Normandy-Com Room
Commander Shepard stood in the com room waiting for her communication request to get through. She was trying to contact the Interim Council which was meeting on Eden Prime till the situation with the Citadel was resolved. Admiral Jameson had gotten wind of a major Disciple operation on Illium. Which made sense since Illium was devastated during the Reaper War being one of the first major worlds hit.
Probably a ripe ground for recruitment.
But since Illium was an Asari world administered by the Asari Government, and since the Council wasn't officially reconstituted, she no longer had authority as a Council Spectre for a Council that didn't exist and was acting purely as an operative of the Systems Alliance.
Never mind the fact that Admiral Jameson thought it would be better if the request had come from Abigail and not the Alliance Intelligence. She said something along the lines of the Asari councilor was 'someone she knew'.
And now Shepard was waiting for the com link to go three.
And the trilling of the console before her indicated that the other side of the line was indeed ready for her.
Right on cue a familiar Asari appeared in the com link center panel. Shepard had to blink hardly believing who it was.
"Matriarch Aethyta?" Shepard asked.
"Commander Shepard." The Asari said in way of confirmation. "I see you've been keeping yourself busy…I've received the official request from your office. Your Admiral wanted to do all the rest and cross all the Is."
Abigail resisted the temptation to roll her eyes but proceeded to ask the question that was most on her mind, "How'd you escape the Citadel?"
She shrugged. "I didn't have to; just before you hit Cronus station I realized that was probably the end of the line. That the war was ending soon and that…well Liara didn't need me to watch her anymore. I joined up with a team of commandos and attempted to find a way of getting to Earth, seems I missed out."
Abigail smiled. "That's good. I can't think of anyone I would rather have as the Asari Councilor to the Interim Council."
Aethyta snorted. "Well I can, almost anyone would be better in fact. Would beat the hell out of me playing nursemaid to those thrice damned Salarians. But I am one of the few left apparently and apparently that makes me invaluable to the Asari Republics so I've been…drafted."
She turned to Shepard. "But enough of the chit chat, just what does the Systems Alliance have to do with the Disciples of the Reapers?" She smirked. "In fact I thought you people supposedly respected so called religious freedom."
"We do." Shepard nodded wondering exactly where this was going.
"Shepard I have to be frank as much as I may personally…" She sighed… "Ah hell you are one fine piece of human female but as highly as I think of you I have to take into consideration the greater needs of the Asari Republics. And the people. Legal ramifications, politics, letting a human onto an Asari world to conduct covert espionage on what is probably an Asari religious organization…the term political shit storm doesn't even begin to cover it."
"I can sympathize, I'm sure if it was an Asari or a Turian doing the same on Earth without open knowledge I would be…concerned. But right now we are the only organization who seems to be on this case. And the Disciples do pose a threat; they personally attacked me while conducting a mission in the Terminus."
"And of course you won't tell me what that mission is." The Asari Matriarch grinned, "Typical. But in the wake of the Reaper War Galactic Government no longer exisists in any meaningful form. Even our Council is temporary, hell the Alliance Government is a shell of its former self, and the Spectres haven't been recreated yet. And with only a handful of Spectres that survived the war, two of them on your particular ship. We don't exactly have the legal authority."
"I understand." Shepard nodded. "So that means I can't go to Illium."
She laughed, "Please Shepard I know you and I know you'll just ignore me. So you don't have my authorization, but you do have my blessing. And if you get caught…well maybe I'll be able to run some cover for you. Should be fun, it's been a while since I've knocked any heads together."
"Thank you Matriarch. I'll keep you posted on what we find."
She snorted, "You do that."
"And I'll be careful. Believe me I won't stray outside of the mission parameters in regards to the Asari populace in general."
"Thanks for the assurances Shepard, Council out." The Asari Matriarch disappeared.
Mess hall
Paul Leighy sat in the mess hall trying to eat his plate of tomato soup that he had before him, trying to catch up on the news.
One of his more brilliant ideas if he did say so himself was that he wrangled for Shepard to install a holo screen on the wall leading to the armory but facing into the mess hall so that the crew could keep up on the sometimes the only viable means of military intelligence…the news media.
In the middle of the current cycle, just getting back from the news break.
"Top of the news, military scientists believes that they have finally found a way to transport the Citadel back to the Widow Nebulae. Apparently the area discovered in the battle of Earth is in part a large Mass Effect engine that can be used to transport the Citadel vast distances in short periods of time. It's a major feat of engineering and power consumption but if we can get it running, then the Citadel will be moved back to where it belongs."
"Yeah tell me about it." Paul muttered blowing on his latest spoonful.
"Also, Daniel Lawrence has been officially elected to the position of Alliance Prime Minister, while Daniel Hudson was elected to the position as head of the Colonial Representative, we'll have reaction from our political insiders later in the hour."
Paul was interrupted from watching any further from the sound of the elevator opening, and right on cue both Chakwas's medbay and Liara's room also opened, their occupants coming out in one procession.
Curious he decided to see what was going on; he got up and moved around as the elevator door fully opened again.
Out stepped in a line Shepard, Joker, EDI, Ashley, and Traynor. Shepard was dressed in the standard Alliance dress uniform, her hair looking especially glossy right now, shining even in the dim lighting of the Normandy.
She was moving stiff, especially stiff even given that she was in her dress blues, and Traynor was carrying a new plaque.
Paul nodded realizing what was going on.
Shepard stood in front of the memorial wall flanked by the members of her crew who were directly involved in this. He was a new arrival so he didn't really have the right.
She looked hollow, brave, stiff, just standing there taking in the small space. Other crewmembers were beginning to join him, watching. The dignified procession looked stiff, professional, and solemn.
"Attention on deck!" Shepard snapped.
Paul's reflexes engaged forcing him to snap into attention for the millionth time in his long military career.
She looked around the crew and nodded slightly, appreciating their career motivations, and their professionalism.
She looks like a woman whose lost way too much in her life time, seen too much death.
Commander Shepard opened a file folder, flipping it up that she had at her side that Leighy hadn't seen before.
She looked at it and shuffled the papers around for a second.
"Urdnot Wrex…was a Krogan...and he was my friend. There was never a fiercer warrior, a better friend, or a greater ally. He was the hope for the Krogan. Who had seen the Galaxy, seen death and betrayal. He saw what the price of slavery was. What the price of being a slave to others or your own instincts was. He battled Saren, and then led a campaign to reform Clan Urdnot to have a new future for the Krogan. He was a builder, and a dreamer. He will be missed. Even though he was never on the crew of the Normandy SR-2, he was on the SR-1, and he was a symbol of peace and liberty. And so we commit this place on the wall to his memory."
Paul choked back his gathering tears, even though he had never met the Krogan leader, Shepard told his story well. And he could feel the weight of history.
Traynor nodded and placed the plaque on the wall sliding it in, then turning it around, her eyes moist with concealed emotion. But she wasn't career military, she didn't want this life, and thus had breathing room.
"Atenhun!" Paul shouted as he clicked his heals together, others in the room followed suit in a resounding crescendo.
Shepard looked at them suddenly, and then looked away jabbing self-consciously at her cheek.
All they had was the emotion.
A Little While Later.
Abigail Shepard leaned against the memorial wall, her hand against her forehead. She felt physically ill as if she was about to vomit, but thankfully she hadn't had a lot to eat today.
The elevator behind her opened and she heard footsteps, echoing through her mood, trying to reach her.
"Commander." Ashley Williams greeted.
"Hey Ash." She said not turning to her friend.
"It has to be rough doesn't it. Dealing with all of this."
"Yeah." Abigail grunted, finally stepping back.
She looked at the memorial wall again. Miranda…Kaidan…Mordin…Legion…Thane…Wrex.
"So much death." Ashley muttered joining her.
"Why most ships don't have these. Too many ghosts, too fast to fill them, too much reminders of the pain…but I need the reminder."
"So do I skipper." Ashley nodded.
She sighed. "Just seems like the longer you live the more death you see. The more people you lose track of, the more relationships get destroyed. I am just tired of it."
"And I'm sure suffering through a major galactic war probably doesn't help either."
Abigail shot her XO a look, "Are you trying to be funny Williams?"
"No, no I'm not…not really."
Abigail glanced at the wall again. "No you're probably right."
"Why are you doing this anyways? You could just move on?" Ashley asked.
"No, I can't do that." Shepard grunted. "I have way too many responsibilities and I'm not exactly sure what to do with myself. And the galaxy all just assumed that we would defeat the Reapers and then move on. No one assumed that we'd have to pick new things up. New problems…the Disciples…Cerberus…this Krogan problem." She sighed. "Someone has to do it and protect. I should've seen it coming."
"You aren't perfect."
"That is a really great platitude." Abigail smirked.
"What I'm here for." Ashley agreed.
Shepard nodded, "Well we still have a few hours before we get to Illium. We'll set up watches and monitor the situation until Jameson tells us otherwise…good night LC."
"Night Shepard."
With that Shepard walked back into the elevator and off to try and get some sleep.
