The shuttle ride back to the operations center was a quiet one. Ashley sat crying with her head on Shepard's shoulder. Shepard had his arm around her trying to comfort her. He wasn't crying himself. He was more focused on what Vega had told him before he died. On the surface it didn't make sense. Even if Yuless lied about being a bodyguard it didn't mean he was working with Finch. Yuless was a salarian and Finch hated all aliens. There was no way Finch would let an alien help him.
Finch's info about his backer was the only reason Shepard could find a sensible explanation for it. When he stopped Dalatrass Linron's plot to wipe out the krogan, he found out that the backer was involved via word of mouth from Blue Suns commander Vido Santiago. Later he found that one of the turian members of the Blue Suns mercenary group had sent a message to an unknown recipient before he died from injuries he sustained during the fight. With Vido already dead by that point and the Dalatrass already in custody, Shepard figured the message went to the backer. This led him to conclude that the turian was a sleeper agent for the backer. It was now highly likely that Yuless was serving a similar role.
The shuttle pilot informed Shepard that they were about to land at the operations center. There was no doubt that by now everyone at the operations center had heard what happened to Vega and there would be no smiles waiting for them. Sure enough when Shepard and Ashley stepped off the shuttle, they were greeted by a lot of long faces. Everyone outside the shuttle saluted Shepard and Ashley when they were off the shuttle. Shepard and Ashley returned the salutes and everyone held their salutes for a minute to observe a moment of silence for Vega. When the salutes were dropped, Shepard and Ashley made their way to main tent.
Inside Shepard and Ashley were greeted by the sight of Yuless strapped to a chair in the center of the tent. He didn't even look up when Shepard and Ashley entered but Shepard could see that there were some fresh bruises on his face. Surrounding Yuless were four Alliance soldiers. Each one was armed with either a shotgun or assault rifle. One of the soldiers was the lieutenant that doubted Shepard's HALO jump plan. When he saw Shepard and Ashley enter, he called everyone to attention and saluted. Shepard and Ashley returned the salutes.
"Did the prisoner give you some trouble?" Shepard asked after the salutes were dropped and while pointing to the bruises on Yuless' face.
"Yes sir," the lieutenant replied, "when we went to make the arrest, he tried to run. I think this guy either is or was with the salarian STG (Special Tasks Group). It took four of us to get him on the ground and in handcuffs."
"Did you find anything on him?"
"Not 'on him' but we did discover something big when we checked his omni-tool. The techs confirmed that his omni-tool was the source of the signals that were keeping them out of the lockdown protocols. In fact his omni-tool was not only synced with lockdown protocols, but also the camera and sprinkler systems. If I had to guess I would say he was also the one who detonated the bomb that started the fire"
Shepard angrily stared at Yuless. What the lieutenant had said confirmed what he had suspected when Vega told him about Yuless' lie. Yuless was the one responsible for every bad thing that happened after he first captured Finch in the throne room. The sprinklers going off, the bomb detonating, the lockdown being initiated, and most importantly he was responsible for Vega's death.
"There was one thing that we couldn't explain however," continued the lieutenant, "according to his omni-tool, he also hacked into the Reds comm. jammer. He was jamming every attempt by the Reds to begin the execution broadcast that the leader boasted about."
The lieutenant's last comment made Shepard confused. Yuless jamming the Reds broadcast signal did explain why Shepard and Vega were easily able to save the hostages in the throne room. The time it took them to fight their way from the ballroom to the throne was more than enough time for Finch to start the broadcast and carry out the executions. But with Yuless jamming the signal, it bought Shepard and Vega enough time to save everyone.
But it also raised yet another question. The way Shepard understood things, the mystery backer offered to help Finch with his plan to take the palace and broadcast the executions. So why would Yuless, the backer's sleeper agent, intentionally jam the broadcast signal effectively saving the hostages? That was what Shepard was going to have to ask Yuless. He walked up to Yuless and crouched down so that he was eye level with Yuless. Yuless still didn't look up at Shepard.
"You heard everything the lieutenant said right Yuless?" Shepard asked. "It doesn't look good for you. You are responsible for the death of an Alliance marine. A lot of the soldiers outside this tent and maybe some of the ones that are in here are going to want your head. I can't say I blame them. I want it too but fortunately for you there is someone whose head I want more than yours: your employer. If you tell me who it is and where they are, I promise that I will see to it that you don't face the death penalty for what you've done."
For the first time since Shepard stepped into the tent, Yuless looked up and locked eyes with him. An evil smile appeared on his face and he started laughing menacingly.
"Then what would you do?" he chuckled. "Would you run charging to their base and kill them?"
"If they leave me no choice then I will. But I would prefer to bring them in alive to face trial for what they've done."
"Well good luck with that. You have no idea who you are dealing with. It's kind of funny, the great Captain Shepard stumbling around in the dark without a clue as to what is going on. That only proves that my boss is more powerful than you can imagine. The endgame is coming Shepard and I'm afraid it's not going to end well for you. So I suggest that you and your wife enjoy the little time that you have left."
Yuless nodded towards Ashley when he made his last statement and then began to make a subtle maniacal laugh. Ashley looked to Shepard and saw that his face was turning red. He looked like a boiling volcano ready to erupt. Yuless' laugh growing in volume certainly wasn't helping the situation. Ashley stepped forward to put a hand on Shepard's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. But she was too late. Shepard snapped and lunged at Yuless grabbing him by the throat. Yuless continued to laugh the entire time.
"NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he shouted. "GIVE ME THE NAME OF YOUR BOSS OR SO HELP ME I'LL…!"
Shepard didn't have a chance to finish his statement. Yuless had suddenly stopped laughing and was now foaming at the mouth. He instantly realized what was wrong. Yuless had taken a cyanide capsule. He quickly took off Yuless' restraints and helped him out of the chair and down to the ground.
"WILLIAMS GET A MEDIC NOW!" he shouted.
Ashley raced out of the tent to find a medic while Shepard did what he could to try to keep Yuless alive. Unfortunately it only took him a few seconds to realize that any first aid was pointless. He felt Yuless' neck but couldn't find a pulse. He turned around just in time to see the medic entering the tent. The medic was about to work on Yuless when he noticed Shepard shaking his head. It was too late. Yuless was dead.
Several hours after everything was secure at Buckingham Palace, Shepard and Ashley were on board the Normandy heading for the Citadel. After everything that happened in London, it was hard for them to go back to their cabin and continue their anniversary celebration in Alaska. As a result they decided to end their vacation early and head back to their home on the Citadel. The Normandy crew attempted to have an impromptu anniversary party for Shepard and Ashley but neither of them was in a party mood. However they did allow the crew to have a toast of champagne to celebrate their anniversary.
Immediately after the toast, Shepard ordered all the crew to get into their dress uniforms and meet at the memorial wall on the crew deck to have a memorial for Vega. Once everyone was gathered, Shepard stepped forward and placed a plaque with Vega's name on its spot on the wall. He then took a step back and saluted. The rest of the crew did the same. As everyone stood at attention, all Shepard could think about was how discomforting it was to see the wall with another name added. Even with the Reaper War being over for nearly two years, four names had been added during that time.
Shepard turned to address the crew when the salutes were dropped, "I first met Lieutenant-Commander James Vega when he was assigned to be my guard while I was under house arrest for what happened in the Bahak system. Shortly after that was when the Reapers invaded. Vega wanted to stay and fight but I insisted that we had to go to the Council to get help for the fight. Even though he eventually agreed with me, I did appreciate his willingness to stay and fight. We both were born on Earth and we each shared a strong desire to fight for the safety of our home world. I guess that's one thing that helped me relate to him quickly. When Vega was first offered his N7 commendation, he was unsure of whether to take it or not so he came to me for advice. As great a soldier as he was, he had doubts about accepting the commendation. He had a rough spot in his career where he was on mission that resulted in the death of all but one of his squad. He didn't know if he could someday accept the mantle of command again. After I gave him a pep talk, he accepted the commendation and from what I could tell in London during our mission at the palace, he was well on his way to becoming a great commander. I only regret that we no longer have the chance to see just how great he could have been. Rest in peace Vega, the galaxy is lesser for your loss."
After Shepard finished the eulogy, he dismissed the crew. While the crew headed back to their posts, Shepard remained behind to look at the wall a little longer. It was something he did every time a new name was added to it. He preferred to have some alone time with all his fallen comrades. When his crewmember Kaiden Alenko was killed on Virmire, Shepard told Ashley that whenever he lost someone, he would make a promise to that person that he would always remember them and strive to do better for them. That was what he was doing now for Vega. Shepard just finished his promise when he felt Ashley's hand on his shoulder. He turned towards her and the two embraced.
"You know that I'll help you keep your promise however I can right?" she said.
"I know Ash," Shepard replied, "thank you."
"Are you ready to go up to our cabin?"
"Not yet. I have some final business to take care of regarding London. You go on ahead. I promise I'll be up shortly."
They kissed and Shepard watched Ashley as she got on the elevator and headed up to the captain's cabin. Once the elevator doors closed, Shepard walked over to what used to be Ashley's executive officer's quarters. After Shepard and Ashley had gotten married, Ashley moved all her personal items out of the XO quarters and now she and Shepard shared the captain's cabin. The XO office was also remodeled so that it no longer served as living quarters. Now it served as a double office suite that both Shepard and Ashley used when they were on duty.
In the office Shepard sat down behind his desk and used his terminal to patch a call through to his friend Liara T'Soni. Before leaving the palace, Shepard sent a message to Liara asking for her help as the Shadow Broker. He trusted the Alliance investigators who were trying to determine how the hostage crisis was able to occur but he knew that Liara had access to information that the Alliance would never be able to get on their own. He asked Liara to find out everything she could about Yuless and to figure out how Finch and his men were able to get jobs at the palace despite their criminal records. Shortly after putting through the call, Shepard was greeted by Liara's image on his terminal.
"Shepard," she greeted, "according to my clock it is still your anniversary. I know it hasn't been one but Happy Anniversary."
"Thanks Liara," Shepard said, "I'll be sure to pass your wishes to Ashley. Did you have any luck with those requests I asked you about in my message?"
"Yes and no. It turns out that one thing Yuless didn't lie to you about was his name. According to his records he was with the STG for a few years but he was kicked out when it was discovered that he was stealing credits that his team recovered on their raids. Unfortunately after his discharge he literally seemed to disappear. I can't find any signs of what he did between his discharge and you finding him at the palace."
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We didn't find much on the turian sleeper agent from the Dalatrass' plot."
"Unfortunately I also had mixed success trying to figure out how Finch and his men got into the palace. I looked into the company that did the background checks when they applied for jobs at the palace. They were a fairly respectable company that the Alliance used many times in the past."
"Were?"
"That's where the mixed success comes into play. The company just folded up shop around the time the crisis in London began. According to a statement from the company, they couldn't stay in business because of a sudden loss of funds. I checked their finances and sure enough, one minute the company was doing well and the next the money was just gone. When the company folded, all their records were wiped so I can't find out who did the checks for Finch and his men."
Shepard rubbed his chin as he thought about what Liara said, "that might have been the point. From what we've been able to determine about this mystery backer, they are very powerful and well-funded. They could have been a major contributor of the background check company and reached out to whoever did the check on Finch and his men and paid them off to pass them. Then once the crisis had begun, the backer pulls their funding which is just enough to shut the company down and the records get destroyed before anyone has a chance to make the connection."
"That sounds logical but there is no way for me to find out for sure. The majority of the financers gave their money anonymously. Yet another way the backer is covering their tracks. I'll be honest Shepard. This backer is really starting to get on my nerves."
"Me too Liara, but what really bothers me is what Yuless said before he died. He was right about me. I've been trying to catch this backer for almost two years and I still am no closer to figuring out who it is or what they're planning. Worse still, according to Yuless the endgame of the backer's plan is coming."
"How is that possible? In the first place, I just can't see how a coup to overthrow the batarian government, a plot to start a war with the krogan and a hostage crisis could possibly build up to anything. Secondly you stopped each one on those plots. How could the endgame still be coming if each step building up to it failed?"
"I don't know but we need to find out. Identifying the backer is now my top priority. Whatever this backer's endgame is needs to be stopped. I'm sure that once I explain this to Councilor Hackett he will get the Council and the Alliance to let me take some time to look into this on my own. Obviously Ashley will want to help as well. What about you Liara? Can I count on your support?"
"You have to ask Shepard? You do what you need to do. Meanwhile I'll continue to pour all my resources into trying to identify the backer. If you find any information that will help, let me know and I will be ready to analyze it."
"Thanks Liara, Shepard out."
When Liara's image vanished from the terminal, Shepard sat back in his chair and turned it so he could look out the window. Looking at the empty void of space was both a way for him to relax and something he did to help him think. This time however, it wasn't doing either. He couldn't get the backer out of his mind and he kept coming up blank trying to figure out how to identify them. He hadn't told Liara but there was another reason why he wanted the backer stopped though he was sure she knew what it was. Vega was now the third friend he had lost because of the backer's plans. Aside from stopping the backer's endgame, he wanted to ensure that Vega, Zaeed and Grunt got the justice they deserved.
With nothing more for him to do in the office, Shepard headed up to his cabin. Ashley was already asleep when he entered. Shepard couldn't help but smile when he saw her. Ashley looked so peaceful. As he put on his pajamas, Shepard thought about the promise he made her when they left their cabin in Alaska. Investigating the backer was still a priority but he owed Ashley a proper celebration of their first anniversary. Shepard climbed into bed trying not to wake Ashley. He realized he didn't succeed as he felt Ashley turn over and place one arm across his chest. He took her hand and turned his head to see Ashley smiling at him.
"Do you want to talk about what your final business was?" she asked.
"Yeah but not now," Shepard replied, "we have a lot of work ahead of us but it can wait. Tomorrow I'm giving you the proper anniversary celebration I promised. So tell me Mrs. Shepard, what do you want to do?"
"All I want Mr. Shepard is for us to go home and just have a day to ourselves."
Shepard smiled, "if that's what you want then that is what you'll get. Once we're back on the Citadel we'll lock ourselves in our apartment for the day and not answer any calls. It will be just you and me."
"Sounds perfect, I love you."
"I love you too Ash."
The lone figure sat in their office in an underground bunker watching Alliance News Network reporter Diana Allers reporting on the resolution of the hostage crisis in London. According to the report, all terrorists involved in the crisis had been killed and none of the hostages were hurt. The palace had been severely damaged by the fire but workers commented that repairs would begin immediately. Allers then went on to say that the Council and the Alliance were both quoted saying that they wished to thank all the Alliance soldiers involved with the rescue and that their hearts went out to the friends and family of Lieutenant-Commander James Vega, the marine who perished in the fire.
The figure shut off the television and used an intercom on their desk and asked for someone to come into their office. A few minutes later, the door opened and an asari and a human male entered the office. Both of them were wearing full combat armor. The asari smiled when she saw the figure. The human seemed indifferent about being in the office.
"You wanted to see us Boss?" the asari asked.
"Yes," the figure replied, "I'm happy to say that phase three was a success. It's time for us to begin making preparations for the final phase."
"That is excellent news Boss. What do you need us to do?"
The figure reached into a drawer in their desk and pulled out a datapad.
"This is a list of our final targets and it assigns one of you two to each one."
The asari whistled when they read the list, "these are some pretty important targets Boss."
"They are the most important targets of the plan. All of our previous objectives have been building up to these. You know what to do."
The asari nodded and was about to turn to leave when the human grabbed her by the arm and stopped her. The asari looked at him and her smile faded. She looked at the human nervously and shook her head. The human ignored her and walked up to the figure's desk.
"We need to talk about one more thing Boss," he said.
"Oh?" the figure said feigning surprise.
"I understand that our salarian friend didn't survive the operation. Now I don't know about you but I'm beginning to see a pattern. Every operative that goes out on one of your operations doesn't seem to survive. I just want to know how I can be sure that it won't happen to me if I continue helping you with this plan of yours."
"I can't believe you would ask me that. After all some of the preparations we need to make for the final phase don't just help me but they also will help you with your own goals. I would think that would earn some trust towards me. Besides you know why each one of our friends died. Our batarian friend failed his operation, our turian friend sacrificed himself to ensure his operation succeeded and our salarian friend was about to be arrested. If you don't want to worry about ending up like them, all you have to do is ensure that you do your job and you do it right."
"With all due respect Boss, I don't find that very reassuring. I appreciate your help with my goals but I would prefer to repay you in a way that doesn't risk my life. Until you figure out some way for me to do that, my cooperation ends here."
The figure sat back in their chair tapping their fingertips together. They looked like they were contemplating the human's ultimatum. The human smiled thinking he had succeeded in making his point. He turned to the asari and gestured towards the door. The asari reluctantly made their way to the door with the human right behind her.
Just when the asari and human turned to leave, a blue glow began to emanate from the figure. The figure rose from their chair and raised one arm and pointed it towards the human. Suddenly the human began to glow blue and rose off the ground. The human, initially unsure of what was happening, began to panic and called for the asari to help him but the asari merely turned around so as not to see what happened next. The figure flicked their arm toward the wall and the human followed suit crashing into the wall hard enough that a small but noticeable impact crater appeared. The human fell to the floor groaning in pain.
The figure stepped away from their desk and walked over to where the human lay. They raised their arm again and this time slowly closed their hands like they were squeezing something. The human suddenly reached for their throat and began making choking sounds. The figure continued making the squeezing motion with their hand as they knelt down next to the human whose face was slowly turning blue due to lack of air.
"Let's get one thing straight," the figure growled, "I don't need you, you need me. I could easily choke the life out of you right now with my biotics. I could even rip you in half if I wanted to but I would prefer to keep you alive. But if you won't cooperate with me then I will gladly kill you and find someone who is more willing to help. Do I make myself clear Corporal?"
The human frantically nodded. The figure opened their hand and the human started breathing again. He took a few quick breaths which brought the color back in his face. Once he was breathing easier, he quickly got up from the ground and ran out the door. The asari bowed respectfully to the figure and followed the human out of the room.
The figure returned to their desk and pulled out a datapad that had an image labeled Captain Shepard, Alliance Navy. They stared at the image for a few seconds when a ringing sound came from their terminal. The figure pushed a button and saw that they had a new audio message. According to the identification signature, the message was from someone named Morrison. They clicked on it and were greeted by a female voice.
"It's me, if I didn't know any better I would say that you're ignoring your boss' calls. You do remember your boss right? Although considering the fact that you haven't come into work for the last few days I wouldn't be surprised if you don't. However your absences are not the main reason I'm calling. We've had another irregularity appear in our finances this week. This is the third one in the last few years. You're the chief financial officer so I'm blaming these irregularities on you. Now I can't keep letting these inconstancies slide. Find out where my credits are going. Otherwise I will have no choice but to let you go."
"Dammit," the figure said as they slammed a fist on the terminal's keyboard causing the message to close. A look at the recent message list showed that there were other messages that came from the company. They all were about the same thing. The one they had listened to was the third one that had come from Morrison herself. The figure rubbed their forehead as if to tend a headache. It was obvious that something was going to need to be done about Morrison sooner or later.
The figure decided that sooner would be better. The longer they waited, the greater the risk that there plans would be uncovered and thwarted. And there was no way the figure was going to allow that. Not when they were so close to success. The figure reached over and pushed a button on the intercom. The asari came back into the room shortly after.
"Yes Boss," she said.
"I need to add one more target to your list," the figure replied.
END OF PART 3