If Shepard hadn't been so uncomfortable, she might have smiled at the expressions on the Council's collective faces. Disbelief was a popular one. She had to admit, painting a target on foot didn't sound particularly impressive…unless that target was a Reaper the size of a skyscraper. Then it sounded pretty crazy.

Maybe there was something to Samara's assurance that magnitude in size didn't matter much when it came to an enemy.

"Very well," Irissa declared, putting aside the datapad with Shepard's written reports. "And the…unfortunate incident…at Ryuusei. I hope that has been resolved as well?"

Burns shot Irrissa a look suggesting she might want to consider how she said things—it was, after all, not as if Shepard had caused the ruckus.

"I killed one, EDI got the other five," Shepard answered coolly. "And then Harbinger razed the world they came from. I think the matter is safely closed, Councilor." She still felt a little off-balance, knowing that Harbinger had razed Mindoir for no other reason than because it could, and because it thought doing so would hurt her.

It angered her, but she had no real ties to Mindoir.

"Returning to the trouble with the quarians," Quentius frowned. "They actually opened fire on you and Spectre Alenko?"

"They were ordered to do so by a then-lawful authority," Shepard answered, rolling her shoulders. This was what she'd really been waiting for: the anti-quarian prejudice was widespread and went deep in many places, for the most part without cause. She doubted Tali would be able to approach the Council about getting the quarians back on the galactic stage. However, she also suspected if she asked Burns, he would hear Tali out with an open mind. "As a man who understands military discipline, I'm sure you wouldn't want to hold the rank and file accountable for their leadership's…errors in judgment."

"'Errors in judgment,'" Esheel grunted. "Han'Gerrel is known as a rabble-rousing firebrand. Your own government has had reason to apply to have his chain rattled multiple times since he obtained his post."

"And now he's lost it. He's out fighting with a squad of quarian marines." With the end result that Kal'Reeger had been pulled from his unit to make room for the new guy, and was now—if she understood Tali correctly—an attaché to Heavy Fleet representative. It sounded like each Fleet was assembling an assembly of joint chiefs who handled operations, with a representative who interfaced with the Conclave.

"The arming of their ships is worrisome."

"Those ships have all been dismantled, or at least, had the armaments removed. Work had already begun when the trials concluded," Shepard said firmly. "And, again, the admirals responsible for that initiative have been removed. And trust me, digging ditches and plastering walls for the rest of her life? Almost a fate worse than death."

"And the other admirals?" Irissa asked, frowning.

Was she looking for a reason to sanction the quarians further, Shepard wondered? It almost sounded that way…but why? Just prejudice?

If she has her hand on your throat, she will squeeze. Udina's warning about Irissa came back to Shepard as she regarded the asari.

"One was allowed to resign, not being found culpable. The other two were transferred laterally to positions better matched to their skillsets. In the diplomatic sector. Former Admiral Koris is the liaison between the quarians and their geth neighbors." Unease colored all four Councilors' faces. "While former Admiral Zorah has been tasked with attempting to open diplomatic relations with the Citadel. Her people are ready to be citizens of Council Space again, having regained their homeworld and reconciled with the geth—thereby mending the original reasons for their loss of standing."

Irissa's mouth thinned, and Shepard was sure she was thinking something along the lines of 'filthy scavengers crawling all over my Citadel? Over my dead body.'

Maybe she should drop a word to Wrex that Tali was trying to hammer representation and an embassy past the Council. He might lobby on her side, or use the momentum of two disaffected peoples being ignored because of the crimes and mistakes of those long dead.

"The quarians have done everything that could reasonably be expected to mend the breach with Spectre Alenko and myself," Shepard continued. "I think it would be silly to give this matter more attention than it deserves."

"They nearly got you killed, Shepard!" Burns said angrily.

"With all due respect, Councilor, lots of things nearly get me killed," Shepard answered gently. "Right now, we need to focus on moving forward, not looking back. I personally feel that if this galaxy is going to maintain forward momentum in these troubled times, it begins with not rehashing the mistakes of the past. It lies in accepting that mistakes have been made, changes have been made in response, and people are ready to try something new."

It was the line she knew would be desperately needed when the war was over: quit bringing up old stuff. She couldn't see a galaxy free of Reapers that wouldn't start trying to pick up old quarrels for the sake of familiarity. She couldn't really see the end of this war, but she had to hope, had to believe that there would be a chance for the galaxy to really change, to abandon old prejudices and let go of old hang-ups.

She'd already heard—from Wrex, who would know—that some of the wounds from the Rachni Wars were beginning to close. This in the form of a bar fight in which a turian got in over his head, and a krogan who served with him on a battlefield stepped in…then didn't rub anything in after the fight was over.

"Former Admiral Tali'Zorah bears the ship name vas Normandy. She's served loyally and well since the early days of my hunt for Saren. I hope that her contributions to the galaxy with me would show that her people have something to contribute to society."

Burns immediately wrote down the name.