Shepard tugged the grate off with a grunt, falling back onto her heels. She set the grate aside and got back to her knees, peering into the dark shaft. "Are you sure about this, Tali?" she asked skeptically. Even in her lycra catsuit, it would be a tight fit.

"Positive. Follow the shaft to the right, then left, and it will end on the roof of the floor below," the quarian replied through her omnitool. "I'll have a car waiting for you on the roof."

Shepard smirked. "See you on the other side," she murmured, crawling into the vent. She had been right, it was tight. The pistol on her hip banged against the shaft with every move she made and she was sure even the officers outside could hear. She pulled herself around the first bend and wiped her brow on the back of her hand. These damn vents were hot… Is everyone and their varren running the heat? she wondered sulkily as a drop of sweat slid down the back of her neck. Something thumped below her and she jumped, slamming her head into the top of the vent. Stars exploded behind her eyes and she inhaled sharply through her teeth, pressing a hand to her temple. Maybe she just needed a helmet… She slipped around the last bend and sighed when she caught the twinkle of the Presidium through the crate at the end.

It took a few tries, but on the third kick, the grate flew off and Shepard dropped out onto the roof. Sure enough, a car waited, hovering a few yards away, its windows tinted dark. Fancy. Shepard brushed herself off and approached as the passenger door opened without a sound.

"Shepard," Tali greeted with a smile that made her eyes sparkle within her helmet.

"I was wondering how we would manage this," Shepard quipped as she slid in beside the quarian, "I knew I paid you for a reason."

Tali laughed lightly and the car took off, sleek and silent through the air as she swung the vehicle around. The slightest shift of the throttle and they took off, flying past signs and alleys as they wove through the Presidium's back streets.

"Out of curiosity, who paid for this thing?" Shepard asked as the Family Headquarters came into view.

"You did," Tali replied smoothly, landing the car lightly on the roof. "And good thing too. I'll leave the keys. You and I are the only ones who can get up here, so you can use it to come and go from your apartment." The quarian gracefully climbed out of the car and gestured toward the door. "Welcome back, Illusive Man."

"Good to be back," Shepard replied with a grin, sauntering through the doors and into the private elevator. Tali fell in beside her and Shepard leaned back against the wall. "What's happened while I was gone?"

"Lieutenant Williams has identified several of our number who had helped Spectre Alenko get inside, but I don't think we have the whole picture, and Williams agrees. There's someone else."

Shepard frowned, but nodded. She still had her ace in the hole…

"Several Cerberus defectors arrived yesterday seeking to join us. It seems something shook them up…"

Now Shepard laughed. While Tali had been finding her escape route, Shepard had been going through the intel on the datapads Liara had sent. And the one from Lawson's line was exactly what she'd hoped. "So it would seem… Where are they now?"

"Lieutenant Williams had them separated and put in holding cells, to be questioned at the earliest convenience."

Thorough. "Good. Anything else?"

"Sidonis requested a new transport. Seems he had a run-in with C-Sec," Tali huffed. "Nothing solid, he claims, but he wants to dump it before C-Sec has a chance to trace it."

Shepard's expression fell and she crossed her arms, ignoring the insistent throb where her skull had hit the window of Garrus's car. "Oh I'm well aware… Have him brought to my office straightaway."

"Yes, ma'am, but… What should I tell Williams?"

"Nothing for now," Shepard replied, stepping out when the doors opened, "Just tell her I'm back and will request her presence soon."

Tali nodded and Shepard watched her disappear before starting down the hidden hallway; it was a narrow, dimly lit space, yet it never felt dark, or scary. It was familiar. The hallway opened to the Illusive Man's apartment and Shepard smiled at her home as she wandered through. Someone had put new candles around the room and they still burned cheerily. Only one thing was missing…

Shepard shook the thought away and strode into the office, opening the armor locker with the press of her hand. Even ill-fitting, the armor felt right, and Shepard sunk gratefully into her chair behind the Illusive Man's massive desk. Here, she ruled. Here, she did not hide. Here, she bowed to no one. I'm back, not even C-Sec guards can stop me.

"Sidonis to see you, sir," Tali's voice interrupted her thoughts and Shepard took a breath.

"Excellent, send him in."

The turian that entered was smaller than Garrus, his purple clan markings less flattering to his face than the Detective's blue ones. He wrung his hands as he approached, and Shepard could see weakness in the set of his shoulders. Not a man, but a cog in a machine.

"Sidonis, thank you for coming. I'm told you require a new transport." She paused and steepled her fingers. "Care to explain?"

Sidonis swallowed visibly and shifted his weight awkwardly between his feet. "Well, sir, I, uh… I was on my way to pick up the Armali Shipment, since it came through, and this C-Sec guy comes out of nowhere. Hit my transport and crashed. I didn't stick around—I don't think they saw me—but I don't want them to tie the transport back to us."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"I… I don't know, sir."

"I see. Were there witnesses?"

"I don't… know… sir."

Shepard sighed and sat back, crossing her arms. "I do. No one was seriously injured, though there were several witnesses, including the passenger in the patrol car." She paused, letting that sink in before continuing, "She didn't see anything, nor did anyone else, but they all say something very intriguing. Would you like to hear it?"

Sidonis looked like he wanted to say no, but nodded. Without warning, Shepard shot to her feet and slammed a fist onto the desk.

"You hit that C-Sec car! You were reckless, playing fast and loose with my shipment, my money, and hit that C-Sec car. If the cop hadn't seen you, you would have killed them both, and C-Sec would be down our throats." She took a long breath, visibly seething even within the armor. "Now, C-Sec thinks we're trying to kill some business woman for supporting C-Sec. This is not the kind of attention we need right now."

"But… but no one saw—"

"No one saw you, but the car you hit was being driven by the detective now very close to being responsible for stopping us. Combined with his VIP passenger, and some news sources have started spreading the idea." She sat back down, both hands flat on the desk to hide the way her rage made them shake. "Sidonis, I am not happy," she continued, "and I'm having a very hard time coming up with a compelling reason not to have you forcibly shipped to Omega to work the eezo mines."

That made him stand ramrod straight, and Shepard could see his eyes go wide. "Sir, I can fix this, I swear!"

"No, Sidonis, you can't," she retorted, "But you can make it right. Earn your place here. Can you do that?"

"Y-Yes, sir. Yes," he said quickly, nodding, and Shepard grinned.

Good. "Find me men. Get me troops, runners, agents, anything. Find me people. Trustworthy people. Can you manage that?"

"Yes, sir! I'll start right now, you won't regr—"

"I'd better not. I don't tolerate failure. Dismissed."

He all but ran out the door and she chuckled quietly. "Tali, please send for Lieutenant Williams."

"Right away, sir." Shepard could hear the amusement in her voice.

Now to sit and wait… Sidonis would replenish their numbers once Williams finished cleaning house, she was sure of that. Nothing quite motivated the peons like a healthy dose of terror.

Williams… That might actually be more difficult than she thought… The Lieutenant's confession about her father had gotten Shepard thinking, and now there was a niggling worry in the back of her mind…

If there was anything to say about Williams, it was that she was prompt. Shepard would have said "punctual", except that her summons were always unplanned. "Lieutenant, thank you for coming," Shepard greeted from behind her desk, "I understand you've been busy in my absence."

Williams knew better than to ask where she'd been. "Yes, sir. Using Ms. Zorah's most recent diagnostics, I was able to identify and detain several people who had been leaking information." She frowned. "Unfortunately, none of them know how Spectre Alenko snuck in."

Shepard nodded slowly. "I'm impressed," she admitted, "It seems you were just the person for this job. Have they said anything useful?"

"A bit. They're still being held. I assumed you had a plan for them."

"I do indeed…" And it won't be pleasant. "Tali informed me that several Cerberus defectors sought us out, and they are being held?"

"Separately, yes," Williams confirmed with a nod, "Though we can't figure why. They keep saying something about making amends, that they never agreed to the plan, that Lawson was wrong…"

Shepard chuckled. "I can explain that, though I do need something from you first."

"And what's that, sir?"

"The truth." She stood and paced the length of her desk. "You said your father surrendered at Shanxi. Understandably, your feelings about aliens is less than friendly." She held up a hand. "That's not an accusation, nor is it my concern. Believe whatever you wish. But I need to know if that gives you any sympathy with our Cerberus friends."

"Permiss—" Williams caught herself and swallowed as Shepard paced back the other way, prowling like a caged lion. "The aliens aren't my friends, you're right, but Cerberus is a bunch of terrorists. I don't trust aliens, but I don't want them all dead. So no, sir, I don't."

Shepard nodded. "Good. Would you like to see why our guests have defected?"

Williams raised a brow curiously and nodded, crossing her arms loosely over her stomach. Shepard opened a vidscreen between them, letting the file play.

Sirens and warning lights flared around the room as Lawson glanced back over her shoulder. "All units, we are under attack by an unknown—" The body of one of her guards fell through the doorway, his neck snapped so violently that his head was backwards. "Shit! An unknown enemy has infiltrated headquarters, all units respond and—" A green hand reached around and covered her mouth, another pressed a gun to her side. Lawson's eyes went wide and she froze.

"You know why I'm here," the gravelly voice of Thane Krios said, though he was careful to keep his face out of the camera's sight, "And you know who sent me. Do not scream, do not try to run, and your death will be swift."

When his hand left her mouth, Lawson took a long breath. "The Illusive Man sent you?"

"He did." Krios stepped back, and the gun moved to settle at the back of her neck.

"He killed Rawlings?"

"Your spy? Yes. He was a message."

"Will he accept my surrender?"

"No."

Krios fired and Lawson crumbled, falling onto the desk, her eyes dull and unseeing, staring through the camera as blood spread. The assassin folded his hands and bowed his head, and Shepard closed the video. Williams stared for another moment, arms hanging limp at her sides, before taking a deep breath and shifting her weight back forward again.

"I see." The Lieutenant locked her hands behind her back and straightened. "What should we do with them?"

Shepard smiled within her helmet. If there was one thing she'd give the Alliance, it was that they followed orders well. "Ask them about Lawson. Compare it to what we know. See if they know anything about the leak. If they pass that, partner them with someone we trust as a trial run." Shepard exaggerated her grimace and let it slip into her posture. "I don't like it, but we need the men. And so long as they've put the human supremacy behind them, we can make use of them."

"Understood, sir. Would you prefer to be involved in their interrogations?"

"Some. However, I trust your judgment."

"You'll receive a list of those who pass."

"And those who don't?"

"I'll leave that up to you, sir."

Shepard grinned and returned to her seat. "Good answer, Lieutenant. Carry on."

Williams turned stiffly and left, and Shepard's grin widened behind the helmet. Good, let it spread… If everyone knew what had happened to Lawson, then no one would dare betray her again. In fact… "Tali," she all but purred into her omnitool, "I have something the Citadel needs to see."

"Vakarian!"

Garrus winced. The fact that he could hear Pallin through his closed door told him just how badly the conversation was going to go for him. He lurched up from his desk and started for the door, in time to see it open.

"Pallin wants—"

"I know, Chellick," he huffed. The video had barely finished playing before call lines had started ringing. Pallin was livid, no doubt. Not about the murder, of course—Cerberus was almost universally hated—but because the Illusive Man was still ruling, right under their noses. And they want to know why you haven't done anything. It was more complicated than that, but that didn't matter to Pallin or the Council. Chellick's contacts were slow to trust him—which he understood, though it vexed him inexorably—and they'd all but gone silent since Wong's report had been broadcast. He just couldn't win…

"Explain yourself," Pallin seethed as soon as Garrus entered. The turian and salarian councilors stood beside him and Garrus swallowed thickly. Damn…

"No one saw this coming, sir. There was nothing in our intel that—"

"They killed Spectre Alenko. It was only a matter of time before they clashed. That, however, is not why we're here," the salarian councilor interrupted. "This all occurred under your radar. We want to know how."

Garrus stiffened, mandibles snapping tight to his face. "My predecessor's contacts have been slow to trust me, even slower since Citadel News plastered my face all over the extranet. I just need time."

"Your time is finite, Detective. If you can't make any headway, then the Council will find someone who can," the turian councilor informed him brusquely. Both politicians went to leave, but the turian councilor paused. "Your father worked this case as well, did he not?"

Garrus held down a rumble of contempt and nodded once. "He did."

"Pity. We had hoped you would have more success." And with that, they were gone, leaving Garrus to bask in the ire that rolled off Pallin in tangible waves.

"I don't need to tell you how important it is that you get off your ass and find something," the Executor finally growled. "Get out."

And Garrus did, retreating back to the solitude of his office and locking the door. Alone, he let out a long, frustrated sigh, desperately wishing he could shoot something. Ideally, the Illusive Man in the head. He'd been chasing every lead he could find, bribing every contact and whistle blower that crawled out of the shadows, but no one, it seemed, could get him inside. Whoever had helped the Spectre was probably long gone…

His omnitool pinged and he glowered at it, reading the source twice before it registered as an encrypted line. His pulse sped up and he opened the line quickly.

"Hello?"

"I have something you want, Detective," a digital voice intoned disjointedly, "Be at Kithoi dock at 0400 tomorrow."

"Wait, who—"

The line went dead and he could only stare at his wrist before swallowing and opening a new line. "Lang, I've got… something. I need a team in my office."

Shepard sipped delicately from her glass of wine, reclined on the gargantuan sofa in her apartment. When her omnitool pinged, she didn't even look at it.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Shepard, Commander Nelson. The team you hired has a visual on the ship. Do you want them to engage?"

"Yes. Board and secure the vessel. But Dr. Saleon is to be brought back to the Citadel alive. I've arranged for C-Sec to pick him up."

"Ms. Shepard, it would be easier for my men to deal with him."

"No. It's imperative that the doctor be returned to the Citadel." She paused and added, "However, if he were to sustain a few bumps during transport…"

"Understood, ma'am," Nelson replied, and she could tell he was smiling. She liked Nelson; he was a man she could work with: thorough, loyal—when paid—and unencumbered by an overabundance of principles.

"Thank you, Commander. As always, Hyperion can count on my business."

"A pleasure as always. Lieutenant Vega will be returning to your offices upon completion of his assignment."

"Thank you. I'll send a payment for the remainder of this contract. Give the men my best, Commander."

"Of course."

The call ended and Shepard smiled, tucking her legs under herself and cradling her wine glass against her chin. The pieces were beginning to fall into place… Cerberus was dying, the leaks in her organization were being filled, she'd gotten rid of her C-Sec guards… And soon, C-Sec will be off my doorstep. She chuckled quietly to herself and turned to watch the world fly past her window. Soon… So soon. She could almost taste it…

She took another sip of wine and sighed contentedly.

"Unencumbered by an overabundance of principles" might be my favorite description.