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It's baaaaaaack~!

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The Citadel was well and truly gargantuan, with magnificent, shining arms that dwarfed the Kingdoms themselves in size and shining splendor. Even just looking through the small window of their Kodiak, she could see the sparkling expanse of city lights and glinting, space-worthy metal. Above the wards, flowing like long lines of sparkling, colorful rivers, acre-sized avenues of invisibly delineated lines of traffic flitted to and fro, carrying the lifeblood of a city seemingly the size of a continent.

"It's so big…" Penny murmured beside her, the two of them vying for the best view out of the relatively small viewport. "My range-finder can't properly assess how large it is from here. Friend Garrus, how-"

"About seven clicks and change." The Turian interrupted, standing beside them and leaning against the hull. Meeting Pyrrha's gaze and smiling when she turned to him, he went on, "It's about forty-four clicks long, too. I still think it's pretty damn weird, but it's actually only a few hundred meters thick. But, eh, space architecture can be weird sometimes."

"To be fair," Shepard offered from a seat across the shuttle, "I'm pretty sure the Reapers built it. And their tech is essentially space magic."

"True enough." Pyrrha offered after a moment, if only to break the long quiet that stretched on after the woman spoke. "And even if this place came from Reaper hands, it is no less of a beautiful sight for it."

"From broken bodies, heroism. From barren fields, flowers. From hewn trees, homes." Penny murmured almost absent-mindedly, "From tragedy, beauty."

"Wise words." Mordin offered from his own seat nearer to Shepard. "Words from your home, maybe?"

"Lord Cerates." Pyrrha smiled, turning and retaking her seat with a grimace. To the lot of them she explained, quietly, "A hero from my nation's past. The words are a reference to a battle against… Well, a great enemy. The battle went poorly, with most of the defenders, my people, dead. But we won, in the end, and from victory comes… A chance."

"Yeah." Shepard nodded, letting out a long and weary sigh. "A chance."

After that, their shuttle fell into silence once again for some time. While Penny looked out the window, oohing and aahing at the sights, Pyrrha let herself relax a bit. The confrontation and arguments from earlier were still on her mind but, with nothing following it up on their ride, all seemed fine now. Or, if not 'fine' at least 'as well as could be hoped for', which was an improvement in and of itself.

And that was plenty for now, at least.

Finally, though, their pilot spoke over the intercom, "On last approach to the Presidium right now, Commander. Exterior photo-masking is running, so no risk of the colors showing."

"Good." Mordin grunted quietly, "Last thing we need, being ID'ed as Cerberus craft. Citadel not friendly to Cerberus. Obvious reasons."

"Yeah, really obvious reasons." Shepard sighed, coughing into the back of an armored fist to get their attention and then adding, crisply. "Once we dock, take your fake ident-chips with you. Just slot them somewhere on your armor and your fake Citadel records will pop up on scans, so C-Sec doesn't bother you."

They hummed their assent, most of them plucking the little chips from the small box in the center. Each had their initials emblazoned on the back, so they were easy enough to spot.

"Each of these will also plug in to your 'Tools the first time you boot them up." Shepard said while they settled them in and made sure they wouldn't get lost. For Pyrrha, that was just the case of magnetizing it to the back of her shield. "They contain account information with your stipend and mission pay as well. Miranda set them up, running through a shell company here on the Citadel. Unless you try and buy a tank or something, you should have plenty to get whatever you need."

"Excellent." Mordin smiled, "In need of new equipment. Cerberus standard rather… Lacking, for my needs."

"Your account has a business account added, with more funds." Shepard added quietly, "Use it first. It will be refilled, every now and again, and tracked so that supply acquisition can be more automated than you having to go personally every time."

"Ah." The Salarian blinked, "Useful. Will consider it."

"Good." She nodded, "Vakarian, I need you with me, to see the Council. Solus is going to head into the market districts, no doubt, to get his supplies. And Miranda is handling restocking the Normandy itself. So, Massani, you get to take chaperone duty."

"Ah, fuck me…"

"Not on your best day, Merc." The Commander quipped tensely, moving on inside the same moment, "Once we're off, you have the Kodiak. Take them wherever they want to go, or wherever you want to go. As long as it's appropriate and doesn't make either of them uncomfortable, I don't care what you want to do."

"Now you care about their comfort…"

"Massani-"

"I think a nice meal and perhaps a visit to the pictures would be a good break from the fighting." Pyrrha cut in, before the old wound could be reopened yet again. That wasn't something she would let happen when and where she could help it. Instead, she simply smiled, "It has been rather long since I had a decent meal. Zaeed, would you happen to know any places?"

"It's... Been a while, but I know a few, yeah." The old mercenary said after a second, flicking an agitated gaze at the Commander before sighing. "Fuckin'... Fine. I'll take the kiddies out for dinner 'n a show, Commander. I know a good lil' place down on Zakera, too, that used to play some good music. We'll be there until you call us in to head out."

"Won't do that for a couple days." She added quietly, "You'll need to arrange quarters, unless you use the Normandy for it. You'll be reimbursed for that, though."

"I'll sort that shit, too." Zaeed ground out after a moment, shaking his scarred head, "But future reference? I ain't a babysitter, Commander. I'll take care of 'em for now, show 'em around, but I'd rather not make it the bloody norm."

"We'll see." The woman shrugged as the shuttle shuddered to a stop and she stood. "Everyone, we have work to do. Then rest to get to. So let's get to it."

Once those destined to spend hours mired in the Presidium's political nonsense had disembarked, Zaeed barked a short order at the Kodiak's pilot. "Get us to Zakera Ward. Anywhere 'round Deck Thirteen Thirty Seven oughta do for us."

"On our way, Sir." The pilot answered with a quiet, almost begrudging sigh. "ETA is about five minutes."

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No sooner had the shuttle left did Mordin bid them farewell and slip away, vanishing swiftly around a nearby corner without so much as a backwards glance. She'd opted for her helmet for the sake of subtlety, unlike Garrus, but even so her N7 insignia stood out boldly and drew a handful of curious gazes. At least for a moment, before they all decided they had better - more lucrative, no doubt - things to be doing and went on their merry way. As far as they were concerned, she was just another soldier, albeit one of a very special rank.

Which was not the reaction that Commander Shepard would have gotten, to say the least.

"You'd think they'd have something better to do than-"

"Can we just get going?" Garrus grunted shortly, slipping by her and headed into the Presidium without a backward glance. "I wanna get this over with."

"...Alright." She sighed, catching up to him in two long, simple strides. As they passed through the Presidium she explained in more detail, "I mentioned you were aboard, and Anderson suggested I bring you with me. An old face, someone they'd recognize, to help smooth things over."

"Cuz I'm good for that." He grumbled, grunting out before she could say anything, "I'll do whatever the mission demands, Commander."

"And nothing else?"

"And nothing else." He nodded, avoiding her gaze and added a low, warbling, "For now, at least."

"Garrus, I'm sorry about-"

"Don't say it." The Turian growled, turning a hard look on her and adding with a sigh, a second later, "Show it, Shepard. Make it up to them, not to me, Commander. Then you can ask me to forgive you. Until then, just… Let me be."

"Alright, then." She sighed, tying a knot around the pain in her gut to strangle it before it could take her and drag her down. "The ass backwards Council won't back a fight against the Reapers. But if you vouch for me, for the mission," she corrected quickly, "then Anderson is sure he and Udina can swing us support."

"Yeah." He snorted, "Sure they will."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

"Maybe." He sighed, "We'll see, won't we?"

"Yeah, maybe." She nodded, paying him a long, contemplative glance hidden by the face of her helmet. "Even a long shot in the dark is better than no shot at all."

"Only if you can land it." Garrus said knowingly, shrugging his shoulders and huffing, "Let's get to work."

"Yeah," she sighed, "let's."

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The Presidium, even from the scant glances she'd gotten from the Kodiak's open door before they lifted away and the other viewport, was an immaculate place. And one that almost, close enough her heart ached for it, made her feel as if she were looking out on Beacon again. Pristine, polished white and silver walls, well-kept passersby, and even a shimmering lake of sorts they passed over as they broke back out, into the space between the arms, all called on the old feeling memories.

The meandering aliens managed to somewhat break up the illusion, if only just.

"Look like somethin' stole your cookies there, Nikos." Zaeed grumbled when she turned around and took her seat again. The old man was pacing the center of the Kodiak agitatedly, for whatever reason, but still paid her a semi-concerned look. "Don't tell me you're sore you didn't get to rub elbows with the prissy Presidium types?"

"No, no, nothing like that." She laughed, shaking her head and trading a look with Penny across the shuttle from her. "The… Aesthetic, I supposed, was just rather familiar to me. It brought back memories."

"Yeah?"

"From the outside, and on first impression, it is a bit reminiscent of where Best Friend Pyrrha was trained." Penny explained quietly, smiling and waving her off when Pyrrha gave her a warning look. Smiling and ignoring the look, Penny explained, "It was a training ground called Beacon. Compared to Omega's slums, or anywhere else we have been, really, the Presidium looks the most like it."

"Ah." The Mercenary grunted, not so much sitting as falling into a seat near her. "I get bein' a bit homesick, yeah."

"You get homesick, Zaeed?" She asked, blinking her surprise and murmuring, "I hadn't thought you the type…"

"Nah, that ain't me, Red." The mercenary chuckled, shaking his head wryly and laughing a moment longer, as though the mere suggestion that he would be homesick was a comedy for the ages. Sighing, finally, he crossed his arms and frowned, "Nah, I don't got a home to get sick for."

"That's… Rather tragic."

"Nah." The man shrugged, "S'just how it is."

"Well, it is not how it should be, then, Friend Zaeed." Penny proclaimed, counting to her feet and then moving to sit next to the mercenary. He flinched but she ignored him, patting his scarred arms comfortingly and saying quietly, "Home is not a place, Zaeed. It is where your friends and loved ones are. So, you are home right here!"

"God, you're sweet enough to make my teeth ache…"

"That wasn't a refusal~" Penny practically sang, giggling brightly when the man only growled and shook his head wearily. "See? You can't even deny it. Deep down, you know we are all the best of friends!"

"More like I know it'd be a big ol' waste tryin' to argue with you…" The man sighed, straightening when the pilot warned them that they were almost to Zakera. Smiling thinly, the man took the chance to hop to another topic as soon as he saw it. "Now, when we get to Zakera, you tater tots stick by me. Folks like to pretend that the Citadel is some kinda… Some kinda shinin' beacon of everythin' good in the world, but you take a wrong turn and someone'll stick a gun against your kidney. Rob you of everything they can, same as anywhere."

"As if they could take me for anything." Pyrrha smiled, rolling her neck until it cracked and sighing. "As a matter of fact, I would like to see them try."

"More worried 'bout you gettin' into the shit and having C-Sec askin' questions about the girl that tied some asshat Krogan up with a goddamn light pole or somethin' than you losin' out, Red." Zaeed explained simply, chuckling when she blinked and gave a little 'ah' of understanding. "Everybody knows you can kick some ass, Nikos. We just don't need you drawin' eyes when we don't need 'em, that's all."

"I understand, Zaeed." She said, smiling, "I'll stick close to you and make sure no one causes you any trouble."

"Fuckin'..." He sighed, "Sure, whatever, long as you stay nearby and don't wander off."

"I will hold your hand if you want, Friend Zaeed!" Penny offered when the mercenary turned a hot, meaningful look on her. He rolled his eyes and she chuckled and asked, as the shuttle touched down, shuddering gently as the hatch slid open to let them out. "What should we do first, then?"

"Food." the old Mercenary grunted simply, "I'm friggin' starving over here."

"I find it unlikely you are starving." Penny murmured quietly, "You ate breakfast with us several hours ago. It takes significantly longer than that for a Human to-"

"It's a figure of speech, Penny." Pyrrha said as they stepped free of the Kodiak, the energetic young android turning to her and nodding as she explained. "It simply means that he is very hungry and it is making him uncomfortable. So, he would like to eat soon."

"You two are gonna give me a goddamn aneurysm…"

"But that isn't how-"

"Penny," Pyrrha chided with a sigh as the shuttle lifted away and left, headed back for the Normandy, "it's… Another figure of speech."

"Oh, I see." Penny nodded excitedly, "There are so many of these 'figures of speech'. I will need to practice learning them!"

Unlike the Presidium or Omega, where they landed on Zakera Ward was far more… Normal than anything she had experienced thus far. They'd stepped off in a small shuttle port that connected to a large, bustling market thronged by a variety of not just species, but types. Soldiers in uniform milled about alongside civilians, police and even what looked like mercenaries. None wore the colors of any of the major mercenary outfits, all of which were almost certainly banned from the Citadel and so wouldn't be so public about their presence, but she could tell them from the rest of the crowd.

Her time on Omega had taught her much, and chief among those was picking out the sharp-eyed, cock-sure mercenaries.

As they made their way through the loosely packed throngs, she felt eyes on them. Half the time, before she could look, whoever it was had found something better to look at. Other times it was a mix of various alien races and the kinds of people within them alike. Soldiers of varying description, civilians, mercenaries, vagrants- Everyone paid them a look, as they meandered through the winding pathways of the market.

"Zaeed…"

"S'normal." The mercenary grunted simply, "Ain't no one followin' us, though. Is there?"

"Not that I can see, no." Pyrha answered quietly adding, after a moment's thought, "Penny, have you noticed anyone following us at all?"

"A few different people, intermittently and for moderate expanses of time." She answered without even the least bit of hesitation. Smiling all the while, she explained, "Most seem to have been curious and harmless. A few traders, what seems to be a vagrant and twice, a pair of uniformed officers. None seemed concerned enough to keep following, and none are doing so now."

"Huh." Zaeed grumbled, "Well, ain't you useful."

"I try my very hardest, Friend Zaeed." Penny beamed, bouncing along between the two of them excitedly and making Pyrrha feel very much the mother herding her energetic child. Still, her words were even and plain, "I will continue to monitor our surroundings, do not worry. The last thing we need is someone causing us problems, like you said!"

"You keep at it, kid." Zaeed grunted, "You keep at it."

"I will!"

For a while after that, they walked in silence, passing through the winding avenues of the station. With penny monitoring their surroundings, however she was managing that, Pyrrha forced herself to relax. To look around and take in the sights and sounds. They passed by a lot on their way, from stores and restaurants lit up in bright neon and thronged by comers and goers to armor and weapon shops, or in one case a 'hunter's lodge', that were perused by a more specific clientele.

Her kind, in fact, and she almost stopped them to visit it and see what it had to offer.

But Zaeed wasn't the only hungry one.

"Here we are." The grizzled old mercenary finally said, twenty minutes later when they reached a large, brightly lit storefront.

Over its top was a massive pizza with a smiling face, beaming down at them. Each of the glass fronts, fogged for privacy she presumed, had the same kind of caricatures. Pizza, pastries, pastas and even more 'adult' meals like steak or grilled chicken were splayed out invitingly along with a guarantee. 'Mickey never misses or your meals are free for the next month!'

"Mickey's." Zaeed explained when Pyrrha turned to him, "Diner out front, arcade in the back."

"An arcade…?"

"I, uh, well, I figured you kids… Might like some time to relax and do some kid shit." Zaeed shrugged, grimacing when a mother nearby glared his way and shuffled her own child on quickly, into the restaurant. Sighing, the armored man explained, "Just thought you could use some time. To, ya know, relax."

"That… Sounds fun, yes." Pyrrha nodded, resting a hand on Penny's shoulder to stop her rapid, excited bouncing. "It just doesn't seem like your kind of place, Zaeed."

"It ain't." He shrugged, heading for the door and waving for them to follow. "But you've had a run o' shit luck, so shut up and play some games. 'Least for tonight, you two are regular teens out havin' fun with good ole' Grandpa Zaeed keepin' an eye on ya. Got it?"

"I suppose when you put it like that, I have no choice…"

"Damn right." He smiled, turning to the young Asari waitress and grunting, "Table for three, buffet dinner, if ya please."

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To those Concerned :

I already imagine and have mostly planned how Pyrrha and Shepard will continue working together. No worries. And yes, a lot was unsatisfactorily resolved. This is also on purpose.

I haz the plan!

I know it sucks to hear it after the hiatus but-

Be patient, I will get it all out to ya eventually.

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Nyamu :

What is happening with Shepard is a mix of many things. Firstly, yes, a pure, hardened, bitter, by the game's rules Renegade Shep would never let Thanoptis go. However, this isn't by the game's rules, and you don't know why this Shepard let Thanoptis live. There is a reason, though I dunno if it will ever come up.

This Shepard is ruthless and pragmatic. What she wanted was proof Aura was natural, since she worried it was mechanical. She knew it existed, but not how it functioned, and Penny's metal bits certainly didn't help. Nor did what they were saying, and their phrasing.

T'was a perfect storm of misunderstandings with an eventual pay-off, no worries.

Hot Shot 6 :

Kinda!

Glrasshopper :

I… Have forgotten what my plans were for Grunt, back in the day. Hopefully, whatever I came up with will satisfy! I do Responses prior to writing so I dunno, at time of writing this.

Also, yeah, sad Penny and Pyrrha are uncomfy.

Indecisive Bob :

No worries! I have a vague plan of the end of the war, when we get there, and will sharpen it as time passes.

Wrong Light :

Yep! The thread will remain, and you shall see how the story evolves as a result.

TPoynt :

That… I remember having logic for that, but after so much time, I have forgotten. Sorry!

The prime Cronos :

Thanks!

Neko Demon Queen Zelda :

Yes, she does, and this is a flaw of hers that will come out more and more as time goes on. I intend to thoroughly challenge several of the characters as this story goes on. How well I manage that will vary on who you ask, of course, but I will do my damndest!

Simply Christian :

Das a lot… As always, I will respond where I can, and in brief.

Light's antagonism is less about nature than it is about his desire for his Brother to honor his agreements, and, well… A bit of dislike for him having worshippers, since he got it by forcing Light to agree to it. The antagonism is furthered by the simple fact that, well, Pyrrha spends more time with Darkness than Light. Both are far more complex than has thus far been shown, rest assured. Light also just… Doesn't care for a galaxy he doesn't govern. And he doesn't, as stated earlier, govern the ME Galaxy.

And yes, I have been tightening my grasp On Pyrrha for a while now. Style, speech, etc. Hopefully, now this is back on, that continues to improve.

The 'blame' Garrus bore is due to what he did, not the logic of it. If a man presses a button that kills someone but doesn't know that, he still killed someone and will feel responsible. This was them talking about that and working through it. Penny outright states she holds no ill will to Garrus, for instance.

Penny's analogy was meant to enforce the permanence of the action. Not a moral imperative.

Shepard as of the last few chapters has been a hard Renegade. This will, as you have noted, ebb and flow as things occur and time passes. I can't explain in detail without spoilers, though, sorry.

G119 :

Well, I hope this story continues to impress! If Pyr is far too against your grain, though, I have many stories you may like. Feel free to peruse!