Notes:

CIC - Command Information Center

C-Sec - Citadel Security

Sins of the Past

She woke, stretched out flat on her back and stared towards the ceiling; even with her enhanced vision she could barely see it in the early morning darkness. Shepard smiled. She had to give Liara credit. One of the first changes she made was to program natural light cycles on the Broker ship to match the Thessian daily cycle. It was a nice touch. If she didn't think about it and had the exterior shutters closed, she could almost forget they were in the middle of a volatile electrical storm, riding on the edge of destruction... especially under the circumstances in which the commander found herself. Liara was in her favorite spot, snuggled comfortably against Sam's right side with one hand nestled happily between the commander's breasts over a steadily beating heart and one leg cast over a muscular right thigh, with bent knee and a foot curled back to rest against Sam's calf. I'm glad Liara doesn't have cold feet! Shepard grinned happily as the thought rattle across her mind. Liara's breathing was smooth and rhythmic and her body temperature was slightly elevated, so Samantha knew the Asari was still sleeping soundly following their late-night lovemaking. Shepard rolled her head to the side and pressed her lips softly to the scalp crests of her lover as she breathed in Liara's comforting scent.

With the Omega-4 Relay trip looming sometime in the not too distant future, Shepard counted herself lucky to have gotten the six hours of uninterrupted sleep that she did. Normally, she either woke up to a nightmare or with contingency plans running rampant in her mind. Liara provided a calming influence on her psyche and having the Asari stretched out beside her helped her garner some much needed rest. Liara's presence also sent her mind back over the path of their relationship, to think about the risks she had taken and the pain she had caused her precious Blue. Her heart ached, knowing that such pain was most likely far from being over, running straight at danger being completely unavoidable as an Alliance Vanguard and Council Spectre. Shepard subconsciously tightened her grip and unintentionally disturbed Liara's previously peaceful rest. Liara groaned quietly and a knowing drowsy voice questioned, "What's the matter? Can't sleep?"

Shepard sighed, chastising herself, and spoke quietly into the slowly arriving dawn. "Sorry, Love. I didn't mean to wake you." She gave her lover a purposeful hug and another kiss on her crests. "Just thinking about everything I've put you through on our journey to now and trying to figure out how to do better this time around."

Liara's hand massaged Shepard's chest over her heart. Her voice was tight with uncensored concern as a tear rolled down her cheek and she beseechingly breathed out the first thing that came to her mind. "Don't die."

Shepard jerked in shock at the blunt response and had no words to counter the demand, the realization causing her heart to do a painful flip in her chest. She slowly rolled up on her side and faced Liara, placed her left hand under the Asari's chin and resolutely pulled her head up so they could look into one another's eyes. She leaned in and put all the emotion the response called forth into a single kiss aimed at the blue lips in front of her as she wrapped her arms tightly around her love and pulled her close. Their bodies moved together with practiced ease, fitting perfectly together in a familiar embrace, seeking comfort and security. Shepard continued to hold Liara close after the kiss ended, running her fingertips soothingly over her lover's back. After a while, the anxiety eased and Liara slowly took in and let out a deep cleansing breath. "Goddess. I'm sorry, Samantha. That was... uncalled for. I understand the risks and I know you can't promise anything."

The soothing hand continued its motions. "No. Don't apologize for the way you feel. Especially for that, because I'm in complete agreement. I know who they are now. Know what they're capable of. There won't be any surprises from them this time. This time we meet them on our terms." Shepard's voice turned to ice and Liara shuddered as the commander finished. There was no doubting her resolve. "This time... they die."

Her temperament thawed as quickly as it had frozen and Samantha's breath tickled the crest folds on the side of Liara's head as her voice returned to its normal smooth alto and slid like quiet silk across her lover's ear. "And then, I'm coming home to you."

The brief hunt through the Broker archives had revealed some critical data, all of it pointing at the Citadel as their next destination. For Garrus, there was a C-Sec lead to a forger named Fade, responsible for helping many people disappear with a new identity. One of Fade's clients was formerly known as Lantar Sidonis. For Thane, despite his best efforts to keep his son away from his career as an assassin, a certain Kolyat Krios had shown up on the Citadel and taken on a contract as a hit-man. Thane wanted to get there before the contract was fulfilled and stop his son from making the same bad choices Thane had made as a young Drell.

When Shepard boarded the Normandy and went to the CIC, she got on comms and told Joker to lay in a course and depart for the Citadel as soon as he got confirmation that all souls were on deck. Yeoman Chambers also informed her that both Operative Lawson and Jack needed to speak to her at her convenience. Miranda had rescanned her office for listening devices as soon as she had come back on board, so as soon as the commander walked into her office, she got straight to the point. "I just wanted to thank you, Shepard. For putting in a good word for me with Dr T'Soni."

Shepard shrugged her shoulders. "Don't thank me. All I said was that she could do worse."

The look of surprise on Miranda's face was priceless and Shepard broke out laughing. "Gods, Miranda. You're almost as easy as Liara!" Suddenly the commander's face turned bright red. "Oh. That just came out all wrong!" They were both laughing at Shepard's bad choice of wording when Shepard finally pulled herself back together. "You know what I meant, damn it." She shook her head. "I did tell her I trust you and that you're no longer TIM's lackey, but Liara makes her own decisions."

"Well, I'm still going to thank you, Commander, because it's your trust that's giving me the opportunity to prove myself in her eyes. I have a long way to go yet to earn redemption and her personal trust." Miranda's face pinched in regret. "I'm hoping that someday we may even be able to consider one another friends. I've come to realize she'd be a nice one to have."

Shepard's eyes kind of glazed over and she had a faraway smile for just a moment before she answered. "She is at that. Sometimes loyal to a fault, but that's not always a bad thing, is it?" Shepard shook her head to clear the Liara-induced haze and refocused on the tasks at hand. "I'd like to sit down in the near future and get a full readiness report from you. We're coming down to the wire."

All joking fell to the wayside when Miranda looked back at her. "Understood, Commander. It's a couple of days to the Citadel. Why don't we sit down first thing in the morning? That will give me the rest of today to put it all together. We've got a lot of moving pieces I need to corral."

"Actually, I'm finally going to start the cybernetics upgrades with Karin and have the first two skin weaves completed. You have command while we transit to the Citadel, so work with Karin as far as when she'll let us talk."

Miranda nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. May I ask what changed your mind about getting the procedures done?"

Shepard shrugged. "Liara. She told me I need to do everything I can to get back home safe to her." Shepard smiled at the memory. "She claimed my heart and my soul. Everything else is mine to change if it improves my chances to stay alive."

The commander's visit to Jack cleared yet another hurdle. While nothing in the Normandy's files had provided anything definitive, Jack had asked Tali to data-mine her Shadow Broker dossier to see what information the Broker had on her. When Tali turned it over to her, Jack was livid. She discovered her mother had been lied to by a Dr Castor at the Helios Medical Facility on Eden Prime in 2165, because of her eezo exposure and biotic potential. He told her mother that she died from a seizure during a damn checkup! Cerberus stole her as a baby and shipped her off to a place called the Teltin Facility on Pragia. Additional research on the facility showed it was now closed down, but Jack wanted to visit to be sure, and blow the place to hell. Shepard agreed, then went to Tali and got a copy of everything she had provided to Jack. It was the opening topic for her eventual meeting with Miranda.

Miranda read the report Shepard tossed her. "This isn't at all familiar. I was focused on nanotechnologies and synthetic enhancements like the heavy weaves you're getting now. I didn't have anything to do with any of the biotics divisions."

"I'm not saying it's your fault, Miranda, but Cerberus is certainly responsible for it. I want you prepared when Jack brings this to you." Shepard shook her head. "I'm almost one hundred percent sure you're gonna hear about it. I'd recommend you don't dispute it; just disavow any personal knowledge. You weren't working for Cerberus yet when she was taken, and you weren't a high-level operative until after she was released. Hopefully, she accepts the truth."

"Oh, I'll disavow all personal knowledge, Shepard. Then I'll take it an extra step and offer to help her blow the place to hell. This is appalling! They experimented on and killed children for God's sake!" The look on Miranda's face was one of pure disgust.

Shepard looked unsure. "It's Jack's mission, we'll see if she's willing to let you help when we're done with our missions at the Citadel. In the meantime, you could have told me that the weaves were gonna hurt like a bitch. At least the pain doesn't linger." Shepard grinned at Miranda to ease the guilty expression the operative had on her face. "Just giving you crap, Miranda. Don't worry...I can deal with short term pain now if it keeps me alive later. Now. How about that readiness report?"

Miranda filled her in on everything, and Shepard was pleasantly surprised; they were actually looking very good. After the trips to the Citadel and Pragia, all the personal issues that had been raised would be taken care of, and they would be ready to go pick up the IFF, whether or not the Broker's team had found any data on it or the derelict Reaper it was housed in. So far they had turned up nothing, much to Liara's disappointment.

When they were done with their review, Shepard had a huge smile on her face. "You know, before we left Hagalaz, Liara had an interesting bit of info for me... You and Judea?"

Miranda blushed and smiled. "Maybe. We're talking. Speaking of which, she told me to ask you about communicating with her without the Illusive Man figuring out I'm dating a T'Soni commando. She said you converse with Liara somehow, and could probably help us out?"

"Ah. Yeah. It's microburst technology, but not mine to give away. I can pass notes for you though. Just give me the messages on a datapad. Text only, two hundred characters or less. You'll have to deal with me as an intermediary though." Shepard saw the disappointment on her XO's face. "Sorry, Miranda, but it's the best I can do for now. Don't worry...with the way the mission's going, it won't be much longer before we hit the relay. After that... well, you'll be on the Aletheia with her and won't need to send secure messages across the comm buoys."

The arrival on the Citadel was much more routine than their previous visits; no talking advertisements and no questions about being dead, so the trio was able to proceed directly to Captain Bailey's office in C-Sec. When they walked in, Captain Bailey immediately stood. "Commander Shepard. What can I do for you this fine day?"

Shepard chuckled. "Fine day? They got you drinking the Kool-Aid, Bailey?"

Bailey smirked. "No, Ma'am. But I can advertise you're on station and my crime rate will drop by twenty percent for the next few days. And we'll all get a bit of a break."

"Ah, yeah. Well, about that." Shepard shook her head. "I'm not even supposed to be operating in Council space, and I'm afraid I might actually stir the pot a bit. Though I'll try not to make too much of a mess." At Bailey's raised eyebrows, she continued. "Two things. I need to find a Drell and a forger named Fade."

Bailey wore a frown as he answered. "Fade. I know him by reputation. I'd be happy if you can put him out of business. He works for the Blue Suns and has been a pain in my ass. He's infiltrated our network somehow, so whenever we get close he disappears without a trace. I can put you on his trail, and you being outside C-Sec just might give you the edge to catch him."

Garrus stepped in, "Great. Where do we start?"

Bailey nodded. "Marketplace warehouse. Some of Fade's contacts work out of there. Just try to not make too much of a mess, if you get my drift."

Shepard nodded in return. "Understood, Bailey. I'll try to be discreet, but the Blue Suns have no reason to like either Garrus or me, so I imagine things might get noisy. You might want to be thinking about some anti-gang operation cover story so you're ready for the likely shit-storm headed your way. Sorry."

Bailey grimaced. "Afraid you were going to say that. Ah well. If you're gonna make a ruckus, at least make a big enough dent in the mercs to make it worth my while."

The way Shepard laughed did not make Bailey feel any better. "The other thing. The Drell. We think a local criminal may have hired him and, this time, we're actually trying to keep him from doing something stupid."

Bailey shrugged. "That should be easy. We don't see many Drell here. What kind of stupidity we talking about preventing?"

Shepard glanced at Thane. It was his son, after all, so she figured he could take the lead. Thane quickly stepped forward. "He is my son. I am simply trying to keep him from a life of crime."

"Ah. Well. Most parents just let their kids run wild and use C-Sec as station-wide babysitters. More than happy to help one out who actually takes an interest in their kid's upbringing." Bailey kept on keying through the report search until his eyes finally lit up. "Here we go. One of my men recently reported a Drell talking to Mouse. Interesting."

Shepard's brow pinched between her eyes. "Mouse?"

Bailey looked up. "Yeah. Petty criminal. Former duct rat until he got too big. Now he's just a messenger; runs errands for anyone who'll pay. Good, bad or otherwise. He's usually upstairs, outside the Dark Star. He works out of a public comm terminal there."

"Thanks, Bailey. We'll try to be out of your hair quick and quiet." Shepard glanced at her teammates and headed into the Citadel.

Thane was surprised that Shepard had let him take the lead. "You didn't tell him who I was or that Kolyat plans to assassinate someone."

Shepard shrugged. "Assassination is not necessarily something I care to discuss with the police. I like Bailey. He's already done me a favor or two. No need to compromise his position any more than we have to."

"I was not there for Kolyat when he was young, and I would not wish to be separated from him now that I intend to make amends. Accomplishing that and our mission against the Collectors would be difficult for me from a jail cell." Thane spoke quietly. "Thank you, Shepard. I am not used to working with people who take everyone's interests into consideration."

Garrus chuckled. "In your line of work, I wouldn't think you were used to working with anyone."

Thane almost smiled. "Valid point, Garrus. Though I was simply thinking if more people took others' interests into consideration, there would be fewer people at both ends of my services."

Garrus twitched his mandibles in surprise. "Hmmmm. Also a valid point. Hadn't thought of it quite that way." His eyes moved to the commander. "Soooo. Where first, Shepard?"

Figuring the assassination was probably a bit more time sensitive, the team chased down Mouse first. After an enlightening conversation with the overgrown duct rat, they identified the source of the contract as a human named Elias Kelham, who was making a name for himself running the rackets in the lower wards. After a not-so-polite conversation with that man, Kelham admitted the target was a Turian named Joram Talid. He was running for office on a platform to end organized crime; it certainly explained Kelham's dislike for the man, but there was more... Talid was also anti-human. Shepard grimaced when she'd heard that. If it wasn't for Garrus and the Spectre Nihlus Kryik, she'd have to wonder about the Turian race as a whole; Saren, Councilor Sparatus, and now Talid. She shook her head in disgust; she'd never understood racism. To her, it all seemed like a baseless fear of the unknown. All anyone had to do was look at her crew to see how much she valued diversity.

They located the politician on the campaign trail and followed him through the wards, keeping an eye out for any hint of Kolyat. Shepard found it rather hypocritical that Talid was running on an anti-crime platform, because he was using his bodyguard to shake down various businesses as he moved between stops and spoke to voters. She recorded a number of the transactions and sent the recording to Bailey. At the end of the day, Talid returned to his apartment and that was where they found Kolyat, lying in wait outside his residence. Shepard briefly toyed with the idea of letting Kolyat finish off the crooked politician, but that wouldn't help Thane focus on the mission. She had to help him finish what they started.

An untrained assassin on his first job was no match for Thane and Shepard, and they quickly had Kolyat disarmed and turned over to C-Sec. C-Sec had arrived much too quickly; it was obvious Bailey had followed them. Bailey gave them a ride back to the precinct, where Shepard left Thane to talk to his son. They would meet him back on the Normandy. She glanced at Garrus. "Come on, Vakarian. We've got us a forger to find."

Shepard assumed Zaeed would be happy to help against the Blue Suns, regardless of whether or not Vido had already gone down, so she placed a quick call to the ship. Soon enough, the aging merc was standing before them, ready to go. When they walked into the Marketplace warehouse, the first thing they saw was a couple of Krogan bodyguards. As they moved farther into the room, a Volus walked around the corner. Shepard snorted; Bailey had said Fade's contacts worked out of the location, not Fade himself, so she got straight to the point and they quickly discovered Fade worked out of an old prefab foundry in the factory district. The Volus warned them, "He's got a lot of mercs there... Blue Suns. Harkin thinks they're protecting him."

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Why is it that people refuse to heed my warnings? First Rana Thanoptis, now Harkin. I give 'em a second chance and they spit in my face."

Garrus grumped, "Bastard! He's using his knowledge of C-Sec to help those scum. But I know the exact building, so we just need to grab a skycar."

Shepard growled, "I'm looking forward to seeing Harkin again..."

Garrus had a similar attitude. "I'm sure he'll be excited to see both of us."

When they arrived, a couple of Blue Suns were guarding the door and Harkin just happened to walk around the corner. He immediately recognized he was in deep trouble. "Shepard? Shit! He yelled at the guards as he retreated back through the doorway, "Don't just stand there! Stop them... Stop them!"

As the gunfight started, Garrus shouted at the vanishing Fade, "Run all you want, Harkin. We'll find you!"

The first two guards at the doorway hardly even slowed them down, but the very first room had a number of mechs to take down and Shepard quickly realized she'd made a tactical error. Yes, Zaeed wanted to eradicate the Blue Suns, but having only him and Garrus along meant she didn't have a tag-team biotic with her; she had four on board and didn't tap any of them. That made her 'crash and blast' approach a bit more dangerous. Still, they progressed quickly through the warehouse, pushing as quickly as they could. Shepard did not want Harkin to escape or Garrus would never forgive her. On one of the larger warehouse floors, they ran into a heavy mech that slowed them significantly and Shepard again cussed herself for not having an extra biotic with them. When the mech finally went down and they were ready to move into the next section, Garrus growled. "Harkin's always been a pain in the ass, but I'm in no mood for any more of his games. If he doesn't cooperate, I'll beat him within an inch of his life."

Shepard nodded, "No sense giving him more time to get ready for us. Let's move."

They moved into the next room and saw explosive crates moving overhead. She pointed them out and while both of her teammates grinned, Zaeed also practically purred in satisfaction, "Alright!"

There were plenty of mechs coming at them, but things got interesting when two heavy mechs dropped in simultaneously. Shepard keyed into her comms, "Garrus. Hang back and get a sniper shot on those explosives. I need you to drop as many as you can on those heavies!"

She and Zaeed tag-teamed on the heavy mechs to keep them occupied and moving slow. Garrus managed to drop two crates before the first mech exploded, then the team combined on the second to drop it relatively quickly. As soon as the second heavy mech went down, they climbed a series of crates and raised platforms on the far side of the room to finally make it to the door of the main dispatch room. Shepard peeked around the corner and Harkin was in there, his fingers flying over the control panel like he was conducting a symphony. Garrus circled to the door on the opposite side and signaled Shepard once he was in position. Shepard stood and she and Zaeed moved into Harkin's line of sight.

He sneered contemptuously at the Spectre as he backed to the other doorway to make good his escape. "You were close, but not close enough."

As he turned to bolt through the door, Garrus stepped in and smashed Harkin's nose with the butt of his assault rifle then grabbed him and slammed the forger against the wall. "So, Fade...Couldn't make yourself disappear, huh?"

Harkin's voice oozed disdain, "Come on, Garrus. We can work this out. Whaddaya need?"

Garrus released Harkin, turned his back on him and took one step away. "I'm looking for someone."

Harkin got bold... and stupid, considering he already had a broken nose, thinking he had room to barter. "Well, I guess we both have something the other one wants."

The step Garrus had taken put him a perfect one-arm's-length away and he spun quickly, backhanding Harkin and slamming him into the wall again before stepping up and kneeing him in the crotch. Shepard winced. "Ouch. That had to hurt. Maybe you should just tell Garrus what he wants to know."

Harkin dragged himself off the floor, trying to hold his nose and what was left of his balls at the same time. He grunted out, "Maybe. I still haven't heard exactly what you want."

Garrus growled impatiently, "You helped Lantar Sidonis disappear. I need to find him."

Harkin got defensive. "I know who he is, but I'm not telling you squat. I can't give out client information, it's bad for business."

Garrus lashed out again, smashing Harkin's head back against the wall before sending him to the floor. He stepped forward and placed an armored boot on the forger's neck. "You know what else is bad for business? A broken neck!"

Harkin wheezed out, "Alright! Alright! Get off me!" When Garrus released the pressure, Harkin sat up and stared at the big Turian. "The Terminus really changed you, didn't it, Garrus?"

Garrus glared at the pitiful Human groveling at his feet. "No, but Sidonis... opened my eyes. Now. Arrange a meeting."

Harkin clawed his way up the wall and moved to a comm terminal to call Sidonis; he told him his identity may have been compromised and set up a meeting for him to receive his new identification. He turned back to Garrus, quickly, wanting this bad business to be over with. "It's all good. He wants to meet you in front of the Orbital Lounge. Middle of the day." Harkin glanced around nervously. "Sooo... if our business is done, I'll be going."

Garrus reached out and grabbed the front of Harkin's shirt before he could turn away. "I don't think so. You're a criminal now, Harkin."

Harkin was still combative, "So what? You just gonna kill me? Not your style, Garrus."

Garrus stared at Harkin hard for a moment and Shepard suddenly feared that he might do just that. As she was getting ready to reach out, Garrus shoved Harkin away. "Kill you? No. But I don't mind slowing you down to be sure C-Sec can catch you." Garrus promptly capped Harkin's left knee.

Harkin screamed in pain and collapsed, writhing in pain on the floor as Garrus dropped a message to Bailey over his omnitool. Garrus then turned and shot the secure comm terminal Harkin had used, to make sure 'Fade' couldn't contact Sidonis and call off the meet.

Harkin grunted out, "You... Bastard!"

Shepard growled. "Consider yourself lucky. We let you go, once. This time? I wouldn't have shot you in the leg. Sidonis better be there, or I'll use my Spectre status to finish the job, no matter where you are."

When they arrived at the designated meeting point, Garrus quickly scoped the area and picked a sniper's nest to operate from. "I can get a clear shot from over there and no one will ever see it coming, or see me leave."

Shepard nodded. "Ok. What do you need me to do?"

"Just keep him talking and don't get in my way. I'll let you know when he's in my sights." Garrus hesitated at the sound of laughter from the back seat.

Zaeed grunted. "Shepard. You think he's gonna trust an N7 Spectre to be handing out forged IDs like candy? The minute he sees you, he's gone. Give me the damn passes. I'll do it."

Garrus hummed. "He's got a point, Shepard." He looked at Zaeed. "You screw this up, second shot goes in your head."

Zaeed's eyes narrowed and his voice was low and hard. "Blue Suns leader tried that once already. You see where that got him. I'm offering to help you, dickwad. Don't insult me."

Garrus nodded. "Alright. I accept. We both know where the other is coming from."

Shepard shrugged, "So, what? I'm just a spectator now?"

Garrus chuckled. "No, you're a Spectre. You bail us out with C-Sec if the plan goes to hell."

Sidonis died quickly, so they were soon in the car and back at the entrance near C-Sec. Garrus and Zaeed went back to the Normandy, and Shepard went to C-Sec to talk to Bailey. She gave him the rundown on everything that happened with 'Fade' and Harkin before asking about Talid. Bailey looked up at her. "I owe you another one there, Shepard. You probably saved me having to deal with a bunch of race riots in the future. Your recordings were enough to have him charged with corruption, so I passed the information to Spectre Jondum Bau and he's already made the arrest." Bailey shook his head. "Your Drell spent a lot of time with his son, but the kid's been through a lot. Gonna take a lot more time and talking, but that'll be tough with him in prison for attempted murder."

Shepard scoffed, "Come on, Bailey... He didn't kill anybody, he has no priors, and the guy he was after is a scumbag. The kid wants to make a difference. Give him community service."

Bailey actually laughed. "Community service? For attempted murder? No judge will agree to that."

Shepard grinned. "Didn't you just say you owed me one? Keep it out of the courts, Bailey. Give him a 'private' C-Sec probation. Put him to work for you, personally. Keep the file as insurance. If he busts your contract, then charge him and put him away."

Bailey stood up and faced her. "Interesting. I'll think about it. I might need some top cover to pull that off though."

She stuck her hand out. "Consider it done. You've got my Spectre authorization if you need it. Thanks, Bailey."

Bailey shook his head in surrender as he took her hand. "No. Thank you, Shepard. You stopped an assassination, saved a kid's future, shut down a major forgery operation... and that warehouse is a goldmine of information on the Blue Suns and all the spies they've set up in any number of companies on the Citadel. And, you didn't make nearly as big a mess as I thought you would. Now, before you go, though, I need you to take a ride with me."

Shepard looked at him. "To?"

Bailey shook his head, "Really can't say. Not here. Trust me?"

Shepard laughed. "Shit, Bailey. If I can't trust you by now, we both need to find better business connections. Lead the way."

They climbed in a squad car and all the windows tinted so no one could see in the car. Shepard was curious, but Bailey wasn't talking. As they got closer to their destination, Shepard realized where they were headed; the secure embassy housing district. "Hmmph. If Anderson wanted to see me, all he had to do is ask. Why the cloak and dagger, Bailey?"

The C-Sec captain shrugged. "I don't know the politics behind this, Shepard. I'm just a glorified taxi driver today." He set the car on the landing zone and opened the door. "I'm here until you're done, then I'll take you back to C-Sec."

Shepard got out of the car and went to the only door available to her. When it slid open, she froze in her tracks. She had assumed it was Anderson's apartment, but she was mistaken. She was met at the door by none other than Huntress Nizia Tenir. Tenir bowed in respect. "Welcome, Commander. I attended your memorial service and met your mother. I cannot say how much it pleases me to see you again. The councilor is awaiting you. Please. If you'll follow me?"

Tenir walked through the shuttle reception area and turned right, into a large sitting room. Tevos stood quickly from her seat and strode purposely across the room, grasped a surprised Shepard by her shoulders and quickly leaned in, kissing her once on each cheek. She had tears in her eyes as she all but purred in welcome, obviously pleased. "Shepard. It is so good to see you in the flesh. Your absence has been deeply felt."

Shepard smiled. "I actually intended to come visit you a while back, but got shanghaied by Sha'ira, on the request of my bondmate." A look of surprise on the councilor's face made her stop, wondering about Tevos' reaction. "Councilor?"

Tevos dipped her head graciously, "Apologies, Commander. That was rude of me, but did you say...'bondmate?'"

Shepard's eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, gosh. I'm speaking to an Asari. My turn to apologize. Most folks I deal with don't recognize the distinction and I use the term loosely to avoid having to explain. Liara and I are still promised. We haven't actually bonded yet." Shepard smirked. "Don't worry. You'll be invited."

Tevos visibly relaxed at that clarification and spoke again. "Please, Shepard. Sit with me for a while. Would you like some wine? Elasa?"

"How about some tea? I don't think returning to the Normandy with alcohol on my breath would be the wisest decision." Shepard winced. "Sorry, Tevos, but I don't want to sit on your furniture. I didn't know Bailey was bringing me here, and I haven't been to the doc after my last mission. I uhm... I don't want to get any blood on your couch."

Tevos turned quickly, surprise reflected in her face. "By the Goddess. I should have considered that. I apologize, Commander!" She quickly closed the distance between them. "We'll treat your wounds while we talk. Help me with your armor."

Shepard's face went beet red as she stuttered. "I... ah. I don't really think that's necessary, Councilor."

Tevos nodded at one of her servants and looked back at Shepard. "Nonsense. Don't be so modest. You are the one who declared us friends. I will not stand by while a friend is injured and not treat you." The servant quickly returned with materials to wash and treat the wounds, but Tevos took everything and quickly set about treating Shepard herself. Shepard's skin was hot with embarrassment, but Tevos' attentions were extremely efficient and gentle. She was surprised at the lack of penetration of the weapons rounds, and she frowned in puzzlement. "Shepard, this is not normal for Humans, is it? Your skin is..." Her voice faded out and she met Shepard's eyes in curiosity.

Shepard finished the sentence for her. "...enhanced with a synthetic weave to make it more resilient... more resistant to puncture wounds and penetrations. I just had it done, so it's all new to me and still a bit sensitive."

"It is intriguing. And apparently effective. It makes removing the rounds very easy, and your skin responds amazingly quickly to the medigel!" Tevos studied her skin with wonder.

Even in her awkward situation, Shepard couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, Liara once threatened me with an in-depth study, but she never actually did it."

With the gentle reminder of propriety, Tevos suddenly snatched her hands back and her eyes snapped up to meet the commander's. "Goddess. I apologize, Shepard. It is not my place." Tevos finished up her administrations and handed Shepard back her compression shirt, which the commander gratefully slipped back over her head and pulled down to cover her torso.

"Thanks, Tevos. That actually does make me much more comfortable...and not only because I'm clothed again." Shepard smirked at the councilor's discomfiture. "I get the feeling you don't normally undress your Spectres when they come to visit."

Tevos actually blushed. "No. Well, to be honest, in all my years as a councilor, a Spectre has never been welcomed to my flat. I have always met them elsewhere." At the look of disbelief on Shepard's face, the councilor smiled. "At least, until now. And you are here as my friend, not as a Spectre."

Tevos was troubled and very unceremoniously flopped down onto her couch with a big sigh. "Shepard. You are different than anyone I have ever met before and I agonize over the possibility that we could lose you before this is all over." She gazed directly at the commander as she continued. "I worry about you. I hear things, Shepard. Things that are of great concern to me, both as a councilor and to me personally. Might I ask you about them?"

Still having no idea why the councilor summoned her, Shepard nodded in acceptance, hoping to finally get to the heart of the matter. Tevos closed her eyes briefly as if to steel herself, then exhaled and forced the words across her lips. "I understand you are planning to transit the Omega-4 Relay to the Collector homeworld."

Shepard laughed and, since she had shed her bloody armor, finally took a seat on one of the couches. She was much more relaxed as she spoke than the councilor who issued the statement. "It must be an Asari thing. You and Liara both say you want to ask a question, but then utter a statement. That was not a question, Tevos, but yes...we are going through the relay to the Galactic Core."

Tevos drew in a sharp breath and, out of the corner of her eye, Shepard saw Huntress Tenir twitch in shock at the frank confirmation. "Shepard! How do you propose to complete such a task? It's never been done! We cannot let you cast your life away on a task doomed to failure!"

Shepard smiled softly. "It's done by the Collectors all the time. And I'm going to do it with a lot of dedicated people helping me, Councilor. I have once again built a top-notch team, and we have found and developed some new technologies that, should it all work, I will share with all the council races as soon as we return. New shielding, new weapons, even a new IFF system that should allow us to transit the relays with much greater precision."

"Where is all this coming from, Shepard?" Tevos shook her head in bewilderment, fearing it was Reaper technology.

"Everywhere, Tevos. We Humans have a saying; necessity is the mother of invention. The weapon is an enhanced version of something the Turians have been working on for a while, shielding is from the Quarians, cross-species cooperative engineering has been key to adapting the technology to our systems, and Liara's information brokerage was working overtime to help me find some missing pieces and complete all kinds of upgrades. I think perhaps that is why she was targeted. We're making too much progress and we have the Collectors frightened." Shepard sipped her tea like she was relaxing and watching a skyball game on a Sunday afternoon. "May I ask a question in exchange?"

"Certainly, Commander." Tevos sipped her Elasa and waited patiently, her concerns soothed by Shepard's explanation as to the sources of the new technologies.

Shepard was direct. "Why did the idea of Liara being bonded to me make you anxious?" Tevos' coloring was already a fairly dark blue so it was hard to tell, but Shepard swore the councilor blushed slightly at the question. "Does the Matriarchy not approve?"

"Oh no! That is no concern, Shepard. Believe me. That you would choose to bond with an Asari is looked upon very favorably on Thessia. It's more of a personal issue to me." Tevos paused to collect her thoughts before she continued. "Liara is very young, and bonding so early can pose certain ... hazards, especially given her particular situation... being separated from other Asari during a critical change of life. And I promised her mother that I would look after her in her absence... before she left to join Saren."

Shepard frowned at the memory that statement evoked. "If it is any comfort, we are both very aware of the age issue and are taking active steps to minimize those risks, Tevos. I have actually spoken to Sha'ira about being a mentor to Liara to help her make the necessary transitions that her mother should have been here to do, had circumstances not been as they are." Shepard looked directly at Tevos. "I will do nothing to risk Liara, Tevos. You can bet your life on that. And I had an interesting 'talk' with Matron Lyessa at the country estate prior to my formal proposal."

"As you say, Commander, and I have no reason to doubt your word." Tevos smiled gently as she looked into her dwindling glass of wine. "And the formal proposal was in high Thessian, if the stories are to be believed. I would have liked to have witnessed that. But I still worry about her. As I worry about you."

"I'm a soldier, Tevos. An N-7. A Spectre." Shepard shook her head in amazement. "And Liara is tougher than you realize. She's learned a lot, and suffered through more than most can imagine, these past three years." A heavy sigh escaped the Spectre. "And most of it is due to me." A twinge of painful regret flashed across her face as she grew silent.

Tevos stood and moved to the couch next to the commander. She reached over and gently clasped the commander's hand in comfort. "Never feel guilt for the love you feel, Shepard. It is a gift, and never something that should be regretted."

"I don't feel guilty for the love, Councilor. I feel guilty about the pain I have caused her, and the pain which I know a future with me will continue to bring." Shepard saw Tevos about to interrupt and she shook her head. "No, Tevos. We both know it. Until this Reaper war is over we don't know what our future holds. I am a soldier and I will fight. And I will get hurt. For many of those days Liara will be at my side, but not yet. We will wait at least until I return from the Omega-4 Relay. I need her here to continue the fight in the event the unthinkable happens and I don't return."

Tevos said nothing for a moment as she stood and stepped away. She swallowed hard and turned back to the commander. "Shepard. The day we melded and you showed me your mind, something happened. Once you released the phantoms of Elysium, you held nothing back from me. You were very open and you showed me much. I feel like I have known you your whole life. I lived your triumphs, I suffered your failures. I felt your joys and suffered your pain. There is a reason certain council guidelines are in place, but they are just guidelines and I felt the special circumstances required special actions. But, because of that, now I have to live with the consequences of having such intimate knowledge of you. I feel unusually close to you, Shepard, and I find it hard to risk you for the mission. For different reasons, you and Liara are both like children to me..." Tevos stopped and shook her head, feeling suddenly as if she had revealed too much. "I need to let you get back to your mission." Tevos closed her eyes and whispered, "Go with the Goddess, Shepard, and come back to us safe."

Shepard stood and closed the distance to Tevos, laying a hand gently on her arm. Tevos opened her eyes again as Shepard spoke. "You honor me, Tevos, with your kind words. Liara and I are not your children, but we are your friends and friends watch out for one another."

Shepard turned to leave, then suddenly stopped and turned back. "Tevos? From your tone, I can only assume you feel as if you shouldn't have melded with me the first time, and I'm sorry you feel that way. I harbor no regrets about the meld and I'm happy that you now understand me so well. But now that the bridge has been crossed, would you meld with me again?"

Tevos glanced away while she thought about the answer to that question, unable to meet the commander's eyes for a moment. Her grey eyes eventually returned to the waiting green ones. "Goddess help me, but if you asked it of me, I would not deny you."

Shepard nodded. "I won't ask... not now, anyway. But I will offer. You read my mission report from Aratoht. Object Rho put images into my mind just as the beacons did. You saw the remnants of the burn mark running halfway down my back where it overloaded my nervous system and forced me unconscious. I saw the coming of the Reapers... and they are powerful, Tevos. I don't find it so hard to imagine a fleet of Sovereign-class ships coming out of the relays to harvest us because I have already seen it in my mind's eye. I wouldn't wish that vision upon anyone, but I do ask one thing of you. Trust in me. Believe me when I tell you the Reapers are coming. Do not play politics as usual and, even if the council at large will not believe and cannot be convinced, tell the Matriarchy. Get the Asari ready for war, Tevos, or we may all perish. May your judgments in the future be wise, Councilor. Go with the Goddess."

"Aethyta. It's good to see you." Tevos sat quietly at her terminal, awaiting some form of response from the Matriarch. Instead, she received only a steady glare. "I'm sorry it's taken so long, but I just finally saw Shepard in person."

"And?" Aethyta was giving no ground until her previously voiced concerns were answered to her satisfaction.

Tevos shook her head. "I have no proof, but Shepard was amazingly relaxed during her visit with me. She swears Liara is safe and not on the Normandy. It also appears Shepard is the self-appointed enforcer within the Spectres. First Saren Arterius and now Tela Vasir. Vasir did indeed orchestrate the attack against Liara and, even though Liara was relatively unharmed, Shepard made Vasir pay for it with her life. I swear to you, the attack was by no order of the Council that I am aware of. There is someone else at work here."

Aethyta growled from deep in her throat. "If not the Council, then who? Did the Matriarchs make a move anyway, even with me here?" Aethyta stood and paced. "The T'Soni commandos have closed the brokerage office and vanished. I assume to go guard Liara at her new location, wherever the hell that is. And Mozia tells me they've made arrangements to pick up both of the personal transports that were stashed in storage at the estate." Tevos watched as Aethyta paced and spoke to herself. Aethyta nodded. "Shepard's smart, and if she's relaxed, then my girl's safe, I'm sure of it." She stopped and stared at the Councilor again. "And I think she's going mobile with a commando escort. I'm headed home. To Thessia. If I hear even a sniff that the Matriarchs arranged this, be prepared for some changes in leadership."

Tevos' eyes got wide. "Thyta! Please. Don't even jest. Shepard revealed something to me that Sha'ira has already spoken of... We cannot afford to upset our power bases right now. Come to the Citadel and I'll explain."

Aethyta's eyes narrowed. "Last time Shi was here, she mentioned a storm coming. I gather you have a bit more detail than what she was willing to share on Illium?"

Tevos nodded. "Yes. And if we repeat our mistakes of the past, the Asari may not have a future to worry about."

Aethyta was perfectly still for a few moments, absorbing the expression on Tevos' face, and she realized the Councilor was serious. Dead serious. "I'm out of here on the next open shuttle. I'll see you in a couple of days."