Notes:
FTL - Faster Than Light travel
SILC - Synthetic Intelligence Life Codes (previously known as Geth)
The Way Out
Defense Council Chambers, Armali, Thessia – 1 Sep 2189
"Would you be more comfortable with such a change if we could arrange for a test period, limited to six of our main cities and supported by a SILC with whom you are familiar?" No matter what Liara had told her, Mozia had fully expected at least some level of resistance, so had planned accordingly.
"And just who would that possibly be?" Matriarch Eleria T'Saptos grimaced as she asked the question. "It's not like any of us have had enough contact with the SILC to exactly become familiar with any of them."
"I'm afraid that is not entirely true, Eleria. If you would allow yourself to consider the prospect, even if only for a few moments." Mozia smiled gently to soften her statement. "Both your Governess, Matriarch Falis, and Lady Sashia of House T'Sere, had extensive contact with a SILC Prime and her team during the rebuild of our world; Prime Koboca. If we could arrange for her return, would Prime Koboca be an acceptable representative for such a test?"
"I…" Mozia's unexpectedly prompt counter caught Eleria off guard and she hesitated in her answer. "I suppose that may be acceptable, but we need time to confirm that with both Falis and Sashia, to ensure neither has any reservations."
"Which I would fully expect you to do." Mozia's eyes wandered the forum as she gently added, "Truthfully, that is exactly what I would like each and every one of you to do. This is only a first proposal and needs to be fully vetted within your communities. Honestly, I am simply asking that we return to the days just prior to the Reaper invasion – when we allowed the trustworthy Ardat-Yakshi chaperoned visits to their respective homeworld. I am not suggesting a change to our basic policy – far from it. I am merely asking for a change to the chaperones, as the Justicar Order no longer exists in its previous form, and their numbers are a fraction of what they once were."
Mozia suddenly received some unexpected help from the membership, in the form of the relatively new Serrice Defense Minister, Matriarch Davos T'Vura. "I don't need time to think about it, Mozia. Serrice was hit hard when the Reapers arrived, and we wouldn't be anywhere close to where we are today without Mik and his incredible team. I would welcome all seventeen of them back in an instant and would happily offer up Serrice as the first test zone, starting immediately, if that is agreeable to the forum."
A bemused smile appeared on Mozia's face as she asked, "Mik?"
Davos chuckled. "Yes, Mik. A nickname that started within a few days of their arrival… for Prime Dynamik. Though their main purpose was to act as guardians and security, they were surprisingly amiable and extremely interested in learning our customs. It was quite the experience and, just before they departed, I told them all they were more than welcome to come back and visit anytime." She laughed again and shook her head. "However, I do believe the concept of visiting for pleasure completely escaped them."
"Thank you." Mozia dipped her head in grateful recognition of the offer, yet having to reply, "But I'm afraid we are not prepared to start the test right away, Davos." Mozia glance across the forum yet again as she continued, "Obviously, I wanted approval from the Forum before contacting the SILC about any possible arrangement. We would, of course, also need to decide upon a negotiator and consider what form of payment we could offer. From previous contracts they have taken, it seems they like either space in which to settle or raw minerals as currency… or a combination of both, as proven by their most recent contract on Gellix."
She grinned widely and immediately explained, knowing the questions would come. "The budding joint governorship there between the Krogan and Humans also has a SILC contingent, helping the new colony with security while reopening the mines and supply depots."
"Then I would recommend you ask Shepard to be our negotiator; she lives in your House, after all, and has an excellent rapport with them." Suri K'Eir chimed in. "And, speaking for Anerzesa, we don't need time, either. We didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the help of the SILC in the first round of repairs. As usual, we were farther down the list and were left on our own to fully reestablish our essential services." Her voice managed to convey the icy chill of winter in her displeasure at recalling their still recent history.
"We made do on our own, but even I have to admit that things moved along at an incredible pace once Prime Életerő and his team finally arrived. Besides which, we have three households with residents at the Monastery who would love to have them come home for a visit, I imagine sooner rather than later, so I also offer that Anerzesa become a test location for the SILC escorts – as soon as you can speak to them and come to some equitable arrangement." Suri's icy gaze settled on Eleria as she concluded, "Even if there are some among us who still opt for distrust and choose to forget how much the SILC aided us, both during and after the war."
"Please." Mozia raised her hand to request silence as an angry grumble started to rise. "We have all seen enough of war, so let us refrain from infighting amongst ourselves!" She heaved a sorrowful sigh. "I would also point out that should this measure pass and the negotiations be successful, it does not mean everyone has to take advantage of it." Mozia shrugged and met the eyes of every Defense Council representative in the room before continuing. "We are still independent states, and should you not wish to have SILC… or the Ardat-Yakshi… in your region, you can simply refuse to take advantage of the visits."
Following a disgusted laugh, Eleria sarcastically countered, "Oh, yes! I am sure that will go over amazingly well with those of our people having relatives at the Monastery. Everyone else allowing SILC-monitored visits… except for us?" Scoffing, she added, "If one of us agrees to this, then we all must agree to participate, or be prepared to be voted out of office… possibly by special mandate, not even waiting for the next regular election. It could potentially be political suicide to go against the group!"
Maintaining her poise, Mozia simply arched a brow and asked, "So… is that a yes?"
With an angry frown, the only dissenter in the group growled, "May the Goddess damn you, Mozia… but never mind my personal opinion! I am forced to agree with your proposal."
Frowning in response, Mozia's voice was flat as she responded, "We'll hold a formal vote then, since everyone seems so eager to resolve this today, instead of taking time to review the proposal more thoroughly." She once again looked about the room and summarized, "We agree to move forward with asking Spectre Shepard to present the Asari proposal to the SILC to begin negotiations, in good faith, for the escort of qualified residents of the Lesuss Monastery to their respective homeworld, beginning with a yet-to-be-determined number of Ardat-Yakshi for an initial test on Thessia, for a period of… let us say, two weeks… same as it was pre-war? Is that wording acceptable?"
With a chorus largely of approval, accompanied by a reluctant growl, Mozia concluded, "Then the motion is passed…" She focused on Eleria and asked, "Would you like your vote registered as a yes, or do you wish to cast it as the single dissenting vote, in the unlikely event this all explodes in our faces?" A final option occurred to her, so she added, "Or, would you like to simply register an abstention?"
Shaking her head in defeat, Eleria sighed. "No. I will not let myself be ruled by fear and will officially record my vote in favor of the proposal. Besides… if this goes badly, it is the Goddess who will judge our decision in the end, not me."
Vancouver B.C., Earth, Sol System – 7 Sep 2189
Zoë Lawrence's first-thing-out-of-bed-stretch was an unconscious imitation of a wild feline; with her body folded down at the hips, she placed her arms straight out in front of her, palms of her hands flat on the floor, and reverse-arched her lower back while tensing all her muscles. Standing upright once more, she washed her face, brushed her hair into a haphazard semblance of order, pulled on her clothes, then headed for the dining area to start off the new week with her 0730 Monday morning breakfast meeting with Jana Cantrell.
Truth be known, their daily meetings had evolved into more formality than necessity. After removing all of LEAP's leaders and virtually all of their 'foot-soldiers', Atlas had matured into a covert and dedicated peace-keeping organization, with research now their primary focus; under Zoë's leadership, any individual or group of humans – whether on Earth or in the colonies – publicly avowing a hatred for any of the galaxy's other races was quietly held up for public ridicule and shaming, if they couldn't be convinced to change their thinking. Those that espoused mayhem or employed violence against aliens earned increasingly harsh levels of dissuasion. Unfortunately, a few had been terminated; these hits were sanctioned by Spectre Shepard, but only after Atlas had exhausted all other avenues of dissuasion and had provided the Spectre with irrefutable proof of their crimes against others.
Unlike their predecessors in Cerberus, Atlas had developed a reputation for defending every species and race in the galaxy against xenophobic beliefs and actions; a visit from one of their representatives was generally all that was needed to convince most to change to a more tolerant view of the value of all life. Along with this, Atlas also had to convince these people that Humans were not pre-ordained to rule the galaxy's races. Once Zoë agreed to share all their subsequent research with Spectre Shepard on Thessia, the group rarely had to end anyone's life. That Shepard had been convinced of the good intentions of a Zoë-led Atlas was one of the best things that had ever happened to her.
She had undergone surgery in late-June to have a newly-cloned left kidney implanted – the original having been removed after it was irreparably injured during her blind attack against cloaked assassin Frédéric Klein. One beneficial side effect of having her surgery completed in the Alliance Hospital was being able to get reacquainted with the young Marine Corporal that had been her guard during her previous visit, Gracelyn Medina. They had spent a number of hours catching each other up on all that had happened in their lives since Zoë's discharge in mid-October the previous year. The time Gracie spent with Zoë had been a welcome distraction, making her stay in the facility less boring, and seemingly feel much shorter in duration.
Subsequent to her release from the base hospital, she had spent her remaining recovery time overseeing the actions of Jana and her team as Atlas personnel continued to monitor the progress – or lack thereof – of the people on T'Soni's and Shepard's finalized list of Systems Alliance xenophobes. Of the sixty-plus people that were processed through the legal systems on Earth, twelve had managed to evade official punishment for their criminal behavior, either by a stroke of good luck or through the legal maneuvering of their advocates.
Atlas personnel had been present during the trials and judicial hearings for everyone; the twelve that were set free without being punished for their crimes were quietly accosted by the men and women from Atlas, to quickly disappear without a trace. Those having families or relatives waiting for them to return home were permitted to pass on a message: Do not involve the authorities. Do not expect my return anytime soon.
Each of the twelve zealots were held in actual prison cells – and no two were held in the same facility – for a period of time equal to what an actual punishment for their particular crimes would have earned, had they not been set free on technicalities. The sentences ran from two to five years. There was no probation, nor was there any chance of early release for good behavior. The only other option provided to them was to meet one-on-one with Spectre Shepard to suffer her immediate justice, whatever it might entail; unsurprisingly, none took the offer.
Alone in her office after breakfast, her thoughts drifted back to the desperate days of the Reaper war. It only took the accusing stare from the eyes of a dead Asari huntress to complete my own transformation; it's an image I still recall as clearly as on the day it happened – and it's one I'm afraid I will carry to my grave. Thinking about that huntress brought on a nearly overwhelming sense of sad regret, not just for that unnamed commando – whom she hadn't personally killed – but for nearly all the lives she had ended during her time working for Cerberus.
The one life she had absolutely no regrets about taking was Jack Harper's. Thinking about the confrontation in the control room on the Citadel brought tears to her eyes. Shepard was nearly dead from her wounds. Anyone else that terribly injured would have been dead. It seemed she was alive only through sheer force of will.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a chime from her secure communications console. The caller's identity – given where her thoughts were – was almost no surprise. She keyed on the device and smiled at the image on the screen in front of her. "Spectre Shepard. A pleasure, as always. I was just thinking about you."
The lopsided grin she received gladdened her heart. "Hello, Zoë. And, why would you be thinking about me, if I may ask."
"No reason, really. Just thinking back to some of the things I did during the war, and the turning point in my former life." Zoë pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment, dropped her hand and continued, "My thoughts wandered to the confrontation between you and Jack Harper in the Citadel control room… and how horribly you were wounded." Shaken her head slightly, as if to clear those memories, she asked, "So, what may I do for you today, Spectre Shepard?"
"I've come to a crossroads in my life, Zoë. It's something I've been thinking about for a number of months now, and I've finally made my decision." The grin disappeared, to be replaced by lips clamped together in a straight line for a few moments. When she continued speaking, her tone was still friendly, but decidedly serious. "I'm resigning from the Spectres, Zoë. I'm tired of risking my life – my future with Liara – by having to undertake dangerous missions for the Galactic Council. Liara and I have sacrificed more than enough for the welfare of the galaxy… so we've decided it's time for me to back away so we can enjoy our future together." She looked down for several moments, giving Zoë and opportunity to respond.
"It's about time, Shepard." She held up a hand at Sam's instant reaction. "You have done more for all the galaxy's people than the council or any councilor, or anyone else, for that matter! Do you remember what I told you when we met on the CGC, at the end of the Council's 'victory tour'? I offered you my best wishes for a happy life on Thessia with Lady T'Soni and said that you both deserved it for all you had accomplished." With a smirk, she added, "It's nice to hear that you will finally have an opportunity for that happy life, but…" She trailed off into silence, a bit afraid of asking the most important question.
"But what, Zoë? You realize the implications, don't you – that you're about to lose your Spectre top-cover." Receiving a mute nod from the woman, Shepard continued. "You, and Atlas, have done nothing to betray my trust since I met with you in the hospital a few days before your discharge last year, so I'm trusting you to continue your good work. You're on your own now, Ms Lawrence; you'll have to use your own best judgement going forward." The lopsided grin returned. "I honestly believe you're a reformed woman and that you'll stay on the right side of law and order, Zoë."
Lawrence showed her teeth in a dazzling grin. "Thank you, Shepard. It means the world to me that you trust me, and Atlas, to do the right thing." The grin lessened slightly as she added, "But, since our relationship is being terminated, does this mean I must return to looking over my shoulder, keeping watch for a certain Asari that still wishes me dead?"
Samantha chuckled. "If you're speaking of Riana, I can honestly say she has no desire to waste time chasing old personal grudges. Besides, she doesn't know it yet, but she's going to be promoted to Captain of Liara's Personal Guard – which comes along with being Liara's First – so what little free time she has left will likely be spent with her lover, Samantha Traynor."
"Good to know." Zoë looked down for a moment, unwilling to cut the connection with this extraordinary person. When her eyes returned to the console, she smiled at the Spectre. "What's that Asari phrase? Oh… yes. Go with the Goddess, Shepard. I wish you the absolute best of futures with Liara. Should you ever find yourself in need of my services, you know how to contact me. For you, my services will always be available and there will never be any fee."
Shepard grinned and responded, "Don't take this the wrong way but, in that regard, I hope you never hear from me… because, if you do, I've obviously failed miserably at the whole retirement thing."
Suddenly fearing her life was going to be lessened by no longer having this amazing woman in her future, Zoë had to force a smile onto her face, even as a tear managed to escape and trickle down a tattooed cheek. "Take care of you and yours, Shepard." She sighed in resignation and added, "Please know that I greatly value your trust, and again, if you ever need me, I'll be here."
"Thanks, Zoë. I'll keep that in mind."
Shepard leaned in toward the screen, and in the next instant, Zoë found herself staring at a blank display. "Well, I'll be damned. She's actually going to do it." Just after she reached up to terminate the call from her end as well, a knock sounded on the door. "Come!"
Jana poked her head in, asking, "Hey! I know we just talked, but do you have a minute? We may have just located a person of interest."
"Absolutely. Come on in." A smile found its way onto Zoë's face as she continued, "And you'll never believe the conversation I just had…"
T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 16 Sep 2189
"Mom." Shepard looked at the worry lines creasing her mother's face in the vid feed and asked, "What's wrong? What's happened?"
"What makes you ask if something has happened, Sam?" Forcing a smile onto her face as she peered at her observant daughter, Hannah quickly added, "Never mind. Don't bother answering that. We both know one another too well to be able to hide anything from the other." Her shoulders drooped as she explained, "Remember the mining group Adrien and I arranged to send out to Rayingri?"
"Yes…" Sam answered hesitantly, nodding for her mother to go on.
"Well, their latest delivery of ore is over a week late and when we attempted to contact Rayingri, we received no response." Hannah sighed sadly and shook her head. "I'm afraid something has gone terribly wrong… to have neither ship nor planetary communications… and I could very well be to blame, sending that brazen woman, Janyce Ward, out there to help that facility. I am concerned that she has once again attempted to start a union and the facility owner wasn't nearly as willing to negotiate with her as Adrien and I were."
"So, you want us to go check it out for you…" Shepard glanced at Liara, who had come to the communications center as quickly as she could following Samantha's concerned tap through the link. "And do whatever is necessary to straighten it out?"
"No." The answer surprised the couple, even more so when Hannah continued. "I want you to take me out there… so I can at least have an opportunity to fix any mess I may have created."
"But you don't want us to simply provide transportation, do you?" Shepard gave her lover a sideward glance as Liara picked up the dialogue. "You need us there in case the problem is beyond your ability to fix." Liara's right brow marking cocked up as she added, "Or is something else entirely… a situation you could not possibly foresee."
"Correct." Hannah looked down at the floor for a moment, her eyes finally coming back up when she realized neither Sam nor Liara were going to speak. "I know I could just send an Alliance team out there, and I have absolutely no right to ask you to do this, but…"
Samantha smiled softly at her mom and interrupted, "But you have… because you feel personally responsible for what may have happened and need to see it for yourself. And, we're the first ones you thought of who can help you without drawing too much attention to the whole thing." She huffed quietly and added, "It's okay, Mom. You know you can always come to us for help… no matter what sort of help you need."
"I know that, Sam." Hannah shook her head, "But this is different. Help is one thing… putting your lives on the line for a personal request is different."
"I don't see it as personal, Mom." Samantha drew a deep breath. "That ore is crucial to the war recovery effort and the supply chain needs to be protected. Yes, the Alliance could – and probably should – handle it, but with all the personnel and ships lost during the war, they're already overtaxed with the reconstruction of their civilization."
"How about this?" Liara picked up the argument. "If it truly is just a dispute, Spectre Shepard should easily be able to step in as an impartial negotiator and get it settled. Otherwise, we'll evaluate the situation when we get there and decide on our best option going forward."
"I suppose that's why I came to you, isn't it?" Hannah smiled softly. "I can't exactly say no to any suggestions you may have on how to handle it, can I?"
"No, not really." Shepard replied with a soft grin. With a quick mental exchange with Liara, she continued, "Give us a day to get prepared, and we'll be in London first thing Friday morning to pick you up. Sound good?"
"I can't reasonably expect you to get here any sooner, so yes, that will work." Hannah looked relieved, as if she hadn't exactly been confident her request would be accepted. "In the meantime, we'll continue our efforts to make contact and get more info on the situation on Rayingri. I'll keep you informed."
"I can do the same, Mom." Liara glanced at Samantha before continuing, "We'll use our contacts as well… see if we can dig anything up through less official channels. Obviously, if we find anything, we'll let you know."
Shepard added, "And, one way or another, we'll see you on Friday. If the situation has resolved itself by then, we'll simply stay and visit for a day or two." A smile appeared on her face as she asked, "How does that sound?"
A relieved Hannah smiled back as she answered, "That would actually be wonderful, Sam. Thank you… both of you, and I'll see you in a couple of days."
Rayingri, Gagarin System, Armstrong Nebula – 21 Sep 2189
The situation at the mining station had been discovered on the fifteenth and Hannah had called on the morning of the sixteenth, but there was no quick route to the Armstrong Nebula from Sol, so the trip had taken four relay jumps and three seriously long days to complete. Even with the Knight Shade's constant state of readiness, they still hadn't arrived until the morning of September 21st; nearly a week had passed since the realization that something had gone terribly wrong at Rayingri.
They had looked for updates as they transited the relay in Attican Beta the day prior, but the Station had remained stubbornly silent. The ship was fully cloaked as they dropped out of FTL at Rayingri, with everyone on the Knight Shade unsure what they would find upon arrival. After a few hours of clandestine surveillance, Shepard and Liara finally understood what they were facing, and Sam called everyone together in the ship's ready room.
"First thing…" Shepard looked at her mother with a strained smile. "It's not the miners, Mom, so you are in no way at fault for what has happened down there."
Hannah's relief was only momentary, sensing Samantha's disquiet. "So, what exactly has happened here, Sam?" She looked between her daughter and Liara. "The expressions on your faces tells me it isn't good and, in all fairness, me not being responsible doesn't make it any better, does it?"
"No, Mom, it doesn't." Shepard's eyes wandered the collection of commandos before her as she stated, "It's another group of Blue Suns… and they seem to be quite entrenched, using the folks here as slave labor in order to steal the mine's credits by selling the ore, probably on the black market." Looking to Hannah again, she added, "And your full shipment of ore? Already gone, so my guess is they sold it on the black market, possibly ship and all, but that's yet to be seen."
Releasing a deep sigh, Hannah closed her eyes for a moment before answering, "And, I don't suppose there's any way to track it and get that ore back, is there?"
Liara smiled softly, "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Mom. We'll see what we find in their databases here, once we drag them out of that mine… because we absolutely cannot allow them to win this one." Her eyes flashed in anger as she added, "That polonium ore is far too important to the continuing recovery effort, so I'll contact Miranda and see what chatter our agents can pick up. This isn't some wildcat operation, so I'm sure we can count on the United Congress of Industrial Miners to offer up some type of reward for any of the ore we find and return. That should open a few mouths, aiding our cause."
"Drag them out of the mine? You mean you intend to go in there?" Hannah's mouth hung open in surprise. "Why don't we wait for the Alliance to handle this, now that we know for sure what's going on?"
"Because the longer we wait, the further away that ore gets! The Blue Suns have been a pain in our ass more than once." Shepard practically growled as she listed what she thought to be their greatest transgressions, ending with, "They are nothing more than mercs for hire… and have tried more than once to kill me and my friends. It won't be the first time we yank 'em out of hiding from a facility they have no business being in."
"If you're sure…" Hannah was still looking at her daughter skeptically, when Liara chuckled quietly.
"It is most definitely not the first time we've done this." Smiling at the woman, Liara added, "Nor the second, or the third, Admiral. We are actually rather good at cave crawling. As an archaeologist, I've probably spent half my life inside of various caves."
"And it will take the Alliance way too long to get here, so, yes, we're going in," affirmed Shepard. "We need to save as many of the miners as we can." She looked at her squad and continued, "I want to take an augmented team, so Riana, Ellia and Tonan – you three are with Liara and I. Let's gear up."
As the team members started to move, Shepard turned to the medical team, but before she could issue even a single instruction, Dr Yandle was already speaking. "And Chirugo and I will be set up and prepped for any medical emergencies that may arise, Shepard. If something happens, we'll be ready."
Clapping the doctor on the shoulder, she grinned. "Thanks, Derek. I hope you have an exceptionally boring day."
"Me, too, Spectre." As the last of the team disappeared down into the hangar, he repeated himself, whispering, "Me too."
Nearly four hours had passed when the ship finally got a call. "You've got Livos coming in hot, Derek!"
Shepard paused and Derek could hear Liara in the background, "Cy… You stay with us as lead. Allia and Tonan… Get Liv to medical!"
"I'm sure you heard that…" Shepard paused again to take a breath. "Livos is unconscious, her left foot is crushed. It's a mess, Derek. Just do your best!"
"Will do, Shepard. Chirugo is prepping the surgery unit as we speak. ETA?"
"Five minutes, tops." The Spectre hardly paused as she added, "But the rest of us are going back in, so Thoni still has the Bridge."
"Understood, Shepard," Lusmeni answered quickly. "What happened?"
Shepard's voice was hoarse and gravelly as she added, "Damned mining explosives almost brought an entire fucking cavern down on us… Liv held an exit tunnel open with her barrier, but she collapsed just as the last of us got clear and got caught in the edge of the debris fall. A huge boulder came down and crushed her barrier – if not for both Liara and Bev blasting it with warps to redirect it, she'd likely have died beneath it."
"Mission status?"
"All Blue Suns are confirmed down, except for the two that attempted to bury us. They were holed up in a back passage… and I'm fairly sure their attempt to bury us simply buried them instead. Just in case they didn't die in there and have a back way out, launch Dax and Sal in the Jiris for a full regional thermal scan; kill anyone who pops out unannounced. We'll be sure to call in before we emerge into daylight again."
"And the miners?"
"The majority are still alive… and now safe and sound, rounded up and currently in the living facilities with Ellia and Bev guarding the position." Shepard paused for a moment and added, "And tell the Admiral her faith in Janyce Ward was well placed. That woman held the group together through all of this turmoil. She did good."
"Will do, Captain. Keep yourselves safe and get back here as soon as you can." Thoni paused only briefly before asking, "Do you have an ETA?"
"We're returning to the living areas now to start collecting data. It all depends on how long it takes us to hack their security algorithms and download whatever records we can find. We'll give a shout when we're ready to come out and inspect the flight control tower to see if there are any logged departures with destinations."
"Understood, Captain. Stay alive."
"We're doing our best, Luse. I know I don't need to say it… but take good care of Liv for us. Shepard out."
With Liara and Riana working together, the time required to gain access into the Blue Suns' files and communications logs was minimal. They easily discovered the ore had been sold to one of the higher-profile black market profiteers and it would be easy enough to turn his name and location over to the Alliance. Whether or not the ore would already be resold by the time the Alliance got a team together to go collect it would be an entirely different issue, but that didn't concern the Spectre. What did concern her was the health and well-being of Captain Livos Tanni, so the first place she went once everyone was back aboard the Knight Shade was the Medical Bay.
Surprised they were not still in surgery, Shepard asked, "How's she doing, Doc?"
"Well, your assessment was spot-on, Spectre." Derek met her eyes. "That foot is a mess… and beyond our on-ship capability to fix. We simply don't have sufficient raw materials aboard to do what needs to be done, so we placed Liv in stasis."
"What do you mean we don't have enough material?" Shepard sounded almost angry as she continued, "We have the best technology available in the galaxy and we can't help her?"
"It's not the tech." Derek smiled understandingly, looking to soothe the irate Captain. "It's the quantity." He raised a hand, cutting off further questions and continued, "Please, give me a chance to explain." With a curt nod from the somewhat irritated leader of the House T'Soni Guard, Derek drew a deep breath and continued, "We do have the best tech in the galaxy, but the quantities of material we maintain on board are for fractures… simple breaks and cracks… not for a full-crush reconstruction."
He took a quick breath and went on before Shepard could interrupt. "What Livos needs is a complete reconstruction of her entire foot… which includes 28 bones, 32 joints, and the reattachment of the more than one hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments." He shook his head and added, "I did the research. Even using the automated surgery bed – which is capable of performing extremely advanced procedures – the entire process will still require a series of three, individual, six-hour operations, completed back-to-back, with pauses only for resupply of the material caches; the quantity of which we simply do not have aboard and cannot get until we return to Thessia."
"Well, shit." Shepard put her hands on her hips and frowned. "But, she's okay for now? Her condition is stable in the meantime?"
"Absolutely," Derek answered without hesitation. "And, being in stasis, she's completely unaware of her surroundings and not in any pain, whatsoever. It is my professional medical opinion that we wait until we get home and transfer her, still in stasis, to the Armali Medical Center. Let them confer and get her the best treatment possible." As Shepard seemed to hesitate, he added, "It would result in the best possible outcome for Livos… and potentially return her to full capacity, letting her return to work in less than a month." He shrugged, "That's my best guess, anyway."
"Less than a month?"
"Yes, Shepard." Derek smiled at the look of incredulity he was seeing on the Spectre's face. "I truly do believe it's the best course of action… for everyone involved, not just Livos. It will help House T'Soni keep her future Captain of the Guard, if the rumors are true?"
At that, Shepard shook her head and chuckled. "There's no such thing as a secret around this place, is there?"
"I think everyone knows about your chat with Bevos Shyria, Spectre…" Derek grinned and added, "And we all know you always end up doing the right thing, once you know what that is."
A/N: The event with the Blue Suns taking over the mine 'used to be' future canon, when the Wiki included an extended timeline. I picked it out of said timeline long ago, knowing I would eventually include it in the future adventures of Spectre Shepard. When I went back to research more details to flesh out the storyline, I found all I had for reference were the brief notes I had originally made. I was sad to discover the entire extended timeline had been completely removed from the Wiki, to be replaced by a time jump from the end of Mass Effect 3 to the beginning of Andromeda – 160 years of timeline completely wiped out. A huge wealth of reference material has been removed from the Wiki… but, on a positive note, I understand there is a new Mass Effect in the works, and I'm not talking about the Legendary Edition. If you haven't seen it, search on 'Mass Effect 5 debuts in a Game Awards teaser trailer' and you should find it. So, perhaps, they removed the timeline so they could rewrite it upon game release, to avoid conflicts. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it! :-)
