"Just to be sure I have this straight" Joker asked incredulously. "You want us to attack a Batarian ship without the go ahead from the Alliance? And then you want to blow it up before anyone's the wiser? That about cover it?"

"Yes." Shephard sighed

"It's treason – a capitol offense." Kaiden muttered.

"Butchering slavers and finishing it off with a nice big explosion." Wrex nodded approvingly "Ah, that's my kind of mission. Count me in."

"I'm in too Shepard. You've taken the time to help each and everyone of us. It's about time we paid it back." Liara responded.

"I have concerns, but I'm with you Shepard. You haven't steered us wrong yet. And I don't think anyone could reasonably expect you to just sit on this information. I have one question though." Kaiden paused.

"Ask away."

"Does Anderson know?"

"In a sense. A ways back, we came to an agreement. If I were to learn which slavers were responsible for Mindoir, he wouldn't ask me not to act. His one request was that I leave him in the dark. Neither one of us ever expected her to be alive, but I know he'd understand."

"That's good enough for me."

"So long as all of you realize that while I take full responsibility, it can only go so far. If we're caught, you may wind up court-marshaled along side me." Shepard paused, taking the time to make eye contact with not only his squad but each and every crew member. They needed to understand the stakes, what they were risking.

A chorus erupted around him. "We've got your back commander."

Wrex merely snorted. "I'd like to see them try."

For the second time since taking command of the SSV Normandy, Shepard was moved by the loyalty with which the crew served him. The first occasion was during their desperate charge to Ilos, where they literally mutinied against the council and stole the frigate. Yet, there his crew was ready to serve, eager even. And now, with nothing to gain and their entire careers at stake, they were pledging to follow him once more.

"Joker? We can't do this without you. But I understand if it's asking too much."

"Damnit Shepard. I'm with you. Hell, I know what it means to have a baby sister. If slavers had taken Hilary, I'd have chased them down in the Normandy guns blazing - with or without the crew's approval. Just promise me you won't get caught. Flying is all I've got. I'm not losing my ship."

"I appreciate the risk you're taking Joker."

"Yeah whatever. So, do we have a boarding plan yet? Sure I can fly The Normandy right up next to the bastards but something tells me they might notice, given that she's, you know gargantuan. The pilot would spot us instantly, as would anyone else who looked out a window."

"I have a few ideas." The sly look on Shepards face practically screamed trouble. "Anyone remember the MSV Worthington?"

When Shepard originally relayed his strategy, Garrus could scarcely believe his translator hadn't glitched.

"You saved the MSV Worthington? You didn't report it found to The Alliance."

"Uh huh."

"By stowing it away on some asteroid?"

"In the Ming System, yeah. It's not like I could jump through a relay with the council crammed up my ass."

"How…. And why?"

"Always be prepared Garrus. For anything. Having a civilian ship marked missing by The Alliance would disguise us perfectly if need be. I figured it'd come in handy if The Council tried to pull a fast one on us while we were hunting for Saren."

"I'd call that an accurate prediction."

"Heh. Well, it wasn't like I could use it to get to Ilos. But this? It's perfect. The Batarians won't know what hit 'em. We'll seem like a helpless target seeking asylum. They'll welcome us with open arms thinking we're easy pickings."

"So, you commandeered a Kowloon-Class starship just in case and chose not to share this little scheme in an effort to protect us from the council's wrath in case we used it to wring Saren's neck?"

"Exactly. Plausible deniability. Of course, there would've been a high probability of being blown to smithereens, but given Saren was attempting to end galactic life as we knew it, the risk seemed nominal."

Garrus stared at the man in front of him. The turian could only hope to be half as capable a leader as this human someday. He always thought ten steps ahead. At first, his actions often seemed insane or purposeless. But there was always an intent behind his decisions that only time could reveal.

He stared out at the MSV Worthington, now hovering adjacent to the Normandy. Despite being abandoned for months on a barren asteroid, she was flight worthy. Even from this distance, he could make out a few dents & scrapes where debris had collided with the ship. Nothing noteworthy enough to jeopardize the mission, but sitting idle on a deserted mining asteroid had taken its toll. Shepard opted not to make any repairs, the damage would work to their advantage when it came time to convince the batarians they were merely stupid merchants limping towards their doom.