving the gesture.
He was also one of the few people ever to be brought to Cerberus headquarters, and the Illusive Man could tell from Miranda's tension that she disagreed with his decision. However, sheer necessity required some allowances for strange bedfellows. Councilor Khushrenada was a cunning politician, but he was also a military man at heart. A meeting over a vidlink, even a full holographic one, would not only have failed to impress him but given him the notion that Cerberus was too weak, too fearful, to show itself, and thus too weak to be worth aiding.
A face to face meeting was the only way to bring about his cooperation.
"Councilor Khushrenada. How generous of you to come all this way."
"Mister Illusive Man," he greeted in reply, not batting so much as an eyelash at the somewhat strange title. His kind were always polite to a fault. He was impeccably dressed, an old style uniform replica giving the appearance of military despite his current civilian occupation. The only thing that stood out was the black mourning band tied around his arm. Sources claimed he had worn it ever since the Collector attack.
"Your purposely cryptic message turned out impossible to resist. Pray tell, what is there for us to discuss?" Due to the Councilor's need to at least show appearance of diplomacy to the other races, he spent a great deal of time denying Cerberus. It wouldn't do to call the Councilor hostile – he was too pragmatic for that. But impatient was perhaps a suitable word. The Illusive Man got right to the point.
"Commander Shepard."
Khushrenada's eyes turned hard. "A terrible tragedy, the brightest candle of humanity, snuffed out."
The Illusive Man agreed. He remembered the chill that had gripped his gut when her battered and broken Gundam had been retrieved from Alchera, without her in it. Reports from the survivors claimed she'd been on her way to the launch bay from the bridge when the ship broke apart. A terribly demeaning way for a Gundam pilot to die, especially one as precious as her.
"I quite concur. Which is why we have recovered Commander Shepard's body, and are in the process of reviving her as we speak."
The blink of an eye passed.
"I see." Khushrenada showed barely any reaction, nor did his breathing change, but the Illusive Man could tell he was moved beyond emotion. It was the little details, how his eyes gazed out to the collapsing star beyond, how his gloved hands tensed minutely. How his lips quirked in a smile, there one heartbeat, gone the next.
When he turned back to the Illusive Man, his voice was completely neutral again. "So you have taken upon yourself the role of God?"
"I am merely lending a helping hand," he replied modestly.
"It's all science," Miranda supplied helpfully, perhaps missing the finer point of contention between himself and the Councilor. "Cellular regeneration, assisted by cloning and biosynthetics."
Khushrenada regarded her calmly. "Tell me, can your science recreate true beauty?"
The Illusive Man saw Miranda's wistful look as she drew the wrong conclusion.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you cared for her," she said, as sympathetic as he'd ever heard her. "I have the best surgical equipment and cosmetic surgeons working on her. When we are done, she will look the way she did, or perhaps even better."
"I am not speaking of physical beauty, Ms. Lawson." The rebuke was very mild, delivered perfectly politely.
In the Illusive Man's opinion, Councilor Khushrenada's view of Shepard stretched too far into the sentimental. The Illusive Man saw the mind and the drive of humanity in Shepard. Khushrenada saw humanity's soul, its essence. Two opposite sides of a coin. Yet also the same coin. That was why they could work together, in this matter at least.
"She will be Shepard. Everything she was, and nothing less," the Illusive Man said, and Khushrenada nodded, understanding the meaning behind the words. He even touched his mourning band, though he didn't take it off.
"We will need to make preparations for her return," he said instead, quickly catching on to the second item on the agenda.
"Yes. Her return will no doubt cause quite a stir. I have set events in motion to support a positive pro-human spin on her apparent resurrection, and I am feeding carefully planted seeds to remind people of her legend, so that the ripples she causes will carry far and wide. However, there is one main issue. Cerberus resources are vast, but not infinite. We can rebuild Shepard and supply her with a ship, but she will need a new Gundam as well."
The Councilor inclined his head. "I understand. Please allow me to take care of that. It is the least I can do for the soldier of the future."
"Thank you. Though we can't contribute more in the way of meaningful resources, any relevant intel Cerberus possesses is at your disposal. Nothing less than the best will suffice."
"If you will give her life, then I will give her meaning. If that is all, I will return to the Citadel, I have much to do."
"There is one other thing," the Illusive Man said, not hesitant, but not fully comfortable either. "The matter of the turian. Once Shepard is awake she will no doubt seek him out first thing she does." He said no more, the other man would know the issues at hand.
He had considered neutralising the turian, and then making certain there were suitable replacements subtly guided into Shepard's path. Yet because of the risk to Shepard he had not been certain it was the right choice, and thus he sought advice from the one other human who could possibly understand what was at stake.
The Councilor stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. "I understand your concern, but sometimes it is the irritant which makes the oyster make the pearl."
The Illusive Man considered this. The Councilor made a very good point. Shepard's love for the turian was perhaps an integral part of what made her who she was.
"I see. Then I suppose we shall simply have to let nature take its course. Though we'll continue to provide it with a gentle guiding hand. Miranda, would you please show the Councilor to his ship."