"The captain is indisposed at the moment, but he wishes me to extend a welcome to our comrades on the Abraxus." The girl looked earnestly into the vidscreen, her outward appearance changed to look like a bridge officer. The uniform and the callow seriousness she was projecting making her seem much older than her sixteen years. Marcus nodded in approval, even as inwardly he felt the itch of worry.

It was foolish to try this a third time, surely. He shifted on his feet as Simp and Errol along with Susan made multiple passes in and out of the camera's view behind Mira, trying to make the bridge seem a lot more occupied than it really was.

The comms crackled as the cruiser replied, "We have come to glorify the Apostle Javik . You have him in custody?"

"Yes, sir, we do."

"Praise the Shepard."

Mira echoed the sentiment, albeit a bit shakily and Marcus made calming gestures at her.

"I'm sending my XO over to collect him. Be prepared for her arrival. Abraxus out." The screen went dark and Marcus exchanged grimaces with Susan.

Susan's heart was beating a fast tattoo in her chest. Aleia was coming. In a matter of moments, she would be here and then what would happen? The situation seemed impossible. Deny the Abraxus their prize, kill Aleia and whoever else she had with her and they would all most likely die to the massive cannons she could see gleaming out there on that cruiser that hung sedately in space just outside the viewports.

And though she could see none of it under the utter stillness Marcus exhibited, she knew there must be a battle of epic proportion happening within his mind.

Marcus took a calming breath that did little to actually calm him and firmly reminded himself of the people who were depending on him and how terrible it would be to forget himself now. He closed his eyes and forced thoughts of Susan and the rest to the forefront of his mind, trying to bury the need to kill, to destroy. He fought desperately for clarity and started as he felt a hand come to rest on his arm. His eyes opened to see Javik looking at him with an unreadable expression.

The prothean said, "I sense much conflict in you. Something beyond the simple worry of this ruse failing."

Marcus cleared his throat, nervously, "This...woman they're sending to get you...She and I have...history."

Something of the bitter rage that welled up in him must have leaked into his gaze because Javik nodded in understanding, "And you seek retribution?"

He coughed a short bitter laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, "It'll be really difficult not to shoot her in the face the moment she sets foot on this ship."

"I understand the need for vengeance. In my cycle, I had become the avatar of it." The prothean took his hand away and stood pensively, his gaze far far away, "I counsel...patience, Marcus."

Patience, as if it were that easy. He thought ruefully as Javik sauntered away. Marcus thought of the incoming guests and how far into the ship they would most likely wander before they realized that something was definitely not right. "Ushal, are they coming in through the shuttle bay or are they docking at the airlock up here?"

"They are in the airlock. Four minutes until decontamination is complete."

"Scramble their comms, everyone to their positions." He jogged to the bridge of the ship and plopped into the pilot's seat, his back to the arriving enemy soldiers. "How many are there?"

"Four, including Aleia." There was a tenseness in the geth's mechanical voice that made Marcus cock his head in question, his browplates furrowing.

"Ushal-"

"I could jettison them into space. I could make it look like an accident."

Marcus sighed and winced, "Then they would just send more to investigate. There's close to four hundred men and women on that bird. I think they'd get a little suspicious if their teams keep getting spaced. I'm surprised at you, Ushal. You know how illogical and imprudent that course of action would be."

The geth was silent for a long moment before finally stating, "This geth unit remembers how our creator counterpart was made to suffer, and how Vakarian-CO's brother was also made to suffer. We have reached consensus that it will bring us great satisfaction when you finally destroy her."

He heard Errol behind him mutter, almost in disbelief, "...Vakarian?"

He ignored this as alarms went off in his head. Marcus swallowed in worry. A crystallized geth personality didn't usually drop back into the use of the plural 'we' and 'our'. Was this regression how the machine dealt with trauma? It was disturbing to think that the geth had been as deeply affected by what had happened. It wasn't right, Ushal should have been spared this agony. His friend deserved better. "Ushal, Kinz was a good man. And I am so sorry that I couldn't save him, but he wouldn't want this. Not for you. Don't let yourself become...less than you-"

"They come." The machine interrupted and Marcus straightened stiffly in his chair as the doors to the airlock slid almost soundlessly open. He barely heard Mira welcome the boarding party over the sudden cacophany in his chest, the sickening drop in his guts.

A voice he hadn't heard in an age sounded loudly in the cabin, "I assume the prothean is ready for transport?"

He forced himself not to turn, though it strained his control to do so. Ten feet, she was only ten feet away. Too close for the rifle, too far for a knife. He reassured himself with this fiction, pretending that he was unable to act and it was enough, barely. He heard Mira respond, "Yes, ma'am. They're bringing him up now."

Marcus locked the airlock controls behind the soldiers with a few button presses at the helm. He could hear the people milling behind him as the seconds dragged into minutes. Aleia said, "Where is my good friend, Captain Tolith?"

Smoothly, the girl answered, "The captain is in the chapel on deck one."

"Oh, really? The old heretic is finally spending some time with the god, is he? Perhaps I should go see this miracle for myself."

He heard shuffling on the deck and turned his head just enough to see Aleia and her honor guard, all praetorians, their heavy shields glinting in blue streaks, start to walk in brisk decisive steps into the command center of the ship and almost leapt out of his chair to get ready for battle when their ruse failed when Mira, with Errol and Simp beside her, and showing uncanny bravery stepped in front of them and held up her hands, "My apologies, Inquisitor, but the captain asked to not be disturbed."

"Hmph. Ah, there is our prize."

At the far end of the room, Marcus saw Susan and Javik walking toward the party, the prothean's hands clasped behind his back as though restrained. Stealthily, Marcus stood and picked up his rifle and stalked silently toward the turned backs of their 'guests'. His visor measured the closing distance in meters. So close, now, if he wanted to, he could reach out and touch her lightly clad shoulder.

Susan held her rifle in a nonchalant way that nevertheless conveniently targetted the praetorians moving forward to secure their prisoner. Javik shot her a glance as the men circled him warily, knowing any second now they'd notice the distinct lack of cuffs on his wrists. On cue, one of them said, in surprise, "He's not-!"

Susan and Javik burst into movement. She tucked her shoulder and rammed one of the guards hard in the stomach. He fell back with a 'oof' and brought his shotgun to bear on the small woman only to have it wrenched to the side by Errol, its blast taking out one of the crew stations in this narrow corridor. Javik had one man down, his throat crushed under a red armored knee. Susan, Errol and Simp fought to contain the other two without letting their weapons pierce the hull in this area of the ship. The asari spared a glance to where Aleia shouted commands to her overwhelmed soldiers, oblivious to the threat that loomed behind her.

As Marcus reached for her, he found himself conflicted. Kill her or incapacitate her, the choices hounded him with their implications. But as he watched her ready a biotic shockwave that would send his allies flying and possibly breach the hull, he acted. Almost on its own, his rifle butt came up in a smooth arc and collided with the back of her head with a sharp crack. She crumpled to the deck, dazed, turning slowly over to see what or who had struck her and he finally saw the face that had tormented him for nearly two years now, once so loved, now a symbol of his failure. It froze in a shock of recognition.

Blue flames licked the edges of his vision as he stared down at her. She was still beautiful, the pale lines on her dark face perfectly accenting her angular features, her mandibles delicately framing her cheeks. Hard to believe that this benign countenance had once been stretched in sadistic glee at the idea of torturing him. But he knew better and the end of his ancient rifle drifted almost serenely to center on her horrified expression. Blue energy started to flicker around her hands and he spoke one word that rang in the space profoundly, bringing silence and stillness in its wake, "Don't."

She knew better than to argue and returned his steely regard, her eyes large in her face and she whispered, "Marcus..."

Her speaking his name sliced through the thin curtain that separated him from his anger like a dull knife, and he snarled wordlessly as he pulled the trigger. At the last second, a slim blue hand snaked out and yanked his aim awry and the bullet meant for Aleia's skull planted itself in the decking next to her shoulder. Marcus hissed in rage and turned a baleful glare on whoever dared to interfere now, of all times. His tidal wave of anger rose and broke against Susan's calm expression like it was a wave break with an almost physical pain, the tag ends of it drifting away into the ether. He just stopped himself from retaliating. He knew her, she must have reason.

Susan had been watching the exchange, fully intent on letting him do this thing he needed to do when a memory stirred, not one of hers. 'Where are they?' Makryth's sandy voice filled her head. She stood under a strong sun, the atmosphere hazy with foggy particles, she can almost feel the planet's ambient radiation soaking into her skin, leaving her limbs feeling awash in a prickling sensation. So strange.

The female turian with her says, 'Be assured, the Cradle is secure. Its location a well kept secret. All five apostles have found new berths, just like the First. Only this time, our hopes are much higher.'

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a small shape flitting through the trees, and knows it to be a child, barely more than a babe, innocently exploring the wilderness. How wasteful, all that energy wasted. Her mind told her children should be still, and quiet and wary. Not the reckless jumble of tiny limbs this one was. But the child had his uses and the man of memory turned back to the woman, who had watched him watching her child with a flicker of apprehension in her eyes. Aleia shook her head minutely in warning, and Susan felt Makryth's mouth stretch in a mirthless smile, 'So the ruthless Inquisitor does have a weakness, after all.'

'Makryth, you dare-'

'Relax, my dear. You know my methods, the faithful need never fear them.' He stressed the 'faithful' part, just to watch her wince, 'Has he been tested on the engine?'

Her silence was damning, all the children were to be tested on the engine, such was the law, in hopes of finding any that could use it and young minds were more...flexible, more able to bounce back from trauma. The Susan that watched felt her mouth go dry at the implication, saw a startling familiarity in the way that small turian jumped from hillock to tree and snapped out of it in time to see-

Marcus pulling the trigger, he had to be stopped. Her hand found his arm and jerked it sharply to one side. She nearly fell back when those burning blue eyes found her, but she stood fast in the face of it and demanded of the woman at their feet, "Where is the Cradle?"

"How do you kno-?" Her words were cut off as the tip of Marcus' rifle snapped back to her face.

"Answer. The. Question." His words were a soft staccato in the sudden silence, no less a threat for all their quietness. He felt control start to seep back into his limbs and took a deep shuddering breath, grateful that Susan's hand was still on his arm, lending him strength. Aleia's eyes flitted to the asari's hand and back up to his face, an unreadable expression flashing over her face for a second.

"Vakarian-CO, the Abraxus is requesting an update." Ushal said.

Marcus watched a devious flicker fill Aleia's eyes as she quickly got over the shock of seeing him alive and she said, in a low purr, "If I don't check in, you'll have a fully armed squad over here in a matter of minutes."

He lifted her by her throat, squeezing just so to get his point across and said, "Say anything, try anything and I'll gladly shoot your lying face off."

Marcus threw her toward the console roughly, where she collided with its rigid frame with a pained cry, half falling as she tried to catch herself. She straightened and squared her shoulders proudly, putting on the imperious air she'd worn when she first arrived. She flipped on the comms, her voice slightly hoarse as she said, "Inquisitor Alea, checking in."

"Have you secured the package?" An ageworn human face stared back from the monitor.

"Yes, sir."

"Then what the hell is taking so long?"

"I was just catching up with some old...friends." The irony wasn't lost on any present.

"Well, wrap it up. We're due to rendezvous with the Ninth in three hours."

"Sir, may I make a suggestion?"

"Shoot."

"The apostle is just as secure here as he would be on our vessel. And having another ship for the assault couldn't hurt."

"Hmmm true. Very well. Relay the order to Captain Tolith. He's to join us in capturing the Normandy. Renshaw out." The screen went dark and Aleia leaned against the console, her hand coming up to touch her throat gingerly.

"The Normandy?" Mira said, crossing her arms as she leaned against a bulkhead.

"Yes, I thought that would get your attention. The Ninth fleet is due to engage your busy little friends in less than four hours."

Errol shook his head, horrified, "No..."

"Yes, soon they shall all return to the fold and be forgiven for the sin of taking away all but two of our glorified apostles." Her mandibles stretched in a wry smile meant to goad.

"Bitch." Simp ground out from between clenched teeth.

Susan stepped up to the female and shoved her bodily into the console, arm at her throat, "Is my mother one of the ones they rescued? Tell me or I'll-"

"Are you going to torture me, little asari? Did Marcus tell you what I did to him? To his brother?" Aleia's eyes glinted madly as she stared past Susan at Marcus. Like she was deliberately baiting him. Susan feared that soon she would be covered in brains and blue blood, but was thoroughly startled when Marcus peeled her away gently, placing himself between them like he was protecting her from Aleia's influence.

"Don't listen to her, Susan. She's poisonous." Was this what he'd dreamt of for nearly two years now? How...disappointed he was as he stared at this petty, small creature who once owned his heart. She was so transparent and he shook his head sadly at her attempt to provoke him to violence. She didn't even deserve that much any more.

"We can't kill her. She knows things." Mira stated firmly, her lips pressed into a grim line.

"That's right, I know things. Things like where Liara T'soni is, where the Cradle might be. I'm a valuable prisoner."

"You always did have an inflated sense of your own worth." Marcus gestured Simp and Errol forward, the latter having pulled out a set of shock cuffs, "Restrain her and toss her in the brig. We'll sort all this out before they hit the Normandy."

"That's very...merciful of you. Perhaps you've forgotten the look on Paulus' face as my bullet tore out the side of his skull." Dragging the men holding her arms, the female thrust herself forward until she was only a few inches from his face, but he stood fast, fully in control now, despite the sudden welling of disgust in him.

He took a deep, cleansing breath and said, calmly, "As tempting as blowing your brains all across this deck is, I have larger concerns that demand my attention."

"Where is the fire? Where is the hate? Hate me, Vakarian!" Her voice broke into dissonance at the end and he looked past her, beyond her and clearly felt how her ire was raised at being ignored.

"You don't have that kind of hold over me any more. And you never will again." He allowed his gaze to drift back to hers, "You're powerless."

Finally, he felt something. A warmth in his chest, a small flickering thing, something of the old him rekindled and as he watched that woman being led away in the custody of four well trained people, his people, a lump formed in his throat. He mourned his younger self, his broken illusions, his horrible mistakes, but he couldn't let that hold him down in the gutter any more. There was too much at stake.

"You're trembling..." Susan said softly, touching his hand where it was clasped in a loose fist at his side. Her own heart was pounding from watching the confrontation, fear for him and pride in him warring within her. He seemed unsteady on his feet, surely feeling the aftereffects of so much emotional turmoil. But though the female lived, Aleia was defeated, in all the ways that counted. A joy burned in her guts, that he hadn't fallen further, that he'd proven himself solidly back in the land of the sane.

Marcus looked down at her absentmindedly, then raised one hand to observe its shakiness for himself, "Am I? I hadn't noticed."

"Sit down for a moment. If you fall, I don't think I can lift you, not without biotics anyway." She pushed him into one of the chairs that lined the walls and sat in the crew station next to him. After a long moment of watching him stare into space, she cleared her throat nervously, "Think we did the right thing? Keeping her alive, I mean."

There was another significant pause at the end of which he snorted, "If you'd told me on Omega that one day I'd see her, that she'd be within arms' reach and I'd let her live, I'd have called you crazy, crazier than I was at the time, which is to say, very crazy. Do I think she deserves to die...?"

She waited as he looked pensively into the middle distance, thoughts flashing in his eyes as he tried to make something of what had just happened.

Finally, he sighed, "No more or less than anyone else in this damn war, me included. A part of me wishes she was dead, to avenge Paulus, to...just have her out of my life, permanently."

"Paulus wouldn't have wanted you to...sink to that level."

"I know. It's all just so empty. Meaningless now. Paulus is gone and the only thing I can do is never forget." He said, sadly. "No, she'll live with what she's done unless she forces me to do otherwise. And she can help us find your mother, in the meantime. No doubt she knows many interesting things."

A thought struck her and she opened a shortwave comm channel to the squad below, "Javik, Aleia's not to meet with any...airlocking accidents on the way there. She still has to help us find mother."

An aggravated chuff answered her, "You think I do not know this? Perhaps you would like me to be the one to interrogate her, yes? Give her to me and I will have all the answers in a matter of hours."

She turned to Marcus, who shook his head minutely, "No, no torture."

"How you primitives expect to accomplish anything when you are so soft is beyond my comprehension." The prothean angrily muttered, "I merely want to get us that information. The end justifies the means."

"I don't run those kinds of ops. You gave me the lead, now follow or find some other patsy to convince. We'll find another way to do so, even if it means I'll have to ask her, politely." Marcus said, reaching over to cut the comms on her omnitool off.

They sat in silence some more. Susan thought back to the memory that had seized her earlier. That child, the possibility that he was...how to even broach the subject? She played with her lip as she said, "Marcus, about Aleia-"

"Please, I need some time...to think." He softened the words with a small smile and reached over to squeeze her arm warmly. "I need to sort things out, plan some sort of strategy for the thing happening in a few hours, go over logistics with Ushal and Errol. And, spirits, I still need to talk to her. I'm starting to think this day is never going to end."

She nodded in understanding, "If you need anything, let me know. I'm here for you."

"And how very thankful I am for that. I don't think I could have done any of that without you." He leaned over to nuzzle her temple briefly and she suddenly found it very hard to breathe, hope rattling the bars of the cage that was her heart. His words made her feel lifted, lighter than she had in a long time. So, for him, she stood and granted him solitude, a poor gift but one she could give gladly. Anything, for him.