From Ashes
Chapter Nine: Words and Actions

A/N: Sorry for the lateness on this chapter, everyone. I've been sidetracked by another project that I'm posting on this site :) Regardless, here is chapter nine :) Cheers!


The conversation about Elanos Haliat stayed with Shepard for a time; even after she and the councilor had parted ways to speak to different people. It was a shame that he had survived their encounter in his camp outside the mine. How he had gotten off world was irrelevant. If he was out there, and their paths did indeed cross again, she would be ready. For now however, one memorial was ending and another was due to begin within the next few minutes. Alliance marines and biotics who had known Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko were preparing to celebrate his life down in the wards at the newest nightclub, Flux. Shepard and her crew had left the embassy lounge and were walking the streets near the entrance to the bar and casino that Doran ran.

"Interesting woman, Benezia." Garrus commented as they stopped just outside the entrance. "Never would have pegged her for a council prospect."

"Oh yes." Liara nodded with a half smile. "She was asked a few times to join the other councilors, but she openly refused. She said she could do more for her people and for the galactic community as a whole without the confines of the Citadel."

"She was right." Wrex added. "She gave us a lead on Saren. Without that, we might not have known where he was headed."

"True." Liara nodded. "You know, she did attempt to bridge the proverbial gap between the asari and krogan; a difficult task after the genophage was deployed."

"I heard rumors about that." Wrex looked almost thoughtful for a moment. "Never heard who was behind it or how the negotiations went."

"They didn't. One of the warlords she was meant to meet with staged an ambush. She and several of her followers were prepared and neutralized them."

"Ha!" Wrex let out a short bark of laughter. "Had a quad, she did. Too bad. My people were angry at just about everyone after the deployment of the genophage, or at least we were after we realized what it was. It isn't surprising that he was a backstabbing bastard, though. Most of them are."

"Somehow I doubt you are, Wrex." Shepard quipped. "Judging by what you tried to do for your people before your father intervened, I'd say you'd be a good influence on the krogan."

"Problem is getting any of the idiots to listen." Wrex muttered. "That's the first part of the challenge. I accept it though. Hell, someone's got to do something. We'll all die out if they don't."

"Commander, there you are." A voice broke through the general hum from within the nightclub ahead. Charles Pressly stood with Greg Adams, Karin Chakwas, and…

"Joker?" Ashley exclaimed. "What dragged you away from the helm? Didn't think you were much for… other people."

"Yeah." Joker nodded while leaning up against the wall carefully. "Figured since this was for one of our own, might as well show up. Kaidan was a good guy; a little serious sometimes, but still."

"Serious like when you were talking about Nihlus?" Shepard laughed as she said it. She had been listening to them carry on about the turian spectre aboard the Normandy before their shakedown cruise to Eden Prime.

"Yeah. He was so… I dunno… stiff about it. I was uneasy about the guy being aboard the ship, that's all." Joker's tone suggested frustration, but his expression was good natured. "Afterwards, we had a good laugh about it, but yeah."

"Hasn't started yet, has it?" Shepard questioned her XO who shook his head.

"Not yet." Pressly looked back at the Alliance personnel that were already in the bar. "I think they were hoping that you might say something. Just the way they're waiting around…"

"Fair enough, I suppose." Shepard resigned herself to speaking on the lieutenant's behalf. He deserved it. As soon as she was on the floor in the bar, people started noticing. Some turned n their seats to look while others crained their necks at tables. Regardless, eyes were all on her as Shepard made her way toward the bar and Doran.

"Big crowd." The volus greeted as Shepard, Ashley, Wrex, and Liara approached. Garrus and Tali had hung back to speak witH Adams and Pressly. "Hated to hear about the lieutenant." He paused to take in a breath before continuing. "Always pleasant when he was here."

"They're here for him." Shepard clarified. "All of these people are here to pay tribute to his memory."

"First round's on the house, then." Doran offered, and the bar erupted in cheers.

"Nice touch." Ash commented as the volus started working with various bottles; people calling out random drinks in the background. "Really knows how to do business."

"No kidding." Shepard agreed, and she leaned back against the bar while looking around the room. A few C-Sec officers were there as well as David Anderson and Admiral Mikhailovich. He didn't make eye contact with her when he looked up, and Shepard didn't really care.

"Any idea what you're going to say?"

"Not a clue." Shepard shook her head. "I'm not one for long speeches, but I'll think of something."

Only when the drink orders had stopped, Rita and Jenna had managed to slow down in their moving about the bar taking and filling orders, and the chatter had died down did people look to Shepard again. She was still standing at the bar with Ash, Wrex, Liara, and now Garrus and Tali. The conversation dulled down to a low hum, and it was almost expected that she say something. Clearing her throat, she headed off the upcoming silence.

"Ladies, gentlemen, we all know why we're here; to celebrate the life of a fine officer who gave his life so that others might live." She began. It didn''t take long for the bar to quieten after that so that everyone could hear. "Kaidan Alenko was more than simply my lieutenant; he was a good marine, a confidante, and a friend who gave you an honest answer and a hand when you needed it most." Stepping away from the bar, she saw others entering Flux; Kirrahe and his men. "The events on Virmire have not fully been publicized, and I cannot disclose any sensitive material, but I will say that he chose to remain behind to ensure that his crew and others got off-world and the mission was a success. In regard to military service, he fulfilled his duty and wore the uniform proudly." There were shouts of agreement at that statement. "He was the best man anyone could hope to be, and the galaxy is lesser for his loss."

"So raise your glasses in the first of many toasts this evening." Anderson spoke up from nearby. "To a man whose kindness and skill knew no bounds; to an outstanding biotic and dearly departed marine. To Kaidan Alenko."

"To Kaidan Alenko!" Many voices chorused after Anderson had spoken; Shepard and her crew's among them.

"Thanks, Captain." Shepard said as she sat down at a table with him. "Appreciate the help on that one."

"Been there before." Anderson admitted while takin a long sip from his drink. "It doesn't get any easier."

"No Sir, it doesn't."

"You alright?"

"I'm fine. It was hard to look at his station near the mess when I was headed for my cabin, but I'll remember him each and every time."

"We all will." Ash joined them. "It's hard to think that it could have been either of us on Virmire." She addressed Shepard next. "I know why you made your decision, Skipper, and I can't imagine what was going through your mind. This mission was his as well, and I hope I'm not alone in making damn sure he is remembered for it."

"You won't be alone in that one, Chief."

That night,, there were many toasts, many stories, and a few people getting a bit too sloshed; so much that they were taken out of the club and C-Sec made sure they got home. In Shepard's case, she had delivered a simple but powerful speech in recognition and remembrance of Kaidan, had a drink or two, and had spoken to a handful of people. Standing by the bar again, she was joined by Liara.

"It is odd to see so many people looking as if they are having a good time…" The archaeologist observed a table full of marines who were shouting and having a good time remembering Kaidan from when he was in boot camp. "I assume it is a way of dealing with grief."

"It is." Shepard nodded. "They are just blowing off steam and making themselves happy for the moment. Grief will set in again when it's over, and they'll have to face it and then move on."

"It is never that simple, you know." Tali joined them then. "We all want it to be that simple, but our hearts have other ideas."

"Too true." Liara nodded in agreement. "I assume by that you lost someone close to you, Tali."

"I did. I lost my mother before leaving the floatilla for my pilgrimage." Tali looked wistful, or as much as they could tell with her helmet obscuring her face. "She was ill; not from outside sources that led to an infection. She had been getting worse over a period of months, but when she finally passed, I knew I needed to deal with it properly."

"And by "properly", how did you handle it?" Liara wondered aloud. "It is my understanding that the quarians were always a very social people."

"We are." Tali nodded. "When it happened, there were people that were always there to talk; friends of the family, the admirals that my father serves with, and ship captains who knew her. I also had friends who knew the situation, and they kept me distracted; they were always there to talk if I wanted." She paused as a few marines walked past to join Ashley at a nearby table. "At first, I avoided talking about her illness and just reflected on the good times I had with her, but eventually, I talked about the harder parts; where she had been close to death and the decisions she made. It was painful, but it eventually brought a close to everything."

"It will happen with Kaidan too." Shepard admitted. "I know what I had to do there, and I made the choice to save Ash and the salarians. He understood that."

"He did." Liara confirmed.

"I agree with Ash on this one. We'll make sure he's remembered for all of this. It was his fight as well as ours." Shepard thought on that for a moment longer before Garrus joined them. He had been speaking with a few C-Sec officers after his earlier chats with alliance personnel. "Garrus."

"Shepard." The turian greeted. "I just came across something interesting, if you don't mind discussing business."

"Go on." Shepard had to admit that she wouldn't mind a change of conversation. "What have you got?"

"That volus in the upper markets, the one asking if you had gone to the colonies on Feros or Noveria yet, I just heard from Corvus over there." Garrus indicated a female turian in a C-Sec uniform. "The rep he sent to Feros is missing. Transit records show that his freighter landed on the planet and docked at the port, but he hasn't left the planet yet, and he was supposed to a while ago."

"He's concerned that something's going on on Feros."

"Seems so, yeah."

"Udina said tha they had lost touch with the colony there before we left for Therum." Shepard thought back. "I wonder if that has anything to do with Saren."

"Seeing as he or Sovereign cut communications from Virmire, I'd say it's a safe bet." Garrus nodded as he commented.

"We'll need to leave soon then." Shepard activated her omni tool and worked to send a notice to all Normandy crewmen and the rest of her squad. "I'd say leave as soon as possible… Maybe tomorrow morning."

"Give them time to sleep this off and then head out." Anderson added as he returned to their place by the bar. "Just overheard. The colony on Fero was funded by ExoGeni, Shepard. I saw where you found that missing survey team and the colony. The people were reduced to husks like the ones you found on Eden Prime."

"Yeah. That makes me wonder what happened; if ExoGeni knew about it beforehand or not."

"Considering the situation on Feros, I can't be sure." Anderson managed in a lower tone.

"I'll let the crew sleep this off and we'll leave as soon as possible." Shepard decided; finishing her message to the Normandy's crew. Once sent, she deactivated her omni tool and looked around the bar again. "I think I'm going to head out for a bit of fresh air."

"We'll make sure everyone gets back to the ship safely, Shepard." Garrus volunteered. The others nodded.

"Thanks. I just need to clear my head. I'll be bck shipside in a few hours."

Leaving Flux, Shepard took the long way out from the wards and headed for the presidium. Though it was, according to Barla Von, reserved for the "elite", that ensured that it was more peaceful than the pulsing and ever active wards. Reaching a rapid transit terminal that was more secluded, she hailed a skycar and headed back toward the heart of the Citadel. While traveling however, her thoughts returned to everything that she had just dealt with since that shakedown run to Eden Prime. Everything had happened so fast, and now here she was two men down later.

Leaving the darker side of the station and emerging into the artificial sunlight, Shepard waved the driver toward the tower and paid him when they landed. She stepped out of the cab and headed along a bridge that crossed one of the reservoirs. Finding a bench halfway along it, she sat down and looked out toward the monuments. She leaned back and rested her head against the top of the bench. There was a strange peace here that she didn't feel throughout the rest of the galaxy that she had traveled over the last several weeks. It wasn't a peace she really wanted to feel, but it was one she could accept for the brief times she was not out there. Batarians, Geth, raids, merc bands, Saren, Sovereign… They were all out there, and people aboard the station really didn't know how to appreciate the life they had here.

"…Deal with it as you see fit; I cannot stop you."

Shepard ignored the sudden statement for the moment, but whoeverit was was approaching with a slightly brisk walk.

"You know her position on the subject-" The other participant In the conversation sounded as if they were angry.

"I am well aware of her position." Shepard heard the voice more clearly and realized just who it was speaking. Straightening up slightly to confirm it visually, she saw the asari stop dead in her tracks half way across the overpass; eyes glinting dangerously in the light of her omni tool, which displayed the face of another asari. "You need not remind me. It is irrelevant. She is gone."

"You have influence where others don't-"

"I will not abuse my position to suit your needs. Do not insult me by asking." The asari councilor's words did not echo; she spoke in a medium volume, but her expression and tone suggested there was nothing more to discuss. "Also, it would be an insult to her memory to use her death as leverage."

"Then sit back and let the other bureaucrats tell you what to say and think. Goddess knows they tend to get through to you better than I."

"I do not need any assistance in making decisions on behalf of my people." Tevos expression regained its usual neutral appearance, but from the tone of voice, Shepard assumed she was raging behind the well-placed mask. "I know what I am doing; even if you and others believe otherwise."

"One day will come when you will need my influence or someone else's to achieve your goals." The asari on the other end of that call seemed more or less desperate now.

"When or if that happens, I will resign from my post."