From Ashes
Chapter Ten: Monumental Importance
A/N: I really wish someone had told me just how easily my mind can run away with me. Here I've been working on novels and another side story and completely lost track of this one. I apologize for that :) Anyway, just a short detail about this chapter. I'm changing the distance between the Avina terminal and the relay monument so that they are closer together. (You'll see why in this chapter. Just didn't want to thoroughlly confuse anyone by throwing it in there without warning. Anyway, here is the chapter. Enjoy.
The conversation ended then and there; A normally collected councilor deactivating her omni tool without another word as she attempted to regain some sense of composure. Taking a couple well placed calming breaths, she made one more call, and from the sound of it, it was to her embassy.
"Good evening, Councilor."
"Good evening." It was a brief and not very personal greeting. "I know I mentioned needing those colonial border surveys by morning, but I've changed my mind. Go home." She said this more pleasantly. "Enjoy an evening off for once. I will handle it in the morning."
"I assume you got the call that you expected." It must have been an assistant or secretary talking. Shepard could hear a light amount of amusement in her tone.
"Sadly, I did. She was well aware of my views before she wasted her time making that call."
"And if she decides to call again?"
"Lose my forwarding protocol." This was met with a laugh from the other end of the call.
"Will do. Good evening, Ma'am." With that said, the call was ended.
"My apologies, Commander." The councilor spole after deactivating her omni tool again. "I hate that you had to hear about the more troubling side of colonial affairs." She paused and regarded the human that sat not twenty paces away. "It seems that neither of us can truly escape our respective duties."
"If someone could just explain how people leave their work in their office or on their ship at he end of the day and find time to relax, that would be great." Shepard commented dryly. "They said this last memorial for my lieutenant was supposed to be a way to unwind, but all it really did was cement the fact that he's dead and that there is still a lot to be done."
"I could say the same about the one earlier in the afternoon." Glancing up at the tower behind her, Tevos sighed. "Even while people remembered her for who she was before all of this happened, there were still talks of a shift in power back on Thessia. With Benezia gone, those who were against her views will be hoping to gain a political leg up."
"Never ends, does it?" Shepard's question was one that she already knew the answer to. Of course it didn't end; People would always try to find some way to get their thoughts and views out into the open. It didn't matter if they had to use someone's death to do it.
"No," The councilor seemed to agree. "And I am growing tired of fighting a proverbial uphill battle."
"It's strange." Shepard thought back to before and even after the events of Eden Prime. "It's easy to look at a politician and say that their job is easy when you don't see what they actually put up with. There was a time when I thought that way."
"At one point I thought the same."
"And then when we're finally exposed to it, we see just how infuriating the world of politics actually is."
"And we attempt to find a way to avoid it."
"Fortunately, I have a way to temporarily do that." Shepard was half thankful. "I leave in the morning for Feros in the Attican Beta cluster."
"Ah yes, the colony that humanity recently settled. As I understand it, ExoGeni is funding the project." The councilor looked thoughtful for a moment. "A firm with less than flattering ties."
"Unfortunately, yes." Shepard confirmed. "We came across some of their work a little while ago. They went to unearth some ruins, and their entire survey team was reduced to a pack of husks."
"The unfortunate price of curiosity."
"I don't know what I'm going to find when I get there." Shepard admitted. "The reports say only that the colony went dark, communications wise, that is. The question is: what could have caused it?"
"Sadly, anything." Pondering, Tevos continued. "Anything from a main power source failure to storms interfering with communications. Then there is also the possibility of raiders or worse still, Saren and the geth's presence. From what I remember of the planet's surface, its many highrises and skyways offer little to no tactical advantage in the case of the latter."
"You a tactician?" Shepard arched an eyebrow.
"It was an option years ago." Lips upturning slightly at her own admission, Tevos went on. "Truth be told, I miss it."
"Keep those wits about you, Councilor." Shepard said in earnest. "There may come a time when we need political leaders that know the art of war."
"Goddess knows that will be a trying time; if or when it comes." A thought seemed to cross the asari's mind suddenly as her eyes widened in remembrance or recognition. "Your saying you are not certain of what you will find reminded me of something: did you come across any more of Benezia's followers on Virmire?"
"No, we haven't as of yet." Shepard shook her head to accent the statement. "The only ones we knew of were Alestia Ialis and the commandos that were with her when we engaged her in the lab at Rift Station on Noveria."
"I see." The councilor checked something on her omni tool before continuing. "By their account, there were a few left. If Saren is involved in the sudden silence on Feros, then you may find more there."
"I'll keep an eye out." Shepard had wondered just how many had agreed to follow Benezia, or if there was a choice involved. She and Liara hadn't talked much about it. "You mentioned a possible shift in power on Thessia earlier. In what way?"
"Well," Tevos began to explain. "I assume you know that the asari have no centralized government or military." At Shepard's nod, she went on. "Matriarch Benezia was always against our republics uniting under a single form of leadership. She said it was what made our people more… peaceful, if you will. We did not have a struggle for power."
"I think she had a good point." Shepard nodded in understanding. "Ancient human cultures had such things before, but they weren't nearly as peaceful or open-minded."
"There are those on Thessia and a few colonies that would unify our governmens and try to keep it more localized on our homeworld, but I disagree with the idea. The same can be said about our military. They have their republics that they hail from, and then there are inter-republic bands of commandos as well. That all changes in times of crisis, however."
"Your navy combines while the ones on the ground remain separate." Shepard confirmed. "I've done a fair bit of reading on different races' military practices."
"With a more unified front, we would seem more formidable, but that is not our intention; or it shouldn't be." The councilor shook her head. "I am opposed to the unification of the republics, and that was basically the subject of those last calls."
"I wish you the best of luck." Shepard said quietly. "Doesn't seem to hurt your people or their economy to remain separate; that and it isn't easy for someone to simply come in and take over."
"Precisely, and thank you. I believe I will need it."
A comfortable silence fell for a short time, and Shepard took another look around. The relay monument stood very close by, and she could see the Krogan memorial statue as well from where she was sitting. It was then, while she looked back at the towering small-scale relay, that she remembered something Kaidan had said about it on one of their trips down from the Citadel tower's apex.
"Anyone else hear that low hum?" The lieutenant had asked once. "Sounds like it's coming from that statue. Makes my teeth tingle."
"I wonder if he was right." Standing, Shepard left the bridge and approached the overlook that gave the closest view of the relay monument. It was where Kaidan had made that previous comment.
"About?"
"Kaidan, my lieutenant, mentioned something about the relay monument the last time he was here." Shepard clarified as she stepped closer. "He said something about…" She trailed off as she neared the railing. It was true; there was a distinct hum. "He was right. Something is coming from this monument."
"How is that possible?" Approaching as well, the asari listened carefully. "It's purpose has always been dismissed as aesthetic…" She stopped in her tracks just short of where Shepard had. "This is… How have I not noticed this?"
"I asked myself that same question."
"No, you do not understand." Tevos was now directly to Shepard's left as she spoke in a quiet but almost anticipating tone. "I not only hear it; I feel something."
"So do I." They were still a few feet from the edge, and Shepard had an odd desire to get as close as possible to the relay. "It's familiar, but I can't place where I've felt it before."
"It couldn't be frequent space travel." The councilor thought aloud. "As far as we know, this has never been active; merely a work of art."
"No, it's not like that." Shepard was just at the guard rail now; hand leaving her side to just brush the surface of the relay. "It's something else…"
The instant her skin came into contact with the smooth surface, Shepard could feel every muscle in her body stiffen. The silence of the empty presidium was replaced by a rushing sound, and the artificial sunlight was replaced by a brilliant blue light that was only interrupted by rhythmic bursts of shadow. A roaring force coming toward her solidified in a massive shadow, the harsh screech of a metal on metal collision, and a subtle hum. Flashes of shadowy disfigured buildings, and the smell of ash and blood filled burned her nostrils. Just as it started however, what she experienced came to a crashing halt. Back colliding with something cool and smooth, Shepard was met with the artificially lit blue skies of the presidium. A groan escaped her as she felt her muscles finally start to slacken again.
"Shepard…" The voice made Shepard remember she was not alone on the overlook. Turning her head, she blinked for a second to adjust her eyes to the lesser light. The asari councilor was there; she had knelt on the platform and had a hand on the spectre's shoulder, but she was staring ahead at what Shepard assumed was the small-scale relay.
"We were wrong." Moving to sit up slowly, Shepard looked back at the relay as well. "We were wrong about that thing; it isn't a prop…"
"Are you alright?" Seeing that Shepard wasn't going to remain on the ground, Tevos rose with her; having offered a hand as assistance that Shepard had accepted. "What just happened?" It was then that Shepard took in the asari's expression. Whatever had just occurred had been nerve-wracking, to say the least. Concern, curiosity, traces of panic, and even fear combined in the look the spectre received as she tore her eyes away from the serene monument.
"I should be." Still feeling a little off from the experience, Shepard tried to focus on what she had seen. "It was active…That had to be what I just saw. That relay isn't a monument at all."
"If it has been active, how have we not seen it?" Tevos' green eyes darted from Shepard to the relay and back again before she went on. "More importantly, how can you be certain it has been?"
"I saw it." With that statement, it all clicked. Shepard pointed toward the relay as she spoke next. "That relay, when I touched it, it had the same effect the beacons did; that's where I've felt that before…"
"What?"
The humming and what you're feeling from that relay now," Shepard clarified. "I knew I'd felt it before. It's the same sort of energy that emenated from the beacons on Eden Prime and Virmire."
"You are saying that this relay monument has properties associated with one of the protheans' beacons…" Stepping closer to the relay again, Tevos regarded it with wary eyes. "How can that be?"
"I don't know." Shepard looked back up at it again. "When I touched it, I had the same experience as before. I saw things that didn't quite make sense, but I can almost swear that I saw that relay active."
"This is what occurred on Eden Prime and Virmire?"
"It is." Shepard nodded. "I'm sure Eden Prime was worse." She remembered hearing about how Kaidan and Ashley had brought her back aboard the Normandy after the beacon had knocked her out cold. "Virmire wasn't as bad, but…" She glanced around. "How long was I out?"
"Just a few moments, but it seemed longer." The asari admitted.
"I can imagine." Shepard had to appreciate the councilor's concern. Ashley and Kaidan had seen it once, and the rest of her squad had heard about it in detail in the event that they were to witness it themselves, but nothing had been said to the council or Udina about the experience. There were still traces of instability, but Shepard kept her muscles tense to compensate. Experience aside, it was still an overwhelming ordeal; no matter how many times she went through it. The tension did not go unnoticed, however.
"Are you sure you are alright?"
"It's always this way. I'll be fine." Shepard considered dismissing the question, but something in her refused to let it go. Shepard let a slight teasing edge slip into her tone as she spoke next. "Would that be professional concern, Councilor?"
"Ethically speaking," The asari's eyes roved the length of the presidium that they could see from where they were standing before she continued in an amused voice. "I am not at liberty to say."
"I believe you just did." Shepard spoke without really thinking. That was indeed what was on her mind, but thankfully she found a way to recover from it. "Or perhaps I'm looking too far into it."
"Perhaps not." That made Shepard turn. "You seem surprised." The councilor commented as she studied the spectre's expression.
"Didn't exactly expect that response," Shepard admitted. "Or I suppose I could say that I didn't think that you were the type to be so straight-forward."
"I did not get to where I am or have the political enemies that I have by beating around the proverbial bush, Commander."
"So," Taking a second to allow herself a small smile at the councilor's comment, Shepard chose her words carefully. "How long has this been on your mind?"
"That is difficult to say." Tevos turned to face the tower behind them for a moment as she pondered the question. "It started during your first encounter with the council after the events on Eden Prime. While the others merely interacted with your ambassador and took the meeting at face value, I watched you personally."
"Oh?"
"At first, I dismissed it as simple curiosity in regard to what Nihlus' report could have said about you, but that changed." The councilor turned back; eyes taking on a slight mahogany hue in the more direct sunlight. "After you had obtained evidence that indicated that Saren was indeed a traitor, I saw something different." As she searched for the right words, Tevos didn't have to focus to know the spectre's eyes were on her. "It was not something as simple as determination or charisma; something about you had changed."
"And what was that?"
"I have utilized the subsequent communications and encounters in an attempt to find that out."
"And?" Shepard crossed her arms and continued to regard the councilor with interest.
"Perhaps my initial assessment was wrong." Tevos thought aloud while taking a step closer. "There was nothing that changed; something simply emerged. You are not a typical human." She let those words sink in before continuing. "Motives such as revenge, power, and notoriety were to be expected, but I saw nothing of the sort when you became a spectre."
"So you're saying that you saw that I had the best of intentions when I took this assignment." Shepard had wondered about that for a wile. Udina had wanted his human spectre, and the council needed someone to go after Saren, but she had never really known what they personally thought.
"Yes, but there is more to it." The councilor nodded once. "In the past weeks, your reports and demeanor have suggested that a passion of sorts is responsible for your actions and dedication towards the task we have set before you. I suppose my intention is to understand that to the best of my ability."
"You know," Shepard took a step closeras well, minimizing the space between them. "There are different levels of understanding as far as that is concerned."
"Of that, I am very much aware."
It didn't matter how they had gotten to where they were; the sunlight of the presidium had been replaced by a more dim and ambient setting. The relay monument, the events of the day, and the people that would have raised their eyebrows were irrelevant. Back pressed against cool linen, Shepard inhaled quickly before pulling her companion closer again. Both had already gone much further than intended, and it was too late to make any sort of clean break of it. Tracing a precise path against the ridges of the asari's neck, Shepard couldn't suppress a grin at the frustrated sigh it elicited.
"You know, I'm beginning to wonder;" Shepard said in a low but casual voice as she paused again. "That passion you mentioned earlier."
"Mmm." Tevos merely hummed in response.
"Did you want to understand" Shepard got dangerously close to the asari's jawline before she paused again. "Or experience it?"
"Would it surprise you if I said" The councilor moved suddenly; pulling the spectre into a sitting position and wrapping her arms firmly around her middle back before continuing. "A little of both?" She silenced any response Shepard might have automatically given with a claiming kiss that left them both breathless afterward.
"No…" Was all Shepard could offer once it had broken; taking a few seconds to recover. "Can't imagine what would give me that impression."
"It seems we have come full circle…" Tevos said in a still slightly breathless voice. "The only question is: what happens now?"
"Now," Shepard didn't even want to think of the hour. "We sleep it off and hope to hell that neither regrets it in the morning."
"You think there is a chance of that?" The question was said in a mock-surprised tone, and Shepard could see the amusement clearly by the gradual upturn of her lips as the councilor voiced it.
"I hope not." Shepard whispered playfully in the asari's ear. "Otherwise, I might just become one of those political enemies you mentioned earlier."
"Small chance of that."
A/N 2: So, this is the long-awaited chapter 10. I hadn't originally planned for this, but something jumped out at me last I played ME1 and well, this is the result. Chapter 11: "Colony" coming a lot sooner than the last. :) Thanks for reading, everyone!
