Murder, rape, torture, abuse. Are we ever able to truly understand the 'why' or do we simply yearn for labels and boxes to organize the chaos we can't control? — Leylah Attar, The Paper Swan

• ASARI COUNCILOR'S HOSPITALITY SUITE, PRESIDIUM · CITADEL •
◦ SUNDAY, 27 JANUARY 2188 ◦

After a few false starts, exactly as Sha'ira had predicted, Miranda was finally able to open her memories to the Consort and they both abruptly found themselves bunked in an abandoned office building, curled up under a desk because Miranda had been too worn out to bother finding someplace more comfortable. Miranda shuddered as she remembered trying to struggle awake in her exhaustion; she was unceremoniously yanked out of her hiding place by her ankles, only to feel a cold metal suppression collar get clamped around her neck as a needle penetrated her skin, sending her down into an irresistible blackness.

She had no idea how much time had passed before she woke in a dark room, her wrists cuffed uncomfortably tight behind her back and clamped to the base of the hard metal chair in which she was seated. She cried out and jerked her head back in an explosion of pain as a high intensity spotlight flicked on without warning; with her pupils wide open in an unconscious effort to see in the darkness, the searing beam lanced straight through her lenses, smashing painfully into her retinas before she could slam her eyelids closed. Her head instantaneously felt ready to burst and, even with her eyes clamped tightly shut, she could still feel the light burning into the back of her skull; she sobbed with the vividness of the recalled pain.

A soothing voice penetrated the darkness. {You are safe with me, Miranda. It is only a memory … a memory that has no power over you.} Sha'ira's voice rang of truth and Miranda's sobs faded quickly as she remembered where she was and rapidly drew in a relieved gasp of air; she leaned closer into the Asari's body … a reassuring gentle warmth against her own, in sharp contrast to her memories of the chill of the interrogation cell and blazingly painful light.

{Good. Remember when you are. As you recall the memories, constantly remind yourself that is all they are … things of the past that have no power over you and can no longer hurt you.} Sha'ira's arm contracted slowly so as to not surprise the human, pulling Miranda into a comforting hug as her hand massaged the tenseness from the back of the human's neck; biotics played easily through the consort's fingertips, enhancing their effectiveness. {Take whatever time you need to collect yourself and continue whenever you are ready, Miranda. We are in no hurry and have no time limits.}

The consort had opened the floodgates and Miranda couldn't stop the flow of her memories. Her thoughts continued to travel down the path they had begun. The beatings soon began which, sad to say, were nothing she had not endured during her training in Cerberus … initially. She had no way to determine the passage of time, but assumed it was a daily routine—she was awakened and dragged to the interrogation cell, questioned and beaten mercilessly, each session more violent, carried out with an increasingly sadistic pleasure by the perpetrators. What happened afterward, however, was an entirely different story and well outside her wide range of experience; she was taken away … not always to the same place, but nearly always to the same fate. She had become … entertainment … for her captors. She endured yet more beatings or forced sexual intercourse; often both and occasionally at the same time.

Her body started to shake uncontrollably, even with Sha'ira's comforting hold. In her memories, Miranda was on her knees, forced into providing oral service for a rather large turian male standing before her. She was stretched upwards at the limits of her reach, as a short human male repeatedly beat her from behind with a baton. Even that she was able to endure, until the man let out a braying laugh and energized the rod in his hand. He did not swing the instrument … he simply slid the yet dormant rod up between Miranda's bare legs and stroked it somewhat forcefully across her sex.

The male human grinned wickedly at his human play toy, extremely pleased at how this bitch so erringly believed she would be able to ignore his attentions … and tapped the activation button; the powerful jolt instantly contracted all of Miranda's muscles and the turian suddenly howled in anguish as her jaw clamped down on his member. His talons lashed out, smashing viciously across her forehead and eyes in his rage, painfully separating her from his body … but the electricity coursing through her kept her rigidly upright and he was not satisfied with the punishment so struck her across the face a second time, smashing her nose and breaking several of her teeth.

The force of the second blow knocked Miranda to the ground, finally separating her from the male human's torturous baton and, in her memories, she slumped thankfully into oblivion. The consort gasped as the recollection flooded into her mind; tears streamed down her face and she drew Miranda closer to her body in a supportive embrace, even as she helped her endure and sequester the horribly painful memory.

The morning dragged by in a sequence of similar events and afternoon eventually settled in, with the duo breaking several times for Miranda to regroup under Sha'ira's watchful eye and caring tutelage. Together, as if in a shared nightmare, they relived every atrocity throughout the duration of Miranda's torment at the hands of her captors; the recurring beatings, the bites that actually removed chunks of hide—batarians being particularly enamored of chewing on her breasts—the punches that broke bones, the near daily rapes. Through it all, Sha'ira stayed unfalteringly at her side and in her mind, comforting Miranda and reminding her it was in the past, all the while providing her with multiple ways to cope with the fear … the humiliation … the anguish.

It was when Miranda began to recall the hate … hate for her own advanced genetics, merged with the Reaper nanites coursing through her system—her physical injuries were being continuously repaired, which served only to prolong her agony—that Sha'ira understood this human had completely lost any desire for rescue. Bereft of all hope, Miranda simply wished to find a way to end it all. 'Living' Miranda's physical pain and emotional suffering through the meld had been excruciating, almost beyond her endurance, but to feel the complete loss of hope that had led Miranda to wish for her own death was too much. Through all of her clients, Sha'ira had never been forced to endure such a sense of inconsolable loss and simply blurted out in protest, "By the Goddess, Miranda! No! You must not!"

After watching their wordless communion for so long, Yuán had started to doze off. When Sha'ira unexpectedly cried out, her voice ringing with deep despair, Xiùlán bolted upright out of her chair, her hand darting automatically to her side in search of her pistol. As she stared intently at the two before her, she felt like an intruder to an extremely private moment. Sha'ira had enveloped Miranda protectively in her arms as the human clung to her in quiet desperation, not unlike a tortured child clinging to a parent; tears streamed down both of their faces in silent testimony to an unfathomable shared pain. A faint biotic barrier shimmered around the twosome and Xiùlán found she could not tear her eyes away until she was confident there was absolutely nothing she could do but continue waiting. She mumbled an ancient Chinese curse under her breath as she settled back into the chair in an attempt to relax, while knowing she wouldn't be able to do so again anytime soon.

Sha'ira's and Miranda's tears eventually slowed, then finally ceased altogether. Lawson's recall had reached the point of the unlikely rescue by Yuán and her team from the Hong Kong; that experience and all that followed, including Yuán Xiùlán's unceasing caring and patience since carrying her to the stairs out of the building, had allowed Miranda much more than a glimmer of expectation that she'd be able to live her life again … a new 'normal', even though she had been forever changed by her captivity. {This is why, no matter how dim the prospects, you must never again let go of hope, Miranda Lawson.}

Miranda clung to the asari in silent thanks for a few minutes longer, before finally opening her eyes and gently, reluctantly pushing back. Sha'ira's eyes returned slowly to their natural blue as she leaned back against the couch in exhaustion. She smiled softly as she watched the expressions of wonder, realization and finally … confidence … dance across Miranda's face. The human was tired, more so even than Sha'ira; the emotional strain had definitely taken its toll … but Miranda's eyes now held new resolve.

"I cannot possibly thank you enough for this, Shi." Miranda looked almost adoringly at the asari sitting beside her, not the least bit surprised by the newfound level of familiarity between them. "You have given me an undeniably priceless gift today."

Sha'ira, while extremely pleased with the day's progress, was even more surprised at her own uncharacteristic anger at the perpetrators; her customary detachment was a thing of the past. "I am normally one for peaceful solutions, but their actions … all of them … are completely unforgivable, Miri! No one, never mind their race or gender, should ever be a victim of the kind of treatment to which you were subjected. It is beyond my ability to understand how anyone could be so … uncaring, so … cruel."

Miranda nodded, a troubled smile crossing her face as she spoke. "I know. But now, thanks to you, I truly believe I can face the challenges before me and bring at least one of the guilty parties to justice."

Sha'ira pushed herself up from her slumped position against the back of the couch, concern coloring her words. "Miranda. Please remember what I told you. What you went through is not so easily fixed. I know how strong your mind is … but I have also seen the depths of your despair. You must maintain the meditations I showed you; nothing so terrible as what you experienced can be fixed with a single session, and repeated meditational mantras are necessary to maintain peace within the soul."

A quick look of amusement passed through Miranda's eyes. "Yes, Ma'am. I promise."

The freckles at the sides of Sha'ira's eyes crinkled as she narrowed them in puzzlement before she queried, "Are you … what is the human expression? … Are you sassing me, Miranda Lawson?"

Xiùlán had listened in almost gleeful silence to their repartee, amazed at how different Lawson's voice now sounded. It had a new fullness and confidence to it; the results of the session with Sha'ira were even better than she had believed possible. The last bit of conversation broke her quiet observation and the captain laughed out loud, the joyous sound suddenly reminding the two they were not alone in the room.

Sha'ira was first to speak, not so easily flustered after centuries of life and intensive training. She turned to Xiùlán with what could only be described as a sly grin. "Forgive us, Captain. After such a prolonged and … intimate … exchange, it sometimes takes a while to remember others exist alongside us in the galaxy."

"Xiùlán!" Miranda's face, on the other hand, was flushed with embarrassment as she turned quickly to her comrade-in-arms and spoke. "I am so sorry … I should be thanking you as well, for convincing me to come here today." She shook her head as she continued, "I never would've attempted such a thing without your encouragement."

"And yet, here you are, giving your counselor a bad time, just as if you have known her forever!" Xiùlán rose and grinned at Sha'ira before taking the few steps necessary to stand in front of the consort. She reached out with her hands as she said, "Are you alright, Consort? From what I understand of asari physiology, you must be exhausted after what you just did."

Sha'ira looked at Xiùlán for a brief moment before placing her hands in those offered by the human. "Thank you, Captain. It is true; yet, very few people realize how taxing an extended meld is for the one initiating the joining. I will admit to being quite tired. Perhaps you would contact Matron Shegos for me …" Sha'ira paused as she looked at Miranda, still sitting on the couch beside her, before continuing, "… for us. Some refreshments … some wine perhaps? … along with tea and …" here she glanced at Miranda, "… Kaffe would be most welcome about now."

Xiùlán nodded once, then did something totally uncharacteristic for her … she leaned down further and embraced the consort in a gentle but heartfelt hug of gratitude; with her cheek against the warm, blue skin so recently touched by Miri, Xiùlán whispered in her ear, "Sha'ira, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for Miranda. You have my gratitude … and my respect." She placed a quick kiss on Sha'ira's cheek before releasing her hold and stepping back. Activating her omnitool, she sent the consort's request for refreshments to Tevos' assistant before sending a note to her own XO on the Hong Kong, letting him know that she and Miranda would be a bit longer before returning to the ship.

The asari gingerly raised a hand to her cheek in wonder. This human had been the subject of a meld before, most likely with Mallene Calis. For the very briefest of moments as their cheeks had touched, Sha'ira had 'perceived' a kaleidoscopic vision of thought and awareness, the likes of which she had only seen once before. She had not melded with the human – had merely experienced … what? … an aura? … for lack of a better term. There was an order to it all, elegant, structured, arranged … neatly … seemingly in rows and columns. "By the Goddess, Captain. You possess an extraordinary mind … almost … asari-like in its ability to arrange and order memories, both good and bad. The only other person I have ever encountered with such a strong mind was Commander Rachaél Shepard, but unlike yours, hers was completely opposite—chaotic, restless, full of conflict when first we met. The images I perceived when I touched her mind were those seen only in the most terrifying of nightmares … the chaos of the Prothean generated Reaper vision dominated everything! I believe it's what drove her, even after the defeat of Sovereign and the geth.

Xiùlán smiled as she returned her attention to the consort and replied in a soft voice, "Of my own aura, I was told nearly the same thing by Mallene Calis almost ten years ago on Mars, when I was still in an Alliance Special Ops school. I can remember …" Xiùlán paused, thinking back to that time. "… seems so long ago now, but I do remember how easy it seemed for Mallene to enter my mind. It was … a unique experience."

"What was a unique experience, Captain?" Tevos had entered the room, followed closely by Huntress Tenir and Dalis Shegos; all three were bearing serving trays, one filled with the requested beverages, another filled with sliced fruits, vegetables and fish, while the third tray held glasses, plates, cups, saucers and eating utensils.

The trio carefully set the trays down on the large table in front of the couch and chairs as Xiùlán responded. "The time when I participated in a meld, with Mallene Calis. That was actually why I called her concerning Miranda."

She looked at the food, then up at Tevos, who quickly responded with, "Oh, please help yourself, Captain … Miranda … do not feel you must stand on ceremony with myself or Sha'ira. It has been a long day for all three of you. These snacks will help you regain your strength, particularly you, Miranda."

Miranda suddenly felt as she hadn't eaten in days. The nearly daylong effort to reorder and sequester the memories of her captivity by the Blue Suns had left her feeling exhausted and famished. She quickly grabbed a plate and utensils and helped herself to a selection of different fruits and vegetables; additionally, crackers, bread, bite-sized cubes of different cheeses and slices of smoked fish were available. Taking a seat in one of the chairs, she had to exercise a great deal of self-control to keep from looking like a ravenous animal as she ate.

Tevos smiled at Sha'ira. "Looks like you're just as tired as Miranda. Eat something … you'll feel better."

"What about you, Raesia?" Sha'ira asked. You need to eat as well, do you not?" She leaned forward and began loading a plate as she awaited the answer.

"You forget, the three of us were able to sit down for lunch." Tevos did bend down in order to pour herself a glass of a rare honey mead, fermented by members of the monastery on Lesuss. She glanced up at Sha'ira in question—a subtle look in response and Tevos filled a second long-stemmed glass with a different beverage … Elasa. After handing the glass to the consort, she moved to the other chair while sipping from her own glass and continued, "It is now close to dinner time; I'm guessing breakfast is only a distant memory for you and our human friends."

Xiùlán had fixed herself a plate with sliced vegetables, cheeses, crackers and fish. She placed a slice of fish on a cracker and after taking a bite, was quite surprised at the taste. It was a delicate white fish with a bit of a 'tang' she had not been expecting. After swallowing the bite she'd taken, she looked at her asari host and asked, "Madam Councilor, if I may, what kind of fish is this? It is exquisite, and my guess would be that it originated in the seas of Thessia."

Tevos smiled as she took a sip from her glass and replied, "Good guess, Captain. Although we sometimes serve food native to other council worlds, all of these selections are native to our home world." Tevos reached for and delicately picked out a slice from the serving tray. "This is maanru, a type of shoaling fish common off the coast of Armali … most humans find it a bit too pungent for their palate. The flavor is slightly offset by the trace of eezo permeating it … adds a bit of sharpness to its taste."

Tevos glanced at Tenir as she added, "The other fish selection available is tuinnín, a much milder fish than maanru. Of course, all the food on the tray contains trace amounts of eezo, which will not harm your system, Captain. It would help Miranda's, had she been using biotics." Tevos paused to inspect Xiùlán's food choices. "I hope you will also sample the mixed fruit salad. It is superb, if I do say so."

Xiùlán nodded as she took another bite of fish. "Delicious. I can see I will need to take my next leave on Thessia in order to fully reacquaint myself with the food and drink there."

"I am glad you are enjoying the food, Captain. Know that you and the crew of the Hong Kong are welcome to visit our world whenever you wish. Just notify us here when you wish to go and we'll make all the arrangements in advance."

"That is most gracious of you, Councilor."

• SSV NORMANDY · DECK ONE, CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS •

Bill Cody was sitting at the desk next to the massive display of model ships belonging to Commander Shepard, looking through the various status reports concerning the upgrades and progress on modifications to the ship. He 'scrubbed' his face with his hands in a somewhat futile attempt to fight off his need for sleep.

It appeared from all the reports that the modifications, such as securing the many power and communications cables that had been left on the decks and hanging loose from the overheads on all five decks, would be complete by the middle of the following week.

He expected that he would need to make a quick shake-down run, possibly to Earth and back, in order to be sure all the systems were working correctly and there'd be little to no chance of equipment failures once he put the ship to some serious work in the Attican Traverse and the Terminus Systems.

The ship's complement was growing … in addition to Sandra Patton, he now had a replacement for Cortez's old position as the ship's shuttle pilot, procurement officer and arms master. His propulsion engineer would be getting an assistant to go along with her promotion, and Ken Donnelly would remain as systems engineer responsible for the safe operation of Normandy's environmental equipment. A squad of Marines had been assigned to the ship and was busy with orientation and job assignments. There were also a number of Naval personnel coming aboard, consisting of specialists and petty officers; they were being assigned to various jobs entailing equipment operations and maintenance, something this ship had been lacking ever since its christening as a Cerberus-controlled frigate.

Cody had overseen the removal of all of Commander Shepard's personal belongings, which had been cataloged and placed in cargo pods. Her armor alone took up an entire pod; the customized weapons, all Spectre gear, went into another. In all, six pods had been filled (or partially so) and were sitting together in the hanger bay, to be transferred under escort on Monday to Shepard's apartment on the Silversun Strip.

Cody had talked to Shepard in regards to moving her gear—she had asked him to have Edi, along with either Captain Yuán or Specialist Traynor, accompany the pods to the apartment, since all three were familiar with where everything needed to go, including her armor and weapons.

The only items Cody had not packed away were the models and the sentimental collectibles—the journal belonging to Charles Pressly from the Normandy SR1 and her N7 helmet, both recovered from Alchera; her dog tags in the framed display given to her by Dr T'Soni, and the obviously expensive—and rare—chess set Aria T'Loak had sent from Omega. There was also the Prothean sphere recovered from Kopis. Cody had placed all these items in the alcove just inside the entry hatch, hoping to have them delivered to the apartment as well. The models were still in their display cases – and Cody suspected Shepard would allow them to stay as they were.

Cody was ready to call it a night and had almost powered down his terminal when it 'pinged' to indicate an incoming message. He grinned when he saw who it was from and opened the incoming message queue.

ALLIANCE NAVY - INTERSHIP EXTRANET

FROM: Warner, Reuben · Captain, SSV Shanghai

TO: Cody, William · Captain, SSV Normandy

RE: Personnel Transfer

Bill: I just wanted to send you a personal note of thanks for the outrageous gift you sent along with the shuttle that spirited away my Gunnery Chief. Just in case Gunnery Chief Patton or your shuttle pilot, Lieutenant Sherri Morse, forgot or did not have a chance to do so, I wanted to personally convey my gratitude for your thoughtful gift and let you know I will pay you back for this. Fly Safe.

Reuben

• ALLIANCE DOCKS, CITADEL · SUNDAY EVENING, 27 JANUARY 2188 •

The sleek, 8-passenger aircar settled softly onto the concrete dock between the bows of the Hong Kong and the Normandy; as their asari pilot throttled the engines back to zero thrust/zero lift, the canopy over their heads tilted up and the side panels opened.

Captain Yuán and Specialist Miranda Lawson exited their luxury conveyance and, having offered their thanks to their pilot for the ride, turned and strolled towards the Hong Kong's entrance airlock.

"That has to have been the most interesting day I've had in … I don't know, forever?"

Xiùlán chuckled. "The main question I have for you is, can you face him in a court of law, Miri? When all's said and done, will your memories cause you to crash when you're face-to-face across a witness stand?"

Miranda crossed her arms as they walked towards the Hong Kong. "I believe I can answer any question they throw at me. I also believe that, now I'm healthy, I could beat the little bastard within a gnat's ass of his life and he wouldn't be able to touch me."

Miranda gazed at the ground in contemplation as they walked. "I wouldn't have believed spending a day with the asari consort would have helped me so much, Captain. I agreed to meet with her again for one or two shorter sessions of, perhaps two hours each. I can't imagine what other suppressed memories she can dredge up, but I want to have my mind as clear and focused as possible. I owe Shepard that much, at least."

A sudden idea came to Xiùlán, one she hesitated to voice. "Miri …" Xiùlán stopped walking and turned to face her new comms officer. "Please don't take what I'm about to say in the wrong way. Is it possible … that you may still have some information …"

Miranda knew immediately what her captain was about to ask and interrupted her. "You'd like to know if I'm hiding other locations for Cerberus operations, right?"

Yuán looked down as a light blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks; returning her gaze to Miranda's face, she nodded her head as she said, "I don't think you're hiding anything, Miri. That said, if there are any memories from that time you are unconsciously suppressing, they may be of great assistance in our hunt."

"I'll ask Sha'ira when I see her in a few days."

"Good." Xiùlán resumed walking towards the Hong Kong. "And now, I'm going to have some of the mango pudding the chef made yesterday … care to join me?"

"Sounds good, Captain."

• SSV NORMANDY · 0635 HOURS, MONDAY, 28 JANUARY 2188 •

Bill Cody leisurely rolled onto his left side, thoroughly enjoying the embrace of the several quilts and blankets in which he had been sleeping. The transition from blissful, dreaming sleep to cognizant wakefulness was gradual, beginning with the realization he was no longer on board the Hong Kong, and he certainly wasn't in one of the cookie-cutter apartments on officer's row a short walk from the Alliance docks. He eased his eyelids open one at a time, just enough to squint at the chronometer on the bedside table … 0637 … Groaning inwardly, he slowly drew his knees up in what he knew from experience would be a vain attempt to lessen the increasingly difficult-to-ignore need to empty his bladder.

Cody moved his feet past the edge of the mattress and pushed himself, still mostly covered in blankets and quilts, to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. He groaned again, this time audibly, as he looked at the empty desk in front of him and the tables by the couch. With the exception of a few pieces. he had moved all of Rachaél Shepard's personal possessions out of his new quarters over the past few days. He needed to talk to Shepard this morning, along with Edi, before he had her possessions transferred to her apartment in Tiberius Towers.

Thoughts about what that woman had endured before succumbing to the loss of air and heat in her suit made him shudder; thinking of the damage her body had sustained from its uncontrolled descent through the thin atmosphere of Alchera was something he preferred not to contemplate. Shaking his head, he got to his feet and moved towards the bathroom … his bathroom. Glancing at the model spacecraft and the dozens of fish as he walked past the office area on the upper level simply served to remind him of the previous inhabitant of these quarters.

After voiding his bladder, he stripped off his skivvies, grabbed body wash, a fresh washcloth, and took a quick shower, reveling in the amount of room available in which to move and the amount of hot water pouring out of the shower head. He quickly toweled himself off, wrapped the oversized towel around his middle and stepped up to the sink, where he shaved off a days' worth of stubble with a small laser razor.

Using his hands, he splashed hot water and hand scrubbed his cheeks, chin and neck to rinse the skin before splashing on a bit of lotion. Satisfied, he removed the towel and hung it up to dry, then left the bathroom for his sleeping area where he unhurriedly got dressed, choosing to wear his SDU today. He checked the bedside chronometer again. 0654. Enough time for a cup of coffee and a spot of breakfast before his private meeting with Edi Coré and Commander Shepard.

• ALLIANCE DOCKS, CITADEL · 0745 HOURS •

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy had never seen so much refined eezo in one place in her entire life. She stared at the glowing pile, somewhat enthralled by the ever-shifting luminosity of the material behind the kinetic barrier being generated on the Alliance dock at the end of Dreadnaught Row. Tali glanced at the lone occupant of the dock, moored far away from the rest of the Alliance vessels—Žiuk'Durmah, the Reaper that had transported the Normandy back to Alliance-controlled space—the primary reason Harbinger and Esiz'Qür had retrieved such a massive quantity of eezo from Earth orbit.

Tali had been inside Žiuk'Durmah with Samantha Traynor when Javik, in a final hate-filled attempt to destroy a Reaper, had uploaded a virus into the vast servers responsible for regulating the containment field surrounded the massive eezo core providing power for Žiuk'Durmah's entire existence. Before they left Žiuk'Durmah's structure, Tali and Traynor had rigged a temporary power source to keep his cognitive functions alive, his memory intact. Steve Cortez had then managed to fly the three of them over to Harbinger, where Traynor and Tali had remotely ejected Žiuk'Durmah's entire core before Javik's virus caused the containment field to collapse; this had an effect similar to a star going supernova—an explosion of catastrophic proportions. Now, connected to Citadel shore power and monitored by the keepers, Žiuk'Durmah continued to exist, dreaming the dreams that could only be known to his alien mind.

Harbinger had contacted Tali through a text message on her omnitool, after which he had uploaded the schematics and specifications needed to construct a throttling magnetic containment 'bubble' for the eezo needed to power the giant construct. As they needed to construct it from 'scratch', it could be made larger than the original structure, nearly as large as the one inside Harbinger himself. Tali had contacted Admiral Hackett and Samantha Traynor as soon as she received the specs.

The keepers had started the manufacturing process—there were even a number of them crawling around inside the massive compartment where the core containment structure would soon be assembled. Tali's omnitool trilled to announce an incoming audio message from Traynor, which she immediately answered. "Samantha! How are you?"

"Fine, Tali," came the wry answer. "Apparently, I should have received a promotion to lieutenant or commander or … something … I seem to be so indispensable I cannot finish my thirty-days leave."

"I'm sorry, Samantha. I just wanted you to have all the information as it's received … you're not being asked to cut your leave short," Tali replied. "The Keepers have begun performing preliminary work—procuring materials and manufacturing some of the smaller parts—for the containment structure for Žiuk'Durmah's new eezo core. Thing is, the materials they're using don't look like anything we've ever seen. They look like …"

Traynor interrupted, "… Reaper material? The metals we've seen inside Žiuk'Durmah?"

"Exactly! I don't know where they're getting their materials, either." The puzzlement in Tali's voice was obvious. "I cannot imagine there's a lot of this metal just sitting around the Citadel."

"Did Harbinger or Esiz'Qür bring back any sections of the destroyed Reapers? … because that would be a perfect source for the materials needed. It might even be worth exploring the cores remaining in these destroyed Reapers, Tali. Could be a way to get Žiuk'Durmah re-powered quicker." Traynor paused to think about the problem, all aggravation at having to discuss 'work' while on leave quickly forgotten. "Talk to Harbinger … he should be able to tell you which method would be faster."

"Harbinger and Esiz'Qür recovered a colossal amount of eezo from Earth orbit, Traynor. There's a huge quantity of refined eezo sitting here on the dock, behind a kinetic barrier. Harbinger had the additional eezo placed in a parking orbit near the Citadel. I believe they're getting ready to go back for more."

"Then I better let you go so you can talk to them … find out if they can bring back an 'engine' section of one of their dead … associates."

• SSV NORMANDY, CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS · 0805 HOURS •

Edi Coré touched the haptic lock on the hatch leading to Captain Cody's quarters, actuating the announcement chime inside the compartment. After a few moments, the lock indicator changed from red to green, allowing the hatch to retract into its recesses. A man's voice called out from within, "Come in, Ms Coré … come in." Cody moved into the center of the lower level so he could be seen. He held up his mug, used it to gingerly invite her down to the lower level. "Please, join me. I'd offer you something to drink, but I am really unsure if that is proper protocol here."

Edi smiled as she entered and walked down the two stairs past the model display cases and aquariums. "You may simply call me Edi, Captain. As for refreshments, thank you for offering, but I require nothing to drink at this time."

"Okay, Edi," Cody responded. Motioning towards the couch, he said, "Have a seat. I have some questions I hope you can answer … about this ship, and about … Commander Shepard."

"Certainly, Sir," came the ready response as she took a seat on the couch and nestled her back into the corner closest to the pressure hull. Crossing her legs, she asked, "Is there anything in particular you need to know about the Normandy, or do you just need answers to some general questions?"

"General questions first. How was your trip to Earth and back? I read your report, but you never actually revealed if you could or could not feel the Normandy while you were light years from the ship."

Edi tilted her head slightly to her left. "I never actually lost the feeling of the Normandy being 'with' me while I was on Earth. Perhaps it is due to Shepard's influence in the server. The ship's … presence, for lack of a better word, was always in my lower priority consciousness. I felt I could access the servers at any time, even while under fire, and my request would be answered. That being said, I did experience a heightened sense of anxiety once through the Charon relay."

Cody nodded at this, replying in a low voice, as if to himself, "Sounds like you can safely operate away from the ship, even if you're not in the same system. Other than taking care of Rachaél Shepard's mental needs in the server, you may not need to live aboard this vessel continuously, but I would like to see you perform another trial excursion, sooner rather than later."

"That would seem to be a prudent course of action, Captain," came Edi's response.

Cody poured himself another cup of coffee from the carafe he'd brought up earlier from the kitchen/dining area before taking a seat on the end of the couch closest to the aquariums. "Are you capable of operating this ship, Edi? Independent of anyone's intervention, that is?"

"Only when I was a hundred percent in the servers. Now? … I would be able to navigate and pilot the ship by myself, but I would need to be … plugged … into the servers to replace the organic crew." Edi paused for a moment before continuing. "To expand on that answer, Commander Shepard does have the capability to fly and fight this vessel by herself. She quickly became what Major Alenko feared when she first revealed she was in the computer—an evolved OI—an organic intelligence without peer, possibly not even equaled by the Reapers themselves."

Cody's face must have betrayed his surprise, though he said nothing at first. After mulling it over for several moments, he said, "I've never actually had to ask for her presence. How do I summon her?"

Edi smiled for the first time since entering the compartment. "Simply call for her, Captain. She is always listening to what goes on in the ship."

Cody's mouth fell at this revelation, before openly asking, "Commander Shepard?"

The response came back almost immediately through the overhead speakers. "What may I do for you, Captain Cody?"

"Given the fact you are everywhere in this ship at all times, how is it possible for me, or anyone, to obtain any personal privacy, Commander?"

"Simply make a verbal request, Captain," came the ready answer, albeit with a snarky tone. "I will cease all active monitoring of whatever compartment or area you are occupying, for any duration you specify."

"How will you know when to resume monitoring an area if I don't specify a duration?"

"I continue to monitor the ship for use of my name—a little sub-routine I developed early on. I don't have to actively listen to conversations to detect the syllables that form my title or either of my names. The safety of this vessel and everyone in it is my primary concern, Captain, so I am never further away than my name being said aloud. Realistically, I cannot foresee a time when monitoring confidential meetings or clandestine hookups will be a problem for anyone on board."

Shepard chuckled as she continued, a sound that surprised Cody. "Wait, you can laugh? How in hell is that possible?"

"Edi already told you … I am Major Alenko's worst nightmare come to life—a fully evolved organic intelligence. I am alive in every way you can think of, Captain, except for a physical body. I'm simply confined to the server on this vessel. As for my capabilities, I am unable to monitor the restrooms thanks to Tali and Edi … they disconnected and removed the audio/video pickups installed by Cerberus and left in place by the Alliance."

Cody felt a bit self-conscious, but asked anyway. "You said clandestine hookups? Not that I would, but just for the sake of argument, if I did have a lover up here for the night …"

"… Automatic cessation of monitoring the loft, Captain," Shepard interrupted. "I am most certainly not a voyeur."

Detecting a shift in the direction of Shepard's audio, Cody stood and looked up towards the compartment entrance in time to see Shepard's image coalescing on the upper level as she continued speaking, "… I make an extreme effort to respect everyone's personal privacy … and their dignity … at all times," she continued as she 'walked' down the stairs. "That means I won't suddenly appear while you're walking around in here wearing just your skivvies … or less." The projection paused as it appeared to slowly look Cody up and down. "I expect you are no differently equipped than any other human male, Captain. That said, unless you have a krogan quad or a previously unreported tattoo, I have seen it all … you have no need to feel shy in my presence."

Cody's cheeks reddened as he took a hard look at Shepard's image, just to be sure he wasn't looking at a hologram of a real, live, breathing human. "I … ah–h–h … okay. I expect that I won't be seeing you before I've had breakfast in the morning, right?"

"As you wish, Captain. What other questions did you have for me … or Edi?"

Cody stroked his chin, then waved at the souvenirs in the alcove aft of the aquariums. "What would you like me to do with your dog tags, helmet, that hovering globe? Want me to send them over to your apartment along with your possessions?"

Shepard looked thoughtful for a few moments before responding. "I had feared my helmet and dog tags had been irretrievably lost … thank you for finding them." After a few moments spent looking at the items in the alcove, she continued with, "Captain, this is your new home. As previously discussed, all of my models can stay where they are. Everything else can be moved to my apartment with my clothes, armor and weapons … Liara will want them, should it prove impossible to put me back into a real body. Just leave the pods in the entryway, if you wish; or perhaps Edi wouldn't mind putting it all away for me."

"Fair enough," Cody smiled. "Don't know when I'd have a chance to build replacement models anyway. That floating globe? What is that thing?"

"Retrieved from a Prothean dig site on Kopis, one of the moons orbiting Makhaira," Shepard responded. "Not sure what it is or what it does, exactly … had to take out barrier generators while dodging fire from rocket drones to get to it." She paused, thinking back. "Seems so damned long ago! All the researchers were dead, including Dr O'Loy and Dr Cayce … it appears they were both indoctrinated, but there's no way to truly be sure. I encountered a similar object on Eletania in 2183 … apparently a device to gather information." Shepard spoke softly, as if to herself. "It allowed me to relive a part of the life of a primitive human from ancient times. Javik mentioned once that all their research on primitive life was terminated when the Reapers invaded the galaxy."

"What about that fancy chess set? Looks expensive."

"Well, it cost General Oleg Petrovsky a lot more than he bargained for," Shepard snarked. "It was a gift from Aria T'Loak after I helped her retake Omega from Cerberus." Shepard appeared to think about the mission for several moments before continuing. "Give it to Specialist Samantha Traynor … I'm sure she'll get more use out of it than I ever will."

"Okay." Cody looked to Edi. "I'll make the arrangements to get all your stuff over to the apartment. Edi can accompany the corporal … once there, she should be able to put all your clothes and personal possessions away in an orderly fashion." He opened his omnitool, typed a few commands, then shut it down and turned back to Shepard … or rather, Shepard's projection.

"Thanks for taking the time, Commander. Edi? If you would, I'd like you to meet Corporal Andrews on the hanger deck … have him bring a transfer pod up for the loose items in the alcove, then accompany him to Shepard's apartment … make sure her gear is stowed and secured."

"It'll be my pleasure, Sir." Edi rose from the couch, nodded towards Cody and Shepard, then walked up the steps and left the compartment.

Cody retook his seat on the couch as he looked at Shepard's image. "Commander, what exactly do you intend to do when we reunite you with a cloned body?"

"Sir? I'm not sure I understand the question, and what makes you so damned sure I can even be joined with a cloned body?" Rachaél's image appeared to lean against the desk at the forward end of the couch.

Cody chuckled as he shook his head. "Commander, you've been declared KIA, not once, but twice! Me? … I like to maintain a positive attitude. Unless you're going for the trifecta here, I believe you will walk the decks of this ship again, and I plan to do everything in my power to see that happen. So, what are you going to do? Retire in rank? Remain a Council Spectre?"

Shepard's projection appeared to gaze at the deck beneath her 'feet'. "I haven't thought … no, scratch that. I have given it some thought." Her voice turned wistful as she continued, "I'd like to retire to Thessia with Dr T'Soni, see if we can make one or two, maybe even three little blue babies in whatever time I have left." Rachaél looked back up at Cody. "I'm tired of always having to be in charge, Bill. I've been fighting since I joined the Navy at the age of 18. I'd like to do something else for a change, be part of a creative process instead of always destroying."

Cody nodded his head as he said, "Sounds like an admirable goal. I don't know if there are any asari with human DNA, but I can only believe it'd be a benefit to their race as a whole. I hope I'm still around when the first of those blue babies is born, Commander."

Cody stood and stretched. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to change into my blues … there's a promotion I need to preside over right after lunch."

"If you don't mind my asking, who's the lucky person?"

"Gabriella Daniels … she's going to become a Senior Chief Petty Officer, Propulsion Engineer," Cody replied with a smile.

"CPO to SCPO Daniels? I cannot think of anyone more deserving, Captain." Shepard stood and allowed her image to slowly dematerialize in a swirl of blue and red pixels as she concluded, "She'll do a great job for you."