"Got a minute?"

"Sure." Garrus turned around. "Just checking the weapon systems. You can never be too careful." He shrugged. "I thought I'd seen every weapon in the galaxy in our fight against Saren. Mercenary work showed me otherwise." He gave the battery an admiring look. "And now Cerberus rebuilds the Normandy with a few upgrades to boot. I wish we'd joined up with them sooner."

"I'm pleased to see that you're getting along with the new crew." He'd been a bit concerned about bringing a turian onto a Cerberus ship, but it was starting to look like he wasn't going to have to space anyone on Garrus's behalf.

"They're as friendly to me as people from a group like Cerberus can be." Garrus waved a hand dismissively. "And they've got you vouching for them." He looked down. "I can't exactly doubt your judgment. Not after I got my own squad killed."

"Garrus?" He waited until his friend looked back up at him. "Torfan." Slowly, Garrus nodded. Michael leaned on a piece of machinery. "What did your merc squad do? It didn't sound like you were available for hire."

"Remember what we talked about? That whole 'if this doesn't work out let's go vigilante bit?" Garrus clicked his mandibles. "It didn't work out. I went vigilante. You saw Omega." He gestured. "It was full of thugs kicking the helpless. I formed my team to kick back. We weren't mercenaries. At least, nobody was paying us." He paced the small room. "We made money by taking down slavers, pirates, or gangs that went too far."

"That's the Garrus I know. Making friends everywhere." Michael shook his head.

"I got three separate merc bands to work together to take me down. My manager at C-Sec would be impressed." Garrus made the expression he recognized as a turian smirk. "It was simple. We'd hit their shipments, disrupt activities. Get under their skin. Make them angry." He clasped his hands behind his back. "They'd come charging right into our well-prepared kill-zone. Crossfire and snipers, clean and surgical. They never stood a chance."

They chatted a while longer about Garrus' activities and group on Omega. Garrus hadn't changed, he'd just become more... Garrus. "How did those mercenary gangs take down your team?"

Garrus hung his head. "It was my own damn fault. One of my people betrayed me." He paced. "A turian named Sidonis. He drew me away just before the mercs attacked my squad, then he disappeared. Everyone except me is dead because of him. And because I didn't see it coming."

"Do you know where Sidonis is now?" There was a galaxy to save. But they could find a few minutes to help Garrus put a round into a traitor's head.

"No." Garrus sighed. "His trail vanishes after he leaves Omega. But I'll keep hunting." He met Michael's eyes. "I lost my whole team, except for Sidonis. One day I'll find him..." His mandibles clicked sharply. "And correct that."

#

There were a few hours yet before they reached the Citadel. Michael decided to check in on his other non-human crew member. Mordin was bustling about the lab. "Shepard. How can I help?"

"Got a minute to talk?"

"Of course." Mordin stepped back from one of the computers. "Plague on Omega dealt with. Plenty of time to analyze Collector intelligence." He gestured at the room. "Impressive laboratory setup. Missed working for operations with a budget. AI in particular very helpful. Best setup I've seen since work with Special Tasks Group."

"What kind of research were you doing with the STG?" He'd read the dossier, but he also knew TIM wasn't going to tell him more than TIM wanted him to know.

"Not simply research. Several recon missions. Covert, high-risk. Served under young captain named Kirrahe. Studied krogan genophage. Took water, tissue samples from krogan colonies."

Michael blinked. "I worked with an STG captain named Kirrahe. His team helped me destroy Saren's cloning facility on Virmire."

"Heard he was part of that. Jury-rigged explosive?" Mordin's tone actually sounded admiring. "Always got job done with limited resources. Good captain. Bit of a cloaca, though. Loved his speeches. 'Hold the line'. Personally prefer to get job done and go home." Mordin shrugged. "Probably military bravado. Jargon, chest-pounding. No offense."

He asked a few more questions about the genophage and STG, then left Mordin to his work.

#

According to the dossier, one of his 'new crew' was supposed to meet him here. He even had a pass phrase. He started looking around, and then the advertisement said his name. "Commander Shepard, enter the code and win a free prize."

He ran a hand down his face. "Here's looking at you, kid." The image on the screen gave him an annoyed look. He tried again. "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on here." No response. "Round up the usual suspects?"

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." The image said back to him. "Kasumi Goto at your service..." The image nodded. "But you apparently already knew that."

"You've been filled in on the mission?"

"Honestly, I'm shocked they didn't come to see me sooner. My fault for being hard to find, I guess."

"You're twenty feet up and seven feet to my left, on the catwalk."

"How'd you know?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It's where I'd be. Get the rest of your gear on the Normandy and meet us back here."

"Well now..." She smiled. "You're going to be fun."

#

They were halfway through the corridor when alarms started going off. Kasumi immediately spoke up. "I swear to god I didn't touch anything."

Garrus glanced at Michael, and Michael blinked. "What are you looking at me for?" Garrus made a coughing sound that sounded vaguely like the words 'credit chit'.

The C-Sec officer on the guard station was speaking into his communicator. "What? Do you seriously think..." Whoever was on the other side said something. "Yeah, okay." He looked up at Michael and clicked his mandibles. "Sorry for the inconvenience, sir. Our scanners are picking up false readings. They seem to think you're, ah, dead."

"Yeah, I'm getting that everywhere." Michael shrugged. He heard Garrus make a snickering noise. "It's a pain in the ass. Who do I talk to about it?"

"Our station commander is just beyond the scanners. Out and to the right. He can restate your IDs."

#

"Yes?" The man looked up when Michael walked to his desk, then his eyes widened just slightly. "I see the problem already, Commander Shepard. My console says you're dead."

With a sigh, he shrugged. "Don't change it. Anonymity is useful on my current mission."

"Sure." Captain Bailey, at least according to the nametag on his desk, nodded. "You're a goddamn hero. It's not like we have to worry about you smuggling guns in or something." He touched a few buttons. "I just put a block in the system. Officially, you still don't exist. And you won't get hassled by the security checkpoints." Where had this guy been fifteen years ago? "You should head up to the Presidium, though. The Council would probably like to know that one of their lost Spectres is still kicking."

"I will." It's where he could find Anderson. "Having access to the Council and the Spectre's resources would be useful."

"Yeah, the Council can get anything. Best thing about working C-Sec is that any equipment, information, or money you need, you get." He shrugged. "Anyway. Something else you need? Or can I get back to work."

"I should go."

#

"So I'm officially dead?" Michael shrugged. "I thought I was just MIA."

"They didn't tell you?" Garrus clicked his mandibles. "There was a funeral and everything."

"Seriously?" Michael turned towards him.

"Seriously. It was actually quite moving." Garrus waved a hand, and then narrowed his eyes. "It made Tali cry."

Michael winced. "Damn."

"A friend of yours, Sandra Brekin, made some little pastries for Tali and I so we could join in at the memorial dinner." He folded his arms. "She cried too."

"Damn."

"Dr. Chakwas cried."

"Damn."

"That girl whose sister we helped out with C-Sec. She cried."

"Damn."

"Two women came all the way from Earth. Molly and Tina. They cried."

"Wait..." He stared at Garrus. "Molly and Tina came to my funeral?"

"Yeah. Never did say how they knew you though."

"I..." Michael sighed. "I kind of stole Molly's purse once. And I beat up a guy."

"Maybe they were just checking to see if you were really dead?" Garrus tilted his head. "They are going to be so disappointed."

"I bet your sister cried."

"As if I'd ever let you meet my sister."

#

He walked in on the tail end of a meeting. Anderson was looking out over the view while the holograms of the other councilors talked at him. "This meeting would be more productive if Udina was to join us." The asari councilor sounded annoyed.

Anderson also sounded annoyed. "My advisor is unavailable. As Councilor, I represent the voice of humanity and the Alliance." He squared his shoulders. "Shepard will be here any-" He turned and caught sight of Michael. "Oh, Commander. We were just talking about you."

"Well, that's nicely ominous." He walked forward and offered Anderson a hand. "It's been a long time, Anderson. I hope the last couple years have treated you right."

"There've been some rough spots." His eyes flicked to the images. "It's good to have you back."

The salarian councilor's voice interjected. "We've heard many rumors surrounding your unexpected return. Some of them are..." Eyes blinked. He made a mental note to figure out how to politely ask Mordin how to tell the difference between male and female salarians. "Unsettling."

"We called this meeting so you could explain your actions, Shepard." The asari councilor gestured. "We owe you that much. After all, you saved our lives in the battle against Saren and his geth."

"Saren wasn't the one commanding the geth." Michael assumed a parade rest stance, and noted Garrus did something very similar. "It was the Reaper, Sovereign."

"Ah, yes. Reapers." The turian councilor made an air-quotes gesture that clued Michael in on why they'd chosen to attend as holograms. He couldn't shoot them. "The immortal race of sentient starships allegedly waiting in dark space. We have dismissed that claim."

"Shepard, no one else encountered the hologram on Ilos that told you the truth about the Reapers." Anderson turned to face him. "Only you and your crew ever spoke with Sovereign." He sighed. "I believe you, but without evidence from another source, the others think Saren was behind the geth attacks."

"Saren was an organic." Michael shook his head. "The geth would never accept him as their leader. They only followed him because he was Sovereign's agent."

"Saren was a compelling and charismatic individual. He convinced the geth the Reapers were real..." The asari councilor stared at him. "Just as he convinced you."

"It was part of his plan to attack the Citadel." The turian councilor nodded. "The Reapers are just a myth. One you insist on perpetuating."

The asari councilor kept her voice gentle. It felt patronizing. "We believe that you believe it, but that doesn't make it true."

"Go back to Ilos and talk to Vigil. Or just look at what's left of Sovereign." Michael glared. "It's obvious the technology is more advanced than ours."

"The hologram on Ilos is no longer functional, and we have found nothing to suggest that Sovereign was not a geth creation." The salarian councilor frowned.

"The geth are capable of remarkable technological achievements." The asari councilor nodded. "That is probably why Saren recruited them."

"This Reaper theory proves just how fragile your mental state is. You have been manipulated." The turian councilor pointed at him. "By Cerberus and, before them, by Saren."

"I guess I'm on my own..." Michael shrugged. "Again."

"We are in a difficult position, Shepard. You are working for Cerberus." The asari councilor spread her hands. "An avowed enemy of the Council. This is treason, a capital offense."

Anderson immediately took a step forward. "That is too far. Shepard is a hero. I'm on the Council, too, and I won't let this whitewash continue."

"Maybe there is a compromise. Not a public acknowledgment, given your ties, but something to show peripheral support." The asari councilor nodded thoughtfully before turning to look at her compatriots.

It was, however, the turian who nodded. "Shepard, if you keep a low profile and restrict your operations to the Terminus Systems, the Council is willing to offer you reinstatement as a Spectre."

There were many, many things he wanted to say. He swallowed all of them. "I accept your offer."

"Good luck with your investigation, Shepard. We hope for a quick resolution..." The asari councilor nodded to him. "And a quick end to your relationship with Cerberus."

#

After the images vanished, Anderson walked once more to the view and looked out. "Well. That went better than I expected." He turned back to Michael. "You realize the Council's offer is just symbolic. They won't actually do anything."

That much was obvious. "I don't need their help. I just need you to keep them off my back."

"Shouldn't be too hard as long as you keep to the Terminus Systems." Anderson nodded.

Michael started to speak, and the door opened. Udina walked in. "Anderson, we need to talk about -" He stared. "Shepard. What are you doing here?"

"Not used to seeing ghosts, Udina?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"I'd heard you were alive, of course. But I didn't expect to see you back on the Citadel." Udina brushed non-existent dirt off his clothes.

"I invited Shepard here to speak with the Council." Anderson waved a hand. "We just finished our meeting."

"You what?" Udina's jaw nearly fell off. "Councilor, do the words political shit-storm mean anything to you?"

"I'm here because the fate of humanity is at stake." Michael narrowed his eyes. "That's what you should care about."

"All you soldiers think alike. You charge head first into a problem with no regard for the long-term consequences." Udina gestured.

"I make the decisions around here, Udina." Anderson folded his arms. "Your job is to clean up the mess I leave behind. Understand?"

"Or course, Councilor." Udina's voice was somewhat shy of 'respectful'. "Given the potential size of this one, I'd better get started. I'll be in my office." He stalked away.

"Sorry about that. Udina's never gotten over the fact that I got the Council position instead of him. Sometimes I need to put him in his place." Anderson sighed.

"What do you keep him around for?" Michael asked. "Target practice?"

Anderson turned back to the view. "He's got his uses. And if you want something done on the Citadel, he knows who can make it happen." He shrugged. "Plus, he's always happy to attend all those formal diplomatic functions I can't be bothered with."

"How have the last couple years treated you?" Michael asked. Anderson looked more than just two years older than the last time they'd met.

"Serving on the Council isn't how I planned to spend my twilight years. Sometimes it feels like I'm just beating my head against a wall. Knowing the truth about Sovereign is brutal. It's nightmare stuff. Can't blame others for not wanting to believe it." He leaned on the railing. "But I know how important it is, so I keep trying. Fight the good fight, right?"

Michael leaned on the railing next to Anderson. "What happened to Staff Lieutenant Alenko after the Normandy was destroyed?"

It took a moment for Anderson to respond. "Staff Commander Alenko is still with the Alliance, but he's working on a special mission. It's classified." He didn't look at Michael. "I can't say any more. Not while you're working with Cerberus. I'm sorry."

"I don't need the specifics of his mission, but I'd like to get in touch with him." Michael straightened.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible." Anderson turned towards him, but didn't meet his eyes.

"You'll help me get Spectre authority again..." Michael blinked. "But you won't let me contact a former crew member?"

"Shepard..."

"I better go." Michael turned and left the office.

#

"Shepard?" Garrus's voice reached his ears.

"What?" He turned towards the other man.

Garrus gave him a concerned look. "Just wondering what you swiped from Udina this time."

It took Michael a moment to collect himself again, but he nodded. "Why mess with a classic?" He opened his hand to reveal Udina's credit chit, then casually tossed it into one of the fountains.

"Not bad." Kasumi said. Then she held up Udina's belt buckle.

Michael blinked. "How?"

"You're good." She shrugged. "I'm better."

"And I'm so glad I'm no longer with C-Sec." Garrus just shook his head.

#

He stood, watching bubbles move in that ridiculous tank in the 'captain's quarters'. Anderson didn't trust him. It was truly an impractical bit of decor. Anderson didn't trust him. First time the ship came under heavy fire, it was going to burst and soak everything in the room. Anderson didn't trust him. Maybe he should get some fish or something.

Anderson didn't trust him. Wouldn't even tell him how to contact Kaidan. Even if... Michael sighed. Even if Anderson didn't trust him, Kaidan at least deserved the respect of a face to face explanation. Deserved to know the truth about...

Then again, if anyone gave a shit about the truth, he wouldn't have been out hunting geth in the ass-end of the galaxy in the first place. He squared his shoulders, and nodded at his reflection. The scarred visage stared back at him. The situation was simple enough. He had unlimited judicial authority and a stealth warship.

And there was work to do.

#

Kaidan stared at the screen. The video Tali had send Anderson had been proof enough, but seeing a newsfeed from Omega showing Michael walking through the station was… He swallowed, then turned to his comm unit.

The man on the other end of the communication unit looked back at him, and sighed. "It's true, then? It's really him?"

"It's him."

Brekin looked as if he'd been punched in the stomach. "As many rumors as I've been hearing, I…" He sighed. "Kaidan, I…"

"Yeah." Kaidan said. "I know."

"There has to be a reason."

"What reason could there be?" Kaidan shook his head. "He's alive. He's with Cerberus. Tali said she talked to him, and that he knew about a private conversation they'd had. He's alive, and he…" Kaidan swallowed. "Has he been in touch with you?"

"No." Brekin said. "No, he has not. Which means when he finally does show his face around here, I'm going to punch it." He sighed. "What about Anderson and Hackett?"

"I haven't spoken to Hackett in a month or two. I'm due to report back to Anderson in a couple days. Maybe he'll have something." Kaidan sighed. "Lars?"

"Yeah?"

"Look with the colonies…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "My folks have a guest house out at the orchard. Maybe think about showing your kids around Earth? I mean, Ferris Fields is pretty, but…"

"I'll think about it. Take care of yourself, Kaidan."