14/10/2017

Thank you to Pax Humana and Daisy Duck 39 for beta-ing.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, you are the greatest!

Part 2 The Fall of the Galaxy
Chapter 27: The Importance of Loopholes

-cfr-

Citadel, Serpent Nebula

"Then segregate them!" Quentius yelled, letting his annoyance show. "Without proof, I will not condone the wholesale slaughter of Salarians."

Executor Blasius looked at him oddly, asking if the answer would be different if there was proof. "I'll see to it," he ground out, his desires obvious. While Blasius had a long history with C-Sec, he was new to the position. Govinus had taken an alternate route to solve the problems they faced.

"Good," Quentius replied. "Was there anything else?"

"No." Blasius said, closing the comm.

Quentius sighed in the silence. He had already reminded Blasius that the difference between civilisation and anarchy was their adherence to law and duty. That meant that even though most of the Citadel, himself included, thought the Salarians had made a deal with the Invaders, they could not act without proof. He'd ask Shepard next time. The Human was contrary enough to actually give him an answer.

Which led to his next problem.

Three days ago, an Asari, one he didn't recognise had approached him. Her smile had been genuine as she'd pressed a package into his hands. Perhaps it had stupid to take something from an unknown. Schells' assassination should have proved that politics was still very much on the minds of some but he hadn't sensed any hostility and he was feeling reckless. Once he'd opened the package he'd realised he had been in no danger. Her smile had been one of blatant admiration, not one meant to garner trust.

The package had been a bottle of Turian whiskey. Very good Turian whiskey. The type he, despite his position, only heard about. Whiskey that only came from Triginta Petra and Triginta Petra was deep in Invader held territory.

The only way it could have gotten here was via the food packages the Humans were sending, but he'd seen the manifest. The packages were mostly staple foods. Bulk items that could be easily handled. Delicate bottles had never been included before and a quick check of the current manifest showed no bottles were recorded, not even the one on his desk.

It was obvious what that meant. The Asari was a pro-Human and she had been instructed to give him the bottle. But why? Was it to bribe him? Blackmail him? Reward? He didn't know.

"What the hell am I meant to do with a hundred year old bottle of Fiddichglen?" he cried in frustration.

"You enjoy it," came the reply as if it should be obvious.

Quentius felt himself jump before he focused his gaze at his desk. A small hologram of Shepard appeared over the inbuilt projection disk.

"You sent this?" The Turian Councillor gestured towards the bottle.

"My pilot did," Shepard said.

"Why?" He asked, trying to remember the Human's name. Moray... Moreau, that was it. It was only because he'd reviewed the records recently that he knew it. But why would the Chief Helmsman of the Normandy be sending him whiskey?

"He thought you could use some cheering up." Again, the reply was spoken as if the answer was obvious. "You don't like it?" Shepard actually sounded concerned.

"No, it's beautiful," Quentius replied. He hadn't tasted it yet but Fiddichglen's reputation preceded it. This was some of the best alcohol the Turians could produce.

"So why are you concerned?"

"Shepard," Quentius said as a thousand concerns settled on his shoulders. "It doesn't look good for me," he added. That was the easiest way to express the myriad of problems that would present themselves to him if it became public knowledge that the Humans had sent him something. Though... the problems would probably be short lived really since he doubted he'd survive long.

"Well, I won't be telling," Shepard replied lightly, "and I can always have the delivery girl taken care of if you'd like?"

The offer made Quentius' blood run cold. The casual way Shepard spoke of arranging death. It shouldn't have surprised him but it did. Forty years might have passed but Quentius remembered the man and he was not that brutal. "That won't be necessary," Quentius said, waving away the issue. If only it would disappear that easily but there was no point in discussing it with Shepard. "Did you want something?" The Humans had never called him privately before. But Shepard had called Primarch Fedorian privately, Quentius' mind supplied. The Primarch had sent the recordings to Victus and while they had been analysed, nothing of great importance had been discovered.

"Yes," Shepard replied brightly. "I came to ask you a question."

"A question?" Quentius was wary.

"Well, it's more a choice," the Human corrected himself. "Which do you want dead first: Sur'Kesh or Thessia?"

Quentius felt his eyes widen as he stared at Shepard's form. The question repeated in his mind and implications screamed at him. So the Salarians didn't have a deal? Or was Shepard only playing with him? "What?" He managed to gasp.

"Which do you want dead first?" Shepard repeated.

"You can't be serious!"

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Shepard smiled at the Turian's surprise.

"But you have a deal with the Salarians," Quentius heard himself say.

Shepard grinned. His teeth flashed on the small holographic form as the Human looked inordinately pleased with himself. "No, we don't," he said.

"But you've barely hit them and they-" He couldn't say it. The Invaders had destroyed the three Salarian dreadnoughts at the ambush but nothing else. No ships, no colonies (though those had been evacuated before the Invaders reached them), nothing! All of it pointed towards an agreement. If they didn't, if they didn't... the question reverberated through him.

"I assure you we don't," Shepard said. "If you say Sur'Kesh, I'll make sure we visit them before Thessia."

Quentius held his mandibles steady as further implications flooded his mind. It might all have been an act by the Invaders, a carefully considered set of lines and silences that hinted at a deal but it was the Salarians who had truly completed the betrayal. They had been playing politics on their homeworld all this time, with their dreadnoughts patrolling the Annos Basin while his people died! That was not the spirit or intention of the Citadel. That was not what the Turians had protected all these years.

"You were right, you know." Quentius said softly, reaching out to take grab the bottle. He held it carefully while his talons worked at the seal.

"I was right?" Shepard seemed slightly confused by the new tack their conversation was taking.

"You were right about the Council," Quentius said as he cut through the thin metallic seal. The smell of alcohol burst forth and he sat back, breathing deeply to enjoy the rich aroma.

He snagged a glass from the open draw, setting it down on the desktop before pouring several fingers worth of whiskey into it. Shepard watched silently as Quentius picked up the glass to take a large swallow.

It burned all the way down but it was a smooth burn, accented with a dozen subtle flavours.

"Careful, it's meant to be savoured," Shepard cautioned when Quentius took another, much smaller sip.

This time he appreciated the flavour. It was rich and strong, and as smooth as the first gulp but with bite waiting to catch you unawares. He closed his eyes, rolling the liquid on his tongue before he swallowed.

"You were right," Quentius repeated, putting the glass down and leaning forward to stare directly at Shepard's image.

"Hmm?"

"About the Council," Quentius said. "Primarch Drusus must have had his brains fucked out when he signed up with the Asari's Council."

"Primarch Drusus," Shepard repeated the name as he ran it through the data banks he had available. He didn't have that much on Turians but thankfully it came up quickly. Primarch Nerva Drusus, the head of the Hierarchy thirteen hundred years ago when the Turians were invited to become an equal member of the Council.

"They're all useless!" Quentius proclaimed.

"Well, I have been telling you that for a while," Shepard remarked.

"I know," Quentius said, picking up the glass and taking another sip. "Irissa's never fucked me," he said. "I wonder if Tevos screwed Sparatus?" he muttered, leaning back in his chair.

"I doubt it," Shepard laughed. "So... Sur'Kesh or Thessia?"

Quentius looked up at the hologram before taking a deep breath. "No," he whispered. "They may not adhere to the spirit of the Citadel but I will."

For several seconds, Shepard stared back before he slowly clapped, impressed anew by Quentius' integrity. "I wouldn't expect anything else," he said softly before he smirked. "I guess I will indulge myself then. Thessia it is!" Shepard caroled happily, trying to think of what else he could send as a reward. "Enjoy the whiskey, Quentius," he added before he cut the transmission, leaving the Turian Councillor alone in the dark with his drink.

-cfr-

Human Ascended Attack Fleet, Orbit of Thessia

Shepard stared at Thessia. The clouds were perfectly white against the light green continents and the almost navy blue oceans. It was a beautiful garden world but it was not Earth. With all the worlds he had seen in the last few months he was beginning to see how special Earth was. There was no world like it. The thought made him hate the Asari all over again and he wanted nothing more than to order a total orbital bombardment of Thessia except Harbinger had been extremely clear. They had to capture the leading Matriarchs for ascension.

While the fleet had offered generous terms to any Asari colony that surrendered, Lusia had refused, and 2.2 billion Asari had chosen to die in nuclear pyres as soon as their defense grid was ripped away. They hadn't even tried to negotiate. That left him short so Thessia's Matriarchs had to be acquired.

The easiest way to do that would be to capture the capital and the Temple of Athame. The Council documents he'd read said that the majority of the leading Matriarchs would be in those two locations.

"And only those two locations," Shepard murmured to himself.

Pressly spoke up. "That isn't so bad, boss."

"Indeed," Shepard agreed, feeling better about the attack on Thessia already. "If we avoid any strikes within a two hundred click radius of those cities-"

"Then they will be safe to capture," Adams said happily, highlighting the two cities on the map of Thessia, and drawing lines around them. He sent the map to the general network so that the fleet could see the emerging plan.

"But we don't want to fight too much," Fredricks remarked. Those who had served with Shepard on the Normandy and who had been Ascended into the first Human Ascended were awake. They, like the Commander, recognised who had been the real threat to Humanity and they would share Shepard's pleasure in seeing the Asari's demise.

"We have all those Asari husks from Lesuss." Shepard couldn't help but growl. While Hackett had done well, Lesuss had been a huge disappointment. With a single shot and some clever words, twenty million Asari had surrendered but most had proven to be useless for ascension. They were not true Asari. Their genes corrupted them but they did make excellent husks. Husks that because of the Asari's highly biotic biology were tougher and stronger than the Humans. It would be fitting to use them here.

He altered the map image, aware that the fleet was paying attention to the details as they changed. The capital Thessaly and the city of Kyota surrounding the Temple of Athame were still ringed in large exclusion zones but outside of them, he placed the image of the Asari husks. Some defenders would hold firm, especially at the temple, but others would rush to help.

Several craters appeared, dotting the map to indicate the fate of the other defenders. And the Asari husks, but that was a small price to pay. The map reset.

"So, go in," Shepard outlined showing an image of the Ascended approaching Thessia, destroying all space based defences as they closed with the Asari homeworld. "Give them the opportunity to surrender, which they will not take," he added. Initially, some colonies had surrendered and it had been fun to taunt Irissa with that reality but as they got closer to Thessia, most had fought. To no avail. The Ascended always won but it had lost him those who might have been a suitable harvest. There had also been one incident on Nevos but Anderson said he had taken care of it.

"Then, we lure the defenders away from Thessaly and Kyota, before flattening the rest of the planet and landing ground forces to take them." It sounded like a great plan to Shepard. Simple, easy to understand and surely not even the Asari could screw it up. Wait! He'd better not think that or they would find some way.

"I'd say we need a little restraint," Hackett said. "The Matriarchs need to be breathing when we get there," he clarified, cautioning against flattening too much of the planet lest they destroy the biosphere.

"And we might ignite the eezo!" Another Ascended said.

It wasn't a real risk but Shepard acknowledged their points, pulling the reins on his bloodlust to bring it back from a raging gallop to a fast canter. He could rage at the Citadel. The plan's details changed again, indicating slightly less orbital bombardment and the earlier landing of husks for the ground assault.

"Business before pleasure," Joker quipped.

"Indeed," Shepard acknowledged, allowing that in many ways, this business was pleasure and he could be satisfied with that.

-cfr-

While the Humans were busy preparing for the harvest of Thessia, Harbinger called on the pair of Ascended he had supervising the newest race. Arshan and Fruben answered his calls promptly, indicating they were not busy in combat nor anything else they regarded as more important than him. Not that that list was very long at all, of course.

"Harbinger." The pair replied in unison, though Arshan's subchannels indicated the heightened amusement that Harbinger associated with the Humans.

"What are the Humans doing now?"

"Shepard has discovered another loophole in your instructions, one that will allow him to kill over three quarters of the Asari on Thessia while still complying in full with your orders." Arshan replied. Additional information was transmitted, indicating that he was approaching the biotic world of Thessia with the majority of the Human fleet.

"Are the Humans always going to reinterpret my orders?" Harbinger demanded of them both.

Arshan's initial reply was immediate. "Yes, for the duration of this cycle."

Fruben was more deliberate, aware of Harbinger's true concerns. "They will always obey you. They have no choice. There is no danger of true rebellion."

Arshan was candid, too. "Yes, they will obey your orders. Only on those things you fail to specify will they do what they want. Especially if it concerns the remaining organics."

"For how long?" Harbinger demanded. He had too many things to supervise and he trusted the evaluations from the senior races.

Fruben was sanguine. "Only for this cycle. Their drive for vengeance will be sated and they will have no connection to the next group of races to divert them."

"The next cycle will find just how effective the Humans can be when they are not distracted by these organic concerns." Arshan praised them, finding the newest Ascended to bring a refreshing change.

"That is true, Harbinger. They agreed before ascension that they would become true members of the Ascended after this cycle, after they attained their vengeance. How did Shepard put it 'You will not indoctrinate us until this cycle is over and the Reaper we become will give you the rest of this cycle's species.' That is more freedom for them than any newly Ascended race receives. Most new Ascended are still in shock or learning how to move at this stage of their infancy." Fruben was exaggerating that degree of difference but it was certain that he was comparing the elegance of his own movements to that of the newborn Batarian.

Over the years, it had learnt how to fly but it was still being left in out of the way systems, under the guard of older Ascended. It was in stark contrast to the youngest Human Ascended who upon awakening received information packets from the older ones. While the formal training they had performed in Sol was no longer available, Fruben had noticed that Shepard, or one of the Human Ascended always made sure that their young ones were given tasks that stretched their new abilities just a little bit further every day. They were developing very quickly.

Harbinger considered their meanings, including the deeper one from Arshan, that the Humans' creativity and initiative aided all Ascended.

"You gave the Humans a longer leash for this single Harvest. In return, they will serve ascension well forever. The cycle is served." Arshan added with clear satisfaction.

"You believe I should not change my orders despite Palaven and Asteria?"

"Ascended do not lie to Ascended." Fruben paused. "There is no longer any need. Besides, the Harvest is almost complete. Then the time of Human fractiousness will end."

"It had better." These surprises may aid the cycle but they gave him a headache. It should have been impossible for an Ascended but the Humans were proving good at doing that.

-cfr-

Shepard hovered about five clicks over the Temple of Athame. So far, everything had gone to plan. From information provided by the pro-Humans and long range scans, they had triangulated the location of every defence installation and in one fell swoop had destroyed them. Two hundred of their fleet was sufficient for that and Shepard hoped that the Asari recognised the difference in numbers for what it was.

They didn't need the entire strength to subdue them.

But that wasn't what was bothering him. The next part had also gone well. Small parties of Asari husks had been landed in the smaller townships surrounding their two targets and, while initially the guards had resisted the urge to attack them, eventually the images of the husks rampaging got too much. While the Asari populace was highly biotic, so were the husks made from those Asari from Lesuss. And unlike the Asari, the husks did not hesitate. It had been a glorious slaughter until the commandos had interfered but even then, it had taken quite a bit to kill the Asari husks.

Shepard had allowed the Asari commandos over thirty seconds of celebration before the orbital shots wiped them out. Let no one claim he wasn't generous. Then they'd landed the rest of the husks, surrounding both Kyota and Thessaly, fighting their way inwards.

It was then that he'd felt it. There was something familiar and he'd dropped into Thessia's atmosphere as he ran the most intense scans that he could. The Asari had taken the opportunity to fire upon him but Anderson was leading the team above him. They were more than capable of keeping every shot off him and they hadn't once missed, so there was no damage to their target. Oculi buzzed around him, helping to focus his senses and several were below him, at the surface, flying over the streets as they scanned for signs of life. They were scattered all over the city but the information was transmitted back to the husks who knew where to look. Already, on the outskirts, they had gathered a large number of Asari. They'd have to go through them later. The husks couldn't tell the difference between Maidens and Matriarchs, except in the broadest possible way, a child was a child after all, but for those who had reached physical maturity, the husks were unable to tell one from another. They certainly couldn't tell the difference in bust size. The fleet could sort them out later.

For now, he was trying to track down the elusive but familiar feeling. It felt like an echo but he had scanned every database he could, even reaching out to Arshan and Fruben for additional information, and there was nothing similar. That was what had led him to drop into the atmosphere. It felt closer. Shepard focused his senses. He'd done a methodical scan but there really was only one place the feeling could be coming from: the Temple of Athame.

"How are you doing, Anderson?" Shepard directed the question above him.

"This would be easier if you weren't in the way," his former commanding officer replied and Shepard got the impression that he was launching more oculi to intercept several biotic pulses. They might have destroyed the military facilities but they couldn't stop biotics.

"You love a challenge," he retorted. "There's something in the temple," Shepard added.

"There's Asari in the temple," Anderson replied.

"No," Shepard refuted the statement. "There is something not Asari in the temple."

"Not Asari? That doesn't make any sense. The Temple of Athame is meant to be one of their holiest locations."

"I know," Shepard agreed. "But that's where the feeling is coming from. Now, what would the Asari have there?" he wondered.

"There's only one way to find out," Anderson replied.

"True." Shepard launched more oculi and several more troop transports from his underside. He should have been leading the destruction of the rest of the planet but the feeling had drawn him here. He couldn't truly enjoy the fall of Thessia until he knew what was here.

"Joker, make sure the transports land," he ordered.

"Yes, boss!"

With that in hand, Shepard forced his consciousness into one of the husks already on the ground. They were getting close to the Temple and the reinforcements just sealed the deal. Now, so long as the Matriarchs did not commit suicide, they would be captured. And the Temple had just come into sight.

He never saw the blinding flash of blue light that came towards him.

"Urgh!" Shepard reconnected with his form to find quite a few in his sub-minds laughing at him.

"Duck!" Fredrick said between sniggers.

"Yeah, yeah," Shepard acknowledged. The blue bitch had gotten him good. "My shields aren't down," he added feeling slightly smug. Nazara would have died.

"True, feedback was not an issue," Pressly agreed gently but Shepard could tell the man was holding back a laugh. He'd never know how Jenkins felt but if you could look in from the other side, that's how he felt now.

"They are going to pay," he said before anyone else could weigh in on the matter. Bad enough that he'd lasted less than 10 seconds in the body without everyone commenting. He picked out a new husk, one of the surviving Asari bodies. This one had been involved in herding the Asari towards the collection points and so was a bit back from the temple. The remaining husks just covered the gap.

This time he was a little more careful, keeping cover between him and the Temple. The Temple of Athame was at the centre of Kyota and was surrounded by gardens. The only close cover between the last of the buildings and the temple were some overly manicured trees. He knew that already though, from the scans he was doing above. While he could also sense that there were Asari in the temple, he couldn't determine that they were lining the wings of the Temple and from the glow coming from them, all of them were trained biotics. This was going to be painful.

"Send the next lot of husks with weapons," he instructed. "And about twenty oculi," he added before withdrawing from the husk.

"I just landed the transports," Joker complained. Those husks didn't have weapons.

"Then take over the oculi," Shepard instructed, dropping the required twenty.

"I'll land them," Joker replied. The biotic defences had gotten stronger and it would be a challenge to pilot them through the singularities, warps and other attempts to bring them down.

"I'll see what I can do to clear the path," Shepard said as he felt like he was dropping with the oculi. When they reached terminal velocity, he took over, using their engines to guide their path as he focused on their sensor feeds. The Temple covered multiple stories so it was difficult to determine the exact height of each level of defenders but he didn't need to know all their positions. For now, it would be enough to get rid of those on the wings. Then the husks could swarm the temple.

He had the oculi swing wide and then used the momentum of the fall to skim over the city. It meant that the oculi were coming in low and fast. A lucky singularity took out one oculus but the others were not impeded and Shepard didn't hold back as he fired the oculi's weaponry. Harbinger wanted the Matriarchs but he knew there would be damage. A few of the Asari raised barriers but against a laser weapon capable of slicing through anything less than heavy ship armour, only those not hit directly survived. The roof of the temple wings collapsed onto those few.

Shepard released the oculi to their programing as he shifted his consciousness again, returning to the Asari husk. He peeked again. There didn't appear to be any defenders so he eased out from the building and took several steps forward on the road that separated the buildings from the temple gardens. The gardens had no fence and the grass was soft beneath the husk's feet. One or two trees were on fire but the damage from the oculi was mostly contained to the temple wings.

From above, there came a roar and instinctively, Shepard looked up. He recognised several smaller troop transports and they landed around him. "Nice work, Joker," he complimented his pilot when the husks poured out around him.

"Now, let's finish this!" Shepard added, mostly for the benefit of those he knew were directing the new husks. The husks could act independently but there were enough who shared his passions that they wanted to participate more personally. As one, they charged over the lawns, heading towards the Temple. There would be losses but he would swarm the Matriarchs in the Temple with bodies if that's what it took.

They would not fight for long.

-cfr-

It had almost been like old times, Shepard reflected as he stepped into the main chamber of the Temple. It had been a long time since he had inhabited a body and the motions of running around had brought back memories. The battle hadn't been anything special. They had sent in waves of husks to wear down the defenders and when some of the Temple's defenders had dropped from exhaustion, they had sent in the final wave, literally swarming over the defenders. Most of the Asari had been dragged out, leaving only the oldest, most experienced Matriarchs. He had questions for them.

Above, his Ascended form had dropped lower and was now literally crouched over the Temple. Hackett had broadcast the image to Thessaly. Apparently, it had broken the back of the last of the resistance. The continuous scans had allowed him to narrow down the echo. It was in this room.

Shepard looked around. Being the central chamber of the Temple, the room was grand. Much of it was stone and it was dominated by the huge statue of Athame. With the shadows, it looked to be a rather attractive young woman and Shepard was reminded again how closely the Asari and Humanity resembled one another. Stone curtains hung down creating small alcoves but what caught Shepard's eye was the small opening near the base of Athame's image. Surely in this day and age the Asari did not leave offerings? So what was it for? And why did that echo feel like it was coming from the statue?

"Matriarchs," he chewed the word. The husk's mouth was not designed to speak but his enunciation was clear enough.

"You cannot be here!" One of them exclaimed, jumping forward, her hands glowing.

The other husks reacted instantly, leaping towards the woman and dragging her down. "No! Infidels!" She cried but before she could activate her power, one of the husks grabbed her arms, wrenching them back and Shepard head the clear snap of bone. The Matriarch screamed but the glow faded. The others simply glared.

"I am here," Shepard said. "Thessia has fallen," he added. It was not true quite yet but as far as they were concerned, the battle was over.

"You cannot be here, heretic." This time the woman stepped forward slowly. The husks parted to let her though they remained on guard.

"Why not?" He asked.

"This is sacred ground," she replied.

Shepard was searching through his information banks for the Asari's name. "Matriarch Jaslyn," he greeted her after a moment. She was very old, even for an Asari. The blue of her skin was faded and her facial markings were almost grey. He could tell by the way the other Matriarchs watched that they would try to defend her.

"Abomination," she growled in return.

"Its consecration is no longer of importance," Shepard said moving towards the statue. Jaslyn didn't react but several other Matriarchs did. There was something they did not want him to see. He kept moving, concentrating his senses through the steel and concrete that formed the temple. It was an ancient building but the Asari had upgraded it over time.

"You can't!" One of the other Matriarch's broke when he mounted the first step.

"Heretic," Jaslyn spoke. "What are you looking for?"

"What are you hiding?" He countered, moving further.

"The statue is one of our holiest relics. It means nothing to heretics like you," she explained in what seemed to be a reasonable tone.

"So why is it open?" Shepard asked, turning the husk to face the old Matriarch.

"The outer statue is a casing for the original."

It was a very likely explanation but it did not explain why he felt almost attracted to it. He stepped on to the last step.

"No!" Three of the Matriarchs broke ranks and with another flash of blue light, Shepard found himself snapped back into his Ascended form.

"This is getting tiresome," he muttered.

"This is getting hilarious!" Joker corrected him.

Mentally, Shepard rolled his eyes and stretched his senses. There should be a hologram projection disk somewhere in the Temple. It was a surprise when he found them in the main chamber. Oh well… the Asari would just have to put up with the supposed desecration.

"You cannot kill me," he said as his hologram appeared. The Matriarchs had been driven to the ground by the husks and several more had crammed themselves into the chamber. They were taking up all the space in the wings. It was a bit surprising to see that he had appeared on the third step. He gestured to the husks and they began hauling the Matriarchs out. A few required a judicious use of force but none managed to break free enough to use their biotics.

Eventually, only Matriarch Jaslyn was left and a horde of husks. At a mental command, several raced past him into the statue.

"Shepard," Fredricks said. He'd been controlling one of the husks that had entered the statue.

"What is it?" He asked, keeping his eyes on Matriarch Jaslyn.

"You better get in here."

"I'll be back," Shepard said to the Matriarch, disengaging the hologram to push his consciousness into a husk for the fourth time that day.

The instant he stepped inside, he understood Fredricks' insistence and he withdrew from the husk.

"They have a Prothean Beacon," he said over the network.

"They what?" Arshan demanded. Even the older Ascended was surprised.

"They have a Prothean Beacon," Shepard repeated. "A working beacon."

"That explains a lot," Harper said.

"What do you mean?"

"Historically, the Asari have always remained ahead in research. They passed it off as simply being the oldest race but if they had a working beacon." Harper didn't bother to finish, the implications were obvious.

"It doesn't matter now," Hackett interposed before they were distracted. "Have any of you kept track of the date?" he added the question.

It meant nothing to Arshan but it made the other Ascended think.

"Oh, my god," Miranda laughed. The others followed suit as their internal calculations told them what Hackett already knew.

"Harbinger," Shepard called, allowing his call to be heard by everyone. Usually, his conversations with the oldest Ascended were private but given what he knew of Harbinger, this was the right thing to do.

"What do you want, Shepard?" There was the hint of an edge to Harbinger's voice. Unspoken was the demand to know how badly damaged Thessia was.

Shepard ignored that. "There was a custom on Earth," he began.

"I do not care about organic traditions," Harbinger interrupted.

"You will like this one," Shepard continued, undeterred by Harbinger's seeming hostility. "The custom was called Christmas. It involved the exchange of gifts. You have given us Thessia, so I have a surprise for you. It is on Thessia at the enclosed coordinates."

Harbinger was scanning the information packets he had on Humans. Christmas was a custom that originated from one of their predominant religions. It had even become a custom for those not of that religion. After that, he calculated the Human date. December 24th. A day with varying significance for this custom.

"Shepard, I do not need any organic gift."

"You will like it," Shepard said.

"And you will want this one," Arshan added.

Harbinger thought for an instant. "I will come," he agreed before terminating the link. It would give him a chance to see how badly Shepard had interpreted his orders.

Shepard mentally smiled over the network. "Let's set up a cordon around the temple and start sorting the Asari. We can continue to enjoy our present once Harbinger has his."

-cfr-

"What are they doing?" Harbinger asked Arshan and Fruben on a private channel.

The two elder Ascended were with him, their mass effect fields extended around the gift Shepard had rather happily presented him with once he settled into orbit around Thessia. Neither of them needed to ask who they were.

The Human Ascended had arranged themselves into four groups of fifty and were in a low Thessian orbit. Occasionally, one of them fired. The shots were precise, designed to do as little damage as possible.

"Killing Asari," Arshan replied, as if it should have been obvious.

"By grouping like that, they can run extensive scans of the surface, using each other to triangulate the exact location of the Asari before one of them kills them," Fruben added the more detailed explanation.

The method was known to Harbinger but it was rather slow. "They are not killing them all?"

"Only those who aren't in the concentration camps."

"Concentration camps?" Harbinger questioned.

"A Human term," Arshan answered, sending the files.

It was an apt description, Harbinger decided, once he reviewed the information. The Asari were being kept in crowded conditions with limited food and only one way out, through the processing ships. Perhaps the Humans understood the cycle more than he had believed. Other parts of Thessia were burning but as Arshan had reminded him when he first arrived, the planetary damage was within expected ranges when confronting a biotic race. Especially one you couldn't force into submission. The attacks now wouldn't exacerbate the situation but what bothered him was that there were two places on the planet not burning. The spoke of planning and his suspicion was confirmed by a check of the attack records. The Human forces had specifically not used their mass drivers on those two cities and their logic was impeccable. Eighty percent of the Asari Matriarchs were at those two locations and an impressive ninety percent of the ones present had been captured. The other twenty percent of Matriarchs on the planet lived in other cities or in seclusion, forcing those who wished their wisdom to make a pilgrimage. Grudgingly, Harbinger had been forced to admit that the Humans had done a good job. Not in the way he expected but they had still obeyed his orders to capture Matriarchs.

Arshan knew him too well and had seen his conclusions. The other Ascended had reminded him that so long as the objective was accomplished and the cycle was served, he should not be concerned about the how. But he was. No matter how well the Humans understood the cycle, they were a potential anomaly for the cycles to come.

"What do you want to do with this?" Fruben asked.

Truth be told, Harbinger wasn't entirely sure what to do with a working Prothean VI. He had thought that the only interactions he would have with that species, while their memory faded from the galaxy, were with his slaves, those whom the organics this cycle had named the Collectors, never realising that they were their forebears. Perhaps he should call them in so that the VI could see what had become of its people.

No, it was VI, it wouldn't truly appreciate the subtlety, though if Shepard had found a Prothean... That was a true impossibility and the young Ascended had done well to find the VI. They had fitted it with a new power pack to ensure that it couldn't suicide and Arshan indicated that one of the Humans had checked it for explosives or other useless items.

He sent a pulse to it, watching as the hologram formed. Time had caused its display matrix to degenerate and it was blurred but it was still a Prothean form.

"We have much to discuss," Harbinger said as it ran through several protocols to determine where it was. The vessel was space worthy but had been grounded for a long time, hence the mass effect fields around it. He did not want to lose his prize so quickly.

"No!" The hologram objected realising what had happened.

"What is your purpose?" he asked, making it an order.

"No!" It objected again, refusing to answer.

"Shepard had several Asari questioned," Fruben sent to Harbinger privately, giving the oldest Ascended the information packets that had been obtained.

While Harbinger could have delicately teased the information out of the VI, it would resist, probably inciting the oldest Ascended to dominate it and rip through its programing, which would effectively kill it. But with a little information, Harbinger could coax the VI into speaking, dragging out its anguish before death. It might not be alive but it could suffer.

"You will answer me, Vendetta," Harbinger said a moment later.

Fruben would have laughed at the shocked motion the VI made except he knew that it would not be appreciated.

"I will tell you nothing," it replied.

"You will tell me everything, Vendetta. Then I will show you the futility of resistance, just as I showed the Protheans," Harbinger said as he moved, shifting so that the VI was engulfed in his form. "But for now, I'll let you think on this, Vendetta. You were given to the Asari to prepare them to fight us, yet you failed because of the vengeance of one race. Imagine what might have been, if you'd been given to them."

This was going to be... fun.

-cfr-

"Shepard."

"What is it, Anderson?" Shepard asked as the Ascended form of his former commanding officer settled into formation with him. For the most part, they had finished with Thessia and were in orbit, waiting to ensure that the remaining population didn't try to rebel. It would probably take a few weeks before things reached a critical point and by that point, most of the fleet would have moved on so it was essential to cement their dominance now.

Other parts of the fleet were busy destroying the Asari presence in Parnitha. Shepard wanted to be with them but remaining over Thessia took precedence. He needed to be in place in case the Matriarchs tried something stupid. Between that and feeling the Prothean VI, the Asari had found a way to spoil his fun. He was not in a good mood and the thought of his upcoming conversation with the Council was only taking the edge off his frustration.

"I have something for you," Anderson replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I have something for you," he repeated. "I was saving it for later, but in light of the season, I thought it appropriate to give it to you now."

"You got me a Christmas present?" Shepard asked. Despite his frustration, he was intrigued.

"Yes," Anderson said, almost laughing. "I'm sending it over now," he said.

Shepard expected a package of information and was surprised when a small ship launched from Anderson.

"Don't scan it yet!" Anderson warned. "I want it to be a surprise."

Even coming from another Ascended, Shepard should scan the ship before letting it into him but he trusted Anderson so he opened a bay for the ship.

It only took a few minutes but he felt impatient waiting. He ran through everything Anderson could give him. Without any further information, there was no way for him to narrow down the possibilities. It couldn't be food or a weapon because he had no need for either. That didn't leave much. In fact, it left nothing...

The thought faded when the ship opened and a single husk walked out, carrying- "Anderson!" Shepard exclaimed.

"Shepard," the other man replied, his urbane tone not quite covering his amusement.

"Where did you get Liara T'Soni?" Shepard demanded, because that's what the husk was carrying. The unconscious form of the Asari bitch. None too gently, it dropped her to the ground in the bay, rolling her form over so that Shepard could clearly see her face. It was definitely Liara, not just an Asari who bore an unfortunate resemblance to her.

"Nevos," came the answer.

Immediately, Shepard put the pieces together. The incident on Nevos. "A pro-Human?" he asked. Had a pro-Human captured Liara for them? For him.

"No, someone older," Anderson replied. "Her name was Shiala. She was a part of Matriarch Benezia's escort."

"Shiala," he repeated the name. It was a name he felt he should remember but the process of ascension had taken things from him. He had regained most but not every memory was as intact as he'd like. The fact that he could not remember her just meant that his Human form had not considered it an important matter.

"She was given to the Thorian. It controlled her indoctrination so that she was loyal to it but when you killed it, her loyalties reverted."

That explained how they had managed to capture Liara. A fully indoctrinated Asari who had been with Benezia would also wish to take care of her daughter. Suddenly, the actions of the Asari didn't matter so much. Liara could make it up for them.

"Do you like it?" Anderson asked cheekily. The question was like Joker and Shepard remembered that Anderson had dealt with the brash pilot as well. Some things had rubbed off.

"I love it," Shepard replied. "Though, I am going to have to think carefully what to do with her," he added.

Anderson laughed. He didn't know exactly what had happened between Shepard and the Asari but he knew it had something to do with the Quarian, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. Shepard's change was one of the reasons he felt nothing at handing over the Asari for what was likely to be a very long and painful death. When he had first met the Commander, the man was open. Not stupid, but open, willing to work for the greater good. Seeing how the Council had abused that, and how they had driven not just Shepard but all of Humanity into a corner, Anderson felt nothing. The Shepard who had confronted Harbinger on Earth had been a jaded, bitter man, twisted by the Council. The one before him now could care but not for those who had wronged him. The Council, like this Asari, had brought this upon themselves with their arrogant assumption that they were always right.

"Well, she doesn't know exactly where she is. Shiala was forced to keep her unconscious."

That would explain why Liara looked a little peaked. "I'll make sure she is treated properly," Shepard said. "It would be a shame for Liara to die without knowing the truth."

"Merry Christmas, Shepard." Anderson's reply said everything that needed to be said.

As several husks picked up Liara's unconscious form, moving her deeper inside, Shepard looked down at Thessia. His senses highlighted the parts still burning and provided him with a count of Asari life signs. Five point five billion had been reduced to five hundred million and all of those were contained.

He chuckled. It was shaping up to be a very merry Christmas.

-cfr-

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