From Ashes
Chapter Twenty-Three: Past Mistakes

A/N: Well, here it is. It took a while to get where I was going with this chapter, but I finally got it. Working on chapter 24 now. Figure I'll throw in some Mom talk :) Cheers!


It was a slower trek back toward the Citadel, but it was one that Shepard took to prepare for what was to come. She had known that this was coming before leaving for the ExoGeni facility. She would be facing a panel of uniformed marines who had not seen what she had, and they would be asked to explain her actions to them. There was no longer dread in her mind when she thought of it; there was only the knowledge that he had done what was best; perhaps not for humanity, but for the rest of he galaxy. Going over the scenarios in her head every now and again left her with more and more conviction. Unfortunately, the more she dwelled on it, the less social she became. One evening, when they were nearing the relay that joined with the Citadel, Tali paid her a visit.

"Shepard, do you have a moment?"

"Of course." Shepard had been looking out of a portside window at the time and was thankful for the distraction. "What's on your mind, Tali?"

"Put bluntly, we are all worried." Tali said simply. At this, Shepard raied an eyebrow, but her lip curled upward slightly. With her continued silence, Tali went on. "We know what is waiting for you n the Citadel, but that shouldn't stop you from living."

"Yeah, Skipper." Ashley had joined them, and she looked as if she had heard every word. "You've just sort of been existing since we left Nodacrux. Honestly, we're sick of it."

"And what, pray tell, do you all plan to do about it?" Shepard asked while keeping most, if not all, traces of humor out of her tone.

"Well, we could force ryncol down your throat." Garrus volunteered. He had been in the mess by the medbay. "That would loosen things up."

"In more ways than one." Ash quipped.

"The point is," Tali spoke next. "You're not yourself, and we didn't really know how to approach you about it-"

"So we decided to wing it." Ash finished.

"Well, well done, all of you." Shepard finally let the seriousness drop from her tone. "I feel like all I've done is worry about all of this, and all it's done is give me a massive headache."

"Not that the turian spectre that we thought was killed on Eden Prime showing up very much alive helps matters." Ash said as her eyebrows lowered slightly. "How did that even happen, anyway?"

"I don't know all the details." Shepard admitted. "Nihlus gave me the bare minimum when he entered my cabin that day. Apparently, he rendezvoused with us while we were planetside."

"Any ideas on how to discuss that with him?" Garrus questioned. "I assume by his reappearance, he'll be revealing himself to the council when we reach the Serpent Nebula."

"That will make for an interesting conversation." Liara had joined them on her way out of the medbay to refill a coffee mug. "To complicate matters, I found communications between Nihlus Kryik and my mother."

"From how long ago?" Garrus was the first to speak after a secondary pause. "Before we encountered her on Noveria?"

"Actually, a good few months before that." Liara said simply. "They are encrypted, and I cannot crack it as of now. Depending on the content of these communications, it could have made our task much simpler."

"Since when did this ever look simple?" Ash joked. "It's been hardball since day one."

"On approach, Commander. We'll clear the Widow relay in ten." Joker announced in a more stern and professional voice.

"Ten credits says Nihlus or Captain Anderson are on the bridge." Shepard said in an attempt to keep the mood light.

"I'd be a fool to bet against it." Garrus added. "He never sounds that professional unless we're speaking to someone remotely important in the comm room."

"Just so you know, I hear you guys." Joker added. This left the lot of them laughing. "And yeah, they're both here."

"Well, return to your stations, and prepare for docking procedures." Shepard said in a less than commanding tone. "I think I need a word with Nihlus before we actually reach the station." The crowd dispursed and she headed up the short flight of stairs to the CIC, where Nihlus was looking over the galaxy map interface from the navigation platform. When he spotted her, the turian inclined his head and indicated the comm room. Shepard took it that he had heard her comment, and went ahead of him. Seeing that Anderson was not there upon entry, Shepard assumed that he was still with Joker at the helm.

"I assumed we would need to talk before returning to the Citadel, Shepard." Nihlus began as he sat down in one of the chairs while Shepard took the one opposite him. "No doubt you have questions in regard to the specifics of my survival on Eden Prime and my involvement in your mission against Saren."

"Well, I did wonder how you managed to fool Saren with a faked death on Eden Prime," Shepard began. "But I did also consider that Saren knew we were there due to your presence. He may have assumed that we were closer to you than we actually were."

"In truth, I counted on that when I realized that something was off about him." Nihlus admitted. "Given our distance when we first dropped onto the surface, I assumed that you would not get to me in time to intervene in person. I set my comm to emit a high pitched frequency that would cause my shield capacitors to overload. It was an old First Contact trick that tended to work on the humans at Shanxi." He admitted carefully. At Shepard's raised eyebrow, he said coyly: "Salarians are not the only ones who know how to deceive their enemies, Shepard."

"Turians just seem so outright with their tactics; not the deceitful type." Shepard admitted. "Or at least the ones I have met."

"True." Nihlus conceded. "However, some of us have learned to adapt. Not all enemies are partial to simple tactics. Your race proved that."

"So, if you survived the encounter on Eden Prime, why did you not reveal yourself sooner?"

"Simply put, Saren believed he had the upper hand with my death on Eden Prime. He could act as the grieving fellow spectre, and the council would have no choice but to believe him." At Shepard's nod, Nihlus thought for a second and continued. "I obviously didn't do it to make Saren's task easier, but when you all left the docks for the spaceport, I followed and found him speaking to the geth about destroying the colony over a backup comm channel. By the time I got there, he was gone, the beacon was malfunctioning, and you were unconscious. Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams were tending to you."

"That beacon really messed with my head." Shepard remarked casually.

"So I have heard." Nihlus nodded slowly. "Its contents were meant for a prothean mind, from what I gather; they were a message?"

"A warning sent out over the entire Prothean empire as a last act." Shepard explained. "The researchers on Ilos wanted to reach any that were stil alive. They didn't anticipate indoctrinated agents."

"That was a bold but risky move; sending that last message out."

"A risk that led to all of this." Shepard pointed out. "Without that beacon, we wouldn't have been able to stop this at all."

"Without that beacon, it might not have happened." Nihlus pointed out. "The reaper, Sovereign, might have found another way to reach the Citadel."

"True, and a terrible thought."

"Unfortunately, Spectres are supposed to think that way." Nihlus admitted with a slight shrug. "If we think too positively, we're usually overlooking something."

"And that can cost you the entire mission." Shepard said while tanding. "Well, we should be…" The slight acceleration that was usually felt when utilizing a mass relay came suddenly, and the ship hummed with the relay's propelling them through the network. Only when it had stopped, and the ship had slowed again did she continue. "in the Serpent Nebula now, so we'll have one hell of a greeting when we dock at the station."

"Indeed." Nihlus said quietly. "It seems we will both be on the receiving end of an inquiry once we dock."

Though a slight reminder, it was one all the same. The fact that the brass would have their share of questions was back in her mind as Shepard left Nihlus to his thoughts in the comm room. When she exited back out into the CIC, she could see the silver, pink, and purple hues of the nebula they had just entered coming through the windows on the bridge.

"Shepard," Anderson, who was passing Pressly's station, spoke in a casual tone. "Ready for this?"

"I am." Shepard nodded. "Or I suppose I have to be. It's happening."

"Yes it is."

"On approach to the Citadel, Commander." Joker spoke from the helm. "Alliance tower, this is the SSV Normandy requesting permission to dock."

From that point, the Normandy approached the Citadel and was cleared to dock in a new docking cradle as opposed to the usual 422 by C-Sec academy. An Alliance detail was waiting for them when the ship was secure and docking clamps were down. Captain Anderson left the ship first with Shepard and her team following. Pressly had the deck in their absence. Nihlus left the ship at Shepard's side, which left the uniformed Alliance escort raising their eyebrows. They hadn't expected another turian aboard the ship; though they were aware that Garrus Vakarian was aboard. Anderson was saluted by the waiting officers, and he eventually returned the gesture, but he looked over them warily. These were lieutenants and commanders and even an admiral that he had served with briefly or had met elsewhere during his career. None of them were looking at him; instead, they had eyes only for the young spectre beside him. Shepard looked them over equally as warily. The question on her mind was: Why were they here?

"Commander." One of them spoke at last. It was a woman Shepard recognized from the academy. "Wanted to let you know that we're behind you on all of this."

"Thank you, Admiral." Shepard nodded in appreciation. "Definitely means a lot to know I'm not under fire from all sides."

"We'll be there during the inquiry." Another said. This one was a lieutenant that had an eastern European accent. "I was aboard one of the ships that was sent after the Ascension, Commander. Personally, it was the right call."

"It's taking place tomorrow, Commander." The admiral, one of the overseers at the academy, clarified. "Originally, it was scheduled for right when you returned, but there was a delay."

"You'll want to check in with the ambassador." Anderson said, and Shepard took it as a well-placed hint. Thankfully, she wanted a good way out of this conversation.

"On my way, Captain." Shepard said in as casual a tone as she could while holding back the relief she felt. "Nihlus, would you care to join me?"

"Of course, Commander." The turian spectre nodded and stepped forward. "I am headed that way anyway. My first stop is the turian embassy." The two walked away from the dock and headed for the nearest lift that would lead them closer to a transit terminal. "I am not looking forward to the conversation I am about to have."

"Turian councilor is not the easiest to talk to." Shepard said quietly.

"I assumed you would find that out soon enough." Nihlus commented. "I will admit that he is good at what he does, but the councilor keeps himself closed off."

"He's protective." Shepard admitted.

"Protective?" Nihlus questioned carefully. "Not the word I would use to describe him."

"I noticed that he was after the Ascension's near destruction." They had reached a level that had a transit terminal. "He is very protective of his colleague."

"I know which one you mean." Nihlus nodded as a skycar was unlocked. It did not have a driver, and it didn't require one. Setting the destination quickly, Nihlus sat down in one of the front seats while Shepard took the other. "They have been close for a number of years."

Reaching the presidium, the skycar was brought down in a vacant spot on the Launchpad by the embassy lobby. The area ws still just as packed as it had been when Shepard had left the Citadel last. People were waiting around in clusters and talking in low voices about the events that had occurred. When they spotted the two spectres, or at least Shepard, they got a bit more animated when talking. Shepard and Nihlus stepped forward and parted the crowd easily. They headed for different stairways when approaching Saphyria's desk; Nihlus going right and Shepard left. Before splitting completely, they both shook hands and headed for their separate embassies. Shepard went up the stairs and went for Udina's office. The door was already open, and she could hear the ambassador from the corridor. He was giving off to someone, which in itself wasn't all that uncommon. From what it sounded like, the one on the receiving end of Udina's rant was only making the mole hill he was being buried under into a mountain.

"You expected this embassy to simply turn a blind eye to your decisions!" Donnel Udina was pacing the office when Shepard crossed the threshold. "I have been working to keep humanity's political face clear of any black eyes here, and you hand me this cluster…"

"It was not our decision-"

"Do not give me that!" Udina snapped. "They were isolated so that no one would discover the facility. Who would have given that sort of order?"

"Someone who wanted to turn a profit." Shepard finally said as she took a seat in one of the chairs that was across from the ambassador's desk.

"Perfect timing, Shepard." Udina stated as he turned to look at her. He had been facing the open landing while addressing the caller on his terminal behind him, but as he turned, Shepard saw the frustration and anger in every line in his face. "I was hoping that you would return during this call."

"First time I've heard that." Shepard remarked, but she left it at that.

"Your report on the Nodacrux facility was illuminating, Shepard." The ambassador said simply as he sat down again and looked over a datapad. "It states that ExoGeni personnel were testing on the thorian creepers and had sent samples to Cerberus."

"We have no record of-"

"You had a facility running in the background and testing on something that should have been buried." Shepard said sharply.

"It was an investment-"

"It was brutal." Shepard cut the man off. "People were tortured, forced to live through excruciating pain, and now they have to rebuild their entire colony thanks to a geth raid." Her time in the chair was short-lived. Shepard had stood again and was now glaring at the holo display. "Tell me: What did they want?"

"Shepard." Udina started.

"No." Shepard held up a hand. "What did Cerberus want with the creepers; thralls, servants, or were they looking to build up an army?"

"Shepard, I need this resolved; I do not need him hutting down."

"Honestly, you can't resolve it." Shepard turned to the ambassador again. "Their lives are never going to be the same after all of this."

"There is nothing to tell about that organization you mentioned."

"Cerberus." Shepard clarified. "That organization that you sent specimens to; the one that Binary Helix also sold them to. Did you know that?"

"Shepard."

"Rachni on Noveria were sent to that same organization. Cerberus took them and dropped them at an outpost to see the effects. They lost control of the rachni, and they killed a facility full of people. They also killed everyone aboard a freighter that we found in space. The Cerberus crew that were meant to keep them under wraps were killed." Shepard was pacing now. "The creepers that you were testing; they attacked the transport ship's crew and forced it to crash. The samples of the thorian that you had in that facility on Nodacrux weren't enough to control them. They killed people in your facility as well. Doctor Ross is here on the station, and you had better bet that she will start talking when the right deal is waved in her face."

"This is getting us nowhere." Udina muttered as he stood again as well. "You think this is hard;" He faced the display so that it was as if he was looking into the face of the man beyond it. "The civil suit that those colonists will hit you wth will bankrupt your entire organization."

"I'll get back to you, Ambassador." The assumed ExoGeni representative quickly ended the call.

"This is the part of my job that I hate." Udina tated simply while he turned back toward the balcony that overlooked the water reservoirs. "Public relations with people like that who seem to only be in it for themselves."

"Sounds familiar." Shepard said quietly, but not pointedly.

"Obviously, I received your report on the facility, Shepard." Udina said equally as quietly as he turned back slowly. "Well done in the Maroon Sea cluster."

"Thank you, Ambassador." Shepard said in a more subdued tone. "It honestly didn't feel like a win."

"They are here on the station." Udina said simply in referenc to the ExoGeni scientists. "They will talk."

"Still leaves more questions." Shepard admitted. "Questions about a dead admiral, his business with Cerberus, and wha that organization is really playing at."

"You did what you could, Commander." Whether the words were sincere or not, they were enough to make Shepard's lips upturn slightly. "Now, I will follow up on the rest of this business with ExoGeni."

"Like you were prepared to handle Sovereign and Saren?" The upturn of her lips had not been in gratitude. Shepard had been waiting for the right moment to spring this. "Don't play that card with me, Ambassador." With the niceties out of the way, Shepard continued. "I did what I had to on Nodacrux, and I really don't have the time or patience for pleasantries that don't go as far as that door."

"Very well, Shepard, if that is how you wish to go about it." Udina's tone changed from his usual high-strung one to one much colder. "Explsing humanity's flaws will get you further along with the council races, ut it does not cast you in a favorable light with your own people."

"That I'm well aware of." Shepard said bluntly. "Truth of the matter is that I'm getting to the point to where I don't care anymore."

"Just the answer I expected from you, Shepard." Udina spat. "You don't seem to care about the fact that I have to clean up your mess."

"From where I'm standing, this is your mess, Ambassador." Shepard crossed her arms. "You got yourself into this cluster by trying to keep humanity looking as good as it can. Don't do the same with this incident-"

"You don't know what I plan to do with this." Udina said simply as he motioned to the report on Nodacrux.

"I know what you did with Harkin; keeping him on with C-Sec even when he was a lost cause with the force." Shepard shot back. "You buried things or wihite-washed it so that he could get away with showing up drunk on the job and other small-time crap. Don't bury this like you did that."

Shepard turned and left the office without another word. There was a part of her that wanted to go back and continue her thought on Nodacrux, ExoGeni, Cerberus, and him in general, but she talked herself out of it by a simple reminder: A disciplinary committee that was inquiring about her acions was going to be on the Citadel in less than twelve hours, and she didn't need to give them the shovel that they could potentially use to bury her. As it had turned out, there had been a delay in their arrival, and it had worked out well with the run to Nodacrux. It had taken them a little more time than expected to return from that run. Leaving the embassies after descending the stairs, Shepard met Ashley and Liara outside near where a skycar was typically pparked. Neither of them looked to be all that surprised at Shepard's expression. In fact, they wore matching ones of disappointment.

"Go as expected, Skipper?" Ash questioned as she worked with her long dark hair that was now free of its customary bun. They were off duty for the moment, and Ash was no longer in her uniform.

"Just as expected." Shepard nodded. "He says he'll straighten it all out, but we've heard that before."

"Yes." Liara looked up toward the ambassador's office balcony with a frown. "We saw just how he was prepared to deal with Saren and Sovereign."

"Exactly." Shepard too spared a glance back up toward Udina's office, where the ambassador was now running his fingers through his short and thinning grey hair. "Happened with Harkin, and I'm willing to bet that it will happen here too. We all know ExoGeni can't take any more bad press than they've already gotten."

"Speaking of…" Ash accessed her omni tool for a moment before reading off of the mini display that appeared. "Heard back from the Beynhams. They are already starting to salvage parts of the geth ship that we had declawed from the main site. Not sure what they found, but some of the tech is…" She hesitated before quoting the sender of the message. "Promising." She shivered slightly at the word. "Honestly, I don't know about implementing geth tech right now. It just feels wrong."

"I know what you mean." Shepard agreed. "It would be like using geth tech to repair the facilities on Eden Prime."

"Yeah, that's just messed up." Ash put up a hand as if to motion to stop. "I was just thinking about that when I got the message from Feros forwarded. They're like those people on Eden Prime in a way; didn't have a whole lot when they moved out there, and now it's gone."

"I led one of the teams that respondd to the distress call on Akuze after the massacre there." Shepard reflected. "The whole colony was decimated; we spent days going through prefabs and looking through tunnels in hopes of finding someone alive. It was a small colony, but they wee thriving."

"What happened there?" Liara questioned. While she had been there on Ontaron in the Kepler Verge when they had found Corporal Toombs, everything hadn't been clarified as to what the man had been ranting about. "I heard that there was a massacre, but the details were very vague."

"There was a farming colony out on Akuze, and it had started to show signs of good progress." Shepard explained. "They would file weekly reports with Colonial Affairs, and everything looked good. There were no raids, no piracy was reported in the sector, and the people seemed genuinely happy. One day the report stopped coming, and a distress signal was sent out over emergency channels via a beacon on site. The Alliance sent teams to investigate due to the lack of details, and all we saw was evidence of a thresher attack on the colony."

"It was like the nest just came out of nowhere, according to reports." Ash picked up. "Wasn't there myself, but all they said was when the land was surveyed and leveled, there were no signs of the damned things. They just appeared."

"And now they're still going over the land in an attempt to find out where those maws came from and where they went." Shepard said quietly. "Still, it is rumored that the area will be safe for a memorial and maybe a settlement in a few years."

"Yeah. Maybe Eden Prime will come back from this." Ash said with a little more uplift to her tone.

"Well," Shepard looked around the presidium carefully for a second before continuing. "Enjoy this shore leave while it lasts."

"Well, we were going to say the same thing about time spent with you, Skipper." Ash joked. "I mean, I heard that a boat was coming to take you up the river."

"Cheek, Williams."

They spent some time talking about a little of everything. Sovereign, Saren, the geth, remaining hold-outs that could be scattered throughout the Traverse, Liara's next move in regard to her research, and when Wrex joined them, his plans for his people. Liara had no plans to leave the Normandy if possible, but she would still carry on her research. Wrex on the other hand, was putting a plan together in regard to his people. He had a thought that the Krogan clans should unite as one to preserve their culture, people, and consolidate their resources. He even hoped that with all of the females being protected by a united front, that there might be a few more births. Still, he didn't have plans to leave just yet.

Later that evening, Shepard returned to her ship, sat down at her terminal, and looked over her personal messages. There were a few notices and updates from the Alliance News Network. They stated that some Alliance ships along with Citadel forces were moving throughout Outer Council space and Inner Council space in search of any geth that had fled the Widow nebula. There was also a message from her mother that had finally come through. It was an attempt to get in touch with her after the battle of the Citadel, and it had been sent during the run she had made to Nodacrux. Reading over it a few times, Shepard could just hear her mother saying the words that were there on the display. Working on a reply, she kept the message open to glance at it from time to time.

Mom,

Everything's going alright. I'm fine with no lasting injuries. Right now, I'm just sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop. The Citadel is in varying stages of repair, and with time it might seem normal again. If you haven't already, wait until it is repaired; it's a sight to see.

On a positive note, I figure I should tell you this, and make sure you're sitting down when you read it: I think I may have found someone. We met back when I started looking for Saren and Sovereign, but we really got… I guess acquainted… near the end. I have to admit it though; when looking at all of the people I've met, she would have beenthe last one I would have pegged as a potential love interest. Still, I think I'll see where it goes.

Anyway, I'll let you get back to it, but call if you get the chance.

-Seryna

"Seven hours and counting." She leaned back in the chair that she had been sitting in since returning to the ship, and as she looked up at he bulkhead above, Shepard couldn't sleep. It was a necessity with the inquiry coming up, but she just couldn't. Straigntening the casual BDUs she wore, she left her cabin and went up the stairs that led back to the CIC. Just as she was prepared to get to the airlock, Joker called her back.

"Hey, message coming in, Commander."

"Thanks, Joker." Before she went for the comm room, Shepard posed a question. "Not spending your shore leave on the station?"

"The Normandy's my girl, Commander." Joker said in a tone that suggested she should have known that by now.

"Perfect relationship." Shepard said with a half smile. "Who's calling?"

"Call coming in from the Kilimanjaro."

"Tnanks." Shepard doubled back to the comm room and activated the console.

"Incoming transmission from SSV Kilimanjaro."

"Accept." After verbal confirmation, a holo appeared. Fuzzy at first, it solidified. "Hey, Mom."

"One concerned message, and all formality is gone…"

"Yep." Shepard could not only see the half smle on her mother's face but she also heard the sarcasm in her voice.

"I hadn't heard from you since what they're already calling the "Battle of the Citadel". Are you alright?"

"I'm alright." Shepard didn't have to worry about a straight face when she said that. "I'm still a little worried about the inquiry coming up, but otherwise, I'm good."

"Yes, I saw in that message that you had no lasting injuries." Hannah Shepard quoted her daughter's words. "What are you worried about?"

"I've accomplished what the Alliance wanted; I became a spectre. What they don't seem to get is the fact that I had to make a decision in everyone's interest; not just humanity's."

"There's nothing I can really say that will make this situation easier." Hannah began. "David Anderson got in touch with me a few hours ago, and brought up the fact that they are even considering you a person of interest in the death of Admiral Kahoku."

"Thankfully, I've got evidence against that claim." Shepard said with an ounce of relief easing the tension that was slow to build. "Really, I shouldn't e worried about any of this."

"Oh? How do you figure that? If I were in your place, I would be."

"Worried about my career, maybe, but as for therest of it… I've done the right thing in regard to saving the Ascension, and I know I had nothing to do with Admiral Kahoku's death. He knew what he was getting into when he contacted me on the Normandy and said he was going to do something on his own."

"True."

"But?" This had always been a thing with her mother. Shepard had always known when a "But" was coming.

"But we both know that you would go crazy inside a week if you had a desk job or worse."

"You're right." Shepard conceded. "Still, that's the only thing I think I have to worry about. Besides, I was given an offer in the event that actually happens."

"Really?" Hannah crossed her arms. "And how did that come about?"

"In casual conversation with someone." Shepard admitted. "Could work with the council full time if something happens to fall through." Considering the little certainty she had on the next day's events, Shepard went on to another subject. "So, you did get my last message then."

"I did." Hannah nodded.

"Anything else you want to discuss from that message?"

"Oh yes, and before I start, you had to know this was coming."

"I did." Shepard had to grin, and it was odd to actually do it. There had been little reason to do so with all that had been going on. "Let the interrogation commence."

"Who is it and how exactly did you meet?"

"Well, she's an asari and I met her when we came back from Eden Prime." Shepard kept it more or less vague for the moment. "Go figure; we left Arcturus on a simple but ambiguous shakedown run, get caught in what happened on Eden Prime, and on my first visit to the Citadel I met her."

"You said in that message that you technically met then but you were better acquainted later." Hannah Shepard was not sidetracked at all.

"We did. It happened after I lost my lieutenant on Virmire. I had left his memorial to get some air, but we met that night; really met. I saw the crap she had to deal with in a line of work that I originally assumed was easy. Turns out that it can be just as hard as ours."

"Sounds like a charmer to me;reminiscent of your father."

"Dad was a looker then, wasn't he?"

"I am not having this conversation with you."

"Yeah you are." Shepard laughed. "You started it."

"Oh alright." Hannah actually grinned sheepishly. "He was. You still haven't told me who she is."

"Maye I will." Shepard said elusively. "I don't want you to get your hopes up that I've got someone solid."

"Then I'll give you advice that I didn't have sense to follow at the time; I did make up for it later though. Maybe you can white-wash my past mistakes." Hannah crossed her arms before giving her daughter a serious look. "When an opportunity like this presents itself, look it in the eye. Never turn away."

"I will."