Commander David Anderson
"Please, if you could state your name and rank for the official record."
"Abigail Shepard, serial number N7-184, rank Master Chief Petty Officer assigned to Alliance Special Operations Command."
"And are you aware of the charges against you?"
The woman on the screen before him smirked and Anderson felt his heart do a weird flip, "doing my job."
The left member of the three-man preliminary panel scoffed and leaned back in his chair. "Killing surrendering prisoners is not a part of your job."
"With respect sir, if I may be so bold, I was sent there to neutralize the threat posed by the Pirate Moon Torfan and that is what I did. It is not my fault they surrendered only after killing the hostages."
"That is not your decision to-"
Someone clicked the controller pausing the video feed and the lights were brought up causing his eyes to water and he blinked to clear them as he took in the office.
He was assembled with a rather sizable crowd in the Prime Minister's Estate on Arcturus Station. It wasn't his first visit here, but he always felt a bit out of place with such august company.
"So we are gathered here to try and get a handle on this…unfortunate situation." Mark Brosnan the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff looked back at the group.
No one spoke for a second, everyone waited for the other to speak.
This gave Anderson ample opportunity to gaze around his surroundings and try and view the mood of the room. They seem to be thinking about the same thing as I am, that wasn't a good look for her.
They were joined by Prime Minister Naguchi, his Press Secretary Susan Joyce, the head of the Naval JAG Office Admiral Michael Bryce, the AG Maria Kenneth, the head of the Naval Special Operations command Captain Jason McKay and finally by far the most junior member of their team, Abigail Shepard's training officer, Curtis DeWitt.
"This isn't playing well with the interstellar press. The Batarians leaked images and full reports to the Asari diplomatic commune and from there it hit the entire news wire and has disseminated across the entire Galactic news networks. The only place this is getting any reasonable play is with the Turians but we have lost much of our support in the news media for our continued campaign in the wake of Elysium. Our dear N7 is already being dubbed the Butcher of Torfan…and it was the Asari who came up with that name…though the Batarians have grabbed onto that label with both hands."
"Its only been a week…" DeWitt murmured.
"It probably hasn't reached the Terminus Systems yet but given the nature of Galactic information, that tends to spread quicker than any starship."
"I think the real question we need to be asking ourselves is…what are we going to be doing about Shepard, legally?" The AG asked, then glanced around the room pointedly.
"I would think that would be obvious and we do not have a lot of choice here, Shepard must be punished for these actions. We need to show the Council that the Alliance does not condone this kind of activity." Chief of Staff Brosnan pointed out. "This meeting should be just a formality."
"With respect that is not for you to decide but for the Prime Minister." Captain McKay growled. "And to this point Abigail Shepard has served with distinction and honor, she does not deserve this."
Mark laughed. "Please I have read her file," he picked up a pad as if in emphasis and then read from it, "three citations for demerits, multiple incidents arguing with a superior officer, and here is my favorite…at least two separate accounts of her engaging in sexual misconduct with her fellows in basic training. Hardly the record of an honorable woman."
McKay looked aghast and he growled at the implications.
"Face it, the only reason she was given a pass because she was athletic, she was good at shooting things, and making them explode. That is why she was let into the N7s, that is why she is even allowed to serve. And this is to say nothing of her record which got her here… being in a gang…the 10th Street Reds I believe? Murdering a prominent California Banker? Then she was given a second chance by being ordered to join the military. How many second chances do we give her?"
He shook his head, "No, I think we have given her enough rope to hang herself with more then once and she keeps on letting us down."
The Special Forces Officer advanced on the Chief of Staff who simply smirked back at him.
"Ambassador Goyle just how is this going to effect our standing with the Council? How are they going to react to this?" The PM redirected the energies forestalling the fight.
"It is difficult to say," Goyle extemporized, "on the one hand they can't be happy with us and I have already received back channel messaging from the Asari Councilor that they want us to stall our campaign against the Batarians…but they also know the position they have put us in, that our colony rights they gave us in the Traverse were specifically designed to pacify the Batarian threat and give them their wiggle room to finally act, but they would prefer us to do it cleanly."
A Devil's bargain, Anderson mused, leaning back in his chair.
"So, is it really worth it to risk the displeasure of the Council when we are trying to advance human interests, the Spectres, and our own seat eventually?" Goyle reminded them of what was at stake here.
"What we have to ask is are we really prepared to throw Shepard away? She is a vital asset and we have spent millions of credits on her training and equipment. Enough to equip an entire fighter squadron, if we let them get their way and throw her in jail, then all that training will be thrown away." Captain McKay pointed out. "She is an asset."
"What choice do we have?" Michael Bryce shrugged and shook his head. "She committed a crime, we have to consider that and we have to deal with that fact. The entire Galaxy knows of it or soon will, if we try and bury it, they will know."
Everyone descended into an uncomfortable silence.
Though it was his first time in the office with this specific Prime Minister, Anderson had to admire the way Naguchi was staying at least mostly quiet, listening and considering the opinion of the assembled advisors, it spoke well for his final decision.
As for himself he didn't like what he was hearing, not one bit. No one was talking about what he considered the real issues, but he wasn't sure if he could bring it up in the first place. He may have been in the presence of such august company, but he still didn't like it, or knew when it was appropriate for him to speak.
"What about Major Kyle?" Captain McKay came forward.
"What about him?" Mark asked suspiciously.
"He oversaw the operation and he also has been recalled for psychiatric counseling …we do not even know if he will be able to pull through and continue serving us. We could bring him up on charges and continue to let Abigail serve."
Anderson winced as the full implications of the plan occurred to him.
"A scape goat." Mark summarized for the group, eyes narrowing but tone sounding dark.
"It could work, the Council may accept it." Ambassador Goyle joined in.
The JAG shook his head, "It would only work if we could show orders to the effect from Major Kyle to Shepard, none exist."
That line of thought done once more the room descended into silence.
The Prime Minister sighed, "Come on, Gunnery Chief, what did you have to say?"
DeWitt shifted in his place uncomfortably, "Sir I am not sure what I can do, I am just a ground pounder."
"You were also her training officer; I need context on who the woman is and not just what her record says."
DeWitt looked affronted for a second, and Anderson smirked, He isn't going to bring up the insult of being called an 'officer.'
But he did answer the question, "She was a capable soldier." He glanced at Mark wearily. "Yes, she had her issues throughout both basic and her N7 career, sexual liaisons with her fellow recruits was perhaps the least of them…but her competency scores are through the roof. She has a high will power and is…well fiendishly intelligent and tactically competent, in the same vein of being 'street smart.' Practical and capable of quick action when she is pressed, she is good at this job and is a credit to her uniform…"
"When not killing prisoners." Mark cut in deftly.
Curtis nodded, conceding the point.
"Anderson, you've been quiet to this point…come…speak." Prime Minister Naguchi offered.
It was his turn to shift in his place, "Sir, with respect I am not sure what I am doing here. I do not know the accused; I have not served with her. All I have had to do is read her file, which does make for enthralling reading, but I do not think I am qualified to offer much of an opinion as to her character or what to do with her."
Prime Minister Naguchi sighed, and Anderson felt his eyes narrow, "Because you have been in a similar position as to her, we think you could offer some…insight."
Ah…it always comes back to this doesn't it?
The others in the room had the good graces as to look just as uncomfortable and abashed.
"Well in that case," Anderson murmured, "I think we are all missing the key factor here of what we are trying to consider."
"And what is?" Mark pressed.
"What to do with Shepard herself," Anderson let the thought hold in the air before plunging forward, "Captain McKay…with all due respect to him…has done nothing but consider the loss of investment that she would represent. Your Chief of Staff and Ambassador Goyle is trying to play the political game and try and get through any fallout. No one is considering that Shepard represents more then just an investment in money or just a political liability…she is…a woman."
The AG and Chief of Staff traded a look and Anderson thought he saw Mark smirk.
"Yes, we've noticed." The latter remarked.
Anderson sighed and put his hands on his knee, "Not like that. But everyone is discussing what she is, an asset or a liability, and not who she is."
He got blank stares back.
"I mean this is essentially her trial we are determining what to do with her but she isn't even here to represent herself, to tell us her side of the story so we can determine why she did what she did."
"Yes, we know, and I am sure that would be an illuminating…yet sarcastic conversation." Mark quipped.
Anderson growled and rose.
The Prime Minister held his hands out in a placating gesture, "OK Anderson, you have made your point, but what does this mean, practically?"
Inspiration struck him, "release her into my custody. If we can afford one rehabilitation project, then we can afford another. I can determine her fitness to serve from here or whether or not further criminal prosecution is necessary."
"We have already given her more then one chance and she keeps on failing." Mark argued, circling back to his previous point.
"No, she has always raised to the occasion when given the opportunity. Consider the Rabi whose best friend was murdered still took her in and raised her until she was of a age to join the military and so far, while she has had trouble adapting, she has also done a good job fitting in."
The JAG grunted, "It is conceivable, there is precedent for it."
"The Council is going to love this, a man who is persona non grata because he failed his Spectre initiation shepherding a woman who has caused them nothing but a headache."
"They don't need to know, at least not yet." Anderson murmured.
"And if she fails your test, Anderson?" The PM asked.
Anderson descended into silence, considering the problem.