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Epilogue I: Broken Blades

"A confirmed kill." I sighed as I threw the tablet onto my desk, reaching up to rub at my temples. "Can't exactly argue with it."

Ayle merely grunted, her tall form pacing slowly across my office, chehala smoke trailing behind her as she smoked furiously from a pipe. The pair of us were dressed in our formal uniforms, complete with coats, in preparation for the formal call that we'd have to make soon enough.

"Good," She murmured after a long pull from the smoldering leaves, "I was worried you'd try to defend her."

I grimaced, glancing at the device and wishing that I could.

Nynsi had evidently fallen back into old habits during the civil war, something probably not helped by her high levels of exposure to Batarian high society. The Shaaryak name was, after all, very old, and very powerful, and even as a woman her influence had more or less exploded as soon as she'd shown up in person. As a result, it hadn't taken long for her people to start undertaking missions that were far more political than practical, securing old family assets or assisting Patriarchs who agreed to push her Traditionalist-Equalitist agenda. Two of those occasions had resulted in Ayle's people being hit hard without the cover they'd expected from the Illium units.

For even more fun and games, her personal relationship with Ayle, once cordial if occasionally tense, had more or less disintegrated within the first few months. Ayle had been forced into threatening to bring me into the arguments to remind Nynsi that she was the senior Executive, and that her status as Highborn didn't matter within the corporate structure. The two had barely cooperated, and if not for the fact that they wore the same uniform, likely wouldn't have at all. Not that Ayle had played it perfectly either, her usual blunt, acerbic nature had pricked Nynsi's pride on more than one occasion, but my old lover's reactions had usually been far more over the top.

I disliked that she'd taken the missions that she had, and not properly backed up Ayle, but she hadn't technically done anything that she wasn't authorized to do as an Executive. The problems, from my point of view, stemmed from the fact that she'd openly ignored Ayle's orders on multiple occasions, and had shifted to outright ignoring her during the invasion of Khar'shan. And then, instead of coming home with her troops to explain herself... she was politicking on her homeworld, repairing the ancestral mansion complex, and sleeping with the new Hegemon.

Exhaling heavily, I reached out and tapped a control on my desk. "Rhi?"

"Honored Reyja'krem." The young Batarian woman in charge of communications replied at once.

"I need a priority FTL transmission to Khar'shan, to Executive Commander Shaaryak. Route it through Aria's system and tell Elder to pull the costs from the usual account."

"Sir." She replied promptly. A moment later a small screen flickered to life above the wood, the Batarian runes for patience appearing as the system connected.

"Are you going to side with me immediately," Ayle asked as she paused her movements, "Or are you going to demand an explanation first?"

"The latter." I shook my head, "I doubt it's going to be something either of us can accept, but I want an answer."

There was another low grunt, and then Ayle was striding purposefully around the desk, coming to a stop on my right side. It didn't take much longer before the connection flickered to show the Shaaryak family crest, and then flashed again to show Nynsi Shaaryak seated in an ancient stone chair, every centimeter of it a work of art.

I ignored the display of wealth in favor of regarding my old Tarath'shan. She was wearing a plain maroon dress that showed off her powerful build, and diamonds openly hung from her long ears. Her posture was rigidly neutral, but I saw a tiny flinch around her lower eyes as she took in the pair of us in our full uniform, though she covered it almost instantly. I doubted Ayle even noticed... then again, I'd usually been the only person who could read Nynsi, back when we'd been together.

"Cieran." She nodded politely, electing to lead the conversation. "Ul Massa."

"Nynsi." I replied, my voice flat as I kept my own body rigidly neutral. "Strange to see you on Khar'shan, considering that we're due to begin a summit on the corporation's future tomorrow."

"I can participate in such a conversation from here as easily as I could in person, and the costs of these transmissions are easily absorbed." Nynsi replied, her sibilant voice casual. "As I told ul Massa, I have contracts with the Hegemony that require direct supervision."

Shifting my right hand to the armrest on my chair, I started tapping my index finger in slow, annoyed motions. "And that is also occupying your entire senior staff? And Chen? It will be difficult for the Executive Captains to handle their own section of the summit with him missing."

"Khar'shan remains a difficult world to govern, I require everyone I have available in order to-"

"Nynsi." I cut her off, some of my anger bleeding through as my head tilted to the right and my eyes narrowed. "Ayle gave you an order, seconded by Ghai on my behalf, to come home. Her command staff and mine both know that you ignored that order in favor of whatever, or whoever, you're fucking around with there. We can't just let this slide without losing face, without implying that we have no authority over you."

There was a definite wince at that, but she didn't lower her head to the left in shame or submission. "I... see. This is to be an ultimatum, then?"

"No." Ayle replied, her voice utterly emotionless. "Regardless of the outcome of this conversation, you are no longer an Executive Commander. This is either a demotion or an eviction, and the only reason a demotion is even being offered is because you signed a contract in the name of the Blades, and after the Horizon debacle we can't afford to impugn our reputation further."

"Your principle option." I continued, "Is to accept a transfer to a new Khar'shan branch, and a demotion to Executive Captain. You will maintain command of your first and second regiments, which will be re-branded as the First and Second Hegemony, and be allowed to command the new branch in the name of the Blades. You will, however, be stripped of your nominal fleet assets, and be expected to follow orders in the future."

Nynsi went utterly still in the way that only Batarians could do, then she nodded slowly. "My corporate assets on Illium?"

Ayle snorted. "Those that are still in your name remain so, but those that were transferred to the Blades' control will remain so. Whoever we replace you with would be tasked with running them, and would likely live in your former mansion since you marked it as corporate property for use as a command center."

"Your other option," I spoke quietly, "Is eviction. You will be cast out, and a recall order sent to every member of your forces. We will issue a public statement to the Hegemon apologizing, but firmly stating that you did not act with our authority when you signed a contract with him. We will eat the monetary losses and blacklist those corporations you are invested in."

There was an audible, every exhalation. "You offer me the illusion of choice, Cieran, but either way I end up lost in the desert sands."

I pursed my lips, "This is the second time you chose politics and political promises over something that I thought you believed in, and the second time I believe that it's going to blow up in your face. Ayle thinks I'm an idiot for even offering a demotion at all, so I would tone down the attitude."

Another flinch. "I-"

"Once," Ayle spoke again, real anger rising in her voice. "You told me what you dreamed of. A new Hegemony, in the Terminus, one without the black history of Khar'shan, one that we could create ourselves once the long term threat was dealt with. I believed that the Blades could be the army that would make that happen... yet the moment we reached the Hegemony, you threw that all away. For what? Old names that mean nothing? A broken nation held together by old, senile males clinging to past glory? The chance to roll around in the sand with Del'thran? To hope he can make you swell with his spawn?"

Nynsi's posture shifted rapidly, her own anger evidently rising. "I am a realist! The Hegemony may be broken but it is repairable, and we have the chance to do in months or years what would have taken decades in the Terminus! I am bleeding assets to win the loyalty of the lower castes, to help them recover. My actions with Callus are a political necessity to help solidify our power, our authority, but I wouldn't expect a liberal, midcaste bitch to under-"

"Nynsi!" My ears actually rang as I snapped her name, her mouth closing instantly as she seemed to recoil backwards into her chair as I glared furiously at her. "Too. Far. Accept the demotion or face eviction."

Her teal fingers closed tightly around the armrests of her throne, but she forced herself to give a twitching nod. "I... accept the demotion."

I jerked my chin in return. "Executive Captain Shaaryak, you are formally charged with opening a branch of the corporation on Khar'shan. The First and Second Illium regiments will be transferred to your command. In light of your past transgressions, you will receive no official salary until such time as the combined Executive Commanders see fit to reinstate you."

Ayle let out a ragged exhalation, and continued for me, "All of your personal assets on Illium will be shipped to Khar'shan, you will be paying for that. As an Executive Captain, you no longer have authority to draw from the primary corporate accounts without our express approval, attempting to do so after this call will see you evicted. Further, you forfeit all seniority to the date where Cieran appoints a replacement for his own second."

Nynsi's fingers curled slightly, then relaxed. "You are giving Illium to Ghai and T'Laria, then? They will not thank you for it."

"No." I exhaled, "But since you're keeping Chen, Ghai and I are the only realistic options, and Aria's made it clear that she won't accept Ghai running our branch on Omega due to her relationship with Trena and Sederis."

"I see." Her broad chest moved in a tight breath, and it was clear that she was struggling to keep her posture proper. "Was there anything else... Commanders?"

"No." I repeated. "Attend to your contract, we will issue your long term orders once we have completed our summit. Omega out."

A flick of my finger cut the communication without another word, and I almost immediately sank back into my chair with a tired oath.

Beside me, Ayle was silent for several long breaths, then she spoke up. "That was difficult for you, wasn't it?"

I grunted quietly. "I loved her once, so yeah. But... fuck. She's always loved political games and shit, even if she was middling at best at them. Good at concealing her cards and planning the long game, but terrible at short term details. She relied on me for that, and now... shit."

"She has only herself to blame for ending up lost in the desert sands." Ayle replied flatly. "You left her far closer to an oasis than I would have."

"Yeah..." Exhaling between my teeth, I shook my head a little. "Dammit. Have to call Ghai and Trena and tell them, they aren't going to be happy about it."

One of her shoulder's rolled slowly, "Will they take their Lancer team, or will you keep it on Omega?"

"I would rather it go with them, since the only troops we've got on Illium now are a half-trained regiment and a bunch of security guards who aren't good for much more than that job." Reaching up, I rubbed at my forehead. "And now I need a new Executive Captain."

"Ul Thui?" Ayle proposed. "She is your best Senior Captain, and essentially commands two regiments as it is."

I grimaced, "She also left T'Ravt's army because she hated the notion of running a training facility, and that's mostly what our seconds handle. I also don't want to have my first regiment lose my best combat officer two months before we take on Cerberus. It's either Vesik from the Third, or I pull Joa from the Reliant."

"Losing your primary admiral in advance of a naval campaign also seems unwise." She pointed out, "Unless you intend to leave her on her ship."

"No... shit. Vesik then, I'll recall her from Nagato." The ache in my forehead settled into a pleasant little migraine. "And I'll have to talk with Nara to make it clear why she was passed over."

Ayle shrugged a little, "She will accept it if you frame it as doing her a favor, leaving her where she won't have to deal with training multiple regiments worth of recruits, and where she has a far greater chance of personal glory."

"Right." I sighed before shaking my head and rising to my feet. "You mind postponing the summit until Vesik gets here? Shouldn't take her more than two days."

"More than acceptable." Her lower eyes flicked up and down me, her tanned lips curling a little. "Want company on your drinking binge?"

I snorted quietly. "We'll call up my team, and grab Idas and Faras, they should have docked by now. It'll be like old times."

Next up is Epilogue II: Reforged Blades

I know I said I wasn't going to go into the old Epilogue format, but it seemed appropriate to tie up a few more plotlines and establish the re-organization and long-term plans for the Silver Blades as a whole. We'll have at least one, possibly two more short epilogues, followed by the teaser. After that, Hellhounds should drop in early to mid June depending on my work schedule and how long of a break I feel like taking.

For those curious, I have already put up a Hellhounds thread in the forums, and teased the Act/Operation names as they currently stand in my outline.

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."

P a treon Zach_K2V

Thanks, Kat