Shepard tried to convince Garrus's father to let her get on the elevator at the council tower alone, but in true Vakarian fashion, he refused. Even though she appreciated having someone watching her back, the thought of tangling him up in her mess registered even higher on the abhorrent scale than bringing Nihlus or Garrus into it. So, she jammed herself up against the doors, her back to him, and put on a show of looking more than a little paranoid to be stuck in an elevator with a turian.

"I should stay with you, at least until the stairs. I'm frequently in the chamber. No one will think twice about it," he whispered.

"No." She shuffled a little further away from him. "Please, wait somewhere down below. I couldn't bear to look into Garrus's eyes and tell him I'd gotten you killed."

"But . . .." He started to step forward, and she spun to face him, backing into the corner.

And the best performance of 'trapped in a slow-moving elevator with a pervert' goes to . . ..

"Please. Let me protect the few people I can. I knew I was walking this klick on my own, sir. I'm okay." She put up a hand to fend him off and whispered, "You know, my performance might be a little more convincing if you weren't standing two meters away."

He closed on her, not touching her, but pushing good and tight into her space. "And if something happens to you, how do I explain to my son that I just walked away?"

She gave him a tight smile, ducking her head to avoid the camera. "They aren't going to do anything yet. They'll let me go to Virmire and put on a show of cleaning up the mess. Thank you for offering, though. I can see where your son gets his overprotective streak."

She winked and then jumped as the doors opened, backing out as though she'd been slapped. "Excuse me?" she bellowed, loud enough that it even made her wince. "I should report you for even suggesting such a thing, Officer. I don't know what 'climbing the big tower' is, but I assure you, I'm not interested."

The shock on his face almost cracked her indignant mask, but she just bit her lip and kept backing up.

Herros recouped and shook his head, mandibles flicking as he suppressed a smile. "Very nice. I hope the executor doesn't get his hands on this vid." His gaze softened. "I can see why Garrus likes you. He's always had a weak spot for crazy." He sobered and backed away from the door. "Good luck, Captain."

She turned and marched up to the door into the council chamber, but stopped before hitting the control. Pressing the heel of her hand over her heart, she closed her eyes, counting her breaths.

You can do this. Warrior inside and out. For everyone.

Then Tashac Jacar stepped forward, her ghost even more driven to ensure that her empire hadn't died in vain than she'd been while alive—that all of her children had not died in vain. A fierce, tight twist of Shepard's gut greeted the agony of Attit's empty shell lying so heavy and so still in her arms. Pressing her eyes closed even tighter, she could recall the sensation of his first movement within her . . . within Tashac. Her body tingled, warm and delicious shivers radiating through her as her memory skipped back, recalling every caress and ecstasy involved in his creation.

She laughed softly through the dew that misted along her eyelashes. How could she regret not having a family when one lived inside her mind, as real as anything she'd ever experienced? For the memory of those people and for the sake of the ones she loved, she could soar into the sun on her wings of wax. They all mattered so very much more than her fear and regrets.

She opened her eyes, squared her shoulders, and palmed the door control, stepping through into the softly lit beauty of the council chamber. Looking up at the blossoming trees glowing in the lights, she let their serenity seep into her, percolating through every cell until her heart slowed and her nerves calmed. Long, silent strides carried her the length of the chamber, passing rock gardens, fountains, and people of every race. She allowed the conversations around her to register, but didn't focus on any single one. They amounted to the same things. Who rose, who fell, who to curry favour with, who owed favours. Rumours, gossip, speculation. The usual underpinnings of life and politics.

Udina bristled like an angry cactus at the top of the last set of stairs. "Captain." He looked behind her, craning his neck. "Where is Spectre Kryik?"

"Not here." She held up the datapad. "I have all the information the council needs. Shall we? I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Wait just a second, Shepard, I need to see your evidence before you present it to anyone." He held his hand out for the datapad. "If you think I'm just going to let you . . .."

Shepard turned to walk the last mile down the council's gangplank, glancing over the side as she wondered if the glass below would hold should Udina throw her off. If the glass didn't hold, she'd be in for a long drop with a quick stop.

"Captain Shepard," Tevos said, her voice serene but with a very audible undercurrent of 'If you're wasting our time . . ..' "Ambassador Udina informed us that you have evidence to prove that Saren was behind the attack on Eden Prime?"

Shepard stopped at the edge and looked down. Yep, a long way down. Snapping her head up, she stared at them, letting her knowledge of what they intended to do fill her with molten steel. "Madam Councillor, Ambassador Udina was correct. I have evidence that Saren not only attacked Eden Prime, but that he did so as a first step in gathering the intelligence and resources he needs to bring about the destruction of all advanced sapient life in the galaxy."

Beside her Udina groaned and bowed his head, his palm impacting his brow with an audible thwack. "Shepard . . .." The growl that followed her name made her take a step back from the edge and its very fragile-looking glass. "What in the name of . . .?"

The council members stared at Shepard as if she'd suddenly sprouted another head, but she merely stared back, waiting for them to take the bait.

"Is there a reason that Spectre Kryik isn't at this meeting, Captain?" Sparatus asked after several seconds passed, his voice as warm and reassuring as a shark's grin. "I believe our time will be more productive if we stick to the facts and avoid indulging your flair for the dramatic."

Shepard looked down, a scowl puckering the skin between her eyebrows, using the moment to gather her confidence. Dramatics indeed: the next few moments needed to feature the best performance of her life. After a breath, she looked up, locking stares with each councillor for a moment. "I no longer believe Spectre Kryik to be reliable. I'm not even certain he is still working toward the best interests of this Council or the people it serves."

She gave them a moment to absorb that, expecting one of them to speak out, but instead, they just stared at her. Sparatus folded his arms, the only outward sign of impatience on their parts. Encouraged, she forged ahead. "When we investigated Feros, he insisted on leading the second team to Exogeni headquarters, where all the information Saren wanted was catalogued. Conveniently, Saren brought the colony down on my team's heads while ignoring the other building entirely."

She winced, hating the sound of the words as they came out . . . her lip curling at the despicable nature of what they meant. Betrayal, on every front. How dare he, after she trusted him with so much? "On Omega, he led a direct assault on the base Saren's henchmen were using, killing all the Blood Pack involved and destroying any chance we had to follow them back to Saren. When we reached Noveria, he suggested that I drop in the Mako against executive board law while he stayed in Port Hanshan running some sort of covert op." Breaking off with a helpless flip of her hands, she looked up, meeting their stares again.

The worst of Nihlus's misdeeds waited for last, but how to even say it? After she'd saved his life . . . how could he have . . .? Shepard shook her head and paced a couple of steps one way and then back. "On Tuntau, he and Saren met alone while Saren's geth kept my team busy. I followed them, but all I heard was something about Saren getting Nihlus to kill me. I opened fire immediately, but Nihlus didn't fire on Saren until he started getting away, and even then it was so sporadic that I suspected Nihlus of just putting up appearances."

She shrugged and clenched her jaw, forcing her back straight. "He's my partner, and I hate suspecting him of anything let alone something as heinous as betraying the council, but one can only turn a blind eye for so long."

The three keyed information into their consoles and traded looks before Tevos nodded. "Very well, Captain. Present your evidence."

Shepard sent them the file she'd prepared, then stood at parade rest while they sorted through it. When they listened to the audio file that Tali recorded aboard Sovereign, Tevos looked up.

"I know the other voice on this recording. It's Matriarch Benezia," the councillor exclaimed, showing enough surprise that she either didn't know about Benezia or she needed to give Shepard acting lessons. Maybe Saren didn't entirely trust the council either.

"She died on Noveria," Shepard reported. "Killed by rachni just before the antimatter bombardment."

The councillor's ageless face creased into a scowl, looking genuinely dismayed by the news. "Did she say anything? Did she tell you why she was working with Saren?"

Shepard answered the question with a sad shake of her head. "I'm sorry, Madam Councillor, she was already dead when we reached the inner laboratory. It looked like she and her people put up one hell of a fight though."

Still looking grief-stricken, the asari looked back to the information. "So, the OSD you found on Matriarch Benezia confirms that Saren has a base on Virmire where he is breeding krogan and holding hundreds of quarians hostage." She shook her head and looked up at the salarian councillor.

"This evidence is damning," Valern said. He looked up at Udina. "Why didn't you bring us this evidence as it came in, Ambassador? We could have taken action weeks ago, perhaps even prevented the death of one of the galaxy's wisest and most powerful matriarchs."

Shepard stepped in front of Udina. "I didn't send any of it to him, Councillors." She cast a disgusted sneer over her shoulder at Udina, almost feeling bad for him as his face turned a dark, bruised purple. Almost. "If I was a Spectre, I wouldn't report to him, so I thought it best to leave it to the council to decide what information they wished to release and to whom."

"A wise decision, Shepard," Sparatus said, his tone haughty enough to make Udina sputter. "You've done well in your investigation." He straightened, his face looking pained for the admission. "You might have what it takes to be a Spectre, after all."

"Yes, an instinct for discretion is not something that can be learned," Valern agreed. "Fine work, Shepard."

"Thank you, Councillors, I just did what I hoped was best for the council and the galaxy at large." As she gave them a slight but humble bow of her head, she could hear Udina on a build-up to detonation behind her. He'd make her pay, but in that moment, she couldn't care less.

Tevos looked up from her console to stare at her fellow councillors for a moment before turning to Shepard. She nodded, once. "Very well, Captain Shepard, we accept your evidence against Saren. He will be stripped of his Spectre status, and you are cleared to pursue him to his base on Virmire and apprehend him by any means necessary."

Shepard bowed her head again, honoured by their praise. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Councillors. We'll be heading out in just over twenty hours."

"Good work, Shepard. You're dismissed," Sparatus said. After just a beat, he looked past her to Udina. "Ambassador, please remain. We wish to speak to you further."

Heart in her throat, half expecting them to call her back and tell her that they saw through every lie and half-truth she'd fed them, Shepard turned on her heel. Meeting Udina's death glare without flinching, she nodded. "Good day, Ambassador." If glares came in calibres, Udina's would have blown a hole through her that cut her in half, but she just strode past him, hurrying to the stairs. She had council business to attend to.

She didn't breathe until she hit the elevator control and it headed down to the presidium. A long sigh poured out of her, leaving her weak in the knees and slumped against the elevator wall. She'd done it. She'd held onto her guts long enough to get the job done.

"What have you done?" A thunderhead of turian anger roared across the bar. The genteel embassy-worker patrons dashed around tables and leaped out of the way, afraid to be struck by lightning as the tempest stormed past, taking out everything in its path.

Shepard glared at Garrus. "I told you we should have gone to Chora's Den. He's scaring the stiffs." She turned to lean against the bar, pointedly ignoring Nihlus until he got close enough to stop shouting. "Cranberry juice, please." She smiled at the bartender, the human glancing back and forth between Nihlus and her as if to ask if she expected the Spectre to be a problem.

Oh yeah. Of a variety that you wouldn't believe, buddy.

She accepted her juice, thanked the bartender, and turned to look up as Nihlus lurched to a stop, looming over her. A sad sort of sigh, almost regret, whispered from her as she looked into his eyes and shrugged. "I went to the council, presented the evidence, and got us permission to attack Virmire. 'Cleared to apprehend him using any means necessary,' Tevos said." She took slow deep breaths, keeping her body language calm and appeasing.

He wasn't angry, not really, but even as angry as he thought he was, in a moment or two, Nihlus would figure out why she'd gone alone. She didn't possess the foggiest clue how he'd react once he did. That her decision would hurt him—would hurt several of her people . . . she couldn't even look Garrus in the eye yet—formed her only regret. Still, hurt . . . anger . . . whatever else he had to dish out, she'd take, if it meant saving his life.

"Come on, if we're going to discuss this, it should be elsewhere." She started toward the door, but Nihlus stepped in her path.

Raking his talons over his fringe, Nihlus towered over her, vibrating like a live high voltage cable. "Spirits, Shepard. Why'd you go alone?" He stormed a few strides one way, then back. "I should have been there. Damn it, you can't go into situations like that without me."

"Says the turian Spectre I had to wrestle off the ramp of the Normandy to keep from heading out on his own on Eden Prime." A gentle smile fluttered over her lips, dying almost as soon as it was born. She shrugged and cracked open the bottle of juice, the sense of betrayal that poked her in the ribs during the meeting evaporating. "You know why I went alone, Nihlus."

He bristled, mandibles flared with frustration and anger . . . then she saw realization dawn, followed by his eerie, absolute stillness. Long moments passed as the Spectre just stared, not blinking, not even appearing to breathe. Shepard forced herself to hold his gaze, keeping hers kind but firm. She'd stepped out onto her path, the only path she could live with. He needed to come to terms with it.

"No!" he cried, the word half-roar, half keen, the stillness crashing into an avalanche frenetic movement, of not knowing what to do with himself. "No!" She watched the rage disappear into fear and grief behind his eyes. "What did you do, Shepard? Dear spirits. What did you do?"

Shepard cast a sidelong glance at Garrus. He knew she'd gone to the meeting, and she could tell from his expression that he suspected what she'd done, but she hadn't told him. She met Nihlus's confused, terrified stare with one she hoped inspired calm. "First of all, lower your voice for pity's sake. You're making a scene." She sighed and ran her hands over the belly of her armour as if she could straighten it. "I told the council that you weren't there because I can't trust you." He flinched as if she'd slapped him, but she pushed on. "I told them I thought there's a good chance you're working against me, sympathizing with Saren."

"Spirits, Shepard . . .." Garrus's voice drifted out like a dismayed prayer.

Staying focused on Nihlus, Shepard took a deep breath. When she spoke, she kept her voice soft enough to remain between the three of them. "I told them the truth, Nihlus. A lot of things trying to kill me while Saren actively avoids wherever you are . . . it doesn't look good." She shrugged, feigning nonchalance.

"No." He spun away from her, his talons raking his fringe again. "No, no, no. Shepard . . .." He keened, high and sharp. "How stupid . . .?"

Shepard flinched as nearly half the patrons turned to look at them. How many omnitools were recording them? The fool was going to completely negate everything she'd done. She jumped forward, slamming him in the shoulder with the hardest flat-hand strike she could manage. She grabbed his arm and spun him around, 200-proof fury pouring into her blood. Her voice lowered to a barely audible hiss of a whisper. "Don't you dare go there. Don't you fucking dare." Let everyone see them fight. That much would help, at least.

She focused her stare as hard and sharp as a diamond blade. "I had one fucking shot of getting their blessing to attack Virmire without my entire crew getting put on a hit list. I don't know who you work for any more, so yeah . . . I saw an opportunity to distance my crew, and I bloody well took it." She shook her head, all the fear incinerating in the face of certainty. "You bet your skinny ass I took it, and I'll live with the consequences. So calm the fuck down and have a drink, or go freak out somewhere you aren't being recorded by half the station."

He pressed in on her, his voice lowered to match hers, rumbling with enough fury to raise the hair on the back of her neck and make her belly tremble. "I won't let you do this alone. I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me. I'll go to them . . .."

She swayed a little, the room dipping in time to the rolling in her stomach. The air suddenly felt super-heated, like plasma against her skin. Why had she ever thought he'd react reasonably. He'd destroy it and get all her people killed . . . get Garrus killed.

Garrus erupted between them, grabbing Nihlus by the cowl of his armour, tearing the lighter torin right off his feet. "If you do, I'll end you, Kryik. Now shut up." He threw Nihlus back a couple of feet as he dropped him. "There are more than sixty people on that ship, and you're risking them all right now." He turned and wrapped an arm around Shepard's shoulders to escort her to the door.

Shepard pushed him away and turned back to face Nihlus. "You're a risk to all my people, Spectre. That's the end of it." She looked over at Garrus. "Let's go somewhere quiet." When he nodded, she turned toward the door, wondering how long it would be before the council heard about the fight. Hopefully she'd managed to turn the conversation enough that it would prove just another schism that helped make them believe he could be brought around to their way of thinking.

Shepard groaned as the door opened while they were still three metres away, her heart falling into her boots when Udina staggered through, obviously already three sheets to the wind. "So close. We almost made it out." She let out a long groan. "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

Udina must have heard her, because he spun to face her. "Shepard. Decided to throw away the facade and admit that you're a witch?"

Laughing, Shepard shook her head and let out a noisy breath. "Ambassador, the fact you still have one head, intact limbs, and at least most of your hair speaks to my lack of skill in the arcane arts. When I get your voodoo doll to work, you'll know."

Udina wavered a little as he leaned down over Shepard, breathing what smelled like jet fuel in her face. God, sometimes she hated being short. His left index finger jabbed her in the chest. "Do you know how close you are to destroying everything I've worked for here? You turned me into a mockery in that chamber today."

"I did no such thing, Ambassador." Shepard leaned into him. "I told the truth. As a Spectre candidate, my loyalty is to the council, not you." She pushed past him, heading for the door. Glancing at Garrus, she sighed. "What is this? Pick a fight with Shepard in the fancy bar night?"

Udina grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Don't you turn your back on me, Shepard. I can end your career and turn you into a laughingstock with a single call. I won't let you destroy humanity's chance to join the council."

Shepard laughed, a harsh bark of sound. "Oh, please. Don't forget, I've known you a long time, Udina. I know that you'd sell your mother to the batarians to climb the ladder a rung, but do you know how close you are to sending us all to hell? The Reapers are real, and they're on their way." She dropped her voice to a low, dangerous whisper. "I don't give a rat's ass if you want to bend over for the devil, Udina, but I'll be damned if I'll let you force the rest of humanity to take it up the ass along with you."

"Couth, Shepard," Udina said, his entire face warping into a snarl. "But what else can we expect from a batarian carnal whore?"

Shepard stopped. Just stopped. For thirty seconds, even her heart froze solid. Thought, breath, and function stalled, short circuited by horror. For those thirty seconds a gloating leer transformed Udina's homely visage into something truly horrific. But as the clock ticked over to thirty-one seconds, Shepard sliced through the air—all edges, points and barbs set to shred him.

Udina staggered back, his eyes wide.

"You honestly want to do this again, Udina? After how badly I pounded you the last time?" She snarled and lunged at him.

Strong arms grabbed her from behind before she could connect, pinning her shoulders back so that she could only swipe at the foot of air in front of her. Struggling, she shot a glare over her shoulder at her captor. "Let me go, Garrus. He just . . . he can't just . . .."

"If you hit him, you're giving him exactly what he wants and needs to shut you down, Kahri. He only hit that low because he's desperate," Garrus whispered in her ear. "Let it go. You already know what he is, and he's not worth it."

Shepard stopped fighting the turian, registering the truth and sense in his words even through her anger. "Fine."

Udina laughed. "Thank you for containing this animal, Officer Vakarian." He leaned in again. "Just remember your place, and try not to embarrass humanity any further." For a moment, he turned away, looking as though he had every intention to leave. But then he spun back around, wavering a little in his inebriation as he swung at her, arm extended.

The ambassador's fist slammed into Shepard's face, her jaw letting off a crack loud enough to deafen her for a second. Her teeth screeched together and clamped shut on the side of her tongue. White lights sparkled all around her, brilliant fireflies of pure lightning riding a wave of brain static that rang in her ears and short-circuited her balance, dropping the floor out from under her.

Luckily Garrus still held her pinned against him, his grip keeping her from sprawling on the tile.

"Shepard?" Garrus braced her as she staggered, then helped her back square on her feet. "You okay?" When she nodded, he released her, dusting down the armour on her shoulders before giving her a gentle pat. "He's all yours."

Shepard lifted a hand to her jaw, stretching her mouth open to click it back in place, a barbed wire smile coiling across her face. "Thank you, Brother C-Sec, the light of the Enkindlers is strong in you." She wriggled her eyebrows at Udina as she stepped into her first punch.

The ambassador's hand slapped over his bleeding nose and stumbled backwards into the crowd. People shoved him as he slammed into them, and, arms flailing, he spun, groping an asari as he caught himself. He jumped back, apologizing, but in the space of a heartbeat, bodies, fists, feet, and drinks began to fly.

Shepard remained focused, laser-keen on the ambassador, leaping on him like a rabid varren, but after she landed two, solid blows to his gut, strong hands pulled her off and hustled her toward the door. Dodging blows, they pushed and shoved their way clear of the worst of it.

Nihlus met them halfway across the room, blood trickling in a cobalt line from a crack in his left brow plate. "So much for the civilized crowd," he said, falling in as Garrus plowed a path to the door and out.

The running drumbeat of footsteps echoed up the stairs from the reception area. C-Sec, no doubt. After a moment of looking for a place to hide, they ducked into Executor Pallin's office. The door closed just as a good dozen C-Sec officers emerged through the lower door, armed with shock sticks. Shepard let out a sigh of relief mixed with a giddy laugh.

"Officer Vakarian, Spectre Kryik, Captain Shepard," the executor said from behind them, his voice gruff but carrying a heavy sub-layer of amusement. "Is there something I can help you with, or will you be leaving now that you've avoided arrest?"

Shepard spun to face him, the soul of innocence. "Hello, sir. Good to see you again."

"I want Shepard arrested!" Udina's voice screamed from the hallway. Calm mumbling answered him, but she couldn't make out what the voice said through the door. "I don't care!" the ambassador continued. "If you didn't pass her, she's still here, somewhere."

"I can't say the same," Pallin replied. After holding her gaze for a moment, he sighed and nodded toward the balcony behind him. "It's a short drop."

Shepard grinned and snapped a quick salute even as she sprang forward. "Thank you, sir. Have a good evening." Without even pausing to check how far down was not too far, she ran to the balcony, grabbed the railing and jumped over, adjusting as she jumped. Hopping down into three more gardens, she made it to street level and looked up. Only Garrus followed.

"Nihlus?" she asked when he jumped down, landing nimbly next to her. A grin so bright that it made her blush spread across her face as she looked up. He'd followed her down, even though it meant leaping off his boss's balcony.

"Distraction duty. Well, and he's going to head to the med clinic to get his plate fixed." Straight and composed, he turned to look her up and down before shaking his head. "Excellent date, Shepard. You sure know how to show a torin a good time." Despite his grumpy tone, his mandibles spread a little and flicked, giving away his amusement. Gentle fingers gripped her jaw, turning her head a little to inspect the damage. "That hurt?"

She nodded. "Yeah, say what you will about Udina, he knows how to land a sucker-punch." She reached up and wiggled her jaw back and forth. "At least he didn't break it." She grabbed his hand and headed down the walkway, hurrying ahead of him. "Come on, let's relax for a bit, then we can go home, and you can read me a story." Skipping sideways a little, she turned to grin at him. "I swear though . . . tonight, you're going to do the voices."

His chuckle warmed her straight through to her toes. "Never, Shepard. You will never win that battle."

When they reached the intersection where the alley to the ward access emerged onto the presidium, Shepard stopped at the top of the short incline down and looked out over the crowds. "Sweet baby Jesus, look at all these people." She blew out a short puff of air. "You had one shot to save your people, Shepard. Now you've got one to try to save yourself. Time for a little crazy. Glory hallelujah."

"No . . . Shepard . . .."