A/N: Happy new year. Let's hope 2021 is less crap than 2020, yes?

This chapter took less revision that expected, despite the EG not being totally happy with it. Usually, when that happens I do a re-write, but this time I did not. Instead, most of what was discussed will be incorporated into the next chapter.

We are coming to the final stages of this book (at last). There are a couple more Citadel chapters, then the Broker assault. There's recovery from that, but then the Collector Ship Capture and Collector Base assault are ... mostly action, and compacted. And a few aftermath chapters and we can start the next book.

Given that my writing speed, health, focus on the storyline and general condition didn't exactly improve, I won't put ETA's on anything. We'll see how it goes. Thanks to the EG's feedback I am already starting the next chapter, and I'd like to get that out early as well.

Read the following authors when you get a chance, you won't regret it: SLotH4, Nolanstar, Xabiar, Pallan Minerva, Aberron, TungstenCat, Exstarsis, and YukiKazami.


"People often talk about changing the galaxy in negative terms, in removing unwanted or undesirable influences. Yet these approaches never work, because they fail to address the real issue leading to these influences occurring. You cannot remove darkness from a dark room - you can only bring in a light."

- Uressa T'Shora, "Reflections on a Midnight Moon"


Shepard came to awareness, blinking as her vision erupted in static and then cleared. She realized a moment later that she was in the pinnace, in the small medical bay in the back, and tried to sit up, only to grimace as doing so left her dizzy. She glanced down at herself, seeing she had her fancy uniform top removed, wearing only a sports bra. Medical sensors were taped to her skin or in one place, plugged into a port on her arm.

She tried sitting up again, and gave up, letting out a grunt of frustration. Alarms bleeped, and the door hissed open to reveal Miranda, with a truly exasperated expression on her face. "Don't even try sitting up. Your gyro is shorted out thanks to you nearly cooking yourself alive down there."

The Cerberus officer glanced over the wall-mounted medical repeater screens, and sighed a moment later. "I remember very clearly telling you that your primary heat-sinks were offline and your blueware still was not in spec yet, and you pull this stunt anyway, Shepard?"

Shepard grimaced. "Miranda, what was I supposed to do? Let a bunch of orphaned kids who came to see me die?"

Miranda tapped something on the monitor, and then glanced at Shepard over her shoulder. Her voice was almost archly exasperated, and her expression severe. "Perhaps you should have realized that it was a blatant attempt to draw you out of a protective cordon. Perhaps you should have remembered that if you die, so does your wife. Perhaps you should have remembered that if you die, we have very little chance of making the Citadel work with us to stop the Collectors and the Reapers."

Miranda exhaled and Shepard looked away, a moment later glancing back at her when she spoke again, this time in a softer tone. "I understand your impulse to save the children, and… I am glad you were able to do so."

She came over and began removing all the medical connectors and sensors from Shepard. "I can even, in the cynical parts of my mind, see what a boon this action is in proving you are who you say you are." She folded the long cord away and threw the sensor pads into a waste bin built into the wall, straightening as she did so and turning away.

Miranda tapped the medical repeater, her voice going stern again. "But one of your internal heat-sinks shattered and blew out. It came within a few millimeters from breaching your internal armor lining and tearing into your liver, and then you would have bled to death with nothing we could do to stop it. I have told you that you simply cannot afford to soak damage that you could avoid, especially now."

Shepard closed her eyes, her voice tired. "Saying 'I didn't think' doesn't fix shit, I got that much." She winced as pain pulsed in her lower back. "Body is reminding me now of how stupid that stunt of mine was. So… how is everyone? The kids? And I guess… how am I?"

Miranda moved to the other side of the small medical room, opening up a door and pulling out a shelf lined with foam and holding small devices. She picked up one and linked it to her omni-tool.

"The children are in better shape than you are, Shepard. For the moment, you're stable. Mordin and I had to do emergency surgery on your back, and stabilize your power core - not to mention stop the internal bleeding." She tapped her omni a few times, the golden glow lighting in response to several ping noises, then nodded to herself, walking over to Shepard.

"Roll over on your right side, please." Shepard did so, and felt Miranda doing something to her back. "As I said, your gyro burned out – that is what I am replacing now – and you had light burns on your hands from channeling that much plasma. Tela Vasir also had some minor burns, and her ankle was sprained badly, but she's icing it now. The children were all removed safely – several had some serious injuries, but they are being treated on the expense account of Uressa herself and should all recover."

Shepard's HUD illuminated suddenly, informing her new devices had been installed, and another wave of dizziness passed over her, then, with a sort of dropping feeling, it was over. The matter-of-fact way her balance was tied to a replacement part only drove home for a second time how… artificial her body was now. She bit her lip. "Guess it's easy to swap parts when I muck something up, huh?"

Miranda gently placed an arm on her shoulder, her voice less hard than earlier. "I'm sorry if I am harping on this, but… I do not want you to have to deal with constant and ongoing pain that we don't have any way to ameliorate. And no… it is never as simple as 'swapping parts' to me. You are and always will be a person, Shepard." She smiled, and gestured with her other hand. "Try to sit up now, please."

Sara did so, grimacing at another burst of static in her vision, but she was able to sit up easily. "Anything else?"

Miranda sighed, folding her arms, her expression blank and her voice cool. "Liara is rather… upset. Other than that, C-Sec allowed me to land a shuttle with some of the medical equipment we didn't have on the pinnace, and a freshly omnifactured uniform for you, since yours was burned and bloody. Doctor Solus recommends returning to the Ironic Gesture for further care, but I already told Citadel Command you were likely to wish to get this over with."

Shepard smiled thinly. "Yep." She paused, looking at her hands, which she saw were bandaged. "…There was a split-second, before I acted, where I just… got so fucking angry that anyone would attack a bunch of kids. Ahern said over and over if I didn't get control of that I'd end up fucking myself up. I thought I had."

Miranda nodded. "I do suspect the turmoil and shocks – both mental and emotional – of the past week or so didn't contribute to clear thinking."

Shepard trailed off, then looked up at the younger woman, her voice weary sounding. "I'm so fucking tired of having to stand by and watch people die. Dirth, Horizon – ha, fucking twice – Ilium…"

She stood up, Miranda holding onto her arm to make sure she had her balance, and then sighed. "I get it. It's just…"

She turned as the door hissed open, revealing Liara standing there, her good eye narrowed. "…Ah, she's up. Ms. Lawson, would you mind giving me a moment to discuss things with my wife? Doctor Solus said he wished to speak to you regarding the medical complications."

Her voice was flat, and Miranda gave Shepard's shoulder a pat. "Of course, Doctor T'Soni. I've reinstalled the gyroscopic link module and she's… unhurt for the moment."

Miranda circled the bed and stepped past the asari, half-turning as she did so. "Unless you wish to change your mind, I'll go ahead and let the officials know we still plan to do the scan today, Shepard."

Shepard nodded, and Miranda left, the door hissing shut behind Liara. She stared at Sara for a long few seconds, then pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Sara, did you ever stop and think of what could have happened?" Her voice had a quavering note in it, a mix of anger and something else. Her good eye was narrowed and her other hand was clenched tightly into a fist.

Shepard leaned against the wall, careful not to touch all the complex medical screens. "I didn't, and Miranda already told me how… stupid that was."

Liara just stared at her for a second. "…And that's it?" Her tone held a note of disbelief in it, and Shepard leaned her head back against the wall as she felt a wave of irritation, anger – and again, a hint of something else through the bond.

"Liara, I get it, okay? It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but what's done is done. I'm fine."

Liara looked away, jaw clenching, her voice coolly bitter. "Yes, of course. You're fine, the day is saved… and you still don't even see the problem."

Her wife's gaze found Shepard's, her tone even colder. "I've been living in the hellscape of my own mind for the past two years. Alone, going insane, my mind full of poison and my existence little more than a rage-fueled temper tantrum. I had nothing left – no one to care if I was gone, no reason to keep fighting, no comfort for what I had done. I had lost everything that mattered."

The asari looked down, and Shepard visibly swallowed at the wave of despair and confusion she could feel. "And when all was lost… I was given it back. Despite everything. I was… if not healed, if not fixed, at least whole again. I had you back in my life, and we had a plan."

Liara trembled and then smashed her cybernetic hand into the wall, denting it very slightly. "And then you do this?"

Shepard folded her arms, cringing a little inside. "I'm… look. I already told Miranda that I wasn't thinking—"

Liara's voice rose. "No, you certainly were not. Did it occur to you that you are a danger to the Broker and he knows this? That this entire ridiculous farce seemed a little too fucking contrived?" She ran her hand over her crests, voice growing more thin and bitter.

"You ran out into an open area with not a plate of armor on, when you were already half-dead from fighting Tetrimus – and you did not even have an idea of what to do! What if they had hit you with the missiles they tried hitting Uressa with? What if they had someone rig up the shuttle to explode?"

Shepard frowned. "But they didn't."

Liara trembled, and Shepard's expression fell as she felt a wave of pure rage and anger. Liara's voice was like ice. "Of course not. And what if they had, Sara? What if you had died? Did you get so caught up in being a hero you didn't even think about it killing me?!"

Sara met her gaze. "…I didn't… look, that's what I was telling Miri. I just reacted. I could not just—"

Sara's head snapped to the side and banged against the wall. Only then did she register that her wife had slapped her, and the pain soon followed. The pain was minor in a physical sense, but the betrayed, shattered look on Liara's face – and worse, the ugly tide of feelings – made Shepard's stomach flip. Flashes of a feeling of worthlessness, of despair, of being too tired to even know what to do.

Liara's voice was hot and dull at the same time. "Sara, bad things are going to happen and people are going to die – that is life! There is more at stake than a handful of orphans!"

Sara stared at her for a long second, then Liara just slumped down to the small medical bed, tears streaking down her still gaunt features as she bowed her head and shivered.

Another quality Shepard moment, brought to you by the Dumbest Bitch Ever, Shepard thought sourly, before sitting down next to Liara. She could feel a storm of emotions – crippling waves of fear, disgust fighting with jealousy, doubt… and worthlessness. As if Liara wasn't good enough to matter…

Shepard wanted to slap herself when it clicked. Instead, she took Liara's hand, and sighed. "I… I don't have a good answer, Li. I'm not used to thinking… about dying. Of being capable of it. That sounds fucking stupid as shit, but… it's the truth, hon. Even before you know goddamned good and well I never… thought about buying it."

She sneered at herself. "And being remade into this," she gestured to herself with her free hand, "with the cyberware and all that shit… made me feel like I couldn't be stopped, I guess. I wasn't thinking, and that's not an excuse, or even an explanation. It is me saying I fucked up.

"You – and Miri – are right. I know that if I die, you die with me. I know that we only have one shot at this and if I fucking check out now, everything will go to shit. I know that whoever did this did it to take a shot at me – and they used children knowing just how I'd react."

She licked her lips. "But it's all, uh, intellectual. I mean, I know it, but…"

Liara's thoughts flickered, faintly, sullenly. "You do not know it the way you know that you did not want to watch children die, you mean."

Sara shook her head. "I mean I know the facts of it, but it didn't penetrate through the anger. It only hit me when that fucking door came down, and I was left with the ugly realization that I couldn't rescue anyone at fucking all. And…"

She paused. The bond with Liara was so much more encompassing that she wasn't sure what feelings were really hers or Liara's, but she had to try to explain it, what was going through her stupid empty head.

"Li… I don't know if I could look into the mirror if I didn't try to save those kids, though. The hard facts – the logic, all that – probably meant I should have let the others handle it. Let the Spectres do something. Except everyone was just fuck-all milling around wringing their goddamned hands. The cops that went for aircars ran into fucking mines."

Shepard squeezed Liara's hand, gently. "I've had doubts about me being, well, me… for a while. About how… unconcerned I was at all the loss of life on Horizon, how fucking filthy I felt when goddamned Harper thought of building evac ships and not me. Of seeing myself in your eyes, doing the shit I did on Umlor and Chresi…"

She looked at Liara. Scared to speak. Scared to say the words. "…I didn't mean to hurt you. You matter a lot more to me than some kids, or anything else. God, I'm just fucking stupid and I can't fix that and I don't—"

Liara lifted her gaze, raising her free hand to cut her off. "I know that, Sara. I know that you did not do this to… to hurt anyone. But it does hurt. That a group of people you don't even know is worth more to you – worth risking your life for – than me, unless you sit down and think about it."

She continued in a softer voice. "If it had been me, I would not have even tried to save them. Losing you – or making you suffer without me – would not have been worth the chance. That makes me less of a good person than you, and I know my anger and my… all of this, all of it is unfair, and I am being selfish in this, but I…"

Shepard closed her eyes. "No, you aren't. I am." She exhaled. "For a long time, I've always… always cursed the people who made the ugly choice that got others killed. I always said you can do it the right way. I've had the unmitigated fucking gall to call out the assholes in the SA who go for the 'pragmatic options.' "

She looked away. "But there's costs for doing it 'the right way.' One of those things I didn't want to admit to myself." She traced her thumb over the blue skin, the scar that trailed up the hand, old and puckered. "I told myself I was so badass I could just save the day."

She was silent for a long second, trying to figure out how to fix the mess she'd put herself in, when the door slid open again, revealing Tela Vasir. A bulky pack of some kind was wrapped around her ankle and she leaned against the door frame. "Hey, not to interrupt, but the C-Sec assholes are asking if you're okay."

Shepard sighed. "I suppose I am. Miri said something about a new top."

Tela gave a slanted smile and handed her something in a bag. "Yeah, got it right here. When you get done, come on outside. Press assholes are here, and the kids you just saved too." She glanced at Liara. "Sister, could you walk with me a bit, please."

Liara slipped free of Shepard's grip and stood. "Of course." She turned back to Sara. "We will finish this discussion later, Sara."

The door slid shut, and Shepard sighed, before pulling the uniform top out of the bag, grimacing at the two red ribbons at the bottom. She lifted the two Stars of Terra out of the bag, then put them back into it, just as she had the first time Miranda had suggested wearing them.

She stared at the top as she sat back down on the bed, swallowing at the frustration, fear and anger she could still feel from her wife, and the feeling of having saved innocents tasted like ashes.

O-TWCD-O

Tela led Liara down to the second level of the pinnace, before glancing around. "You okay?"

Liara wiped her organic eye, her voice frustrated. "No." She then shook her head. "I… I am sorry. I know you risked hurting yourself to aid her, and I want to say I appreciate that. More than appreciate it."

Tela nodded. "Yes, well. I didn't know if I could have made a kanquess that far, you know? Never tried that long a distance in one go, and I can't do another in time to stop. Glad I could, otherwise I'd have gone splat."

She smiled as Liara looked up in shock. "Then why—"

Tela's voice hardened. "Because I fucked up and got her killed, Liara. Because I was a stupid blind fool. I knew she was hurt when she went down there, and I took the chance because I'm not going to let you down a second time." She inclined her head. "That being said…"

She glanced up the small stairway leading to the first deck. "Getting angry at her isn't going to solve the problem. I know why you're angry, and you have every right to be, but being angry won't stop her from diving into the deep end."

Liara folded her arms. "You are going to advise me from the depth of your own relationship experience, I presume?" The voice was cutting, but Tela only laughed.

"Goddess, no. My life's been a boat-wreck for centuries. My only attempt at real romance went to shit in a truly spectacular fashion, and I doubt very strongly I'll die with someone by my side to ease me into the Light. Not the point. What I am saying is that you didn't fall in love with her because she was Goddess-damned careful."

Liara frowned, and Tela made a sign of siari separation. "I can't really comment on the relationship. Only on Shepard. But Shepard did what she did because she never has had the luxury of having anything to lose when she risked her life for most of it. And she just got you back and isn't thinking like that."

Liara sighed. "I am sure I was too hard on her, but it…" She stopped. "It felt very much as if the lives of random strangers were more important than me."

Tela snorted. "You know that's tide-damned not true, and I hate to say it, but feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to fix this either."

Liara clenched her fists. "What am I to do then?! Simply stand by while she destroys herself for uncaring cretins who will abuse her kindness! Forget that we are bonded and that I have nothing else but her?!"

Tela shook her head. "No, not at all. You need to fix this by not making it an 'us or them' thing. I have no doubt that if she had engaged her brain a second, she'd have stayed put. But I know why she didn't, and that has nothing to do with not caring or loving you, sister."

Liara said nothing, and Tela continued. "I know you've had a rough time the past two years. But she's a lot more like me than you. She didn't do it because she wanted to be reckless, she did it because she's probably always resented not being able to do the right thing."

Tela paced, her hands moving as she spoke. "As a Spectre, nine times out of ten I get told I can't fix things. I get told to break things, kill people, frame people. No one cares about the innocents that get caught up in the crossfire. The Council could give a shit about the law, they are only focused on keeping shit in the bay, and not letting any high tides hit shore. Fuck, the whole damned reason I got tied up with the Broker in the first place was to have more freedom… and it never worked out."

She shook her head. "People think Spectres can do anything with no limits, and fail to realize what that really means. It means you do disgusting shit and no one ever calls you out on it, it means half the things you do are so fucking illegal they keep it a secret, it means you never, ever get to be the 'good guy.' I got told over and over and over to do things their way and no one ever deals with going to sleep with the costs - except me."

Tela stopped, looking at Liara. "I had ops where I literally had to go kill someone because they were a problem for the Council, regardless that the only thing they did wrong was find out some of the Council's fishguts and black ops. I've had situations where I couldn't stop sander-slotters from grinding up kids to make red sand because the fucking mission was more important and if I did stop the bastards, I'd have tipped the targets I was going after off and messed it up."

Her voice dropped. " I've had a thousand times where I couldn't do the right thing and had to watch people – innocent people, helpless people, kids just like those – die in vacuum or plasma fires or some other wave-damned reason and it feels like every single one is in my dreams staring at me when I sleep – because all that matters to the Spectres is getting the job done."

She placed her hand on Liara's shoulder. "Shepard is the same. I guarantee that she never even thought about risk, or danger to herself, and that the only thing going through her head was: 'I'm not letting those kids die.' You weren't down there with us. One of the kids said they didn't matter and no one ever came for them. I think Shepard was about to break down crying."

Liara swallowed and Tela continued. "I know it hurts. By the Goddess, you just got her back and she's risking her life on some fucking kids. But that's who you bonded with. Like I said. And I'll put this out there too."

She leaned closer. "You want to know why she reacted that way? She doesn't know how to do anything but fight. And from what I can tell, that's because no one has ever asked her to do anything but fight. No one ever gave a shit what it cost her, or asked what kind of nightmares she had at night. And no one ever asked her to do anything but compromise over and fucking over again. She's done with that – and she saw not saving those kids as compromise."

Tela took a step back. "Making her see things differently requires you not attack her… sense of what needs to be done. You want to change her, you have to engage her, and make her see other angles. Make her realize that there's more to life than smashing shit."

Liara opened her mouth to speak, then leaned back against the wall, a thoughtful expression on her face. "…She once told me that aside from building her ship models, the most fun she'd had was when we were puzzling out a translation guide for the Prothean language." She glanced up at Tela. "You think she reacts this way because…"

Tela gave a sad, broken looking smile. "Because she hates being helpless, and she doesn't know anything else to do but attack. Look, I am the most terrible person you could talk to about relationships in the galaxy, bar none… well, maybe Au— er, Aethyta." The smile turned warmer. "But I know a fuck of a lot about being empty and having no other options but killing some dartfishing idiot because that's all you know how to do."

Liara unfolded her arms, one hand running over her crests. "I have no guidance in how to act, and after two years of… being alone, I fear my own emotional state is frayed at best. She risked her life – and I know it was the… moral thing, the right thing, to do… and then as soon as she awakes, I attack her."

Tela tilted her head. "Sister, if feeling sorry isn't a good idea, I don't think beating yourself up is the answer either. Also an expert on that." She jerked a thumb to the outside of the pinnace. "There's a mob of fucking media and a dozen slightly injured kids she's going to have to get through before the scan, and then a pile of goddamned asshole 'leaders.' My advice?"

The older matron pushed off the wall, turning to leave. "Tell her you still love her and you'll work out your problems later, when the whole galaxy isn't looking."

O-TWCD-O

The medical area of the docks was designed mainly for emergency landing casualties, fuel spills, and the like. Filled with dozens of wounded civilians, C-Sec, and others, it was hardly a place that one could consider calm.

Media drones hovered overhead as two asari doctors finished bandaging Uressa T'Shora's calves in medi-gel-infused strips, while more doctors worked on the injured children. The pilot and one of the more severely injured children had been taken to the nearest hospital via air transport, and the media now awaited the aftermath.

A turian C-Sec senior captain stepped in front of the crowd, held back from the medical area by a line of C-Sec soldiers. "Attention, please. We're going to need you to move back at least thirty meters, to allow for the trauma teams and medical personnel to get to the injured."

As the crowd moved back, the tall form of Thanix Palavanus walked up to the station where Uressa was being treated, her two Godtalkers' black forms to either side. "I trust your injuries were not severe, madame?"

Uressa gave a thin smile, although she looked drained and tired. "For the most part." She held up her hands, wrapped in thin bandages. "I fear my bondmate will have to feed me for a few days."

The leftmost asari doctor, with a clan badge on her coat, adjusted something on the haptic panel next to Uressa's bed and straightened. "Lord Palavanus, the Divine One is exhausted. Can you do something about the pack of media relli slithering around out there?"

Thanix chuckled. "No need. I expect once Shepard leaves her pinnace, the pile of them will jump on her, and you can extract your patient safely and easily." He turned to Uressa. "If she is stable, I need a moment's conversation with her."

The two clan doctors bowed. "Of course."

As they withdrew, Uressa glanced up at the turian. "There is something you need to discuss with me, Cera Thanix?"

Thanix inclined his head and made a passable gesture of siari agreement. "You could say that. I will deal with that in a moment. My primary concern is that I cannot help but feel that this attack was not only aimed at Cena Shepard, but also at you. That is… somewhat disturbing, given the reverence most of the galaxy has for you. The use of such heavy munitions against someone such as yourself…"

Uressa gave a wan shrug. "The missiles they struck at me with were small matter/antimatter flek disruptors. They would have vaporized Shepard and Tela, I suspect. Perhaps they did not expect the door to seal Shepard away and attacked me in frustration."

Thanix shook his head. "The hydraulics were sabotaged, as was the door control panel, as you said. Someone knew enough to guess Shepard would go down there and try to help, and that when she got trapped, you would go down there and help. That's more than just guessing which way the spoor trail is pointing."

Uressa nodded slowly. "There are a host of possible actors who could benefit from the death of Sara Shepard. There are fewer with the capacity to pull off a wide-area hacking attack, sneak heavy restricted munitions past C-Sec, and gain access to the highly secured fueling service gantries. Of those with the capacity, none would have the interest in acting against Shepard. And of those with the wish to see her dead, none have the capacity. That implies there is more than one party involved."

Thanix inclined his head. "That is my thinking as well, which further implies that maybe the Council should actually listen to her, no matter how wild her tale may be. But that also implies there are forces acting with enough insight to not only to predict her actions but yours. That will raise questions too."

She gave a thin smile, wincing as she flexed her hands. "I suspect there will be a great many questions asked once C-Sec identifies the remains of those I was forced to slay. Unless I am mistaken, only a Spectre could have gotten that much heavy ordinance on board the Citadel, and to have the near-assassination of Shepard and myself laid at their feet is something they would want to avoid." She paused. "Your statement that there will be questions is… most accurate. They may even attempt such to distract from their own failings."

Thanix gave a bark of laughter. "Milady, while you were magnificent in your power in raising that spirits-cursed door, we both know that it is not a feat that can be, ah, explained away easily. And I dislike the idea that the Council would use such as a distraction. Even if they do not, there are going to be more questions from the media and… other… parties as to how you lifted that door, unless I miss my guess. Would you like me to say that I was able to reverse the hydraulics to assist?"

She met his gaze evenly. "You are aware that anyone examining the hydraulics system will be able to realize that is a lie, Cera Thanix. And I cannot help but expect that a great many people will be interested in it. While the suggestion is appreciated, I'd rather not drag you into this."

Thanix smiled. "No need to fear that, the C-Sec commander already reached out to me about the hydraulics, and he wants to know how it was bypassed and sabotaged. My own engineers and myself will handle that. After all, nobody understands how I built the Ward lock-down door mechanisms, and they just copied the design here – so my shading of the truth will be undetected." The smile turned almost feral. "Oh, I'm sure the CINT spooks and Spectres would be interested in taking a look at it, but none of them know anything about it, and like I said, I designed the things."

She glanced at the floor, then raised her pale gaze to meet his, her voice even softer. "And why would you?"

He folded his arms over his massive chest, mandibles tight against his jaw. "I would say that we both have things we would not want… speculated on. It does not serve the turian people to have you…" His voice took on an ironic and sarcastic tone. "…irritated by such random speculation. Aside from that, I do believe you have kept the Council of Matriarchs from digging too deeply into the connection between the late Arterius brothers and certain… elements of the Palavanus."

She sighed, the smile slipping from her lips. "Yes. More than once I have been forced to adjust their thinking. Most recently, in regard to the footage P. provided of the devices in the Palavanus crèches, or on other… oddities of your House. Saren has come up more than once, as did his brother – and there are still concerns that the Valluvian Priest clawscript is similar to the oldest runes of the Temple of Athame. It was surprising."

She gave a slanted, ironic smile, which looked almost odd on her serene features. "My sisters handle surprises… poorly."

Thanix flicked a mandible. "A salient point, madame. I was aware of the issues, albeit distantly. However, I am not ignorant of the danger of my family's, ah, peculiarities, and I am gratified that you have deflected attention away from that. In fact, that is why I offered to assist. I dislike unpaid debts. And this is no time for distractions."

He waved a hand. "I do not know why or how you were able to accomplish what you did. I know only that the spirits aided you, and that they approve of you. In that light…" He trailed off. "Although, I do wish to know why you did it, knowing the problems such an act would create."

She said nothing for a long moment, pale silver eyes meeting his glowing blue ones. "There are many dark things in the deep ocean, Cera Thanix. There are mysteries in the halls of the Thirty and the Temple of Athame that are of deep shame, and I suspect the Palavanus are no different. We act as we must, for the preservation of our races."

She made a gesture of siari separation. "But there are times, I find, that cleaving to the practical is a knife to the very soul. I watched a wounded woman risk her life and all she was to save a small group of orphan children, knowing full well she could die. I know there will be questions, and if that is the price I must pay for being able to finally look at my own reflection and not feel shame and guilt then it is a price I will pay gladly."

She smiled. "But if you are willing to assist me, I would be foolish to deny such help. I do not know the cost of such a thing, but I suspect you did not come to bargain." She lifted her legs from the medical bed and stood slowly, one of the Godtalkers holding her arm to steady her.

Thanix nodded. "I did not. Let us say simply that, as I said, the spirits say that you should be supported, regardless of cost… and that no one will question me being able to reverse burned out hydraulics with a ripped open pressure line." He smiled. "And no, there are no costs or favors I need repaid. It is oddly refreshing to for once do something right and, if you will pardon the triteness, to do something good and attach no strings or politics to the event."

She smiled back. "You are, as I said, a good person."

He flicked a mandible. "I am no such thing, Matriarch. I am often cruel and dismissive, I have and will sacrifice the innocent in pursuit of turian survival, and I am twisted in ways the average turian cannot understand." His gaze softened. "But I am also capable of wishing we could all be less like me, and more like you. And for that alone, I will aid you."

He gave an oddly formal bow, and she merely nodded as he straightened. "Your faith in me is humbling, Cera Thanix." She paused. "As to the attack itself, while the Broker is the obvious suspect for most, his… people have never taken direct actions like this."

Thanix merely gave a slow nod. "P. then, you suspect? Odd. He's never gone after Shepard before, although he has certainly attacked you."

She glanced to her side, and one of her Godtalkers held up a shawl, which she placed over her shoulders. "P. may or may not have reasons – discerning a pattern from his horrid insanity is akin to trying to dodge the rain in a storm. But I will note that Shepard's actions have shattered the filthy and disgusting slaving and clone-legging rings across the galaxy, and with the fall of the Batarian Hegemony, many criminal elements that would have disdained P. may now rally to him if the information I have is correct."

He tilted his head. "Information?"

She tied her shawl in place. "Aria is working with the Illusive Man."

Thanxis's blue eye circles rotated and tightened, and then he gave a short, breathy laugh. "Ah, this is going to be interesting indeed."

O-TWCD-O

Shepard emerged from the pinnace – freshly dressed in a new uniform, with a thin bandage visible on her hands – followed by her wife, and walked directly to the medical area where the children from the shuttle were being treated.

She was a little surprised at how upbeat they were and the awe in their eyes, but spent a good fifteen minutes answering questions and talking to them. Most of them were simple things – one of the turians asked if he could meet Thanix, and Shepard said she'd find out. Another wanted to know if Shepard was still hurt and she played it off as being just tired.

The truth was her back hurt constantly now, and there was a clear throb of pain somewhere in her torso that flared on and off occasionally. Her vision still wasn't quite right and despite all her arms and legs being machines, she still felt tired.

It didn't help that Liara stood some distance away, her emotions muted and calmer but with a vague tint of guilt and fear.

Shepard finished speaking with the doctors, then, with a long-suffering sigh, walked toward the line of media figures standing to one side. Behind her, Grunt stepped up, his blue eyes taking in the ranks of the media and their hovering drones, even as the line of Cerberus soldiers parted. "You want me to move them, battlemaster?"

She chuckled, patting his massive arm then wincing as that hurt from the burns on her hands. "No, big guy. Just stand there and look displeased, maybe that will keep them civil. The more I dodge talking to the media, the more they're going to hound me, so I might as well get this over with."

Liara snorted and she felt a spark of amusement from her. "Are you absolutely sure you did not strike your head at some point, Sara?"

Shepard smothered a grin, then took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Good evening. C-Sec is setting up the scanning archway again – they had to take it down to move in medical vehicles – and as I've been let go by my medical staff, I have a few minutes to spare. As I expect I will be in discussions with both the Systems Alliance diplomatic corps and the Citadel Council for the balance of the day, I doubt I will have any time for media interviews anytime soon. And once I'm done, I'm pretty sure my doctors will want me to head out to get fixed up."

She gave a thin smile. "So, I'll answer a few questions while I await C-Sec saying they're ready to go." She paused, glancing over the nearly two dozen reporters, then pointed to a salarian male in a black and red bodysuit. "You, the salarian. You go first."

The salarian inclined its head, and when the salarian spoke Shepard realized belated that she was female. "Thank you, Cena Shepard. Palona Dahana, Sur'Kesh Night-Lies. There is a great deal of skepticism among the educated members of society as to your claims to have been dead and resurrected by Cerberus. You have not made the claims yourself, so is there a more rational explanation, such as you working with Cerberus from the beginning?"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "I've discussed this with the team of medical specialists who revived me, who pointed out there's no good way to fake certain things in the body after death. Necrotic decay, stuff with proteins, things like that. And I'm sure the C-Sec people scanning will pick that up. But to answer your question directly: no. I remember the last, ugly moments of sitting on the bridge of the Normandy, a lot of pain, and then waking up in a Cerberus base."

She exhaled. "I have no way of knowing if I was 'dead' or merely in a coma or in stasis or what. Based on what my wife and others have said who recovered my body, it did not seem I was alive. I haven't really dug into that, because it doesn't matter to me."

The salarian reporter gave a skeptical blink then smiled. "And the source of this technology? Is this something developed by Cerberus, or perhaps acquired from somewhere else?"

Shepard laughed at that. "I don't understand a tenth of all the science bullshit they threw at me to explain it, but I can tell you that some of the tech is… uh, experimental. If we stole anything from anyone, they didn't tell me." She paused, then pointed at a turian male. "You, turian in the back right."

The turian flicked a mandible, his voice a stentorian rolling tenor. "Kaesmus Eraslus, Hierarchy Central News. The turian people are gratified that you live, as you always struck us as one of the more honorable warriors of your people. Your disgust for slavers and the filthy batarians was always noted. You have said you had no idea that the Archangel was Garrus Vakarian – what are your thoughts on his campaign on Omega?"

She leaned back a bit, putting her weight on one hip and folding her arms. "I never saw Omega before Garrus cleaned the place up directly, but my wife did. Her memories of that shithole are worse than any of the crap I saw in the slums of Earth, by a long mile."

She paused, thinking back on what Harper said, then sneered. "I won't comment on Aria. Garrus said she wasn't the problem, and he was the guy on the ground so I'll go with that. I'm glad he fucked up the gangs terrorizing the place, and much as with Umlor, no one really gives a shit that he killed a bunch of criminal gangbanging trash."

She stared at the turian. "If you're asking me if I agree with vigilantism, that's different. I hate criminality, but that doesn't mean I'm a big fan of laws. Laws are just tools – and they get abused a lot, and usually to the, uh, detriment of the poor and powerless. I'm a fan of justice. That being said? Garrus is the most honorable person I know, and if he thought the only answer to Omega was taking the law into his own hands, then I agree with that."

The turian nodded. "Another question. You defeated Tetrimus Rakora, a symbol of shame and disgrace for the turian people for many decades. No one has ever gone head-to-head with him in single combat and survived – and it looked as if you were nearly killed as well, despite your battle prowess. While we all appreciate your bravery and valor, why did you go up against him alone if you had a team?"

She smiled. "The plan wasn't to take him alone, actually – I had several others who were going to help me. However, the chaos on Ilium – in general and at the spaceport – disrupted almost all my plans. And to be honest, given how strong he was, I am glad I faced him alone, as he would have killed some of my people otherwise."

The turian nodded. "Do you think you could have defeated him if he was not already worn down?"

She smiled wider. "I've dropped two Glorious batarians, fought both Saren and Benezia, fought my way out of Omega, and killed Warlord Ganar Okeer in single combat. Usually, when I fight someone nowadays, I'm pretty confident."

Her expression darkened. "But taking him fresh? I honestly doubt I could have. Tetrimus was the boogeyman for a long time for very good reasons – he was fast, strong, smart, a better biotic than anyone else I know, and he never panicked. He had preparations for every trick I had, and if I had messed up even once and lost track of him, his Beam would have killed me like it had my friend, Beatrice Shields."

She paused. "The other bad guys I've fought all had… issues. The batarians were cocksure in their power, Saren was too busy gloating, Benezia got so angry she didn't see the trap my Commissar put on her warp sword, and Okeer was too sure of himself and got sloppy. Tetrimus didn't do any of that. It was the single hardest fight in my life… and I'm glad the fucker is dead."

The turian flicked a mandible. "As are we all. One final question… the combination talonshred/death metal band 'Neosabaton's Talon' has inquired about the possibility of you appearing in one of their videos… is that a thing you'd be interested in?"

She laughed hard at that. "Those guys are awesome, have them contact me. Big fan of 'Final Line of Glory' and 'Checking Out.' " She glanced at Miranda, who shook her head. "C-Sec is slow today, and since no one has asked me anything that's pissed me off, let's do some more…"

She paused, blinked, and then pointed. "I've never seen an elcor reporter before."

The elcor was massive, even for his kind, towering over the nearby asari and humans. Wearing a dark bodysuit with some kind of camera rigging in a sling over his side, his voice was the monotone adopted by the translation software elcor used. "Wry amusement: Most sophonts do not listen to elcor news shows much. I am Prethan, of Dekunna Reports." The elcor paused. "Cautiously: You have claimed to transcend death, via technology. What is strange about returning to life?"

Shepard nodded her head slowly, rubbing her chin. "A lot of things, honestly. Cerberus did their best with putting me back… together. When I first woke up, I had no idea that I'd even been injured. And I'd have never guessed I'm more cybernetics than flesh if they hadn't told me. So, part of this, it felt like a dream. I had memories of drinking coffee on my ship then going to my quarters, and then the attack… then waking up in a fancy hospital bed."

She shrugged. "The galaxy moved on. Some of the things that happened shocked me, but I guess the strangest thing is being declared a saint by the Neo-Catholic Church. I don't feel like a saint, and God knows I've made a pile of mistakes in my life."

"Sympathetic concern: And those important in your life?"

Shepard gave a bleak smile. "When I woke up, I thought my wife, my best friend, and a lot of other people were dead, and the people who mattered most… were lost to me. I had nightmares of meeting people I used to know and them calling me a fake. And even after I… found my wife and friends again, it's not easy. I can only do one day at a time."

She gave a self-deprecating smile. "My advice? Don't get killed. Coming back has more downs than ups, honestly." She gestured. "You, asari in the silver dress."

The asari in question gave a small smile, her voice cool. "Tyna Serasni, Clan System News. You have traveled with the Blessed Mother Uressa, who has vouched your identity as true. Can you speak to why she would do this?"

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "Isn't that something you should be asking her, ma'am? Doesn't matter, I guess. Matriarch Uressa strikes me as the kind of person who looks at the way things should be, not what is. It wasn't for any political advantages, or because I was helpful to the Asari Republic, or anything like that. She did it because it was the right thing to do, and because she didn't want Liara and I to be attacked by the media depicting me as some kind of fake."

The asari reporter's expression was as blank as her voice. "Your wife, Liara T'Soni, was by some rumors in a deep bond with you. Broken bonds are often a source of… friction. Has your death made your relationship… difficult?"

Shepard opened her mouth but Liara stepped forward, her voice coolly dismissive. "Cena Serasni, I'm well aware that CSN is little more than the mouthpiece of Clans who seek to blame every ill in recent asari history on the mistakes of my mother. But to discuss bond details in a public media is disgraceful even for your ilk." Her gaze was like iron and the asari reporter wilted under her glare, and Shepard just chuckled.

"To answer your fucked-up question, we're doing just fine… but I need to start wrapping this up, I think, if that's the kind of shit getting asked." She sighed, picking another reporter. "Didn't know the quarians had a news system."

The quarian was a male, wearing a reik of silver and green, with a silvery-white suit and two camera drones. His voice was wry and light. "It's still pretty new. Zitor'Migar vas Yador, Fleet News Service. Why are you on the Citadel, and why did you hide your identity for so long if you have nothing to hide?"

She folded her arms. "Good questions. I'll do the second one first. I hid my identity because the idea of someone coming back from the dead sounds crazy and stupid. I've made a lot of allegations that – at the time I woke up – I had no way to prove. I was working for a group that was once a terrorist organization, with a five-digit body count. I had no expectations that either my government or the Citadel Council would believe anything I said, and given the Broker's role in my death, every reason to assume that acting without evidence would just get me killed, again.

"So, I hid myself behind my Butcher persona, both to give me time to find the evidence I needed and to get back into things. That's why I am here now – I have hard documented proof of the involvement of certain parties and their goals, and that Cerberus is not a bunch of racist terror nutjobs on my watch. I need help from the Council in stopping the Collectors, preferably before they get anyone else killed or blow up any more goddamned stars. Some of the tech they have is related to things the geth use, so you can tell the quarian fleet back home that I'll probably need to put my boot into the geth too."

She gestured at another turian. "Go ahead. You look familiar."

The turian female smiled. "Sakail Rataxal, from Palaven Priority News. I asked you a question about the Batarian Hegemony's fall in the aftermath of you saving Neo Berlin. Surprised you remember me." The reporter gestured at the Cerberus forces. "Why is Cerberus incorporating aliens into its ranks now? From the actions they took on Ilium and your own membership, it's clear the organization has changed, but why? Your influence or something else?"

Shepard folded her arms, glancing at Liara for a second before answering. "There's a couple of answers to that question. The Illusive Man isn't big on media interviews so I'm pretty sure most people have no idea what the guy is like, but he's not actually a racist asshole. Your people's attack on Shanxi ruined his life – killed his best friends, his fiancée, his unborn child, and destroyed his business. Yet for all that, he was willing to work with aliens if he had to."

She sighed. "When I woke up, I wasn't happy about working with Cerberus, but talking with him showed me that he'd had a wake-up call. The problem isn't aliens. From what I've seen of the races of the Citadel the problem isn't the people." She gave a grim little smile. "It's the goddamned leadership. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't still devoted more towards humans than other aliens, but the main difference is that the new Cerberus is focused on keeping the abuse of your average person just trying to live their life to a minimum – regardless of the species."

"It's changed because he regrets letting others talk him into the sort of repugnant shit Cerberus used to get up to. And because, frankly, I'll execute him and anyone with him who pulls that shit on my watch ever again."

The turian flicked a mandible in amusement. "Given that in many cases the 'people' haven't objected to these governments, shouldn't they bear some responsibility as well? I am not trying to be argumentative, but it seems to me that Cerberus going after alien governments is hardly much different than Facinus in some ways."

Shepard gave a rueful smile at that. "Gee, no softball questions today?" There was a small amount of muted laughter, and Shepard shrugged. "Look, I think we all know that I'm a little naïve about politics. And I'm not… blind to the fact that from the little guy's point of view, I am part of the goddamned elite in some ways."

She stared out. "I'm also not gonna stand here and claim that the leaders are responsible for all the problems we face. They didn't setup or start the slavers, or the sex traffickers, or the druggies. They get away with what they do because the average person puts up with it – and because no one is strong enough to hold them to account. That is what the Illusive Man was saying. We're not here to blow things up because we want change, we're here to mitigate the damage."

Standing behind Shepard, Miranda touched her comm-link, then tapped Shepard gently on the shoulder and whispered something. Shepard nodded and turned back to the media. "C-Sec's just about ready, so one more question." She smiled as she saw a familiar person in the crowd. "Emily Wong."

Emily smiled back, lifting her voice. "Alliance News Network. A lot of people have questions about your return, Baroness – and that of your wife, and several others thought dead. Can Cerberus resurrect anyone who is dead?"

Shepard shook her head. "No. As I understand it, there were a host of factors in what Cerberus was able to accomplish in my case that, so far, they haven't been able to replicate. For the most part, the… procedure only works if the body has taken no or only very minor damage to the brain, is either frozen or very fresh, and runs about six billion credits. And I've been told by my doctors there are… complications."

She stepped forward a pace, spreading her arms. "I know it doesn't look like it, but the scans are going to show I'm mostly cybernetics now. You think of high-end cyborgs looking like some shit out of a video game, with bulky limbs and bad proportions, but I'm higher conversion than most turian Final Line soldiers. The difference is in the technology."

She glanced at Miranda. "That being said, no. My wife, as well as Garrus Vakarian and Telanya Vakarian, were never dead. They were all badly injured and in hostile locales, and hid their identity to prevent being killed. Neither I nor the Illusive Man knew who they really were – or I'd have gone straight to Ilium after waking up. Liara is more important to me than anything else, after all."

She focused as hard as she could on that, on how much Liara mattered, and felt a pulse of something back from Liara she couldn't identify. It didn't fix the fact that she fucked up…but she wanted it out there.

Shepard smiled. "I'm sure I'll meet with the media again sometime, but for now, I need to get this show on the road."

O-TWCD-O

"She's become much more polished."

Richard Williams lit his cigar, blowing out smoke a moment later, before responding to Maxwell's statement. The two of them were at Maxwell's residence near Vancouver, built into the sides of Mount Baker. The glittering lights of the city were visible below them in the distance, the wide band of the slums around it a dull gray compared to the gleaming white and blue glory of the proud skyscrapers that clustered around the middle of the city.

Richard paused to gather his thoughts before speaking, glancing at Helga as he did so. "That shouldn't be a surprise, sir. Harper is very polished. He was able to slither his way through every obstacle in his path for years because he's a master at talking people around to his point of view. The fact that Shepard is more polished is almost certainly due to his influence."

Helga watched the trideo broadcast, arching a blond eyebrow as Shepard and her entourage moved away, flanked by the Cerberus soldiers. "I would normally agree, but I just see this as...excessive drama. I mean, seriously? A pack of fucking orphans? Someone literally attacked some orphans, Jesus Christ aid me."

Richard managed to suppress a grin at her outburst as she waved a hand at the trideo screen. "And the rest of this is just goddamned turian levels of melodrama – the fleet jump, the showy soldiers marching out, even the stupid attack. This all reeks of Harper's sense of theater, Richard, and I'd have thought Shepard above that, regardless." She paused to dump ashes from her cigarette. "And 'polished' isn't the word I'd use after a stupidly thoughtless stunt like what she just pulled."

Maxwell's lined features hardened. "Which only shows that the woman is not a mindless drone, but retains her own priorities. Leave aside the recklessness of the act itself, the implication is that Harper is not maintaining tight control over her actions - that is what is important. Harper knows how to use his tools. In a stroke, he has taken one of our biggest propaganda tools and turned her against us. Her known refusal to compromise means that few will believe Cerberus means ill. Her not returning to our service directly implies we are even less trustworthy than a pack of former terrorists."

He coughed. "Regardless of the wisdom of the action, the fact that she just risked her life for some poor orphans will incite nothing but gushing admiration from the credulous fools of the galaxy."

Richard smiled sourly. "Wonderful. And now how do we react? What else is Harper going to pull on us? I seem to recall mentioning more than once that Harper was dangerous, even as you dismissed him as 'jumped-up street trash.' "

Maxwell sighed, as the news coverage showed Shepard meeting the C-Sec party. "The disadvantage of old age and wisdom is inflexibility, young Richard. I have made mistakes over the years. Without Erin..." He trailed off, then coughed again and continued. "There are many threats to the path of humanity, and Harper's flaws were why he was so useful. I did not expect this from him, and he planned it that way."

Helga's features flickered into a single moment of glaring disgust that Max did not see, but Richard noted. She tapped her ashes into the ashtray again, and her voice was cool when she spoke. "Grandfather, James Windsor wasn't able to use Shepard against us, why would Harper be any more successful?"

Max's voice turned wry. "Because James is a fool. He no doubt intended for Shepard to be some kind of foil, without realizing that disillusioning her against the Systems Alliance would leave her paralyzed morally. A disillusioned Sara Shepard is no threat, but one who is feeling that she is righteous and that we are criminals is. Harper has cleverly set himself up as the reasonable option, and that makes her all too capable of doing us immense harm – politically, and via blackmail."

He sighed, tapping something on his life-support console built into his lift chair. "Based on what Doctor Barnes gathered from Anderson before the mindwipe, and the information the Shifter gave to Aloxius in return for sweeping the disgraceful mess of General Kinnix and the Magog Incident under the rug; Kyle discovered elements of EINHERJAR, NOVENSILES, and possibly the real purpose behind CERES as being a line to counter-infiltrate and disrupt the Asari Republic. None of that would have made Shepard inclined to trust us and she has indicated as much in her communications."

He looked at Richard. "But for Harper to move her into the position of the mouthpiece of Cerberus implies that it's not merely her outrage he is acting on. He is shaping her into a leadership figure, one who acts in a state of moral superiority. And that is the danger."

Helga rolled her eyes. "Charging into a zone where someone just fired anti-vehicle rockets to save some poors is leadership and moral responsibility now?"

Maxwell gave a long suffering sigh. "Yes, it is. Think, girl. Shepard just survived everything that Tetrimus - one of, if not the most dangerous assassins and combatants in the galaxy - could throw at her. She possesses the dancing kanquess and could have gotten out of that mess at any time. In a stroke, she shows she's willing to risk her life for the innocent."

The elderly man shrugged. "The common idiots will see this as bravery. Those with a more discerning eye will no doubt see it as reckless foolishness, but one cannot argue that it takes a certain level of resolve and guts to see the act through." He broke into a fit of coughing, then exhaled slowly once it stopped.

Richard puffed on the cigar thoughtfully, then nodded. "Ah. She's making herself out to be willing to take a stand where others won't. And as such, we cannot attack her directly, or even her motives - as we built up her legend for propaganda purposes. And because she has us over the metaphorical barrel with her blackmail, we can't even challenge her statements."

Max nodded, while Helga looked confused. "She no doubt has blackmail on the other Council races as well, given their acquiescence to this… show Cerberus is putting on. Frankly, Harper sacrificing Trellani is so deliciously cold-blooded that I did not anticipate that either, and it further lets me know I have misjudged his… determination."

Helga sighed. "So, how to respond to this mess?"

Max rotated his chair, his expression grave. "First, go ahead and get Dragunov to call off Delacor and his team. Harper is too savvy to have risked Shepard's life in some stunt like the mess with those orphans." He shook his head. "I have no idea who could possibly be stupid enough to attack Uressa T'Shora directly, but they have cut their own throat. Regardless, no fake Shepard would risk the plan Harper has to save orphans. It is her, and while killing her would take Cerberus off the board, the backlash would not be politically survivable.

"Second, we'll need to ensure she remains focused on the Reaper threat. Have your Hades teams set up a remote area – Alte is still too close to civilized space for my taste. Once set up, pull back our research elements there – and make very sure there are no loose ends. At some point, Harper is going to try to turn her completely against us, and we can't have evidence, or loose ends, for him to use. It might even be prudent to leave behind some actually useful research that is not going to offend her precious sensibilities – if she thinks Hades is no threat, then we have little to worry about in the short-term."

Richard narrowed his eyes. "Alte was known to him, although not as a research base. I was careful to establish it mostly as a storage site for raw materials for the operations on Thesna III, and as far as I know, he never paid any attention to it. The planet is well-known as a research center for some bigger corporations and that should give it some cover."

Helga gave him an arch glance. "I dislike relying on Harper being forgetful or sloppy when it comes to our primary research center, Richard."

Richard nodded. "Yes, I know. I've given a lot of consideration to what Harper might try – I've been using quite a few of the old Cerberus fallbacks as honeypots. So far, he hasn't taken a nibble on any of them, but I strongly doubt that will continue for long. I've already given a good deal of thought to alternatives to Alte. If we're careful, Holden's site on Watson would do in a pinch."

Max gave a tired sigh. "Harper forgets nothing, and the fact that he did not check your honeypot locales strike me as something of a red flag. And Holden is already a liability." A glance at Helga. "I trust I need not iterate why."

Helga smiled, her voice edged with amusement. "Yes, yes, Grandfather. All water under the bridge now. As for Harper, I'm less worried about past knowledge given he has that Inusannon device working for him. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that he already knows what is on Alte…"

Maxwell scowled, but nodded. "Yes. For now, Richard, focus on moving the facilities. Leave the good Doctor Archer and his… geth project where it is – moving that would require too much heavy equipment. But let us move the rest of the projects. As for the rest of the Hades Network, I think it best to redirect most of our efforts to ensuring we don't hand him any other compromising data. Have your man Maliki coordinate with Knight-Captain Evoris about the financial aspects and move everything from Alte to either Research Station Sixteen or Sheol by next week at the latest."

Richard nodded. "You expect Harper to move, then?"

Manswell shrugged weakly, adjusting the blanket over his legs absently with one hand. "I think that once Shepard deals with the Shadow Broker, it will be some time before we see what Harper's real plans are. No doubt Harper already plans to use the various fault-lines in the relationships between various High Lord families to sow discontent, but with Shepard, he must have further plans." He paused, then shook his head. "The fact remains that it is her – and that once the C-Sec people and Chisholm's team verifies her identity, she'll have a much freer hand to interfere with our operations. If we are already… prepared for such, we risk much less in the long-run."

Helga nodded along with Richard, scrubbing out her cigarette. "Very true, grandfather. Although, I would point out that we have no real control over the larger Hades Network outside of the cell leaders answering to Richard… and that with you pinned here and Aloxius busy with the AIS, no one in the family is in a position to liaison with them to direct them more… effectively. Richard will be tied up with the election for the next two or three months, and even then, he won't be able to move freely once he is President."

He turned his head to Helga. "Which brings me to why I called you here, granddaughter. The situation since the end of the Benezia Incident has been… sub-optimal. Bryan is still too immature and frankly too young and weak to serve. Alfred is damaged and unfit. Aldrien, well." Maxwell's expression shifted into a look of disgust, then he simply shook his head. "A waste of time. Emilia we need not even bother discussing, and Aloxius... the clone has been capable, but his blunders with Chu and his idiotic mishandling of both Vandefar and Maxima make him… unsuited to longer range plans."

Richard snorted. "Aside from the fact he's got a shelf-date, I agree. The original ... might not have been much better, honestly. He was running his own schemes."

Maxwell's voice took on a thin layer of venom. "And when has that stopped any member of this family from poor planning?" He paused. "I have made my choices. For now, Helga, presume you will be stepping into my place once I die, and make your preparations accordingly. We will discuss the exact nature of me stepping down and naming you as the High Lord of House Manswell once the situation with the Eldfells and marrying off Reggie's youngest son to Sharnia is completed."

He smiled at the shock splayed across her features before she mastered herself, her voice softer than usual. "You have never…"

Max shrugged weakly. "Richard is correct. I mishandled several issues myself. Harper's masterstroke here has left us both vulnerable and unable to respond. Arrogance on my part has ensured that I am left with little choice… and my own predictability means that to break from this cycle, I must do the unexpected and unthinkable. I have never been remiss in feeling the leadership role must go to men, but – despite what you think – it is not because I think you are weaker or incapable, or that women are in general."

His voice lowered. "Women and men are not seen in the same light. A man who is cold-blooded and focused is admirable – in a woman, they are considered a bitch. A man who is a hellion and rakehell with women is seen as a charming playboy, but in a woman, she is seen as a whore. A man can be kind and gentle and admired, but when a woman does so it is seen as weakness."

He cleared his throat, coughing and then continuing. "I have never stated this to you directly because resentment and hate are oftentimes better tools at shaping a person than kind support. Everything you have achieved is on your own merits… and I will not say you have not impressed me, Helga. You have never bent to my will, and the entire mess with you and Emilia was souring. I know you feel unappreciated. I know you have felt slighted. But we could not afford the perceptions of others crippling us. Now, we have no choice."

His gaze met hers. "I am not going to pretend that I agree you are the best of heirs, Helga. Liam, despite his cadet branch status, is a better fit in many ways, as are his sons. But they are a better fit due to prejudice, and social custom, and the inertia of tradition, not due to their skills, intellect, or ability. And since that is the expected move for me to make, I will not make it. Foes – both in and out of the Lords of Sol – have known Aloxius, Liam, and any other candidate for decades and know their measure, how they will react and what they are blind towards."

His voice grew fainter. "You, on the other hand, are not a known value to Harper or his Minsta allies. Your bitterness at being sidelined and your lack of participation in most of what we have been planning will be seen as a good thing to people like Shepard. When the time comes for us to deal with her directly, you'll take the lead on that. And you are one of the few people who can honestly say you never agreed with projects such as NOVENSILES – and that… integrity will be useful in convincing Shepard to part ways with Harper when the time comes."

Her expression was blank, but Richard could tell she was still stunned. He glanced back at the trideo screen, and arched an eyebrow. "They're beginning. Let's see what we're working with here, in terms of what Shepard has become."

O-TWCD-O

The C-Sec security team at the scanning archway was a mix of salarians, quarians, asari and, oddly enough, a single hanar. Shepard was surprised at the last, but said nothing as her party stepped forward.

A salarian in a C-Sec uniform stepped forward. "Cena Shepard, I am Takar Pawan, C-Sec Cybernetics licensing. With me are Uas'Kani vas Shimsa, chief medical officer of the Migrant Fleet; Doctor Shena Valuro, senior medical consultant at the Vena Medical Center; and Matriarch Anola Vallia, a specialist in… certain technologies. The hanar is Delanynder, a hanar… engineer, so to speak."

Shepard nodded to each one, and Takar spoke again. "The security process is simple. This is our highest-focus scanning array – there are over seventy subsystems built into it. Several Techmarines from the quarian Science Fleet are also operating a wideband energy wave scanner to ensure the results are not being skewed."

He folded his arms behind his back. "There is also a scan for indoctrination, as well as for biomorphic or nanological agents. All you need to do is stand in the middle of the arch inside the orange circle on the decking there."

Shepard nodded a second time. "How long will it take?"

Takar gave a thin smile. "Roughly thirty seconds or so. We'd also like to scan Doctor T'Soni, Garrus Vakarian, Telanya Vakarian, and Aethyta Vasir."

Shepard glanced back toward the elder matriarch, then shrugged. "Whatever. Let's get on with this, shall we?"

The asari matriarch who Takar had called Anola Vallia stepped forward. "Indeed. First, can you please confirm that the Inusannon device known as 'Vigil' is not present?"

Shepard folded her arms. "I can tell you I told him this needed to be legit and that he remained with the rest of our fleet, as far as I know. I can also tell you that if he wanted to be here, I'm not sure your fancy-ass sensors would really find him, but he confirmed he couldn't do anything without it showing up."

The asari's aged features didn't shift but she answered in a calm voice. "Excellent. Cera Kial, go ahead and bring the array to full power. Cena Shepard, if you would?" She gestured, and Shepard stepped into the archway, stopping at the marked spot, then folded her arms.

The group of techs manning the scanning console to one side of the arch started murmuring to themselves as silvery beams traced over Shepard's body. A modulated voice, probably from a VI, spoke in even tones.

"Initiating XNA scan. Species: human. DNA stability: fair. Modularity: within tolerance. Mapping complete. Warning: Error. DNA map indicates genetic match to existing record, Sara Ying Shepard, deceased."

Shepard snorted, and the leftmost tech glanced up at Matriarch Anola. "Magistra, the sensors indicate there is a good amount of cloned tissue, but that many of the skin markers, organs, and the brain and nervous cord is unmodulated DNA from Sara Shepard."

The matriarch glanced at the other asari, who was wearing a doctor's coat over a thin black bodysuit. "Doctor Valuro, Doctor Uas'Kani, your thoughts?"

The quarian spoke first, his voice soft as he looked at the haptic displays. "I do not see any major DNA modulations, certainly not anything related to cloning, in the majority of the tissues. The skin is… well, in most places it's some kind of replacement, with a thin layer of clonal epidermal cells embedded in it. But there's no way this is a clone, overall."

The asari's voice was louder, with a Serrician accent. "There's some bone here and there that seems to be original. Based on the medical records sent to us by the Systems Alliance, the fracture patterns in the pelvis are an exact match for the ones recorded in Shepard's records. Even if this was an FTL-accelerated slow-growth clone done in full gravity, there's not any way to mimic the exact fracture pattern without… artifacts showing up in the scan. We see none."

The matriarch's expression turned wry. "Very good. Kial, level two, please."

Shepard raised her eyebrows as the scanning beam turned red. The VI spoke again in the same flat tone. "Extensive cybernetic correction and replacement detected. The majority of the body is framed in cybernetic, high-cycle myomer musculature with blueware conduits."

The expressions on the faces of the doctors and techs looking at the screens shifted from interest to concern to alarm, and Shepard traded a look with Liara. "All good?"

Matriarch Anola met her gaze. "Doctors?"

The asari doctor shuddered and made a sign of siari negation. "Magistra… I'm not even sure where to begin. The myomer musculature alone has more power than anything I've seen, yet is the size of normal human muscles. The bones are some kind of carbon fiber rods. There's machinery in them, eezo and blueware and devices we have no idea on."

The quarian's voice sounded as if he was entranced. "By the ancestors, even her blood is augmented. So is every single organ, and most of them are fitted with mesh armor. There's… some technology here we can't identify. Some of this is probably echo-grade, but I can't even figure out what some of it does or what it is."

Anola turned to Shepard. "I see. Any methods of control, signs of indoctrination, or mental tampering?"

The quarian shook his head. "A pair of grayboxes, but they're isolated – no output ports or input slotting at all. No indoctrination lesions. No signs of sequestration nanonics or the like… and no real bionetics to speak of at all."

Another quarian tech spoke a second later. "No signal traces, Magistra. Lots of devices – a pulse stabilizer, some kind of omni-tech microfab, implanted weapons, air tanks… and a lot of subdermal armor plating. No comms implantation that we can see."

The matriarch turned to the hanar who had been watching the entire process. "And your own scans, Delanynder?"

The hanar glowed faintly as he spoke, his translated voice melodious and calm. "This one has examined the technology of the warrior extensively, both with this one's own instruments and the ones so graciously provided by your associates. The majority of the unfamiliar technology appears to be various upgrades connecting the nervous system to hard-wired reaction motivators, like a reflex trigger. The nanotechnology this one has detected is beyond our understanding as well."

Delan pulsed again, his voice rising in tone. "However, this one is satisfied that the warrior is that which she claims to be and is no danger to the gentle sapients of the Citadel, Magistra."

Anola nodded, and then glanced at Takar, who nodded back. "Fair enough, Delan, and thank you. Let's go ahead and proceed with Level three, please, then dump the results to OSD."

Shepard waited patiently for the scan to finish, and tilted her head once it shut down. "Is that it?"

Anola smiled. "If you could give us a moment, we need to review all of these results and consult with the Council. After that, we'll do quick scans of the rest of your team and you can be on your way."

Shepard nodded. "We'll just wait over here, then."

The matriarch gave a nod, and with a glance to the two doctors, walked some distance away from the arch, entering into an oversized C-Sec air-truck. The truck's interior was lined with various sensor readouts, manned by quarians and salarians, and a large haptic viewscreen was mounted at the front wall of the truck's cargo compartment.

Visible on the screen was the Citadel Council on a split-screen view. Tevos was in the center, sitting in some kind of room with Valern. The left side of the screen was taken up by Thin'Koris and Udina, also sitting together in what looked like a conference room, and the right side of the screen by and Sparatus, sitting alone with a collection of datapads visible on a table in front of him.

Councilor Tevos' voice was soft. "We have seen the initial results, Magistra Anola. Your thoughts?"

The matriarch gave a bow. "Honored Councilors, as far as we can tell, this is indeed Sara Ying Shepard. My concern is not with her identity – that much is easy to verify. Nor did we find any signs of mind-control, remote operation, indoctrination, or the like."

Udina's voice was wary. "I sense a 'but' coming, Matriarch."

Anola gave a thin smile. "There's technology that seems… similar to some of the elements we found in Saren's autopsy. Not the nanothreading, but the size and power of the myomer and the skeleton might as well be magic. It's possible this is Inusannon technology, but there's so much of it we can't even be sure what she is and isn't capable of. Even Delan did not recognize much of it."

Tevos looked thoughtful and traded glances with Valern, while Thin'Koris spoke. "You are concerned about the anomalous nature of the technology? We do know Vigil is involved with Cerberus."

"While advanced, 'anomalous' is not necessarily the correct word, Councilor." Anola spread her hands. "I am aware as well, Councilor. My concern is that at least six percent of her body weight is active nanotech far beyond anything we can understand, much less replicate. There are at least nineteen devices of completely unknown provenance in her body and somehow, she has six times as many eezo nodes as a normal human. We have no good baselines on what she can do or if there's some sort of alien tech that could allow Cerberus to control her."

The Councilors were silent for several seconds, Udina shifting in his seat and scowling, then Sparatus spoke. "Based on what we saw, she took some damage down there. How did that show up?"

Anola shrugged. "There were high-cycle ceramic heat-sinks in her back. Most of those look damaged or shattered. That should, in theory, inhibit her strength – myomer runs very hot and requires active venting – and her biotics. But I cannot be sure. The organs are not slotted into an armored tank as in most full-conversion borgs, but they are all heavily armored and there is subdermal armor placed to stop damage to them."

She paused. "The concerning thing is that if we built a cyborg with her power, it would stand over two and a half meters high, weigh a ton, and be covered in external cybernetics, basically something along the lines of Inadorian. If I had not scanned her, I would not think she had any form of cybernetics at all. The advanced nature of this technology is equivalent to the Zha'til or Pentefar – centuries beyond our own…"

Tevos smiled. "While we appreciate the nature of your comments, we cannot simply have her remanded to the Celestial Council for containment, Magistra. We'll forward the scan results to several private research labs and to both the Black Lodge and Omega Response, but we are unfortunately tide-bound by the politics and optics of the situation."

The asari gave a sign of siari disagreement, but bowed. "Your will, Councilors. I do strongly recommend, however, that she be kept under both heavy observation and that C-Sec HazResponse prepare anti-nanonic countermeasure and sterilization procedures. There is a possibility that her augments are black nanotech, and I do not trust Cerberus."

Tevos glanced at Valern again, then nodded. "We will have them do so. For now, go ahead and publicly announce she has passed the test. Check the others – if they're clean of such technology, we can proceed as planned. If not, we'll need a follow-up." Tevos paused. "Please convey our appreciation to your team, Magistra, as well as to Cera Delanynder and the C-Sec advisory team."

The asari bowed again. "Of course, Counselor. Your will." She cut the signal and glanced at the techs in the airtruck. "Any additional results from the Griannon scanning array?"

The closest salarian scowled. "No, Magistra. The energy-ray bombardment results match with known Inusannon structures, but there's also some slight overlap with Prothean signatures from site Ythais-A434, as well as what looks like some kind of move-by-wire system linked directly to her blueware and her optics. That's probably what Delan's gear picked up on. It's significantly more advanced than anything we've seen before and there are several elements to make sure it's not remotely accessible."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Continue the scan until she's out of range, then send everything to Lars and the Focus Team, and copy Caeltiria Surion as well. Just in case."

She exited the vehicle, walking over to Takar and his team, then motioned Shepard over. "We've completed our work, Cena Shepard."

Shepard nodded. "And the verdict?"

Takar nodded slowly, looking at something on his omni-tool before shutting it off and bowing slightly. "Based on the DNA and medical scan, there is no possibility of you being a clone of any kind. We didn't identify any kill-switches, control implants, or other methods of coercion and there is no sign of indoctrination or other… sources of compromised behavior."

Shepard gave a slanted smile. "Good. I didn't think there were any, but now we all know." The smile faded. "Now what?"

The matriarch made a sign of siari approval, her voice warmer than before. "Once your compatriots – thought dead – have been scanned and confirmed, you are free to meet with the representatives of the Systems Alliance. Your guard group can accompany you, as we will be using a ground transport vehicle and several C-Sec aircars for the trip."

Shepard smirked. "Alright, people. Li, you're up, then Garrus, Tel, and Aethyta. Once that's done, have the escort team follow me. The honor guard can return to the Ironic Gesture."

She glanced at the C-Sec officer. "Don't need the entire brass band to accompany me."

Tela frowned at that. "Commander Pawar, could we have a moment?" The C-Sec officer nodded, and the Spectre drew Shepard to one side, speaking in a very low voice. "Look, I know you don't want a lot of pomp going on, but the Citadel can be dangerous. Why get rid of the extra guards?"

Shepard met her gaze. "Because whoever planned that shit with the kids isn't going to come at me clean, Tela. And because marching around with twenty or so armed soldiers is going to look as if I distrust C-Sec."

Tela snorted. "You don't?"

Shepard shrugged. "I think that if something else happens, it won't be where the honor guard will do us any damned good. I've got you and Grunt and Aethyta, not to mention Garrus, Liara, Tel, and the rest. That will have to do."

Tela shrugged. "Your call, bondsister. Just keep in mind Liara is already on edge."

Shepard blew out a breath. "Yeah, I fucked that up real good. I don't know how to fix that. I know I need to fix it."

Tela clapped her on the shoulder. "I handled it. Just make sure you listen to her. I get why you did it, and that's half of why I charged down there with you. The other half is to make sure you don't get killed. But Liara has a point too – you can't afford to do shit like that, even if you are badass enough to just rip shuttle doors off."

Shepard gave a small, uncertain smile and then nodded. "I'll.. try not to make things any worse than they are." She took a deep breath. "Okay let's get moving, then. Up next, the High Lords and Council." She looked at the aircars in the distance and sighed. "This is not going to be a fun conversation, I expect."

Tela snorted again. "Can't speak for your lords, but as for the Council.. it's the Council. You know how that goes."

O-TWCD-O

Tevos shut off the feed, then smiled thinly at Valern. "Your thoughts, Edat?"

The two of them sat in the Asari Councilor's salon, having just watched Shepard pass the Docks Scanning Arch, and the salarian sipped on his flatwine as he gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"My thoughts? They are rather simple at the moment – that was the most reckless and ignorant thing I've seen in some time. Thanix engaging in such hardly surprises me, he's a glory hound and sees himself as unkillable. Uressa…"

He sipped on the beverage again. "Your government and the Thirty are going to have some interesting questions to answer. Of course, this is not the first time. Or the second, even. I'm concerned about the political ramifications of her backing Shepard so openly. And as for Shepard…"

Tevos's smile widened. "It is her."

The salarian inhaled sharply, his voice wry. "Of that, I have no doubt. I'm not entirely sure Cerberus didn't bring her back brain damaged, but it is her. My concern here is twofold. If she's naïve enough and credulous enough to pull a stunt like that and doesn't see through Harper's manipulations, she's going to be a problem."

Tevos nodded thoughtfully. "She has the irritating quality of castigating the failures of others without much critical examination. Bombarding inhabited planets, murdering Citadel citizens, blatant disruptions of comms traffic…"

Valern gave a thin smile. "Murdering your own allies, doing business with Aria, or selling out the Black Rim Sexuality movement for influence with the races of the galaxy, then preaching about corrupt governments?"

She made a sign of siari unity. "Her viewpoint has not really changed, then, you think? In essence, that whatever she does is the right thing to do, regardless of the consequences?"

Valern finished the greenish wine. "Redundancy is the indicator of both muddied thinking and blind self-delusion, I've found." He set the glass aside. "Shepard disliked it when we didn't agree to her going after Benezia on Ilos, and I doubt very much she has forgotten we were wrong on that – even if we were right on literally everything else."

He placed his fingertips together. "And I suspect, if we call her out on that, we might mitigate whatever she expects to ask from us."

Tevos smiled wider, and sipped at her own wine. "Just so. Sparatus will be a problem, however."

The salarian gave a laugh as he reached for the bottle of wine to refill his glass. "As usual."