After exactly nine days of hashing out the 'Articles of Coalition' Kaidan was ready to beat his head against the wall. It didn't help that he knew Shepard was in surgery right now. The doctors had told him that they expected the surgery to last for several hours. They'd given him a time window of seven to eight hours. The summit was winding down for the day and would be ending soon. Kaidan suppressed a sarcastic snort, soon being relative of course, they could be there for another hour or more. Kaidan hoped not, he really wanted to back aboard the Normandy when Shepard got out of surgery.

Keeping his face straight Kaidan looked around the room at the delegates for the four, nearly, allied nations. He couldn't help but feel proud of how far he'd brought this, as Shepard's successor… no as Shepard's temporary replacement he'd done well despite of most of the council's refusal to accept the reality of the Reaper threat. Primea was sitting in the back of the room with three of their fellow Spectres, two turians and one asari. The number of other Spectres that his mentor brought with her to observe the Summit meeting was getting larger. The second day it was just her, no matter, from what his fellow Spectres had said, and they were very cautious with their words, these Council Spectres were not impressed with the Council's answer to several pointed questions about Saren Arterius as well as the System Alliance Prime Minister's speech confirming the Reapers involvement in the missing human colonies.

Kaidan stifled another sigh and schooled himself not to shift impatiently in his seat. Twenty-five minutes later the session ended and Kaidan walked across the room to where Primea stood with their fellow Spectres. Kaidan nodded to his mentor and the two turians, "Primea, Scipio, Gaius good to see you all again."

"Primea's mandibles opened in a turian grin, "Kaidan this is Ilana I'Rane."

Kaidan shook her hand politely, "Ma'am."

Ilana smiled slightly, "I understand from your mentor, that you are trying to build a space force large enough to fight the 'Reapers'."

Kaidan had started to smile but when she said Reapers his smile became fixed. Why had Primea brought her? She didn't seem to be a believer. Primea spoke before Kaidan could, saying briefly, "You agreed that the other Councilors version of events left many questions."

I'Rane, frowned clearly thinking, and replied evenly, "Yes but to jump from the holes in the Council's story to a species of extra-galactic sentient machines is quite a leap of faith; and one I'm not certain is justified."

Kaidan cocked his head and looked at I'Rane an moment before asking, "And what exactly do you think is justified?" I'Rane blinked taken a back, clearly no one had yet asked her this. Kaidan almost rolled his eyes in annoyance, this woman was a Spectre. She was supposed to be elite, "that's what I thought." Kaidan shook his head, "if Primea brought you here you've seen Shepard's reports as well as mine. Draw your own conclusion from them."

I'Rane looked thoughtful for a moment before saying slowly, "I have not yet reached my own conclusions. That is why Primea suggested I come and speak with you."

Kaidan glanced at Primea, her eyes were flickering back and forth between I'Rane and Kaidan, before asking, "I see, and have you formulated any questions for me?"

I'Rane eyes began to narrow in annoyance before she closed them and took a deep breath and let it out. When I'Rane opened her eyes once again, all trace of annoyance was gone. Finally she said, "When you were on Edan Prime with Captain Shepard and Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams you were the one who activated the beacon first." the asari Spectre paused clearly considering her next words carefully before asking slowly, "did you see any of the message that the beacon held?"

Kaidan sighed and shook his head, "No, Shepard got me out of the way before that beacon was fully activated." Kaidan thought carefully before adding, "one of the doctors on the science team apparently activated it though. We all thought he was insane at the time, but he said," Kaidan paused in memory and swallowed before going on, "things that make sense only if you knew about the Reapers. We spoke to a prothean expert about the beacons later. She told us that the beacons were once part of a galactic communications network used by the protheans to implant information directly into the conscious mind. However, since the beacons were made to interface with the prothean mind they will destroy the mind of anyone who doesn't have sufficient will."

I'Rane cocked her head to the side and asked, "Liara T'Soni was your prothean expert?"

Kaidan nodded and turned to wave to Liara and Garrus to come over, the two of them were speaking with Captain Mustang. Garrus saw Kaidan's wave and turned to look at him, Kaidan waved them over, Garrus spoke briefly with Liara and then the two of them excused themselves to the Captain and walked over to Kaidan and his fellow Spectres. Kaidan introduced them to I'Rane, "Ilana I'Rane this is Dr. Liara T'Soni and Garrus Vakarian. Liara, in addition to many other things, is a prothean expert. She studied the Prothean Extinction extensively."

Liara and Garrus shook I'Rane's hand and murmured greetings. I'Rane turned back to Kaidan and asked, "What exactly did this doctor say? It wasn't in the reports as far as I can remember."

Kaidan sighed and shook his head, "No, like I said we just assumed that he was insane and didn't take him seriously, at least that's why I didn't include it."

I'Rane looked curious as did Liara. Liara said, "I'd not heard this. Do you recall what the doctor said?"

Kaidan nodded slowly, "Yes it's not exactly something I would forget once I'd remembered and put things together," Kaidan swallowed and said, "'agents of the destroyers. Bringers of darkness. Heralds of our extinction. We have unearthed the heart of evil. Awakened the beast. Unleashed the darkness. Is it madness to see the future? To see the destruction rushing towards us? To understand that there is no escape? No hope? You can't stop it. Nobody can stop it. Night is falling. The darkness of eternity. Our extinction is inevitable.'" there was a long very weighty pause when Kaidan finished speaking and out of the corner his eye, Kaidan saw Liara's eyes slide closed as she shuttered. After a moment Liara swallowed and opened her eyes and Kaidan turned to her and asked, "are you alright Liara?"

Liara nodded slowly saying, "I've seen what Shepard saw in the beacons."

Everyone turned to look at Liara as Kaidan nodded slowly. He'd known that, they all had, it was Liara who'd figured out they needed to go to Ilos. Liara's eyes voice went hard as she said, "The Council ignored, Shepard's warning. I will not."

Kaidan put a hand on Liara's shoulder, "We will not."

Liara's and Garrus's expressions changed to ones of grim determination. Kaidan knew that they felt as he did, when the Reapers finally did come crawling out of dark space to restart their cycle of galactic genocide once again, he would fight those machines with everything he had.

I'Rane had leaned towards Kaidan as he spoke, listening intently. After nearly a minute of silence the asari Spectre asked almost tentatively, "Did you ask Captain Shepard about this?"

Kaidan nodded gravely, "When I reminded her of the scientist I asked her about it. She said that he was insane but that he wasn't wrong about what was on the beacons.'" there was another very long pause. After nearly a minute of silence Kaidan glanced at the clock on the galactic news display. Turning back to face the group of Spectres, Kaidan said politely, "ordinarily I would stay longer but I have a previous engagement. I apologize but I should get going." Kaidan turned to the three other Spectres and said politely, "excuse me."

I'Rane nodded and the three turian Spectres opened their mandibles in smiles as well. Primea said briefly, "Of course Kaidan, I hope all goes well with Shepard."

Kaidan's smile became fixed and he nodded saying, "Thank you," to his Spectre mentor before he turned and left Councilor Anderson's office followed closely by Liara and Garrus. They were all anxious to get back to the Normandy.

Once they arrived at the Normandy, they rode the elevator down to deck three. Once the elevator door opened Kaidan walked briskly around towards the Med Bay. Kaidan was brought up short, stopping abruptly enough for Garrus to walk right into Kaidan's back. Kaidan dimly heard Garrus stumble back slightly as he looked at what appeared to be the entire crew of the Normandy. Grunt had beaten them back to the ship and Wrex had come with him. Not that Kaidan was particularly surprised, Wrex respected Shepard a great deal.

Admiral Hackett, Admiral Borshevsky and Councilor Anderson were all there, yet another non surprise for those three. Both Admiral Hackett and Councilor Anderson valued Shepard's skills and ability to get what needed to be done, done. Both of them cared for Shepard personally as well. Kaidan scanned the room one more time and froze, there in the corner was Admiral Ahern from Pinnacle Station. Kaidan cleared his throat and turned to catch Garrus's eye indicating Admiral Ahern. Garrus evidently saw Admiral Ahern because he inhaled sharply say, "Now that's unexpected…"

Kaidan wandered over to where Admiral Ahern was standing and said, "Hello, Admiral Ahern."

Admiral Ahern looked up and nodded to Kaidan and said in his customary growl, "Commander Alenko."

Kaidan cleared his throat and said, "If you don't mind my asking, sir, why are you on Citadel Station?"

Admiral Ahern glanced toward the Med Bay and then back at Kaidan, "I was here setting up another simulator contest when Admiral Borshevsky told me what was going on with Shepard."

Kaidan nodded, "I see, thank you sir; if you'll excuse me?" Admiral Ahern nodded. Kaidan looked around the crowded galley once more before deciding that he didn't want to be in this mob, and ducked into his office. He sat down in his desk chair heavily and sighed. He was actively trying not to think about worst case scenarios where Shepard was concerned.

Deliberately forcing his thoughts away from what could go wrong, Kaidan found his memory skipping back to that hospital on Citadel Station. It was nearly eight months ago now and he could still recall the exact detail of the pattern on the ceiling tiles and the bland colors of the walls and floors. He'd waited by her bed for fifteen hours after she'd gotten out of trauma surgery, all ten hours of it. Kaidan could still catalog the damage Shepard had taken in addition to the hemlock poisoning, complete collapse of her left lung, and full severing of the main pulmonary vein as well as several of the main arteries. Which, come to think of it, didn't sound like much unless you knew exactly what those things meant to the human body on top of the effects hemlock, blood loss and shock.

Kaidan shuddered and dragged his mind away from the image of the human lungs. He instead recalled the conversation he'd had with Shepard when she'd woken up. He nearly laughed when he remembered what she'd said she would do when she got a hold of 'Illusive Man'. Replaying the rest of that conversation in his head, Kaidan smiled when he thought of Shepard telling him about her dream. Kaidan froze entirely for nearly a full minute before his eyes widened in realization.

Shepard was so intuitive it bordered on prophetic some times. Had her subconscious known even then what was going to happen to her? Because strong as she was even Shepard couldn't fight what the Illusive Man had ordered done to her. Could her subconscious have been trying to give him the way to save her? Was that even possible?

OoOoO

Shepard opened her eyes. Everything was blurry so she blinked a couple of times to focus them. She was in the Normandy's Med Bay. "Shepard?" it was Kaidan; she turned her head towards him.

Shepard smiled weakly at him and said wanly, "Hey."

Kaidan reached up and took her hand in his, "Shepard do you remember anything before Camala?"

Shepard thought briefly searching for memories that… weren't there. She ground her teeth and clenched fist in frustration. Her voice, still weak, came out in hoarse snarl, "Nothing! Why didn't it work!?"

Kaidan put a finger on her lips to silence Shepard. Her eyes went to his and she felt her anger in her melt away. There was something in his expression some emotion in his eyes that stopped her after several nearly breathless moments she said, her voice questioning, "Kaidan?"

Kaidan looked down at their still intertwined hands, "I was thinking about the chain of events that led us all to where we are now." he said slowly, clearly measuring each word carefully before speaking each one, "the thing that started it was an injury that one of your greatest enemies inflicted upon you. When you woke up in the hospital you told me something strange. It was about a dream you'd just had. I didn't ignore what you said I just took it the wrong way, at least I think I did."

"I don't understand. Why does this matter?" the question came out harsher than Shepard had intended and she started to apologize.

Kaidan just shook his head silencing Shepard. Still looking at their hands, he smiled slightly saying, "Shepard, you are a deeply intuitive person to the point of being almost being precognitive. I've never quite figured out if you're prophetic or if you're subconscious just works faster than everyone else's. In either case it doesn't matter because," finally he met her eyes again, "I've brought you home, Wildcat."

Shepard looked bewildered for a full two seconds before her eyes widened briefly. Then she clenched them shut and she curled her body into the fetal position, she still clutched his hand like it was a life line as she gasped in pain.