I moaned as I felt myself slowly become aware of my surroundings.
My body was crippled under mental pain as I felt myself waking up from the worst hangover in centuries. At some point in my suffering, I began to hear muffled voices in the background.
"Doctor? Doctor Chakwas? I think she's waking up" Kaidan's relieved voice rang through my ears, as I was able to make out the surroundings of the metallic med bay on the Normandy.
Everything started to take shape: from Doctor Chakwas's desk and chair, to the beds hidden from view by the mechanical 'blood and chemical transfusions' arms, to the various shelves stocked with painkillers, antibiotics, and multiple bandages and the basic plasters.
I slowly sat up, stretching all the kinks in my body with the accompanying cracks as I tried to focus, vision blurred by my sudden movement.
I heard fast footsteps coming towards me and turned distracted to see Doctor Chakwas walking next to me, clipboard and pen in hand.
"You had us worried there, Lieutenant. How are you feeling?" she asked me, shifting from the attached documents on the clipboard before examining me, shining a light into each of my eyes.
"Like the morning after my 21st birthday. What happened?" I asked groggily, still feeling light-headed.
"You were out for 15 hours. Something happened down there with the beacon, I think" she explained, taking away the light and adding notes to the papers. She quickly fetched a few pills and a drink from her desk before returning to me.
"This should help: it's aspirin" she explained as I took the items gratefully.
"It's my fault. I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way," he said, standing a few feet away while looking away guilty.
"There was no way you could've known what would happen, Kaidan," I said, honestly before taking the pills and gulping down the water.
Oh that hit the spot.
He seemed to brighten up a bit at my forgiveness before I turned back to the doc.
"Actually, we don't even know if that is what set it off. Unfortunately, we won't get the chance" the doc explained, shrugging.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused, as I slowly swung my legs over the edge of the bed, pressing my hands onto the bed while leaning on them heavily.
"The beacon exploded. A system overload, maybe. The beacon knocked you cold. The Commander and I carried you back here to the ship," Kaidan explained, moving to stand next to me, ready to help support me while Doc went to sit at her desk.
So the all-important beacon we spent a lot of time and effort to get explodes just when we reach it. Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.
"Physically, you're fine. But I detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves" Doc explained to me, reading off a report from her computer. I nodded, pretending I knew what she meant since my mind was still half asleep.
"I also noticed an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming," she continued, typing at her computer before turning on her chair to face me.
The images from before immediately flashed through my mind like a fast-moving slideshow, just image after image of unrecognizable horror.
"I saw…I'm not sure what I saw, to be honest" I told her, trying to describe it while trying to block it out of my thoughts.
"It was…death, destruction…nothing's really clear" I said as the images began to fade away thankfully so I could focus on the Doc and Kaidan once more.
"Hmm, I better add this to my report. It may-" Doc stopped when the doors of the med-bay opened.
"Oh, Captain Anderson" she said, turning everyone's attention to him as Doc stood up to shake his hand.
"How's our LT holding up, Doctor?" he asked her, releasing her hand before both of them turned to me, arms crossed.
"All the reading look normal. I'd say the Lieutenant's going to be fine," she said, sending me a friendly smile.
"Glad to hear it. LT, I need to speak to you" he started before turning to the others.
"In private" he finished when no one attempted to move from their places.
Kaidan saluted while the Doc just nodded before leaving the med bay together.
When they were gone and the doors resealed, Anderson focused his attention back on me, looking concerned.
"Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Lily. You sure you're okay?" he asked, slight worry in his voice as he walked in front of me, leaning on the bed opposite with arms crossed.
I smiled in assurance and appreciation, by thoughts beginning to die down.
You see, to me, Captain Anderson was like a second father to me. Well he's second if you count that abusive alcoholic back on Earth as a father.
"I'm good, Captain. Just a little light-headed" I reassured him, feeling utter bliss when the aspirin managed to take effect.
I finally had control over my thoughts.
He nodded; a look of relief filled his eyes as he uncrossed his arms.
"Anyway, you said you wanted to talk in private, Captain" I said, curious about what he wanted.
"I won't lie to you, Lily. Things look bad: Nihlus dead, the beacon was destroyed and the geth are invading. The council's going to want answers," Anderson confessed to me. I looked at him in surprise.
"Isn't that a conversation for the Commander, Captain?" I asked, slightly confused about discussing political implications with a low-ranked officer.
"Lily, I'm certain that the Commander wouldn't give the council a second thought. It's always been this way with you two. Jane's always been the combat specialist showing little compassion for strangers; you've always been the diplomat, always looking for ways to resolve problems peacefully and only use violence if necessary" he explained offhand. I couldn't help but agree: Jane never was one for diplomacy if using your gun was quicker and easier. That's not her being reckless, she knows what her actions will do, she just does what she thinks is a necessary action.
He pushed himself off the bed before pacing to the side of the room, facing the wall with hands clasped behind his back.
"I'll stand behind you and Jane's report. You're both damned heroes in my books. But that's not why I'm here. It's Saren, that other turian," Anderson told me, his voice becoming deeper.
"Saren's a spectre, one of the best. A living legend. But if he's working with the geth, it means he's gone rogue" he continued, turning to face me.
"A rogue spectre's trouble. Saren's dangerous. And he hates humans" he finished. I sighed, exhausted.
"Of course, the very dangerous rogue spectre with an army of geth would have a thing against humans, wouldn't he?" I thought aloud, managing to push myself off the bed.
Anderson hummed in reply before helping to steady my balance, gripping my forearm until I could stand on my feet without help before releasing me.
"Saren has allied himself with the geth. I don't know how. I don't know why. But it had something to do with that beacon" Anderson continued to explain.
I swear the next person who talks to me about that beacon…
"You were there just before the beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?" he questioned me and I thought deeply, resisting my verbally 'acidic' description of the beacon and focusing on something even worse.
I wanted to tell him about the images but what use would a bunch of unrecognizable images be to us in finding Saren? Doctor Chakwas will probably tell him about them anyway, so it wouldn't matter.
I shook my head, 'no', making him sigh before turning away.
"We don't know what information was stored in that beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it," he said calmly with an edge of determination.
"But I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are a blight on the galaxy. The attack was an act of war!" he continued, raising his voice while turning back to me.
"He has the secrets from the beacon" he began while I held back the want to destroy any beacon I can find. I forced back the glare in my eyes, but I don't doubt that my eyes had probably darkened.
"He has an army of geth at his command, and he won't stop until he's wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy" he finished matter-of-factly, slamming his fist into his hand.
"Well, he can try, but if me and Jane get our way, he won't succeed" I crossed my arms and legs from my leaning position on the bed.
"It's not that easy, Lily, but the optimism is inspiring. He's a spectre. He can go anywhere; do almost anything. That's why we need the council on our side" Anderson explained in dismay.
"Understood, Captain" I nodded at him solemnly.
"I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the council. He'll want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel" Anderson told me before heading to the door.
"Oh, I get to meet Udina again. Brilliant…" I sarcastically grinned before dropping back into a frown.
"You'll have to learn to co-operate with the ambassador sooner or later" he reprimanded me lightly, looking over his shoulder.
"Later" I replied curtly, staring at my shoes. He sighed at my stubbornness but didn't continue.
"We should be getting close. Head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us into dock" Anderson ordered before the med-bay door shut behind him.
I took a deep breath, stretching my arms and legs before pushing off the bed and steadily began leaving the med-bay.
Not wasting time, I headed towards and up the stairs at a steady pace, past the galaxy map and electronic island and straight down the corridor towards the cockpit.
"Hey, Joker" I said as I came closer, then to noticed Jane sitting in the seat near him.
"Oh hey, Jane" I smiled at her as she scanned over me.
"Hey, Lils. You feeling okay?" she asked inquisitively as she stood up and walked towards me.
"Yeah, I'm good" I replied as she relaxed, returning to her seat. It was only then that I remembered Joker.
"Oh, Joker, Captain said to bring us into dock" I told him, standing in between him and Jane.
"Got it," he said as he neared the mass relay.
"Y'know a 'hello' might be nice first" he mumbled as I smirked at the side of his head.
"So I just had a talk with Doctor Chakwas. You were having a nightmare or something while you slept" she glanced at me with raised eyebrows.
"Don't know if I'd call it a nightmare. At least I'd know what I was scared of in the nightmare" I explained, shaking off the chills.
She looked at me confused before the familiar luminescent light of the mass relay shone through the windows.
"Oh, I love these things…" I mumbled in childlike awe as we flew through the relay then suddenly propelled forward, flashes of blue neon light danced passed the windows before flickering away and leaving us in Citadel space.
"Y'know something sis?" Jane asked next to me.
"What?" I asked, eyes never leaving the window.
"No matter how many times I see it," she mumbled as long arms began to show through the clouds.
"I still can't believe it's real" she finished as the whole body of the Citadel appeared alongside the Ascension and the Citadel Fleet.
Four long, silver arms protruded from the small presidium ring and towards the scattered Citadel Fleet, mainly consisting of fighters and frigates.
What stood out from the rest was the ever-vigilant Destiny Ascension: four ivory-white arms stretched outward in the shape of a plus, the arms connected by a large, hollow center: the main gun.
"It's beautiful," I whispered, pressing my hand on the window.
"I know" I turned to see Kaidan leaning over me to see the Citadel before looking down at me.
"Uh, Kaidan…" I mumbled, making a motion with my hands.
"Oh, sorry Lily" he said, giving me some space so he wasn't pressed up against me.
I blushed faintly before turning back to the Citadel.
"I'd hate to be one of the maintenance crew on that ship," Ashley said, admiring the Ascension.
I nodded in agreement.
The Ascension is one of the most amazing spacecrafts I have ever seen. It was like a massive, white floating star, in a way.
"I mean, look at the size of it!" she said in amazement.
"The Ascension. Flagship of the Citadel fleet" Kaidan said, walking to stand next to Jane.
"Well size isn't everything" Joker defended. I smiled at that.
"Why so touchy, Joker?" I asked, turning to look at him.
"I'm just saying you need firepower too" he replied.
"And would that include a great pilot to top it all off?" I asked him.
"Definitely" he said, grinning.
"But look at that monster! Its main gun could rip through the barriers of any ship in the Alliance fleet!" Ashley argued.
"Good thing it's on our side, then" Kaidan commented just before Joker radioed the Citadel.
"Citadel Control, this is SSV Normandy requesting permission to dock" he talked into the mic as we flew past the Ascension and closer to the Citadel.
Upon closer inspection, the Citadel Tower was now in focus, elongated to form the center point of the presidium ring.
"Stand by for clearance, Normandy" a man's voice replied.
I watched as we flew past many different types of cargo and fighter ships as we drew closer to the docking bay.
"Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator" the man spoke over the radio.
"Roger, Alliance tower. Normandy out" Joker said to him.
I walk away from the window and stood next to him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Normandy this is Alliance tower. Please proceed to docking bay 422" another man said on the radio.
Joker slowly brought us next to the platform where the ship-holder locked onto the sides of the ship.
"Well everyone, time to play politician," I said, clapping my hands.
"All right Lily, Kaidan, Ashley, you're coming with me and Anderson to meet the ambassador" Jane ordered us as we all left to the door.
After a long and painful walk to the embassy since Jane and Anderson refused to take the rapid transit, we finally reached the human ambassador's office.
Unfortunately, the human ambassador wasn't in a good mood.
"This is an outrage! The council would step in if the geth were attacking a turian colony!" the ambassador, Udina, yelled at the council holograms.
"The turians don't found colonies on the borders of the terminus systems, ambassador" The salarian councilor retorted coolly.
"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse" the asari councilor added.
"What about Saren? You can't just ignore a rogue spectre. I demand action!" Udina shouted at them.
"You don't get to make demands of the council, ambassador" the turian councilor spoke with authority and little patience.
"Citadel security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before" the asari finished before the holograms of the council faded away.
Udina stood staring at where they used to be before turning to me, Jane and Anderson.
"So how'd the meeting go?" I asked cheerfully. He glared at me before turning to Anderson.
"Well, Captain Anderson" he said with disdain.
"I see you brought half your crew with you" he said, motioning to Kaidan and Ashley.
"If you think this is half his crew, I'm appalled at your math skills" I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
I know him and his type too well. He likes talking down to people to make him feel more powerful. Well not today, my friend.
"This is the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions" Anderson told him, silently reprimanding me with his glare in my direction, silencing me.
My eyes wandered around the enclosed, bare-white office: various plant pots decorated the floors while a large desk and chair sat in the center of the room, in front of the door. To the right of the desk was a glass wall, separating a meeting area and a large plasma TV.
Opposite the door's wall was a wall-less balcony, overlooking the presidium, which is showered I constant daylight and perfect holographic weather.
Large pond areas with statues of various items and people landmarked each lake while white office and business buildings formed the walls of the presidium. Apart from the people, only plant life and advertisements gave any colour to the buildings and bridges stretching over the lakes.
"I have the mission reports. I assume they're accurate?" he asked Anderson, his frustration bringing me back to the conversation.
"Nah, we just decided to write about something that never really happened so you would call this meeting for no reason whatsoever," I confessed, looking at him blankly, his voice sparking hatred.
"Can you at least try and act like an adult, Lieutenant. I know you're probably not used to being mature but do try," he said before turning back to Anderson.
I stared at him shocked before sending him an icy glare.
"They were not happy about Saren being accused of treason. He's their top agent," he explained in more detail, brushing off my glare.
"I'm not going to sit on my ass jut because the council doesn't want to do anything. If they won't stop Saren, I will" Jane stepped in, sending a glare towards Udina. I guess we found a common enemy.
"Settle down, Commander. Your actions have already jeopardized your candidacy for the spectres" Udina retorted, glaring back at Jane.
"We better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up some compelling evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise, the council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the spectres" Udina continued ranting before turning back to Anderson.
"Come, Captain. I want to go over a few things with you before the hearing. Commander, meet us with your crew at the citadel tower. I'll grant you access," he said before he led Anderson out of the office.
I turned back to everyone else. Ashley shook her head while staring at the doorway before turning back to us.
"And that's why I hate politicians" she told us. I nodded.
"So we all agree then: Udina's a bastard" I asked them. They all nodded before Jane led us out of the office.