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After a ride on top of an elevator while Cerberus troops and the man in black tried to catch them on other elevators, the kind of unbelievable circumstance Garrus had scoffed at in vids, they reached the Council—and someone they had forgotten to factor in, and in fact had entirely lost track of: the other human Spectre. Kaidan was with the Councilors, shepherding them off their elevator toward a docking bay where they would be able to get on a shuttle.

Kaidan whirled around, gun leveled, when he heard the elevator doors ding open again and Shepard and her team emerged. "Shepard?"

Immediately Shepard, Garrus, and Javik pulled their own weapons. Shepard was carefully aiming just over Kaidan's shoulder, in the direction of Udina, Garrus noticed. He kept his own sights square on Kaidan's heart, knowing that Shepard wouldn't be able to take that shot if it was required. And if Kaidan shot at Shepard, it would be the last thing he ever did.

"She's with Cerberus," Udina growled. "Don't let her come near us. She's behind this coup."

The gun barrel wavered as Kaidan glanced back at the human councilor.

"Kaidan, you know me," Shepard said.

"I knew you," he corrected. He cleared his throat, clearly unsure where to fall.

"You've led them into a trap. Cerberus troops are right behind me—they'll be the next people off that elevator. We need to get out of here!"

Kaidan frowned. "Our transport was blown up."

"Shepard did that!" Udina repeated.

"I can't be everywhere," she said tartly. "That wasn't me."

"Udina, calm down. I got this. Let me … let me think." But Kaidan's aim at Shepard didn't waver.

"Let me explain, Kaidan."

"Come on, Shepard—gun drawn on a councilor? What's to explain? It looks bad."

"It does until you know that the salarian councilor called me to the Citadel to tell me about Udina's improprieties with money, and the next thing I know Cerberus has attacked the Citadel and an attempt has been made on Valern's life."

"Valern is dead," Udina said confidently.

"The executor is dead, and half of C-Sec," Garrus told him, angry all over again at the waste of life. "The councilor is still alive. He confirmed that you're behind this."

That rocked Udina back. He had evidently been counting on Cerberus to clean up his mess. "No! That can't be. Alenko, they're—they're lying to you!"

"Why would we?" Shepard lowered her weapon and stood straight, out of her combat stance. She gestured to Garrus and Javik to lower their weapons as well, which they did, although neither of them wanted to. "Look, we don't have time to negotiate. You've all been lied to by this man."

The asari councilor, who didn't love humans in general and had never much liked Udina in specific, glanced at him with hard, suspicious eyes—but the same expression was in her eyes when she looked back at Shepard, so no help there. The turian councilor looked over Shepard's head to Garrus, who nodded slowly. The turian councilor nodded back, just slightly, and shifted a bit so he was no longer in front of Udina and had a better chance to grab him if necessary.

"You have no proof! You never do," Udina said with disgust. To Garrus, it seemed clear that he believed his own lies; he really did think Shepard was the evil behind the Reapers' arrival and everything else that had happened.

The asari and turian councilors exchanged a look. "We've mistrusted Shepard before," the asari councilor pointed out. "It's never gone well."

Udina snapped, "We don't have time to debate this! We're dead if we stay out here." He moved toward the elevators, and Javik raised his weapon.

In between Commander and Councilor, Kaidan finally made a decision. "I better not regret this." Lowering his gun, he turned toward Udina. "Councilor, I think you'd better come with me."

"To hell with this!" Udina reached for the asari councilor, pulling her in front of him so she stood between him and anyone who might want to shoot him. The turian councilor moved to help her, and Udina pulled a gun, jamming it into the asari councilor's ribs.

Next to him, Garrus heard rather than saw Javik preparing to fire. Very quietly, so no one else—particularly Shepard—could hear him, he spoke the Prothean's name and shook his head. Javik looked from Garrus to the situation between the three humans, and he eased back, weapon still ready but waiting to fire until it became necessary.

Garrus had a hand on his sidearm, ready to aim and fire if Udina made the first move toward Shepard—but as long as it was the asari councilor, Shepard wouldn't thank him for getting involved in something that would have to be spun for the human population to understand, and Kaidan needed to pick a side once and for all.

"Let me by, Alenko," Udina demanded.

"No, sir. Put the gun down."

Udina moved, just slightly, and before Shepard could get her weapon readied Kaidan had raised his and shot the human councilor between the eyes. He'd been practicing, Garrus thought. The old Kaidan couldn't have made that shot, especially not under these circumstances.

The asari councilor fainted, and the turian councilor reached to help her up, supporting her with an arm around her waist.

Kaidan stood over Udina's body, his face twisted.

Shepard called his name.

He paused for a moment, then turned to her. "Yeah, I'm good."

"You did what you had to do. You—" She stopped when her omni-tool crackled to life. Bailey's voice came over it.

"Shepard, I don't know what you did, but the Cerberus troops have all beat feet into the keeper tunnels—including your friend in the fancy black outfit. Smoke and mirrors, that one. Released a VI into the system that erased footage of him wherever he went."

"He likes to fight; he'll show up again."

"Yeah, well, pardon me if I don't find that reassuring. Shepard. Your … drell friend is in for surgery at Huerta Memorial. You should get down there." There was pain in his voice. Bailey had taken Thane's son under his wing, and had become close to both of them.

"Soon as I can, Bailey. And thank you."

"Thank you, Commander."

As Shepard signed off from the omni-tool, the turian councilor approached her with his hand out. "This makes twice you've saved my life, Commander. I owe you both a personal debt and one on behalf of Palaven."

"Times like this, Councilor, we all stand together. All you owe me is what you owe the rest of the galaxy—your support in times of need and your friendship in times of prosperity."

"I can do that. Do you— I'm sorry to ask, but you may have insight. Do you know what the Illusive Man would be after in attacking the Citadel?"

"No, sir, I'm sorry. I don't. But I'm going to find out," she added grimly. "If you can excuse me, I have a friend in the hospital. He was wounded saving the salarian councilor, and it may—it looks like it's going to cost him his life."

"Understood, Commander." The turian councilor looked at Kaidan. "Major Alenko can escort us down to C-Sec."

"Of course, Councilor."

Shepard looked up at Garrus. "Let's go see Thane."

He nodded. As they got into the elevator, Garrus looked back at Kaidan, wondering how today's events were going to play out. For his part, he was just glad he hadn't had to shoot his friend.