Interlude 7: Carpe Diem
"The geth attack is a matter of some concern, Ambassador Udina." The Councillor for the Asari Republics, Tevos Epileid, was using her usual diplomatic voice and ringing her opinion across the channel. Saren kept his arms crossed and his demeanour inscrutable, knowing the holotechnology was broadcasting his every move to a larger scale on the citadel. "But there is no evidence to indicate that Saren was involved in any way."
He waited. Patiently. And said not a word.
"An eye witness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood!" The human ambassador was petulant and gave Saren's likeness a sneer that might have intimidated someone who didn't know the ambassador had absolutely nothing to defend his claims. What a pitiful display, though the spectre and he again remained stoic and quiet.
"The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling evidence." It was easy for Saren not to look smug as the Salarian Union's representative on the council, Valern, came to his defence. The council and this human ambassador were simply a means to an end. His eyes scanned the pedestal which the human ambassador and Captain Anderson now occupied. Still, Saren said nothing and waited.
"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason, Ambassador." Councillor Sparatus Kavar was possibly the worst turian ambassador ever to hold the position in Saren's personal opinion, but he was a useful tool at the moment, like the rest of the council.
"And I resent these accusations," proclaimed Saren finally moving by uncrossing his arms. He moved his head to the drone recording his movements from the council's perspective. "Nihlus was a fellow spectre and a steady student before that." Not enough, he thought analyzing the open recordings of the faces around him. I must create more sympathy with them. "And a friend," he said with as much feeling as he could. "A good one with noble intentions for the galaxy."
"That liaison just let you catch him off guard!" accused Anderson, refusing to keep quiet behind earth's petulant ambassador.
"Captain Anderson," Saren said reproachfully, making his mandibles twitch briefly. "You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false accusations against me…" he let that sentence trail off as a human female soldier came into view. She walked forward and placed a hand on the Captain's shoulder - a steady plea for patience in a single nod to him once his head turned to face her..
"And this…" The reproach in Saren voice untethered into utter disappointment. "This must be your protege: Commander Shepard."
Finally. Serrica Jane Shepard was in his sights.
He regarded her singularly for a few short moments. She was female of bearing - of that there could be no doubt from the way she was moving and presented herself to the council. Such dominance may have been lost on a salarian, but the human body language did translate well into turian and asari culture. She hid any obvious weakness beneath a cool, neutral expression and an easy-going stance, but beneath her calm, stern demeanour there was something of value to him. And so he narrowed his gaze upon her slightly; feigning contempt in hopes of provoking a reaction from the commander. "The one who let the beacon be destroyed."
Surprise crossed the human woman's face, but not because her failing was being addressed. Instead, she acknowledged that she knew he was watching her specify with a slight accepting nod. She paused for a moment and smiled to him ever so slightly.
He resisted smiling back - this human might actually turn out to be a worthy adversary.
"That's strange of you to say," she replied, a husky laugh that matched the easy, confident manner in which she presented herself accompanied her comment. "The mission to Eden Prime was top secret. How would you know anything about the beacon if you weren't there?"
"When I heard Nihlus' had been killed, I wanted to the know the details of the mission," Saren didn't miss a beat. "His files and any revenant files on the matter were passed to me upon my request. I have read all the reports pertaining to the Attack on Eden Prime, including your unfortunately mediocre attempt to protect and retrieve the beacon, Commander."
The commander was not fazed and smiled openly at him this time. "You win some, you loose some. But mostly you loose when shooting your protege in the back of the head. I wouldn't know much about that though…"
Outwardly, Saren made no movement. Inwardly, he now desperately wanted to smile at the commander for how well she was playing this. "Shifting the blame to someone else just like Anderson?" He shook his head pointedly and his gaze darted to where the captain currently stood. "You've taught her well, David, though I can't say that I'm impressed."
"No one's here to impress you, Saren," spat Anderson vehemently.
The commander's eyes darted to Anderson's reply and she fell back, looking up at his holoprojection with an expression that told him nothing and yet everything about what she thought of Captain Anderson.
She knows I'm baiting him. Good.
"Typical," he grumbled. "Humanity pushing it's way to the forefront again and failing? This is an older tactic that I remember not so fondly. But what more can you expect from humans."
To that Shepard smiled crookedly at him. "The only thing you can expect from this human when we meet in person is for me to kick your ass. I suggest you pucker up, sweetheart, because you can't hide behind the council forever and when you slip up, I will seize the opportunity - and I'll be waiting with an iron boot. Probably explosives and lots of ammo too; but mostly the boot." She winked at him causing some members of the council to be equally taken aback and revolted by her language and behaviour.
Saren resisted a chuckle. Message received; challenge accepted, Commander. "Your species needs to learn it's place, Shepard," he said cooly instead. "Humans aren't ready to join the council. Your kind isn't even ready to join the Spectres."
"He has no right to say that!" Protested the petulant councillor, almost on queue. "That's not his decision!"
Shepard ignored the human ambassador and simply looked up at Saren's holographic image as if he were a puzzle to solve. Beneath her steely gaze, Saren could sense some great unresolved turmoil. The loss of her family on Mindoir perhaps? The dramatic relationship she has with her birth-mother? Or maybe it was the Alliance soldier she murdered at a pivotal moment during the Battle of Elysium? Possibly the lover who died in her arms on Akuze? Or the dead members of the unit she pushed to victory on Torfan? That was the trap, he thought. There were too many possible weaknesses to choose from. Picking the right one was next to impossible considering all the damage and the exceptional recovery.
"Enough!" called the asari councillor barked. "This bickering is getting us nowhere."
And yet, through whatever turmoil ailed her, Commander Shepard stood tall and chose to gage his reaction rather than pay any strict attention to the council's babbling.
What an interesting adversary…
Tevos looked up at the projection of Saren."Shepard's induction into the spectres is not the purpose of this meeting, Spectre Arterius."
"This meeting has no purpose," he said with a wave of his hand. "The humans are wasting your time, Tevos," he grumbled, ignoring the asari's underplea for calm. "And mine."
"We are not done yet! There is still one outstanding issue: The vision the beacon attempted to communicate to the commander." demanded Captain Anderson. "Does that have no bearing on the mission results or are you going to play that down too, Saren?"
Saren sighed, though inwardly, he wanted to growl at what the commander had stumbled onto. "Finally, I get to admit to hearing something productive come out of your stubbornness, Anderson." He turned and looked down at the council. "As a spectre who's examined prothean artefacts before with subject-matter experts, I've never heard of a device giving someone information. But I was only the observer and protector when it came to these artefacts - gleaning what I could from the researchers who pored of them - and so I strongly suggest that an expert or several experts on the matter of prothean communication be consulted before we take this further. Beyond doing that first and foremost, we are deluding ourselves to admitting what the commander can only interpret as dreams," he drawled, keeping his tone despondent while regarding Shepard. "Unless we are allowing those into evidence now?"
"I agree." Oh, Sparatus, but you are so predictable. "Our judgement on what might be some type of prothean data transmission must be based on facts and evidence, not the speculation of a few humans."
"The beacon's reaction to the commander - and the information that it may have attempted to give her - remains a genuinely interesting matter, but it is a subject to be discussed for an other time and after more research has concluded," pipped in the salarian ambassador. "With the commander's permission, of course."
"Just don't put something new in there when you're finished drilling." The commander tapped the side of her temple with a smirk. "I have enough to deal with up there if that isn't already woefully apparent, so I don't want too much mucking around if you don't mind."
Valern nodded to her. "The council will commission a few choice researchers and doctors to the task. Thank you for your cooperation. You and your supervisors will be contacted shortly."
Saren made note of that - no expert of use would be getting near the commander anytime soon if he could help it. He'd have Matriarch T'Soni draw up a list of targets.
"Councillors," he cut in, some respect in his voice. "If there is no more evidence to present, I will take my leave."
"Just like that?" asked the commander, her brow and eyes narrowing on Saren as she stepped forward to watch the spectre's reaction.
He made no move; nor did he speak. She nodded, accepting that he was not playing anymore and stepped back casually.
"Do you have anything else to add, Commander?" asked Councillor Tevos, looking at the commander with genuine curiosity.
Shepard snorted a very uncouth laugh, not even bothering to look at the council before she turned on her heel. "You've made your decision about him. I won't waste anymore of my breath." She moved without being dismissed and walked onto the catwalk that led to the main hall of the Citadel Tower disappearing from Saren's view.
Sparatus shook his head at his colleges and crossed his arms. Tevos nodded to him and faced the console. "This meeting is now concluded."
The holotechnology powered down and Saren stood in though for a few moments, planning his next move.
Matriarch Benezia, having been present and observing the entire meeting, powered up her omni-tool in order to expedite any orders he may have immediately. "Did you find what you were looking for?" asked the matriarch, following him as he moved off the projection platform and towards a short corridor leading to a set of doors.
"Yes and no," he replied evenly as the doors swung open for them. "Though this confirms what we already suspected: Commander Shepard remains a threat. Send word to our contacts on the Citadel. I want Commander Shepard dead before the week is over. I doubt they will be able to do so, but I need to know more about her before we can strike with better efficiency. For now, we must simply slow her."
"Was the background check I provided not thorough enough?" protested the asari matriarch, making a note to review her information.
"It was, but if that proved anything at all, it was that Shepard could not be an ally to our cause even if presented with the option within an inch of death and unpredictable due to her coloured history. When she finds out the truth, she will fight the inevitable until her very last breath - of that at least I am certain." He stepped away from the console and towards the compound's main corridor. "Coordinate the forces heading to Feros and await further instructions. You may be going to Noveria if my next endeavours do not prove fruitful."
The matriarch nodded solemnly and turned down an other hallway as Saren made a sharp turn through an other set of door and onto a balcony overlooking a vast beach and a starry night.
He accessed the new lab security protocols at the end of the balcony and made his way inside towards the elevator at the end without acknowledging the secretary at the desk beside it.
Seize any opportunity while you still can, Shepard, he thought waiting for the doors to open in on his office. Your ability to do so may become quite limiting very soon.
A. N.
*Shudder* Is it weird that I really like the Saren I've made up here? Cause I love writing his POV.
The fact that I know most of the dialogue the council says in this scene by memory makes me a bit of a sad panda because it means that I remember most of my first playthroughs of ME1… I'll never get that feeling back people. :( BUT! :) Because cool memories!
That being said, I had to modify the dialogue for it to make… well sense. There is literally no reason to bring up the beacon with Saren's treason as the focal point of the meeting, so I changed it to encompass the entirely of the mission to Eden Prime.
As for Shepard: Serrica just gets more and more crazy, caustic, and snappy and whenever I put her anywhere she opens her mouth. It's fun, but it's turning me into a crazy and caustic bitch too. Damnit, I can't win with this shit.
I actually have most of the next chapter done, I just need to read up some more about Captain Anderson to complete it. No promises again though.