Chapter 10: Inside the net

'Ambassador.' Udina said, entering the ambassador's office. For all the respect his voice held, his posture and facial expression failed to reflect it.

'Please sit yourself.' Rebecca motioned towards the chair across from her. She disliked when people stood up and spoke. One of the main reasons for why she had mr Toboe and mr Udina doing all the talking for her when it came to the Council.

'I'd rather-...' Udina began.

'Sit.'

He sat.

'Now then. What can I do for you?' Rebecca asked in her patient and stern voice that had made even the crude turian Councillor fidget.

'I need to know, and don't bullshit me this time...' he glared at the ambassador like he had never dared before. '... I need to know why you are giving Toboe free reins to set any charges he wishes against the Akuze girls. Whatever he may or may not think and find out about them, there is no solid evidence that they are Cerberus. In fact, Shepard is one of the best marines we've got. Shin'ichi is one of the brightest girls in the Alliance. What are you playing at?'

Rebecca sighed. This was not his first time asking, though he had never shown any signs that he disagreed with her until now.

'The Shin'ichi girl has been seen on Omega in the company of Becket and the "missing" ship designed for espionage. Shepard has admitted to having recieved messages from the Illusive man personally-...'

'She says, and I believe her, that it is nothing more than a ploy! A ploy to make us think what you are thinking.'

'Or maybe...' growled the ambassador. She despised being interrupted. '... things are exactly what they seem to be. Have you considered that maybe Cerberus isn't bullying them?'

'What about Akuze? Why did a ship under Toboe's command fire with no official Alliance authorization then?' Udina growled back. The ambassador was unused to seeing him aim his anger at her. 'Why did we not receive the information about it until a week, a week after it had happened? And what is Toboe playing at, jailing a doctor with a reputation like that?'

Rebecca sighed.

'You are a clever man Udina, but you look only one step ahead. Toboe takes into consideration all of the parties that might be dangerous.'

'Akuze. You avoid my questions.' Udina urged.

'I have no obligation to answer you pestilential questions!' snapped the ambassador. 'And I will only answer them to make you see sense, unless you want to be demoted.'

'... Very well.' Udina nodded.

'The ship had Toboe's authorization to fire, which is as high an authorization it needs to do so. At least one of the ships was an enemy vessel, the stolen Alliance ship. And we suspect that the other one was Cerberus, which by the way, further proves that they are working for the enemy.'

The ambassador looked at Udina with a scrutinizing gaze, waiting for whatever else he had come to ask in a manner that suggested that he had already won.

'And the testimony of the turian?' Udina said in a level voice. 'Does it count for nothing that one of the C-Sec operatives had given his account of events, which happen to make perfect sense and coincide with what we know for a fact.'

'No matter how honourable the turians are, there is nothing to stop them from lying. And the monetary exchange between himself and Shin'ichi the first week after her disappearance is more than just a hint at the fact that he is in her pocket.'

'Why would they work with Cerberus!' exclaimed Udina in exasperation, standing up without seeming to realize it. 'This girl, this Shin'ichi lived on Akuze most of her life and I doubt that she knew anything about the Cerberus.'

'Yet she is the only civilian to survive a failed Cerberus experiment. And Shepard is the only one to survive out of all the marines.' the ambassador raised one eyebrow. 'The evidence are substantial. There is no doubt.' the ambassador glared at the man until he calmed down. 'I understand how you feel. But it is not I who made them Cerberus agents.' she said sympathetically.

'I understand.' said Udina.

Inside, however, he was fuming. It was true that he and Shepard had been at each other's throats since the beginning of her career, from the slums of London to the position as a marine on a star ship. But branding the woman traitor and sending her and a fully manned ship to patrol the most dangerous edges of the Skyllian Verge just to keep her out of sight until a court could condemn her to death or imprisonment while she was away and blissfully unaware of the events going on was not just cruel. It went against everything the Alliance stood for.

He didn't even bother saying goodbyes to the ambassador. He simply strode away, hurrying home. He knew what he had to do, no matter how dangerous it would be.

'Anderson.' he said into his com as soon as he was home.

His apartment had anti bugging devices installed everywhere in the house. It would be hard to overhear what he was saying even if someone put their ear to the door.

'Yes? Who is this?' asked a voice, surprise clear in it's tone.

'I am Udina, head of intelligence and police of the Alliance here at the citadel.'

'Ah yes, mr Udina. What can I do for you?'

'How well do you know Shepard?'

There was a silence where, Udina was sure, Anderson considered the question.

'I know her well enough. Why?'

'She is being accused of collaborating with the infamous terrorist organization Cerberus. I, for one, doubt this accusation highly. However the evidence all point towards-...'

'What do you need me to do?'

'I need you to contact Shepard and come to the Citadel as fast as you can. And bring her along. The trial will be held and if she is not here to defend herself, I can't see a happy ending to all of this.'

There was another silence.

'I will. Thank you for the information.' Anderson said sincerely.

'I am doing what is right. Now hurry, man. We have too little time left.'

He hung up, not bothering with the affirmatives. Now he had just one more thing to do. He needed to find out where Shin'ichi was and tell her to get her runaway behind back to the Citadel before she made this any worse.

'What's this, Udina?' said a dangerous voice.

Udina spun to face the man who had just appeared from the shadows of his book shelves.

'Are you going against the decision of the ambassador and informing the traitor of the trial? Complicating the matter further with your political plots to gain power?'

Toboe sounded merely curious but his voice had an edge of triumph about them.

'Ambassador's decision, was it?' Udina growled. 'Or yours? You've been pulling strings since this shenanigans started! What is your game, Toboe?'

'My game? Oh dear. That sounds like an accusation. But I don't think that I need bother answering that. Because you are under arrest.'

'Is that so?' Udina thundered and for a second the smug confidence broke on Toboe's handsome face. But it was back almost instantly.

'It is so. I have evidence of you aiding a known terrorist. And this "Anderson" as well.' Toboe sighed theatrically. 'I guess that I have no choice but to call in the C-Sec to have you arrested. And that Alliance chit as well when she arrives.'

'So what's the plan? To pull strings and make a fortune?' spat Udina. He knew very well that there was no way out of this for him now. Not unless either Shepard or Shin'ichi were cleared of charges.

'I wouldn't be likely to tell you now would I?' sneered the man.

And then the door burst open, with C-Sec officers standing at the ready.

'This man here is a traitor.' said Toboe in a shaky voice, pointing stupidly towards Udina. 'I have proof of him contacting Shepard, plotting no doubt.'

As the C-Sec officers led Udina away he could hear the soft laughter coming from Toboe.

What was more – he could see a woman standing in the shadows, her face looking daggers at Toboe. Udina smiled grimly. So maybe he did have a chance to get out of this before Shepard was convicted.