CHAPTER 10

Immediately after the second attack, Rosemary and Keeya were invited to have a private audience with the councilors. They sent an escort of no less than five C-Sec officers. Rosemary checked each and ever one of their identifications. Yadai K'Mohi met them at the Presidium elevator to the Citadel Tower, and instead led them to an office in the embassy cleverly hidden behind a wall with a giant water feature. The skinny hall leading to the room was unlit, and lined with tall, leafy ferns – completely concealing motions of the people traversing it. To all outward appearances, the door to the office looked the unfinished door to a maintenance closet.

All three councilors were waiting for them in the room, along with a fourth person – a human.

"Rosemary Fletcher, may I present to you the new human councilor – Russell Eastment."

Rosemary's eyebrows shot all the way to her hairline. They got a councilor? She didn't know much about politics, but that topic had been the subject of heated intergalactic debate since the last one had tried to take over the Citadel. And who was Russell Eastment? She'd never heard the name before... but really, she could count on one hand the names of human politicians she knew. She didn't really keep up with the news. She was more of a crime drama person...

Russell Eastment was a dark-skinned man in his fifties, solid and politician-y. Grey at the temples, well-groomed, expensive suit... She wondered if he had the politician smile – because he wasn't smiling now.

"I wish we could have met under better circumstances, Ms. Fletcher," Eastment said. The calm but warm tone of his voice suggested a kindly nature, but his manner was all business, and stern. "You and young Keeya are the first to hear of my appointment. Keep it that way for at least a week. Now... about this assassin business. I have convinced my fellow councilors to bring you into the intellectual fold, so to speak. It is a matter that will not be kept under wraps much longer, anyway."

The salarian councilor nodded. "We have been watching you, Ms. Fletcher. Commander K'Mohi has assured us of your integrity and general strength of character."

Rosemary's shoulders drooped. K'Mohi had been spying... on her? That... hurt.

"The truth is... we were aware of the possibility of Keeya... using you as a conduit," the asari councilor admitted. "We were curious as to the results."

Rosemary was astounded... and a little bit angry to hear this. "How...? You knew it could happen? I don't even know how it happened! Or even what it exactly is!"

Eastment shared her sentiment. "I was... not happy to hear that a human was being used in a synthesis experiment. When I discovered the Council's intentions, they offered me full disclosure and... this position for my silence."

Rosemary frowned. "You're not a politician?"

"I am... of sorts. I was formerly Admiral Eastment, of the Gawain Fleet."

Now the Gawain Fleet, Rosemary had heard of. It was supposedly a small navy squadron of Normandy class frigates, employing high-end stealth technology and Tantalus drive cores. It was also rumored to be the flock that the Normandy SR-2 flew with these days – or so Oliver had told her. Her brother, along with his entire generation, was obsessed with the Normandy and the War of the Reapers heroes.

Eastment's brows rose at her expression. "I see you've heard of it. I'm impressed."

Rosemary shrugged. "I have a little brother," was all she said to that. "So... what exactly did Keeya do to me?"

"I'm sorry," Keeya whispered. She shrunk even further into the shadows, trying to make herself as small as possible. Rosemary didn't let her. She drew the little girl close.

"I don't blame you," Rosemary whispered back. She doubted very much that the child had intentionally experimented on her. She was three, for crying out loud.

"She can't control it," the asari councilor confirmed. "We suspected that if she felt threatened, and if there was a suitable vessel nearby – she could impart her excess energies to that vessel."

Rosemary found that hard to believe. "But when the first assassin attacked, nothing like this happened. I was there, as was Garrus Vakarian."

"Yes, that confused us as well..."

Keeya peered out from behind Rosemary. "I didn't know them. I didn't... bond with them. I didn't know I could do it until you told me." Her face wrinkled. "If I could... have... saved... mama," Keeya broke into tears.

Her heart breaking for her little Keeya, Rosemary picked her up and stroked her back. "Shh, shh. It's okay, Keeya. You didn't know. Shh..." She glared at the councilors. How could they have told all that to a three-year-old? They had to have known that Keeya would eventually blame herself for her mother's death, given enough time to think. She was three!

The turian councilor looked remorseful. "There are thousands of hybrids now. The synthetic energy they possess is double that of a normal person's. They usually manifest during a traumatic experience. For Keeya, that was when... she and her mother were attacked. Two is very young – too young to house those energies. Her body would... not have been able to contain them."

In other words... Keeya could have been blown apart. Rosemary held Keeya tighter. "And now?"

"We had one of our doctors examine her right after the most recent attack. Her energies are at a normal level now. Our scientists believe that they will build up again – but it may take months, or even years. This is a very new area of study. You were also... examined," the salarian councilor reluctantly informed her.

"Excuse me?"

"When she was... grabbed by the assassin, her adrenaline levels peaked, and her body subconsciously transferred half of her energies to you."

Keeya's head lifted from Rosemary's shoulder. "N-No," she whispered. "Down, please," she asked Rosemary. Rosemary put her down. Keeya faced the councilors, her lower lip trembling.

"I'm right here," Rosemary assured her quietly, keeping her hand on Keeya's back.

Keeya nodded her head. "I... chose to give the fizzy feelings to Rosemary. I trust her. I also... gave some to Ollie."

The asari councilor looked panicked. "K'Mohi, bring the Fletcher boy to one of our doctors immediately," she barked into her omni-tool.

"Right away, councilor," K'Mohi's voice replied.

Keeya looked at Rosemary. "I'm really sorry."

Rosemary couldn't feel mad. She gently patted the little girl's crest. "Don't be, sweetheart. Thank you for trusting me with... the fizzy feelings."

"We believe it's permanent."

Rosemary's head shot up. She stared at Eastment, shocked. "Wait, what?!"

"Your levels were checked. Somehow, your body is retaining those energies," Eastment told her regretfully. "As of yet, they don't seem to have an adverse effect on your body... but time will tell."

Rosemary closed her eyes. Great. Her head was starting to hurt. "So... what does this mean for me?"

"In time, you may learn to manipulate those energies, but for now... your skin will randomly have plate-like toughness. You will probably have bursts of krogan-relative strength when the situation calls for it."

Lovely.

"We... also know why they're after you."

That got her attention. "Why?"

"You have to understand," the turian councilor explained. "The synthesization is a very new field of science. We don't have many experts. But from what we can tell, you are a rare specimen. You can take in excess energy from those who cannot fully control them – children. We don't know how the people who sent the assassins knew of your unique physiology... You would have to have been mentally analyzed by a synthesis expert – most likely, an asari. Like I said, we don't have many of them."

Rosemary's blood froze. She had melded with only one asari...

"Saeli," she whispered.

"Saeli T'Garu, the matriarch?" The asari councilor frowned. "Yes, she's one of the experts. How did you know?"

Realizing Saeli's betrayal... and the extent of it was staggering. It was hard to think. "I... During the invasion, I was attacked and bitten by a husk. For a long time after it, it... gave me a lot of pain. Saeli tended to me. She... melded with me so she could have a better idea of how to help me. It only happened once, but she's the only asari I've ever melded with."

The room was silent. When Rosemary looked up, the asari councilor looked shocked and disbelieving. "T'Garu couldn't have... But if Benezia could..." she trailed off.

"This is disturbing news," the salarian council said, sounding grave. "T'Garu is one of our foremost synthesis experts."

"She is also a Justicar," the asari councilor murmured, still in shock. The other councilors stared. Tevos shook her head. "Rosemary Fletcher... you need to run."

"But Keeya, my family..."

"They'll come with you. But you need to run. Now."

XOXOXOXO

Rosemary only had five hours before she and her family left for... wherever the Council planned on stashing them. She had only made one call – to Imitha. Imitha had been tearful when she learned that Rosemary was leaving.

"But the store...! Wakey Brews! I can't run it myself!"

Rosemary sighed. She couldn't be on the run forever. "I won't be gone for too long, I think. Maybe a month? Or two?" She didn't know what arrangement the Council was planning for the safety of the hybrids or herself. The turian councilor had assured her that she would be returning to the Citadel, but until they took measures to keep the hybrids and her safe, she had to run. She hadn't known that Saeli was so dangerous. The betrayal still left a bitter taste in her mind. She had been friends with Saeli for two years. Two years! She had comforted Rosemary on the loss of her mother, her father... she had been like an elder sister to her. And the whole time, she had been... spying on her? Rosemary wondered if she had been the one to order the hit on her. She couldn't put it past her. She didn't even know Saeli, the Justicar

The townhouse was empty when she got to it. She was relieved to see that Balint had left. She looked blankly at her made bed. At least he cleaned up after he was done, she thought sourly. But where were the other guards...? And more importantly, where had the Council spirited Keeya to? And where was Oliver, and her father?

In the middle of her packing, Yadai K'Mohi appeared at her bedroom door. Oliver was with her.

"Ollie!"

"Rosie!"

Rosemary hugged her brother tight. "I was so worried about you!" Then she felt wetness on her shoulder. She pulled away from Oliver to look at his face, which was ravaged with tears. "Ollie? What's wrong?"

A cold weight settled in her stomach. Had something else happened? "Yadai – what happened," she asked the asari.

The Spectre looked grim. She looked away, unwilling to look at Rosemary's face. "Rosemary – I'm sorry. We were too late. T'Garu... Saeli T'Garu got your father."

Rosemary wouldn't believe it. She couldn't. Her limbs started to shake. "She got him? What do you mean? Did she... Did she k-kidnap him?"

"He's dead, Rosemary. I'm sorry."

"Rosie!"

Oliver wailed as he held his sister, collapsed on the floor.