Notes:

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

FTL - Faster Than Light travel

Grá mo chroí - love of my heart (Gaelic)

Gráim thú - I love you (Gaelic)

Inanna - pinnacle of Asari blending, perfect unity of two spirits into one (from 'real world' Sumerian Goddess of Love, Fertility, and War)

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Kaffe - equatorial Thessian vine, the seeds of which are used to produce a non-alcoholic beverage of the same name, the taste described as a mix of coffee and chocolate (Thessian/Source: CDN)

QEC - Quantum Entanglement Communicator

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

XO - Executive Officer

Shattered Illusions

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 28 Dec 2188

The days immediately following Christmas were spent with family and friends… at least, as much as possible. Even though they still had guests, a potentially explosive conflict was looming in their immediate future, so there was some prep work that could not be postponed any longer. The day finally came when it was time to say their hopefully temporary goodbyes, their visit having ended with renewed vows from all those present to make the next year's visits more regular.

Immediately following their guests' post-lunch departure, both Shepard and Liara returned to work in earnest. As such, it was late and most of the house had settled in for the night when Liara queried quietly through the link. {Siame? I have finally finished my scheduling meeting with Lyessa. Are you about ready for bed?}

{In a bit, Li… Let me finish my drink and I'll be in.} Shepard swirled the single ice cube in her Bushmills 21 and stared into the fire, warmed more by Liara's comforting presence in her mind than by the flames before her.

Liara must have sensed her melancholy mood, as she responded quickly. {Drink? Where are you?}

{Our private study… aaand you're coming to join me… aren't you?}

{Of course, I am.} Shepard could feel the rumble of laughter in Liara's chest as she deepened their connection. {Did you honestly believe I would do otherwise?}

{Not really… but I couldn't yet sense exactly how tired you were when I asked that question.}

It was only a few moments before Liara sauntered through the doorway, heading wordlessly for the liquor cabinet in the corner. Fetching a tumbler, she opened the cabinet and withdrew a bottle of Akantha, pouring a small bit into the bottom of the glass before returning the bottle to its place and joining Shepard on the small loveseat before the fire.

She sighed softly as she sank into the cushion and leaned comfortably against Samantha's side. "It's our first real Christmas holiday… such as it is… in our home, and I am not so tired that I'd give up on getting to snuggle with you for a bit before bed, for whatever reason." She took a sip of her drink and closed her eyes, asking quietly, "What's wrong? You've been shielded for much of the evening. I am hoping it was simply so you could focus on work… and not because you are upset with me for holding a business meeting with Lyessa during what little remains of our holiday?"

"Of course not, Li. I realize there are always some things that need to be done." Shepard huffed softly. "And nothing's wrong… not really." Pulling her arm free from where Liara had pinned her to the couch, she draped it over her Ionúin Álainn's shoulders and pulled her close. "It's just the holiday being over already… and my conversation with Mom. Christmas always makes us think of family, and our chat naturally made my thoughts drift to my father… and then to your mother… and then to us – both with parents gone much too soon." She paused to take a sip of her drink. "I'm just tired of things I can't control taking away the people we care about."

"Oh, Samantha," Liara whispered. "Unfortunately, that's the way life is… and, as sad as it seems, it is only proper that children outlive their parents, be it by a little or by a lot. Yet, while life goes on without their physical presence, they are always with us in spirit… Just like your father is with you now, and my mother is with me; they are forever a part of our memories, and it is our duty to make them a part of our children's lives, by keeping their stories alive."

"You're right, of course." Shepard smiled softly and gave her bondmate an extra squeeze. "I think, perhaps, what it really comes down to is that I'm simply tired of war… and all the death that comes along with it."

"Goddess, I should hope so! Those who aren't must have something wrong with them, Sam. And, with any luck, once this Quarian affair is dealt with, the galaxy will finally settle full swing into the war recovery and give us some time… maybe even a lot of time… to relax and regroup before the next major crisis pops up." Liara finished off her small helping of Akantha and stifled a yawn. "Right now, however, I would be content with a single, undisturbed, night of sleep… cuddled up next to the love of my life and held securely in your arms; that is my true holiday wish."

"That, Grá mo chroí, is most certainly a wish well within my power to grant." Shepard gave her an adoring smile and kissed her cheek. Suddenly removing her arm from around the Asari's shoulders, Samantha stood and turned, holding out an inviting hand. "And there's no time like the present."

An affectionate smile crossed Liara's face as she reached up to accept the assistance. Grasping her hand, Shepard pulled her bondmate quickly to her feet and touched their foreheads together, wrapping her in a tender embrace as she whispered, "Gráim thú, Liara T'Soni… more than I ever imagined possible. Thank you for being in my life."

"You are most welcome, Sam." Nestling her head onto Shepard's shoulder with a happy sigh, Liara was content to remain in the comforting embrace until her Anam Cara was ready to release her… even if it lasted all night.

Catching the thought though the link, Shepard chuckled, "I don't believe that possible, Li… at least not here. Like you, I'm ready to crawl off to bed and sleep with you in my arms." Grinning, she pushed back. "And leave the tumblers; I'll get 'em to the kitchen in the morning."

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 31 Dec 2188

The last few days of December had been stressful, and it showed in the way everyone acted at the New Year's Eve party, which was overshadowed by a subtle atmosphere of an all-too-familiar feeling of desperation. Knowing the next day would be busy, a good number of the partiers had turned in before midnight, Shepard and Liara included.

Liara woke, unsure of what had disturbed her sleep. Sensing Shepard was also awake, she immediately rolled over and placed her head on Samantha's shoulder, seeking comfort, and began to caress her lover, trailing her hand across toned abs as her fingers moved in a generally downward direction toward her target.

"Liara… don't, please."

The Asari's hand froze in place as she suddenly detected the troubled undertones of Shepard's words filtering through the link. She immediately straightened her fingers and placed her hand gently on the woman's abdomen; sitting up, she attempted to peer down into Shepard's emerald eyes, but her bondmate wouldn't meet her gaze. "Samantha? What's wrong?" Liara didn't really need Shepard to explain aloud but felt compelled to give voice to the concern she saw etched in her siame's face… and felt through the link. "You're troubled by this upcoming confrontation."

Shepard sighed and opened her eyes, the moisture coating them glistening in the light of the moon shining in through the sheer drapes hanging across the bedroom's balcony doors. "No fooling you, is there? Not with the link." She placed her hand atop Liara's and caressed it slowly as she attempted to swallow down the lump forming in her throat. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, because I'm right there with you." Liara's face held a sorrowful frown. "But I can only sense your uneasiness; you're shielding your specific thoughts from me… which is more worrying to me than anything else at this particular moment."

"That's because I don't want you to see the shadows of the nightmare that woke me…" Shepard reclosed her eyes and sighed. "But that is a completely hopeless desire on my part… because I know you'll see it eventually." Her eyes opened and finally met Liara's, her thoughts flooding through as she dropped her barriers.

Liara gasped as what she saw and felt; Shepard, kneeling on the deck of a ship as she peeled back the facemask of a dead Quarian… Tali. Grasping Shepard's hand, she whispered vehemently, "No! That will not happen! Goddess! Why would you even dream such a thing?"

"As was proven by the Prothean Beacon, I can't exactly help what I dream, Li." Shepard swallowed again as Liara tightened the grip on her hand with the unwanted memories that suddenly surged forward. Sam shook her head, confused by how she felt, so tried to explain. "The Reaper War was different. The husks were a different kind of enemy… soulless, enthralled and dominated by the machines that controlled them. I hate to admit it but, emotion-wise, they were easy to kill. The Quarians… well…"

The Spectre's voice turned angry. "Damn it! They're supposed to be our allies, Li, but I know Gerrel and Xen; they are going to make us kill them. I also realize some of the soldiers, hopefully most of them, are like Len'Dazza and don't want to be doing what they're doing. But they aren't being given much of a choice – no more so than the Reaper-controlled hordes. How many innocent Quarians are we going to be forced to kill in the process? How many of the rest of us are going to die in this stupid conflict?"

"Oh, Shepard." Liara pulled her hand away to reach up and gently stroke the woman's cheek. "We have to hope the negotiators can talk some sense into them, come to some peaceful agreement." It was Liara's turn to sigh. "I know that's likely too much to expect, but there is always a chance."

"A slim chance, at best." Shepard closed her eyes again as she choked out, "But I have a terrible feeling we've used up all our luck, Liara. I've got a rock sitting in my gut that just won't go away… and I'm used to trusting my gut."

"Hey." Liara clasped her chin and ordered, "Shepard. Look at me."

Haunted green eyes opened and looked reluctantly into the surprisingly crystal-clear blue orbs above her. Liara met her gaze and smiled lovingly as she continued, "What was it you said to everyone earlier regarding your rule to live by for the upcoming year? Live like there is no tomorrow, so that you have no regrets should it become truth?"

Shepard blinked and a small, hesitant grin crept onto the edges of her mouth. "Yeah… that's pretty much the gist of it."

"Take your own advice, Samantha." Liara placed a light peck on Shepard's lips. "We have no idea what tomorrow will bring… and I do not want to go into this fight having denied ourselves a final night together. I would rather spend it in the joy of our love. We are not fighting yet, so push the war to the side until its time comes. Use the strength and love of our union to firm your resolve to win this war. Remind yourself of our perseverance… the power our love has already demonstrated… to pull us through the most impossible of battles."

She kissed Samantha again, a bit longer and, this time, however tentatively, her bondmate kissed back. "We are very much alive, Shepard, against all the odds that have been thrown against us… And I very much intend to remain that way so we can have children and grow old together." Her eyes darkened as she pleaded, "Our story is not yet written, Siame… Join with me now and help to write another chapter."

Shepard felt the familiar comfort of her Ionúin Álainn's mind surrounding her and she opened herself up, unable to deny Liara's desire. The flames in Samantha's core came alive, were sated, and then subsumed as their inner world turned into the beautiful, fiery swirl of velvety teal Inanna. Sam and Liara slowly drifted off into their united bliss, all thoughts of the not-so-distant war far, far away as they held onto each other in peaceful sleep, well into the next morning.

Knight Shade, T'Soni Country Estate Docks, Thessia – 1 Jan 2189

The Lake Bisel Blasters, the Armali team, were playing the Ulessian Ogres. But, following their night of celebrating the new year, what should have been a day spent in relaxation while catching a game of skyball had been spent packing and completing final preparations for the Knight Shade's departure, scheduled for early the next morning. Even so, Liara had a scoring stream running on her omnitool and Shepard would occasionally hear her either groan or quietly whisper, "Yes!" depending on who scored. Shepard had to laugh when Liara finally threw her hands up; only the huge smile on the face of her Ionúin Álainn told her the action was caused by the thrill of victory instead of the agony of defeat.

"Pulled it out in the end, did they?" Shepard casually asked, knowing little about the game.

"Yes… but not by much! They should have done so much better…" Liara paused as her expression turned forlorn. "But all the teams have had significant changes in personnel since the war, so I guess I can't honestly say that now. I haven't had much time to follow the new team recruits, so I don't truly know how we compare anymore."

"But they're still our home team, so it doesn't really matter, does it?" Seeing the change her words made in her bondmate's demeanor, Shepard grinned and continued, "They won this one… and we'll still support them, no matter where their season record leaves them. You're obviously not one to give up on someone easily."

Smiling, Liara walked over and ran a hand softly down her siame's arm. "Thank you, Samantha, for reminding me of that… because you're absolutely correct. You are living proof that I do not."

"And I thank the Gods every day for that!" Back to business, Shepard glanced at the checklist she was working through. "I'm also thankful that… I think… I'm done. How about you?"

"I have to admit I was a bit distracted by the game…" Liara paused, blushing, with an embarrassed smile crossing her lips as she continued, "… but Riana picked up on it and helped me out, so I'm not as far behind as I should be based on my own lack of focus."

Closing down her omnitool, the Spectre grinned at her XO and asked, "Seeing as I just so happen to have some free time, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, actually, there is…"

Destiny Ascension, Tassrah, The Phoenix Massing – 3 Jan 2189

Tevos stood quietly for a moment, standing with the rest of the equally irritated welcoming party in the hangar bay, as she hid her emotions and inconspicuously seethed at the audacity of the Quarian admirals. In a tight, controlled tone, she finally spoke to the unknown person standing before her. "What is the meaning of this? Where are Admirals Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen?"

The envoy smirked and replied, "Certainly you didn't honestly expect them to attend in person? To put themselves at your mercy, aboard the Council flagship, and risk immediate incarceration, ending this negotiation before it ever honestly had a chance to start, did you?"

Councilor Valern frowned. "Of course, we expected them in person! We have come here looking for peace and their attendance would have been a display of trust… trust that is apparently lacking!"

"And you brought luggage." Noting the shipping crate beside the envoy, Councilor Quentius inquired suspiciously, "Did you plan on staying aboard for the duration of the negotiations?"

"Not at all. This is a triple-node point-to-point conferencing communications device designed by Admiral Xen, so she and Admiral Gerrel can attend 'in person' as you so desire… only, holographically."

Matriarch Lidanya answered immediately, "Out of the question. Put that device back aboard your shuttle and get it off my ship… immediately, or I'll throw both you and your device right out into space without the convenience of your pressurized transport." She looked to Tevos and continued, "They won't attend in person, yet they expect us to simply trust this isn't some type of device designed to incapacitate or kill the Council? As Captain of this vessel, I refuse it! Will you countermand me?"

Tevos shook her head slowly. "No, I will not." Looking back to the envoy, she continued, "So, that device will be removed from the Destiny Ascension without delay. Then, as I am certain you came here with the appropriate contact protocols, once we get to the conference room you will give them to my systems technicians so we may establish direct visual communications with your admirals."

The first cracks in his otherwise calm demeanor began to show, and the envoy began to fidget anxiously as he asked, "And if that option was not included in the Admirals' plan, and I do not?"

Tevos' eyes narrowed and her voice turned glacial as she replied, "Then you will be correct in your assumption that this negotiation will end before it ever has a chance to begin… and you will be detained as our very first prisoner of war."

Nervously clearing his throat, the envoy answered quietly, "No need to do anything quite so hasty, Councilor. It was just a question."

"To which she has provided an answer… And yet the order that you have neglected to follow remains." Lidanya made a gesture and a commando on her left lifted the Quarian communications device with her biotics and, before the envoy could object, tossed it through the environmental barrier out into space. Watching the case slowly tear itself apart as it passed into zero atmosphere put a satisfied scowl on the matriarch's face. She then returned her cold gaze to the envoy. "Now. Think very carefully about how you answer my next question, as you will only have one opportunity to respond. Do you, or do you not, have the necessary contact protocols for this negotiation?"

Even behind his mask, they could see the envoy had paled significantly, mostly due to the tingling sensation on his skin, which he instantly knew to be the start of a biotic field. He answered directly, without hesitation. "Yes, Matriarch Lidanya, I do."

First giving the ship's commander an appreciative nod, Tevos glared at the envoy. "Then let us move past all this ridiculous posturing and get to the business at hand, shall we?"

"I truly don't see your position as one of leniency. You arrived here with a full battle fleet and then treated my envoy like a criminal, Councilors." It was abundantly clear by his tone that Han'Gerrel vas Neema was none too pleased when the Destiny Ascension and a good portion of the Council battle fleet appeared through the relay… particularly with the manner in which their chosen envoy had been 'welcomed.'

Surprisingly, it was not Tevos, but Eri'Addan vas Rannoch who responded. "And just how are we supposed to approach you, Admiral Gerrel? After you have obviously gone pirate, ransacking Turian colonies and ships at will. By the ancestors, how exactly are we supposed to respond to such villainous acts?"

"Those attacks were not of my making," Gerrel snorted. "Do you have even one shred of evidence…"

He was rudely cut off by Quentius. "That's a complete lie and you damned well know it! Don't you dare attempt to insult our intelligence or make this situation any worse for yourself by lying about what you've been doing!"

"Please." Tevos stood up from her chair to ensure garnering everyone's attention before glaring unhappily at the screen. "However abrasive Councilor Quentius' approach, he is correct, Admiral. We have been monitoring your actions for some time now."

Speaking quickly, Valern interjected. "Yes, yes. We've had you under surveillance… long enough to know you gained possession of the Andromeda Project cast-offs… and to catch you in an act of piracy at Edessan… immediately following the Huli's dispatch from the Neema on your orders! Please, do not embarrass yourself again by denying it."

Disgusted, Gerrel sat back in his chair. "Alright… I'll admit the Huli departed the fleet from the Neema… but it was by Daro'Xen's command; she's the one with the new toys. I and my soldiers are perfectly content with the issue rations… It is Xen who is out of control and directing these so-called acts of piracy. If you had bothered to look a bit deeper before jumping to conclusions, you'd also find that I had issued a stand-down order… and she launched the Huli anyway. Also, as soon as I found out about the attack, I declared Martial Law, so she couldn't do it again."

"You worthless Pyjak!" Urdnot Jara snarled. "Do you honestly expect us to believe that wretched worm you call Xen did anything without your approval… when you have the entire Heavy Fleet at your command? You think us idiots?" She leaned forward eagerly, her beady red eyes zeroing in on the figure on the screen. "You are a sniveling coward! First, you refuse to come here in person, and now you are trying to use a female as a shield for your acts of piracy! The least you can do is admit you had the quads to attack the Turians! That, I could respect!"

"I didn't answer your summons because I'm not a fool… and this is no negotiation." Gerrel crossed his arms in disgust. "This is a trial, assuming it can even be called that, since each of you already seem to believe me guilty. It's more like a sentencing and you're simply giving me the opportunity to plead my case before you decide the severity of my punishment." He uncrossed his arms and sat forward, asking, "Are any of you willing to admit to that?"

With a sigh, Tevos was the one who answered. "You are most likely correct. I will not say that arresting you and Daro'Xen was necessarily our intention when we began planning this intervention. But I must confess, the evidence that has been brought forth since we realized who was conducting the raids…"

"Is rather damning, even to me… one of your own," finished Eri'Addan. "So, the choice is yours, Admiral. You and Admiral Xen can turn yourselves over to meet Quarian justice…"

Jara didn't let him finish, an eager glint in her eye. "Or we can do this the hard way… which, in good Krogan fashion, will be a whole lot more satisfactory from my perspective!"

Gerrel stared into the screen in stony silence for a few moments before finally answering, "I can't make that decision on my own. I need time to call together all my Captains and ship representatives to conduct a Conclave. Give me one solar cycle."

Tevos leaned over and chatted quietly with Eri before answering, "There is not enough to discuss to warrant that amount of time… The choice is simply between you and Xen turning yourselves over, or us destroying the Quarian Heavy Fleet… an expense the Quarian people on the homeworld should not have to bear… again… after so recently rebuilding the Fleet following the Reaper War."

"It is not as simple as that and you know it," Gerrel growled. "The real question is the Geth… a topic which you have so carefully avoided."

"You mean the SILC?" prompted Eri.

"Exactly my point." Gerrel's expression held a sarcastic smile. "This whole charade isn't about piracy at all. It's really about the fundamental question of property… Property which Shepard stole from us and won't let us take back now that she's done with it."

"No!" Tevos displayed unusual anger in her abrupt answer. "You lost any claim on the Geth when they began to develop sentience and subsequently earned their independence in the Morning War."

"They committed genocide!" shouted an irate Gerrel. "They took our homeworld, destroyed our colonies… They nearly killed us all!"

"But they didn't." Eri'Addan remained the calmest of them all, having lived with these stories his entire life. "To set the record straight for the purposes of this conversation, it was us who tried to kill them, first… and even then, all they did was push us out of the system. They purposefully abandoned pursuit and let us leave... even when they had the upper hand and could have easily chased us down… destroyed the entire Flotilla. We attempted to kill them all, yet they did not repay us in kind."

With Eri's demeanor soothing her ire, a calmer Tevos added, "Not to mention your violation of the ban on creating AI to begin with, which resulted in the loss of your embassy and any standing you had within Council Space. Once the Geth became sentient, you had no more claim over them than anyone has on the Batarians… or the Rachni… or any other race we haven't gotten along with over the course of history. You may not like them, but you can no longer own them… ever."

Before the rebel could say anything else, Eri'Addan vas Rannoch issued the deadline. "You have exactly six hours to render your decision to the Council, Admiral Gerrel. Not one second more." He then reached up and terminated the call.

"Huh," Quentius huffed in disgust. "That went well, don't you think?"

Knight Shade, Tassrah, The Phoenix Massing – 3 Jan 2189

"Shepard?" Traynor activated her mic again and continued, "Councilor Tevos is waiting on the QEC in the communications room for you. She doesn't sound very happy."

"Tell her I'm on my way, Traynor." Shepard glanced over at Liara and stood from the table in the dining area, where they were having tea and Kaffe, awaiting the news that was, apparently, about to arrive. "Shit. That doesn't sound promising."

Liara smiled hopefully. "We'll never know unless you answer the call, Shepard." Looking calmly down at her omnitool, she opened her communications interface. Though her heart felt like it was about to rip itself in half, her voice was steady as she continued, "But, just in case, I'll issue the team alerts."

Samantha reached over and wrapped her hand softly around Liara's bicep and gave a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Li… but hold off just a bit. Open our link and I'll alert you if you need to make those calls." Her eyes dropped only briefly before coming back to the edgy, yet determined, gaze of her bondmate. "It's not like we didn't see this coming."

One final, quick flex of her fingers on Liara's arm and Shepard turned and walked resolutely to the lift, quickly tapping the interface for Deck 2; striding off the elevator, she hastily made her way through the war room, leaping up the four steps on the far side as she hurried the final few paces to the QEC interface. "Councilor. My apologies for keeping you waiting."

"Shepard…" Tevos stopped after that single word and shook her head, looking down with a sigh. "I am afraid I do not bear good news."

"Nothing we didn't expect, Tevos." Shepard offered up an encouraging smile. "Tell me what happened."

As Tevos relayed the poor results from the discussion, Shepard cursed under her breath. "Gods be damned, Rae! Certainly, he has to see the entirety of the Council Fleet arrayed in the space around him… including the SILC and any number of Spectre vessels."

"Of that, there is no doubt, Shepard." She didn't make eye contact and her eyes darted nervously around as she added, "And, honestly, he didn't seem in the least bit anxious. I will admit, that has me a bit more unnerved than anything else he may have done."

"Me too," Shepard scowled. "What in Hell does he have up his sleeve, if the entirety of Council power sitting outside his viewport doesn't have him worried?" Her forehead wrinkled in thought and she asked, "And Xen never made an appearance the entire time?"

"No, she did not. According to Gerrel, the Fleet is under Martial Law and she has been restricted to quarters."

"Restricted to quarters, my ass," Shepard growled. "They're up to something and, whatever it is, it can't possibly be good. Tell me you called to activate the infiltration teams… to be ready for whatever it is they're planning."

"I am, Shepard." Tevos' head bowed as she whispered, "I truly am sorry to be forced to ask this of you, Samantha. You deserve better from us all."

Shepard smiled with understanding. "I know, Rae… but we all deserve better than this petty infighting… not just me." She drew a deep breath and blew it out quickly, standing up straight and throwing her shoulders back as she tapped Liara via the link. "So, Councilor. When do we deploy?"

Tevos picked up on the change in attitude and gave an appreciative nod to the first Human Spectre. "As soon as you can notify Commander Williams and have your teams ready. Make the arrangements and let me know your launch time."

"That's easy, Councilor; we both already have our teams on standby. Less than thirty minutes from call up to stepping out the door." She lifted her arm and focused on her chrono. "Launch time will be 2115 hours unless you hear differently from me within the next five minutes."

"Understood, Spectre." Tevos squared her own shoulders and raised her head as a sign of confidence in the results of the upcoming confrontation. "Pass along my thanks to the entire team… and go with the Goddess, Shepard."

Moreh, Phoenix Massing, At Large – 3 Jan 2189

Xen watched in disgust as her greatest invention to date crumbled apart in the void of space. The device had been created by pure luck to begin with, but her quick recognition of what had happened had enabled her to stabilize… an unnatural three-set of separated quantum-entangled particles. Every bit of research completed previously to that event had indicated it was impossible… but, at some point in history, FTL space flight had been thought of the same way.

In truth, the device was extremely unstable… and that was exactly what Xen had been counting on. She had tested it multiple times and the end result was always the same; after roughly ten minutes of use, the hydrogen atoms in the area immediately surrounding the device would begin to get excited… very excited. Based on the power generation curves, she had determined that after fifteen minutes, the reaction would become irreversible.

She grinned at the thought of what would… what could have happened, had they not cast the device from their ship. The plan was amazingly simple in execution. The Asari love their water. The Destiny Ascension held a number of parks and recreation areas… including lovely pools of crystal-clear water… all of which evaporate into the air and keep the ship's humidity level much higher than your average starship. When the particles within the device had become excited enough, after maybe five or ten minutes of use, it would have sparked a hydrogen reaction – not enough to destroy the Ascension, but certainly powerful enough to kill whoever was standing closest, and likely severely injure anyone else within the same compartment.

Her grin shifted quickly to a scowl as she got to the part in the story that gave the first indication of their future destruction. She didn't even know his name, but the envoy had no idea what it was that he truly carried, and now it didn't matter. He had failed. Now, that war-mongering idiot Gerrel had also failed and they had six hours to enact their back-up plan – one which, without the death or, at a minimum, the incapacitation of the Council, was likely doomed to failure. Disgusted, she turned to her Bridge crew. "I will not be arrested and tried like some common war criminal. Begin Operation Fury."

The time had come. Shepard fired the boosters on her jetpack and rocketed toward the underbelly of the Quarian ship – Grunt, Hailot Jatok and the rest of her team following close behind. She knew the Blackwatch squad was doing the same, on the opposite side of the ship and a bit farther aft, as the two port and starboard engineering maintenance hatches they were using for access were offset by nearly ten meters. Spinning and landing softly, she gave Harley Creath, her fellow N7, the go ahead.

Harley immediately set to work, using his N7 infiltration training to bypass the hatch safety while his electronic decoder worked on the entry cypher; in less than two minutes, the hatch was open, and the team began to work their way inside.

Blackwatch was mere seconds behind on their own entry. The team members entered first and, as the last of his team slipped into the ship, Captain Vidinos turned to Spectre T'Dura and gave her a nod. By far, the Turians had the most difficult… and hazardous… part of the mission; they would draw attention away from the primary teams, so Shepard could reach the Bridge and the infiltration team could get to engineering and shut down the Moreh's power and weapons.

Moises nodded in return and set her chrono for a silent three-minute countdown. She knew Blackwatch was a distraction team, but the job was key to their final victory. If everything else went south, their… distraction… would become critical. Blackwatch was to target the Moreh's secondary eezo core, which powered the artificial gravity and life-support. With over two-thousand souls on-board, the Quarians could not afford to ignore the Blackwatch attack and would be forced to dedicate their limited Marine force to restore operations to that secondary core. If they don't, that distraction will kill them all… faster than Shepard or I ever could.