Ezmay had been sleeping peacefully, fingers curling and flexing over Garrus's fringe. His mind was drifting, touching on the fierce sex they'd had the night before. She'd been angry, and Garrus had found himself only too willing to oblige her some stress relief. He needed it as much as Ezmay though; He remembered shoving past her and shouting ancient turian words at the councilor through the hologram. The translation system didn't catch the antiquated syntax, the dialect used since the beginning of turian history.
'Your marks should be stripped from your plates! You act without honour!'
He was thankful that no one else but the turian councilor had caught that. Fortunately, everyone else was too busy bursting out and shouting in disbelief to also hear the councilor's hiss in reply.
'You spread your marks too freely.'
It enraged him every time he thought about it. How dare anyone accuse him of mating beneath himself? If anyone was mating below themselves it was Ezmay. After everything that she had given the universe and all that she had done…
But he quashed the thought. Garrus knew she hated dwelling on the racism and didn't give much weight to the opinions of idiots as she'd called them before. He supposed eventually he'd learn not to let it bother him so much.
Garrus slid his arms around Ezmay's waist, and flipped her over to her back. Her eyes popped open, and she smiled a lazy, indulgent smile at him. His talons roamed over her ribs, down over the smooth skin of her belly, and over the muted hipbones below layers of muscle. Damn, if the smooth landscape of her body didn't get him hot. He saw a human fetish in his future. There was something luxurious about all the skin and the feeling of rough claws digging into muscle. He was a pervert by nature; didn't bother telling Ezmay that because it would likely have different meanings in human culture. Now he feared that he was becoming deviant by turian standards. If he ever had a turian woman again, it just wouldn't feel the same. Wouldn't be as exciting.
Garrus lowered his head to her neck, and traced his talons down her arm much as he had the first time they'd met in her quarters. A contented purr started to build in him; his plates started to shift. He could feel Ezmay's face twist into another smile against his forehead. Below him, one of her legs snaked out to wrap around his waist, the burning heat of that intimate place between her thighs pressing against him, and making him groan. He resolved right then and there, with the heat of her sex burning against him, that he was going to bury himself within her and pleasure Ezmay until all thoughts of the Council had flown from her head. Until she couldn't think about anything but what new and interesting positions they could try.
At least, that was before the door of their rented room on the Citadel burst open and spewed forth C-Sec going all guns and ammo.
The pair lurched up, eyes flying wide open at the sudden noise, the shouting and yelling. Ezmay simultaneously reached for her pistol and yanked the sheet upwards to cover her nakedness. Garrus didn't care so much about modesty as he was up on his feet, plates shining and standing in all his naked glory. It was a little disconcerting having guns leveled at his chest while he stood there nude, no armour between him and anything they chose to fire at him. His erection was nearly completely hidden again, plates closing over it. Just as well. If this turned violent, he didn't want anything important getting shot off.
He knew they were coming, Ezmay knew…but they didn't expect to be interrupted like this. It was barely morning, and they'd expected a polite request for entry. Maybe a message over the intercom. Not a squad of C-Sec officers staring brazenly at Ezmay's nudity, and averting their eyes from Garrus's waist. He placed himself between her and the squad of human and turian officers. It didn't escape him, the looks of disgust on some of the turian faces. The lack of respect, the open disdain. Shanxi and the Relay 314 Incident were still fresh memories, no matter how much progress had been made since then. To find another turian enjoying the embrace of a human…Well…Garrus could just imagine what they were thinking.
"Stand down, Vakarian. We're here for Shepard."
Garrus's mandibles parted, and he snarled at them. He heard the slither of sheets as Ezmay stood behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her tucking the sheet around her breasts. She laid her hands on his forearm, moving forward to face the C-Sec squad. The white sheet was sheer enough that he could still see the pink-brown of her skin through the fabric.
"I think you can afford me a little time to get decent."
"Go ahead."
The guns were alarming. The mix of humans and turians never lowered their weapons. In fact, as Ezmay moved towards the bathroom, they raised them further.
"We can't let you out of sight, ma'am." The leader of the troop said, a sort of lecherous grin coming to his face. The rage began to boil in Garrus's gut. Did they actually think they were going to stand here and watch her get dressed?
"The hell you say." Garrus snapped.
"Where's Bailey?" Ezmay said, freezing where she stood, and leveling a glare at the human who seemed to be in charge. Garrus squinted, and read the patch on his armour. 'Benson.' He filed that information away for future reference.
"Bailey's not in charge of this. I am. Orders are to escort you directly to the Council."
"I'm sure your orders didn't specify that I be naked."
"Like I said. You can get dressed."
Ezmay's mouth tightened into a hard, thin line. Her eyes washed over the squad, perhaps twenty men, an odd assortment of species. At least one or two of them looked embarrassed. Garrus made a mental note not to kick everyone's ass later.
"Benson, I am not getting dressed in front of your men."
"Have it your way." Benson said, opening grinning now.
He took a step forward. It was, perhaps, a poor decision on Benson's part, because it was at that point that Garrus's memory became a little foggy. Luckily, he might have only thrown a punch at Benson, because he found himself restrained instead of lying in a pool of blood from a hail of bullets. Two C-Sec officers, one on either side of his held his arms, keeping him from rushing at Benson again. Ezmay was flanked between two other officers, one holding her upper arm while she held the sheet in place.
The young human sat on his ass, clutching at his jaw. The trickle of red blood seeping from his fingers made Garrus's heart roar with delight. There was an intense feeling of depersonalization; Garrus was outside of himself, watching from above his own fringe.
"See what this has come to! It's no better here than on Omega!" Garrus heard himself yelling.
"Garrus!" He heard her voice.
"You come in here like thugs! You're just mercs in fancy uniforms."
"GARRUS!" Ezmay's voice cut through him. Snapped him back into himself.
Benson struggled up to his face, swaying, helped by another officer. He spat blood at Garrus's feet in a way that told the turian that this wasn't over.
"Fine." His hands were still massaging his jaw. He must have walloped the insolent little bastard a good one. "You get five minutes. After that, we're dragging you both out piece by piece if we have to."
The C-Sec officer holding Ezmay let her go. A jerk of Benson's head towards the door and they all began to fall out, leaving Garrus alone with Ezmay. She rushed to him, turning his head to the right, and touching a wound that he didn't even realize he had.
"You stupid bastard. What were you trying to prove?" Her words were angry, but her voice spoke of something else entirely.
"That being disrespectful to you is a very bad idea." He said, turning his face back towards her. His claws slid up, through her hair, and cupping over her ear. Human men would kiss their partners in moments like this. Garrus settled for letting his claws scrape over Ezmay's scalp in a way that he knew she loved.
He would have hazarded everything in his bank account that the turian councilor had his claws in this. Now that Ezmay wasn't above the law, he could act as horribly as he wanted to her. Even when she was a Spectre, there had been that unspoken understanding that whatever she chose to do, she had the approval of the Council. Even if that meant going above their heads and acting implicitly against their orders, she still had their approval to do that.
"You pompous ass. I don't need you to stick up for me." The corner of her mouth twitched upwards.
This was true, but didn't change things between them. Didn't change the dynamics of their relationship. Ezmay might not have planned it out that way, but she'd still chosen a protective mate.
"Don't go all women's rights on me. You know I don't think that. I just had tactical advantage was all. They were all too busy chomping at the bit to see you naked."
The laughter exploded out of her as she moved away. They dressed in silence, landing little touches on each other as they moved about the room. Small contact eased the sudden tension that had sprung up.
They were out the door in three and a half minutes.
"Ezmay Gabrielle Shepard Vakarian, you are hereby stripped of Spectre status. You have been found guilty of all charges. Conduct unbecoming, aiding and abetting a known terrorist organization, aiding and abetting a known vigilante, and insubordination."
Garrus noted that the turian councilor didn't mention the part about mating. Weren't any laws against it. The heat of news cameras were burning into his eyes, and were drawing a sheen of sweat up on Ezmay's face. His heart ached for her. Personally, there wasn't much that fazed him anymore. But this…this had to be one of the most humiliating experiences of her life. First human awarded the status of Spectre and first to have it stripped away so quickly. Dammit…if Cerberus weren't so human-centric, he'd be urging her to sign up. The Illusive Man would hire her in a heartbeat.
"Do you have any final words before this meeting is adjourned?" The asari councilor asked her, emotionless. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ezmay bite at her lip. Probably trying to suppress what was really going through her head.
"I…I have served faithfully, loyally, and always in the best interests in the galaxy. You four know that." So, she was going to take a potshot after all. Anderson shifted uncomfortably to his left. If her words made him ill at ease, then he deserved it. Garrus cast a glance at Miranda. She looked bored, but he could recognize the nervous energy coiling and ready to spring within her. The loyalist stood with feet planted wider than normal, with her weight shifted towards the balls of her feet. It was almost daring-escape time.
"The Reapers are a very real threat, and I will continue to act in ways that promote the safety and peace of the galaxy. If you see fit to strip me of Spectre status because of my vested interest in protecting life as we know it, then I should have resigned a long time ago." She continued.
The Council might have thought that she was playing along, but Ezmay and Garrus both knew the truth of her words. They might as well have laughed in her face when she told them of Nihlus's death, of Ilos and Virmire. Even if she saved them all from the Reapers, it was going to be status quo forever. Endless bureaucracy and circlejerking. His plates felt like they were going to burn off of him, he was so angry.
"As you will, Shepard. You are to be remanded to C-Sec custody, pending transfer to a permanent holding facility."
"I don't bloody think so." Ezmay snapped. Her arm shot out, seizing Anderson by the collar, and jerking him over in front of her. A deadly, wicked little blade appeared in her hand, pressing close to the wrinkled brown skin. Quick as a snake, Garrus had his shotgun out and his back to her. He heard echoing footsteps as Miranda moved up. The electric crackle in the air heralded the biotic push that she launched at the Council. It was a marvel to him, the unplanned choreography landing each hit like it was all some master design. They'd worked together too long. Shimmering blue ballooned around them, Miranda mirroring the trick Samara had used on the Collector base to guard against the seeker swarms. No one knew if the biotic bubble would stop bullets, but no time like the present to experiment.
"I am leaving." Ezmay announced. "If anyone tries to stop me, so help me, I will gut this traitor and dance in his blood."
"Shepard!" Anderson gasped, sagging against her. The old man looked bewildered, irrevocably hurt.
"Shut up." She hissed. "I will kill you, Councilor Anderson. I'm not fucking playing along with this farce anymore. Fuck the mission. And fuck the Council."
She traded a glance with Garrus, who turned, keying up the radio to Joker.
"Engines hot?"
The pilot sounded terminally bored, though Garrus knew tension must have been singing through him.
"Scorching. There's C-Sec officers crawling all over the platform like a giant donut just docked."
Ezmay back them down, dragging Anderson towards the rapid transit hub that would carry them back to the Normandy. They were shadowed and watched every step of the way. The red shuttle that served this area of the Presidium opened up and Ezmay shoved Anderson inside. The three fugitives piled in, and Garrus held his shotgun on the old man.
"Never thought you were capable of this, Shepard."
Ezmay tilted her head up, peering at Anderson through the mirror. Was he seriously trying to start conversation with her, here, now? Was he going to give her a lecture? She jerked the controls, raising the shuttle up out of the traffic lanes.
"Anderson, why'd you recommend me to Nihlus? To Udina? Because I always get the job done?" Her voice was bitterness incarnate. "This is bigger than the Council. Bigger than the Alliance, the Hierarchy, the Hegemony, whatever."
"Going rogue? Or is this all part of the mission protocol you've chosen?"
Ezmay transferred the control to Miranda, who seemed intent on steering the shuttle all the way up to the damned Normandy herself. The ex-Spectre twisted in her seat, facing Anderson.
"What was the mission protocol again? Was it that C-Sec was supposed to bust into my room at the ass-crack of dawn and force me to do a reverse striptease in front of twenty men? Was that your idea? Or was it his?"
She referred, of course, to the turian councilor. Anderson looked properly appalled.
"I had no idea." The old man stared into Ezmay's face, who returned the look with a steely glare.
"Of course, you didn't." She didn't know whether to believe him or not.
Miranda had indeed taken the shuttle outside of the normal traffic routes, and through maintenance shafts mean for service vehicles. When they found the Normandy in dock, there were literally too many C-Sec officers for Garrus to count.
"Just steer this damn thing into the shuttle bay." Ezmay tapped a button on the console and spoke to Joker through the open comm. "Open up the shuttle bay and get us uncoupled from dock. We are out of here."
"Aye, ma'am."
"Councilor Anderson, I'm afraid you're coming with us for the time being."