Jo had no idea how enthusiastic the Academy would become to be a part of the Epic Vid. As soon as she'd given Garrus and Vega authority to train the actors in the ways of the military, the station became a buzzing bee nest. Half of the recruits wanted to become actors, and the other half claimed to be the best experts to train the actors from Multistars. Gilla O'Ran, the asari who led the Infiltration branch, pestered Jo until she was also allowed to take part in the project. Tali contacted the studio and demanded all their blueprints for the Normandy replicas. Joker grudgingly agreed that the actors who'd play the pilots wouldn't actually need to fly anything, just sit in pilots' chairs in the studio and pretend. Jack, even though she calmly sat on the sidelines and didn't ask to be a part of the circus, said that if the studio wanted to create biotic fights via cheap special effects, there would be dead bodies to scratch off the studio's walls.

Jo only shook her head and let them sort it out among themselves. It was amazing how easily the galactic population could be distracted by the power of entertainment. The overwhelming rush of incoming messages in her accounts dwindled significantly, as well as the influx of donations to the Aurora foundation. Gianna wanted to talk strategy to fix the latter, but Jo told her to relax. Right now they needed time to put the money they already had to good use, they needed to build orphanages, recruit transport ships, move goods and people to where they were needed. She was sure that once the finished vids hit the cinemas, people would be thoroughly reminded that their help was still needed.

While Project Boot Camp got underway and the galaxy forgot their troubles and sat down to watch the reality show, Jo turned her eye to other, more important matters. One of those was being flown to the station on this very morning, and his dossier lay in front of Jo.

Colin Curtis, age: seven. He was born on one of the colonies and lost his parents during the war, staying with his grandmother from then on. After the war the grandmother moved them both to Chrysalis for a better chance of survival. She found work in a shuttle repair shop and a room in a residential establishment where the inhabitants of one level shared a communal kitchen. Seven weeks ago she'd had a heart attack during her work shift, was delivered to a hospital but didn't survive. Her coworkers sent a notification to her place of residence, but didn't feel any need to get mixed up in the elderly woman's family situation. Colin stayed in the rented room with no adult supervision.

That was where Jo's interest got piqued. The seven year old boy didn't cry for help. He didn't want to be picked up and made to stay with strangers. He decided to continue living as he used to for as long as it would be possible. He went to school as usual and did his homework. With access to his grandmother's bank account he managed to pay the rent, buy food for himself and create an illusion of normal life for all his neighbours. When asked about his grandma, he would say that she was either working or tired and asleep. What impressed Jo most was that a boy so young of age could keep up the illusion without anyone getting the wiser. His ruse was uncovered by accident when the bank got the death notification and became concerned by continued payments made from the dead lady's account. When Colin hadn't answered their calls, they contacted one of the neighbours. The case became official and Colin was picked up by a Social Service team. Dex, who entertained himself by watching humans, just like EDI, picked up on the messages flying back and forth in the previously mentioned residential establishment, buzzing with gossip about their own little sensation. Colin had spent last night in a group home of some sort and this morning Jo requested that he was brought to her.

Her door chimed at one of the security guys stepped in, followed by a small person. Jo let the guard go with a nod and got up from behind her desk to greet the young man. She watched him closely while she approached him.

The boy looked quite ordinary for his age. He was well-fed and wore decent, clean clothes, his backpack was almost new and stuffed full, his hair straight, light brown and only a little bit too long. He was clean and had not a scratch in any visible places. In this undoubtedly stressful situation he managed to do what Jo didn't think many children could do: he remained completely calm and showed no fear. He had a lot to be afraid of: his entire future was uncertain and at Jo's request nobody told him why he was here. She wanted to see if he could become the one child that she so desperately needed.

Even though he must have been freaking out on the inside, Colin looked at Jo with wisdom beyond his age. Honestly, Jo had no idea where it came from, because nothing in his dossier hinted at any unusual circumstances before the grandmother's death. He was supposed to be a regular child, always taken care of by caring members of blood-related family.

"Hello, Colin, I'm Johanna," she said and offered him her hand for a shake. He politely returned the gesture, but said nothing. "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable. Would you like to sit at the desk or on the couch?"

Colin shrugged and chose the chair in front of her desk. Jo had an idea why. On her desk stood the infamous basket and Josi slept inside. The boy became curious.

"This is my daughter, Josephina. We call her Josi. And you can call me Jo, that's what all my friends do," Jo said, taking her usual seat at the desk. She'd deactivated the basket's "shark teeth" earlier, in case Colin wanted to touch the baby. She was right: the boy's gaze was instantly glued to the rosy sleeping form. He slowly reached out to touch her tiny feet clad in white socks with white lace and two pink pompoms on each - the cutest thing Joker had ever bought, for sure.

"You're a mama," Colin finally spoke. He looked up at her and his expression changed a little bit. He relaxed now, having placed her in a "mom" category in his mind. An adult who had her own baby daughter right there with her couldn't be as dangerous as other adults he'd met since yesterday.

"Yes," Jo let all her love for her child seep into her voice. "Everyone says she looks like me, but she has her daddy's eyes."

"She's so tiny and soft," Colin marveled, touching one cute foot with both hands now. The soft squishiness under the sock fascinated him. Josi slept on. "White and pretty."

"Thank you, Colin, I think so, too," Jo smiled. She turned to a tray on the other side of her desk and poured two cups of tea. "I'm having some tea with Sottis. Sorry, that's all I have here. Join me, if you like," she pushed one of the teacups and a plate with candy by a popular local brand toward the boy, took one of the sweets for herself and washed it down with some tea from her own cup. Colin watched her closely and decided it was probably safe to accept sweets from a lady who was a mama.

After several sweets were consumed, Jo spoke up again:

"Colin, I've heard what happened to you. I'm very sorry you lost your parents and your grandmother. I truly wish that you hadn't. I know what it's like to have no family and to be alone in the world."

"Everyone lost someone," Colin said, that wisdom shining through again.

"You have been alone since your grandmother passed away. Yesterday you were taken by the officials, placed with people you don't know and nobody talked to you about what's going to happen. This morning you were put in a shuttle and brought off-planet to a space station to see a woman you don't know…"

"I know you. You're the Shepard," Colin interrupted her with authority. "Mum and dad and grandma always watched vids about you. I saw your face on pictures and when you were talking to some people. You always wear armour. You killed the Reapers and saved us."

"Hm. I guess I'm not just some stranger to you, after all. I'm glad to hear it. Still, right now nobody knows what's going to happen to you. Adults from the Services will decide it, most likely without asking you what you want. When I was in your place, I was terrified and angry, and I wanted to bite anyone who came near me. But not you. You are calm and strong. You don't show any fear or uncertainty. Why is that, Colin?"

"I can take care of myself," Colin said, and that phrase explained a lot. He truly could. Not only had he spent seven weeks on his own, remaining clean, well-fed and well-clothed, but he was also sure that he could continue to do so even if he were to be placed in a group home with strangers for a long time. He had the soul of a survivor and even at this age was confident in his abilities. Someone had not only taught the boy the basics of life, but also responsibility and discipline. At some point his family probably also explained to him how to get information he didn't have yet: the extranet. He could read and write well, knew numbers and definitely some math. Most importantly, though, he knew how to appear confident enough for any adult in his way to think everything was in order.

"Yes, you can. I understand now why you appear so calm. But I would also like to ask you: how? How are you doing it? Don't you feel any fear? Please, Colin, this is very important. Answer me honestly, because your future depends on the explanation. How do you manage to be so calm and cool right now?"

Colin lowered his gaze to his cup and spoke into his tea instead of Jo:

"I… I pretend. Mum and dad said lying is bad, but grandma said that sometimes…"

"Sometimes lying is necessary and useful."

"Yeah," he nodded and gave her a quick look. It was clear that he wasn't sorry about his ability to deceive others well, but he knew that many people wouldn't want him to use it, because it was 'bad'. He wanted to know if Jo was one of them.

"Interesting," Jo said, sipping her tea. "It's rare for someone so young to be so good at pretending. You kept it up for almost two months and nobody suspected a thing. Now, Colin, many adults out there will tell you that lying is bad and that you should always tell the truth. But I'm not one of them. You know, when I became a Marine, I actually went to a special school and learned how to lie well."

"Really?" His eyes widened. "There's a school for that?"

"Yes. It's a school where they make you a spy. Do you know what a spy is?"

"Agent Lia is a spy. And Ptero, and Sun-Sun, and Kid Shark, but he's not a real spy, he's only a spy on computer." The boy rattled off the names of his favourite cartoon characters. Even Jo had heard of most of them.

"Yes, Kid Shark is a hacker, that's what they call a spy with a computer. So, you see, in some jobs lying and pretending is very important. It's needed. And here comes the reason why I wanted to meet you, Colin. I need a kid who can lie and pretend well. I need someone who can work for me as a spy."

"Really?!" The boy sat up straight and nearly toppled his teacup. "A spy?"

"Yes. Would you like to learn more about the job?"

"A job, like an adult thing, like daddy had and grandma had? With… money?"

"Yes, that's a very important point. If you accept the job, I will pay you real money, and the bank will never again ask you any questions. The actual number probably won't tell you much, but I promise: it's a lot of money. By the time you grow up, you'll be rich. Now, would you like to know more?"

"Yes," the boy didn't even try to play cool anymore. He was excited.

"See, Colin, when I was a very small girl, my parents died and I was placed in an orphanage. I've lived there for several years and I knew that it was a bad place because the adults were hurting children in there. You see, other kids would pinch me, push me, beat me bloody and break some of my bones. A broken bone hurts, Colin. It hurts so much that you think you couldn't stand another second of it, and crying doesn't help. You can't even really cry, or breathe, because it hurts so much. And the adults simply stood there and watched it happen to me. They are not supposed to do that, ever. Adults are supposed to protect children. They should never stand there and enjoy when a child is being hurt. That is wrong. That is the worst thing an adult can ever do."

Colin was shocked by her story.

"Why… why would they do that?"

"Some adults are mean people. Please, trust me: right now you're just a bit too young to really understand how and why some adults become mean. When you get older, we can talk more about it, I promise. Just believe me: some adults like hurting other people, even children. One of the adults at my orphanage attacked a girl, he hurt her so bad that she had to be taken away. We never heard from her again. But the worst thing is that nobody outside of the orphanage knew how mean our caretakers were. See, hurting a child is a big crime. And if you commit a crime, then what?"

"You get punished."

"Exactly. Our caretakers needed to be punished, but the adults on the outside didn't know about the crime, so our caretakers got away with it. You know what police and C-Sec are, right? Well, those people are here to catch and punish criminals. But they simply didn't know that there was a crime. We, kids, we thought we could deal with it by ourselves. But how can a child punish an adult? Sure, we could put spiders in their food or make them slip on the stairs, but that's not enough. Adults need an adult punishment. They should never be able to hurt another child again. They need to go to prison. But to send them to prison C-Sec needs to find out about the crime, first. So, the kids need to speak up. That is not the same as tattling, that's a serious matter that needs to be reported. Children need to know that adults who are mean to them are criminals and have to be locked away. But kids don't speak up often enough. I know I never did – because I didn't know that I could. I didn't know how to get help. I thought I was all alone and nobody would ever protect me."

She paused, giving the boy a chance to swallow the information, which she made sure to put in simple terms for him.

"During the war many kids have lost their parents, just the way you did. Many children are left alone and can't find food or a place to sleep. That is why I'm trying to help them. Have you heard about the Aurora Foundation?"

Colin shook his head.

"The Aurora Foundation is a group of people – and I'm their boss. We build orphanages, we find good caretakers, we find and rescue kids who have no parents, we give them a place to live, food, toys, we send them to school. We are trying to help every child who can't find a family to live with. But I know what it's like to live in a bad orphanage with bad caretakers and I want every child to live in a good place, surrounded by good people. Of course, bad people never admit that they're bad. I need someone on the inside, a child living in the orphanages, who can speak up if there is anything bad going on. I need a spy, someone other kids would trust, a kid who would pretend to be just another orphan, but in reality watch, observe and make sure the other kids are treated well. I'm offering you the job, because you're so good at pretending."

Jo paused again to give the kid some time.

"There is one more reason why I'm asking you. It makes me sad, but you are now one of those kids who needs help from my foundation. You have no more family, and your grandma's money is about to run out. You will be sent to an orphanage anyway. Now, if you don't want to work for me, maybe my friends at the Aurora Foundation could help you find a family you can live with. You can try that. If I'm honest, it's a much nicer option, if we do manage to find someone for you. That is not a guarantee, though. Not every kid can find a new family, because so many people have died in the war. So I thought: if you have to live in an orphanage anyway, why not do something good while you're there, and earn some money doing it?"

There was now shrewd speculation on the boy's face. Even seven year old kids know to look for their own benefit when an adult offers them something. Colin was as cunning or as innocent as any other kid.

"Let's assume you take my job offer and become a spy. I won't lie to you: the most unpleasant thing is that there are many orphanages and you would have to move from one to another every three or four months. I know it seems long to you now, but you'll hardly be able to make long time friends that way. I want you to meet other kids, find out if they're happy and well taken care of. I want you to learn from the kids if their caretakers are good people or mean people. You will always have to keep your job a secret from other adults. That's the spy part. Even the other kids shouldn't know about your job, because some kids are mean, too, and could tell on you. You just have to live in an orphanage for a while and see if it's a good place, or a bad place. Trust me, you'd find that out quite soon. Then you call me in secret, like a real spy, and you tell me what you found out. Then I'll send you to the next orphanage, and then to the next. You'll have to work hard to keep up with school, and you'll have to be a very good liar. I already know you are. You're also very strong and brave. I need someone like you, someone who won't be scared by other adults and will tell me and the police about any crimes. Someone who can take care of himself. That is a very rare combination in any person, let alone a kid. But you have all those things. You are perfect for this job."

Jo took another small break to drink some tea and urged Colin to do the same.

"It wouldn't have to be forever," she then said. "If you don't like it anymore, or if you make some friends that you wouldn't want to leave, or if it simply becomes too hard – you can always stop. You just call me and tell me you want to stop, and it's done. I'll give you an omnitool that will connect you to me directly. You'll be able to call me any time and for any reason. To report about your job, or to ask for help with your homework, or what food quarians can eat, or how to make krogans respect you, or how to talk to someone you really like, or even if you miss your parents and you're sad and simply want to cry – you can always call me. I'll be there for you, no matter what. I'll always come and get you if you need me. Even if you simply need a hug. I'll always know the whole truth about you and your job, so you wouldn't have to pretend with me. Maybe I could be your fairy godmother? You can always be sure: you're never truly alone, never lost, never abandoned. I'll always protect you and keep you safe. And by the way, the money you'll be earning, you could spend it even now, you wouldn't have to wait until you're an adult."

After finishing her pitch she gave him time to think.

"You don't have to decide right now. Think about it as long as you want. You'll have to stay in the group home in the meantime, but nobody will bother you. And when you decide what you want to do, you call me and you tell me." She produced a child-sized omnitool and helped him put it on his wrist. "Do you know how to use it? My contact is already saved inside."

Colin nodded.

"Would you like to go back to the planet now?"

Colin quietly nodded again. Jo pulled a bright yellow box with Sotti sweets from the drawer and offered him:

"Here, this is for you. Enjoy them, and I hope to hear from you soon. Come on, I'll take you to the shuttle."

The boy accepted the sweets, followed her to the hangar and easily stepped into the shuttle. When Jo tapped at his wrist and reminded him that he could call her anytime he wanted to, he nodded with that strange depth of wisdom in his eyes.

After she saw the shuttle leave the energy barrier, Jo quickly walked to the nearest wall and kicked it. Kicked it again. Then punched it. A tight knot in her throat left her gasping for air and her eyes burned, her vision blurred. She punched the wall a few more times, leaving sizable dents and some of her own blood, and still the physical pain couldn't distract her from the agony she felt in her heart. What are you doing? Using a child like this? Condemning a wonderful, beautiful boy to loveless, friendless existence with a heap of adult responsibilities? What kind of a person does that?

What kind of a mother?

The mother in her – the very same part of her that made Colin trust her in the first place – screamed at her to call that shuttle back, to grab the kid, hug him and promise to find him a family. She could pull a few strings and find him a place. But there was a bigger part of her saying that this would be preferential treatment. Sure, one child would be better off, but what about thousands of other children who were not so lucky as to meet her personally and to get a favour from Commander Moreau? What about all the kids on other planets who will have to remain in orphanages? She had vowed to take care of them all and even though the mother in her was appalled at her own behavior, the champion in her demanded that she did anything and everything in her power to help as many children as she could. Unfortunately, it seemed that in order to do that she would have to let Colin take that responsibility, if he wanted it.

Jo leaned her forehead against the bloodied wall and breathed in and out, trying to chase away the burning in her eyes. I can't adopt everyone. I can't be a mother to all the children I'm trying to save, she repeated as a mantra, hoping that one day it would actually let her feel better about what she had done to Colin just now. I'd love to adopt every single one of them, give them a home and a family, but that's simply not possible. And that's why I need to take care of as many as I can in any way I can.

She hoped one day she'd be able to forgive herself, and she hoped like hell that one day Colin would be able to forgive her, too.

A little while ago, when she was already pregnant with Josi, some journalist asked her why she and Joker hadn't adopted any of the orphaned children yet. Back then she said that she saw herself as a champion for all the children because she couldn't possibly choose one or two or a dozen. That was still true today. How could she choose? They all deserved her effort, not just the lucky few. She made that choice again, standing in the hangar against the wall with bloodied fists and tears trying to escape. She would be as good a mother to Josi as she could possibly be. But the Aurora Foundation would always be her project – and she would always be a champion for orphaned children.

If that meant using one of them – then she would have to strangle that mothering instinct in her. After all, she hadn't asked Colin to do anything she wouldn't have done herself at his age. She remembered herself too well at the age when she ran away from her own orphanage – and she remembered all the reasons that drove her to do so. Had she seen a different way, she would have taken it.

Was he too young? Probably. But Jo had a good eye for talent, proven by countless people she met and befriended. She was never wrong about the potential they had in them. Right now the mum in her screamed to save Colin. But the Commander in her assured her that he could do it. She could sense from reading his story and meeting him that he was somehow different, maybe more mature, or maybe stronger than others – but he was different, she felt it in her gut. He could do it. And she would let him. Only for as long as he wanted to, of course. And should he ever need her, she promised to herself that she would drop everything and hurry to see him, be there for him. But she could still feel it in her gut: he could do it, he was the right kid for the job.

Jo took several long minutes to collect herself. Nobody but Joker would ever know about this. She wasn't proud of herself. But she truly believed that it had to be done, and she made a choice to do it.

Two days later Colin called her and told her that the group home where he was staying was a good enough place with a nice caretaker but some mean kids. He told her that he wanted to be a spy to make sure other places for children were good, too. That was how she found the right person to do what she considered the most important job in the Aurora Foundation.


AN: Hello, everyone, and thank you for still reading this story. I have decided to start a second fic, which will contain companion pieces to this one. It's called "Price of victory: Companion pieces". In it I will post stories that don't fit chronologically into "Price of victory", like Jo's childhood and early military days. Also, I'll post stories of other characters which take place on the side, while Jo's and Joker's story takes its own course. There will be no particular order to those companion pieces, but if a chapter from "Price of victory" has a corresponding companion piece, I will notify you. So, if anyone has interest in learning more about the world around Joker and Jo – the companion pieces story is easily found via my profile.

Notification: This chapter has a companion piece posted in the fic "Price of victory: Companion pieces". The chapter is called "Boot Camp 01".