A/N: I do realize that I write this in pretty much every chapter that I have released in the last couple of months, but I'm truly sorry that things move so slowly.
To those wondering over the fact that my other story hasn't been updated in over a month: I just ain't satisfied with the chapter yet, and I have been buried in schoolwork and will most likely continue to be under heavy bombardment.
Kind Regards
-KanisRussell
7/5 2183
Normandy
It was quiet on the Normandy, even more so than usual. Everyone was in shock over the loss of a team member. It was the same atmosphere when Jenkins died on Eden Prime, just more pressing this time around.
Mads made his way from his quarters to the debriefing room. It was hard not to find it depressing; everyone was grieving in their own way, while not everyone had been friendly with Ashley. They did respect her and her abilities.
Mads stepped into the comms room and found everyone sitting at their respected chair, however unlike most times, they weren't busy talking to each other. It would seem that the alien part of the crew did in fact have some respect for the otherwise xenophobic Gunnery Chief. It was clear that her death had taken a toll upon the lieutenant, but that much was obvious to Mads, they had after all begun some sort of relationship while on the Normandy. Mads, however, had no idea just how serious this relationship was.
Mads planted himself in his seat and remain quiet for a little while. He had experienced loss of fellow teammates before, yet this time it felt different, mostly because of the feeling he had before the mission. He had some good gut feelings every now and then, however this time it had been stronger and more defining. He wondered for a brief moment if it had been a message from above, trying to warn him.
Of all the people in the room, Kaiden was the one the break the silence.
"I don't understand it... I can't believe Ashley is gone. How could we just leave her behind?!" Kaiden asked while on the verge of tears.
"Lieutenant, I didn't leave Ashley behind just for the heck of it. She knew the risks and she died making sure this mission was a success. If you are looking for a scapegoat, blame either me or Saren." Mads replied firmly.
"You should have left me there instead of her!" Kaiden agrued while still trying to hold back the tears.
"Then it would just have been Ashley here crying instead of you. I valued your skills more than hers, so I made a choice." Mads replied in order to calm him down.
Kaiden then fell back to silence, perhaps because of a lack of words, or maybe due to needing time to let it sink in.
"Let's all remember the brave soldier than was Ashley Williams. This mission has proven to be very hard for us all. In the end Ashley went to extra mile in order to secure this galaxy and everyone in it. Ashley will not be forgotten, and I will make sure that this 'Williams curse' is removed from any other Williams' family members that are hoping to join the alliance. Ashley would want us to build further from this gift she has given us and not dwell on it." Mads preached to the others sitting around in silence.
Another minute of silence fell upon them, until Liara spoke up.
"Commander, if I may?" She asked.
"Go ahead" Mads said.
"There is a possibility that the Beacon you encountered on Virmire had the missing pieces of the vision. I can help you piece them together" Liara suggested.
"Alright, it is worth a try" Mads replied as he rose from his seat and meet Liara in the middle of the room.
It was the same as the last time; however the vision was even clearer now than before. It painted a picture of a certain location, however it wasn't some place Mads' could recognize. It was perhaps now that Mads realized just how much of a blessing in disguise Liara actually was.
"Did you gather anything from it?" Mads asked hasting for a possible lead.
"It's a distress call send out across the Prothean Empire. A warning against the reapers, however it was sent too late." Liara explained.
"Anything else?" Mads asked.
"The vision also showed locations. Some of them I recognized from my research! It's Ilos! That is where Saren is headed. Ilos lies beyond the Mu relay!" Liara said in excitement.
"Then Ilos is where we are headed." Mads said.
"That is going to be quite hard. Neither alliance nor council ships are welcome there" Garrus said from his seat.
"It's the only lead we have, and I'll be damned if I don't follow it!" Mads replied.
"Saren will have the Geth fleet in orbit around Ilos. We have to get reinforcement from the council!" Liara stressed. She began to feel dizzy however and explained that the joining was exhausting and that she needed to lie down for a while.
"Alright, everyone is dismissed. I'll try to speak with the council." Mads ordered. Everyone began to leave the room. Just before Kaiden left, Mads spoke up.
"Hey Kaiden. Can you meet me in my cabin once I'm done here?" Mads asked.
"Yeah, I can do that" Kaiden replied while sounding very tired.
"Then I will see you there" Mads said as Kaiden left the room. Mads went over to the console and patched the councilors through.
"Commander Romanov. It is good to see the mission on Virmire was a success." Councilor Tevos said.
"The Geth are already bad enough, if an army of Krogan would be led by Saren, who knows what would have happened." Councilor Sparatus said.
"Yeah, except that they would have been slaves underneath Sovereign, a reaper" Mads added.
"You said the same thing in your report. This is quite alarming... if it turns out to be true." Councilor Valern said.
"I spoke to it, and even Saren admitted it." Mads said.
"Saren is playing you for a fool, commander. Saren probably still has contacts on the citadel who informed him of your earlier reports of your 'visions'." Councilor Sparatus said.
"It is indeed a possibility that Saren is feeding you false information to throw you of balance." Councilor Valern suggested.
"Somethings never change, do they?" Mads said to himself.
"Try to see things from our perspective, commander. Saren and the Geth is the only clear threat so far. As far as we know the reapers only exist inside your visions" Councilor Tevos explained.
"We govern trillions of lives and so our decisions affect them, commander. Your words are simply not enough." Councilor Valern said
"We regrettably can't take any official actions here, commander. However, as a spectre you have the authority to act as you see fit" Councilor Tevos said.
"If you truly believe that the sovereign is the real threat, then you must take the steps necessary to stop it. And Saren" Councilor Valern said.
"And yet you prohibit me from doing just that!" Mads commented.
"That is not true. We can discuss this further at the council chambers once you arrive" Councilor Tevos said as a final note.
The holograms disappeared and the room fell to silence. Mads let out a sigh before headed out of the room and down to his quarters.
He was greeted by the familiar sight that was his room. He took a minute to think before moving two chairs over to the table in the center of the room. Mads then grabbed two shots glass and pulled out of vodka from his small crate sitting beside his desk. Mads then sat down in one of the chairs and waited for Kaiden to come knocking.
A couple of minutes went by without Kaiden showing up. Mads decided to relocate his ashtray from his desk to the table. He pulled out his packet of cigarettes. 'Prince, Rich taste 100s' was written upon it. His favorite brand.
He put the small pack down on the table, put not before taking a cigarette and placing it in between his lips. He then took his zippo lighter and lit up his cigarette. He leaned back into his chair and took a drag of it. Inhaling the smoke introduced nicotine back into his blood, making him feel a bit calmer. He was about to take another drag when he heard knocking on his door.
Mads rose from his seat to open the door. Kaiden was standing outside, with red eyes. Most likely from grieving.
"Please come in" Mads said and stepped aside to let the lieutenant inside.
"Thank you" He said in a weak voice.
"Have a seat" Mads suggested as he sat down in his seat.
Kaiden did just that, he was however surprised to see the bottle of alcohol and ashtray standing on the table.
Mads took the bottle and opened it. He filled the two glasses up and gave Kaiden the one. Kaiden looked upon Mads in confusion.
"How are you?" Mads asked.
"I'm fine" Kaiden quickly answered.
"I don't really believe that, Kaiden" Mads remarked.
"Commander, you don't need to worry about me" Kaiden replied.
"Kaiden, let's get one thing clear. As soon as you stepped through that door. I ceased being your commander, and became your friend" Mads said as he took a drag from his cigarette.
Kaiden remained silent, most likely from shock to the commander's comment.
"Let me ask again. How are you feeling?" Mads asked.
"I- well... not good" Kaiden said.
"Ashley's death broke something inside you, didn't it?" Mads asked.
Kaiden looked up at him, and then over to his drink.
"You could say that" Kaiden replied as downed his drink. The vodka hit him hard, not like all those cocktails he used to drink. Kaiden let out a cough.
Mads let out a quick laugh.
"I should have warned you that is was pure Russian vodka" Mads laughed.
Once again there was a silence in the room. A theme was quickly becoming old to Mads. Mads downed his own drink.
Mads filled up both his own glass and Kaiden's glass. As he was pouring up Kaiden's glass he said.
"I know you and Ashley was close, and believe me when I said I know how it feels like to lose people you love. You have my condolences. But you aren't the only one dealing with her death. I was the one who signed her death warrant, and that is not something I walk away from casually"
"I don't blame you for her death, commander. You did what you had to" Kaiden replied as he took his drink in his hand.
"That doesn't make it any easier. Ashley will be remembered for her good deeds to this galaxy." Mads said.
"She was a shining example of what a good soldier should be like" Kaiden said as he wiped away a tear in his eye.
"To Ashley!" Mads said as he raised his glass high.
"To Ashley" Kaiden followed suit.
They both downed their drinks. Kaiden let out another cough as the vodka got down, but it wasn't as loud as before.
"If you ever need support, don't hesitate to ask." Mads said.
"Thank you, commander. It means a lot" Kaiden replied.
They sat in silence for a few seconds. Mads took the time to fill up their glasses again.
"Have you ever heard about William Sheridan?" Mads asked to break the silence.
"The name rings a bell" Kaiden said.
"He was one of the best and brightest in the Alliance. His biotic abilities almost unmatched in the both boot camp and the N7 program. He went from being a petty criminal on the street of earth to being one of the best soldiers in the alliance. However his career fell short, when in 2177 he was attacked alongside his squad on Akuze by a Thresher Maw. He was the only survivor. Imagine being him, losing everyone you had come to care about." Mads said as he leaned back into his seat. Mads could have used himself as a better example, but he had to stick to the old promise he made himself.
"Must have been horrible, what happened to him?" Kaiden asked.
"Honorably discharged due to an illness he caught when fighting the beast." Mads answered.
Mads leaned in over the table to Kaiden and spoke in a lower voice.
"Rumors have it, that he ended up joining Cerberus"
"Damn, I guess even great people fall" Kaiden remarked.
"They do indeed, however I think he had noble intentions. He was probably one of the only people who could have rivaled me in becoming a spectre, well him and Conrad Rorke" Mads said.
"Conrad Rorke?" Kaiden asked.
"Don't tell me you never heard about Conrad Rorke" Mads said.
"I haven't" Kaiden replied.
"Possibly one of the greatest tragedy of the alliance. A boy born on Mindior, only to see his entire family slaughtered by Batarians. He too ended up becoming an N7 operative. He was ruthless, even more so than me. He led the team assigned to attack Torfan in 2178, he got ¾ of his team killed, and when he had captured the Batarians, he decided to kill them all. My 'nephew' Joe was actually under his command. Anyway, he was charged with war crimes on earth and was dishonorably discharged from the Alliance. If it wasn't because he had effetely lowered the attack rate of the Batarian slavers, he would have been jailed. Ironically he ended up becoming a boss of a mercenary group in the Terminus system." Mads explained.
"That's quite a story." Kaiden said.
"Indeed, the Alliance has tried countless times to take him down, but the slippery bastard got contacts both inside the alliance and on the citadel." Mads explained further.
"I hope we don't run into him" Kaiden said.
"Me neither." Mads said.
They sat once again in silence for a few moments.
"Thank you for your words, commander. And for the drink" Kaiden said as he rose from his seat.
"No problem" Mads said with a smile.
"By the way, I didn't know you had a nephew." Kaiden said as he stood in the door frame.
"Yeah, well he is not my nephew per say. But I view him as one." Mads replied.
"I see. I will see you later, commander." Kaiden said as a final statement as he went out of the door.
Mads remained seated for a while. Pretty much just thinking about everything that had happened so far. His mind also drifted towards the two individuals he spoke about earlier. He wondered if he ever would run into them.
Mads rose from his seat and made his way to the CIC. As soon as he arrived, Joker called out to him over the intercom.
It seems the council listened to Mads for once after all. They had mastered a fleet guarding the citadel, like he had warned them to. Hopefully they would send him to Ilos to finish the job. Mads plotted a course to the citadel.
9/5 2183
The Normandy pulled up into the citadel. Mads was putting on his armor on inside the quarters. Mads looked around his quarters to look for anything he had missed. His glance fell upon his family photo, still standing on his work desk. He smiled just then, a small tear rolling down his cheek.
Mads took his 44. Magnum and opened the chamber, the 6 bullets were firmly in place, like they should be. He slid the revolver back into the thigh holster. Mads stepped out of the room and went up the stairs.
Mads waited for the airlock to open up, it was running its usual scan. As the door opened, he quickly went out and straight into the elevator.
The elevator was slow, as it always had been. The fact that this galaxy had ships that could fly at the speed of light, yet wasn't able to make an elevator go any faster than this, was beyond him.
As the elevator finally arrived at the C-sec headquarters. Mads rushed out and went to the council chambers. His team could barely keep up.
They finally reached the council chamber after riding with a couple more slow riding elevators. In the chambers, the councilors had already gotten ready. Udina was there as well, not necessary a good sign.
If there was ever a power hungry politician, it would be Udina. Something told Mads that one day, the ambassador would try to seize power in a coup, he hoped to god that would never be the case.
"Good job, Romanov. Your actions have proved that real action is needed against Saren. And the council is ready to take that step" Udina said as he spotted Mads.
"The ambassador is correct. If Saren is foolish enough to attack the citadel- as you believe- we will be ready for him" Councilor Tevos stated.
"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking to the citadel space to the Terminus systems" Councilor Sparatus explained.
"That's not enough. Saren is looking for the conduit on Ilos right now! We have to do something!" Mads stressed.
"Ilos is only accessible through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus systems, commander. If we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is a full-scale war." Councilor Valern replied.
"We have Saren where we need him, commander. Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy, now he is exposed and therefore no longer a threat." Udina turned and said to Mads.
"If you refuse to take action here, then I will. Send me after Saren. The Normandy won't trigger a war on behalf of the council nor the alliance." Mads replied to Udina.
"Your recklessness will end up getting us all killed, commander. Denoting a nuclear device on Virmire is hardly a sign of being discreet!" Councilor Sparatus spoke with hard words.
"Your style was well suited for the Traverse, but Ilos is a different story. We have it under control" Councilor Tevos said.
"If Saren finds what he is looking for, then we are all fucked! I will stop him, with or without your approval" Mads replied.
"Ambassador Udina, I get the feeling the commander isn't letting this go" Councilor Sparatus spoke like Mads wasn't even there.
"This is big game politics, Romanov. You done your duty, but if you continue along this path, you will cost humanity more than you are worth." Udina explained.
"You fucker! You better not be cutting me off, you power-hungry prick!" Mads replied on the verge of yelling it.
"I have locked the Normandy's primary systems. Until further notice, you're grounded" Udina said.
"Sooner or later you are going to realize that your ass is out in the wind and it's just a matter of time before someone will kick it!" Mads said.
"I think it's high time you left, commander. The council can handle this, with my help of course" Udina said as he turned to face the council.
Mads' hand moved to his holster, his fingers gripped the grip of the gun. Mads was on the verge of pulling out his gun and shooting the fucker's bollocks off. But Tali seemed to have noticed his intentions and quickly stopped Mads before he could do anything he would regret.
"Commander, he is not worth it! We will another way" Tali said as she put her hand on Mads' hand that was locked to the grip of the Magnum.
There was still a bit of tension in the air. Until Mads spoke with a soft voice.
"You're right, Tali. Let's get out of here"
She could feel his hand relaxing and letting go of the grip.
The team left the chamber; it was a silent ride back. At least until Garrus spoke up.
"So the council and your ambassador burned us, any bright ideas now?" Garrus asked.
"Just head back to the ship, I need some time to think." Mads replied with a tried voice.
"Understood, commander" Garrus said.
When the elevator stopped and the team went out, Mads received a call from no other than Captain Anderson.
"Hey Anderson, what is it? I'm kind of in a rush here" Mads asked as he took the call.
"I know, and I might be able to help with that. Meet me in the nightclub down in the wards, the one called Flux" Anderson replied.
"I know the place, I'll be right there" Mads said as he ending the call.
"Who was it?" Garrus asked.
"The good captain. Can you and Tali come with me? The rest of y'all head on back to the Normandy" Mads asked.
"Sure" Both Tali and Garrus replied at the same time.
Kaiden, Liara and Wrex went back to the Normandy, seemingly grumpy over the fact that it wasn't them going with the commander. As they disappeared from view, Garrus spoke up.
"What did Captain Anderson want?" Garrus asked.
"To help us. It seems he pulls my ass out of the fire once again" Mads answered.
The walked down to the wards, along the scums that inhabited it. They finally reached the nightclub. Mads scanned the club, it was as nightclubs usually were, populated by young people having a good time. Mads spotted Anderson sitting at table for himself, having a drink.
Mads approached the bar first. He waited a few moments for a bartender to come and take his order. To his surprise it was a Volus who came to serve him.
"What would it *Inhaling* be?" He asked.
"A black Russian, please" Mads replied.
The Volus nodded and went to work. It went surprisingly quick, considering all the other customers he was serving at the same time. The Volus placed the drink on the bar and Mads payed for it and picked it up.
"If you two want something to drink, order it and send me the bill" Mads said to Tali and Garrus.
Garrus didn't waste any time to order a Turian drink. Tali didn't move, presumably she was thinking. Mads almost flew over the floor to Anderson.
"Anderson, you old hound! How are you?" Mads asked as he took a seat in front of Anderson.
"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you. I tried to get a message to you before you docked, but it was too late." Anderson answered.
"Yeah, it sucks. I appreciate your effort. You said you could help?" Mads asked.
"You can't give up. Udina and the council both think this is over, but we both know it is not. You have to get to Ilos!" Anderson demanded.
"I wish it was that simple, Anderson. But Udina saw fit to ground my ship" Mads replied as he took a sip of his drink.
"I know. The citadel systems locked out all the Normandy's systems. But if we override the Ambassador's orders, we can bring the Normandy back under your command. You could be long gone before anyone knows what even happened." Anderson suggested.
"Anderson, that would most likely be treason on your end. Who knows what will happen to you!" Mads replied worryingly.
"Nothing compared to what will happen to the galaxy if Saren finds the conduit. You are the only one who can stop him, Romanov. I'll gladly do my part to help you achieve that goal." Anderson said.
"I'll gladly take my chances, Anderson. But what about the crew? They might not look at it the same as I do." Mads countered.
"The crew of the Normandy is as loyal as they get to their commanding officer. You and I both know that. They will follow you to hell and back." Anderson explained.
"I'll seize the chance if you grant me it, Anderson. But I can't ask this of you" Mads said.
"You won't have to. I can unlock it from a terminal in the council chambers. You have a few minutes before anyone realized what has happened." Anderson replied.
"That area is patrolled by guards, how are you going to get in?" Garrus broke in and said.
"Leave that to me. Just make sure you are on the Normandy when the lock down is lifted." Anderson replied.
"Are you sure there isn't another way?" Mads asked.
"It was Udina who issued the lockdown order. If I can hack into his computer, maybe I can override it" Anderson suggested.
"I doubt that Udina will let you do that" Tali said.
"If he is there, I'll just have to think of something" Anderson said.
"He will charge you with treason as well if he catches you." Tali continued.
"What do you say, commander? Should I try my luck with citadel patrols, or hack into Udina's computer?" Anderson asked.
Mads took a few moments to think about it, neither option was really all that favorable.
"Hack into Udina's computer. It's his fault we are all sitting here right now" Mads said.
"I agree. He made this personal." Anderson replied.
"Good luck, Anderson. I'll try to end this" Mads said as he shook hands with Anderson.
"I know you will." Anderson said with a smile.
Mads, Garrus and Tali left the bar and went back to the Normandy in a hurry. This was their only chance at setting things straight and getting an edge.
Once onboard, Mads said on the comms that anyone who did not wish to be part of their rebellion, had every right to leave the Normandy. Mads knew they were loyal, but even he didn't expect them all to follow him. No one left the ship. A smile appeared on his lips.
Mads and Joker waited impatiently for their signal. Once the controls changed color to green, they would be clear for lift-off.
It took a few minutes of silent waiting before they got their signal. But finally they got their greenlight to leave. They flew away fast, pushing the Normandy to its limit. They were away and headed to Ilos.
Here I come, you Turian fuck.