I don't own the Mass Effect.

Operation: Legend's War

Classified Recording; Chamber of Reflection, Temple of Athame's Judgment

Samara, Senior Justicar: I must protest, honored one. The delay in our departure will allow continued predations upon the innocent, haste is required in this matter.

Allayrier, High Justicar: The matter is out of my hands Samara. The code is clear, we must obey the Matriarchs when they speak with a single voice.

Helyna, Senior Justicar: Do they not understand the threat? Three demons escaped from the sacred monastery, such a thing has never happened in the history of our order. The code is also quite clear on what we must do.

Allayrier, High Justicar: Remember your place, Sister. Your zeal does you credit but the matter is closed. I expect to hear no more of it until the Matriarchs inform me that the time has come.

- footsteps; the sound of a door closing

Helyna, Senior Justicar: They are wrong.

Samara, Senior Justicar: I agree, but it is their right to prevent us from acting beyond our borders.

Helyna, Senior Justicar: Illium is not beyond our borders, regardless of what those fallen whores believe.

Samara, Senior Justicar: Helyna, think carefully on this. Perhaps-

Helyna, Senior Justicar: If have done enough thinking on the subject, Samara. That criminal's words continue to linger within my mind, and the more I listen to the wind outside this Temple the more I doubt. Don't tell me that you don't as well.

Samara, Senior Justicar: I... cannot.

Helyna, Senior Justicar: Then what do we do? The Code is clear, we must obey... or we must forsake it.

Samara, Senior Justicar: I cannot depart the Order, Helyna. Not until my oath is fulfilled, until my mistakes can no longer hurt the innocent.

Helyna, Senior Justicar: ...I understand.

Samara, Senior Justicar: And yourself?

Helyna, Senior Justicar: Today... I will meditate upon the code. Perhaps there is a current we have not yet found, a passage that will make things clearer.

Samara, Senior Justicar: Wise. I will join you, if you do not mind the company.

Helyna, Senior Justicar: Of course not.

The Silver Blade

Date: 11-14-2187
Location: New Progress, Horizon, Iera System, Attican Traverse

The good news was that the Normandy had managed a fast, low pass to snag a borrowed shuttle containing our wounded, Joker piloting the stealth ship with his usual insane skills to avoid any problems.

The bad news was that the Collectors had a firm grasp on the notion of psychological warfare.

I had honestly expected them to kill everyone via the poison in the Seekers once they pulled out, as a means of cheapening our small victory and demoralizing us. Instead they had done something far more clever; they'd released them all from stasis, the insects swirling up and away to follow the last shuttles to the other landing zones. This accomplished two things for them: it left plenty of fodder for them to eventually return and capture, showing just how threatened they felt in the process, as well as leaving us with a fuck-all mess to deal with.

Now, instead of a veritably empty city we could simple use a base from which to operate, we had a city filled with panicked, terrified civilians who were all convinced that they were the most important people in the universe. What passed for a local government wasn't any better, doing nothing to try and control the situation, instead trying to seal themselves in the priority bunker in the center of town.

My people had had to abort two landings at the spaceport when mobs had tried to swarm our shuttles and drop-ships, creating a bottleneck as everyone had to land here at the base, and denying us any chance to get access to the rest of the city's power and defense grid... leaving none of us terribly thrilled.

"Physically you're in no danger, Reyja'krem." The Batarian medic from the Sixteenth Xenthan informed me, all four of his eyes narrowed a little as he read the data scrolling across his omni-tool. "But you do have a lot of bruising and swelling, some of it internally, and your ankle is definitely twisted. I'd recommend you avoid combat and anything strenuous, at least until we can do a proper scan and ensure there's no breaks, tears, anything like that."

I grunted and dipped my head politely, "Thanks."

"My honor sir." He replied, bowing his own head deeply to his left before backing away, joining the general chaos within the hangar.

While we had left a team of engineers, plus a few squads of guards, in the base's CIC, we'd setup our own command post in the first empty hangar that we'd found. It was newer construction, built by the locals after our departure, and clearly intended to house Alliance stealth frigates like Williams' ship in the neighboring building. But it was armored, spacious, and had plenty of open space nearby for our shuttles and drop-ships to touch down.

Shyeel stepped away from a precariously balanced group of crates once the medic had gone, her helmet shifting as she looked me up and down. "You good?"

"Not going to die at the moment." I shrugged, reaching out to grab my cane, using it to lever myself to my feet. Miranda's people had dropped it off when they'd picked up our wounded, and I'd been appropriately thankful. I hadn't even noticed the pain in my ankle until later, but evidently my landing when I'd hit the bloody wall had done some damage. "Any reports from the Normandy?"

She shook her head, "Nothing since the fly-by grabbed our shuttle. They'll be fine."

I didn't doubt that Voya would be. Where I had probable bone-bruises, she had fully broken ribs, painful and debilitating but nothing that a quick bit of surgery wouldn't fix up. Illyan was more worrying, as were Nikita and Kasumi. Garrus... less so, if I was being honest with myself.

"Lawson? Shepard?" I asked, changing the topic before I could grow too concerned.

"Former is still down in the CIC, helping keep the systems patched together and trying to get access to the city's main weapons." She replied, stepping over and wrapping an arm around my waist to support me as I started limping forwards. "Latter has what's left of her team and is already heading for the second landing zone."

"Of course she is." I muttered irritably. On one hand I could understand her departure, she had a plenitude of logical reasons for running off to rejoin the fight... but on the other hand it left me stuck here directing and dealing with the million and a half problems that were now plaguing this goddess-damned city.

Shyeel hummed but otherwise stayed silent and close, helping me move through the productive chaos as men and women setup the various consoles, communications gear, display tables, and the thousand other little things needed to suddenly throw up a functional command center. Still, I had to give the Xenthan's credit; they were doing it as quickly and efficiently as my Omega-raised soldiers had on our last mission.

"Captain." I called as we neared the epicenter of the movement, a tall Turian male standing alone at the largest of the portable holo-tables. "What's the status on the locals?"

"They've stopped trying to get through the gates." Senior Captain Bresil Norik turned and gave me a quick bow. He was the most experienced of the three regiments that I'd brought with, having been in command of the Sixteenth Xenthan for most of a year now. Like most Turians from the world he had silver plates over coal skin, with jagged blue paint declaring his Xenthan origins. "But they haven't backed off very much. It won't be long until the mob mentality kicks back in and they make another effort."

I grunted, "I'm not going to be broken up if you have to shoot them until they get the point. Your focus has to be keeping the GTS defense here online."

The Turian glanced out of the hangar, looking at the towers stretching above the base. I looked with him in time to see two of them abruptly flashing, red light briefly appearing as they fired at something entirely out of sight before falling dormant once more. Probably taking out another set of those bloody drone fighters that had been trying to sneak into the area. "We'll keep them up."

"I know." I replied, turning back to the display, Shyeel stepping away from me to give me a little room, her arms crossing as she also looked at the images. "What's the status of the other units?"

He leaned forwards, clawed hands effortlessly manipulating the image to show Old Progress. The nearest city, only forty miles away, it had seemed the logical place to attack given both its proximity and the fact that it had its own GARDIAN towers that we had a chance to activate if the Collectors hadn't shredded them. Further, the vessel that had landed there was far smaller than the others, potentially meaning there would be less opposition.

"Fifth Omega is entirely down, Eighth will be soon." He nodded firmly. "The colony towers and the hills are blocking the Collectors' from firing for the moment, but that's going to change as soon as they start moving on the city. Our... guests are already down and are preparing to infiltrate the city."

I grimaced and was about to ask about the fighting in orbit when an armored form pushed her way free from the crowd, striding purposefully in our direction. A breath or three later I picked out the larger form of Vega following his boss, though he stayed back and let Williams do the talking. "Kean, the pirates still aren't committing."

"Dammit." I muttered, wishing my helmet wasn't in the way so I could rub at my forehead. "I'm not surprised. I suppose I should be thankful that they at least cleared a corridor for my people to land."

The Spectre made a credible grunting noise, "You can't order them in?"

"Fuck no." I sighed, "We're working together, and they like me personally, but that doesn't mean they'll take my orders. If the Collectors are content to sit on the other side of the moon, they're not about to risk their people. Were you able to get through to anyone?"

"No." She replied, shaking her head. "The first fleet could be here anytime in the next few hours... Kean, what the hell is that in his mouth?"

I blinked, then glanced over to my left. There, with a wide berth around them, was a full Hunting Squad, eight Asari and two Quarians. The ten of them were standing guard around five bound figures in black armor, the Humans having had their weapons removed and piled off to one side.

The Butcher and his bodyguards had been unlocked with everyone else, thankfully after Miranda and Shepard had returned from the power plant. He, unlike Williams, had evidently missed Shepard's name being spoken, and seemed to be operating under the assumption that this was a combined Cerberus-Blades operation.

That had meant it had taken all of five seconds for him to irritate both Lawson and I to the point where we'd entirely ignored Shepard's protests and had all of them bound and dragged outside... but he hadn't had a bright pink ball-gag in his mouth at the time.

"SL?" I asked.

The Squad Leader, a blue-skinned Asari with the vertical, eye-bisecting lines that had become all the rage amongst our membership, gave me a chagrined smile. "Sorry Director, he wouldn't shut up and it was all I had on me."

A second glance confirmed that the others had socks, torn shirts, or just tape over their own mouths, and seemed just as happy about their situations as their boss.

"Can't blame you." I rolled a shoulder after a moment, "See if you can't find a quieter place to keep them, but I want them alive when we depart."

Norik glanced at me, "You sure, Director? They're Corsairs, and rumor has it they already want you dead."

"I'm not sure," I admitted, "Guy is total ass, but killing them would create more problems than it would solve. Find a storage room and leave them in it."

The huntress bowed before turning around and kicking her prisoners into motion, her team hauling the unwilling men and women to their feet and dragging them away. Williams watched them go without comment, and I could only guess at what was going through her head.

Shyeel noticed her attention as well, and spoke up, "You disapprove, Spectre?"

"I'd disapprove a lot more if I hadn't heard him blaming you for this attack." She shook her head tiredly, "Like I told you, not thrilled that I have to work with you, but the middle of an attack by eldritch aliens isn't the time for blame games."

I sighed almost contentedly; I could get used to working with someone with such sensible priorities. "You going to chase her down at Old Progress, or you going to supervise us?"

"I'm going to see if I can't calm those civies down before you start shooting them." Williams replied. "Waiting on my N-team to finish getting loaded up, then we'll see what we can do."

Across from me, Norik's mandibles twitched once. "My people have orders to shoot over their heads when possible, but if you could get them calmed down it would still be appreciated."

"If you can get them to disperse," I continued, "That would be even better. We don't have the firepower to stave off a dedicated landing effort, not if the Ha'diq refuse to engage, not without getting the main grid back online and wrestling control away from those cowards downtown. If you can get them out of the way maybe we can send a Hunting platoon or two into the city to resolve those problems."

Williams seemed to wince inside her helmet. "Right, I'll see what I can do. Same channel?"

I nodded firmly, a motion she replicated before moving off. My mouth opened to ask Shyeel to go with, in case she had any issues with our people, then my mental waves caught up and reminded me that would leave me without any of my usual companions nearby... and given my current condition, I didn't quite care for that. So instead I simply closed my mouth, exhaled, and then turned back to the display as Norik brought up the orbital deployments.

The pirates were grouped up in a high orbit, their formation anchored by Ha'diq ul Ajin's old Batarian battlecruiser. More than eighty other warships of varying size and quality surrounded it, the criminal fleet pointed directly the colony's sole moon. On the far side of the rocky orb was the Geth and Collector force, which was now heavily outnumbered and clearly not looking for a straight fight. They were probably only sticking around while their ground teams picked up as many humans as possible before they had to withdraw.

The sole survivors from the Corsair flotilla also remained in system, but they had made a secondary jump out to the Relay... which was worrying for all kinds of reasons.

"How long do you think we have?" I asked quietly.

Norik couldn't purse his lips, he didn't really have any, but he could twitch his mandibles unhappily. "First groups could be showing up at any time."

"Athame's azure..." I flexed the fingers of my left hand, then forced them to relax. "We need to hurry this up. Contact Captain ul Raul, tell him to shift a token force into the city, but that his main goal has to be the Collector ship. If we can disable it or force it back that will be a win."

He nodded sharply before turning and snapping orders to a pair of comm-techs lingering near their equipment.

It still took a little while, a good fifteen minutes passing before the two units were ready to advance, but considering that they were arranging better than two thousand soldiers into battle lines I wasn't about to bitch. The bulk of the infantry began a quick movement towards Old Progress proper, their light artillery and mortars setting a smoke barrage at the city's edge to cover the advance. How useful that was, even with the jamming equipment such rounds also deposited, I had no idea, but it seemed to help as the first Hunting squads began to reach the buildings.

There the casualty reports quickly began to roll in as Geth resisted, but the advance continued, bolstered as the slower Line teams caught up, the Turians and Batarians catching up to the Asari-dominant light units. Warnings quickly went out as well as groups found condensed seeker swarms, areas flagged for avoidance and containment. More such communique came in from Shepard as she began her assault on the city's far smaller militia base, Senior Captain ul Raul quickly sending an entire Hunting Company from the Fifth Omega to back her up.

While that was developing, the main show began far more slowly on the eastern outskirts of town, the two Senior Captains running the attack clearly wanting to give Shepard a chance to bolster their firepower. Perhaps twenty minutes later, as the cybernetic zombie Spectre sent another positive progress report, they enacted their plan.

All of us around the table leaned in, staring as the core assets of the regiment began to move. Line and Engineering companies moved in escort positions as the power armored platoons and the GTS units shifted into positions to fire on the landed Collector ship. It didn't remain passive to the threat, nor did the ground forces protecting it. The shambling forms of Armatures and Colossus moved out from hidden positions in the suburbs, long-range fire flying between them and the hundred or so armored suits leading the push.

Behind, the... destroyer, I supposed, joined the fray as well. Looking like a slightly smaller version of the asteroid-like cruiser, with an odd tower sticking out at one angle, it fired the same super-sized particle beams, the fire stabbing out to tear into some of the lumbering GARDIAN trucks. My people retaliated in kind a few heartbeats later, lasers stabbing out from vehicles to rake at the armored hull. Missiles joined them not long after, those trucks lingering in whatever defilades they could find.

Not that it helped much, the corvette's weaponry proved itself more than capable of burning its way right through the hillsides to get at them, but that came too late to stop the oversized missiles from being launched. Tiny icons tracked them as they screamed across the battlefield, smashing into their target as more GARDIAN-equipped trucks got into position.

"Come on... you can't take this much longer." I heard myself muttering in frustration, watching as another vehicle's worth of crew died instantly. "Pull out. You've got your cargo, fucking bail."

They didn't, not for another minute, when Shepard finally got the city's own defenses online. Lasers mounted in towers went live as missiles exploded from underground silos, the weapons tearing at the ship as its engine abruptly flared to life.

"Tell them to cease fire." I snapped, the relayed data showing a ship that had clearly stayed too long to make a clean escape. "Fucking let it launch or it's going to fall on them! Get me ul Ajin!"

Communications officers quickly began to relay the order, bolstered by Norik's own cursing when he didn't think they were doing so with the alacrity it deserved. One of them, at least, got me Ajin within a couple of seconds, the pirate appearing on a smaller table that Shyeel helped limp over to.

"Kean." He greeted me, the roguish Batarian male bowing in a neutral but polite fashion. "You look like shit, and yes, I see the target you've lit up for us."

"I feel it." I replied, "And good. You need marines?"

"No, I can handle it if the main fleet doesn't move in support." Came the reply. "We'll secure it for boarding and... Pillars crush them, the rest of the landed ships are launching, and the fleet is moving."

Twisting my torso around, I glanced back at the main table just as Norik changed it to show the orbital view. Sure enough, the two other ships still on the ground were lifting off as well, whatever Collector was running the show evidently deciding that enough was enough. Ajin cut the signal, wisely focusing on his own shit as the pirate fleet got into motion as well.

"Really wish I knew enough to judge this." I muttered to Shyeel as we both watched the dance occurring far above. Ships were moving in complicated patterns on the enemy's side, while the Ha'diq formed most of their own vessels into a Batarian battle-sphere. "There they go."

She nodded as several destroyers and a cruiser accelerated away from the main fleet, clearly moving to intercept the laboring Collector destroyer clawing its way through the atmosphere. Everyone turned and looked outside as the ionized cracks of heavy lasers sounded, the GTS weaponry targeting the other two ships as they exposed themselves by launching.

"Nothing we can do at this point." She murmured quietly, "If the bugs are pulling out, it's time for us to go too."

I sighed. "Yeah... shit. Norik? Signal the transports, we're going to have to make ourselves scarce soon."

The Turian blinked, then shook himself and nodded. "Right. We should keep our rear-guard at the bunkers sir, ensure that the locals don't try to repeat what they did to us the last time we were here."

"Agreed." My left hand waved slightly. "Handle it, I'm going to check on the Spectre and on Cerberus. Make sure everyone grabs as much salvage as they can fit on the way out. Each regiment will get part of the take."

He gave me a quick bow that conveyed his approval of the order, a motion that I returned before limping away, leaving the withdrawal in his capable hands. Shyeel followed, though this time she merely stayed nearby rather than unnecessarily helping me walk.

"How do you think New Canton went?" She asked as we moved outdoors, the slowly setting sun making the shadows lengthen around us.

"Probably about the same as here." I sighed. "A win that cost us, but at least Ayle will have a grateful populace instead of the keshin and kolsha that live here."

Shyeel snickered quietly, "True. The post-battle sex is probably going to be epic. Lucky bastards."

"Don't make me hit you."

"You'd fall over if you even tried."

I groaned because it was true, but she took pity on me and didn't make any further jokes as we walked to the main gate. There we found a half-squad of Power armor, bolstered by two Line squads, standing guard, with a veritable mass of humanity visible about twenty meters past the entryway to the compound.

Williams, Vega, and four soldiers in black armor were conversing with a group of the civilians, the Spectre pointing a hand firmly at the GARDIAN towers behind us even as they let off another cracking volley, then just as firmly stabbing her hand back at the silent towers farther inside of the city. She'd removed her helmet, revealing her not unattractive features and a fearsome repression as she gave some kind of passionate speech.

Which, knowing some little of the woman, would be heavy on the passion and low on flowery language unless she had a poem to fit the moment.

"The good old point-the-finger-at-the-rich-fucks ploy." Shyeel observed. "Probably working pretty well considering the evidence in front of their faces."

From the expressions on the people near Williams, I thought that was fairly accurate. The Spectre turned a little as we slowed to a stop at the gates, and if anything seemed to grow more animated, waving a hand at our battered bodies and at her own armor before again pointing at the city.

"Bit late." I noted as the evident 'leaders' of the mob backed away and started shouting at the rest of them, the massive crowd seemingly reluctant to disperse, but beginning to scatter all the same. "But at least we aren't dealing with them."

My companion nodded, "Imagine the optics of us having to gun them down?"

I winced. "I'd rather not. Matriarch would be all over that shit, so would the Justicars and Corsairs..."

"We'd be on every Citadel news run." She agreed darkly. "Probably lose our mercenary charter with the Council, even if we kept the one on Illium."

I opened my mouth to agree, paused in thought, then snort. "You think we should thank Williams personally, do you?"

"Don't you?" She crossed her arms. "I could handle it while you're getting patched up."

"She doesn't go for women." My lips twitched. "Or Asari."

Shyeel seemed to pause, then deflate a little. "Dammit."

"Damn what?" The woman in question asked as she returned, her expression quizzical. "Something go wrong?"

"From her perspective." I replied, not above looking for a little amusement now that the battle was winding down. "She was hoping to-"

An armored hand grabbed my throat, choking me and cutting me off before I could get on a roll, Shyeel's voice tired. "Sorry, he's being an ass. The Collector ships are pulling off planet, the Ha'diq are engaging them and hoping to board the damaged ones."

"That's..." She blinked as I whacked my friend's arm with my cane until she let go, "...good. No sign of Alliance reinforcements?"

"Nothing when we walked over here." Shyeel continued as I coughed and tried to clear my throat, "Our people are going to start grabbing all the salvage they can while our transports move back into position, then we'll be gone."

"Good." Williams exhaled, looking over her shoulder as the crowd continued its slow disintegration. "I think I talked them out of trying to storm the place, but they really don't like your corporation much. They kept insisting all of this had to be your fault, some kind of setup and extortion plan, maybe bumping your PR up a bit."

"Not surprising." I replied once I'd found my voice again, "We had to shoot our way out after things got rough when we were contracted here." When her expression darkened, I added, "To be fair, they shot at us first. Lone gunmen sniped a few people on leave and some fucker nearly blew up one of our ships with the GTS weapons. Assholes refused to even fucking investigate, and tried to stop us when I pulled everyone out and declared the contract void."

She regarded me silently for a few breaths, then let out a tired curse and rubbed at her forehead. "Christ... I hate the Traverse. Nothing is ever simple out here, everyone has an angle. Horizon records have your people shooting at them in some bar fight, plus raping some bartender and refusing to turn your people over for investigation."

It was my turn to blink, frown, then I went through my greybox. "First was... yeah, report had it as a drunken mess, but we didn't think it was anything major. No one died, gunfire was just to get attention and make everyone shut up. Second one I've got no record of."

"I'm not accusing," A hand waved impatiently, "Between us I'm more likely to believe you than the local government."

I frowned, "That rat-faced fuck still in charge?"

Brown eyes blinked, then she snorted. "I'm guessing yes."

Turning a little, I frowned at the city. "Dammit. If Voya was down here I'd be tempted to send her hunting."

"Didn't need to hear that." The Spectre shook her head and got moving, slowing her pace when I haltingly turned and began to follow, her team and Shyeel following us. "What's your plan moving forwards?"

I eyed her through my visor, some of my good humor fading. "Why do you want to know?"

"I've been assigned to investigate the colonial attacks." She replied, "Now that I've done that, I can guess what my next mission will be, and from what you said in the CIC Aria has you on the same job."

"Fair point." I admitted. "We don't have much after this, to be honest. If the Ha'diq can successfully grab a Collector IFF or mainframe, we might be able to find a way through the Omega-Four relay to hit them. Otherwise we're going to be stuck sitting around and waiting again."

Her lips twisted in a grimace, "Damn. All right, I have to chase down Sh... our friend before you all bail. Is she still at Old Progress?"

"So far as I know." I paused, then added, "If you find anything on the Collectors, Spectre Severa has a way to get in touch with me. I'll route anything I find through her, to you."

Williams seemed to start, blinked a few times, then nodded cautiously. "I'll.. do that."

We broke apart as we neared the hangars, the Spectre and Alliance marines heading for the shadowed frame of the SSV North Cape, the stealth frigate just visible as the twilight left its white and black hull in relative darkness. Running lights appeared as she pulled her helmet back on, probably calling ahead to give the crew some warning.

Nearby, our own hangar was once again a hive of activity, troops of soldiers appearing from the various buildings and hauling dead Collectors and wrecked Geth up to the surface. Piles of both were being left beside idling shuttles while other squads formed up and began marching smartly towards the dropships warming up at the base's small collection of landing pads. Trusting that Norik still had everything under control, and that he'd have alerted us if the naval battle was proceeding badly, we headed for the main bunker.

The front entrance was far wider and more impressive than the narrow little back-door we'd slipped in through originally, though I was more focused on getting my increasingly aching body down them intact to really appreciate that fact. I managed it, mostly thanks to the fact that the soldiers exiting the place with salvage were polite enough to move around me.

We ran into Miranda about half-way to our destination, the Operative heading for the surface, her battered helmet strapped to her belt. Her black armor wasn't quite as battered as mine, but it was at least as screwed up as Shyeel's, but the metal and ceramic couldn't compare to the dead expression in her eyes.

Right... Taylor.

I opened my mouth to call her name, closed it, then sighed and opened it again. "Miranda."

She actually twitched a little at her name, brilliant eyes blinking quickly as if she'd only just noticed that Shyeel and I were in her way. "...please don't tell me that you're going to be sympathetic. I don't believe that my sanity could handle such an unnatural sight."

Regarding her through my helmet, I smiled a little, "I can offer you a full bottle of your choice when we get back to Omega if that's more natural."

"Somewhat." She replied. "I am not a stranger to losing people, Heph... Cieran."

"Perhaps." I allowed, politely ignoring her stumbling over my name. "But you were doing a good impression of a Husk shuffling down this hallway."

Miranda regarded me without any real expression on her face, then twitched her chin in the slightest of polite refusals. "The naval engagement was still developing when I left the room; your engineers and their escorts continue to hold the room and indicated that they will be the last off-world. The surviving militia remain locked in their barracks."

"Good." I replied, turning and shambling into motion beside her, her own motions becoming sharper and more focused as she distracted herself. "No issues?"

"I didn't say that." She shook her head more sharply, "The pirates were able to board the ship your people damaged, but scuttling charges destroyed most of the critical sections. They were preparing to take it under tow."

I grunted neutrally. That was annoying, less so for me than it was for her. I, after all, knew that there was an intact IFF out there still. "Irritating."

"About as much as the fact that the pirates have also begun releasing shuttles that are heading down." Lips pressed together for a moment as she took a sharp breath, "They aren't heading for New or Old Progress, though I can guess as to their intent."

"Rape, pillage, and burn." I closed my eyes as another wave of exhaustion hit me, and I had to stop and lean on my cane. "Whatever loot they can grab will supplement their income, give them a chance to make this profitable past whatever Aria pays for salvage."

Miranda nodded, having stopped when I had. "I've already done the math. We can't stop them, not given the... precarious political position you occupy."

That was an entirely true statement for numerous reasons. The most important of which was Aria's dictate of peace between her vassals. Unless either Ha'diq was so stupid as to attack my people directly, which they weren't, I would be signing my own death warrant to try and block what Aria would consider a perfectly legitimate raid. After all, the pirates had just saved the colony from being abducted by Collectors... a little tribute was a small price to pay for such aid.

"The Collectors?" Shyeel asked, stepping close and once more wrapping an arm around me, careful to keep her limb below my bruised ribs. "They pulling out?"

"Yes." Miranda got moving once more as well, the three of us heading for the main stairwell. "They formed up and are moving for the Relay, it should be clear for us to depart soon en-"

"Director." Norik's voice cut across the radio before she could finished, "We have an issue."

I closed my eyes, "The Corsairs just came through the Relay."

There was an awkward pause. "Um... yes sir, they did. There's a mess of an engagement going on there. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess..." I sighed, "Tell the Ha'diq I don't intend to get involved, and that I would appreciate it if they escorted my transports out of this goddess-damned system."

Closed Meeting Notes – Admiralty Board

Rael'Zorah; It is time to act, but what you propose is too aggressive Han. We need to follow the original plan, hit Haestrom first, then move with the pirates against Rannoch.

Han'Gerral: Rael, we're going to get one shot at this. If we fail we lose everything.

Zaal'Koris: All the more reason to not undertake this insanity then.

Han'Gerral: How a sniveling coward like you ever became an Admiral continues to confound me.

Zaal'Koris: As if that is any great difficulty.

Daro'Xen: If you three are going to measure your dicks, you can find a clean room and work it out while Shala and I actually get things done.

Rael'Zorah: ...Han has called the motion, we must vote. Is anyone else in favor of proceeding directly against Rannoch? … The motion fails four votes to one.

Han'Gerral: Fine... but we should at least withhold the disruption signals until the final attack. If the Geth are given time to develop a counter, they will do so, we saw that often enough during the rebellion.

Daro'Xen: I have no issues with such an order, it will give me more time to perfect it.

Shala'Raan: If we are all in agreement then, may I contact the Steel King and inform him that we will be ready to move the Flotilla against Haestrom on schedule? His pestering grows old, and he has threatened to bring Aria herself to our next conference.

Rael'Zorah: We are. The war to reclaim our worlds will begin soon... soon, we will all be building our children homes upon Rannoch's soil.

Zaal'Koris: Assuming any of us survive to do so.

Next up is Legend's War VI

The fighting begins to wind down in most areas, though the naval engagement continues as the late arrivals finally show up to the party. Next chapter will be from Shepard's point of view, and will cover the rest of the aftermath and withdrawal from Horizon. After that we'll be on another round of four interludes before we roll into the next operation.

Extra thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, always makes me happy to see a good amount of those. :)

As several reviewers made comments on the subject, I've begun drawing up a rough outline for a Strange Bedfellows II that focuses on Cieran/Miranda. It will either be the original moments from the old outline (basically ME2 moments with Cie/Mira shipped), or it will be post-war like the first SB. No idea when I'll get around to it, but it's something that will likely occur. The next TWF chapter is also in progress, chapter title is Historical: Golden Chains

Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."

Thanks, Kat

Review Responses:

SomeDudeThatReads - The Collector base is going to be... involved, and no, not everyone is walking away from it. Not even close.

AngelForm - She's a bit annoying, and weird, but she's the kind of person whose company Cieran would enjoy. The original AR outline and rough scenes, the very first, had Kasumi as his only real friend on the SR-2.

Griezz - How Ash ended up a Spectre will be explored in an interlude. Suffice to say that a lot of politics were involved on both ends.