Chapter 51: Running Out of Time

Shepard stepped out of the shuttle, Thane at her right and Miranda at her left. Behind her, Legion and Lia waited for her to move forward. They'd brought the shuttle in as close to the entrance as possible, but they still had a bit of a hike ahead of them to reach the new Broker's offices, and Shepard wasn't looking forward to it at all. Still, she kept her face neutral and did her best to hold her head high and keep her shoulders back. Everyone on her team knew she'd taken a blow, though they didn't all understand exactly what was wrong with her, they all watched her with wary eyes.

She just wanted to get in, check on things, and get out. Torn between duty and Garrus, who remained in the Normandy's med bay, she sucked it up and started walking. A handful of guards, those lucky enough or smart enough to avoid her ground teams during the coup, swore themselves to Grundan Krul once the former Shadow Broker fell. If the change in regime bothered them, they didn't let it show in the slightest, nodding their heads at Shepard when her team finally approached the doors.

Fighting to keep her breathing steady, armor feeling as if it weighed three times more than usual, she made her way into the ship. Thane offered her his arm, making it seem like nothing more than her lover wanting to escort her, but she thought it probably had more to do with strain showing through on her face. She smiled at him, feeling grateful for the subtle offer of support, and looped her arm through his, letting him take a little of her weight. It would've been nice to leave her armor behind, but with things still settling into place for Grundan Krul, and with so many armed guards left over from the yahg's rule as Shadow Broker, she didn't dare extend that trust just yet.

Grundan Krul appeared on the security vid screen just outside the door. The faint smile on the, normally expressionless, batarian's face spoke volumes. "Shepard. Glad to see you're back on your feet. Come inside."

Flashing a smile at the screen, she nodded, stepping through the door when it slid open. She stopped, taking a minute to glance around the room, finding the room looking exactly as it did in the memories skittering through her brain—everything except the fact Grundan Krul stood at the far terminal instead of Liara. The door at the back of the room opened, and Feron walked out, gaze on a datapad in his hand. He glanced up, stopping in his tracks when he saw Shepard. After a tense moment, his gaze shifted to Grundan Krul, and he started walking again, making his way down the stairs and over to the batarian.

"What was that?" Jane asked, wariness creeping in around the edges of Shepard's consciousness.

"I'm not sure," Shepard thought, "let's find out."

Shepard started walking again, crossing the floor with her team to stand in front of Grundan Krul and Feron. Reaching out, she offered her hand to the new Shadow Broker, grinning when he accepted the gesture, taking her hand in his own to shake. "What have you learned?"

"I have a terminal over here set up for you with various reports," he said, turning to point at a console in the corner. "Information on the collectors, the Council, The Dissension … everything I thought you might be interested in that I've come across so far."

Jane let out a wistful sigh in the back of Shepard's head. "Well, he definitely works fast. Not Liara, but still …."

"Fantastic." Shepard gave him a quick nod, gaze shifting to the drell next to him and then back. "Any trouble settling in?"

Grundan Krul caught Feron's gaze and jerked his head toward the back of the room. Feron dipped his head, handing the datapad to his boss, and then he smiled politely at Shepard and the others before turning and walking away. They watched him until he disappeared back through the door he came in from.

Grundan Krul turned his attention back to Shepard and gave her a slight nod. "There hasn't been any problems. These people don't care who pays them, just so long as they're getting paid."

"Are you sure?" She arched an eyebrow. "Everyone else was loyal enough to die defending the old Broker and his ship."

"If they didn't, and we lost the fight, they'd be killed anyway—or tortured." He shrugged, just a brief upward twitch of his shoulder.

She sucked in a big breath and nodded. "Fair enough. So, Miranda suggested I should probably see if there's something you can do with your magic network to get Anderson released," she said and then smirked, "before I plan a jailbreak."

He jerked his head toward the terminal he pointed out a moment before. Raising an eyebrow, she glanced over her shoulder before making her way over to the terminal. As she walked away, she overheard Miranda asking him if he could acquire the items on her list.

Shepard activated the console and clicked on the first folder labeled 'The Council'. Skimming through the first file, her jaw dropped as she realized what exactly she was looking at. The horde of Shepards buzzed in the back of her head, making her jittery with excitement and anticipation. The Shadow Broker possessed a transcribed audio recording from the Council Chambers; mundane conversation at first—discussions of the active businesses on the Citadel—but then … then they began discussing the reapers.

Dear gods, Grundan Krul found her evidence the Council fully believed Sovereign wasn't a geth construct, but an ancient AI not only responsible for the downfall of the protheans but also intent on destroying organics for the next harvest. They debated the likelihood of their being other reapers, and if there were other reapers, whether or not they actually intended to attack the Milky Way, but clearly they believed Sovereign was one. The icing on the cake: they discussed their willful and intentional plans to hide the truth from everyone else.

With just the one recording, she could blackmail the Council into releasing Anderson if she decided to. She might even be able to work it so they dropped her charges, too. She'd be on their permanent shit-list, though, no matter what, and who knew what they might do in retaliation? Hell, it might even make matters worse, if it made them suspicious enough to start trying to connect the Shadow Broker to Shepard, and they succeeded, it might jeopardize the war efforts.

"So we leave the charges against you out of this. They're irrelevant right now, we need to focus on defeating the collectors." Jane's tone took on an almost reassuring tint. "We'll deal with the charges later, just like every other time. And just like every other time, when the reapers show up, they'll come to us for help."

"With everything going awry on the Citadel over Anderson and the mess with The Dissension, it's feasible the Shadow Broker would want Anderson released without it having anything to do with me," Shepard whispered, half to herself and half to Jane.

"Exactly," Jane said. "It'll just be seen as a political maneuver, not even really about Anderson, but humanity's representative on the Council."

Shepard opened the next file; another recording from the Council discussing Shepard's request to have the Council shut down the Alpha Relay and their decision to oblige her. The next file held images of Tevos meeting with Shepard and Samara along with a transcript of the conversation that took place during the visit, including once again, a confession that Sovereign was a reaper and the Council concealed the truth.

She stopped reading, she'd seen all she needed to see for the time being. The rest she'd have him forward to her, where she could read at her leisure back in bed at Garrus' side. Taking a deep breath, she glanced over her shoulder at Grundan Krul, flashing the batarian a shit-eating grin. One corner of his mouth twitched up in a half smile, and he started over to her, Thane and Miranda walking with him.

"Use it. Every scrap if that's what it takes. Get Anderson out of there." She shifted her weight to one hip and leaned against the console. "Forward this all to me, if you don't mind? I can't stay long, I need to get back to Garrus."

Grundan Krul nodded, moving to the console when she stepped aside. "How is he?"

Shepard sighed, taking Thane's hand when he held his out to her. "He's recovering. Dr. Chakwas seems optimistic about a full recovery, but he's still not moving around very well, and I'm fairly sure he's in more pain than he's admitting."

"Of course he is, hell, he probably learned it from watching us." Jane snorted.

Making a soft, throaty noise almost sounding like a laugh, Grundan Krul nodded. "Sounds like Archangel." Pulling an OSD from his pocket, he plugged it into the console. "There's a lot here, I'm putting it on OSD, but if I find anything else urgent I'll forward it to you. You know, there's probably enough here I can push to have your charges cleared, too."

The words 'do it'danced on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped, shaking her head instead. "It's too risky. The Shadow Broker pushing for Anderson's release is one thing, having the Shadow Broker push for both Anderson and myself … it'll make people suspicious … your information brokers … the Council. We don't want to give anyone any reason to link you back to me, or suspect there's someone different in charge here. I'll deal with it." She glanced at Miranda and Thane before turning her attention back to Grundan Krul. "For now, all that matters is easing the tension on the Citadel and getting humanity's leader back in the game. Things with The Dissension are making things bad enough, but with riots over Anderson's arrest … we need people focused on getting ready for war, not starting new wars. And if we're going to win this war, we need Anderson."

He turned his attention back to transferring data to the OSD. "Udina's replaced him on the Council. At least for the time being."

She sucked in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the metallic tang of recycled ship air and ozone. "Of course he has." She leaned against Thane, threading her arm through his. "We're going to go talk to Feron. I want to get a feel for him in this lifetime." She glanced around, realizing her party was two people short. "Where's Lia and Legion?"

"They've gone to the server room." Grundan Krul nodded his head toward the door they'd come in through. "Legion's transferring everything he has on the reapers and collectors to the system. In exchange, he's looking for everything the former Shadow Broker had on the geth and heretic movements."

Shepard nodded. "Good."

"If you don't mind, Commander," Miranda said, "I'll leave the two of you to speak with Feron. I want to read what we have on Cerberus while we're here so I know what to ask Grundan Krul to keep an eye out for."

"Sure." Shepard glanced at Thane, and the two of them made their way to the back where Feron disappeared earlier.

They found him standing in the video archives, screen opened before him playing a recording of two asari and a human—none of which Shepard recognized—talking together on the Citadel. He glanced over his shoulder as they approached before turning and stepping down from the archive. His gaze shifted from Shepard to Thane, dipping his head to the other drell as he came to a stop in front of them. She watched him, studying his every move, and she could tell Jane did the same.

Feron returned his focus to her and dipped his head again. "Shepard. I've been instructed to help you locate whatever information you ask for. Is there something I can help you find?"

She smiled and looked over her shoulder back toward the couch. "Actually, I just wanted to talk to you for a little while. If it's alright?"

"Oh." Feron gestured at the couches. "Of course."

"I'm told you locked yourself away and didn't join in the fight when my teams showed up," Shepard said once they'd settled onto the couch. "Care to tell me why that is?"

Feron scoffed, following it up with a light chuckle. "You mean besides not wanting to die?"

"He's not as … fragile," Jane said.

"Of course not, he wasn't tortured for two years," Shepard thought.

"I realize that, Dawn. I'm just saying because of this, he's not the same person. I'm not sure what to expect from him, and Garrus needs to know he can be trusted. We need to know." Jane sounded mildly annoyed at having to explain herself.

"Yes," Shepard said, letting her frank tone linger in the air for a moment. "I doubt anyone here wanted to die, yet most still fought or tried to flee. You did neither. You hid in a room and waited for my team to find you. Why is that?" She stared at him, holding him pinned with her gaze.

Feron shifted a little, pushing himself up a little straighter on the couch and he licked his lips. "I thought you'd be with them."

She arched an eyebrow. "You were hiding from me?"

He held out a conciliatory hand. "I was waiting for you."

"Waiting for you?" Jane shifted around, almost as if she tried to get closer to the drell. "Why was he waiting for you?"

Shepard leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "And why would you be waiting for me?"

"When you died, the collectors made an agreement with the Shadow Broker for your body. He learned Garrus Vakarian was also searching for you, so he sent me to try and find Vakarian. The Broker wanted me to lead Vakarian away from you while the Blue Suns secured your body for the collectors." Feron mimicked her posture, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands. "I was prepared to betray the Shadow Broker and help Vakarian get you some place safe, but by the time I arrived at his last known location, he'd already taken out the mercs and was on his way to Cerberus."

"Why did you plan to help Garrus instead of following your orders?" Thane asked, his voice all still waters and smooth silk.

Feron blinked, both sets of eyelids fluttering closed in apparent surprise. "The reapers, of course." He glanced at Shepard before turning his gaze back to Thane. "The Council may be officially denying their existence, but we know they don't truly believe Sovereign was a geth flagship. Every bit of evidence Shepard collected, her warning messages … the videos she sent out to her team when she knew …."

"When I knew I was going to die. Speak plainly, Feron." Shepard sat back and settled her hand on Thane's knee. "There's nothing you can say here I wouldn't tell Thane myself, if I haven't told him already. My squad is aware of Jane, and I have no doubts the Shadow Broker knew, too."

"Very well." Feron spread his hands and turned his attention back to Thane. "It all ended up in the Shadow Broker's archives. We know the reapers are real, we know they're on their way." He sat back, leaning against the couch cushion. "If the galaxy stands a chance against that threat, I think it's clear Shepard needs to be fighting the reapers and not laying dead on a slab, being subjected to whatever experimentation the collectors had in mind."

He paused, his lips parted to speak as he shifted his gaze from Thane to Shepard. "I can't say I believed everything you said in your videos, not at first, but Vakarian seemed determined to succeed where Dr. T'Soni would no longer be able to. He believed Cerberus could bring you back and you'd win this war. I thought if there was a chance he could be right, I couldn't stand in his way. And … I'm an information broker, human trafficking isn't supposed to be a part of my job."

"So, if you returned to the Shadow Broker empty handed, why are you still here? I doubt he was the forgiving type." A part of her wanted to add in the fact she knew exactly how unforgiving the old Shadow Broker was, having seen the memories of Feron strapped to a chair being tortured with electrical shocks, even then she fought to keep his pained groans from filling her ears and his body, arched in agony, from taking over her vision.

"It's the others, the one's you consumed." Bitterness seethed just below the surface, slipping free of Jane to settle into the pit of Shepard's stomach. "They're still fighting back somewhere inside of you … just not in here with the rest of us."

"My orders were to lead Garrus away, but he'd already succeeded by the time I arrived. I wasn't at fault, the Broker understood this. There was no actual betrayal for the Shadow Broker to learn about." Feron waved a hand. "He directed his anger at those who failed to defeat Vakarian and bring your body to him. I quickly made myself useful again, collecting information on Cerberus in an attempt to locate you. At least as far as he knew."

"And you're comfortable with what's happened?" Shepard swallowed, forcing the bile wanting to work its way up her throat back down. "The old Shadow Broker being killed and someone else taking his place?"

Feron spread his hands apart, turning his palms out. "Grundan Krul seems more than capable of filling the position—with help, of course. I get to keep my job, and help you prepare the galaxy for the arrival of the reapers."

"Well, he knows Grundan Krul's name, whether he learned through spying on us, or because Grundan Krul told him it doesn't matter." Jane sighed, her bitterness being replaced with an exhausted, cynical weight over Shepard's shoulders. "He knows, which means if he wanted to, he can reveal it to the galaxy, so we better damn well trust him if we want the Shadow Broker to stay in business and working for us. Who can say about the other's who stuck around?"

Shepard pushed herself to the edge of the couch. "Thank you, Feron. We're glad to have you as a part of the team." Rising to her feet, she extended her hand to the drell.

"We're trusting him?" Jane asked.

"We're trusting him," Shepard thought.

He smiled and stood, too, shaking her hand with surprising enthusiasm. "Thank you, Shepard. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask." Turning to Thane, he tucked his hands behind his back and bowed.

Thane returned the gesture before offering his arm to Shepard. She gave Feron one last smile before slipping her arm through Thane's. She let him lead her away from the other drell, back through the door, and down the stairs, supporting some of her weight as they went. Lia and Legion huddled together off to the side of the room, looking over a console, and Miranda stood with Grundan Krul still at the one Shepard vacated earlier.

"You're tired, siha," Thane said in a hushed tone as they made their way over to Grundan Krul. "Will we be returning to the Normandy now?"

"Yeah." She nodded and squeezed his arm. "Yeah, we're heading back."

Grundan Krul glanced over his shoulder as they approached and then turned to face Shepard fully, holding out an OSD. "I'll let you know as soon as I have word Anderson's been released."

She took the OSD from him and slipped it inside her armor. "Thanks, Grundan Krul." She held her hand out to him, letting go of Thane to grasp the batarian's upper arm with her other hand when he accepted the first to shake.

"No, thank you for trusting me with this, Shepard." He let go of her hand and gave her a half smile. "Take care of Archangel for me."

"You got it," she said with a grin. Turning her attention to Miranda, she said, "I'm ready to head back to the Normandy. Are you good to go, or do you need more time?"

"Ah." Miranda glanced at Shepard and paused, her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing. She started to reach for her omni-tool, no doubt to start scanning her patient, but stopped when Shepard glared at her in warning. "I'm ready whenever you are, Commander."

Jane left Shepard with the impression of a smirk. "You must look as shitty as you feel."

After calling Legion and Lia over, they began the trek back to the shuttle. Shepard needed to stop twice before they even made it to the ship's exterior, prompting more worried glances from Miranda. She waved the operative off with promises of letting her do her scans once they got away from prying eyes. Meanwhile, her team surrounded Shepard as she leaned against the walls, making quiet conversation about the Shadow Broker's use in the upcoming war, as if she had perfectly legitimate reasons to stop so frequently and take in the ship's design.

By the time they made it back to the shuttle, she found herself trembling with the effort to stay on her feet and keep moving. As soon as the shuttle door closed behind her, she collapsed into the seat and began fumbling with the clasps of her armor. Thane took over for her, releasing her from the weighted confines of her breastplate, while Miranda opened her scanner.

Gentle fingers stroked her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear and rousing her from sleep. She glanced around her, blinking away the fog in her mind. They were back on the Normandy, the shuttle door opened, James squatted in front of her, gathering up her discarded pieces of armor. Thane sat next to her, hints of worry creeping past the edges of his mask of constant calm. She smiled at him and shifted forward, pushing herself to her feet only to sway a little, but there he was, right beside her, his arm slipping effortlessly around her before lifting her into his arms.

She sighed and looked up at him. "I don't need you to carry me."

"Perhaps I want to carry you." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "It's far more appealing when you're not wearing armor and injured."

She snorted, but didn't press the issue, instead turning her attention to James. "There's an OSD in there I need. Mind taking the armor up to my cabin and bringing the OSD back down to med bay along with my laptop?"

He pushed himself up, juggling the pieces of armor until he got a secure grip on it all. "No hay problema, Ídolo."

"Thanks, James." She smiled, patting his shoulder as Thane turned around, stepping out of the shuttle.

He carried her to the elevator, James right behind them. Once inside, she told EDI to allow James into her cabin, and then laid her head against Thane's chest, soaking up his warmth and breathing in his scent. When the elevator stopped on the third deck, she made him put her down so the crew didn't see her being carried into the med bay. Still, he kept his arm around her waist until she laid down in the bed next to Garrus—who was awake, alert, and sitting up on his own.

"Hey." Garrus leaned over, a low growl of a grunt escaping him, and pressed his forehead to her temple. "You look tired." He hummed, sitting back against his pillows and settling a hand down on her knee. "How's Grundan Krul holding up as the new Broker?"

"He's kicking ass and taking names." She shifted her weight, looking for a comfortable position. "He's doing good. Real good. He's already pulled together a ton of information for me to sort through, and he's working on getting Anderson released."

Thane leaned over her, brushing her hair back before pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I'll be in life support if you need me, siha."

She smiled, turning her face up to him for a real kiss. "OK, love you."

"And I you." He kissed her, his lips warm and tempting against hers, before brushing the back of his fingers over her cheek and walking away.

After watching Thane leave the med bay, she glanced over at Kasumi sleeping in the opposite bed and then at Dr. Chakwas, back to them at her desk, before turning to Garrus. She kept her voice low, opting for curiosity over compassion, least he interpret it as pity and asked, "Jack been up to see you yet?"

His mandibles pulled in against his jaw and he gave her a curt shake of his head. "No."

Shepard frowned, clenching her jaw a little to keep her lips sealed. The med bay door slid open, James stepping inside with her laptop, making it easy for her to shift her focus away from the bullheaded woman hiding from her feelings under engineering.

The marine pulled over the bedside table, setting her computer down on it before sliding the foot of the table under the bed and adjusting it over Shepard's lap. "Need anything else, Commander?"

"Nope, I'm good for now." She patted his arm. "Thanks, James."

He nodded at her. "Anytime." Turning on his heel, he grabbed a chair and pulled it a little closer to Kasumi's bed before sitting down and opening his omni-tool.

Shepard opened her laptop and slid in the OSD. Garrus leaned a little closer to her, so she turned the laptop so he could more easily see and glanced at him. He definitely looked better, though she knew the bulk of his injuries weren't even visible on the outside. Still, seeing him move a little easier, the lively gleam back in his crystal blue eyes, it lifted a weight off of her shoulders and eased the tightness in her chest.

"He's going to be alright. He's strong, strongest person we know." Jane's love and faith in the turian sitting next to them demanded an outlet.

Shepard took his hand in hers, careful and gentle, stroking her thumb over the back of his knuckles. He smiled and squeezed her hand. Together, they started reading, making their way through the files on the OSD. They didn't spend too much time looking over the stuff on the Council or Cerberus and the Illusive Man, much of it she already knew, or just didn't help much.

Still, she forwarded everything about Cerberus to Miranda in case she wanted to look over it again and made a point of reminding herself to compare the list of coordinates to those she'd already received from EDI. The main thing of interest from the Cerberus file were those places marked as alternative locations where the Illusive Man spent time when not at the Cronos Station; they might come in handy down the road.

What really caught their attention were the files marked Collectors, The Dissension, and Shepard. Seeing a file labeled with her name proved too unnerving to ignore, so she started there. As Feron suggested earlier, the Shadow Broker had been paying special attention to her. Hell, he might've known more about her personally than anyone else; she found scraps of intel and photos going all the way back to her infancy. Granted, he probably didn't start gathering those things until she caused a ruckus over Saren, but still, it felt beyond disturbing to see her baby pictures in the mix.

"I don't think Saren was the trigger. It was something else you did, something you changed … or maybe learning about me, because he never had this much stuff on any of the rest of us." Jane let out a thoughtful hum. "At least not the Liara ever showed us."

"Liara would've showed you if it was there and she knew about it," Shepard thought while closing the file.

She'd seen enough to make her skin crawl, photos, grade cards, accommodations, things about the slaver attacks on Mindoir, her Alliance enlistment and career, her Spectre inauguration … all of it. She'd expected to find things about Saren and Sovereign, about her career even, and certainly the videos of her resurrection—Wilson would've sent them immediately behind Miranda's back—but the rest was just too … personal to deal with just then.

The file on The Dissension contained two folders. The first held the original list provided to the Council—with a confirmation Spectre Protalus sent the list initially. The second held a much shorter, but far more important list. It contained those names Grundan Krul already verified as definitely being involved with The Dissension. It listed names, ranks—and some of them seemed pretty high ranking—occupations, locations, and attached to each she found one form of evidence or another: photos, videos, audio recordings, business ledgers, and even personal correspondences. There was too much information to sort through in one sitting, and she felt the growing agitation pouring off of Garrus, so she closed the file for the time being. But damn it if Grundan Krul wasn't doing exactly what he'd been asked to do.

They only needed a couple of minutes with the file on the collectors for Shepard's blood to run ice cold in her veins. She'd seen it coming already, began connecting the dots when she heard they'd been sighted in the Attican Traverse, but she still thought they had more time.

"They're headed for Earth." Alarm filled Garrus' voice as he pieced it together, shifting on the bed next to her to sit up a little straighter.

"They can't. It's too soon. They can't possibly expect to take Earth yet." The panicked edge in Jane's voice did nothing to soothe Shepard's jangled nerves.

She looked up, finding both James and Dr. Chakwas watching the two of them with laser focus, the color drained from the doctor's face. Shepard took a deep breath, her lips a tight line and nodded. "The collectors are headed to Earth sooner than anticipated." Turning her focus completely to James, she waved him over. "Help me to my cabin, I need to make some calls."

He hopped to his feet before the words finished leaving her mouth, sliding the table out of her way and helping her stand.

"This can't happen yet! You can barely even stand, Garrus is on bed rest, and Kasumi's down, too." Jane inched her way toward a full on meltdown, forcing Shepard to start her breathing exercises. "We're already short three people with Grundan Krul acting as the Shadow Broker, and Tali and Kal are with the Migrant Fleet."

"I'm coming with you." Garrus' words drew her attention back to him, he struggled with the blankets, getting them pulled off of his lap and legs.

"Jane, stay with me here. We'll figure it all out. Tali and Kal said they'd join us again when we're ready to hit the relay," Shepard thought, pouring as much soothing tranquility as she could muster into her words. "I'll let Hackett know what's going on, and he can get the Alliance together to protect Earth. Just please keep it together, please."

If she expected Dr. Chakwas to argue, she'd be mistaken. The doctor pushed away from her desk and moved to Garrus' side, wordlessly unhooking his IV line and removing his monitors. Shepard shrugged James off and jerked her head toward Garrus. He frowned at her but didn't argue, moving over to help Garrus to his feet.

She picked up her laptop, holding it clutched to her chest and started walking, taking slow, measured steps toward the door. "EDI, get Admiral Hackett on vid-call for me. I'll take it up in my cabin."

EDI's blue hologram popped up. "Right away, Shepard."

"And tell Thane to meet us at the elevator." She took another deep breath, relief washing over her when she felt Jane pulling herself together.

"Very well, Shepard. Is there anything else I can do for you?" EDI asked.

"Uhhh, yeah." She lifted a hand to her brow, rubbing her thumb and fingers over the tense muscles in her forehead, trying to think. "Tell Joker to be ready to go as soon as I figure out where the hell we're headed to first, we're running out of time. Thank you, EDI."

"You're welcome, Shepard." The hologram collapsed in on itself and winked out of existence.

She took her time getting to the elevator. James, leading Garrus at her side, stayed between her and his ward, undoubtedly so he could grab her, too, if she started to sway. Thane waited for her next to the elevator, just as she asked, but when he saw her, he moved to her side and slid his arm around her waist.

He reached out, pushing the elevator call button with his free hand. "Is something wrong?"

She waited for the elevator to open and for everyone to get inside before she answered. "I finished looking over the files from Grundan Krul. The collectors are heading for Earth, now. I need to inform the Alliance, and we've got a list of confirmed members of The Dissension. I'm passing it on to Sparatus and Primarch Fedorian. I need to call Tali and see if she's ready to come back to the Normandy, we need to get moving on this. We need to get the reaper IFF and hit the relay." She glanced at Thane, catching the concern pulling at his features and softened her voice. "The war isn't going to wait for me to get back on my feet, Thane. This is my job, it's who I am. I can't sit this out."

"I know, siha." And with that, his face smoothed out, all traces of emotion vanishing completely.

"What's the word on the implants Miranda mentioned?" Garrus asked.

"I think she's having Grundan Krul help her gather what she needs so we can avoid dealing with the Illusive Man." She turned to him, holding his gaze and slowly shook her head. "But we can't afford to wait, Garrus. They're going to hit Earth."

Shoulders sagging, he dropped his gaze from hers. His mandibles fluttered, a helpless, hopeless sort of gesture, and he nodded his head. "I understand. If it were Palaven …."

The elevator door opened, and Thane urged her forward. EDI activated her cabin door, and it slid open just as Shepard stepped out, letting her head straight into her cabin. The display case, already darkened to form a screen, flashed with the words 'call holding'.

She set her laptop down on her desk and pulled out her chair. "Garrus, sit, please. EDI, connect the call."

The screen lit up, showing Admiral Hackett sitting at a desk, his gaze focused on the datapad in his hand. Shepard put her hand on Garrus' shoulder as he settled into the chair, the shuffling sound drawing Hackett's attention.

"Commander, it's good to see you. I wish it was under better circumstances. I heard the Council is looking for you on charges of treason, and Anderson's been arrested." Hackett set down the datapad and shook his head. "I know you realize reaching out to the Alliance while you're wanted by the Council is risky, so this must be damn important, and I owe you. What's going on, Commander?"

"Thank you, sir. You're right, this is damn important." Shepard saluted, raking her thumbnail across her forehead when the admiral acknowledged her gesture. "The first part of what I'm going to tell you needs to stay between you and I—well, you and the Normandy crew, obviously." She waved her hand, indicating those in the room with her.

He nodded, folding his hands together on the desk in front of him. "I'm listening."

She took a deep breath and then dove in head first. "The Shadow Broker has been replaced with someone of my choosing."

The admiral let out a low whistle, his eyebrows inching up his face. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me who?"

"No sir, but I have full confidence we can trust this individual to work in our favor and help us in the upcoming war. In fact, they already have." Shepard cleared her throat and shifted her weight, using her free hand to grip the back of the chair in front of her. "The new Broker is still sorting through everything, but they've found evidence strongly suggesting the collectors are moving to hit Earth, and fast. I think you need to evacuate the planet, sir."

"Shepard …" He leaned forward a little, holding her gaze. "... you're certain about this?"

She jerked her head in the affirmative before glancing over her shoulder. "EDI, please forward the information from my laptop regarding the collectors to Admiral Hackett along with all of the reported sightings we've collected so far."

"Right away, Shepard," EDI said, then a moment later she added, "The information has been sent."

Shepard turned her attention back to Hackett. "We'll be hitting the collector base as soon as possible, but I need to know while I'm striking them on that end, people back home are safe, Admiral."

"The message just came through. I'll go over what you have and get on the horn right away, Shepard." He let out a heavy breath and shook his head. "If the collectors have left the Terminus, maybe we actually have a chance of getting aid from the Council."

She snorted, lifting her hand in salute, and she didn't need to look over her shoulder to know James did the same. "Good luck with that, sir."

The corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. "Thanks, Commander. Hackett out."

The screen went dark, and Shepard glanced over her shoulder, meeting James' hardened gaze. The war hadn't even really gotten started yet, and already he looked more and more like the lieutenant in Jane's memories, the man being recommended for N7, and less like the reckless, young operations chief she met on Fehl Prime. She wondered, if when all of it was said and done, he'd still consider her to be his idol.

"EDI, can you try to get Sparatus and Primarch Fedorian on the line, please?" Shepard asked, tearing her gaze away from James. She squeezed Garrus' shoulder while they waited, and he hummed, lifting his hand to rest on hers.

"Former Councilor Sparatus is unavailable, Shepard, but I have Primarch Fedorian for you."

She nodded absently, she could fill Sparatus in later, Fedorian carried more clout anyway. "Patch him through, EDI."

"Commander Shepard," the older turian filling the screen said before his gaze shifted downward and his mandibles flared, brow ridge raised. "Garrus … you've been injured. Your father didn't mention anything when we spoke this morning."

Garrus chuffed. "I haven't spoken to him in awhile, but I'm sure you'll let him know. The Normandy's doctor is taking good care of me, Primarch, but we didn't call to discuss my recovery."

"Of course." Fedorian's gaze shifted back to Shepard, and his eyes narrowed, intelligent gray eyes taking in her tired face. "What can I do for you, Commander?"

Suddenly all too aware of the sagging of her shoulders, she straightened, pulling herself upright and lifted her chin. "I've acquired a list from the Shadow Broker containing the names of several high ranking turians confirmed to be a part of The Dissension as well as many others of lesser notoriety. The list sent to the Council is confirmed to have come from Spectre Protalus, and it's this list the Broker is sorting through, confirming what can be proven with evidence. I trust you will take the appropriate actions."

Fedorian leaned forward, his mandibles fluttering. "And in exchange for this list?"

"I'm not using the list as a bartering tool, Primarch. I want this mess cleared up as much as the Hierarchy does. EDI, please forward the list to the Primarch." Shepard shook her head, not waiting for EDI's response before continuing, "However, if the Hierarchy is interested in repairing any damages done by The Dissension with humanity, I have reason to believe the Alliance might very soon be in need of military assistance."

"Military assistance?" Fedorian's mandibles flared wide, his brow ridge hiking up again. "Commander, if this is about the collector situation, the Hierarchy can no more enter the Terminus Systems en masse than can the Alliance without provoking a war."

"I don't think that's going to be necessary, sir." She took a deep breath, feeling herself skating on thin ice, but threw caution to the wind. "If you want to help, contact Alliance Admiral Steven Hackett. Tell him I suggested you call, and ask him how you can assist."

After a moment of scrutiny, he gave her a slow nod. "Alright, Commander. I'll call him. Who else has seen this list?"

"I can't say with certainty, Primarch, but you are the first person outside of my crew I've shared it with." She waved a hand at nothing in particular. "I tried to contact Sparatus as well, but he was unavailable."

He hummed, a suspicious, thoughtful sound which seemed to make Garrus squirm in his seat. "You didn't take this directly to the Council?"

Shepard pursed her lips. "I thought it might be best to bring it to you instead."

Fedorian leaned back in his chair, one foot coming into view as he rested his ankle across the opposite knee. "I get the feeling there's something here you're not telling me."

She took a moment to weigh out the pros and cons of telling the Primarch the Council wanted her head on a platter, and in the end decided her transparency would win her far more favors than lying, and eventually he'd learn anyway. "The Council is currently seeking my arrest on charges of treason for failing to follow first contact protocol with a newly discovered species." The fact the turian Primarch didn't already know about her charges spoke volumes, though she wasn't entirely sure what those volumes held. "With all due respect to the Council, I have more important things to tend to right now than dealing with their trumped up charges because they're afraid they might need someone to point their finger at if things go sideways."

Silence stretched between them for long seconds before the Primarch finally spoke. "I see. I suppose this explains Councilor Anderson's arrest." He hummed. "I'll get in touch with Sparatus, he's been quite ardent about uncovering The Dissension and speaks highly of you." He chuckled when Shepard arched an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm aware it wasn't always the case. I'll be sure to leave your name out of my report to Councilor Quentius."

She let out a slow breath. "Thank you, Primarch."

He nodded. "Commander," he said before ending the call.

"Would you like for me to call Tali now, Shepard?"

Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache creeping in behind her eyes despite Jane's continued, calm silence. "Yes, EDI, thanks."

"Siha, you should sit." Thane's hand pressed into the small of her back. "Perhaps you can speak with Tali from the couch?"

She sighed but nodded. "Patch her through to my omni-tool, EDI."

"Very well. Patching Tali through now."

Shepard opened her omni-tool, already smiling by the time the quarian's mask appeared on her screen. "What's the news, Tali?"

"Shepard," Tali said, her voice starting strong before dropping, concern and confusion coloring her next words, "you look terrible. And—Keelah—what happened to Garrus?"

Shepard glanced over her shoulder at the turian being led down the stairs behind her. "We've had a rough time, but we're recovering." She sank down into the nearest seat of the couch and let out a sigh. "Listen, Tali, things are moving along faster than what we expected. We need to get the IFF and hit the Omega 4 relay soon. How are things going for the quarians—will you and Kal be ready to join us again soon? We're pretty beat up here, but we can't wait much longer, and we're going to need the extra guns." She laid her hand on Garrus' leg as James lowered him down on the seat next to her.

"We're on Rannoch now. Admiral Koris convinced the rest of the Admiralty Board it's safe to return home. Not everyone agrees, of course, many of our people are refusing and instead insist on keeping the Migrant Fleet together." Tali looked over her shoulder, and a moment later Kal appeared in the background. "Kal, come talk to Shepard with me. They need us back on the Normandy."

Kal moved to stand next to Tali, his attention directed at Shepard. "Commander, things aren't exactly stable yet here on Rannoch, but we're getting it there. The Flotilla is divided, but the majority are excited to return home. Admiral Koris has brought down a thousand civilian ships and five military ships to begin resettlement efforts. The geth, now that they know we're planning on reinhabiting Rannoch, are working around the clock to help us prepare. I don't think Tali and I are needed here; I'm ready to rejoin you whenever Tali is ready."

Tali shrugged. "You heard him, we're ready, Shepard."

"Excellent." Shepard glanced back toward EDI's access node, even though she couldn't see it from where she sat. "EDI, tell Joker to get us to Rannoch. We're picking up Tali and Kal."

"Locking in the coordinates now, Shepard."