In the flat Martha watched Cat cry out and gave the Doctor a worried look. "Doctor, she's…"

"I know," was all he said, struggling to keep his grip while Cat whimpered.

Cat's scream echoed in the dark bridge. It was followed by her clenching her fists and smacking the floor with them. No coherent words came from her throat. Her mind could find no words for the feeling inside of her, the deep despair at what awaited her and those she cared for.

"Cat, please!" The Doctor knelt beside her and grabbed her shoulders, compelling her to face him. She blubbered a deep sob. The light of their atmospheric fields glinted off the tears flowing freely down her face. "Cat, this isn't what it looks like!"

Her reply was another wordless sob. The Doctor sensed the despair overwhelming her. The thought that everyone she loved was going to die here, on the ship she called home, was crushing Cat. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel…

He pressed a hand to her temple. The raw despair, the fear, flowed into his mind from hers. Even a Time Lord might have been stunned by it, but the Doctor, sadly, was no stranger to either emotion. He knew fear, he knew despair, and he let it pass. He felt the raging, chaotic turmoil that Cat's mind had become and forced thought into it. Cat, this is just a possibility! That's what that odd feeling was, those odd readings we saw! This is a… What he sent wasn't a term so much as a concept, into the center of her mind. The concept of a possibility given form due to an exotic interaction between space-time and dimensional instability. This is a might-be, not a will-be! he continued, switching back to words.

If she'd been calmer, perhaps Cat would have understood. She was brilliant. The Doctor didn't often have Human companions who could grasp some of the exotic physics he dealt with on a regular basis. But in this state there was no response to him. She was emotionally shattered by the prospect that this might-be of the Aurora's future had presented her. Cat was convinced, utterly convinced, she was seeing the future, and it was too much.

So the Doctor sighed. There was one thing he could do. Something to let him deal with the situation and maybe, just maybe, keep Cat's mind intact.

And so he did what he felt had to be done.

The Doctor let go of Cat's head and sat back. He didn't look exhausted, but he did look worn, emotionally raw, as Martha knew he could be.

Cat's tan brown skin had paled during the course of the telepathic interaction. Tears were flowing down her eyes and her expression betrayed her horror. "I… I remember…"

"Cat…"

The despair flowed back into her. That she and her sister and Julia and all of the others would die, their ship would be wrecked, would crash… crash?! That thought was a lifeline she seized to focus her mind on something before the restored memory overwhelmed. "What… what happened? To the Thash'shash'kishtish?"

"Tash'shash'tishish," the Doctor corrected gently.

"Yeah. Them." She rubbed at her forehead.

"Their world is fine," he said. "I removed the Aurora before it could hit the planet."

"Removed?" She blinked.

"Like I tried to tell you before, the Aurora and everyone aboard her… that was all a might-be, not a will-be," the Doctor explained. "A shadow of possibility, you might say."

"A shadow with mass?" asked Cat. "Of actual matter?"

"They can have it, yes," he replied. "Think of the shadow being in a bubble…" He made a face. "Actually, that analogy's better. Forget the shadow." He gathered his hands to form a sphere with his fingers. "Think of what we saw as a bubble of possibility. Once I knew what I was dealing with, it was a simple thing to use the TARDIS to…"

"...pop the bubble," Cat finished for him. A little color showed on her face again. "You reimposed normal space-time over the distorted space-time and the might-be disappeared."

The Doctor flashed a grin. "Oh, there we are. The same brilliant Cat who always used to make squeaky little shrieks when I introduced her to something new. You don't know how many times I enjoyed seeing you figure things out. Always ready for new ideas. Come to think of it, I should have realized a mind like yours would defeat my block."

"Everyone else calls them 'squees'," Cat replied, grinning slightly. "The shrieks, I mean." Her eyes focused on him. She seemed more and more in control with each second. "So that was it? You put me to sleep, slapped a memory block on me so I'd forget the Tash'shash'tishish…"

"Pretty much," the Doctor replied. "There was no need to fiddle with your omnitool given the number that technovore did on it. I just let you sleep naturally and we went on our merry way."

"So… that's it, then?" Cat swallowed. "It's not… we're not going to…"

"I won't lie, Cat. That bubble, that was a possibility," the Doctor said. "It could happen."

"Yeah." She swallowed. The memory was back in her mind in all its ugliness. The thought that all of their adventures might come to an end like that… "And since it's only a possibility, we might still get killed by something else."

"Right. So be careful out there," said the Doctor.

"Assuming I get back out there," Cat said. "I'm going to be a senior citizen if I get back to that day the long way."

"Ah, don't worry about it," the Doctor said. "I've got a plan for the TARDIS. Although until it shows up, well… I do hate to ask…"

"Ask what?"

It was Martha who sighed. "We have an opening at the shop I work at," she said. "Although the American accent will lead to quite a few questions."

"Well, I could try to use an English accent. Like thes, roit?"

Cat's attempt at the accent made Martha wince. The Doctor chuckled and said, "Yeah, I don't think that's going to pass. But we'll figure something out…"

Around the buildings of Zakera Ward the hovercar dipped and weaved and twisted. Other vehicles zipped by in their wake, some transmitting protesting alarm buzzers to the hovercar under Data's terrifyingly-precise control. In the back seat Robert felt like he was on the world's deadliest theme park ride.

"Almost there," Lucy said. "He should be… there."

Ahead of them a red aircar shot from their left to right, heading toward the tip of Zakera Ward. Data twisted the wheel of the aircar and brought it up behind Ashford's. "How can we force him down?" asked Talara. "This vehicle is unarmed. And a collision at this speed…"

"...would be inadvisable," Data replied, forgoing any further details. "I am transmitting our coordinates to C-Sec. They should have pursuit craft capable of…"

"Wait, he's going down," Lucy observed.

Ashford did indeed begin to dive. Data followed him, utterly relentless in his pursuit, even as Ashford made a series of crazed maneuvers that nearly got him (and then them) killed.

"We appear to be entering the industrial docks," Data observed.

Robert concurred. While passenger traffic and much commercial traffic went to the docking facilities at the base of the Wards, where they connected to the Presidium, the industrial areas at the far ends of the Wards had their own loading facilities. The materials needed for the Citadel's own manufacturing capability were brought in and finished goods, less regularly, shipped out. Some commercial traffic found its way here as well, usually bulk goods being imported for the Citadel population.

Ashford flew his aircar into one of the smaller docks. The dock itself was a hanger, so they did not see the vessel in question. Sensing danger, Lucy and Robert gripped their weapons while Data swung the car to present its passenger side, allowing the two to get out first.

Ashford was already out of his vehicle, still carrying a case. He rushed toward the door and a couple of armed guards there, Humans in dark-colored combat armor. "Stop them!" he shrieked.

One of the guards generated a hardlight combat shield and a hefty-looking machine gun, the other pulled a mass effect model assault rifle.

"I'll get Ashford!" Robert shouted, racing ahead with every bit of energy he could gather. He generated a blast of force with his will, throwing the guards away from the door so he could enter.

Lucy got to them before they could recover. She side-stepped and twirled, seeming to barely avoid a barrage of fire before she brought her lightsaber down on the armored man's weak side. The strike sliced his weapon in half. She brought up her hand and sent him flying into his compatriot. The other guard began to recover before Talara put him down with a stun shot.

Lucy went to pursue Robert, but more foes appeared from another door, presumably to a guard post, and she was forced to swing her weapon to face them.

The layout of the loading area put the docking collar close to the car park entrance. The nearness of the docking collar was the only reason Ashford got to it first. A figure was standing at the entrance, a very short hooded woman in a brown robe which at first glance looked like a barnous. Robert could make out nothing of her face as he moved ahead, her head mostly shrouded by a broad, loose headscarf, but he sensed something strange in the woman. Not just the darkness in her, darkness that told him she had abilities like him, but a sense of a greater presence in the Flow of Life. A presence that seemed not entirely in tune with it.

Ashford spoke with an accent that sounded almost Australian. "It's all gone tits up and you still owe me! Get me out of here!"

"Ashford, you're under arrest!" Robert shouted. He raised his lightsaber, its emerald light filling the chamber as he approached the collar. The woman seemed oblivious to him and his approach even so.

"What are you bleedin' waiting for?!" Ashford shouted at the woman.

"This," she rasped. There was a sudden, familiar electronic snap in the air. Red light flickered across green, coming from her midsection, and Ashford screamed and toppled to the ground, the blade completing its course. The lightsabre hummed and glowed, with a blade brighter, redder, more intense, even a bit longer, than any the Nazis had possessed. It was the same tenor as Swenya's in every respect, except for the piercing, ominous red that shadowed his own green. The woman's head was downcast and she said nothing else.

Robert felt Ashford's life fade within seconds of the weapon cleaving through his body. His eyes fixed on the lightsaber glowing in the woman's hand. He brought his weapon to a ready position and in stunned outrage demanded, "Why did you kill him?!"

She looked up at the question, as though it shook her from a reverie. He could see then that her eyes were solid white, like those of someone who was profoundly blind, but she had no difficulty in detecting his presence. The lightsabre was simple chrome, resting in black gloved hands of a utility suit under her barnous. "He had already started to walk the road of indoctrination," she said in words that were not English, but which he knew anyway. "That is a one way road, once it begins you are lost."

Robert's eyes widened. His mysterious foe was speaking High Gersallian, and with only a little of an accent compared to actual Gersallian speakers. "Who are you?!" he demanded in the same language, speaking it as clearly as he could manage.

"A servant. I will be leaving now, Captain Dale. Destroy the remains of the Old Machine." She turned on heel.

"Stop! You're under arrest!" With Lucy coming up behind him, Robert rushed forward, gathering his power defensively, ready to meet any attack.

Or so he thought.

"You understand nothing of the true power of so-called swen'kse, Dawn-bearer," she said dismissively, taking no attempt at a fighting stance. At the moment that Robert was upon her, she just spun back toward him, and raised her hand, palm open.

The strength she showed was incredible. It battered aside his defences like so much of a freight train coming at him. One moment he was confident in himself, rushing forward to face her. The next, he was flying through the air backwards into the dock at a lethally high rate of speed, his lightsaber toppling away.

Lucy caught him with her power, slowing him enough so that he hit the ground at a substantially safer speed. With Robert safe she turned to face his attacker, her blue eyes focused on the crimson blade still shining in the dim light of the dock receiving area. She could feel much the same thing Robert had. Darkness, cold and powerful, and a unique feeling to the woman's energy, one that Lucy thought she might have felt once before. She didn't bother to verbalize a challenge to Robert's attacker, bracing herself instead, doing everything she could to be ready to absorb an attack like the one that sent Robert flying.

Instead, the woman stared directly at her with those white eyes. I was, and am, here to help. DESTROY THE FRAGMENTS OF THE OLD MACHINE. There is no shielding that is perfectly effective, only swev'a and farisa are safe, reach out with your power and know this is true! Her soul was an ancient melancholy bitterness, like regret itself given sapient form. But the telepathic contact conveyed utter certainty.

The contact gave Lucy a moment of pause. Despite the darkness, despite the dead body of Ashford, she sensed that she was not facing anything like swevyra'kse. She didn't feel the kind of malevolence, the malice, that Mastrash Goras or Fassbinder and his SS had given off.

The woman deactivated her blade and turned. The bag Ashford had been carrying, filled with debris from Sovereign, flew through the docking collar with a gesture from the hand which held the cylinder. A moment later, a black gloved hand pressed a control inside the ship, and the hatch closed with the speed of a guillotine.

Robert scrambled to his feet and touched his omnitool. "This is Captain Dale to C-Sec. A suspect in the debris theft is getting away from the Zakera Ward industrial docking area. Unknown vessel and configuration."

"Acknowledged," came a reply.

In the space beyond the wards, the Federation Starship Enterprise was in position with the Citadel's much-reduced defense fleet. The Citadel had been a remarkable opportunity for the crew of the Enterprise, and many regretted the circumstances under which they had had the opportunity to visit this remarkable structure.

The alert came with little warning, but the information from C-Sec was enough to identify the vessel coming out of the Zakera Ward. At 70-metres long it was smaller than most freighters but almost the size of the smallest marks of Klingon Birds of Prey. It somewhat resembled them, too, with sharply slanting downward wings, except they carried up almost to an A-frame above the main hull, which was configured to like a preying insect ready to pounce, with seven massive swiveling thruster blocks of three engines each and huge armoured shields which manoeuvred around the hull, sliding back to cover the aft arc as the craft, despite its size, accelerated and turned with the speed and manoeuvrability of a fighter.

As the vessel flew past, the Enterprise began to turn as well. As she came about, the big Sovereign-class starship locked onto the ship with a tractor beam, a ribbon of blue light that held the fleeing craft in place.

On her bridge, Captain Jean-Luc Picard exited his ready room and approached the center of the bridge. Commander William Riker stood from the command chair. "What's the situation, Number One?"

"Citadel Security asked us to intercept a vessel fleeing Zakera Ward," Riker explained. "It's believed to be carrying stolen debris from Sovereign. We've already raised shields as a precaution."

"The tractor beam is holding, sir," Lieutenant Kadohata reported from Ops. Of mostly East Asian descent, Miranda Kadohata was one of Data's subordinates in the ship's operations branch.

Picard turned to face the viewscreen and take in the appearance of the ship. "Is this design on record?" he asked.

"It does not appear to be, sir," Kadohata said.

"I wonder what capabilities…"

Before he could finish the sentence the Enterprise tactical officer, Lieutenant Padraig Daniels, spoke up. "They're firing!"

A projectile erupted from the vessel. Picard braced for impact against the shields.

But there was none. The projectile went off in the middle of the Enterprise's tractor beam. When it did, an abrupt burst of rapidly spreading debris was sucked into the tractor beam, which obligingly pulled them at high speed back toward the Enterprise as the computer mass balancing loop was thrown off. The resulting disruption to the tractor beam freed the vessel, which shot ahead of the Enterprise. Kadohata blinked at her screens. "Sir, they're not on course for the mass relay."

"Intercept course. Put a tractor beam on them as soon as you can, Lieutenant," Picard ordered.

"Re-establishing tractor lock… I'm detecting an energy surge in the vessel. It appears to be…"

In an instant the unknown vessel seemed to just zip away. Picard could almost swear it vanished, only barely noticing the blip of movement before it was gone, like a video of a ship jumping to warp in fast playback.

Kadohata was staring at her screens. "I've never seen a drive signature like that, Captain. It bears a resemblance to S0T5 hyperdrive technology, but the profile is all wrong."

"So you say." Picard frowned slightly. "Quite a mystery vessel. I want a recording of this encounter dispatched to Starfleet immediately. Lieutenant, get me Citadel Security."

"Maybe Data and Geordi can make something of it?" Riker suggested.

"Maybe, or maybe not. Either way… we are clearly dealing with an unseen power," Picard said. "And they seem to have us at a disadvantage."

With the ship departed and the mercs protecting the dock and hanger subdued or retreating, Data and Talara joined Robert and Lucy in examining the abandoned structure. Unlike Ashford's warehouse, there was no sign of Sovereign debris anywhere.

But that wasn't what was bothering Robert and Lucy. Talara sensed they had other concerns on their mind, and they did. When the examination was complete they walked off into a corner to speak privately. "You hesitated," Robert said to Lucy. "I don't blame you," he added to reassure her. "I've never felt that much power before. I think even Goras would have been knocked on his ass."

"That's scary as hell, yeah," Lucy agreed. "But that's not why. I… there's something familiar about that woman, Robert. I've sensed that kind of thing before."

"Oh? Where?"

"I'm not sure. It's faint. I think it was a subconscious thing." Lucy shook her head.

"Did you hear her?" Robert asked.

"No. She connected to me mentally. She called Sovereign 'The Old Machine'. I think she was trying to warn me, to warn us, about the debris. That no defense could stop the indoctrination effect." Lucy swallowed. "And I believe her."

"Yeah." Robert had his own worries about whether the fields being used could really stop the effect. "She told me that's why she killed Ashford. That he was already indoctrinated."

"Did you sense it in him?"

"No." Robert shook his head. "But it took me effort to sense it in Saren, and he was an egregious case, even if subtle. Maybe given time and more indoctrination victims I could figure my limits, but…" He shuddered at that. He didn't want that opportunity. "I didn't sense any falsehood in her either. And that's not the only thing."

"Oh?"

"She also warned me to destroy the debris. And called Sovereign 'the Old Machine'." Robert met Lucy's eyes. "And she did it in High Gersallian."

Lucy's jaw dropped partly. "Then she's Gersallian?"

"No. I mean, maybe, but I'm pretty sure she was Human." Robert shrugged. "You know how it is."

"Yeah." The vague sense that their swevyra - their life force bound to the Flow of Life - could give on a matter's truth was occasionally vexing with how immaterial it could feel. "Did she have an accent?"

"Barely," he said. "It wasn't a Gersallian accent I've heard before. But not like our accents either when we try it."

Lucy frowned. "And no name?"

"None. Only that she was 'a servant'. But given what we know, I'm betting she was the one that the reports referred to as 'Yellow'."

"Well, since Yellow supposedly killed a bunch of badass crooks here on the Citadel… yeah." Lucy drew in a breath. "I don't like this, Robert. I feel something… elusive about this."

"Same here. We'll talk to Meridina about it when we get back to the Aurora. Until then… let's get back to work. I don't want to leave any Sovereign debris here, in case we just haven't found it yet."

"God no…"

With that, they got back to work with the others.

In orbit over the Earth of W8R4, Angela Delgado thought she'd go insane. There was no sign of the Warri yet, no sign of anyone that could help her find her little sister. As far as everything looked, Cat was just gone.

The first thing to get her attention was that the Moffat's sensors suddenly recorded some kind of spatial disturbance. She wasn't sure what it meant so she ran it through the library systems, requiring a comm link to the Alliance Stellar Navy's database. Yet more impatient minutes passed during which Angel really wished she had someone to punch. Preferably a slaver. Slavers always made her feel better when she punched them (and kicked them and elbowed them and just beating their slaving jerk faces in…!)

Then the result came back. The disturbance had been detected before. By the Aurora, in fact.

It was the Doctor's TARDIS.

Angel was just starting to wonder what that meant when the sensors lit up with another disturbance. Just as the computer identified it as the same, she heard a kind of whooshing sound from the back of the shuttle. She reached into the emergency armory cabinet and pulled out a pulse pistol, turned…

...and faced the TARDIS, now fully materialized in her rear.

The door opened and the Doctor stepped out. He faced Angel and made a hmph sound. "You always did seem the type to be ready to fight," he noted.

"Where is my…?!"

Before Angel could finish her demand, Cat ran from the TARDIS and grabbed her into a hug. "Angel! It's so good to see you!"

Surprised, Angel dropped the pulse pistol and returned the hug, embracing her little sister tightly. "You crazy, reckless, infuriating little nerd, you've had me worried sick. Why…?!" She put her hand to Cat's head and suddenly shifted the intended question. "Why is your hair longer?"

"Oh, I've been letting it grow a bit again. I'm probably going to cut it back down now," she said.

Angel blinked and then sighed. "You… were time traveling again?"

"Well, not by choice. A Weeping Angel sent me back to 1969 London where the Doctor and Martha were… oh!" Cat turned back as Martha stepped up to the threshold of the TARDIS. "This is Doctor Martha Jones, she's from this Earth and is traveling with the Doctor now."

"Oh, uh, hi," Angel said, waving quietly.

"Hi," Martha replied. She looked around at the interior of the Moffat. "So… this is a spaceship?"

"It's a shuttlecraft," Cat replied. "We live on a much bigger spaceship called the Aurora."

"Give Robert my best," said the Doctor. "And if he doesn't mind it, let him know I'd love to talk with him about what he experienced during his coma."

"How do you know he experienced anything?" asked Angel.

The Doctor gave her a look that just screamed, "You really have to ask?" Aloud he simply said, "Oh, it's just a little guess of mine, that's all. Now, I've promised Martha a trip somewhere sunny and warm and very relaxing, so I'm off. You be careful out there!"

"Bye," Martha said. "And Cat, be careful for a few more days, that pull might get aggravated if you aren't." After she spoke the Doctor closed the TARDIS door. Moments later it started to dematerialize.

Cat sat gingerly in one of the piloting chairs. Angel noticed the little wince on her face. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, just a little muscle pull," she said. A frown crossed her face. "I'm never going in a retail shop again. Never."

"Just how long were you with them?"

"Oh… three weeks? Four? No more than five," Cat insisted. "The Doctor's calculations for summoning the TARDIS were a bit off so we had to live in London for a while. That meant getting a job so we had enough food. I hated every moment of it. Ugh, so boring… well, except for…"

"For what?"

Cat grinned sheepishly. "Well, Martha is really cute…"

Angel chuckled and took a seat. There was no hiding the relief showing on her face and in her eyes. Cat felt a warm, fuzzy feeling at her sister being so happy. The unwanted image of her sister's dead face on that dark bridge popped up and she forced it away. She'd been learning to do that an awful lot these past few weeks.

After tapping in keys to put them on a course back to the Jupiter Observation Post Angel returned her focus to Cat. "So, did you get what you needed? Or what you wanted?" She was immediately concerned to see the uncertain, frightened look on Cat's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's… it's nothing important. Not right now," Cat said. "Just something I have to think about."

Angel knew there was more to it than that, but she let it go. If Cat didn't want to discuss it, that was her choice. She was just glad to have her sister home and safe.

With the timing of their watches, the command crew of the Koenig were all at stations as they continued their patrol of the Traverse. Their location wasn't far from Virmire now, which meant they were very close to the Terminus Systems, requiring the ship to remain at Code Blue standby alert instead of the relaxed Code Green of normal running.

Seated in the command chair, Will Atreiad was observing operations quietly. He wondered how it would be on the Huáscar and how that crew would fit together. He already knew that Captain Zhen'var was rather more formal than Julia was. Her Earthforce experience would likely lead to an entirely different command concept being shown on the ship, and as her XO it would be Will who had to support it. From fifty crew to two thousand. At least I won't be entirely responsible for them.

He was considering what to write home to his sister and nephew when Magda looked up at her station. "We're getting a distress signal, Citadel standard," Magda said.

"Looks like we're finally going to learn more about those disappearing ships," he said. "Identify?"

"ID code… Mother of God." Magda's face showed her shock when she looked toward him again. "Commander, it's the Normandy."

Will forced a neutral expression on his face. "Ap, set course, maximum warp."

"Doing so now." As Apley keyed in the course, relaying on Magda's data, he said, "They're well on the other side of the cluster, sir. Even at our best sustainable warp, it'll be at least an hour before we arrive…"

"Then give me more," demanded Will. He tapped the intercom key. "Engineering, I need the best warp speed you can give. The Normandy is in trouble."

Derbely wasted no time in replying, "Yes Commander, we'll give you everything we can get. I'll see if I can get us past Warp 9.89."

Will knew that was considered the maximum warp speed the Koenig's engines were capable of, and even then they'd be burning the drives down in the attempt. But every second counted. "Let's set a record for the Koenig," he said. "Ap, engage!"

The Koenig's course through interstellar space shifted and her warp drive began accelerating, as fast as her crew could push her, in the hopes of rescuing a valued ally and friend.

When Robert and the others returned to Ashford's warehouse, having relinquished the dock to a C-Sec CSI team, they found Zack, Geordi, and Tra'dur standing around the main storage area.

The empty storage area.

"Did C-Sec get all the debris out that quickly?" Lucy asked Tra'dur.

"No, Lieutenant," the Dilgar woman replied. "We were busy securing the offices when there was a sudden power surge. Everything in the storage area was vaporized by an intense disintegration field."

"It was like nothing I've seen," Geordi added. "I found no traces of nadions, so it wasn't based on phaser or disruptor technology."

"Yellow," Robert said.

"You refer to the woman that killed Ashford?" Data asked.

"That's what we think, given the reports C-Sec gave us," Lucy said. "She escaped with a ship using an FTL system we've never seen. She didn't even bother going to the mass relay."

"Well, where is she going to go then?" Zack asked.

"She might be laying low on some of the other settled worlds in the systems around the Serpent Nebula," Talara said. "Perhaps Bekenstein?"

"Well, that'd confirm her wealth, if anything," Robert said. As he spoke, he didn't feel right about that guess. He glanced to Lucy, who was operating her omnitool. "What is it?"

"Establishing a communication line," she said. "I want to speak to Meridina about that woman."

A few moments later Meridina appeared, wearing her uniform and at her office desk. "Lucy, Robert. What is wrong?"

They explained, in brief, what they encountered, which doubled as filling in the others and the now-arriving Garrus. When they were finished explaining Meridina's expression showed concern. "You are certain her Gersallian sounded native?"

"It sounded better than Lucy's, and definitely better than mine," Robert said. "And she had a lightsaber of her own, but it wasn't like the SS ones we found, or that Cylon lightsaber Lucy's Cylon clone was using."

"It looked… well, I hate to say it, but better," said Lucy. "The blade at least. I can't imagine a crystal managing that kind of hue and brightness."

"Rather disturbing. Did you see her face?"

"Not well, she was wearing something like a headscarf," Robert said. "Her eyes were the weird part. They were entirely white, like her pupils and iris never developed. Like she was blind. But she saw us coming, and in a way that didn't feel like it was reliant on sensitivity."

"And there was one term she used in her mental communication," Lucy said. "When she was warning me about Sovereign's remains. She said that only farisa and what she called swev'a were safe from indoctrination."

Meridina blinked. "I am unfamiliar with that word, but it does sound like she was referring to one with swevyra. Curious. I shall ask Mastrash Ledosh. Perhaps he will shed some insight on this 'Yellow' and what she might be."

"Thanks," said Lucy. "We'll see you when we get home."

"And we await that eagerly, Lucy. Mi rake sa swevyra iso." Meridina ended the call at that point.

"So that's what happened at the dock," said Garrus.

"Yeah." Robert nodded. "Anything from the investigators?"

"Nothing useful. It looks like Yellow, if that was her, hired a group of Human mercenaries called CAT6 to protect the dock. They're a bunch of thugs, dishonorably discharged from the Systems Alliance military."

"Explains the name," Robert muttered. Seeing the unknowing looks on the others, he said, "Dishonorable discharges from the Systems Alliance military are known as Category 6 discharges."

"They sound very unpleasant," Tra'dur remarked drolly.

"Well, we've got these men in custody for aiding theft of Citadel property. So they'll be spending time in jail." Garrus looked back toward the empty bin. "Too bad the evidence itself is gone."

"We have recordings of it, if your courts need it," Geordi said. "What I'd like to know is how."

"Well, we can guess why," said Lucy. "She says these pieces are dangerous, even inside of protective fields. That no protective field can stop them."

"How does she know?" asked Zack. "I mean, did you find evidence she was studying them as much as we were?"

"No, but then again, we didn't get her ship." Robert glanced toward the bin again. "I can't help but think she did us a favor. I still think…"

Before he could continue, Robert suddenly doubled over and went down on a knee. A stunned, pained look crossed his face. Lucy and Zack went to help him. "What is it?" Lucy asked. "What are you feeling?"

"I… I'm not sure," he said. "I feel like I've… lost something. Something's gone, it's been taken."

"Like?"

He shook his head. "I… I'm not sure." He drew in a breath. "I just need a minute. We should probably let C-Sec handle the rest of this."

"Well, we still have more work to do at the repository," Geordi said.

"And I will investigate whether or not this individual may have had an insight we lack on the danger of the debris," Data added.

"Yeah, thank you," said Robert. "Let me know what you find."

Meridina was surprised that it took her an hour after she first called to get a response from Ledosh. She was more surprised by the worn look on her mentor's face. He was in his office, it seemed, which made her wonder if the time had been for him to get back from the cottage. She said nothing of this consideration, simply saying, "Good day, Mastrash."

"Meridina. It is good to see you." While she knew he meant it, it was also clear he was mentally distracted. "I'm afraid I've been rather busy as of late. You are due congratulations for defeating the Reich and its evil."

"You are aware of the swevyra'kse we faced?"

"Robert informed the Council, yes." Ledosh's expression was grave. "How they acquired the lightsaber weapons as well… I feel great concern."

"I am afraid I must add to this, Mastrash," Meridina lamented. "Robert and Lucy encountered a swevyra'kse of incredible power on the Citadel, overseeing an operation to steal debris from the Reaper machine Sovereign. She too had a lightsaber..."

"Swenya's Light…"

"...and she may have been Gersallian," Meridina added.

Ledosh's expression betrayed the grim thoughts in his head. "Did they capture her?"

"No. They are not sure of the woman's species, but they say she spoke High Gersallian with something close to a proper accent. As if it were her first language. Or one she was long practiced in. And there is more… She said a word to them." Meridina watched her mentor's expression grow more grim and wished she didn't have to speak of these things. Whatever was going on, Ledosh was under strain. "'Swev'a."

Ledosh's eyes widened. "They are certain?"

"It was transmitted mentally into Lucy by this swevyra'kse." Meridina sighed. "I can see you recognize this word, Mastrash, and that you are under great pressure. I am sorry to add to it."

"No. It is important that you tell me these things."

"Why are you so upset, Mastrash? You seem under great strain."

"It is simply… a discomfort. Goras still lingers in our dungeons. We have never allowed a swevyra'kse to live this long. I fear that his fall has brought a malaise upon our Order that even Lucy's discovery of the swenkesh has not lifted. There is a darkness here, a darkness I feel in our future."

"And the Council…"

A bitter look came to Ledosh's face. "Frightened. That is what they are. Save a few such as your father, they wish to ignore all signs and portents. I find myself missing your father's opposition to my views. He at least showed feeling toward them. All the Council does is move to table discussion and go on to other things. As if I cannot feel their fear."

"Surely they know we must…"

"They know only that there is something wrong, but they have no idea what to do about it. The Multiverse's many injustices weigh upon them, as does the continued low-level Dissenter activity. I suspect many now wish Robert had never found that Darglan Facility." Ledosh shook his head. "We do what we can. Your Father and I, whatever our differences, will work to keep the Council from going too far. I trust everything else to you and the others, Meridina. Now, I am afraid I must go. I have much work yet to do. Mi rake sa swevyra iso."

"Mi rake sa swevyra iso," she replied, and barely had a moment before Ledosh disappeared. A terrible feeling came to her stomach. What is wrong on Gersal? she wondered.

Ledosh returned to his cottage in haste. Only there did he feel safe in continuing his work. Upon transporting in he went to his desk and unlocked the storage box below. From it he drew his translation guide. The work of the long-deceased Gartanam made his efforts to translate the outdated Gersallian of the Life of Reshan easier. He was learning so much in these days. Knowledge that, in the wrong hands, could be dangerous.

Before resuming his work, however, he went back through the book, flipping through the text, reading the raw ancient Gersallian and wondering whether it would be better if he was right or wrong…

And there it was.

"Swev'a," he murmured, reading the text. The context soon told him what it meant, a term for one with active swevyra. Such an interesting term, displaying how much had changed in Gersallian thinking since that era. The idea of such a word existing… Just to double-check his translations he went back to Gartanam's guide.

Yes, there it was. Swev'a. The possession of sensitivity to the Flow of Life, but with a word that divorced such sensitivity from any connection to the Light, or even darkness for that matter.

And this mysterious woman had spoken it. What did that mean? What kind of omen was that?

Ledosh shook his head. He could consider that mystery at another time. He still had so much translation work ahead of him…

It wasn't long after their return to the repository that Lucy felt Geordi's immense displeasure at finding something from the debris. "Well, I'll be," he muttered. "Maybe that thief was right."

From their place at another set of scanners, Lucy and Tra'dur turned their attention to Geordi. So did Garrus, who was double-checking the inventory for C-Sec. "What did you find?" asked Garrus.

"This debris… it's not just giving off that EM field," said Geordi. "I've been testing some of my ocular implants' wavelength functions. They're also giving off a light photonic pulse and emissions in several other bands and wavelengths. It's not as powerful as the EM field, but that might be intentional. It's certainly harder to detect."

"And how many of those can interfere with sentient brains?" asked Tra'dur.

"We will have to consult with Doctor Crusher to give a definite answer," replied Data. "But most of these emissions are theoretically capable of affecting or interfering with neuro-electrical patterns in many species. I would theorize that this effect was intended to maximize the possibility of such an interaction with numerous forms of brain patterns."

"So it could indoctrinate anything the Reaper encountered," Lucy remarked grimly.

Garrus' question was more to the point. "And can we block them?"

"Maybe if we could build an isolation field capable of blocking every kind of emission," said Geordi. "But that would include blocking light, so we wouldn't be able to see anything. And a field like that… well, I'm not sure we have something that can do it. At least not practically."

"Then that lady was right about what we need to do," Lucy said. "We should destroy them."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Garrus lamented. "The Council will have to make that call. And they're not going to make it quickly. Valern still wants to study the debris, for starters, and Sparatus seems to have decided Saren and the Geth made this all up."

"He's an idiot," Tra'dur hissed.

"He's also the Turian member of the Council, and so represents the Council's military power," Garrus said. "Between him and Valern, don't expect any decision on this quickly."

"And in the meantime, this stuff is just sitting here, slowly exposing everyone to the indoctrination effect," Lucy said. "We've had enough exposure ourselves lately. We should probably leave."

"Now that we know this much, I have to agree," said Geordi.

"That's your call. I'll inform C-Sec of what you've found. From outside."

With everyone in agreement they all went for the exit. After they stepped out into the streets of the Ward, Garrus' omnitool came to life. He tapped at it and a screen showing Bailey popped up. "Have the repository sealed, Bailey, and inform the Council we've found evidence that these things aren't going to be contained by the fields we're using, or any field."

"Roger that," was the response.

After everything that happened over the course of the day, Robert appreciated the quiet meal he was enjoying with Zack in Zack's apartment. It was a cozy place to live, he decided, although pricey given what Zack quoted as the monthly rent.

The place would have looked more cozy if it wasn't in the state it was in. Zack's bags were mostly packed. The next day they would all be departing on the Enterprise, which would rendezvous with the Koenig before jumping for S5T3. The Koenig would in turn take them home just in time for the Aurora's return to active service.

Finishing that packing would be their chore after dinner. For now, though, they were enjoying a good meal, an expensive one. "It's my last per diem, so why not splurge?" Zack chuckled as he cut loose another piece of steak.

Robert finished chewing on his. "Why not indeed. Although I'd hate to know how much this cost?"

"Well, ignoring relative costs and such… this is basically about thirty bucks a pound out here. Basically."

Robert shook his head. "Damn."

"Well, it's grass-fed. From Earth. Argentinian I think. Some of the colonies have cheaper beef. But I've heard stories that letting the cattle eat non-Earth grass makes the taste funny, so what the hell?" Zack drank from a glass of orange juice, authentic, another luxury.

Robert did the same, although his drink was a soda. "Looking forward to returning to the Koenig?"

"I can taste Hargert's cooking already," Zack answered. He grinned. "Well, not literally…"

Robert chuckled at the joke. "With you coming back… that's everyone. We'll all be back together for the first time since…"

"...since we saw you off to Gersal," said Zack. "Or since we left Ys'talla to drop you and Meridina off at Minbar."

"It's been, what, ten months?"

"Just about." Zack sighed. "It'll be nice to have everyone back together, but let's face it… it's still not back to what we used to call normal."

Robert nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Julia's captaining now, Meridina's XO, I'm a special operative answering to the President and Lucy's on my team…"

"...and I'm losing Ap," said Zack. "He's getting his own ship."

"Good for him," said Robert. "But he'll be missed."

"Yeah, he will." Zack scooped his spoon into a pile of mashed potatoes. "I guess things always change."

"That's life," Robert murmured. "Things always change."

They quietly finished their meal. When the were done Robert eyed what was left to pack up and sighed. "We might as well finish it now," he said. "Then we can just sit and relax."

"Are you crashing here tonight?" Zack asked.

"Nah. Still have a night available over at Tulara Tower, and I might as well use it," replied Robert. "As soon as I leave here I'm heading back there to get some sleep. I didn't bring much, so there's not much to pack."

"Lucky you." Zack smirked in amusement. "Anyway…"

He stopped speaking when he noticed Robert look to the door with an intent look. Moments later the buzzer sounded. Robert stepped forward to open the door. When it slid open, Garrus walked in. His time on the Citadel gave Zack just enough exposure to Turians that he knew something was wrong.

Garrus eyed Robert. "I… thought you should hear this from me. We just received word from the Traverse. The Koenig picked up a distress call and…"

"She's dead," Robert murmured hoarsely.

Garrus gave him a knowing look.

Robert swallowed as his face continued to pale. "That's… that's what I felt. That was the loss…"

"What?" Zack was clearly confused. "What loss? Who's dead?"

"Jen," Robert said with a pained voice. "Commander Shepard. She's dead."

Lucy got the news from Robert just before she left Tulara Tower, her features hidden by the hood of her cloak. It at least gave her an excuse to be away. Shepard had been a comrade and even a friend. Maybe not as much as she was with Robert, given his time on the Normandy, but still…

Her thoughts wandered to Shepard's stay on the Aurora. Those training missions and simulations, all the times Shepard and Worf caused her to "die" in the sims by throwing curveballs at the teams. The meal they'd had in the Lookout on the trip to Babylon-5. The desperate fighting on Gamma Piratus. And then there was Germania. To survive all of that and die out there…

Her thoughts kept going until Lucy arrived at her destination. The debris repository was quiet. Whatever the Council was deciding, at least C-Sec was honoring the stay away order. For now…

Lucy's hand went to the pack she was keeping under her cloak. This wouldn't be as clean as what Yellow or whomever she was did to Ashford's stash. Undoubtedly C-Sec or Geordi or Data would find the leftover nadion particles when her jury-rigged phasers went off and vaporized the debris. Let them. That technology was fairly wide spread after all. The important thing was that the damn debris would be gone. It wouldn't destroy anyone else.

It wouldn't take another mother away from her daughter, as Sovereign had done to Benezia and Liara.

She was almost to the door when bright light flashed within the building. Lucy stepped back, sensing danger, and her omnitool confirmed it a moment later. Nadion emissions.

Someone had beaten her to the punch.

She was about to turn around when she sensed someone approaching her. She whirled about, her hand on her lightsaber and an instant from pulling it free.

"This probably isn't the best place," Garrus said. "Follow me."

Quietly Lucy did just that. She followed Garrus into what came off as a dive bar. A holo-screen showed what looked to be a biotic sport being played. Garrus led her away from that to a corner table where Bailey was sitting. "Did it work?" asked Bailey.

"Like a charm," said Garrus. Lucy could sense his grim satisfaction. But it didn't hide the hurt he felt inside.

"I'm sorry about Shepard," Lucy said. "She was… well, I'm going to miss her."

"We all will," Garrus answered in a low voice. "But we did right by her today. Sovereign's gone for good. No more indoctrination. Not from him anyway."

"You think there's other Reaper tech out there?" Lucy asked.

"I don't doubt it. If the damn things return every fifty thousand years, well… they'll have left something behind," Garrus remarked. "And there's always reports about expedition teams going out of contact around strange alien ruins."

"Probably just tall tales," Bailey noted. "Either way though, that crap was too dangerous. With Yellow gone and Ashford dead, you know damn well the crooks on this station would eventually start going after it."

"Did we get it all?" Lucy asked.

"Well, there may be a few pieces still here or there, but we haven't had a new report in days," Bailey said. "Whatever else they were, Yellow and Ashford may have finished our job for us."

"And good riddance to that crap," Garrus said. An Asari waitress walked up and handed them all drinks, even though Lucy hadn't ordered one. "It's on us," he said. "Nothing heavy."

Lucy looked at it and decided that even if alcoholic, it wouldn't hurt.

"To Shepard," Garrus said, holding his container of liquor up. "This is how you Humans do it, right?" he asked Bailey.

"It is," he said, lifting his own. "To Shepard."

"To Shepard," Lucy agreed, finishing the toast.

On another Earth, in a place hidden from the majority of said Earth's citizens, a lone figure walked into a lab. A Human male of mixed Caucasian and East Asian ancestry, he was clad mostly in black with gold trim, and an elongated vertical hexagon insignia on his shoulders. His eyes were covered by a visor. Said visor scanned the room and all of the scientists present. Some he had personally delivered here. Others were personnel from indigenous allies. All were working on the object in the middle of the room, a piece of a machine, gray-colored with blue lighting.

A tone drew his attention to a nearby holo-projector. Two figures appeared on it. "The piece is secure?" asked one of them, a man with mechanical blue eyes and a cigarette held in two of his fingers, still burning.

"Yes sir," Kai Leng replied, nodding to the Illusive Man. "We are beginning our analysis."

"The Triumvirate wishes to know more," asked the other man in a hoarse, raspy voice. He was bald and decrepit, a corpse stuck in a wheelchair, but there was no denying the intelligent glint in his eyes.

"Of course, Mister Raines," the Illusive Man replied. "Your Centre is going to help Cerberus understand the peculiar nature of this alien technology. And we will be more than happy to share the results. It will require sacrifice, of course, but with it we will gain information needed to protect Humanity."

"We have plenty of test subjects," said Raines. "And we can always acquire more."

"I have no doubt about that."

"I'm ready to return to the Citadel and acquire more debris," said Kai.

"I'm afraid that is no longer a possibility. An unknown player has intervened. All of the remaining debris from the dead Reaper has been destroyed. Secure the project and prepare to report back to Headquarters," the Illusive Man ordered. "I have other assignments for you."

"Yes sir…"