Notes:

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Grá mo chroí - love of my heart (Gaelic)

LEAP - League of Earth Alliance Patriots

QEC - Quantum Entanglement Communicator

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

Hot on the Trail

Palaven, Trebia, At Large – 29 Sep 2188

"Spectre?" Sergeant Maddix had finally located the target of his quest. "Spectre Shepard?"

She turned to face the man coming quickly towards her – an Alliance Marine – and her hand instantly dropped to the butt of her service pistol. Behind her, Captain Livos Tanni and Sella Temi readied their biotics in the event the Human proved to be a threat. Maddix, eyes opening wide in surprise, halted in his tracks and raised both hands in front of him, obviously empty. "Easy, Spectre… though I can't say I fault you for being overly cautious. I imagine that fucking Corporal has us all questioning the Marines standing at our side."

"What do you want, Sergeant?" Shepard's voice was cold, and her hand never moved from her pistol as she asked the question.

"Maddix, Ma'am. Sergeant Vassili Maddix. I promised a man I would find you, and I keep my promises… and my oaths, Spectre." Maddix glanced downward as he continued, "So, I'd feel a lot more comfortable if your knuckles weren't turning white from your hold on that grip."

"Speak your peace, Maddix." Shepard relaxed the wrap of her fingers, but the heel of her hand remained where it was. "My patience… and trust… are a bit thin today."

"Understood, Spectre." Maddix went on to explain the actions of Zoë Lawrence and how a man by the name of Tim Stafford had requested he contact the Spectre. "Says you knew he and his group were gonna be there… and that you sanctioned their presence under false identification."

Shepard let out a quiet chuckle and shook her head, immediately explaining, "It's alright, Sergeant. Truthfully, I was aware she and Stafford were going to be there… though, the word sanctioned might be a bit strong for what actually happened. It's more like I decided to give them an opportunity to help… by not tossing them out or having them arrested when I saw them during the pre-dedication tour." She shrugged and, as an afterthought, added, "Also, it's not Stafford's group; their leader is Zoë Lawrence, the woman who stopped the assassin."

"Why the fuck didn't you tell us they were gonna be there, Shepard?" Maddix growled, "Would have made things a Hell of a lot easier if we'd known who they were."

The look on Shepard's face cut off any additional complaints. The Spectre grit her teeth and answered, "Because of people like Corporal Hamilton. I had a damned list of over fifty Alliance Marines, Sergeant, all in and around that facility. My team tried like Hell to vet them all before the ceremony, but it's not something that can be completed in only a few weeks, so how in Hell was I supposed to know who I could trust with information regarding additional plain-clothes agents I may have had in place?"

"Well… shit. Fifty?" Maddix dropped his hands to his sides. "You have me there, Spectre."

"So, what did Stafford want? To make sure I knew that Lawrence saved Hoffman… when the Marines failed in their mission?"

"God damn, Spectre." The Marine's face turned red as he continued, "Don't pull your punches, do you?" Without waiting for an answer, he added, "He has no omnitool, so no way to contact his friends on the outside. I think he wanted you to know because he's hoping you will vouch for him and get them released under Spectre authority. I received an update from one of my troops, Corporal Medina. Seems she's been assigned as the full-time guard for Ms Lawrence while the woman is recovering from surgery in the secure medical wing... the dagger Klein left in her side severely damaged her left kidney; wasn't worth saving. There were four others in addition to Lawrence and Stafford; all are being held in isolation cells until we confirm their stories and have a positive identification."

Liara stepped up to Shepard's side and entered the conversation. "Have the Corporal get a list of names from both Stafford and Lawrence… from each independently, if possible… and forward them to the Knight Shade. We'll compare the information to what we have in our own databases and confirm there are no unauthorized people who may have discovered our team's presence… who may be attempting to leverage that knowledge to slip the net."

Shepard nodded in agreement and added, "Include Corporal Medina's contact information and we'll let her know as soon as we complete the validation. We'll send both of you a copy of our final list… and make sure everyone understands they are to release no one they have detained unless their name appears on that list… especially Frédéric Klein. He is beyond dangerous… and, honestly, I'd rather have him dead than not, but I need to speak with him before that happens. They are to lock him down tight and erase the entry code from the database… and I want a gag order; make sure no one even talks to that man. Spectre authority."

"Understood, Ma'am." Maddix raised an eyebrow. "And Stafford?"

"Can be released as soon as we have those lists from both him and Lawrence. Not before." Shepard huffed in aggravation, but finally eased her hand off the butt of her service pistol. "And pass on that I don't want either him or Lawrence leaving Vancouver before I get back there. If they try, throw their asses right back into a cell."

While Livos accompanied Liara back to the Knight Shade, so the Shadow Broker could explain, in person, what they needed from Riana regarding the lists, Shepard resumed pacing the halls of the Palaven Headquarters building, Huntress Temi at her side. With Hackett's murder, a long-simmering resentment had rapidly grown to a full boil within the Spectre; the worst part about it was that Shepard had felt no hesitation in allowing the transition. She simply couldn't wrap her mind around what had happened – that fellow Humans could actually be so ignorant as to believe the deaths of a few key leaders could change the destiny of Earth's role in shared galactic management. She huffed in disgust as she thought about the extremists' ultimate goal. How in Hell can they honestly think killing Trost and Hackett... and attempting to kill the other two as well… can somehow make it possible for Earth to become the Council's sole ruling member, instead of an equal partner with the other races? All they accomplished with the attack… with the murders… was to validate the other races' beliefs that Humans truly are uncivilized barbarians… no better than Batarian slavers!

The trade negotiations were proceeding pretty much as expected; the main precepts had already been decided upon but, as the rather antiquated maxim stated, the devil was in the details. As such, the Spectre saw no rapid signing of the trade agreement anywhere on the horizon and wondered just how long it would be before the Knight Shade could return to duty. Having to sit around and wait on the politicians to finalize the treaty, with the constantly streaming news updates as heart-wrenching reminders of the previous Prime Minister's – and Admiral Hackett's – death, was almost too much to bear. She clenched her fists in frustration, barely suppressing her nearly overwhelming desire to simply scream in anger.

Caught up in her own thoughts, the Spectre failed to detect the approach of a woman she had been dodging all day; given who it was, even Sella didn't think to warn her until it was too late. "Samantha Shepard! I will not be ignored any longer!" The commanding voice of Admiral Hannah Shepard unceremoniously yanked the Spectre from her brooding and she almost snapped to attention before catching herself, but still abruptly spun around on her heel to face her mother.

"Sorry, Mom." A troubled, younger Shepard ran a hand through what remained of her hair in frustration. "I'm not doing it on purpose. I just have a lot on my mind."

Hannah approached quickly and spoke quietly. "I can tell, Sam… something is obviously bothering you and, I assume, a large portion of it includes Steven's death. Talk to me."

"Not here; there's too much to talk about." Sam's face took on the barest hint of pink as she added, "Someplace private. How about the Knight Shade… over a late dinner?"

"You have a deal." Hannah gave her a look that made Samantha realize there would be no more dodging. "I'll be aboard no later than thirty minutes after tonight's session closes out."

All of the news media had been broadcasting non-stop coverage of the protests resulting from the assassinations, especially the pro-Earth leadership rallies because they attracted huge crowds and often resulted in shockingly violent… and destructive… riots, with even more amazing ratings for the news outlets willing to risk the lives of the reporters covering them. The absolute… conceit… within such groups – that they could honestly believe Humans were capable of ruling the entirety of Citadel space – was dumbfounding to Shepard. Beyond that, what irked her the most was that it had her questioning her own loyalty to the Human race.

Does my desire to cede even partial control of Earth's galactic role to the Council mean I'm a traitor, as some say? Does moving to Thessia make me less of a patriot? She knew such doubts were ridiculous, but she couldn't keep herself from thinking them as she rehashed recent events.

Throughout the morning, she and Liara had discussed her feelings in depth, during their agonizingly large amount of free time while the negotiators were in session. Together, they had determined their path forward; one which was, undeniably, likely to be extremely unpopular in certain circles. They had then retreated to the Knight Shade's QEC chamber to place a secure call to Tevos; they discussed their idea and their proposal was received rather enthusiastically, and the process begun. Now, only one major obstacle remained… and as the time loomed closer, Samantha still had no idea how she was going to explain their decision to her mother. Worse yet, the Spectre was out of time; her omnitool chimed… and she had no option remaining but to open the hatch and let her mother aboard.

Liara's thoughts slipped easily into the back of her mind and Shepard drew a deep calming breath, letting the words soothe her angst. {I love you, Sam… and I understand how you feel. I experienced the same feelings of… betrayal… when I first learned of my mother's work with Saren. Though, I do realize that there is a huge difference between her indoctrination and LEAP's despotism… But, no matter what you decide, nothing between us will change. You are, and always will be, my Siame, my bondmate, my… Anam Cara. Would you like me to join you for dinner with your mother?}

Shepard couldn't stop the swell of warmth that infused her being – nor did she want to – and it made her smile. No matter how disturbed her thoughts were over everything that had happened the day before, her mental state shifted with Liara's thoughts and the 'voice' of her response was filled with laughter. {Thanks, Grá mo chroí. You know how much I love to hear you use Gaelic… But, no. I need to talk to Mom on my own. No worries, I'll get through this.}

"I can't help how I feel, Mom!" Samantha was angrily pacing the lounge, and it took every ounce of self-control she possessed to not yell at her mother. "I don't care who actually pulled the trigger on this particular incident; the truth of the matter is all over the news… There are thousands of people coming out in support of this conspiracy… including their acts of murder! How can you possibly think that's okay?"

"Samantha! That's quite enough!" Shocked, Hannah stood quickly; had it not been fastened to the deck, her chair would have tipped over from her abrupt action. "You know better than that. I would never condone such behavior… but neither will I give up on the other billions of Humans who are condemning them and their attacks." Sighing in frustration, she simply walked over to her daughter and halted the distraught woman in her tracks by wrapping loving arms tightly around her. Tears came to her eyes as she whispered, "I'll miss him too, Sam. Steven was a good man… who has always been there for us through the toughest of times. We just have to trust that reasonable new leaders will step up and fill the void his death leaves in its wake."

Samantha pushed away slowly and moved to stand in front of a large, open viewport. Staring up at the stars, she spoke quietly, "Just don't expect that leader to be me. Not anymore."

"Sam…"

"No, Mom. I'm not going to change my mind." She turned back and met her mother's eyes. "It doesn't seem like it was that long ago when I was sure I was Alliance for life… until I quite literally gave my life to the cause, only to be doubted and ridiculed when I miraculously returned." A gentle smile came to her face as comforting sensations slipped through the link from her bondmate. "Only Liara fought to bring me back." The smile faded quickly as she continued, "Nearly everyone else gave up on me, with most hardly even giving my death a second thought… simply moving on with their lives, completely ignoring the threat I was trying to bring to light when I was killed."

"And I have never been so happy to find out that you were back with us, Sam." Tears streamed down Hannah's face. "All of us who know and love you were ecstatic!"

"A few… yes… but not all. Hell, the Alliance didn't even care enough to bother collecting the bodies from Alchera. My dead crew stayed in those frozen wastes for over two years… until I returned there aboard the SR2 to take care of their remains." Samantha sighed tiredly. "Since then, I have been personally assaulted for my beliefs, Humans have repeatedly tried to kill either me or Liara because of our relationship… failing in that, they have made repeated attempts to defame my character… arrest me, have me beaten… The attacks go on and on."

"That's a vocal minority, Sam." Hannah was running out of arguments and she knew it, so fell silent when she saw the expression on her daughter's face shift. She knew, right then, it was a debate she couldn't possibly win.

Samantha shrugged apathetically and continued, "So, where are all the supporters you speak of? Where are all the people who you insist supposedly love me so? Why are they not stepping up to help defend my honor? My career? My life? The only ones in evidence were you, Aunt Karin, Aunt Kay… and Admiral Hackett. I'm simply tired of the constant fight to justify my beliefs, Mom. Let people think what they will, because I'm ready for real, honest peace… not in the galaxy… but in my soul."

Hannah sighed, "And we simply aren't enough for you, are we?" It was more a statement than a question.

"That's not it, Mom, and you know it." Samantha stepped forward and took her mother's hands. "You, Karin and Kay; you three have been my bedrock; the only constants through my entire life… and you know that I love each and every one of you with all that I am. You'll never lose that, I swear."

"But you're going anyway." Her voice was brighter, and Hannah started to smile as she said the words, realizing she simply had to let go and trust the bonds between mother and daughter would transcend all else.

"Yes, I am." A great weight lifted off Samantha's heart at seeing her mother smile and she actually chuckled. "You always wanted a big family… Well, my Asari family is pretty darned big… huge, as you know; you've met them. You've witnessed, firsthand, how easily they accepted me and our traditions into their lives without reservation." Thinking of all her Asari friends caused a brief, affectionate smile to flash across her lips before she continued, "This really is what I want, Mom… I've already spoken with Councilor Tevos and I have her sponsorship. At the conclusion of these negotiations, I intend to relinquish my ties to Earth in favor of full Asari citizenship… continuing my employment by the Council as an Asari Spectre."

"I suppose that's it, then. At least I know why you've been so distracted and heavy-hearted… I just knew it had to be more than Steven's death." Hannah made her way to one of the chairs in front of the viewport and plopped herself down in one. "I only have one remaining question… How in the galaxy are you going to break this to Karin and Kay? You can't honestly think either one will ever forgive you if they hear it through a news agency!"

Samantha stared at her for a moment before answering, "I hadn't really given it any thought… I was too worried about telling you!"

"You'd better figure it out, kiddo." Hannah chuckled quietly, and her eyes glinted mischievously. "These negotiations aren't going to last forever. Perhaps you need to talk to Councilor Tevos again and postpone your announcement?"

"I can call Aunt Kay easy enough…" Shepard shook her head and continued, "But Aunt Karin? The Normandy is comm out. The only authorized communications are emergency comms that are direct from the Council."

"Well, then." Hannah stood and grabbed her daughter's shoulders, turning her toward the ladder leading down to the Knight Shade's secure communications room. "It seems the perhaps just turned into a resounding yes. You definitely need to ask Tevos if she can pass the news."

Groaning, Samantha walked wearily toward the ladder. "I imagine Councilor Tevos and Karin are going to be easy, relatively speaking… but Ashley? Once she hears the news, she's likely to be the next one to try to kill me!"

Ladner, British Columbia, Earth – 29 Sep 2188

"Target has located the transport. Orders?" Lieutenant Courtney Bewick kept her sniper rifle sights on the man, sure the order to take the shot would be coming.

Blaze quickly asked, "Cliff… you in position?"

"Roger that, Cap."

"Fire."

Walker heard the triple shots… a telltale of the M-29 Incisor… and yelped as he dove off to the side, scurrying to gain cover at the base of the steps leading to the hatch of his ship. Goddammit! Not now! Not when I'm so fucking close to getting off this stupid rock!

He immediately hunkered down beneath the steps and typed the command code into his omnitool, transmitting it to the ship and sighing in relief when he heard the hatch slide open above him. Looking at the blood streaming down his leg from the single wound in the back of his thigh, he grinned. Bastards want me alive or that would have been a kill shot… either that or the shooter is fucking incompetent. Wouldn't surprise me. Either way, that plays to my favor… unlikely to shoot me in the back!

Since none of them were far behind, the entire squad of six had converged on the coordinates provided as Blaze's voice once again came over the comms. "Cliff… I'll assume you immediately tagged that ship. Ringer… Did you get a chance to dart him?"

"Not yet, Captain… If I had, he'd already be sleeping. But, I've got a bead on the entry hatchway so, if he's stupid enough to make a break for it, I'll tag him, and he'll be down in five." Specialist Monte Mehringer chuckled as he added, "five seconds, that is. This new dart Tisha designed has one Hell of a kick."

"Do I want to know how you know that?" They could all hear the grin in Blaze's voice as he asked, knowing Ringer had very likely shot some poor sap… a convenient drug dealer or such… to test the new dart's effectiveness.

"No, Sir." The medic, Letisha 'Tish' Wagg wasn't laughing, but her tone was light. "Though, Walker's a big dude… might take a little bit longer, but I still give him less than 60 seconds before he hits the deck."

"So, not enough time to launch that ship from a cold start, that's for sure." Blaze breathed a little sigh of relief, but still wouldn't rest until they actually had the bastard in custody.

"Nope." Tish answered with a grin. "Especially if I shock the shit out of him at the same time… He'll go down immediately and give the dart an extra five to take effect; the combo just might put him down for the count. Plenty of time for Cliff and Ringer to shut him down and for all of us to get onto that damned ship."

"Ooooh. I like that. Flying her out would give me lots of time to dig out all her secrets." Engineer Rudolf 'Fortune' Fortunato chimed in for the first time. "No need to rush things."

It was then that Walker took the gamble and made his last-ditch effort to lunge for the steps. Tish pointed her omnitool and triggered the neural shock just as the would-be assassin yelped at the sting in his right butt cheek. He began to reach for the dart, only to feel his muscles spasm as they seemed to disconnect from his nervous system. Son of a fucking blue whore… He managed only a disconcerted grunt as his world turned gray, his legs collapsing beneath him. Banging his chin hard on the metal steps as he crumpled into a heap at the bottom, his graying world turned to black as he succumbed to unconsciousness.

Normandy SR2, Phoenix Massing, At Large - 30 Sep 2188

Communications Specialist Sheldon Dubow was finishing up his daily duty report when a seldom activated flashing light, accompanied by a soft, repeating chime vied for his attention. Waving his hand through the flashing light – in reality, just another portion of the large haptic interface assigned to his scrutiny – he silenced the chime while allowing the flashing light to continue. With a sigh of regret – and amazement – at having to disturb the rest of both Spectre Williams and Doctor Karin Chakwas, he moved to his left to interact with the ship's intercom; first keying in the code for Williams' quarters on Deck One, he sent a request and waited. He had an audio acknowledgement in less than a minute. "What do you need, Specialist?"

"Begging your pardon, Ma'am, but there's a QEC call for you from the CGC. It's Councilor Tevos, Ma'am… and it's marked urgent."

"Send an acknowledgement, Specialist. I'll be right down."

After repeating the process with Doctor Chakwas, Dubow stepped away from his station at the tactical display projector well and mounted the steps to the raised walkway surrounding the war room; entering the QEC chamber, he quickly entered his ident-code, waited for the system to respond, then acknowledged the request. As the QEC came online, the projector rendered a lifelike image centered within the circular chamber. Dubow recognized Councilor Tevos, who stood patiently waiting for the ship's captain and doctor to arrive.

Concerned over the unusual request, Karin arrived less than a minute after being called by Dubow; stepping up to the rail, she keyed in her ID and said, "Councilor Tevos. Forgive my impatience, but I do not believe you have ever contacted me directly. Given the oddity of such a summons, I cannot keep myself from worrying over the well-being of Spectre Shepard. Please, tell me she is okay."

Tevos smiled at the doctor as she answered, "Shepard is fine, Doctor, but there has been an incident at the Alliance Vancouver headquarters. I prefer to wait until Spectre Williams is also present, so I do not have to repeat myself."

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, Karin ran a hand through her unusually disheveled hair. It was obvious she had run to the communications room in her haste. "Yes, of course, Councilor." She smiled back at Tevos and added, "And thank you for allaying the concerns of an old woman. I just don't believe I could live through another report of Shepard's death."

"Goddess, yes. It's my pleasure. I understand your concerns completely, Doctor." Even under the circumstances, Tevos had to laugh. "She has given us frequent cause for concern, has she not?"

Their casual banter fell to silence as Spectre Williams entered the room. Surprised to see Karin, the first words out of Ashley's mouth were basically the same, and much more to the point. "Has something happened to Shepard or Liara?"

"They are both fine, but…" Tevos fell silent for only a moment before dropping her eyes. After the short, uncomfortable pause, she returned her gaze to Williams and replied, "… there was a tragic incident at the Alliance Vancouver headquarters dedication, Ms Williams."

Thinking, Oh God! What has happened now? It's only been a year… she replied in as calm a voice as she could manage, "What happened, Councilor?"

Tevos clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "Just after the completion of the dedication ceremony, a coordinated attack was carried out against all four of the special envoys in attendance." With a sigh conveying only a portion of the infinite sadness she was feeling, she continued, "It pains me to have to pass on this news, but Prime Minister Reuben Trost was poisoned, seemingly through something introduced into the salad that was being served for the luncheon. The call for assistance for his violent allergic reaction was apparently the prompt for the rest of the attacks to begin. A long-range sharpshooter fired a shot at Councilor Dominic Osoba, which was blocked, fortunately; Spectre Shepard threw herself in the path of the bullet."

Karin, remembering the armor-piercing round that had nearly ended Liara T'Soni's life the previous year at the same location, interrupted Tevos to say, "And you say she's fine?"

The councilor looked down for a moment before replying, "Yes, she is; the bullet was meant for an unarmored person, so the impact simply drove Shepard into the councilor, causing them both to stumble and fall… during which she fell on top of him. Her injuries were relatively minor and he was uninjured, other than bumps and bruises." Karin nodded her understanding as Tevos continued. "A cloaked assassin identified as Frédéric Klein, formerly employed by Cerberus, attempted to kill the Human Ambassador to Palaven, Arthur Hoffman. The assassin was tackled by a young woman from the audience, who was herself critically injured; after saving the ambassador's life, she was taken to the medical center in the building, and I've had no further news as to her fate. Klein was captured and is now being held for attempted murder."

Ashley had been carefully watching the councilor's body language and could see she wasn't done. "There's more, isn't there, Madam Councilor?"

Tevos brought her hands up to her face, the bad news she was about to deliver nearly overwhelming her usual calm. Finally, she pulled her hands down and spoke. "This last is the worst possible news I have for you." She gasped a sob before quickly subduing it. "Military Secretary to the Prime Minister… Former Fleet Admiral…" she shuddered as she tried to continue.

Karin let out a gasp, saying "My God, Councilor. Not Admiral Hackett! Is he injured… or… dead?"

"Deceased," Tevos whispered. "A member of his own protection detail… shot him twice in the chest at close range. May the Goddess receive him and give him comfort."

A speechless Ashley leaned heavily on the rail encircling the imaging chamber. When she felt able to once again think coherently, she asked, "I realize it means nothing now, but did the shooter… was he…"

"He took his own life rather than be taken into custody, Spectre." With only a brief pause, she continued, "Only Humans were targeted, Ms Williams. There were several Turians in the audience… and a few Asari. The only people targeted in this conspiracy were Humans."

"Son of a bitch." Ashley closed her eyes and drew a deep breath, blowing it out slowly before asking, "Do you know when they'll be holding the Admiral's funeral?"

"I have not been informed about the location or date." Tevos looked down for several moments and wiped the tears from her eyes before she concluded, "Under the circumstances, I expect that only the commanders of whatever headquarters is selected for the funeral, along with the troops assigned there, will be able to attend. Unfortunately, the Normandy will need to remain in the Phoenix Massing in order to monitor the Quarian situation, Ms Williams. If I am provided updates on the Alliance investigation, I will pass them along."

With Ashley remaining silent as she attempted to process the news, Karin nodded. "Thank you for sharing this with us, Councilor. I know it wasn't an easy call to make."

Tevos said, "There's more."

Karin could not fathom how there could be any worse news than what she'd just been told, so waited silently for the councilor to continue.

"Spectre Shepard has contacted me with a rather… unusual request; one which I intend to approve. However, she also requested that I inform both of you first, so you do not learn about it through the news services in the event her very personal decision leaks and goes public." In a voice that managed to convey equal amounts of sadness and amazement, she said, "Samantha has asked me to begin the process that will grant her full Asari citizenship."

Karin started to point out, "Dual citizenship is not permitted by…" when the ramifications of Sam's request suddenly sent her mind reeling. "Wait… why on Earth would she want to do such a thing?"

"Spectre Shepard's wishes in this matter are quite clear, Doctor." Tevos frowned slightly. "Since before the Normandy started the Victory Tour, she has been appalled by the Humans' total lack of appreciation for what we have accomplished together, as a united force. The people of Earth have also demonstrated little gratitude for the lengths to which she, personally, has gone… what she has sacrificed… to the point of nearly giving her life for them… twice! Then, they frustrate her to no end by continuously asking her to do more." The Councilor paused and shook her head. "Now, with the radical groups targeting the very leaders who are willing to work for all the races as we continue our recovery from the war… Well, simply put, the murder of Steven Hackett was the final insult and the catalyst for her decision. She intends to cut any remaining official ties with Earth… and has declared the Estate on Thessia as her permanent registered home of residence… as the first step in becoming a full Asari citizen."

Ashley's unhappiness was plain to see. "Councilor, I'm at a loss for words. Does she not realize people will brand her a traitor? That this could make her a target for every deranged Human supremacist with a grudge, real or imagined, with the other races in the galaxy?"

Tevos tipped her head slightly as she looked directly at the Spectre, answering with a highly unusual frankness. "I asked her that very thing, Spectre. Her response to me was that it would not be the first time she has been branded a race traitor by her own kind." Skewering the Spectre with her eyes, Tevos continued, "She mentioned nearly losing a dear friend on Horizon during her campaign against the Collectors."

Ashley's mouth fell in astonishment. I shouldn't be surprised the Skipper brought up that memory… I don't think I realized until just this instant how terribly I hurt her. Shit! All this and more shot through her mind in milliseconds as she tried to regain her composure. "Councilor, you have my thanks for telling me…" she stole a glance at Karin. "… us, about what's been happening on the home front. When you speak with Samantha again, please tell her…" Ashley had to stop speaking for a moment as she struggled to keep her emotions from constricting her throat. Coughing to clear the sudden obstruction, she continued, "… I… understand. Doesn't mean I approve of her decision, but I completely understand her reasons."

Tevos nodded once, looked at Doctor Chakwas and said, "I'm sorry to be the bearer of such a collection of unpleasant news. Please, go with the blessings of the Goddess." Without warning, she reached down and terminated the connection, leaving the two women standing at the rail, each lost in their own thoughts as they stared into the suddenly empty projection well.

Finally straightening up, Ashley looked at Karin. "I don't suppose you have any Serrice Ice squirreled away in the med bay, do you?"

Karin forced a slight smile as she replied, "Of course I do. Would you care to join me? One should most definitely not drink alone after hearing about the death of a dear friend. Come on." Karin turned and left the QEC compartment, followed closely by a saddened Spectre.

Special Operations Center, Earth, Sol – 30 Sep 2188

"Hey, Shep. Sorry it's so early, your time." Culver looked her friend over; Shepard was looking a little worse for wear. "You look like Hell… but I believe I can cheer you up a bit with good news, at least … if you can call it that under the circumstances."

"Good news?" Shepard yawned and shook her head quickly to wake up a bit more before leaning closer to the screen. "I only care about one thing right now. Do you have Walker?"

A quick smile graced the Special Operations Commander's face. "We do. Along with an old Cerberus… and then LEAP… ship that had been stashed as an emergency escape route. I've had my best folks going through the systems for the last five hours. It's a treasure trove of info, Sam. Safe houses, rally points, weapons cache locations, the works. I'm not sure how much of it is still current, but I'll send everything we find to Liara as soon as we finish."

"Sounds good, Sharon… but what about Walker? Dead or alive?" Shepard held her breath waiting on the answer.

"Alive… though I can't say well." She chuckled lightly. "Tish cooked up one Hell of a new cocktail… That boy's gonna have a hangover for a week. Didn't help him any that she chased it with a Neural Shock. Collapsed him like a house of cards and he smacked his chin on the boarding steps… busting a couple of teeth and cracking his jaw… none of which we've treated just yet other than to deaden the pain. Not until he begins to cooperate."

Shepard nodded, releasing the pent-up air with satisfaction. "Excellent." She was wide awake now and her eyes narrowed in anger. "We need to know who the fuck hired him… and who, exactly, paid him, in case they aren't one and the same. We followed the trail back to Terra Firma, but I want Charles Saracino's head on a damned platter. I know that slippery bastard had ties to Cerberus and, I suspect, LEAP… but we haven't found any solid evidence yet."

"If it exists, we'll find it. Perhaps Saracino or Terra Firma own some of the stash locations…" Sharon paused for a moment before continuing, "I'll send that list of addresses as soon as we finish speaking, so Liara's network get to work on that right away. If Saracino realizes that Walker or the ship, the Valiant, has been compromised, they may already be moving assets to wipe any trail."

"Agreed. I assume you'll also be looking?" Shepard's face held a soft smile, knowing Sharon would do everything in her power to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"I already have two teams out to locations here on Earth. I'm hoping for the cascading dominos…" Culver let her words trail off, seeing the understanding light in Shepard's eyes.

"Find one, which leads to the next, which leads to another…" Shepard scowled. "I would love to bring the whole tower down on their heads with this one, Sharon. I honestly believe this is the best shot we've ever had."

"I agree." Sharon smiled, probably for the first time in at least a week. "And I think we're gonna nail their asses to the wall with this one, Shep. I really do." She glanced at her chrono and sighed. "If you don't need anything else, I'm going to get some sleep, then figure out my plan of attack for Walker. Info doesn't extract itself, not from the likes of him."

"I do have one more thing for you, Sharon." Shepard dropped her head, and Sharon immediately became concerned something else had happened.

"What's wrong?" The words came quickly, apprehension coloring Culver's tone.

"I'm leaving Earth, Sharon."

Shepard's eyes came back up to meet hers, Sharon noting their quiet intensity as she replied, "You already have, Shep… a long time ago. You were born a spacer; you never really belonged to Earth to begin with… I think you were always destined for bigger things, so, what's with the unnecessary worry I see scribbled all over your face?"

"I mean permanently, Sharon; I'm in the process of shifting my registered domicile to Thessia and I'm going to become an Asari citizen. I've already talked to Mom and Aunt Kay…" Shepard sighed. "Councilor Tevos had to relay the news to Aunt Karin for me… and Ashley… because of the comm blackout. I don't know yet how they took it."

Culver grinned and chuckled. "If they don't take it well, they haven't recognized what's been right in front of their faces, Shep. Hell… You've been Asari since a couple months after you met that blue-skinned babe of yours!" Her chuckle became a full laugh as she continued, "Good for you for finally figuring it out for yourself; you know damned well that's where you belong!" She paused, thoughtfully, and added, "Hell, it's what you've been for the last five years, ever since you and Liara decided you were going to live at the Estate. It's just like everything else in this galaxy… the paperwork simply took five years to catch up with the reality of life!"

"Well, shit." Shepard let out a little huff and finally smiled. "If you knew all this time, why didn't you tell me to get my ass in gear and make the change? I think it may have saved a lot of heartache over the past few years."

Laughing, Culver replied, "Yeah… Not! You simply would have traded one set of problems for another, Sam. Nothing about life is easy… Besides, that would take all the challenge out of it. Where's the fun in that?"