Captain's Quarters

"Shepard. We have docked with the Citadel." Groaning, Damian sat up in his bed and wiped his eyes, "Refueling and replenishment of supplies is in progress."

"Thank you EDI. Inform the crew that they're on shore leave until I've concluded business with Councillor Tevos."

"Understood Shepard." Damian yawned and stepped into the shower, allowing cold water to run down his scared body as the last dredges of sleep left his mind. He dreamed about that stupid kid again and he ran up to someone.

Tali.

Tali embraced the child as Shepard approached, but they were both set on fire. Shepard leapt for Tali and saved her...but her arm was gone and there was no life in her face. She just begged Shepard to let her die...and the shadows told him to listen...

Overhead, the wreckage of quarian ships fell upon the dead trees and caused the fire to fill with more oiled smoke. Figures emerged from the smoke bearing small lights in their eyes, asking Shepard the last question that Legion had ever asked.

"DAMN!" Shepard lashed out and a burst of biotic energy shattered the bathroom door. He collected himself and stormed out in time to see an old flame enter the cabin.

"Shepard..." A shocked Ashley muttered from a view that she hadn't seen in three years. For his part, Shepard stood in place and waited for Ashley to explain why she was there. Against his will, he was pleased that he could get a reaction from Ashley concerning his "Thresher Maw", "Sorry sir...I-"

"At ease Ash...it isn't anything that you haven't already seen." Shepard boredly wrapped a towel around his waist while Ashley composed herself, "What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize about the other day..." Ashley started, "It was out of place and it was too soon after what happened to Tali and the quarians. Tali's like a sister to me and...I almost lost her..."

"Based on the doctor's reports...we might as well have..."

"You're giving up her-"

"She gave up on herself when she saw her people get blown out of the sky. It doesn't matter that they got themselves killed, but to Tali...that's not what matters..." Damian said halfway to Ashley and halfway to himself, "Until she pulls herself out of the ditch...I can only reach so far..."

"No one blames you for what happened, skipper. You did what you always do..." Ashley remarked, placing her hand on Shepard's back...where he happened to have a sensitive spot that only she and Tali would know about, "The right choice and it's never the easy choice."

"Don't I know it..." Shepard chuckled and walked over to the foot of his bed where his jacket lied sprawled on the footboard. Damian threw the jacket on and quickly changed into leather slacks as Ashley politely looked away, "Why else did you come here Williams?"

"What does the Council want?"

"Actually...I'm making a few recommendations to the council membership in light of The Coup, Rannoch, and Tuchunka." Shepard replied, "Councillor Tevos also wanted to talk to me about a top-secret matter regarding Thessia."

"And Thessia's about to be swamped by the reaper fleet..."

"Which means that this is likely something that we should've known about a long time ago." Shepard finished and brandished a scorpion pistol from under his bed, "If that's the case...I may feel like killing off another councilor."

"Shepard...the Council may not be the most helpful people, but that doesn't mean we should blow their heads open-"

"Don't act you never wanted to. I thought you didn't like politicians?"

"I don't...but everyone has their role." Ashley stated as Shepard shrugged, "Like them or not, the council is the central government of Citadel space. Remember what Vigil said on Illos? Past cycles were killed because the reapers killed their leaders before they even knew what was happening."

"I remember Vigil...that's why I saved those ungrateful bastards when Sovereign attacked..." Shepard reminded his fellow spectre with a grimace, "But when I think about...I might as well have let them die if this is how they'd respond."

"Shepard."

"Not that it matters..." Damian walked past Ashley and opened the elevator doors, "If it were a different council then the shitstorm wouldn't be as fun..."

"What shitstorm?"

"You'll see..."

"Shepard. Dr. Chakwas would like to speak with you in the Med Lab."

"On my way." Shepard responded when the elevator closed behind him and Ashley, "Hope I have some good news this time..."

"Don't hold your breath..."

"Too late."

Med Lab

"You know the Commander won't like this."

"I'm alive and I don't like it...Shepard can shove it for not wanting me to get out of this blasted room!" Tali half-shouted right as Shepard entered the lab, "Damian..."

"I heard you as I got off the lift. Glad to see you've gotten your voice back." A half-hearted smirk emerged on Tali's mouth, "All things considered...how are you feeling?"

"Dr. Chakwas says that I'm fully adapted to using Legion's arm." The synthetic arm flexed it's fingers as Tali spoke, "Physically I'm well...it's the emotional and psychological trauma that's the problem. But you know all about that."

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"EDI announced that we've docked in the Citadel. I want out of this room Shepard...that's a start..." Tali stated as concern crossed the Commander's face, "I'm not...I'm not going to throw myself through a window. But if I stay in this room any longer-"

"Keeping her on medical watch won't improve her condition Commander." Chakwas joined in, "A chance to freely roam may allow her time to her emotions, clear out the clutter in her mind and some exercise for her legs."

"Is that a doctor's recommendation?"

"Yes."

"This won't be a long visit, once I'm done talking to the Council we're leaving." Shepard explained to grateful quarian, "Get dressed Miss Vas Normandy."

"Sure thing...Shepard..." As Shepard smiled and nodded to leave, Tali's mood sunk from what he had called her, "Vas...Normandy..."

"Tali?"

"Vas Normandy...a sign to my people that I'm part of the Normandy crew..." Tali said to herself, "Shepard didn't mean anything by it...but it...hurts..."

"You're still a member of the crew Tali. Nothing has changed that." Chakwas assured before placing a bundle of clothes on Tali's bed, "That jacket is nice, but surely you're not going to use it by itself?"

"Shepard wouldn't mind..." Tali commented with a light chuckle, "But...I see your point..."

Alliance Embassy, Citadel

"Councillor Osoba." Shepard as he took and shook the Councillor's hand, "I'm surprised to see you here."

"After everything that you're doing for our galaxy, it was only fitting to greet you in person." The Councillor replied and noted Shepard's nearby crew, "You're all heroes as far as I am concerned."

"We're all heroes." Shepard reminded the Councillor, "Heroes are just people who do their part."

"I know..." The memory of Bilal still haunted the Councillor and Shepard couldn't blame him. Osoba wore his son's tags around his neck, a reminder of the sacrifices made in this war. Bilal had been part of an N7 squad sent behind enemy lines to recover intel on Cerberus movements. Cerberus pinned down the team, but Bilal sacrificed himself to save the team and allow them to escape. The squad returned from their mission on Benning without him, and were too ashamed to look the Ambassador in the eye when he questioned them.

After Shepard recovered Bilal's dog tags from Benning and returned them to the Ambassador, both Osoba and the squad were able to find closure and began to move forward despite their grief. Osoba's unhesitant acceptance of acting as the Alliance Councillor after Udina's betrayal and death was a testament to his strength. Which was something that the galaxy would need in the days to come.

"How's the job treating you?"

"Initially the other councilors didn't even trust me...after Udina, I'm not surprised...yet-"

"It's a pain in the ass?"

"Oh yes. I'm starting to see why Anderson left the post." Osoba replied while looking out the balcony onto the presidium below, "But someone has to be the voice of reason. Tevos seems to be overwhelmed by news of the invasion at Thessia and Sparatus is occupied with arguing with the Primarch."

"Valern?"

"He keeps to himself most of the time, but he has been helpful. In short, I've had to figure out my job completely on my own."

"You couldn't do worst than Udina."

"True enough...but let's get the point." Of course Osoba would want to inquire about Shepard's proposal to the Council, a proposal that Shepard wanted him to risk his reputation and career to endorse, "Is it true? About Rannoch and the Geth?"

"Yes Councillor...it's true."

"Hackett already told me about all of it...but..." Osoba exhaled while rubbing his wearied forehead, "The Geth destroyed the entire Quarian race...and now they're helping us against the reapers."

"As my reports will show-"

"I've read your recent report Commander...the Geth were being controlled by the reapers and when the reaper on Rannoch was killed you attempted to broker peace between them."

"The Quarians refused to cease fire and Geth retaliated after repairing their neutral network." Shepard finished, "I'm sorry that it ended that way, but it did and we have a galaxy that we need to save."

"I know Commander, but the other Councillors are not happy about your recommendations." Osoba reported while reading a datapad on his desk, "Of course, Valern is in full support out of gratitude for you assistance during Udina's Coup and Sparatus will only offer neutral objection at best in light of Tuchunka."

"Tevos?"

"I'm not sure...she's kept to herself outside of meetings after the reapers began advancing into Asari Space."

"Not surprised..." Shepard's eyes closed and brought him back to that moment Lesuss where he gunned down a tearful Falere. A cruel action born to prevent her from being captured by the reapers and turned into an Banshee like other ardat-yakshi across the galaxy, "Do you know about what she wanted to talk to me about?"

"She contacted you?"

"It really is that personal..." Shepard said to himself, "Nevermind though, I'll walk you to the Tower."

"Thank you Commander."

Presidium Wards

"Haven't seen a suit rat around here for weeks..." She apathetically bumped into the salarian who repeated the gossip and was ignored after a brief moment, "The hell is her problem?"

"My people are dead you bos'tet..." Tali muttered to herself, the hood of her jacket obscuring her face while she strolled through the Citadel. Underneath the jacket she wore a simple halter top with a skirt that ran down to her knees and had two slits on each side. She also wore dark tights over her legs and over her left arm. Fortunately, most people were used to seeing quarians with their suits, which made it easy for Tali to pass for a human adopted a loose adaptation of an old human religion.

Though this would be rare to see on the Citadel, it was much more common then seeing a quarian without a mask.

In fact, Tali may very well be the only quarian in that station.

No matter how much she tried, Tali couldn't pull her thoughts away from what had happened on Rannoch. The screams of her people, the ships of the fleet falling into the seas of their homeworld, Koris' death at the hands of Gerrel's supporters...

Who cared about why her people were gone? They were dead.

What would she do now?

She found a bench and sat down, gaining a beautiful view of the Presidium Lake. A few families were playing nearby and already smiling as though the war were a distant memory. Tali knew why. It was because despite the bleakness of this situation, they were not alone. They had each other and after the war, that family would have a future. They had a hope that expanded beyond the war.

Tali now had nothing.

Everything that she had done was done for the sake of her people. Not that she didn't want to help Shepard against Sovereign, the Collectors or the Reapers, but she would be lying if she said that her people were not her primary concern. In fact, she changed her mind about the Geth not because she befriended Legion or grew to understand them...but because peace was best for her people.

They thought otherwise and left her behind.

Shepard would complete the Crucible and destroy the Reapers, Tali had no doubt about that. He would then help rebuild the galaxy, tell stories about his adventures, inspire a new generation and retire to live off the royalties. Garrus' plan was the along the same lines. Miranda would live with her sister. Ashley had her family. Grunt would fulfill an ever-building list of breeding requests and spoil his many children. Padok would return to STG. Liara would remain as the Shadow Broker. EDI and Joker would remain together. James would finish his tour of duty.

With the events on Rannoch, Tali was now in the same class as Javik.

"Look mommy! A prothean!" Tali looked up to see the Prothean Commander look down at the human and turian children who giddily jumped up and down in front of him, "Are you really a prothean?"

"Have you ever seen a prothean?"

"No."

"Then how do you know that I am a prothean?" Javik inquired, "Why do you pester me and jump up and down like hungry dogs?"

"We're just excited mister...aren't you gonna beat the reapers?"

"I was trained all my life to fight the reapers since I was your age." Javik answered the awed turian child, "But no...I will not beat the reapers."

"I thought-"

"I will destroy them and use the broken pieces of their hull to build a temple erected in honor of their defeat and humiliation!" Javik declared to the excitement of the growing crowd of children, "And before you ask, no you cannot help me. It is not necessary."

"How did you know that I was gonna ask?"

"You just told me." Tali chuckled from Javik's stern reply to the pig-tailed girl, "If you truly wish to help, then ask your parents."

"Yay!" The children called as they dispersed from Javik who surprisingly chuckled and quickly marched away from the pond before the children could return, "Annoyance..."

"They're only children..." Tali replied, revealing her presence to the apathetic prothean, "You liked them..."

"They are only curious, it is...refreshing to see children act as children." Javik admitted, "In my cycle, soldiers began training from as young as five. Faced with the reapers, we had no time to afford for them to maintain their "innocence."

"I can't imagine how hard it was for you."

"You fought or you died, there were no other options." Javik stated while looking around at the Presidium, "My first battle was as the rearguard of a retreat from the world of my birth. The planet was set aflame by the reapers and many of the remaining ships of the Imperial Fleet. My task was to stall reaper forces long enough for personnel to evacuate the planet. More often then not, I did not kill reaper troops...I slew...my own people."

"Indoctrinated protheans?"

"Some of them...we were ordered to shoot any others to be safe."

"Javik..."

"Many sacrifices had to be made for the remnant of the empire...and in the end...I am all that was left." Javik groaned while squatting down and touching the paved sidewalk, "The keepers of this citadel are ever thorough...there is no trace of my people in this facility."

"What about that?" Tali asked, pointing out the Mass Relay Replica in the Presidium, "That trace allowed for us to be here."

"Yes...the Commander told me about the Counduit." Javik remarked, "To think that more of my people survived and gave their lives for this cycle to have a chance against the reapers..."

"Not that we've made the best of it-"

"What does it matter? This cycle still stands and fights, the chance remains." Javik replied, "Your people may have doomed themselves, but the rest of the galaxy still fights."

"Good for them."

"You presume to no longer fight this war? Or do you believe that the reapers will pity you and leave you as the sole survivor of your species?" Javik asked while Tali grew quiet, "If you wish to remain here and do nothing against the reapers, that is your choice. But don't poison your Commander with your grief and despair."

"What is like for you then? To be the last prothean?" Tali inquired as Javik biotically lifted her from the bench and pulled her into his grip, "To know that...nothing you do will change that?"

"What does it matter? I am alive."

"But you're alone."

"What does that matter? You believe because we are the last of our species' that I will pity you? You are wrong." Javik dropped Tali on her feet and pointed to the monument, "Because my people's war against the reapers will continue as long as there is one prothean left to wage it."

"And after the reapers are gone-"

"They are not gone yet, the future will be dealt with in the future." Javik answered as Tali slumped onto her knees, "Is that it? The stupidity of your people has not only robbed you of their life, but it has also taken away any reason that you had to fight?"

"What am I supposed to do? Act like it doesn't hurt? Bullshit!" Tali shouted at the prothean, "I'm not like you Javik! You think that I'm trying to justify what my people did? They were stupid and now they're dead! But what about me? At least you still have an enemy to focus your grief on! The reapers destroyed your people and now you want to avenge them! I don't have that luxery...because my people were wrong! I've already ran through a hundred excuses and they all lead to the same conclusion...my people started the Morning War and they created the situation that killed them!"

"They had a clear alternative to war and choose it anyway..." Tears flowed down the quarian's face while Javik quietly crossed his arms over his chest, "I did everything that I could to save my people and when they killed themselves...they took one last shit in my face...I don't know what I'm supposed to do now..."

"Remove yourself from the crew and leave yourself to your own grief."

"Maybe I should..."

"Then do it." Javik brushed a tear from Tali's eye while his features seemed to soften if only a little, "Mourn your people or fight the reapers...the one you call Harbinger will not care for your tears."

"Quarian; considered due to cybernetic augmentation, weakened immune system too debilitating."

"Leave me alone..."

"So you can throw yourself into the lake?" That plan destroyed, Tali sat back on the bench while Javik shook his head, "The Commander and his attachment to you...confuses me."

"Me too..." Tali agreed, "Can't you just throw me out the airlock?"

"In my cycle, suicide brought lasting dishonor upon your family and regiment that you served with."

"Here I thought we could make each other happy..."

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone!

In light of Rannoch and after much soul-searching, Shepard is about to undertake a very unpopular action to better solidify Citadel Space to battle the reapers. More details will be told in the next chapter, but I warn that it will be polarizing for characters and readers.

And remember, the recommendations are still just spectre recommendations that require Council approval. How Shepard gets this approval for these recommendations won't exactly win him too many friends.

This next chapter will also firmly entrench Shepard in Renegon territory due to his treatment of both the council and a few characters. So, you've been warned.