Shepard left the hospital and double-timed it back to the Normandy. "Commander," Joker greeted, "good timing. We were about to send a search party."

"Sorry, got a bit delayed." She lowered her voice. "Ran into Thane at the hospital."

"Thane?" Joker looked up. "What was he-" Realization spread across his face. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Shit."

Shepard nodded. "Yeah." She started down the corridor, then turned back. "So if we're in such a big hurry, why aren't we moving?"

Joker looked over his shoulder. "I was just messing with you, Commander. We've got time. Besides, not like they can start without us."

Shepard hurried to her quarters and showered, then pulled up her email as she slipped into her dress blues. Sure enough, there was the message from Thane, as well as a meeting request from Aria T'loak and a request for help with Spectre business. They'd have to come back her as soon as they were done on Sur'kesh, she realized. At least she'd be able to let the crew have a little shore leave while she was working.

She let her eyes close as she buttoned her jacket and it was a sweet relief. She'd been going all out for nearly twenty hours. Sleep would be a welcome luxury. She dropped into her desk chair, relaxing in the coolness of the soft leather. Just five minutes...

Joker's voice on the apartment's loudspeaker startled her awake. "Commander, You'd better get down here." She frantically glanced at the clock on her terminal. She'd been asleep for nearly an hour. "Wrex and Dalatrass Linron are already aboard."

"Damnit! I thought you said they wouldn't start without me."

"Not without the Normandy. It being the venue and all. They don't seem to be waiting on you, though."

She sighed. "On my way, then. Time for some fancy talk."

Shepard hurried down to the conference room. "You think the Krogan are your pets? Your caged varren?" Wrex was saying. "For you to release whenever you're in trouble and then leave to rot once you're through with us? We've got Reapers on Tuchanka, too. What do I care if they wipe out a few Turians."

The Primarch raised a hand. "Wrex, this isn't getting us anywhere. I'm willing to work withyou. Just tell us what you want." For all his earlier protestations against leadership, Victus was holding his own leading the meeting in her absence.

Wrex leaned over the table, his red eyes piercing the atmosphere of the small room. "I'll tell you what I need. A cure for the genophage."

The Dalatrass shook her head. "That is out of the question."

Shepard turned to her. "Why are you so opposed to this?"

"Because we know what they're capable of. The Salarians uplifted the Krogan. We saw what happened when they were unleashed."

Wrex turned away from the Dalatrass. "You used us to fight the Rachni for you. It was Krogan blood that was spilled, Krogan strength that won that war. And you repaid us with slow genocide."

"The genophage was the only way to keep your urges in check!" the dalatrass responded. Shepard clenched her fists beneath the table but managed to keep her expression neutral. Wrex didn't bother to try. He stared angrily across the table, but didn't speak.

Victus did. "Dalatrass, whether you like it or not, Wrex has a point. Insulting him isn't going to change that."

The Dalatrass refused to give up. "I'm not going to apologize for the truth. We uplifted to Krogan for one thing, to wage war. It's all they know because it's all we wanted them to know."

Shepard forgot any pretense of neutrality. "So you played god and it came back to bite you in the ass. That's not my problem. The Reapers are." She turned to Wrex. "And yes, we need the Krogan to help fight them. All they're wanting in return is a chance to be allowed to find their own way, without interference. It's been a long time since the rebellions, and the genophage."

"One thousand, four hundred and seventy-six years, if you're keeping track," Wrex said dryly.

"And we've had a thousand years of peace, with them contained," the Dalatrass concluded.

Shepard was about ready to toss the Salarian out, possibly biotically (she chewed on her lip to keep from smiling at the mental image), when the Primarch exclaimed, "Enough!" She was grateful that he was here to keep a clear head; the rest of them were far too emotionally invested in the situation. "Whether or not the Krogan deserve a cure, it would take years to actually develop one."

That's not entirely true, Shepard opened her mouth to say, but Wrex beat her to it.

"My sources say otherwise," he stated, moving to the head of the table. "A Salarian scientist named Maelon came to my world some months ago, to test a cure on our females."

"I remember," said Shepard. "His methods were barbaric. The females died."

"No," said Wrex, "not all of them. So the Dalatrass here sent in a team to clean up, and take them prisoner."

"Where did you hear this?" the Dalatrass asked nervously. "This is nonsense."

"No. more. lies!" Wrex's voice rumbled with anger. "Those are my people; they are immune to the genophage and I'm getting them back."

"And why should I allow this? How will curing the genophage benefit my people?"

Shepard put the full weight of her authority behind her response. "Because none of us is defeating the Reapers alone. So what's it going to be?"

The Dalatrass sighed and put her head in her hand. "The females are being held in one of our STG bases on Sur'kesh. I can transmit the coordinates. But I warn you, Commander, the consequences of this will be-"

"They'll be nothing compared to if the Reapers win!" Shepard slammed her hand on the table. She lowered her voice. "But you still don't get it, do you? Take a long, hard look, Dalatrass, at Earth, or Palaven, or any number of colony worlds that have been hit. Look at them, and then tell me you honestly believe the Krogan are the bigger threat." Shepard shook her head as she left the room, Wrex and Victus following her.

"I won't forget this, Commander!" the Dalatrass continued to shout. "You'll find-" The door closed behind them.

"Bitch," muttered Wrex.

Shepard nodded in agreement.

"Commander," EDI approached her as she left the war room, "I wish to apologize if I have caused you distress by choosing to use this platform. I do hope to resolve any further animosity you may have toward it." Fresh from a diplomatic meeting and still in dress uniform, she was able to see EDI differently, somehow. Rather than a Cerberus creation, a near-murderer, a threat, she saw a friend.

"No apology necessary, EDI. I was reacting emotionally. It was inappropriate." She chided herself for the initial reaction, for falling apart when EDI had first taken control of Dr. Eva's body. She couldn't let herself fall apart like that. She had to stay calm, confident, if she wanted to convince her crew they actually had a chance, much less convince the different races to unite.

"In that case, Commander, I would like to accompany your ground team some time, to test the capabilities of this platform." At Shepard's questioning look, she continued. "This unit was designed with advanced combat protocols. I think they could be useful to you."

"Combat protocols? You're telling me there's still Cerberus software running on that thing?" Shepard started to back away toward the elevator.

Traynor had looked up at the commander's outburst and took a step to EDI's side. "Commander, Engineer Adams and I have thoroughly scanned the existing intelligence protocols. All that's left of Eva Core are basic operational protocols. Basically, she's as much of a threat as the coffee maker."

"Have you tasted the swill that comes out of that thing?" Shepard shook her head and her voice grew serious. "I'm sorry, EDI. I do trust you. But I can't trust that." She waved her hand in EDI's direction. "The answer is no." She turned and boarded the elevator to her quarters.

"All right, so here's the plan," Shepard began as the team boarded the shuttle four hours later. "We're gonna land, get the females, and leave before anyone changes their mind."

"Really, Shepard?" Garrus remarked dryly. "You almost sound like you're begging for something to go horribly wrong."

"Well pardon me for being an optimist, Vakarian. It's gotta work out for me one of these days, right?" She nodded in his direction and took a seat at the rear of the shuttle.

Liara sat beside her. "You went to see Kaidan. How did it go?"

Nice of someone to give a damn, Shepard thought. Which wasn't entirely fair. She'd been trying to concentrate on the job she had ahead of her; Kaidan, at this point, was a huge distraction. So she tried to keep things simple. "He's doing well. He should be getting discharged in two or three days."

Liara wasn't letting her get away with it. "And how are you?"

Damn! "We- I'm... okay, I guess." Liara maintained her steady gaze. Yet Shepard couldn't help but be reminded of the Asari's fascination with her, during the hunt for Saren, and her awkward withdrawal when she'd realized that there was something between Shepard and her Lieutenant. "Liara, you don't have to do this."

She put a hand on the commander's shoulder. "These are dark times, Shepard. We deserve whatever bright spots we can get. You especially"

Shepard didn't feel she deserved any more than anyone else. And none of them deserved the Reapers. She looked down. "Kaidan and I, well..." She recalled his words. You're worth fighting for... Are we okay?... You're still you... And whatever he'd said to Thane that the Drell had been unwilling to repeat. He wasn't saying any of this by accident; he hadn't tripped, or stumbled, or immediately tried to swallow his words. No, he meant it, even if he didn't know just how his words affected her. She wanted him back, needed him back, but how could she just put the last three years behind her? Was it even possible? Yet his very presence had felt so comfortable at the hospital... "I just don't know."

"Commander," Cortez hollered from the cockpit, "I've got the Salarian base on sensors."

"Bring us in, Cortez."

"They're saying we don't have permission to land."

"What the-" Shepard hurried to the cockpit and leaned over to the shuttle's comm system. "The dalatrass authorized this herself."

"I'm sorry, we don't have any record of-"

"Damnit!" shouted Wrex. "I knew they'd try to screw us. Time for a good, old-fashioned Krogan airdrop." He yanked open the shuttle door and cocked his shotgun.

"Wait, don't-" Shepard moved toward the doorway but Wrex was already on the ground. "Damnit, Wrex!" She watched helplessly as the Krogan biotically pushed away a pair of Salarian guards. And then she saw the lasers; snipers mobilizing on an upper level. "Stand down, Wrex!" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. So much for diplomacy.

"Wait!" shouted another Salarian as he ran out of the building. "Hold your fire!" He looked up at the shuttle to address Shepard. "Commander, we're very sorry. Dalatrass Linron only informed us of this transfer a few minutes ago. You have been cleared to land."

"Thank you, and I apologize for the misunderstanding." Fucking diplomacy. "Bring us down, Cortez." She leaned over and muttered to Garrus, "And if she'd waited just a little longer we could have had an incident here instead of just a situation."

The Salarian held out a hand to her as she disembarked the shuttle. "Commander, we served together briefly on Virmire. Major Kirrahe."

Shepard smiled as she took his hand. "Major. So how are we doing this?"

"Everything is waiting downstairs in the lab, but I'm afraid the Krogan will have to stay up here-"

"What?" shouted Wrex.

Shepard held up a hand to calm him. "Wrex, you know I'll do whatever I can to help your people. We'll get this done. Liara, you're with me." She motioned for Garrus to step aside with her. "Garrus, you're my eyes and ears up here; I want to get this done and get out of here as quickly as possible. And for god's sake, keep an eye on Wrex."

"Ready, Commander?" asked Kirrahe. She nodded. "Follow me, then."

"After all this time, to live to see this day," Wrex said. "We're going to get a cure." He scowled. "I should be there. But if there's anyone else I trust to do right by my people, it's Shepard."

James nodded. "She's a hell of a lady. You should have seen Earth, when the Reapers showed up. It was crazy, them coming down all over, just wiping out the city. Hard to think there's any way we could stop them. But with Shepard in charge, she actually makes it seem possible."

Garrus kept one ear on the conversation while he passively monitored his comm, but didn't join in. Wrex had always admired Shepard as a warrior, and the kid, Vega, was still caught up in hero worship. He couldn't blame either of them; he'd felt the same way once upon a time. But the past year had changed that. He and Shepard had both seen each other at their worst.

"Joker, pick us up. I've had it with this colony." Minutes later, they had boarded the shuttle and were making their way back to the Normandy. Jack leaned against one wall, smiling and occasionally shaking her head in a way that made Garrus a little- well actually, very- nervious. Shepard sat on the opposite seat, her head down, eyes closed. Nervously, Garrus sat beside her.

"Was I really so wrong, Garrus?" she asked him before he could formulate any words of comfort. "Is it so wrong of me to try to piece together any parts of my life that I can?"

Garrus froze. He'd joined her with the expectation of offering what comfort he could: a friendly hug, an understanding nod, whatever platitudes he could muster. Shepard's dip into the philosophical had caught him off guard. It shouldn't have been surprising, of course. Dying, being resurrected by a group who'd been an enemy last time she checked, then being stuck working with them if she wanted to help her people... he was pretty sure they didn't make greeting cards for that situation.

He still tried. "Hey, the rest of us are still here for you, you know." It seemed trite. He didn't know how to handle this side of Shepard. She was always collected, determined, sure of herself. "And I'm sure he'll-"

"Don't, Garrus." She got up and went to stand at the shuttle door. "I don't want to talk about it, right now."

In fact, she hadn't mentioned it again. A few days later he'd walked past her terminal in the CIC to hear her muttering curses at it. He'd looked at her curiously; she only shook her head and looked away.

It was the only time he'd seen a chink in her armor. But it was enough for him to realize that for everything she'd done, for everything she represented, she was as vulnerable as the rest of them. He knew Commander Shepard was no superhero, even if she'd never admit it. And knowing that just made him respect her even more.

"Shit!" Shepard's voice on his headset broke through his thoughts.

"Shepard?" He felt the building shake as the sound of the explosion pounded in his ear. "SHEPARD!" He slammed his hand against the wall. "Damnit! C'mon, answer me!"

He heard a groan and some coughing, and then finally, "It's okay, Garrus, everyone's fine." He sighed with relief. "We're cut off now, though. Gonna need to find another way up. Mordin's bringing the female up through the service elevator. We'll on the stairs."

"We can try and come at it from the other end, meet you halfway..."

"Negative, Vakarian. You keep that landing zone secure and make sure the shuttle's ready to go."

"Will do."

Garrus felt something tugging on his shoulder as Wrex spun him around and pinned him to the wall. "What's going on? What the hell are they trying to pull. Fuck diplomacy; I'm going down there."

"Wrex, wait." Garrus pointed to the two gleaming white Cerberus shuttles approaching their location. "It's not the Salarians."

"Cerberus." Wrex squinted. "What do they want with this? I thought Shepard told them where to shove it."

Garrus's mandibles clicked with amusement. "She did. It didn't go over well. And I don't know what they think they're up to." He paused to activate his comm. "Shepard, Cerberus shuttles on approach. Keep an eye out down there." With her acknowledgement he turned back to Wrex. "Shepard said she had a run in with them on Mars. One of their mechs put Alenko in the hospital."

"Yeah, their guys were after those Crucible plans," Vega said. "Don't know why they'd try to fight us right now though. You think they're working for the Reapers?"

Garrus shook his head. "Doubt it. The Illusive Man always had a plan; he wouldn't be that short-sighted. He's got to be thinking he can come out on top in this somehow."

"Sounds pretty damn short-sighted to me," muttered Wrex. "An all-human group against the Reapers? Now if they still had Shepard, they might have a point."

And here we go again. Garrus sighed and turned his attention back to the comm. After something about a Yahg, and Kirrahe finding them some fancy Salarian prototype weapons in a locker (Damn, he wished Shepard had brought him with her), and what he was sure must have been dozens of Cerberus troops, she finally addressed him again. "Garrus, the female's on her way up. I hope you've got that LZ ready."

Garrus was about to acknowledge her when Wrex shouted, "Garrus!" He pointed at the shuttle approaching their location. "More Cerberus looking for trouble."

"Belay that, Shepard!" Garrus bellowed into the comm. "It's about to get hot up here." He dropped into cover as the shuttle came to a stop and aimed his sniper rifle at the door. It hadn't had a chance to open fully before he'd taken out two of the Cerberus soldiers, and a third was almost before his boots hit the pavement.

"Wanna leave some for the rest of us?" Wrex hollered. The Krogan was beside the shuttle in a flash, engaging in the close-range fighting that he preferred. Shepard had a tendency to fight the same way, charging in with her biotics, taking down any remaining foes with a shotgun blast or even a melee attack. Garrus preferred to keep his distance. It kept things from getting too personal.

Finally the troops stopped exiting the shuttle. Wrex sent the last one flying off the balcony with a biotic push. Garrus prepared to give Shepard the all clear.

That was when the Cerberus mech dropped from the sky. "Wrex, James, keep your distance." Garrus dropped down and rolled to to a corner opposite the Atlas. He fired a shot from his rifle that bounced off the mech's windscreen. Wrex's Shockwave didn't even seem to scratch it.

"I got this, guys!" Vega hollered, firing an explosive round from his shotgun as he ran toward the mech, then sliding between its legs as it blew. The glass shattered. Garrus aimed and dropped the pilot with a quick headshot.

"You're clear, Shepard," Garrus commed. "Bring her in."