Chapter 17: Missions and Codes

She woke.

Her ears were still ringing. Her brain throbbing. Her chest hurt, each breath she drew in agony. Red mist agony. Her body was numb, it tingled, it buzzed. She pushed herself up onto her knees using her hands as leverage. Her eyes tried to focus, tried to see, but all she saw was shattered remains. Broken crates, destroyed mechs, dead bodies.

She screamed.

She crawled to her nearest sister. Her sister had no head; it had been lying next to her. She remembered. Her Sister's blood had stained her hands. She looked down to blue fingers and saw deep purple stains. Purple was everywhere. Everywhere. Bodies, the dead...She began to strip off her armor and the body sheath underlay. She shed all clothing until she had nothing on. She wiped the blood on her hands onto her thighs. She stared at it. It wasn't enough to cover her, only enough for a touch of memory.

Body to body she went taking a piece of armor even as she took their portion of their blood and painted her body with it. She did this for each corpse she came across. A piece of armor, a swipe of blood. Again and again and again and again. Her once blue body was now painted entirely from crest to toe in the purple blood save for the space directly across her eyelids. The piecemeal armor she dragged with her in an equipment bag so that when it was time she would wear her sisters' armor as she wore their blood. A memorial to them

She threw back her head and let out let out a great ragged scream. Dead. All dead. Her sisters gunned down...She took her captain's blood and coated her eyelids.

"Heads will role...oh yes, they will roll!" she swore.

The plan. She'd go to Omega and gather the remnants of the Eclipse; bring the power of the guild back to full strength. Then she'd hunt down anyone who'd ever brought harm to her family: her sisters, her brothers of the Eclipse. Heads would roll, oh yes...they will role. Starting with the Justicar and Spectre and the detective.

MEMEMEMEMEMEME

Shepard led her team to the room where they left the young Eclipse Sister. Only the door wasn't as they had left it. It was secured not by electronic locks, but by one of Illium's finest.

"I guess the NAPD are moving in after all," Garrus said, "and after we've done all the hard work."

"Hey, didn't anyone ever tell you that's what the N7s do?" Shepard shot back. "We do the really dangerous stuff, infantry does hard-line mop up."

"I wasn't ever in the special forces," the turian quipped. "C-Sec remember?"

"Details, details." She smirked at the other two knowing they had their own objections on the tongue. "Yeah I know; engineer and clandestine operative. Still, it's the same principle." To which none of them could disagree. Turning her back on her companions for the moment, Shepard fixed attention on the officer standing guard over the door.

"Officer," the Spectre addressed the asari and recognized her as the one who had waved them through into the crime scene earlier. "Have you taken the prisoner into custody yet?"

"No, Detective Anaya said to wait until you returned and escort her back to the station house where we'll take official custody," the cop informed them. She gave the human a quizzical look. "I have to ask, why did you take her prisoner? Did she trade information?"

"No," Shepard shook her head. "She simply surrendered. And I have evidence your superior is going to want to see, a confession of a murder. The one in there," she pointed to the sealed door, "did it in the back alley with a shot gun."

This took the young cop by surprise; it was clearly not something she was expecting. In her experience, while the Eclipse Sisters were braggarts, they didn't flaunt their kills in-front of the authorities so openly. She certainly didn't believe one would be so willing to talk to a Spectre. Then again having a Justicar in the vicinity may have spooked the young maiden enough to come clean least she suffer the fate of her Sisters by the hands of either Justicar or Spectre.

"She confessed to you?"

"Not exactly. Nevertheless I have her confession. I also have the name of the ship the Justicar needs. I don't think we should delay any longer. Do you?" The last question was rhetorical but the beat-cop answered regardless.

"Certainly not. Come, we best hurry. The faster we get this to Justicar Samara the quicker she leaves our precinct."

Again Shepard was having conflicting notions about having Samara on her crew. With Zaeed she knew what she had. A self interested gun for hire. His motives were easy to recognize: money and revenge. If Kasumi was to join the ranks her motives were easily comprehended as well... money and the picking of a few choice high value trinkets as well as the challenges of taking them.

The warlord was krogan; they rose to the challenges of the battle. Wrex had given the Spectre a solid insight on the krogan mind and values. Strength of the warrior, of the heart, the krantt, the clan, breeding rites and the strength of the enemy. Those were the things the krogan valued, even the exiled ones.

The assassin- well she didn't know his game yet. But she understood Miranda's motives. The operative was desperate to prove Cerberus was not evil and at the same time to bend Sam to their will. Samara was more difficult to measure. Drawn to impossible noble causes and yet she would kill police to avoid capture and impediment of her pursuit of a fugitive. It stymied the young Spectre.

Deep down she wondered if Justicars were truly any different than the Spectres. The Spectres had no code but to themselves, answerable only to the Council. They did what was necessary, by whatever means to accomplish the mission, to finish the Op. To the Justicars there was only the Code. They did what was necessary, by whatever means to accomplish the mission, to finish the Op.

Shepard felt a wave of shame hit her with her own hypocrisy. Back on Noveria she was nearly willing to shoot the security forces from Elanus Risk Control Services when they attempted to confiscate her weapons at the dock of Port Hanshan. And she had killed Sergeant Kaira Stirling and the other dirty cops who followed the Spectre into the offices of Synthetic Insights. The Spectre had kidnapped a child to bait the enemy which was no different than Samara killing an unarmed merc by snapping her neck. It was then Sam realized she needed Samara on her crew for far more reasons than because she was a powerful biotic and a seasoned huntress. The Commander had those components in the commandos from the T'Soni Bastion, and most assuredly with Liara. Of course they were leaving but that was besides the point.

It wasn't the biotics and it wasn't the skills of a huntress. Sam needed Samara because of the Code. It was the Code that separated Samara from all other asari commandos and their skills. There was only the Code.

The door to the sealed room opened to allow Elnora to exit; she did so to see five guns pointed at her.

"Whatever you're thinking? Don't," Shepard said. "It isn't worth your life, Little Baby Elnora."

The young asari let out a puff of petulant hot air. There was no way she could battle this out, no way to escape and make a run for it. If Shepard was here it meant Captain Wasea was dead. There was no way the cop would still be here if the Boss were alive. Wasea would have wiped the floor with the bitch. With Shepard standing before her it meant her sisters were dead as well.

"How?" she muttered, looking at two humans, a quarian and a turian-how had they beaten more than a two dozen trained asari commandos, their gunship and the Boss? It was unthinkable. Her question received no answer, though in truth she hadn't expected it would. Dejected and defeated Elnora held out her hands waiting for the clap of the cuffs to be slapped around her wrists by the police officer.

"You better hope Illium doesn't sentence murders to life in prison, because that would really suck for you. You can't be what... more than sixty?" Shepard asked looking at the young woman before her. "Barely legal... How many months has it been since you've been able to leave your mother's house? Three? Four?"

Elnora looked away. "Six and what's it to you? And for the record I'm sixty-two."

"That old," Shepard chastised. "My, my we're all grown up now."

Elnora gave the Spectre a withering baleful look. "Go to hell," she snarled.

Shepard ignored the 'younger' woman's spite. "You are young, so do your time, pay back your debt to society and if you're still looking for action why don't you sign up for the military?"

Elnora wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. "Human military maybe lowbrow enough to take in felons but the asari have better standards."

Garrus snickered leaning over to Tali and said in a whisper that was loud enough for all to hear, "Should we tell her she just insulted herself or do you think she is clever enough to figure it out for herself."

"I don't think she's the clever kind of asari. Nowhere near Liara's calibre anyway."

"So few are but we are a little biased when it comes to our near and dear," Garrus commented.

Shepard could actually hear teeth grinding coming from the maiden's mouth. She was doing it so hard the human thought the girl's teeth would shatter. "You were looking for action. You're going to get more than you bargained for kid," she said at last drawing the captured woman's attention to her as well as the police officer's. "And the Republics are going to need capable huntresses, capable fighters. Thing is when the time comes will you step up or are you going to be the little maiden playing at guns trying to be a big-bad?"

Elnora teeth stopped grinding, she pinned the Spectre with a questioning look. "What—what do you mean?"

"Sovereign was only the vanguard of what is to come. When that storm-front hits, the resistance will need a lot of frontline fighters, a lot of guns, a lot of bodies. Think about it while you're doing your time. Because believe me, when the Reapers finally hit, small timers like you won't mean a goddess damn thing in the great scheme of things. They will let you out if you take up arms for the Republics, but you've got work with the system."

Elnora kept silent all the way down on the elevator ride just as the doors opened she turned to the Spectre. "What do you care what happens to me, human? You didn't care about my sisters you killed back there."

"What happened back there could have been completely avoided if Wasea's Lieutenant just gave up the name of the ship the ardat-yakshi shipped out on. Captain Wasea would still be kicking around if she had done the same with me. Instead she chose to fight. She lost. But you? You made a stupid choice kid, you chose the wrong side. Now you've got another chance. Don't fuck it up," Shepard said.

The motley group of companions received a host of penetrating stares from the asari police officers, turian dock workers and one particular volus. Pitne For scuttled backwards on stubby legs as if Elnora was a rabid varren. Although with the way she struggled against both the cop and Spectre she might as well have been.

"That little bastard! He's the reason so many of us are dead! He sold us poisons!" Elnora screeched.

"Which he will pay for, believe me." Shepard held up the pad that had the shipping manifest. "And trust me, if he rots in his prison all the better for the crap he put on the street." She pinned the merchant with a glare of barely concealed disgust. The mistakes of one dumb kid could be fixed-made up for. The deliberate sale and distribution of poisoned chems that had been deliberately tailored and designed to kill biotics, that wasn't something passable in the Commander's books.

"He'd better! I popped your fucking partner you little shit!" Elnora called out to the volus hovering near his shipping crates. "If I wasn't in these cuffs I'd pop you too!"

"Yeah, making threats like that with a bunch of cops and a Spectre as witnesses, even if the bastard deserves it, isn't the smartest thing you could have done, kid," Shepard said. "If something happens to him, where do you think they're going to look to first?"

Elnora looked away from the merchant, her body visibly shaking in seething anger; she made no protesting move as she was pushed into the squad room. Detective Anaya looked up from her desk and she couldn't remove the look of astonishment on her face at the bizarre precession.

"What's all this?" the detective asked, keeping her eyes on the very young asari in the distinctive yellow and black armor of the Eclipse.

"This is Elnora of the Eclipse Sisters." Shepard laid the maiden's confession on the detective's desk. "And this is her confession for the murder of Dakni Kur. And this..." she put Pitne For's shipping manifest on the desk as well. "...is the proof Pitne For smuggled red sand and illegal weapon mods into Nos Astra, as well as an illegal chemical known as Minagen X3, something he forgot to tell the Eclipse when they bought it. It was the motive for the murder "

"Let's see what you've gone there." Anaya picked it up but frowned as she read it. "Interesting, but I can't verify it. It would be inadmissible." she said menaing the volus' documents

Without missing a beat Samara unfolded her legs and jumped off the ledge she was sitting upon. "I vouch for Shepard and any evidence she and her companions bring forth."

With an endorsement like that the good detective couldn't issue a counter argument or dismiss what she had. She looked both pleased and relieved for the voice of one so respected. "I accept the judgment of the Justicar." She looked to the Spectre. "Thanks, Shepard. I wasn't sure about trusting a stranger, and a human at that."

The human gave a shrug of a half-hearted dismissal, "At least you didn't say Spectre like a few other cops might have said. We're on the same side here."

Anaya nodded. "I've worked with a few Spectres before. Granted they were all asari and a bit on the arrogant side, but I think that comes with their badge. You haven't gotten that far yet near as I can tell. You still work with the system."

Shepard grinned at that. "Whenever I can, yeah." Of course sometimes she didn't or wouldn't back down. Noveria had been a prime example. There was no way she was going to relinquish her weapons to the local security force.

"I'll send some officers to arrest him and his cohorts," Anaya announced. "And off the record I knew that little bastard was dirty, I just didn't have any of the dirt to prove it. PC Ankor bring the suspect," she tipped her head, meaning Elnora, "to central processing, book her for murder one."

"Yes, ma'am," the now named cop answered. pulling a very contrite maiden with her. The girl had her head down the whole time she was close to Anaya's desk, unable or unwilling to lift her head in fear of the Justicar so very close.

"I know what that's like," Garrus commented, watching as the cop lead the young merc away. "Your superiors won't make a move unless you have hard proof even if you know it's the right move. I had too many cases like that. Bureaucracy-hated it, but when it works it works. You got the evidence; you got the word of a Justicar and a Spectre. I don't know about your superiors but mine would make a move on it. Especially with what we pulled off the Eclipse computers..."

"Including money transfers," Tali piped up. "Wasea was double-booking. She had a lot of credits stored in a private slush-fund. The money transfer from Justicar Samara's fugitive is in there as well, about three thousand credits."

At this news the Justicar perked up. She looked not to the engineer but to Shepard. "So then you have news then."

"I have the name of your ship. Your fugitive left here on the on the AML Demeter two days ago."

"Shepard you impress me," Samara stated. "You fulfilled your part of the bargain and I will fulfil mine." Her attention was then drawn to Anaya. "I am ready to leave immediately if that will satisfy your superiors, Detective."

Anaya actually let out a breath of relieved air. "You're free to go, Justicar; it's been an honor having you in my station. It was nice you didn't kill me too." The last was muttered almost as an after-thought which brought a smile to Samara's lips.

It was a smile that was shared by the Spectre. "The Eclipse smuggled an ardat-yakshi off-world. She's who you're really after isn't she?"

"You continue to impress." Samara shifted a little, "Yes I was here tracking the ardat-yakshi. She is a dangerous criminal and I will bring her to justice after your mission is completed of course."

Shepard drew in a steady breath. There was something that needed clarification. "You're sworn to follow a Code that dictates your every move, your every decision, but I'm running a military operation."

"You're worried about me following orders because I follow a Code." It wasn't quite a question

Shepard shook her head. "I can't allow that to happen."

"By agreeing to follow you, I am sworn to swear the most difficult of the Justicar Oaths. The Third Oath of Subsumation so that I am never forced to chose between your orders and the Code. After I do so, you're orders will override the Code." Approaching Shepard the matron's voice became dominating and very clear-cut, there was no mistaking her tone or meaning. "You should know, however, that I will still give you my opinion if the situation warrants."

Shepard smirked; "Pretty much like the rest of my squad." She cast a look to both Tali and Garrus. "They're good at that."

Samara only nodded.

"The Normandy is docked near the trading floor, if you have any gear you need to pick up we'll meet you there."

There was the trace hit of a frown on the Justicar's lips. She didn't expect the human to grasp the depth of the Third Oath, but it still needed to be preformed so there was no question in the young Commander's mind or heart and also because the code demanded the oath to be spoken.

"I first must be sworn to the Oath." Her body flared brilliantly in the summoned cyan glow of dark energy. This act even brought the passively watching Anaya to her feet and forced her around her desk to stand near the Spectre. What surprised them all was that Samara knelt down upon one knee as if a knight before her queen, her arms at her sides, fists touching the floor and head bowed as she spoke:

"By the code I will serve you, Shepard. Your choices are my choices. Your morals are my morals. Your wishes are my code." Her body flared once more before the swirling mist of biotic energy was reabsorbed into the Justicar's body. She rose lithely to her feet.

Anaya was the first to recover from her astonishment. "I never thought I'd see a Justicar swear an oath like that!"

Samara did not acknowledge the younger asari's words; her focus was totally upon Shepard. Their blue eyes locking onto one another. "If you make me do anything extremely dishonorable I may need to kill you when I am released from my oath."

Shepard nodded, there was no quick quip on her lips, since hell, she agreed with the older woman. "I can see that this is a very important act, Samara, thank you. I hope I prove worthy of it. If I was ever into that kind of situation Samara, to tread upon one's honor know it would only be to save many lives."

"Should such an occurrence be called for, Shepard, it would not be a sacrifice of honor. And in such an event it would be my life sacrificed not my honor. One I sense you would sacrifice yourself for."

Shepard nodded as if it was self-evident

"Truly a Justicar's life can get lonely. I am looking forward to serving in the company of honorable heroes. I have no gear to collect, Shepard. Shall we return to your ship?"

The Spectre nodded, yet before they even made a move to the doors the detective spoke up. "Hey, Shepard thanks for getting Samara out of my district. I can tell my granddaughters about meeting a Justicar," she smiled. "And you just upped my chances of having granddaughters."

Shepard chuckled at that.

"I can't do much to thank you but we do have a small discretionary bounty award. It's yours. And that slush-fund you found at the Eclipse Base…take it as a finder's fee And with Wasea's Eclipse branch shut down here, it won't be of any good in tribunal. It'll just collect dust in some evidence locker." She gave a wearily look to the Justicar almost second-guessing her impetuous act of generosity and hoping it wasn't going to be seen as an act of corruption. "Well enough about all the congratulations," she said quickly in case Samara was getting any ideas, so far she hadn't said a word. Maybe that Oath of Subsumation was working because Shepard hadn't said anything either. "I still have a spiraling crime rate."

Shepard nodded at the clear dismissal. "We should go you've got your crime rate and we have the Collectors to stop," she said, then led her team out the precinct's double doors.

"When you put it that way it makes me think going back to C-Sec is a better idea," Garrus jested as they headed for the cab that brought them here.

"Ah, come on, Garrus, you'd go back to all that bureaucratic bullshit you just complained about in there when you could be out here doing some real good?" Shepard teased, which earned her a bemused look from their newest member of the team.

"Well there is that. I don't mind being called 'honorable hero' again. Has a nicer ring to it than 'deranged lunatic raving about monsters lurking in dark space'."

"Yeah, well, being a hero didn't get us very far the last time. I don't see it making that much of a difference now. Like I told Miranda, all being a hero gets you is a shiny medal, a pat on the back and a 'that'a girl or boy.' They still don't listen. They just want you to stand there, take pictures and make nice to the politicians who only want to grandstand on your coattails."

"Maybe, but you're good at it," Tali said. "Elysium, the Citadel and the Council know we're gunning for the Collectors. By the time you end them you'll get another shiny star or something equally grand."

"Phft. I'd give every one of my medals back if I could make Parliament, the Council or anyone with power to move governments to pay attention and do something proactive against the Reapers "

"Perhaps in defeating the Collectors you will have what you desire, Shepard. Someone to listen to your warnings and do something this time," Miranda spoke for the first time since meeting the Justicar.

Tali said, "Could...could your Justicar status help? It helped the detective take the evidence we found."

Samara could appreciate the girl's inquiry and the meaning behind its intent. "I fear it will take more than my voice, young one. However after I have seen this mission through I will have evidence of my own. My testimony may open some doors but Justicars have no political pull, no executive powers. We are a judiciary branch much like the Spectres. But our voices are heeded in times of threat." Samara turned to Shepard. "You believe the Collectors are working for the Reapers." Again it was a phrase that might have been a question yet was not.

"I'd stake my life on it. I know they are. Even if the Council dismissed my claims because I lacked the proof, I know they are. The pieces are all there, they simply refuse to look," Shepard said. She looked to the Justicar; she was a powerful and formidable woman and not just her prowess with her biotics. Her position would eventually be to replace Liara as her wing-biotic, but to trust someone other than Liara that much would take time.

Sam and Liara had fallen into near perfect synchronization even before they Joined. Perhaps it was a by-product of the melds they had shared or their natural pull towards each other. It hadn't exactly been an instant connection but it had been a swift one. One she hadn't shared with Kaidan. They had worked together as a team, yes, but their biotics were never completely in-sync. But with Liara...their biotics were almost always in-sync; they always managed to set each other up with biotic-explosions against their foes.

Shepard had a rapport with Shiala and relied on her advice, just as she had with Liara's. It would easy to assume that that was what Cerberus had in mind when they vetted the Justicar. She would fill this niche as well as making the pro-human organization look less racist and elitist by working alongside an asari matron. And not just any matron but one with considerable clout and respect, even more so than the average asari of her age.

Despite the trust implicated by the swearing of the Third Oath, there was a trust that could only be borne on the battlefield. Shepard suspected Samara believed the same.

There were too many unknowns about the Justicars. Liara made them seem as independent operatives like the Spectres. Sure, they were administrators of justice and law and their oaths, codes and honor meant a great deal to them, it was their whole world. All of this Sam respected, accepted and understood. But beyond that how did they work in a team dynamic? Once more the Commander couldn't help but think of all the candidates Cerberus wanted for a 'new team'. Most of them had worked so long as independents and Shepard suspected that getting them to work cohesively was going to be almost as much effort as stopping the Collectors would be.

Independents who all had either lost or sworn off family, with no outward ties. No personal obligations. They were the expendables. Socratic sacrifices for the better good. And many of them alien because TIM knew Shepard would trust a handful of nonhumans over an all Cerberus crew. And why not sacrifice alien and undesirable reprobates like an aging merc, a hard con and a thief for the betterment of the human elite? Layers upon layers upon layers of sickening logic and planning.

Samara felt the eyes of team looking at her from time to time. She could sense trepidation from the quarian maiden, curiosity from the former C-Sec officer, aloof respect from the elder human woman but from Shepard the Justicar sensed turmoil of thoughts. The young Spectre's aura flickered with great pain and yet there was an equally brilliant complete dedication to her duty. It was as brilliant as a fellow Justicar's. Its illumination was one of the first things she had noticed about the human when they first met in that back ally. It was in part why Samara had agreed to join the Spectre' cause, the other aspect was that the mission was a worthy and honorable cause. And the Code demanded action against such a travesty.

"Shepard, I would like to ask you questions about the mission," Samara said, holding the Spectre with a curious gaze.

"Of course, I'd be surprised if you didn't have questions. Fire away." The young human paused long enough for Garrus and Samara to switch places in their two-by-two marching order. Her keen eye noticed how very protective the turian was of his commanding officer. His steps had the hesitant footfalls of the unanswered question of whether or not to give a modicum of privacy between the two women or simply make room and walk three-abreast. It took three heartbeats before he opted to fall in line just behind the Justicar. It was something she approved of. It showed more for the qualifications of Shepard's qualities of a leader and the professionalism of her team.

"Of the disappearances I heard only a little on the news broadcasts. The Council has deemed it a purely human internal affair. And the Human Systems Alliance has yet to move against what is obviously too great a scale to be merely raiders as it was on Elysium and even that was no quite affair. There was great destruction of the city before the Skyllian Blitz was brought to bear.

"However there are few reports of structural damage, if any, on these colony worlds. It does not seem logical nor reasonable that the Alliance has shown so little interests in their missing colonists even if they are independent words apart from your people's government."

There were a dozen questions in those remarks, the same questions Shepard had been raking her brain with ever since she'd learned of the assaults herself. Too many why's...

"Does the Alliance actually accept that these attacks are to be placed at the feet of someone other than the Collectors?"

"I think they've been deliberately led to, yeah."

"By whom?"

"Cerberus. They don't want the Alliance involved," Shepard said tonelessly. "The Parliamentary sub-committee of Acquisitions has declared that a full-on investigation is not financially feasible and a drain of resources to investigate 'Separatists'. They claim the colonists knew of the risks within the Terminus Systems when they left the Alliance to settle there. The Council said practically the same thing."

"And how does Cerberus fit into this?" Samara pressed.

Miranda wanted to know to. This wasn't exactly a topic that came up in their conversation during her interrogations.

"Cerberus's influences are deep and who knows how high up. But there are two admirals and one captain I trust exclusively and intricately and they are as concerned as I am of the Alliance's inaction. They want to know as much as I do the full reason behind the Collectors attacks. It isn't for slave labor that much is certain."

"Because if that is all that they wanted why not target other races," Samara surmised.

"Precisely. The plague on Omega was Collector designed. Humans were the selected control group, because according to Dr. Solus, apparently humans are the most diverse of the species. We offer more variables. Whatever they were looking for with the results of the plague it motivated them into selecting humans as their harvest.

"I need to find out why. And more than that I want to know why Cerberus is so damn interested in why the Collectors have target humans."

"You don't believe it is to protect them," the Justicar offered

Shepard shook her dark locks. "Despite what some of their minions may want to believe or con themselves into believing the altruistic motives of Cerberus I know this isn't the case. Cerberus doesn't waste what it can use and they want something from the Collectors. Maybe it is as simple as wanting their technology for hitting planets undetected and harvesting the populous while leaving structures completely intact.

"Easy way to claim imminent domain. A very effective way of dominating a massive territory in a relatively short amount of time with little loses to your own army. I'm not going to allow that to happen.

"TIM wants humans to believe Cerberus' motives are to ensure humanity's survival. He makes claims that the Cerberus prime directive is the betterment of humanity." She looked over to her shoulder at Miranda. "But we are doing just fine without his brand of betterment.

"His utopia for humanity would be our detriment. He believes that great men and woman should be free of the restrictions of conventional society, on science of governmental oversight. He believes in a world where what you give is what you get.

"Humanity can do without his great chain, his utopia. As a species we are physically diverse. It took the discovery of the Charon mass relay for us as a species to truly embrace that diversity within each other, to truly become the Systems Alliance. Now we just need to expand that acceptance outward. Humanity's great strength will not be the Illusive Man's idea of insular segregation.

"If you were to ask Yeoman Chambers, she would tell you that Cerberus doesn't hate aliens, because she's a part of them and she doesn't hate aliens. Yet she hasn't seen the depravity of their experiments I have. "

"And you believe that Cerberus will use recovered Collector technology to further their agenda and become a greater threat to the Council?" Samara inclined her head.

Shepard only nodded.

Samara thought for a moment. Her contemplative expression contracted into a frown, "The Collectors I have heard of, I have even fought one or two of them a few centuries ago They were challenging enemies to engage. But the Reapers you keep mentioning, just what exactly are they?"

The question caused the others to turn and look with astonishment on their faces to the Justicar.

"The Council did a great job of covering everything up. Surely you know of the attack on the Citadel by Saren and the geth."

"Of course, he had a new class of geth destroyer; it nearly crippled the Destiny Ascension."

"Yeah it did only it wasn't geth. That was Sovereign, and that was a Reaper. A living ship…but it isn't biological, it's an AI."

Now the desperation in young Tali's voice about Samara influencing her government made sense if there were more of those things out there and if they were coming. Goddess help them all.

"Shepard you could show her," Garrus offered after the long silence. "Maybe not like you did with Aria but something a bit less invasive. You can show her the memories of the battle or even those inside that beacon and what it said on Virmire."

Shepard looked to Samara. It would be easier to show the Justicar the memories she held, but so far her luck with asari melding to convince others of the truth was not in her favor. The Matriarchy hadn't believed her. Aria only did because the Pirate Queen had ripped deep into Sam's mind and yanked the memories out forcibly.

Her reluctance must have translated into an expression for Samara spoke giving the Spectre a searching look. "I will meld with you only if you desire to show me, Shepard. And then only as far as is consensual."

The Spectre nodded. "That might not be a bad idea. However if we do this my bondmate will insist on being present. We share a unique bond. What I experience she does and vice versa."

Samara was now the one surprised. "You are Soul-Bonded!"

A nod of dark hair.

"That is a very rare and a very precious gift."

"It is," Shepard agreed and drove the thoughts that it had been a hindrance as well far away from her mind. Sam looked to the matronly yet still young face of the Justicar. "Perhaps once we get you settled on the Normandy we can proceed

"On that token, Garrus here," Shepard gestured wither thumb over her shoulder to the former C-Sec officer, "is the XO. If you need anything you can go to him, though I do have an open-door policy with my team."

"She also likes to check up on her crew after missions," Tali said smiling behind the faceplate of her mask. "Make sure were all…five-by-five," she said, adding the Alliance military term she had assimilated into her own vernacular.

"Once we get on board where should we put you?" Garrus asked out of reverence for the matron's station. With the wavecrests it might have been relatively easy to set the Justicar up with her own quarters, though albeit small ones. On the SR-2 that was going to be somewhat more difficult.

"Someplace where I can look out to the great empty void would be preferable," Samara answered in a well practiced response. No doubt she had similar questions given to her by officers of other vessels. Granted most them would have been asari.

"You can have the starboard observation lounge on deck three."

"Thank you. When we arrive I would like to meditate on the day's events and prepare for the knowledge-bond. I have never linked with a non-asari mind before. And I haven't shared a meld…in a very long time."

Shepard nodded. "I don't think we will have compatibility issues. I'll explain later. But I've linked several times to asari other than my bondmate, I know what to expect."

"That is good. It will make things easier for both of us."

MEMEMEMEMEMEME

"A Cerberus vessel?" Samara's adornments rose a little in what might have been the equivalent of an eyebrow raise.

"As you can see it's a recent acquisition," Shepard clarified. "We liberated it from a Cerberus lab, and then we destroyed it. Unfortunately it wasn't one with TIM in residence."

Shepard gave a very brief and abridged history of how the first Normandy came into being, its destruction at the hands of the Collectors and allegedly why. She mentioned how Cerberus, under the project named Lazarus, resurrected the dead ship in this new form. She left out the part where she was supposed to be 'recreated' as well, as she didn't see the point of unveiling that little bit of information.

"I'll give you a more in-depth SitRep if you require it, Justicar. Once you're settled."

"I appreciate that, Commander."

Shepard turned her attention to her XO. Time to break him into the grueling little details of his new position. "Garrus see to the induction of our newest crewmember. Afford her every courtesy and answer any questions she may have." Her tone wasn't of Garrus' friend but of the Commander. One that expected to be obeyed.

"I'll see it done, Shepard." He gave a minuscule dip of his head then turned to Samara, giving the asari his full attention. "If you follow me, Justicar. I'll show you around."

As with the exterior there were maintenance crews a buzz with the activity of redecorating the ship's interior with symbols of Spectres' wings along the bulkheads and the floor, erasing all traces of the concentric diamonds that was the mark of Cerberus.

"You were her Trusted?" Samara asked seemingly out of nowhere. The question itself and its matter of fact delivery took the young man completely by surprise. It took him a moment to form an answer.

"No," he shook his head "That honor belonged to some someone els."

Samara detected an unveiled note of jealousy. "And yet you both act as though you were."

"She does call me her Archangel." Mandibles fanned in a turian smile. "Always watching out for her is a full time job."

"You love her."

"What?! No…I…she…"

"Not as a lover," Samara clarified. "But more than a commander."

The young turian nodded. In truth he did love Shepard, far more than any superior officer. Because to him she was more than that, more than even a mentor he had always believed her to be. At last his heart revealed the truth in spoken word. "She's family. She once told me there was no Shepard without Vakarian. Well I can say the same: there's no Vakarian without Shepard. I may not have been in name but in practice yeah, I'm her Trusted. She, Liara and Tali mean everything to me. And we know what we mean to her."

"A very strong bond. Treasure this, young one. It is precious."

Garrus was stunned by the frankness of the Justicar's words but in his mind truer words were never spoken. It was a precious bond, a connection he had never felt with any other crew, with any other team. "Believe me I will. Well, um, we're back on deck three and these are your quarters. Don't worry; the bar is in the other side. I'll let the crew know not to disturbed you."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you, Lieutenant."

"Er, I don't actually have an official rank, considering I'm now the Normandy's XO I probably should have one but, um, just Garrus is fine." He sounded embarrassed.

"Very well, Garrus."

The talk had lasted only as long as the elevator ride down to the crew-deck. When the doors opened, Garrus began the tour in earnest, pointing out various sections. "The XO quarters belong to me and Tali. She's the ship's chief engineer and my…partner. You need anything concerning the ship's business I would say you can find me there, but I'll most likely be in the main battery. Of course Shepard likes to do things hands on. And you'll get used to her checking up on you after mission, she likes to make the rounds."

"She is protective of her crew as a captain should be."

"Most definitely She'll go into the fire if nessisary. And we'll do the same for her." Garrus looked to the asari, "Samara, Shepard is in a tough place right now, her trusted team was disbanded for a lot of different reasons. And now we're scrambling to press-gang new recruits because Cerberus was headhunting them…you. And what Cerberus can't control they will destroy. They want to control Shepard, but they can't.

"The Illusive Man wants to control the mission, who's on it, and how it's done, he won't get it. Shepard will do it her way. It will be out of the box and over the top crazy. But it will work, just like it did against Saren, the geth and Sovereign."

"You hold great belief in her," Samara inclined her head.

"Yeah I do," came a simple answer. "We do." the turian studied the woman for a moment. "I'm not going to pretend I know anything about the Justicar Code, but I know what you swore was a big thing, something trustworthy. There are few of us left to watch over her and now with Cerberus looming over Shepard, she's going to need someone other than me and Tali she can completely trust, that she can trust her team with. That oath of yours makes you trustworthy."

"You speak of the Oath of Subsumation," Samara replied almost blandly ignoring the complement paid to her. "It binds me to Shepard, to her service. The Code itself demands that I answer the call to battle. The Collectors must be stopped. Her cause is noble."

"Too bad not everyone sees it that way." The bitterness crept back into Garrus's voice. "Just another reason why Shepard needs all the backing she can get from people she can trust. She'll tell you more; tell you what you need to know. She can explain more about the Reapers better than anyone else, even those that fought Sovereign. Let her tell you."

MEMEMEMEMEMEME

Samara pondered these words as she meditated. Young Vakarian was as much an advocate for Shepard's fight as he was a guardian over her person. That spoke volumes. Though the quarian hadn't spoken to her, Samara knew the turian's words would be echoed in the young woman.

Shepard wasn't surprised when she was greeted at the door with the Justicar's back to her. She wasn't even surprised to discover the matron sitting lotus style, her body glowing slightly with the soft glow of biotic energy.

"How are you?" Shepard entered the port observation lounge properly and sat down next to the matron. Her knees drawn up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She watched as the glow faded and Samara's eyes and went from the solid white of meditations to their normal, deep sapphire blue.

Samara turned her head but not her body as she spoke, her blue lips pulled into a smile. "I spent the past four hundred years on my own. It is nice to have a colleague to chat with. I maybe rusty at it however," she smiled warmly. "If you are patient I would love to talk."

Sam smirked, "Oh, I don't know, you've been doing okay so far." She studied the other woman for a moment before speaking. "How much do you know about our mission?"

"I know I swore an oath to you and you seek to destroy the Collectors. That is enough for me."

"You don't want to know why the Collectors need to be stopped?" Shepard pressed.

"You have told me much already. When you live by a code that compels you to harsh action you learn the dangers of curiosity. If I must kill a man because he is had done wrong do I really wish to know he is a devoted father?"

"I guess that would complicate things. And oddly enough simplifies things."

"Yes." Samara inclined her head.

"Suppose there's no point in asking what your thoughts about Cerberus are?"

Samara shook her head, "I've heard rumors but I learned long ago to form my own impressions. There is too much room in the interpretations of the opinion of others."

Shepard knew she wasn't going to get an answer. And she respected the Justicar for her blunt and edifying answer. "And what of the fact I agreed a truce with them, which affectively extends to my crew being in a truce with them as well. What would the Code say about something like this?"

Samara studied the young woman and knew what was being asked. She wanted validation, something, anything to tell her that her decision was a valid one.

"When all avenues are closed to you and prohibiting you from doing your duty, it leaves only the harsh actions available." Her eyes read into the young woman's. "Our methods may differ but our goals are not. Of the mission itself, gathering our forces is a wise move, but the time to strike is coming soon."

"Sooner than you think," Shepard muttered. "If you have any thoughts or suggestions about utilizing the recourse we picked up I'm open."

"Actually I do. I think I can aid your engineering crew in improving the Normandy's fuel consumption. I will give Tali a semantic. Perhaps while we are docked she can analyze it and apply it."

Shepard nodded. "I'd appreciate that. I'll give her a heads up. "Cerberus specced s her to most of the Victory's upgrades. They even installed the Sillaris armor, the Cyclone shields, Thanix cannons, Argus array and medbay upgrades. But they left out a few things and I intend to fix that oversight. The engineering crews here are extremely efficient and they work well with my team."

"Hence the reason the Nos Astra engineers are out there on the hull now repainting her." Once more the Justicar's statement wasn't a question despite the fact it sounded as if it were.

Shepard felt like she had to answer it somehow and so she only shrugged and offered up a playful 'but-of-course-' half smile. They had not touched on the on the subject of the Reapers or the purposed meld. For a moment one might have assumed the talk was over but for the expression on the Spectre's face.

"So what are your impressions of Miranda?" Shepard asked.

Samara smiled at the Spectre's probing questions and accepting the answers she had received thus far. "Miranda is undoubtedly a hard woman. I respect her strength and determination. She carried many burdens and doesn't share with others as it should be."

"Yeah…." Shepard was nodding in agreement. "I agree to that. Hard and strong. It's been a necessity for her. I respect that too. Actually I respect it a lot. I respect what she had to do to save her sister." She drew in a breath, "Both times." She didn't look at the other woman when she said that. It had been ugly business, that whole thing with Oriana and baiting Miranda.

"Both times?" Samara asked, not knowing the details of how Miranda was recruited.

"A long story. I can give you the details later. Suffice it to say Miranda was pressed into service by cohesion... or maybe surrender. Let's just say I took the road of harsh measures on that one." Shepard looked a little uncomfortable yet unapologetic at the same time. She decided a change of topic was needed.

"What more can you tell me about the fugitive you were chasing in the back alley?Even the Eclipse Sisters were terrified of her. Wasea even laid a warning before she died. Just what exactly are you hunting?"

Samara's head had the slightest shake of her head. "I hope you understand I wish to avoid this topic. It is deeply tied to my Code and beliefs." The Justicar looked away from the Spectre's gaze. "You might say it is personal."

"I can accept that, but I need to know if it will impact the mission."

"It will not." Samara's tone of assurance left no room for interpretation.

Shepard dropped it, respecting the boundaries and trusting Samara word she wouldn't allow her case to interfere with the mission. So they both had issued they didn't want to get in to. And thus another topic change was needed.

"I'd like to know more about the asari Justicars."

Samara nodded. She appreciated the young woman's inquisitive mind. "We hold a unique position in asari society. Justicars are from another era. Young asari grow up watching vids of our adventures, though those are pure fiction of course. Some asari are not comfortable with us but so few Justicars exist that most have never met one."

Shepard remained silent, enjoying listening to the matron. "There are only a few of you?"

"Very few asari wish to make the sacrifices needed to became one of the Order. The training has a high fatality rate. There is a constant danger. Throughout the entire galaxy there are only a few of us at any one time.

"Then why would anyone wish to be a justicar?" She slipped over the irony of someone wanting to be a Spectre. But there were fundamental differences. Namely the sacrifices.

"It is a deeply personal reason. Sometimes the most brutal path is the only option."

"This code of the Justicars seems central to your life."

"It is five thousand sutras that cover every situation one can encounter. I have memorized every word. There is only the Code."

"Sometimes justice requires mercy." Shepard said meaning it. She had extended mercy when possible, case and point; allowing Elnora to live when it would have been easier to kill her.

"The Code is not to bring enlightenment, it is made to protect the innocent and punish the guilty."

Shepard pondered this for a long moment, mulling it over. To live by such strictness, not to have questions, not having to debate the decisions one makes because of the adherence of a Code. "The asari I've spoken to seem to have conflicted views of Justicars," Sam finally said, voicing her only conflicted view.

"In this age people see things in many shades of gray. The Code of the Justicars is black and white. I might seem like a hero to many, but I would kill all of them if I had to."

Wow! That was not an answer the Spectre was expecting. The words echoed in Sam's mind. 'I would kill them all if I had to.' She had sent hundreds of humans to sacrifice their lives to save the Council, to save thousands of asari. Some humans called that decision race betrayal, some wanted vengeance, persecution.

Again Shepard was experiencing convoluted overlapping thoughts. "What role do you think Justicars have in asari society?" She had to understand the Justicars. Were they viewed like the Spectres were to the general public—both feared and respected? It seemed the Justicars had the same reaction here on Illium. Respected and feared. The important thing was what did the governmental body think? Here on Illium, the government had feared that Samara would create an incident if she killed any non-asari. The asari, on the other hand, 'would never question a Justicar's judgment.' Shepard prayed to the goddess that was true. She needed the Justicar's judgment to appeal to the asari government.

Just as she had with Aria, if Shepard could just get someone in power to not only listen but act on what they heard, then others would follow. Other governments, other worlds. So far her only allies on that front were three Alliance Admirals, a criminal overlord, and a handful of politically impotent scientists and soldiers. Having someone as trusted, respected and even as feared as a Justicar would be a real boon on the battlefront of proving the Reapers were a true threat and not some theatrical enemy.

Samara's face light up with pride. She was truly beginning to like this young human maiden. She turned her head and studied the woman before she began to explain. "I would say the closest human equivalent would be a knight errant from your medieval lore and perhaps a touch of the samurai."

Sam grinned. "You know about the knight errant and samurai?" This comment derailed her original line of thought.

Samara nodded and smiled "When I knew I was leaving asari space again I reacquainted myself with alien species. When I was a maiden wandering the galaxy humans had not yet arrived."

"What did you learn about our species?" intrigue in the young woman's voice.

"You are more individualistic than any other species I have encountered. If three humans were in a room there would be six opinions."

Sam chuckled. "That's true."

"I like your species; I am curious what you will do."

"You're not alone on that. Frankly I'm a bit curious on that front, too. A year and a half ago humanity was granted the privilege of naming its first Spectre. A few months thereafter humanity was granted an esteemed position on the Council. I sure hope we don't disappoint."

The Spectre and Justicar shared a smile.

"What does your Code say about killing?" Shepard asked, still trying to understand the role of the Justicar.

"If I am compelled to kill a criminal I will," Samara said mater-of-factly. "If a Justicar is involved, negotiation issues are long past."

"You make killing sound so casual," Shepard observed. As an N7 marine and now as a Spectre, the raven-haired woman had seen plenty of battles and war where she had killed countless enemy combatants. Across the battlefield when she faced scores of enemy soldiers it was easy to not see them as individuals. But executions were more about being cold and measured. But a Justicar's action was more personal, like how it was in the back alley with the merc Samara had killed with a twist of her boot heel.

"I remember each person I have killed. They are always in my thoughts."

Her words resonated with the human. She remembered every solider that had died under her command, their names were always in her thoughts: from the Skyllian Blitz, to Jenkins on Eden Prime, to Kaidan on Virmire. The names of the ships that were sacrificed by her decision to save the Council were forever burned in her mind. She remembered them all.

For some reason a thought popped into Shepard's mind and her mouth before she could stop it and it tumbled out with a question that might have one kick themselves in the ass for asking it moments later. "Does the Code forbid romance?"

Samara grinned. "It does not. However I would not be interested. That part of my life is well behind me."

And the mouth continued to ignore the tiny little voice in the hindbrain that was screaming 'would you just shut up already?' "You could meet someone that re-awakens those feelings." Shepard was thinking of her sire-in-law. For some inexplicable reason Shepard's imagination toyed with the idea of the two elder woman becoming something of an item. Not that it would ever happen, but still it was next to impossible to kill an idea once its inception took root.

"I am nearly a thousand years old." Samara was still grinning warmly, her eyes ever patient. "I am in control of my passions and my desires. But your curiosity is quite welcome."

Shepard offered an embarrassed chuckle and stretched the back of her neck. Her face flushed a little. "I was sorta asking on the behalf of my…sire-in…um…er." She coughed a little, "ah… nevermind. Stupid idea…Can we just ignore that last bit?"

Samara chuckled, a little amused. In the past she had a few attempts, an interest fueled more she believed for the novelty of bedding a Justicar or a powerful asari than any true interest in her. But she was never quite asked by someone playing Janiris' messenger, or what the humans might have termed Cupid in the name of another, especially if that someone was their bondmate's arda.

"As you wish, Commander." She was still softly smiling but then her features took on a more serious undertone. "The Reapers, Commander, what can you tell me of them?"

Silence was her answer. It was a long steady drawn out silence as the beating of the heart of a sleeping woman. "I can tell you a great deal, and I can show you more. Liara won't be joining us like I first thought but she has no issue of a meld should you initiate one." Shepard winced. "I've joined in melds with other asari other than my wife. Huntress Shiala, the Matriarchy—well some of them, Aria T'Loak. And though the last was consensual, she wasn't gentle in the means by which she took it." A heavy sigh followed. "So far sharing the visions hasn't been successful. The Matriarchy believes that I believe the reality of the Reapers, but not that the Reapers are a reality. Aria, well…it's a matter of time to see what pans out from that. Hopefully the Queen of Omega has some pull on Thessia."

"This may be self evident but why are you concentrating on the asari officials and not your own people?"

"In my experience humans are very easily dismissed as alarmists, provocateurs or whatever hundred credit word you can roll out to describe why the Council refuses to listen to us. But people listen to the asari; they pay attention to your people. Your people are seen as being intellectually superior and I just need a little of that superiority and commonsense sent my way. The plan is very simple, I get the asari to act on my warnings, other governments will see that proactively and it will motivate them to prepare for the arrival of the beings that have only one thing in mind—our destruction.

"Surely your Code has some kind of sutra that covers a situation like this. Something that makes someone in charge listen to the dangers and do something about it. I'll admit it, Samara, I'm becoming desperate, desperate enough to engage in very questionable alliances with the enemy because they are listening, and they are doing something about it."

Samara was as silent as Shepard had been. Then: "Show me the Reapers."

MEMEMEMEMEMEME

AN1: Janiris was one the servants / aids of Athame. On her holiday Janiris Eve which has been secularized. It is the Asari New Year's day and celebrates fertility (and celebrated close to St. Patrick's' day and some humans equate it to Valentines day as well ) Family, close friends, lovers and bondmates give each other leis as a symbol of affection. I added the bit of 'a messenger' just to equate mythos to Cupid. According to the Codex, the day is actively celebrated on the citadel