SAREN'S HEARING
Kaidan waited on Jane for when she was officially released from the med bay. He'd felt extreme guilt over the incident with the Prothean beacon. If he hadn't been so damn curious to see why it was glowing, this all could've been avoided. Truth be told, Kaidan had always found the Commander quite attractive but couldn't seem to pin down how she felt about him, regardless of long they'd known each other. He, Ashley, and Jane were old comrades from Alliance training back on Jump Zero and the moment he saw her, he was smitten. Though, much to his disappointment, it has been an unrequited love so far.
His heart leapt when he saw her coming through the doors of the med bay.
"Jane! I'm glad to see you're okay." She granted him a soft smile. "It was hard losing Jenkins. I'm glad we didn't lose you too..." he professed softly, taking a step forward. She mirrored his step by taking one back.
"Jenkins will be missed," she responded, ignoring his last comment. Jane's been an expert in acting oblivious to Kaidan's advances by now. It was almost second nature. However, it seemed that he's just as oblivious of her disinterest.
"It's just that...I was there! You did everything right and it was just bad luck how everything went down. Hell of a shakedown cruise. Our first mission together ends with one Spectre killing another."
"Yeah. I can only imagine how upset the Council is going to be once we debrief them."
"We're going to the Citadel now?! I heard we were going there, but I wasn't sure. I've never been. Heard it's quite a site to see."
"I guess we'll see when we get there."
A furious fist pounded the desk causing a frightening quake. Ambassador Udina brought the team into his office on the Citadel after requesting an audience with the Council. It hadn't exactly gone their way.
"I see you brought your whole crew with you," Udina remarked bitterly, wiping his disgust from the prior conversation off his face.
"Just the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions," Anderson replied.
The two have always had a rocky relationship. A politician never saw things the same way a military man did. It took two completely different types men to do each job. Anderson respected the atmosphere and dynamics that government relations had. Udina didn't reciprocate that respect. Jane walked up to Anderson's side for support. Ashely and Kaidan stood back. They went to the office ledge to look over the garden, letting Jane take lead with the displeasure of dealing with an irate Ambassador Udina.
"I have the mission report. I assume they're accurate?" he retorted in disdain. Anderson nodded. "They were not happy about it. Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason."
Jane jumped in. "Saren's a threat to every human colony out there. He needs to be stopped. The Council has to listen to us!"
"Settle down, Commander," the Ambassador snapped. "You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres."
Jane felt a scintilla of defeat. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove she can get the job done, but instead Nihlus ended up dead and an ancient Prothean artifact was destroyed. She knows the Council will have a hard time looking beyond that. As always, and thankfully, Captain Anderson was quick to defend her, arguing that it's Saren's fault. Udina wouldn't budge. He can only hope that the C-Sec investigation will turn up evidence to support their accusations. Otherwise, the Council will use it as an excuse to keep her – and maybe all humans – out of the Spectres and from earning a spot on the Council. Udina turned to Anderson.
"Come with me Captain. There are some things I want to go over with you before the hearing. Shepard – you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in."
The two men rushed out and as they did, Ashley said, "And that's why I hate politicians."
Jane grinned, "You read my mind."
The trio decided to utilize the downtime before the hearing to venture the Citadel. Her two comrades couldn't help but to take notice of the pure juvenile exhilaration on Shepard's face as a known xenophile. The Citadel is a melting pot of species so she's absolutely in heaven, in the presence of cultures originating from all ends of space. But the creatures on the Citadel are more intrigued by the Commander and her squad. Humans are a rarity on the space station as a relatively new species being represented in the galaxy. All other alien life forms have been around thousands of years before homo sapiens came along.
Making their way through the wards, Jane made a sudden stop at look outside through a panoramic window that gave view to a bustling and glimmering city, traffic of hover cars zooming by. She leaned forward on the ledge, trying to record the feeling and image into her brain. Ashley and Kaidan joined her, equally in awe. A familiar feeling between the three rose while in each other's company, similar to their days during training.
"Big place," Kaidan whispered astounded.
"That your professional opinion, sir?" Ashley asked sarcastically. Jane let out a small chuckle.
"How can they keep tabs on all of this?" Jane pondered out loud. "The Presidium may as well be on another planet."
Kaidan continued processing. "There's definitely a gap between their presentation and what's here. Tracking arrivals must be a nightmare. This is a whole 'nother scale. Look at the ward arms. How do they keep all that mass from flying apart?"
"No wonder the Council considers us outsiders. We'd be just another drop in a bucket they already can't carry," Jane added.
"They must figure us for one more gang looking for a handout," Ashley spat with venom. The Lieutenant rolled his eyes.
"I doubt it's personal. It's got to be a balancing act, like every other government."
"But what's not to like about us?" Shepard questioned in jest. "We've got oceans, beautiful women, this emotion called love. According to the old vids, we have everything they want."
"When you put it that way, there's no reason they wouldn't like you," Kaidan said and Ashley shot him an inquisitive look. "I mean, us. Humans. Ma'am." He turned his head away from the ladies, mortified. Jane dismissed his comment, per usual.
"Oh Lord," Ashley chuckled, shaking her head.
The elevator ride to the top of the tower is excruciatingly long, especially since they're already running behind. Jane had gotten caught up debating with a sour Volus that was convinced that humans were selfish, destructive bullies. She had to step in, of course, to sway him, which she ultimately did. Heaven knows how. Only the shifting of their feet and horrid outdated elevator music filled the space. Jane bobbed her head in the stiff awkward silence. Ashley finally broke the dead air, nervousness sinking in.
"The Council aren't going to ask me any questions, are they?"
"I doubt it," Kaidan answered. "We've made our reports. Now we just have to trust Ambassador Udina."
"Now we don't, sir," she scoffed back.
Once the doors opened, they rushed down the long corridor and up a staircase only to come to two turians blocking their path. There seemed to be a tense disagreement between the two. So intense that that they didn't even notice the three humans waiting to get by. The frustrated light grey turian in royal blue armor gestured a pointed finger at the other's chest. The receiver just stood there with his arms crossed, blatantly done with the conversation.
"Saren's hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them," the blue armored creature petitioned.
"Stall the Council? Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus," the previously inattentive turian finished as he stormed off, leading Garrus to finally notice the Commander and her friends.
Garrus' eyes locked with Jane's. Her glowing green gaze entranced him just as his icy cobalt stare froze her in place. Ashley and Kaidan merely observed the peculiar interaction, a pit of jealousy twisting Kaidan's stomach. Their gaze held a little too long for his liking. It was many heartbeats before any movement was made, but finally, Garrus coolly stepped forward to greet the Commander.
"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian," he introduced. He knew who she was right away. No one else in the galaxy looks quite like her. The red-haired woman is well known, rising to unprecedented infamy as a result of Akuze and now, her recent appearance on the Citadel. She exuded such an effortless confidence that most find her intimidating. No other soldier from Earth could carry themselves the way she does. It's comforting to some, frightful to others, maybe so much so to make a Krogan quiver in their combat boots. Garrus didn't find her threatening. On the contrary, she's inspiring.
"I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."
Jane had never heard a more heart-melting soothing voice before, so pleasant to the ears. She snapped out of her distant other world space where she swooned over Garrus' voice, but not before Ashley and Kaidan took notice. They've never seen their Commander behave in such a way before coming to the Citadel.
"Sounds like you really want to bring him down," she commented.
"I don't trust him," he hissed. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre, everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."
Between the few sentences spoken, their eye contact never broke. Jane was so focused on his eyes, that she completely missed the marksman visor over his left eye. Top of the line equipment. With a targeting mechanism like that, he must be a hell of a shot. Before anything more could be said, Kaidan piped up.
"We should go, Commander. The Council is ready for us."
Shit, he's right. She'd forgotten how late they were. She acknowledged him with a soft nod.
"Good luck, Shepard. Maybe they'll listen to you," Garrus said hopefully. He brushed past the squad, and as he did, Jane stole a peek at the turian stride away.
"Checking out that sweet turian ass, huh Commander?" Ashley teased with a wicked grin. Jane's head whipped back forward, blood rushing to her face.
"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer," she responded casually, maintaining a stone-cold face, aside from her newly flushed cheeks. Kaidan released a sound – something between a scoff of disgust and groan of envy.
At Saren's hearing, Anderson and Shepard attempted to use Saren's misanthropy as an angle, but the Council wasn't buying it. Captain Anderson tried one more fact to sway the Council: Shepard's vision that was triggered by the beacon.
"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now?" Saren condescendingly asked the Council. "How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?"
The Turian Councilor didn't hesitate to support that "wild imaginings and reckless speculations" were not to be accepted, strictly facts and evidence, to pass judgement. As a courtesy, the Salarian Councilor asked Jane if she had anything else to add. Everyone in that room was aware how this session would end, yet there was hope it would turn out more favorably.
"You've already made your decision. I won't waste my breath."
"The Council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied."
Jane felt Saren's eyes fall on her and bore into her with a victorious hatred. She didn't back down, matching his stare with her own, filled with a burning wrath.
"I'm glad to see justice was served," Saren smirked as he vanished from the holographic stand.
Jane and Saren both know this isn't the last time they're going meet and that gave her a sick deep excitement. He won this round, but there are many more to come.