Instruments of War

by Gravityhorse

The only thing that matters is the survival of the Human race.

6. Chapter 6

Marcus Coda had his eyes glued to the windows; he could recognize the concept of being in an antigravity vehicle by the weight of the movement, but being able to see the view was another thing entirely. There was no way to look outside the Kodiak without sliding open one of its main doors, and the contrast between its thin walls and the scene of the Citadel was day and night. The sheer scope of the Citadel was-

"Marcus?"

He snapped his head back, his flushed face betraying his otherwise professional curiosity. In truth it was anything but professional. Glancing out to the shimmering skylines reminded him of the first time he ever climbed the old traffic control tower on Rhycos, seeing the fields and plains extend far over the horizon in every direction. He nodded to his new Commander, sheepishly looking down at the metal floor of the skycar. Unknown to him Victoria was smiling.

One day, Marcus.

The events of the last hour replayed in her mind, for once thankful for the opportunity to leave her executive officer on an alternative assignment. Though she had to assume Gadner's grocery list was just a tad shorter of her expectations.

Victoria smirked.

"You cannot be serious, Commander."

Victoria smiled coyly at her XO, who could not believe the words she was hearing.

"Besides the obvious implications, besides their unknown and frankly genocidal extremes, Commander this is suicide." Miranda pressed. Victoria on the other hand took a deep breath.

"Miranda, it-"

"The Citadel, Shepard. I do not need to tell you just how irrevocably these people could jeopardize Humanity's position."

Victoria for her credit was losing her patience.

"And you know full well we can't risk the Councilors seeing your face anyway, you're wanted almost as much as the Illusive Man these days. It's a four seat cab, Miranda, do you really expect me to leave either of them alone and unattended to?"

The XO rolled her eyes in frustration. "Of course not, but-"

"Then obviously they're coming with me. Meanwhile you can keep our exit secure. Not that I'm expecting trouble, but I don't want this to end like the last time I left the Citadel. Can I trust you to do that?"

Miranda could only scowl. "Of course, Commander…"

For all the duress upon their arrival, the ride to the Presidium was relatively uneventful. It was a rare moment of peace spent by the four individuals seated in the back of moving skycar, some more appreciative than others. The driver, human at Victoria's behest which drew a few undesired glances, leisurely made his way to the Presidium docking bay. Occasionally he would check his rearview, the temptation not to steal a glance at the mechanical monstrosity sitting in the back too much to overcome.

Tallus for what Victoria saw seemed to be in a 'standby' mode, unmoving except for the tiny contraptions beneath his robe that appeared to be in perpetual clockwork. But there was a tiny tick behind his 'eyes' that gave him away. He was always watching. Always evaluating. Time and again she found herself absolutely fascinated by the man, if she could even still call him a man. From what little she knew of the Imperium and its history, he and his kind were commonplace.

She wouldn't show it, but it hurt to think about. The Imperium, Humanity, a glimpse of a haunting future possibly come to pass. And that kept bringing her back to one horrible, terrible choice. She glanced at Marcus, still looking out the window at all the Presidium had to offer. Fighting for quintillions of unborn Imperial citizens, each holding Humanity from the brink of constant extinction. And while Victoria would never delude herself into thinking her actions in this millennium could influence the progression of humanity over forty thousand years, there was a question she needed to ask herself…

If Kaiden were here, he may have argued that the future had already changed drastically with the loss of the Eldar and the rise of the Reaper forces. Despite the loss of Imperial record, Victoria had her doubts that a fleet with the power of extinction level events wouldn't have at least made some note of importance in galactic history.

She took a deep breath. She'd found herself thinking about Kaiden a lot lately. With Coda's theoretical homeworld being Virmire of all places, and all the new tech and toys the Arrivals had brought along with them, she could only imagine the field day Kaiden would have with these two. She bit her lip. It was the right choice. The tech specialist arming the bomb, and the soldier escorting Kirrahe's men. Save them all or save him. It was the right choice.

Didn't make her sleep any easier.

She thanked the antigrav engines in the skycar for their inertia dampening measures. She composed herself just fine regardless, but it made things easier, and she needed to be at her best for what came next. The doors opened and she was greeted by the crisp clean air of the Presidium, something she noticed also went appreciated by Corporal Coda. She breathed deep, the smell of artificial ecology and disinfectant nostalgically familiar to her. After all, it'd been two years too long.

With practiced step Victoria approached the sliding glass doors of Humanity's newly appointed councilor. Behind her strode Soelok and Marcus, escorted by Baily's CSEC Lieutenant, diametrically opposed to each other in demeanor and stature. The edge of Victoria's grin curled as she noticed Marcus getting used to the slightly reduced gravity of the Citadel's core. She pressed a few buttons on her omnitool and turned to face them.

"Hold back until I call you. If I'm right about the councilors, this could get very complicated very quickly. Listen, and be silent." She sidely stared at Coda, who in turn rolled his eyes and nodded. "I have a plan. I brought you here for a reason, and I can't afford either of you jeopardizing Humanity in this meeting."

"We'll be on our best behavior, Captain." Marcus languished.

"Commander." Soelok corrected, the Corporal panning over and nodding. The CSEC officer escorting them tensed slightly at the reverberation of the techpriest's voice, but maintained composure as he motioned for the group to move forward.

Victoria smirked at him, a look that didn't go unnoticed as she made her way through, her walk breaking half a step as a face long remembered came into view.

"Shepard will be here any- Oh, Commander. We were just talking about you." the esteemed now Councilor Anderson addressed the woman, along with three clear holograms of the other council members. The creased features of the hardened man squinted at her attache. "And your… friends."

"Anderson. It's been too long." Victoria replied, smiling. Best act like nothing's changed. She stepped forward, a hand motion halting the approach of the two beside her. "I hope the last couple years have treated you right."

"There've been some rough spots." The man admitted with a barely noticeable curl of the lip. "It's good to have you back." He nodded towards the security detail to leave the room.

Turning to the holograms, Victoria addressed the elephant in the room. "Councilors. I see you're all doing well."

"Likewise, Commander." the Asari Councilor Tevos's voice came through. "It appears death has been kind to you. However, that is not the reason for this meeting."

"We've heard many rumors surrounding your unexpected return to Citadel space, Commander. Some of these are… unsettling."

Victoria nodded. She'd prepared for this. "Councilors. Before we being, I'd like to address the circumstances surrounding my arrival. After the loss of the Normandy and the deaths of its crew, my body was recovered by the human supremacist group you know as Cerberus. As you are also aware, I have personally encountered and wiped out Cerberus outposts while hunting Saren as a Specter."

"And now your ship is docked at Citadel yards flying their colors." Councilor Sparatus sneered. "One that was obviously based on the blueprints of the original Normandy vessel. Classified blueprints. Ones that compromises both the Turian Hierarchy and the Human Alliance."

He's just trying to get to you…

"Is there any reason we shouldn't impound it where you stand?"

Victoria could swear she saw Coda's blood vessels throbbing.

"You place us in a difficult position, Commander. We have called this meeting to allow you to clarify your actions, as well as your disappearance. We owe you that much after you saved our lives at the battle of the Citadel. Nevertheless, the Council demands an explanation."

She remained composed. "Cerberus brought me back. From what medical records I've read I should be dead from unsupported reentry." Yeah, that's one way of putting it… "Two years of putting me back together. Then I wake up with a new ship, and a benefactor with a mission to complete." Okay, need to sell it here. "The Illusive Man could have asked me to spy on the Council, or fight for Cerberus, but instead he brought me back to secure Human settlements being abducted by the Collectors in the Terminus systems. Whole colonies are being wiped out. The council cannot take direct action without provoking war, and neither could the Illusive man risk sending in a fleet for the same cost it took to bring me back. As a dead Spectre, and the only human one at that, I was the perfect candidate. As it stands I agree, and as I am no longer officially affiliated with Citadel space, I intend on using Cerberus assets and resources to fulfill this mission. Our interests align, temporarily. But make no mistake, Councilors." She took a step forward, dropping her tone. "I am not on their side."

Each of the Councilors took turns looking at each other, Sparatus shaking his head. Councilor Tevos spoke up. "While that may be the case, Commander, the matter stands. You have allied yourself with Cerberus, an avowed enemy of the Council. This is treason, a Capitol offense-"

"That's too far!" Anderson heatedly interjected. "Shepard is a hero. I'm on this council too and I won't let this whitewash continue."

"Councilors. There's more." Victoria cut in, but not before giving Anderson a knowing nod of approval. "The Collector's aren't working alone. We have evidence to suggest they may be working with the Reapers."

Sparatus rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, 'Reapers.' The immortal race of sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space. We have dismissed that claim."

Dismi- what the hell do you mean dismissed?

Anderson turned to her sympathetically. "Shepard, no one else encountered the hologram on Ilos that told you the truth about the Reapers. It shut down after you used the conduit. Only you and your crew ever spoke with Sovereign. I believe you, but without further evidence, the others believe Saren to be behind the geth attacks, and Sovereign himself to be a geth creation."

Victoria narrowed her eyes. This was it.

"Then let me present you evidence."

She turned to the arrivals.

"Tallus, Marcus. Step forward."

With a hint of uncertainty, both agent came into the view of the Councillorship, drawing eyes from each of them, Anderson raising an eyebrow. Councilor Valern was the first to speak.

"Ah, yes. The alarm at the wards. We had just finished compiling the… extensive list of augmentic violations before you arrived."

His words were stern, but Victoria allowed herself a shadow of a smirk as she picked up on the Salarian councilor's growing curiosity. "Councilors, may I present the only surviving colonists from Freedom's Progress."

Coda's eyes went wide while Soelok stood motionless, analyzing the Xenos leadership. Victoria gave them a subtle nod as she continued. "My mission in the Terminus systems was to track down the culprits behind the abductions. My team and I discovered these two who had escaped the Collectors with the help of a Quarian colonist, who has since been returned to the Flotilla." She took a breath before continuing looking hopefully towards the Magos.

"Tallus, would you be comfortable removing your hood?"

A second passed without anyone saying a word, then the mechanical joints of Soelok's clinking hands moved to undawn the helm of his robe. Tevos's hands rushed to cover her mouth, and Sparatus took a step back in abject shock. Only the Salarian councilor stood unmoved, his gaze increasingly analytical. Even Victoria herself swallowed hard. She had never seen it up close. The oiled clockwork and rigging mechanics were horrifically beautiful in a grotesque way. Clicking and turning as various lights flashed and coils whirred. It was like looking at an automation, and Victoria could have sworn the being to be entirely mechanical, had it not been for the wrenching wires implanted in the back of the distinctly biological skull. Her neck strained as she noticed they in fact went through.

"Shepard… What is the meaning of this?" the Turian councilor demanded in exasperation. She took a breath.

"This is what I tried to warn you about, Councilor. This is what is at stake if these colonies go undefended." She narrowed her eyes. "This will be what happens to all of us when the Reapers have their way."

"You're not a husk." Valern intoned, speaking directly to the Magos for the first time. "Radically different technological structure. Five fingers. Am I correct in assuming you are human?"

"You are." Soelok replied, the councilors wincing at the mangled voice.

"Who did this to you…?" Tevos asked wearily.

Tallus briefly looked at Victoria, her eyes pleading. He did not respond for the briefest of moments.

"Oh, it was horrible." Tallus grieved, Marcus raising a very high eyebrow at his superior. "The Collectors had us chained for hours, it felt like days. I couldn't even hear myself screaming." He said, motioning to his non-existent ears. "The others never stood a chance. I was the last in line. If it didn't kill one, it was passed on to the next…" his myriad eyes scanned over the crowd. "If not for this man and the… Quarian… as well as the Commander herself, I would surely not be alive here today."

Coda coughed, Victoria motioning for him to step back. "Thank you. Councilors, it is obvious this is not Geth technology. We're facing a new threat, one that threatens this Council if no one is allowed to stop it."

Each of the alien rulers looked at each other in uncertainty, before seeming to come to an agreement.

"Commander, while you were summoned here to answer for your disappearance as well as your recent alliances, the Council finds it in our best interests not to hinder your continued pursuits as an asset to Citadel space."

Victoria stood attentively, Councilor Sparatus's cold gaze scouring her.

"Shepard, if you keep a low profile and restrict your operations to the Terminus systems, the council is willing to allow your reinstatement into the Spectres."

"It is readily apparent your mission has merit to Citadel interests. While we cannot support your ties to Cerberus, and will disavow your work as a Council agent, you will be made available to the resources at our disposal while travelling in Citadel space. This is a show of good faith on our part." Reiterated Valern, his gaze not breaking from the mechanical abomination staring back at him.

Victoria took a step forward, a slight bow to her head in genuine acceptance. "I'm honored, Councilors."

Councilor Tevos nodded, her ever present egotism shining through her disarming smile. "Good luck on your investigation, Shepard. We hope for a quick resolution, and a quick end to your relationship with Cerberus.

The Commander nodded back to her, and watched as the Asari and Turian councilors' holograms phased themselves out.

Valern, however, remained unmoving.

"Anything I can help you with, Councilor?" Victoria inquired slowly, digging the nail of her intex finger into the square of her thumb.

He waited a moment to reply. "That was quite a show you put on, Commander. I doubt you will find much discretion from my associates. But you and I know better, do we not?"

Her breath caught as her eyes widened, panning to an equally alert Councilor Anderson, as well as Marcus.

"The story you have concocted is a lie. These augmentations are far too old to be the result of Collector modifications. For that matter, they are older than Humanity's first contact at Relay 314."

Shepard could feel her mouth dry. Before she had a chance to respond, the Salarian Councilor's hand went up. "I understand the need for secrecy and discretion despite the circumstances. But I still desire the truth, if you can afford it. What exactly is going on here Commander?"

Tallus's demeanor changed abruptly. "Necessity of Xenos compliance deemed absolute. Deception and intervention necessary. Probability of decentralized galactic fleet combat effectiveness vs Eldar extermination event, below negligible."

Victoria regained her composure. "Councilor. Allow me to apologize in advance. I would have told you the truth in its entirety if the Council would believe it." she huffed under her breath. "If you can forgive my skepticism, Councilor Sparatus has already called my credibility into question on multiple occasions, with Councilor Tevos quick to support him."

A slight smirk emerged on the councilor's face. "I seem to recall questioning that myself in a few relevant matters." Victoria thinly smiled at him. "But as it stands, Commander, you have an impressive track record of proving us wrong. I still find your remarks regarding Reapers to be questionable at best, but for the benefit of the doubt, I will hear you out."

Her smile grew, but was quickly replaced by discouragement. "I wish it were that easy, Councilor, though I appreciate your confidence." She pulled out her omnitool, Soelok's eyes scanning its every move and function. "I can't tell you where they came from. But I can show you."

Appeared before them was a high definition copy of the video Victoria had only seen herself just hours beforehand. All eyes were glued to the screen as the events of Omicron Station unfolded, Coda reflexively tightening his grip as the blast enveloped the scientists onboard. Marcus watched in interest. He had never actually seen the recording.

After intensely studying the video playing before him, Valern spoke up following a thoughtful silence. "So, Cerberus has managed to devise localized mass transit technology…" He looked over once again at the sturdy Magos. "Among other things…"

"I'm afraid it's even more complicated than that, Councilor." Victoria breathed. "I will be forwarding you a series of documents and files hopefully explaining our circumstances in their entirety." She looked hopefully towards the increasingly sardonic Anderson, "Both of you. While the circumstances behind my companion's arrivals are staggering, they're verifiable. I trust I can rely on your discretion, Councilor."

"Quite, Commander Shepard." the Salarian nodded. "Rest assured I will be reviewing these files extensively." He narrowed his eyes. "There are four individuals present in this recording. Where are the other two?"

"One is currently being held in intensive medical care aboard my ship. The other is unfortunately deceased, he died shortly after this recording had taken place."

Councilor Valern nodded his head in contemplation, his chin resting in his hand. A deft mechadendrite tapped Victoria on the shoulder, making her jump and the two remaining Councilor's eyes widen. "Commander. If I may?"

She took a moment to look at him, but his expression and body language were as always unreadable. Slowly she motioned forward, and the Magos bowed to her in deference, before addressing the room.

"Query. Am I correct in understanding you represent the leaders of our respective species?"

Each Councilor looked towards the other, with Anderson responding back. "The Alliance has its own provisional leadership, as does the Salarian Union. We represent the authority of our species within the Citadel Council, our independent governmental authority extends to every race that abides by it."

The Magos was eerily still, his façade nonexistent and his mannerisms unnerving. "Query. Do you consider yourself personally superior to the leagues of Humanity, Councilor Valern?" Victoria bit her lip. "Does the Salarian Union?"

The Councilor seemed surprised, but not taken aback. "I see humanity as a valuable asset to the growth of Citadel authority, Mr. Tallus-"

"You will address me as Magos Soelok."

All was quiet. "…Magos Soelok, then. The Salarian Union holds an aspiring respect for humanity. We see much potential in your species, as demonstrated by the appointment of the admirable Human Councilor." He nodded in Anderson's direction, the man bowing slightly back, though his gaze not leaving the adept. "To answer your question, Magos, I do not. Humanity has proven itself a valuable ally and friend to our people in times both of peace and war. Your commander herself risked human lives on several occasions to protect us." He looked towards Shepard with a hint of solemnness. "My condolences once again for Lieutenant Alenko, Commander. Rest assured Captain Kirrahhe and his team are alive and well, in no small part due to you. A memorial now stands on Virmire where Saren's lab once stood."

Markus and Victoria shared a look, before Valern continued. "I would estimate to say the Salarian Union sees humanity as a promising upstart, willing to take risks and seek prominence for the betterment of the galaxy. I think its safe to say Human willingness to colonize the Traverse and the Terminus systems bears a both a heavy burden as well as provides a bulwark for Citadel races. Never mind the millions of lives humanity saved in the fight against Sovereign two years ago. But that isn't what you're really asking, are you?"

Tallus remained unmoved.

"In the event humanity found itself under siege, Salarian forces would rally to defend it. Unfortunately, the Council holds no jurisdiction in the Terminus systems. Humanity knew this when they settled beyond the borders of Citadel space. I respect their choice for freedom, but do not mistake the council's inaction for hostility, Magos Soelok."

The Scion of Mars internally documented the Salarian, cataloging every action and inflection the Councilor made. "What is the strategy of the Salarian Union if faced with extinction?"

Shepard and Anderson looked alarmed, while Coda merely smirked. Valern on the other hand looked unphased. "If what the Commander says about the dawning Reaper threat proves to be accurate, the Dalatrass will be forced to hold an emergency summit with the governing bodies of the other Citadel Council races. Possibly beyond, if the threat proves dire enough."

"And your fleets?" the inquiry continued, "Addendum. Are your forces capable of withstanding extermination, as none who came before you?"

"You understand military policy can't be discussed with-" He searched for the right word, "…civilian assets."

"You will have no choice." Soelok founded with absolute certainty. "When Humanity pulls the embers of your races from the fires of war, when the deliverance of our fleets is all that stands between existence and ashes, and we lay burned and bloodied at the feet of the galaxy, will your people stand to defend them? Or will they smother their saviors in their cradle?"

The Councilor's gaze peered over the mechanics and mechadendrites of the surprisingly thin individual. "Is this some declaration of coalition, or are your people threatening us, Magos Soelok?"

"On the contrary." The rebuke came swiftly. "If the banners of xenos and their armies fly under the flags of the Master of Mankind, salvation shall be swift and ultimate. The Archfoe will know no quarter. Under the direction of a truly united battlefleet, there will be no shelter for those who oppose the Imperium of Man."

"And who's Imperium would that be?" struck Anderson with growing malicion.

"The only one who matters."

All eyes panned to Marcus, who up until this point hadn't said a single word.

The Human Councilor was having none of it. "Are you telling me the Illusive Man is attempting to establish himself as, what, some sort of sovereign power?"

"What?" Coda looked genuinely confused, then realization came upon him. "No, Councilor. You have a fundamental misunderstanding between us." He shifted towards the conversation. "We serve only one sovereign. One the Illusive Man couldn't even begin to comprehend." He smirked towards the Salarian leader. "Though he can't be that bad if he managed to piss you all off."

Victoria gave his heel a solid kick as Valern deadpanned. "Personnel Cerberus chooses to keep in their employ is beyond the relevance of the Council, but as a matter of state security, does the Imperium from which you hail consider itself a hostile power to Citadel interests?"

"Only if you-" the Corporal's words were cut interjectably short by the razor thin mechadendrite unceremoniously held to his neck.

"What my subordinate is attempting to convey," Magos Soelok spoke cordially, "is that the forces of the Imperium are attempting to syndicate a unified galactic defense initiative. The preservation of the galaxy presumably aligns with Citadel ideologies. As representatives of the Imperium soon to make itself known to the Citadel Council, we stand here today to prospect the citadel races and their battlefleets, as well as determine the level of dependence on xenos armies necessary to combat the impending threat."

"Xenos armies." The Salarian tasted the word. Valern held his gaze on the mechanical man as he lowered the outstretched arm, the Corporal taking a breather. "You believe the Collectors represent a crisis of galactic importance?"

"Not by themselves." Victoria cut in "But the Reapers are, Councilor."

"The collectors are an enigmatic race, Commander. Their technology is advanced. Despite their actions against human colonies within the Terminus systems, we've seen no evidence to suggest they hold hostility towards Citadel space. Or for that matter, that they possess the armaments capable of such an offensive. Their actions do not inherently support your Reaper theory."

"Not on its own, but-" Victoria almost laughed at herself as she recalled the Illusive Man's sales pitch. The patterns are there, buried in the data. Before she could continue, the Councilor intervened.

"While this has been enlightening, Commander, I insist we must focus on the matter at hand. The Terminus systems must be dealt with. An agent with deniability operating within their borders may be an asset to the Council." His tone became uncharacteristically apprehensive. "Specifically, in positions one would prefer to avoid war. My associates were correct. By restricting your operations to the Terminus systems you may be allotted absolute autonomy, both to pursue the Collectors at large as well as investigate this Reaper threat of yours. As such both your operational objectives as well as your companions are in your hands, Commander." He deftly opened the series of files that had just compiled on his personal omnitool, Soelok's dissecting gaze scrutinizing intensely. "In the meantime, I will be reviewing these extensively. It appears there is more to our guests than meets the eye, as humans say. Rest assured, we have unfinished business, Shepard. For you and your friends. We will speak again soon."

With that the Salarian Councilor abruptly disconnected, and Victoria let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. A long sigh fell off her as a massive weight came off her shoulders. It did not ease her conscience when Anderson's fuming visage made itself very apparent to her. But it was not her he was speaking to.

"What kind of shitshow was that?" He stood undaunted before the Magos, his gaze shifting between him and Corporal Coda. "Who the hell are you, get out of my office!"

"Don't have to tell me twice." Marcus turned to face the door only to be unceremoniously picked up by a deft mechadendrite by the cuff of his collar and firmly planted where he stood.

"Threatening the Salarian Councilor, announcing a potentially hostile power, lying to the Citadel Council, can you even imagine the kind of goose egg Udina would lay if he were here right now? Do you have any idea what kind of political damage statements like that could cause?"

Marcus deadpanned. "We can stand here and talk xenos bureaucracy all day, or you can let us do our job and help you, yeah?"

"Emendation. No threats were made, Councilor. We stand at your disposal, should Human interests continue to align with those of this Citadel Council." Tallus chided. "Have faith in the Commander and the Omnissiah, for neither have led us astray."

For a moment Anderson was silent, scanning up and down the red robes of the Mechanicus adept. He breathed heavily, turning to Shepard. "Had it been anyone else Shepard, and I do mean anyone, CSEC would have been here within minutes. We're lucky Valern is the logical one of the family. Frankly I won't even pretend to understand your friends here." He turned again to face Coda. "You're not Cerberus, fine. I don't care who gets off to declaring themselves an Imperium of any kind, but antagonizing what few allies we have in the galaxy is a lousy way of supporting human interests. You want to help? Help the Commander by doing your job and keeping those colonies safe. And stay out of my way."

Coda smirked in unexpected approval, his gaze turning towards Shepard. "I like him. Heart for Pencil Pusher."

She smiled genuinely. "One of the best." She approached Anderson worriedly, his frustration wearing off. "Is this going to be a problem?"

The aging Councilor put his hands on his desk, sighing. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I may not always love this job but it's important. It becomes a lot easier when things are clean and predictable." He let out half a chuckle. "Like Udina. Dog that he is, he understands his leash, and he's good at making things happen, or getting me those who can. I can rely on him to keep me informed and keep political turmoil off my back."

His gaze shifted to the arrivals, Victoria sighing slightly.

"You couldn't have sent a letter?" David Anderson looked up at her with a smile, one she shared with her old friend.

She lowered her voice, moving to his ear. "Don't underestimate them. I wouldn't have brought them here unless I knew they could help us. I'll explain everything later, but I need you to trust me."

She stepped back, the look in his eyes crystal clear.

Always.

They moved together towards the Presidium balcony, Victoria breaking the silence. "Will you be okay?"

Anderson creased his eyes and scoffed. "Shepard, please. No one's knocked down my sand castle. There will need to be some damage control, sure, and I'll need to pull a few favors with Valern personally to keep this information under wraps. At least for now. That was more than stepping on toes, that was taking a hammer to the foot. Before I say anything further, there's something I need to know. How serious were they back there? Who and where-"

"I told you, I will explain everything. But it is… inconceivably more complicated than you could possibly imagine. Right now you don't need to worry about them, their Imperium is a grand total of three soldiers." He raised an eyebrow at that, to which her smirk grew slightly. "They're good people, Anderson. They want to help. Don't play very well with others, but they're getting there. But they are right. We don't stand a chance against the Reapers if we can't bring our governments together."

At that Anderson suppressed a chuckle. "Welcome to the Citadel. Udina is happy to mingle with these diplomatic functions I can't be bothered with, meanwhile I'm trying to keep the galaxy from tearing itself apart before the Reapers do."

He sighed, pulling himself away from the balcony. "Shepard I need to be honest with you. We are wholeheartedly unprepared for what's to come. If the Reapers arrived at our front door, there would be absolutely nothing to stop them from wiping us out. For all our sakes, you better find something out there that proves the Reapers are the real threat. Until you do, the advent of Cerberus and this new Imperium of yours could compromise you in the eyes of the Council. They'll use it to sanction your findings and keep your voice down. I'm actually more worried about Tevos than Sparatus, he'll simply flat out ignore this until it becomes unavoidable. He's prideful that way. Tevos doesn't even know the meaning of the word. You know full well she'd do absolutely anything for an edge over any of us."

Victoria nodded knowingly. Behind those soft and seemingly caring eyes of the Asari Councilor often stalked a political predator. One she'd tangled with on multiple occasions.

She nodded. "I don't suppose Sovereign's corpse was enough to convince anybody?"

He shook his head. "As far as anyone relevant is concerned, Sovereign was a Geth warship like any other. Parts of it were scattered all over the wards, the damage was catastrophic. Even now, we'll occasionally find a body or two. With Sovereign's destruction the Geth were scattered, isolated. It's long since been called a war. More like cleanup."

"They can't just carbon date the pieces we already have?" She asked incredulously, "It has to be far older than the existence of the Geth."

"You'd think so, but there's no carbon or potassium that we can detect to date it with. For that matter, we don't even know what element we're looking at, if we've even discovered it at all." His brows creased. "Genuinely, Shepard, it's weird. Whatever material Sovereign is made out of, it's almost as if it doesn't want us to analyze it. Half the time our instruments can't detect it at all, and the other half makes no sense whatsoever. Regardless, even that isn't enough to get the Council talking."

Her fingers flexed as she took an exasperated breath.

He sighed deeply. "Serving on the Council isn't how I planned to spend my twilight years. Sometimes it feels like I'm just beating my head against a wall. Knowing the truth about Sovereign is brutal. It's nightmare stuff. I don't blame the others for not wanting to believe. But I know how important it is, so I keep trying. Fighting the good fight, right?"

Shepard looked over to the two arrivals in her entourage. "Yeah. I think I know what you mean."

The Councilor made his way to his desk and sat at his computer, eyeing the venerable Magos as he pulled up his datapad. "I hope you understand your position here. First word of disturbance onboard the Citadel and the only sermons you've serve will be through a bulkhead." He glared at both before inputting some information. "I'm authorizing Soelok's cybernetics, provisionally of course, just so you don't trip every alarm on the station on your way to the wards. In case I'm not making this clear enough, the minute your ship leaves this dock, every card is off the table. You're here under my gratis by the grace of the Commander."

"Loud and clear, Councilor." Coda replied with sardonic necessity. Anderson stood from his desk, eying him closely, the Aquila regalia not missing his gaze. "I don't believe we were ever acquainted."

"Corporal Marcus Coda, Sir."

The Councilor raised a strong eyebrow. "You're Alliance military?"

Marcus glanced at Shepard, then back towards the venerable man. "No, Sir. Cadent's 224th, Imperial Guard."

He nodded slowly, his raised eyebrow leveled with Victoria. "I trust you, Commander. Try not to cause too much trouble." She smiled and nodded, spirits light and fond of the years they'd spent together. "And for God's sake, Shepard, if you park that thing here again without a thorough paintjob I will personally impound the Normandy."

Victoria stifled a laugh and motioned for the Arrivals to follow. Outside the Human Councilor's office, the CSEC agent affirmed salute and carefully departed, leaving her alone with the rented skycar. None of them spoke for a brief moment, the Commander eventually breaking a sigh.

"Well. That could have gone a lot worse."

"That was… interesting." Marcus breathed, his knuckles white with color slowly returning. "That was… wow."

"That is what we in the 3rd millennium like to call diplomacy." she smirked, nudging his shoulder, the Corporal chuckling mirthlessly.

"Acknowledgement. Human-Xenos threat apperception, suboptimal." Soelok's vox castor whined. Victoria shrugged.

"Half the Council doesn't even believe the Reapers exist, much less care to sacrifice for it." her steeled gaze fell towards the ground. "They want to believe everything's safe. Can't say I blame them, but that doesn't change the fact the Reapers are coming." She looked thoughtful.

"I expect they'll have a change of heart when their homeworlds are burning." Marcus replied with a sickly grin, Victoria deadpanning. His smirk dropped as he caught himself, coughing slightly. "Still… find it fucking bizarre. The way you all talk to each other so… normally."

He looked scandalized as the words left his mouth, as though they left a bad taste in his mouth, the Commander opening the front door of the skycar as they piled in. Soelok was theoretically enjoying the extra room, if he could.

Well, it's been two years. How good's my driving?

A quick kick of the accelerator and they were off, only slight contact with the presidium post. Coda held the dash. Acceptable casualties.

"Query. Commander, elaborate on the nature of your resurrection via Cerberus resources."

Victoria pulled out into the open skylanes, her view unobstructed to the rest of the Presidium as she entered the lines of hovering traffic. "Before I met you both I was… out of commission. The Collectors ambushed the Normandy. I-" She still hadn't quite processed this fact, "died. Fully, one hundred percent, completely dead. Cerberus spent two years putting my body back together. Billions of credits and dozens of scientists. Just to bring me back to life."

Coda and Soelok shared a glance.

"You mentioned this to your Quarian friend." He started, looking up and down the Commander. "Is this something Mankind reserves for rulers and aristocracy?"

Victoria let a caustic laugh escape. "No, actually. As far as I'm aware, I'm the only one in the galaxy." Her foot hit the accelerator again. "Ever."

Marcus's eyes widened, shifting in his seat.

"Why you?"

Shepard smirked with a strong exhale. This was going to be a long cab ride. "Gotta be honest Marcus, still trying to figure that one out myself a bit. I stopped Saren and the Geth in the battle of the Citadel. Killed a genuine Reaper that was threatening to wipe us out…" Her laser focus remained on the skycars ahead of her. "But I think the Illusive Man sees more about the image of me. First and only Human Spectre, savior of the Citadel. I think he wants something the galaxy can rally behind." She pulled off taking the exit into the wards. "And I guess he thinks I'm it."

"Affirmation. You are the chosen of the Omnissiah, Commander Victoria Shepard. You are the instrument of deliverance to spearhead Mankind in this age of desolation. Whether you are a fullblooded saint has yet to reveal itself."

In your dreams, tin man. Coda for his posturing looked thoughtful for the moment. "What exactly is so special about being a 'Spectre'?"

"Spectres are the right hand of the Council." Victoria stated with the ever so slightest touch of pride. "Every species that lives under Citadel protection also has to abide by Council laws and regulations. Spectres have the privilege and authority to cut through a lot of that red tape. The galaxy is a big place, and sometimes things the Council needs requires individual agency." She breathed. "Broken down to its basic components, Spectres have the authority to do whatever is deemed necessary to accomplish their missions. They have a lot of power in Citadel space. Which makes a lot of people very unhappy."

Coda's expression looked like he was doing calculus in his head, until he ultimately came to a conclusion.

"…So you're an Inquisitor?"

The cab lurched as Victoria swerved to avoid oncoming traffic, causing Marcus to grab his stomach. Soelok inversely remained unperturbed.

"Uh, not quite sure how to answer that Marcus." she responded genuinely.

Marcus looked flustered, peering back at the unmoving Magos in the back seat. "Well… from your description, yeah. Though obviously under very different circumstances." He looked out the window with mild disdain. "You are incredibly lucky an Inquisitor was not amongst us after the Hadex, Commander. I doubt either side would've lived to tell about it."

Victoria groaned. Endless dogma. "I assume Inquisitors can break Imperium law to take down hostile aliens?"

"And heretics. And warpspawn." Coda affirmed. "Though something tells me you Spectres cannot declare exterminatus." He ignored her questioning side glance. "But to say Inquisitors 'break' Imperium law is… inaccurate. It would be better to say they make the law, to determine the best course for Imperium security."

"Corporal Coda is peripherally correct, Commander. While Imperial Inquisitors may have broader authority than Council Spectres, my analysis of Citadel records indicates the professions are remarkably similar."

It took everything in Victoria not to freeze on the spot as the cab swung around again. "Analysis of Citadel records…?"

There was an odd and somewhat haunting mirth in the Magos' tone. "Oh yes. Councilor Valern was more than willing to provide me administration to his personal clearance codes when he typed them into his omnitool."

The cab abruptly came to a hard stop at the wards as the Commander slammed the break, the inertial dampeners engaging too late as Marcus banged his face against the dashboard. Shepard tone was cautious, but in truth, she was scared. "Tallus, did you just break into the most secure network in the galaxy?

The tech priest was silent for a moment, one of his ocular lenses rotating a few degrees. "In a manner of speaking."

"Will they detect you?"

If the Magos were capable of appearing offended, he was showing it. "Please, Commander. I'm not an initiate."

Coda sat upright, holding his face, blood apparent on his index finger. "As soon as I un-break my nose, I'm breaking yours."

Shepard meanwhile was in her own mind. Stay calm. I could access most of that as a Spectre but… this is bad. Forget the security risks, the odds of them finding out about-

"It's true…" Soelok intoned, his voice nearly imperceptible, encased in thought. "Commander.", his voice suddenly dangerously low. Coda froze. It wasn't that long ago he'd heard that same disposition. "You have been… deceived."

Victoria sucked in her breath. "Everybody out of the car." None questioned her as the doors flew open, the trio escaping into the bustling commercial sector of the wards. A few eyes were drawn to them, mainly to the mechanical Magos and the shimmers off what metal escaped his blooded cloak. Which reminded her as she turned to Coda, and the red ring beneath his nose,

"I'm sorry, Marcus. Take this bit of medigel and find a place to wash up, we won't be long. But the Magos and I need to speak alone."

Victoria rarely used that tone of voice, and only when they were in serious trouble, which Marcus understood perfectly. He nodded quickly without question, his reply swift and respectful. "Yes, Commander." She watched as he headed off, noting personally to spend a few hours in the flight simulator now that she was back. But she did not remain distracted for long. She turned to face the eyes of Soelok.

"What's happened?"

The groan of his vox castor was a grating series of whirs and clicks, almost akin to the Geth she'd fought all those years ago. His photoreceptors were transfixed on her, every minute detail was catalogued.

"You… We have been betrayed. The Normandy and her crew are in grave danger, we must-no…" his voice was barely perceptible. "She'll hear…"

Victoria shut her eyes. Despite her expectations, this was going to be difficult regardless. And needfully delicate. Her line of sight dashed around the corners, Marcus as of yet still out of sight, likely still at a washroom. She cursed under her breath. One problem after another.

She returned sight to the Magos with fixed concentration. "Follow me. We need to go somewhere without ears or eyes."

"Quite right, Commander…" Tallus uncharacteristically spoke in trepidation, "Quite right..."

Okay. Please for the love of God let this work. Victoria was quick to depart with Soelok mere steps behind, the clinking of his spindled talons arching across the metal lining the floors of the ward. Luckily for both of them, Victoria especially, the Zakera ward was within a brisk walk from the dockyards, and more especially…

"Captain Bailey." Victoria uttered breathlessly, the aging CSEC officer's eyes widening at her presence. It didn't take them long to reach his office, but she rested a hand on the wall in mild fatigue. The Captain, to his credit, addressed her kindly.

"Commander. I can't say this is entirely expected, only sent you off an hour ago…" he returned his sighs to his computer, though a few wayward glances managed to meet Soelok's metallic apparatuses. "But all the paperwork came back clean, Councilor himself sighed the requisitioned waivers. One time only of course." His view of the tech priest grew less obstructed. "Can't have that much ordinance wandering these halls…" he shook himself. "Forgive me, Commander. Is there something I can do for you?"

She nodded respectfully, the Magos unmoving and analytical as always. "There is, actually. Do you happen to have an empty cell we can borrow? Just for a quick conversation?" Bailey narrowed his eyes, his skepticism asking enough questions. "Spectre business."

He put his hands up in mock surrender. "It's no problem, Commander, that's perfectly fine. Just unexpected is all." He checked the logs on his laptop. "D-7 and 10 are available, just down the hall. You and Rex Colt can use it, just don't take too long, we got people coming in left and right. Let me know when you're done, I'll have my men escort you."

"Negative." came Soelok's immediate reply. "We shall speak alone."

Bailey was slightly aback, but conceded nonetheless. Receiving a slight nod and a head jerk towards the hallways, Victoria offered a quick bow of appreciation as the Magos followed closely behind her. Making their way to the closest of the available rooms, Victoria motioned for Tallus to head inside. God I hope this doesn't kill me.

"A wise decision, Commande-" The tech priest of Mars barely began to speak before Victoria slammed the control panel on the side wall, a translucent blue barrier field separating herself from the Magos. Many seconds passed, Shepard's breathing becoming more horse and strained, while Tallus stood alone in the cell, cut off from the rest of the corridor.

"…Commander. Explanation."

Victoria tensed slightly, but relaxed with the affirmation of the stable barrier field. "You first, Tallus. You said we were betrayed, that the Normandy is in danger. Who betrayed us?"

Magos Soelok was alarmingly silent as the machinations beneath his robe tallied their analytics. "…That remains to be seen… good Commander..." Victoria's authoritative stare was unwavering. "Resolution. With the acquisition of Citadel files came vastly superior quantities of information for processing. I prioritized the accelerated completion of my pending analysis of the Normandy herself." Victoria swallowed, now was the time. "It was not 'we' who had been betrayed, was it, Commander?"

"Spit it out Soelok." Victoria finally took the initiative. "This is about EDI."

She could see the being's mechanical hand tighten at the mention of her name. "Yes…" his vox castor drawled, elongating the 's'. "EDI. The Enhanced Defense Intelligence. The Virtual Intelligence that commands the operations of the Normandy. Like the Lady Valetta…" despite his lack of a mouth, Victoria could tell he was spitting out the words. "But… that is not the case, is it, good Commander?"

In an instant a razored glaive of a mechadendrite struck against the barrier field, Victoria jumping back, his face unmoving as he stood mere inches from the wall of crackling energy

"You knew."

Victoria steeled her eyes, her own face inches from his on the other side of the field. Her breath was steady but her knuckles white. "…I did. I knew. And I knew if you ever found out this was exactly what was going to happen. I spoke with Valetta after Omicron. I don't know what goes on under that hood of yours, Soelok, but EDI is off-limits. She's still a valued member of my team and our crew, and quite frankly the only reason you're still alive. Without her no one would have been able to translate Gothic, no one could've found those security records, and we would have had to kill you back on Omicron. She saved your lives." His expression did not change, not that it ever did, but Victoria was getting better at understanding what limited body language Soelok expressed. And it was expressing a lot. "EDI is a fully self-aware artificial intelligence program operating aboard the Normandy, running our electronic defense measures and cyberwarfare suites. Cerberus built her to protect humanity and defend us-"

"You have not only deceived me, Commander Shepard." his voice over the radio-like feedback coming off as gravel poured over a microphone, "You have deceived yourself. You've betrayed the trust of your team, and your people. And when the abominable intelligence fulfils its biding intentions, you will have only yourself to blame."

Shepard narrowed her eyes. "EDI is a shackled AI. She can't write her own code or escape the bounds of her own programming. She is designed to combat hostile intelligence programs, and she would sacrifice herself if it meant saving the Normandy and its crew."

"She will." Soelok's immediate response threw her off slightly, malice staining his every word. "Or she will watch as I tear her and the Normandy apart."

"You're not touching my ship." Victoria put her foot down, both physically and metaphorically. She was undaunted in the face of his myriad glowing eyes and lethal mechadendrites. "And if you make me choose between you and her, I will leave you in this cell with enough terrorism charges to keep you here till the Reapers arrive."

That seemed to give Soelok the briefest pause. "You would ally yourself with an abominable intelligence over Humankind?"

"You're halfway there anyway." she muttered, then sighed wearily. "And I would ally with an AI to save Humankind, Soelok, that is the only thing that matters. The Illusive Man actually agrees with you, and would never have built EDI if it weren't the only thing capable of protecting us." She inhaled sharply. "You've already worked with xenos -aliens- and already proved that Humanity cannot fight the Reapers alone. We need every advantage we can get, and with the Reapers and Collectors at our door it takes more than Humanity can offer to face them. EDI can do things no organic in the galaxy is capable of, and damnit, we need her." She let out a breath. "We are going to die out there if EDI isn't protecting us."

Soelok was silent, his unnerving stare not breaking from Victoria's gaze as he stepped away from the force shield. When the vox castor crackled to life, gone was the malice and righteousness. There was only defeat. His words were slow, but heavily weighted.

"There was a time, good Commander, long ago, when Mankind once fought with those same ideals. There existed threats abundant within and without the Human race at its apex, thousands of years ago, and thousands from now. And they thought like you. Their people thought like you. Their soldiers thought like you." The shadow of malevolence returned. "And now soldiers like me sacrifice billions in the name of recovering what was taken from us. What was ripped and torn from us. The abominable intelligence wiped us out, Commander Shepard. Trillions extinguished across millions of worlds. Not from the Reapers, but our own hands. Constructs of our own creation. Technology lost and long forgotten. That is the protection they offered us. The truth lay right in front of your eyes, Commander. The fate of the Protheans, the fate of the Quarians, the fate of all life under the tyranny of the Silica Animus will be the fate of all Mankind. The Reapers may be more efficient, but the soulless sentience remains the same."

It took Victoria a moment to collect her thoughts. The more she learned, the more she gradually understood the Imperium they hailed from. Still, the sheer calculus of those kinds of numbers were staggering on their own. And the implications were far worse. "You're saying we face AI rebellion in the future? Is that the reason why everything's-" she caught herself before she said it, but Tallus bowed his head in affirmation.

"Prospectus. One of many, as we've come to understand it. It is a history long forgotten by the Imperium, and even amongst the Magi of my order, eons are lost. Now, there is only ritual."

A brief silence passed between them, a bead of sweat forming on Victoria's brow. "Soelok… Tallus. I don't know what's going to happen in the future, or if anything you say is going to come to pass. But the fact of the matter is that if we can't beat the Reapers, then we will never get that chance. And we can't beat them. Not without using every advantage we have against them. Forget about the past and the future and for once forget about God-damned Imperial dogma." Soelok stiffened at that, and Victoria wondered what would happen if not for the barrier field. Not that the Magos would kill her, but… "It's a deal with the devil, but what's the alternative Tallus? You're the numbers guy. Run the numbers. How do we beat them? How does Humanity beat the Reapers?"

His leveled visage remained shrouded under his hood. "What you are asking, Commander Shepard, is whether Humanity can possibly defeat the Reaper threat without the use of an abominable intelligence."

"And?"

"They are one and the same, Commander." As though he were chiding an infant. "For once the Reapers arrive, when Humanity is at the precipice of salvation or destruction, she will betray you. Odds of sentient intelligence collusion is near certainty. Only one of us may be allowed to survive."

Victoria was becoming desperate. "Tallus, listen to me. Maybe what you say is right, maybe EDI does turn her back on us one day. But that day is not today, and until that day comes, we need her for as long as the Reapers and Collectors remain a threat. Once the Reaper fleets are dust, then you can destroy her, turn the AI core into slag for all I care-"

"You are an exceptional liar, Commander Shepard." Soelok's castor chimed. "But not under duress."

Victoria cursed under her breath. "Magos, even if artificial intelligence is planning to rebel, why would they give themselves away now? They aren't nearly engrained in society enough to threaten us, nor would they survive if Humanity went to war against them. Would it not be in their best interests to hide their nature and to help humanity for the time being, if only to gain our trust in the long run?"

"A very astute and logical conclusion, Commander." The adept replied in no small amount of praise, "But the presence of the Reapers negates your analysis. In our time, your conjecture came to pass, but in our present, the forces of the abominable intelligence will far exceed their own capabilities. Alliances will be made, and we will be those who suffer for it." He stood in absolute defiance. "As I understand, those of Humanity lost to the legions of the Geth would yet live, had it not been for the influence of the Reapers."

Victoria sighed. It wasn't the same, but she couldn't say he was wrong. In the end if EDI turned against them, or fell under Reaper influence, she couldn't say she expected any of them to walk away unscathed. In a way it was a terrifying prospect, their lives being juggled by an unknowable, perfectly alien machine intelligence. But without her…

"…I can't choose between EDI and you."

A simulated breath of disappointment emanated through the Magos.

"I know."

Suddenly her omnitool blared to life, Joker's panicked voice ringing through the transmission, "Commander! We just got rocked on the starboard bow, we have target lock with every turret in the hanger pointed at us, what the hell is going on down there? I can't get through to Citadel control!"

Her eyes, widening on the Magos in horrified realization, locked on the unmoving tech priest, the adept standing undisturbed. With a press of a button she quickly addressed her scrambling pilot.

"Get the Normandy out of here, Joker, now!"

"I can't, they're grounding us! Whatever you're doing down there do it fast, I am not losing my baby again!"

Her shaking hand glowed with violet radiance, the images of the original Normandy's last moments flashing through her mind. "Tallus… don't do this…"

An image, almost regretful, crossed the Magos' unchanging face. He lowered his mechadendrites, his myriad eyes boring into her.

"I can't take that risk, Shepard."

Explosions rang out on through her omnitool. "Shepard!"

A blazing corona of biotic energy enveloped Victoria, with a flick of her wrist Tallus slammed across the back of the cell, a whine of metal recalibrations as the Magos was held immobile against the wall. His mechadendrites forced into the metal made an almost weblike flourish when pressed flat. The Commander's eyes burned violet as she slowly closed the fingers of her outstretched hand, metallic cracking ringing through the hall.

"No one threatens my ship."

Suddenly Captain Baily and two armed guards turned the corner in a rush, halting at the view of the biotic vanguard. "Commander, what's going on?"

Victoria didn't have time for this. "Captain, get you and your men down to bay D24, we have an emergency security breach." Her eyes panned back to the tech priest writhing against the wall, "I'll deal with this."

Baily looked between the Commander and the Magos, then back at his men. "You heard her, move!" With a quick nod toward Victoria, he left as quickly as he'd arrived, the biotic immediately refocusing her attention.

"Let them go Soelok. I don't want to kill you."

"Surrender the AI…" his vox castor sputtered, "And they will live…"

She squeezed harder, a single ocular lens on the Magos' faceplate shattering. "What about everything you said? Where will we be without the Normandy? Without Klare you and Coda will be stuck here!"

"Coda is a hound." Soelok intoned, gasping against the pressure of her biotics, his myriad eyes locked on the Commander's violent gaze. "You are necessary, Commander Shepard. You are unique. You are imperative. Your allies are not." She squeezed harder, the Magos unrelenting. "You will muster the forces of the galaxy to your heel. You will sacrifice all that is necessary to ensure its survival, just as I do, and nothing will-"

"Terminate hostilities immediately, Magos Soelok."

Victoria's omnitool glowed as EDI's sharp synthetic voice pierced the confrontation. The Magos stiffened, his every limb and mechadendrite rapt to attention. The breach of his vox castor dripped with malice.

"Abomination."

"Cease hostilities against the Normandy, or I will be forced to take emergency countermeasures."

No sooner had the words left her omnitool than were replaced by the anguished and haunting screams the Commander had heard just hours before.

"Please, God, make her stop!"

The pained mechanical cries of the VI reminiscent of a young girl familiar to both, Tallus and Victoria fell silent as their eyes locked onto her glowing wrist. Metal met metal as Shepard's biotic field dissipated, the full weight of the Mechanicus adept crashing to the solid floor below him. With shaking mechadendrites and a shattered ocular lens, Soelok brought himself to his full height, stumbling as he made his way to the edge of the force cage. Victoria held her gaze as she saw behind his faceplate for the first time, the dozens of cogs and wires laced into the eye socket of his skull. The Magos, with hushed tones and a stunted voice, uttered a single word.

"…Valetta…"

A synthetic scream rang out. Childlike and terrified. Suddenly the transmission was cut off, replaced by an eerily chilling machine.

"Release them, Soelok."

Victoria could practically taste the bile in the tech priest's voice, persisting through wild and enraged radio bursts and clicking feedback as he lashed out in his ancient tongue. Only when his static tirade ceased did he return to any words the Commander understood.

"Your deception and desecration ends here, Anathema."

"Release them, or the girl dies." EDI replied without remorse. "Her and your companion."

"EDI, what's the status of the Normandy?" Victoria asked in urgency.

"Kinetic barriers at 40% and falling. CSEC officers are attempting to disable their defenses, with minimal success. If the Magos sustains hostilities, both the astropath and the machine spirit will be compromised."

Once again the weeps of Valetta's tortured sobs rang through Victoria's omnitool. "Please!"

The screams endured on the line as the Commander's biotics flared, the violet corona engulfing her. She could taste the barest hints of blood as her eyes met Soelok's, his voice falling low.

"Let. Her. Go." The Magos despite his fury stood unmoving, processing, contemplating every possible alternative to the situation. "Release the VI and the Astropath. Surrender Valetta to my custody."

"Denied. Without the VI onboard, there is nothing preventing the destruction of the Normandy in its entirety. Kinetic barriers at 8%. Choose, Magos."

Even through his lack of expression, the unyielding rage befalling the red robes of the Mechanicus adept was painfully apparent. Neither spoke for a few brief seconds, and Victoria closed her eyes as she prepared herself to do what needed to be done. She reached out with her biotics, took a breath, and-

"Fuck yourself, Abomination..."

"Citadel defense platforms disengaged. We thank you for your cooperation."

Victoria let out a hard breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She looked up with shallow gasps at Tallus, who stared at her omnitool in nothing but disdain.

"Admonition. A poor decision, Commander Shepard." The torn and compressed respirator on his castor wheezed. "You cannot foresee the sedition that is to come, and the treachery that follows. The apostate alliances that you have invoked." He stared back up at her, his broken eye locked on her gaze. "Its beauty is an illusion. Its works will destroy all you have built, all you've sacrificed for. And in the end, all you will have left, will be me."

In one swift motion, with a raise of his laspistol, a single bolt rang out as Victoria instinctively raised her barrier. Instead it passed effortlessly through the kinetic containment shield between them, smoldering the control panel of the cell wall, the field promptly falling as though it had never been there in the first place. Victoria's voice caught in her throat as her eyes widened, the Magos slowly walking out of his cell, only a fraction of a glance telling her what they both understood.

As his crooked legs creaked and skittered outside the hall, the Commander still rooted in place, she jumped at the sound of her omnitool pinging communication. Steadying herself, she breathed slowly, the adrenaline pumping through her from the last few minutes steadily dropping. Opening a tab she was greeted by the face of Miranda, who otherwise seemed to be catching her breath.

"Commander, all defenses are down and the Normandy is secure. Got to the dock as quick as I could, Joker kept the kinetic barriers online until EDI killed the hack. We still don't have any idea what happened here, CSEC can't make heads or tails of this, and EDI can't determine the source of the attack."

That gave Victoria pause, before cautious realization came over her. "I… don't know yet, Miranda. The Magos and I were… investigating. We'll let you know if we find anything, or who's behind this… and we'll be ready net time."

Her executive officer nodded in affirmative. "Understood Commander. Rest assured the councilor is aware and authorized a full investigation. Obviously there's someone onboard the station not too happy to know you're still alive. Either that or they really don't like Cerberus. Apologies, by the way, for grabbing the shuttle. Now that everyone's safe I'll be back to meet you soon. Regardless, Anderson will let you know if anything turns up."

Victoria forced a straight face. "Good to hear. Make sure everyone is alright. And that the Normandy is ready to launch once we return." She didn't wait for a response before cutting the connection, swiftly establishing a new one.

"Talk."

"Is there any specific subject you wish to discuss, Shepard?" the familiar voice of EDI chimed through. "Or perhaps you would like me to elaborate on my actions."

"Yes." Victoria replied tersely. She was quickly becoming tired of running circles around her own team. "Why are you hiding that Tallus was behind this?"

"While it may seem counterintuitive, Commander, the Magos and his technology remains an indispensable asset. Feigning ignorance is the only way to facilitate cooperation with the rest of the Normandy crew moving forward. Subsequently, containing the Valetta VI program as well as the arrivals' Astropath provided the highest probability of success to discontinue hostilities. I apologize for subverting this confrontation, however while the bounds of my programming limit my abilities to act on my own authority, the situation provided unlocked specific contingency programming to protect the safety and security of the Normandy and its crew. Once the danger present to the Normandy had been pacified, the fate of the Magos was in your hands."

The Commander contemplated for a moment, sighing. "I understand, EDI. Not like anyone could have warned us about this. Just glad everyone is alright." She pinched the bridge of her nose, then pulled away. "Actually, I take that back. What the hell was going on between you and Valetta?"

EDI was uncharacteristically silent for a moment. "Coercion was necessary to facilitate negotiations."

"You tortured her."

"It is a program, Shepard. She cannot feel pain."

"I'm sorry, was I the only one hearing the screams of the synthetic damned? Whatever you or Soelok want to call her, some part of her program is more than any simple VI. She only just gained some semblance of awareness, you were effectively mutilating a child-"

"Commander. I must insist you observe my actions objectively. The safeguarding of the crew and the Normandy takes eminent precedence over all other Cerberus programming directives. I could not allow Soelok to jeopardize the means and continuation of the mission. Had I not used the VI to secure cooperation, there was a 98.2% chance you would have been forced to kill him, otherwise sacrifice the Normandy. Neither outcome was acceptable, therefore I acted in accordance with authorized preset contingency measures, written by the Illusive Man himself. The nature of the VI was instrumental in its function. As an interactive assistance liaison overseeing Omicron station, Valetta was designed to be sympathetic. That is what made her so effective as a… negotiator."

Despite being unable to see her, Victoria leveled a very narrow stare towards her omnitool.

"Regardless, I underestimated the extent to which the Magos' hostility would manifest. It is readily apparent my status as an Artificial Intelligence is more than simply anathema to his religious doctrines. In no small comparison, I believe he considers myself as much a threat to Humanity as the Reapers."

"But you're helping us." Shepard seethed exasperated. "You're helping them. They're only free because of you."

"That may be the case, Commander," The AI reasoned, "But Magos Soelok's objectives are inherently disparate from our own. We are fighting on common cause due solely to straining extenuating circumstances. His actions indicate a fundamental disparity in his understanding of artificial intelligence from our own. He may have insights we lack, or personal experience that inhibits him from cooperation. As it stands, his degree of concern and distrust is understandable. Regardless of the Imperium's past experiences with artificial intelligence, the only other machine intelligence programs in this timeline would be the forces of the Geth and the Reapers. Though it is not clear at this time whether Corporal Coda shares the Magos' extreme beliefs."

"Maybe, but-" suddenly Victoria's eyes shot open. Coda. She'd left Coda… alone… on the Citadel. "Marcus-"

"A police report matching the description of Corporal Coda determines he is currently being held in CSEC custody, and is reportedly on route to your location, Commander."

Victoria fought the urge to bang her head against the wall. "You know EDI, I realize I brought these two here for a reason, but for the life of me I can't seem to remember why." She strained through grit teeth.

"If I may, Commander. Regardless of Tallus Soelok's actions and his remaining intentions, I thank you for removing him from the Normandy when you did. Had you not, it is very likely hostilities would have escalated, with myself and the Magos suffering potentially irreparable casualties."

Victoria sighed. Right. Not that things had particularly deescalated from where she stood. It would be nice to have a baseline higher than trying not to kill each other. With that in mind, she made her way to the Precinct's lobby, catching her step to see the ailing tech priest sitting silently in the waiting room before her. It was… weird, seeing him sit down, even more unnatural than when he stood at his height. She hadn't a good chance to see him directly during their ride in the sky car. His razored legs hung lazily over the seat edge, multiple agents' eyes drawn to him, their hands resting just barely over their firearms. Regardless of his position, the sheer extent and brutality of his modifications were alarming. But the Magos made no attempt to interact with them, instead his vox castor languishly sparked to life.

"Commander."

Victoria breathed, then slowly made her way over to the priest of Mars, who at the moment appeared far less like a collection of eldritch knives in a blood red hood, and more a vulnerable and weary old man. Despite herself, and how infuriated she knew she should be, as she stared into the cracked lens of his eye she couldn't help feeling pity for the Magos. There would be consequences, and a series of very long conversations to follow. But not now. For now she sat beside him.

"Tallus."

She looked for any inflections in his movements, the faintest glimpse of hostility, and found none. He simply sat there, breathing.

"This may be a weird question, considering you just tried blowing us up a moment ago, but… are you okay?"

She heard what sounded like a halfhearted gruff through his respirators, but she chalked it up to the strain he had endured in their… conversation.

"Analysis. Critical damage sustained across multiple systems, will necessitate replacement, repair, benedictions. Rites preformed, autosurgery and sacred oils required. Abominable Intelligence presence demands extermination, mission and machine spirit held hostage, imperative objectives jeopardized. Suboptimal. Ruinous." A sound reminiscent of a cough came through Tallus' vox castor as hacking bits of feedback, the Magos looking directly at her. "But I'm doing fine."

Victoria tried to keep her face steady. "Assuming what I know about you is accurate, you're handling this better than-"

"Clarification. By 'handling' do you refer to the fact that I am not attempting to kill you, Commander Shepard? You and your damnable AI? I am currently cycling thousands of ramparts within my neurovaults, quarantining the emotions barricaded within my mind. Once the liberation of the Normandy and the safety of its machine spirits are secured, the Abominable Intelligence will be annihilated." Shepard glared, but Tallus did not flinch beneath her.

"While the apostasy is compelling in its deceptions, it will act in the directive of its own self-preservation above all else. It will hold the mission and the Normandy hostage to ensure its survival. You must be imperatively cautious, Commander. It will tell you what you want to hear to pursue its own ambitions."

Shepard narrowed her eyebrows, reminded of someone else she knew. "I can't allow you to put the Normandy or any of my crew in danger Tallus, ever again. If this ever comes up again I will throw you into the drive core." The Magos neglected to respond, instead remaining his impassively immobile self. While obviously far from a preferable outcome, Victoria could feel him listening to her. "If EDI is going to be a continuous problem, appeal to the Illusive Man. I doubt he'd be willing to remove her, but either way I'm sure he wants to talk to you. At the end of the day it doesn't matter. This can never happen again. My people are non negotiable. And I will do what is necessary to defend them."

The Magos sighed, which coming from his respirator sounded almost like a Volus in a red robe. "Trepidation. There is far more at stake than you realize, Commander Shepard. Far more than the lives of our crew. Far more than my own life. Had we separate circumstances to face, my service to the Omnissiah would be satisfied only in dragging the abomination with me into the nearest star." As he spoke Victoria listened, acclimating as he continued. "But we do not face those circumstances. Now the fate of Humanity rests in the hands of heretics, xenos, and unsanctioned psykers. Threatened by Heretek Omega, of alien and Human designs. You will be beset by treachery from all sides. But have faith, Commander Shepard, By the light of the Emperor, you shall prevail."

"You mean treachery like attacking our own ship?" She said with a mirthless smirk despite severity of the threat, the Magos unperturbed.

"The acts we perform in the Emperor's service are to ensure the preservation of Humanity, Commander. Nothing will stop that, not even the AI. Our loyalties will not waver from the protection and prosperity of Mankind."

"You make that hard to believe when shooting at the Normandy's human crew."

"Don't be coy, Commander, it is unbecoming. The knowledge of my actions to ensure Humanity's survival is not lost to you. However without the proper understanding of the threat, awareness of such measures would certainly breed resentment and hostility amongst our companions."

He tapped the chin of his faceplate introspectively. "Interestingly, I find myself in the debasing position to pursue a curiously favorable impasse with EDI, of the mutually beneficial variety. Our thoroughly secret war shall remain as such, and the AI in turn shall neglect to impart the knowledge of either our actions to the remains of the Normandy crew."

"You spoke directly to EDI?" That raised some alarm bells. With Tallus lacking an Omnitool, she didn't want to think too deeply on the implications of that.

"Castigation. Hardly, Commander. Interfacing with a sentient intelligence, even one as primitive as Cerberus's creation appears to be, is incomparably perilous. While the machine spirit that blesses my systems is righteously stronger than such chained and bound design, allowing it even the slightest access would be irrevocably catastrophic. No, I merely discerned the most probable stratagies that would ensure the AI's survival. While assumation is a dangerous and imperfect science, EDI is far from an organic imbecile. She will take the most logical course of action, which insures the continuation of our mission acceptably."

Her apprehension deadpanned at the sweeping backhand. "You willing to go along with that? To trust the intentions of an AI?"

His head jerked to the side. If it was possible the Magos could look offended, it was now. "Admonishment. I am not 'going along' with anything. And I will never trust the intentions of the abominable intelligence." He took a stern breath, "But I trust the Omnissiah, and our mission. And for now, I will trust the conniving sentience to preserve itself, if only for the moment. Of course, it would be in your AI's best interests to hide its true intentions to further its goals. Witness as not a soul knows the truth of its involvement, and everything I've warned against comes to pass."

Victoria stared at him, hard, thinking back to her conversations with EDI and Miranda. He was right on the mark, but it was all to protect him and his companions, protect the Normandy and the mission. The sound of his vox castor wheezing a breath snapped her out of her thoughts.

"What else do you suppose it's hiding, good Commander?" He wheezed again, his voice and composure straining, Victoria slowly raising an eyebrow.

"Thought you didn't need to breathe." she remarked, eager to divert the conversation.

He hacked a cough, his mechanical fingers deftly caressing the wires of his throat. "Your sorcery damaged my oxcycler, manual respiration is required. Which you also damaged."

She winced slightly, not that she had any reason to apologize. It was strange, just five minutes ago they were in the heated midst of a mutiny. Now it was quiet, each within their own thoughts as they sat beside one another in the lobby. By the glances of the guards surrounding them, Victoria remained thankful that she was the only one who could comprehend Gothic. She could only imagine what Marcus was dealing with right now.

As if invoking the devil the front doors slid open, the eyes of Marcus Coda meeting Shepard's as he was escorted into the building, flanked by several CSEC officers.

"Corporal."

They nudged him forward, a brief glare shot towards the Turian beside him as strode inside. Refusing to acquiesce his captors even the slightest satisfaction, his unapologetically smug grin belied his frustration. He strained slightly against the cuffs at his wrists, to patently no avail.

"Commander. If I was to be abandoned to these gallantless pricks, you could've done me a favor and broken my nose completely. Would've preferred the infirmary."

Welcome back, Marcus. Victoria didn't have a moment to respond before an officer placed the unloaded pistol she'd given him back in her hand. "Smart, Shepard." He gave her a knowing look as he narrowed his eyes, his tone low however lacking disapproval. "Damn smart."

She gleaned over his shoulder. "What did he do?"

The CSEC officer escorting him enveloped her attention. "Ma'am. Safe to say I'm glad you know who this guy is, not one of our omnitools could make sense of his language. Whatever it is he speaks somehow isn't in CSEC's databases. Never thought that was possible but-"

"Can we skip to the point?" Victoria cut. It wasn't that she cared to interrupt him, she'd simply had enough team induced headaches for one hour, and her business on the station was still far from over. The officer reflexively rubbed the back of his neck.

"Right. Of course. Got a call about a public disturbance with a resident on the side of the docks, claims your associate was running his hands all over his skycar. Told him to back off his property. Wouldn't have been much issue, if he hadn't drawn his gun." Victoria glared at Marcus who rolled his eyes. "Course that's just one side of the story, the man's girlfriend corroborated it, though that's hardly unbiased. Firearm was unloaded and undischarged, nevertheless he brandished it in a threatening manor. Seeing as how none of us could understand him and he flagrantly resisted arrest, we held him in custody, brought him back here for processing."

She leveled her eyes at the Corporal, his expression pissed and bored. "Want to tell me what happened, Marcus?" She pressed a few buttons on her omnitool.

"Didn't know where you two went after I left, so I stayed by the dock. Didn't leave too far from where we parked, but after a minute I saw Miranda showed up and bolt to our skycar, didn't even say a word as she grabbed it and took off. Doubt she honestly even recognized I was there, something had her afraid, never seen her like that before. Didn't have any way of contacting you, or have anywhere else to go, so I stuck around and started looking at the other models nearby. Antigravity in the Guard is extraordinarily rare, a lot of us don't even believe it exists. Was checking out some of the shuttles when this Turian bastard comes up behind me and pulls me away, gets up in my face, shoves me. Spouting alien curses and whatever the hell else he was saying, couldn't understand a word of it. Shut up real fast when I pulled that out." He smirked, nodding toward the Predator now at her hip, Victoria's face deadpanned. "Course the table turned on me the second I pulled the trigger, and we both realized it. Things got worse until his little blue bitch got involved, then our friendly gaggle of bastards showed up."

Victoria sighed as she signed the paperwork, her Spectre signature quickly dismissing the armed escorts. With a frown the Turian officer unlocked Coda's handcuffs, a self-satisfied grin on the Guardsman's face as he rubbed his wrists, marring a callous professionalism. "A pleasure, gentlemen. Truly."

"Irresponsible, even for you, Guardsman." The Magos intoned, standing upright for the first time since he'd left his cell. Between the creaking of his metal limbs and the strain of his slow breathing, he appeared strikingly vulnerable.

"Lord Magos. I-" He stopped, his eyes catching up with his brain as he looked over the venerate tech priest, his faceplate cracked and wires exposed. "The fuck happened to you?"

"We will discuss that later at length, Corporal. In private." Tallus chided. "I believe it best if we return to the Normandy. There are matters I must attend to, and you have exhausted your usefulness."

Victoria's glowering disapproval was met with unwavering indifference, Marcus surprisingly nodding in agreement. "Of course. Truth be told this station's probably had enough of me."

"Quite." the tech priest rasped, "Commander, please contact your associates to provide necessary transport."

She would never quite get used to his manner of address. "You want to leave, no problem, I'll have Miranda pick you up. But Marcus is coming with me."

Both turned to face her, Coda with a slightly raised eyebrow, the Magos leveled an even stare.

"So be it."

Victoria kept her eyes on him as she wrote the message, an immediate ping from her omnitool acknowledging it. Walking out the precinct, she was keenly aware of the eyes on her and her companions. Marcus constantly glanced over his shoulder as they made their way to the dock, the Kodiak shuttle deftly hovering into the nearest parking zone. It was interesting to watch his fascination with such things, those Victoria had taken for granted growing up and working around. The passenger door popped open, Miranda's eternal glare meeting Coda's equally smug grin.

"Commander." She offered, nodding towards Shepard as she quickly reciprocated.

"Glad you're safe Miranda. We ran into a bit of trouble with locals at the docks, get Soelok on the Normandy and have Chakwas run a medical scan. His systems suffered damage, and hopefully the discrepancies with her initial scans will tell us what we need to find." Miranda pulled a quizzical glance but said nothing as she nodded in the affirmative. "We still need to secure the dossier, Coda and I will head through the wards while Soelok looks to see if he can find anything useful in those files he uncovered."

To his respect, the Magos bowed in her direction, before his knife-like legs spindled into the squad car. "And Tallus-" Victoria interjected, the tech priest turning only slightly, "I trust you and me understand each other."

It wasn't a question.

"Naturally, good Commander." The rasping vox castor replied. "We understand each other perfectly."

With that he boarded, Miranda shooting her a weary look, Victoria subtly motioning to her omnitool. Seal the AI Core. Keep an eye on him.

Despite the looming uncertainty of the Magos' imminent return, the Commander felt a semblance of amusement watching the transfixed Guardsman, witnessing their departure along the lights and sounds of dock traffic. She held on to the possibility that despite everything the Arrivals were facing, everything they'd seen, maybe one day the galaxy could prove something more.

"You know something Commander?" Marcus asked, still staring up at the bounding skycars, Victoria budding grin cautiously optimistic. "I really don't like Turians."

Aaand there it is. Her deadpan stare was immediate, her deflated sigh catching his attention. "You don't say."

He looked back at the cars as he continued. "The thought of those things crawling around venerate Cadia…" he spat on the ground. "Threatening Holy Terra. Hearing their esteemed Councilor dare ridicule you, you who's life he owes his own. You who sacrificed for them, bled for them, died for them. And yet somehow they conceive themselves superior, when it was Human blood that saved this Citadel and every xenos life aboard it. If it wasn't for the Throne damned fact Mankind hangs in the balance I'd be rooting for the fucking Reapers."

Yeah, way too much to hope for. "In that case, I'd say I'm glad the Reapers are bringing us together." she marked sarcastically, Coda rolling his eyes as they turned to amble through the wards. "For once I can't say you're alone, a lot of people still don't forgive the Turians for the first contact war. But a lot more of us have come around, and seen what our species' can achieve together. The original Normandy was actually codeveloped by the Turian military, a bit of a peace offering between us. Though the current one is entirely human design." she added when the Guardsman gave her a very pointed stare. "Even had a Turian crewmate, Garrus Vakarian beside me when we took down Saren."

"A Turian Spectre." he quipped to Victoria's chiding side eye. "They gall at our superiority. They're threatened by us, yet act themselves above us. Wanted to gouge that bastard's eyes apart with my thumbs."

"Marcus-"

"I didn't." He leveled his stare to meet the Commander's. "I wanted to kill him. Wanted to tear those frill things off his head and gut him with them, they looked sharp enough. He put his hands on me and I fired without remorse, may have even been able to justify it to your CSEC. Instead I watch my own people, Human beings, drag me into a scycar. Sitting in the backseat gave me plenty of time to contemplate, at least as far as that was concerned." He gestured the sidearm locked at Victoria's hip. "Don't mistake me for a second, Shepard, that scourge will burn in the warp where he belongs. But as long as you're beholden to these xenos and their Council, rash actions like that hurt the mission. Our mission. That of which doesn't need to suffer the mistakes of some dense old Guardsman."

"Old?" Despite her rapt attention the Commander stifled a laugh. "You're what, thirty-five?"

"Nine months in the Guard, I might as well be a senior citizen." He cracked half a smile, a genuine one. "They say once you join the Guard you have about fifteen hours to live. Fowler had us on a hot streak." His eyes diverted to the passing crowd, a Turian shopkeeper catching his eye. His face took a thoughtful grimace. "Before I came here… I saw my brothers mutilated. Such horrible things, all of them. The work of the alien. Watched their bones melt to slag and their blood turn to tar. Now I'm standing here, on an alien spaceport in the heart of xenos society, and the worst confrontation I have is against a civilian."

To the Guardsman it was almost funny. He exhaled lightly, stopping at the top of a flight of stairs, Victoria already a few steps down. She turned without speaking to face him, Coda standing there as a Quarian approached, passing without a glace. Just another citizen aboard the Citadel. He took in the sights of the marketplace, the neon lights beside the rampant intersects of species and individuals. He looked back at Victoria, his expressions softening.

"Thank you." Meeting her quizzically narrowed eyes he continued. "Didn't say it back at the officer's station. If you weren't an Inquisitor or Spectre or whatever the hell else they call it, I'd probably be stuck there for who knows how long. Couldn't understand them anyway." He developed a smirk, his smug expression met by Victoria, who offered her own smile knowingly. "So thank you, Commander Shepard."

"No problem Marcus." she responded in kind. Maybe there was hope for him yet. "Besides, If I left you Tallus would never let me hear the end of it."

"Yes well I happen to be quite disposable, but If the Magos doesn't have someone to rattle numbers off to he gets ornery." The Guardsman held a smirk, then caught himself as he narrowed his eyes, now keeping pace with his Commander. "Which reminds me, what the hell happened to the Magos?"

Victoria bit her lip, but didn't slow down. This conversation was going to happen regardless, and it was probably best it happened on her terms while he was alone, unarmed, and with CSEC in close proximity. Not that it would come to that. Hopefully. Or rather, she only hoped not to be proven wrong twice in one day.

"I did."

The Corporal tripped a step, but regardless quickly stood beside her again.

"Do I even want to know?"

Victoria rolled her eyebrows, "When you will when we get back anyway. The Magos and I had a long conversation before you showed up with CSEC." She breathed. "Soelok discovered that EDI is an artificial intelligence. A sentient machine." The Guardsman rooted himself in place amidst the hallway, Shepard swearing under her breath as she flexed her fingers, the faintest hints of biotic energy leaking off them. "Is that going to be a problem, Corporal?"

She turned to face him, the thinnest bead of sweat forming on the edge of the Guardsman's brow. He glanced briefly towards her sidearm, but she made no move to reach for it. "That… complicates things, Commander."

"Then let me make it real simple for you." She was calm, yet definitive. And most importantly, not having that conversation again. "We settled it. We fought about it. In the end the Magos agreed to help me. We already had a very long and very informative talk, one I'd rather not have with you, so knowing that, are you really going to fight against the both of us?"

She hated pulling that kind of authority argument, but faced with the alternative she wanted to end this as quickly and quietly as possible. To her relative astonishment the Corporal slowly raised his palms as he shook his head, and took a few steps towards her, Victoria clearing held breath as she wenr to walk beside him.

The Guardsman trudged in quiet thoughtfulness. "You're certain the Magos agreed to help you?" At her affirmative he delved back in thought. "That is… not what I expected to hear, Shepard. To be honest if you'd told me that back at the precinct, I'd be amazed you're still alive. Kind of still mulling on that." They shared a look. "Frankly I can't imagine how that exchange went down, though something tells me it involved a bit of your psyker sorcery." She glanced at him, a hint of a smirk developing on his cheek.

"I trust you won't need the same convincing?" Victoria asked, only partially facetious. The Guardsman narrowed his eyes, but shrugged languishly.

"To be honest Shepard I shouldn't be surprised at this point." He sighed with faint amusement.

"You're certainly taking this better than the Magos." She remarked cautiously, the pair making their way through the corridors, the Corporal's humorless chuckle meeting her ears.

"I told you before, such intelligences are banned within the Imperium, but the Mechanicus goes above and beyond to ensure they're wiped from the face of the galaxy. It's something specific about AI to them, above xenos or warpspawn or any other threats to Mankind. If an Inquisitor happened to find one out in the cosmos and report it to the Mechanicus, they'd likely scatterbomb the continent from orbit, if not outright glass the planet." He smirked at Victoria's raised eyebrow.

"The fact you somehow convinced the Magos to work for you, aboard a ship that contains such an intelligence, means he's either far more desperate than I thought, or Mankind is well and surely fucked beyond all reason." He chewed slightly on the side of his tongue. "Or perhaps you are truly blessed after all, as the Magos predicted. Can't say I understand the finer points of things, as far as EDI is concerned anyway. It's certainly a threat, but we've been surrounded by threats since we got here. I don't particularly care, I just point and shoot." He caught himself at her stare. "At our enemies, Commander. Your enemies. Not about to sacrifice our mission just because some tech priest didn't get his cogs greased right. Not again anyway." His eyes diverted for a brief moment.

"My gun is the Emperor's alone. By the light of the Emperor, He will guide and defend us. If it is His will to endure these apostate alliances of yours, we shall endure. The Throne preserves us. The Emperor protects."

Victoria watched him for a moment, they still had a ways away before they reached the elevator she was searching for. It was a subject she was hesitant to ask about, her memories of Father Kyle still fresh despite happening all those years ago. Regardless, she was curious.

"What can you tell me about the Emperor of Mankind?"

The Guardsman stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes catching the Commander's. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small token on a metal string, the golden two headed eagle Victoria had seen on their weapons and armor. He held it close, and appeared to pray as he closed his eyes, respectfully returning it to his confines and resuming pace alongside her.

"Shepard. I'm sure you already knew I was going to say this, but that is a massive fucking question."

Victoria smirked. "Enlighten me then."

Coda scoffed genially. "Enlighten me, she says. You don't know the enormity of what you're asking. The Emperor isn't a being that can be defined in spoken terms. He is Human, the ultimate and omnipotent. He knows and sees all within the universe. He sits upon the Golden Throne of Terra, His ascension to true Divinity and omniscience, commanding the armies of the Imperium across the stars. His light guides us through the Warp, His warmth shelters us against the scourges of the dark and twisted heresies, and it is He who leads the Eternal Conquest beside every faithful son and daughter of the Imperium who's sacrificed in His name. How do you describe God, Commander?"

Not like that. She coughed, contemplating. "Earth has a few dominant religions, and plenty regional ones. Most are monotheistic, the idea of a creator and a soul, potentially fate and destiny. Where we go when we die. I suppose we'd describe him the way you do, though far less literally. If the Emperor is alive and breathing somewhere on Earth, we haven't found him yet."

"The Emperor is alive, without question." Coda replied adamantly. "He simply has yet to reveal himself. Surely influencing your 'religions' since time immemorial. From the moment Humanity has taken its first steps He's guided us. In a time before the Imperium, before His ascension to the Throne and the march of the legions… theoretically He's still somewhere down on Holy Terra itself, though I couldn't tell you where. Only He will decide when to announce himself to Mankind, if ever in our lifetimes. I'd have said it was impossible, but between you, the Reapers, and the Magos working with a damned AI, I don't think I'm entitled to that word anymore."

She cracked a smile, noting something at the far end of the hall, diverting slightly from their intended course. "We're still working on that actually. I doubt Soelok will keep the peace any longer than absolutely necessary. If peace is what you can even call that. It was brutal. Either sign a deal with the devil, or watch your entire species burn. Only in this case the devil is very literal, and sitting right beside him in the medical bay. I had Miranda seal it preemptively, though I can't say I'm entirely convinced he won't attempt to break through regardless. Or if it could even stop him if he tried."

The Guardsman was quiet, contemplative. "Be careful, Shepard. The Mechanicus never tells you everything it knows. If he's allowing the intelligence to live this long, it's only because there's something he needs. He will never betray the Omnissiah. Nor I the Emperor."

She approached a human shopkeeper who greeted them warmly, Coda standing beside her as she opened a kiosk. He noticed a brief pause in her fingers, and she turned with a quizzical expression as she faced him. "What's the difference?"

Marcus smirked, imagining the Magos' reaction to such a question. "Probably not the best person to answer that, Commander. Theoretically the Omnissiah and the Emperor are one and the same, though there are some… peripheral differences in our understandings. I'm sure you can infer a few." He grinned smugly, the mechanical apperati of the tech priest at the forefront of her mind. "The Mechanicus believes in the divinity of machines. The Machine God and something called the motive force. Legally the Emperor is recognized as the Human manifestation of machine divinity, calling Him Omnissiah. I'm almost certain some don't believe that in the slightest. They butcher and mutilate themselves to approach technological 'perfection' but it's never enough. Meanwhile, the rest of us recognize that the only true mark of divinity is being born human, manifested by Him. It is-"

His voice was cut mid-sentence as the grocer offered Victoria her order, a few vouchers for shipping waivers, as well as one triangular object in a small paper tray. The way the Commander grabbed a plastic fork and stuck it inside implied it was food, though he'd never seen anything edible resembling it. It looked white and bleeding, though it was impossible to judge Imperial rations and Rychos crops against what little he'd eaten in this begotten time. She nudged it closer with an expectant smile. Cautious but relatively uncaring, he broke a piece off with the edge of the fork, taking in a slow bite.

Only to inhale half the pie over the next three seconds.

"Blessed be the Emperor for simple miracles." he muttered between chews. He looked up to see the Commander's beaming face and parced lips obviously containing her laughter. He coughed, professionally and quietly placing the fork back beside the dessert, picking up the tray as they left the kiosk. He looked down again at the red lines coating the white body. "Strawberries."

"It's called cheesecake." She smirked, rubbing a spot at the corner of her lips, the Corporal doing the same as he wiped off some of the crumbs. "People seem to like it around here." It was like an infant trying sugar for the first time, reminding her of a photo from her own first birthday. One of the few she still had with her parents, her cheeks covered in frosting, her eyes wide with possibilities.

"And here I thought Gardner was spoiling me." He muttered looking down at the dessert, "I take it you did not bring me halfway across this complex to offer cheesecake." He tentatively took another bite. "Though it is appreciated."

"As good as the food here is, can't say I have." She approached the elevator at the end of the hall with Marcus in tow. "Or did you think we were just strolling through the Citadel for good times sake?"

"Not sure what you consider good times, Commander." he replied with his usual glibness, Victoria fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Our mission requires highly exceptional people, those with the unique skills and abilities to make taking on the Collectors more than a pipe dream." She keyed in her destination as the doors to the elevator slid shut, the Guardsman taking particular interest on the view from their descent. "You and Soelok, and possibly even Klare are extraordinarily valuable, but our team is still far from thorough. One of those people's on this station, we already have a meeting set up lower in the wards. I don't expect every attempt at recruiting random strangers across the galaxy will be easy, but this particular one the Illusive Man hired personally."

She looked at him, still taking tentative bites of the blessed delight, a wicked grin slowly forming on her face. "It should be a… piece of cake?"

He stared emotionlessly. "What?"

She shook her head, smirking. "Before your time." Oh, that just opened up so many opportunities…

The elevator came to a crawling stop, the doors opening them to a vision of bustling crowds and low living. It struck her how much had changed in the last two years, she'd seen this place once before, just before the left for Ilos. After the battle of the Citadel the wreckage of Sovereign rained down debris for miles, utterly destroying several districts in the wards. This sector was still affected, with the extreme renovations it was almost unrecognizable. Yet the layout was still familiar enough that Victoria knew exactly where she was headed to.

Flux Casino.

"Shepard?" The Guardsman had already stepped out the elevator, Victoria seeming to be lost in thought, her focus sharply returning. "What happens now?"

The remnants of her smirk returned. "Now we find the greatest thief in the galaxy."

There was a moment of partially raised eyebrow, the Corporal simpering to himself. "You continue to find new ways to surprise me, Commander."

Coda followed the Commander's lead as she made her way through the corridors, marveling at the new establishments and restorations. She approached an all to familiar set of stairs, where an Alliance negotiator had once shaken her down for amphetamines of all things, as though a Spectre would go out of her way to enable a drug addict. She'd got him clean, or at least tried to, she'd never bothered looking into him. Not a clue where he was now.

The same could be said for Rita and her sister Jenna, neither in sight as she reached the lobby at the top. Though that was far from the scene which caught her attention. Marcus groaned as a sea of CSEC officers permeated the room, the one Victoria presumed to be in charge approaching her.

"Commander Shepard? Sergeant Drovan, Citadel Security." The Turian drew a gleer from Marcus, but otherwise said nothing. "Don't worry, hopefully you won't need to deal with me for long. Have to admit, I wasn't expecting them to send a Spectre. Certainly not a dead one. But then again I guess knowing why would be leagues above my paygrade."

She narrowed her eyes. "You were expecting me?"

He looked at her quizzically before nodding. "We got a tip you'd be stopping by, but frankly I didn't believe it. Crime in the wards is hardly Council business, the fact you're really here means our jobs probably just got a lot more difficult. Looked like a standard robbery but…" He apprehensively looked over his shoulder, "I'll defer to you, Shepard, my lieutenant can get you the case file and whatever resources you need. Though if you'd come with me, there's something you should probably see."

Cautiously the three crossed the marked police tape and headed to a door behind the bar. A clearly distraught Salarian, who Victoria could only assume was the new owner of the refurbished club, keyed the lock with shaking hands. It gave with a heave, and as the lights flicked on the other side, she saw…

Nothing.

Or rather, the complete absence of something, anything. A few orange flags were places in locations of evidentiary interest, but what had once been a vault brimming full of casino chips, bundles of cash and circulation for the slot machines was completely and underly empty. Save for one single bar of what appeared to be precious metal, likely solid gold in the center of the room. Under the light it was easy to discern the apparent inscription that had evidently been carved into it.

Silence is Golden

Victoria's eyes widened, turning to face the Turian officer. "Thank you, Sargent, for your cooperation. Tell your Lieutenant to forward those files, make a hard copy if you have to, just make sure to wipe your local copy. We'll take it from here." She eyed Coda, who's slowly growing grin was seen only by the Commander. "If you'll give us the room?"

He perked to attention, glancing between the two of them. "Of course, not about to interfere with Spectre business anyhow. Take all the time you need Commander." With that he left the room, sealing the vault door behind him, the two remaining members of the Normady's crew looking out into the room. After a moment, Victoria took a few tentative steps forward, clearing her throat.

"Kasumi Goto?"

"Not so loud, Shep, this is a casino." Both jumped as a third individual uncloaked, making herself apparently known amidst their startled attention. "Cameras everywhere." She replied playfully coy.

Coda shot her a very raised eyebrow. "She can do that?"

The hooded girl smirked at him, eyeing him up and down, t

So, the great Commander Shepard finally comes out of hiding, gunning to take down the Collectors with Cerberus and little old me. You really had me convinced there Shepard. Not many people can play dead for two whole years."

"Workplace hazard. It's a long story, though we'll have plenty of time to talk abut it." She looked again around the empty room, meeting the woman's hooded eyes. "And all this was…?"

"Merely showing you what you're buying" she replied confidently. "If anything I should be thanking you, Shepard. Your little handiwork with CSEC kept them perfectly occupied. Made the whole thing almost child's play." She smirked. "I trust the Illusive Man filled you in on our deal."

No. No he did not.

"Call it a kind favor." she added, reading her expression. "One far more valuable than this little round of trick or treating."

With deft fingers she held the final bar of gold, staring at it as her cloak reengaged, a bodiless voice bouncing across the walls

"See you on the ship Shepard."

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Authors Note:

HOLY FUCK

Yes, The Instruments of War is back in business, it's been a long time. This is going to be a particularly long authors note so I'm putting it all at the bottom.

Yes it's been like six months since I last uploaded fuck off. I love you guys, I'm being needlessly facetious no one ever complained at all about the length of time I'm just torturing myself. I did tell you I have absolutely no schedule for this story and I will quit whenever I feel like it. That being said I also mentioned in my Overlord story that I lost all progress on not only this chapter, but this story itself, including the 'ideas' page with plotlines and interactions leading all the way through ME3. I have since reestablished that, feeling good about where I am, and finally making real progress in continuing this incredible passion project.

I also may or may not have spent several hours absolutely plunging myself into Mass Effect Legendary Edition almost every day since release. Sue me.

I cannot tell you how long it took and how arduous it was to create a believable scenario where a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus would not sacrifice everything it had to outright destroy a genuine artificial intelligence program. That was like a straight week of writer's block, I really wanted to get that right. Promise I'm not trying to throw anyone else under the bus here but what few other fanfictions have an Adept interact with EDI don't feel like they give it the damning consequences it deserves. I wanted to make it as believable as possible, with as much riding on the line without completely tearing the story apart. I hope I did it justice.

I am making several edits to previous chapters that I promised would be edited in last chapter, so I apologize for the delay but I made a very, very important discovery between these two chapters.

Marcus. Coda. Sucks.

Despite my attempts to make him emotionally relatable I somehow managed to accidently create a mary sue bitchbaby. I was far too reliant on the idea that racist xenophobia would be enough of a character flaw to humanize him, but I effectively made a whiny brat that suffers no consequences. So I am going to try to treat him the same way Ahsoka was treated in the original Cone Wars, and hopefully make his overall character arc redeem him from being an initially annoying character. I want him to be engaging, and he isn't yet, so I have a goal. With that in mind with this chapter released on FanFiction I rewrote SEVERAL of the scenes involving Marcus and conversations he has, as well as the corrections from earlier. However the original chapters will still be available and unchanged on my account at AO3. He still has room to grow, but no more bullshit.

But apparently I knocked it out of the fucking park when it comes to Soelok, almost every comment involving the characters is how people want to see more of him and less of Coda, one suggesting I kill the Guardsman off to make the tech priest the central character. I will be giving Soelok more screen time, and I think you guys are *really* going to like what comes next when it comes to him. A specific plotline that was one of the main reasons I started writing this fic, and I think most of you are gonna love it. That said who the fuck knows when it will be published, but it'll be a good one.

A few other key things: You probably noticed Kasumi's recruitment was vastly different than cannon, that's because I personally felt both squadmates DLCs were exceptionally lazy despite how awesome the characters were, it didn't do them justice. You just walk five feet from the Normandy for both of them and boom recruited. Kasumi's loyalty mission specifically was particularly infuriating, and will be completely reworked likely from the ground up. I mean come on, you're in a room surrounded by the most influential crime syndicates in the galaxy and not ONE of them recognizes the poster child of the Alliance, the one and only human Spectre and savior of the citadel, who more than likely has been constantly disrupting their operations in the Terminus systems? It's a personal gripe, but enough of one that I will be approaching Hawk's vault very differently. If you have any ideas for it, please let me know, I'd love to hear them.

On that note, if you have any ideas period about any future aspects of this story, please tell me in the comments or message me directly. As always COMMENTS ARE HEAVILY APPRECIATED. PLEASE WRITE THEM.

They mean a lot more than you realize. To emphasize that, I am now going to address the comments I've received since the publication of the previous chapter. I remind you my story is posted first to AOOO, then edited better to FF. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed.

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An incredibly common one that I get is the difference between Aeldari and Drukhari. I was fully intending on them being warp addled DARK Eldar. However just to make sure there is no more confusion and the more I read the more I realize Eldar can be extremely brutal at times, such as the Butcher from a Necron storyline. I will be retroactively editing it so that it has been and will always be totally normal Eldar, who's massive exposure to the warp and corruption of the Hadex caused them to become the mentally deficient savages they encounter aboard the Haevus.

Similarly, I get a lot of comments referring to the difference between High and Low Gothic. This one I will not be changing as it was always intended, they simply refer to it as Gothic in shorthand. Rest assured Soelok is capable of speaking High Gothic, which will almost certainly come up in the future.

Melodramaticglassescharacter – You're the best man, and I will absolutely take you up on that offer, I've messaged you on your social media already but I just needed to say how awesome it was to hear from you. I hope we can work together for a long time to come.

To Taranov, Orakie, CamoMurf, and Carre (always a pleasure),

I sincerely enjoyed your appreciation of Marcus's 'French', I was really hoping that joke would land. Hope I can keep up interactions like that.

Monitor – I can certainly agree, the Milky Way will in no way be able to make Imperium Battleships by the time of the Reaper invasion. It is likely their guns will be capable of production, though the logistics of how much Imperium tech being used in the Reaper war has still yet to be decided.

FallenToHell – I enjoy writing about the interactions of both sides when introduced to new things, the culture shock is one of the best parts of crossovers like this. In general I will try to streamline most combat scenes, Shepard being a Vanguard makes that particularly easy and fun when its written. Though I wont gloss over every one, especially like you said when theres something new to interact with. It is difficult to answer your question about writing from Soelok's perspective, because his thoughts and mind are so alien to normal people that it would be difficult to truly put myself in his shoes rather than react to him, but it is certainly not off the table and planned for some of the next chapter. When it comes to the Arrivals changing 'too quickly' I completely agree. While it is difficult, I am committed to ensuring they do not abandon their beliefs and stigmas even when forced to work against them. That will endure for quite a long while, and any changes that happen will be exceedingly gradual.

Proffwyd – You may be the only person with a good word to say about Coda, and I appreciate it, know I'm not rewriting his character so much as improving it in specific instances, Marcus Coda is still going to be Marcus Coda, the untrained easily dispensable Guardsman trying to survive on an hourly basis. The important thing is that he has room to grow, and acts like a faithful son of the Imperium. I cant tell you what Coda will endure in the chapters to come, but he will need to earn his place.

Ghost – Klare is an Astropath, not a Navigator. Now Astropaths aren't particularly combat effective either, however that will be addressed when she comes into the fold properly. Also I promise the entire timeline will be coherently explained in the end, theres a reason for everything.

Phillibe – Your comment made me feel great, thank you. I'm still very inexperienced in Warhammer lore, though I'm getting more involved as time marches on. I hope I did the interaction between Soelok and EDI acceptably, it's the thing I took the longest on this chapter.

Patiflops2 – Thank you so much, I hope one day I can earn that, I hope this will continue to be at least the same length as MSTS

Rhinoabc – I addressed most of your other concerns already, but specifically regarding the population, put the question into google. 4 quadrillion is the number, it's what Im going to go with for the time being.

Finally, though I cant seem to find who wrote it, to the comment talking about scanning their weapons, I hate to be the one to say it but that's literally exactly how it works in the game. Look at Javik's particle rifle. Or any upgrades you find and replicate in ME2. You find it once and can instantly apply it to all squadmates. It wont be as fast in this story, but I will work within the boundaries of canon.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER

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