CHAPTER FIVE
Subversion

"Commander Adams," Kara said, as she crossed the Normandy's lower engineering deck. "Do you have a moment?"

The ship's chief engineer, a quite man, somewhere in his mid forties, turned to face her. "Certainly, sir. Ah, who's your… quarian friend?"

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Tali volunteered, holding out her hand, anticipating the ritual. She had gone through it three times already, since coming on board.

"Gregory Adams," the officer said, accepting the handshake. "So, you're getting the tour?"

"Tali will be helping track down Saren," Kara told him.

The quarian nodded. "It's a pretty amazing design. I had no idea that humans were so advanced."

"It's not all us," Adams said, enthusiasm for the topic spreading a natural smile across his lips. "We worked with the turians on the design, and much of the technology is theirs, with some human ingenuity thrown in. Neither one of us could have come up with her on our own, but together… you see our mass effect core?"

It was difficult to miss, a dark sphere nearly twenty-meters across, which did a good job of filling the rear section of the hull. "Yes?"

"The Tantalus eezo core is twice of volume of the usual core for a ship this size. The result is a boost of almost fifty percent to our maximum FTL speed, but the real innovation is in the control circuitry. The core is actually capable of generating a singularity with sufficient mass to accelerate the Normandy at nearly the same rate as hydrogen/oxygen thrusters. Since it can be generated at any position within two hundred meters of the core, it doesn't suffer from the usual vector limitations, either."

"Isn't static buildup an issue?" Tali asked, to the delight of the engineer.

"Well, yes, but the team came up with some innovations on that front, as well. You see, we, uh," he said, trailing off suddenly. "Ah, ma'am?"

"Go on," Kara said, returning her wandering attention to the pair. Aside from having gotten the same tour when she'd come aboard, she had studied the Normandy's specifications in detail, and knew what the ship was theoretically capable of. "Come find me when you're done here, Tali."

"Sure, Kara," the quarian said, nodding briefly, before turning her attention back to the chief engineer.

Kara shook her head and retreated, as they resumed their conversation. She didn't entirely like using Tali, but an engineering crew was more essential to running the ship than just about anyone else, and the quarian's innocent enthusiasm might be enough to shift the balance in her favor. Her plan was to push as much as she could, before announcing her intentions. Hopefully, they'd be gone in eight hours. If not, she expected to end up in a cell.

The hatch from the engineering section opened onto the cargo deck. On the port side was the lift to the crew deck, and forward of that the armory. To the starboard was the training and exercise room, and at the front of the deck, the cargo hold. She had a short list of known allies, at present, and she would start with the most certain of them. She checked the training room, first. Ashley Williams was using the VR firing range, at the forward end of the room, firing a training rifle at targets on she could see, but the sound of the door opening interrupted her, and she turned.

"Hey, Commander."

"Ash," Kara nodded, moving further into the room. Williams wasn't a likely recruit to her cause, but that didn't matter. "How are you doing?"

Ashley sighed, setting the rifle on the table next to the VR equipment locker, and taking off the headset. "It's been two weeks, sir. I'm recovered."

"Good," Kara said. She didn't believe it, though the marine had shown all the proper stoicism. "I know the news hasn't come down yet, but the Council and has sent me after Saren, and I'd like to have you on my team."

"They made you a Spectre?" Ashley asked, clearly surprised. Given her racial attitudes, she had probably assumed that the Council would never choose a human for the role. "Congratulations, sir. I can't think of anyone better for the job. It'd be an honor to fight alongside you."

An honor? That assessment would no doubt change, when she found out what Kara had planned. "Ash, my first duty is to serve the Council. I no longer answer to the Alliance. If you have a problem with that, or with serving alongside non-humans, I need to hear about it now."

Williams raised her chin in defiance. "But sir, you are human—"

"Which has never stopped me from doing what I believed to be right," she said flatly. Spectres were intended to rise above the petty differences that separated not just species, but the ethnic and religious groups within them. "If that's a problem, I'll arrange for your transfer to another ship."

"That's not necessary, sir," the marine sighed. Her attitude, Kara suspected, arose from the same cause as her stunted career. Twenty-four years ago, when first contact with a turian fleet had resulted in the First Contact war, Ashley's grandfather had been in command of the garrison on the colony world of Shanxi.

When the turians had driven off defensive fleet and landed troops on the planet, General Aral Williams had done his best to fight them. Cut off from resupply, outnumber, and faced with ruthless bombardment from the enemy fleet, he had surrendered the garrison to protect both his troops and the civilian colonists. Soon after, the Alliance fleet had returned in force, and drove the turians from the system, followed by an armistice that had ended the war.

The decision, despite being correct, effectively ended Aral's career. He was shuffled off to a minor post, and resigned soon after. His son, an enlisted crewman just out of basic training, had suffered as well, never receiving the promotion that his service record warranted.

"I know it isn't what you're used to hearing, Ash, but your grandfather made the right choice. He chose to save lives, rather than to keep fighting a battle he knew he couldn't win."

The young marine paled. "You know?"

"The turians aren't responsible for your career, and they didn't force your grandfather to resign," Kara said, laying her hand on Ashley's arm.

"I suppose you're right," the woman sighed. "I remember how frustrated my father was, but he always thought that if he just did better… it was never enough, though. You must think me a special kind of stupid, joining an organization that had me blacklisted."

Kara shook her head. Ash's desire to prove herself, in defiance of prejudice, was no more foolish than her own reason for signing up. "I'm not sure I can help you clear your name, Ash, but you will get a chance to prove yourself."

"I intend to be ready for it," the marine said, retrieving her training rifle. The clear defiance in her eyes said more about what she felt than her words, that she hadn't been ready for what they'd faced on Eden Prime. No one was ever ready for their first fight.

Kara doubted that. With her family history, Ashley wouldn't dare to defy the Alliance, or do anything to risk another mark against the Williams' name. "I'm sure you will be. Have you seen Sayuri?"

"Chief Aoki? She was here earlier, Commander," the woman said, slipping the headset back over her ear. "I think she's back with the Mako. Is it true that she served under you on Torfan?"

"Yes," Kara said, nodding shortly as she turned away. It was a tale that Sayuri probably told to anyone who asked, with plenty of embellishments. As much as it annoyed her, any attempt to tell the truth was probably futile.

It also occurred to her that the lie might be beneficial. Her actually deeds had carried more risk of court martial than death, but a true heroine was more likely to rally enough of the crew to behind her cause to take control of the ship. Maybe, over the course of the mission, they would come to see her as a person.

Back in the corridor, Kara turned to the cargo bay, where the Mako was stored, pressing the access panel for the hatch. The forward ramp was currently lowered, allowing access to one of the Citadel loading docks leased by the Alliance. New supplies had already been laid in, replacements for those consumed on the mission to Eden Prime. That was another complication—rations would be easy to come by, and she could manage some basic spare parts for the Normandy's systems, but its prototype systems would have to hold out, and they could—for a few months, at least.

She approached the Mako, clamped in its place on the starboard side of the bay. Its hatch was open, and she climbed inside. Bright light and fake engine noises came from the driver's compartment, an indication that someone was running the vehicle's onboard training program. She looked through the door in time to see the driver perform a nauseating roll, done to avoid a virtual rocket. "I see you've been practicing."

"Yeah," Sayuri replied, not even looking away from the digital viewports as Kara sat in the copilot's chair. Through the Alliance's training simulators were not accurate depictions of combat, they did demand focus. A steady—and increasing—amount of virtual ordinance was being fired at them. As she used the Mako's thrusters to jump over an enemy tank, the vehicle's supply of liquid hydrogen ran out, an indicator on display flashing red. The remnants were enough to stabilize their pitch, and they landed roughly, but upright.

Sayuri shut down the program as the simulated Mako rolled to a stop, the view screens going dark as the cabin lights came up. "It's an impressive machine," she said, turning her chair to face Kara's. "A fine replacement for the Grizzly. If only it had—"

"—More speed," Kara finished.

"Yeah," the marine grinned. Kara agreed, even if her stomach didn't. The Alliance did not currently maintain a class of fast tanks, preferring gunships for the role. They were partially suitable, and more flexible, but the modern A61 Mantis required more cargo space than a frigate could spare. Without ground support, it also tended to be a flying target. "Now, I know you didn't come down here to watch me train."

"No," Kara said, smiling briefly. "I need your help. We're going to commandeer the Normandy."

Sayuri's grey eyes widened. "Shit, really? Kara, I—" she stopped, laughing softly. "You know, I should have guessed. Would this make me Spectre Shepard's sidekick?"

"I don't think so," Kara sighed, doing her best to hide her annoyance. Superheroes had sidekicks, and she certainly wasn't one of those. "Just a part of her crew, if you're willing."

The marine grinned. "What, I only rate groupie? Well, you're sure as hell not going to leave me behind. What is it you need?"

"You know me better than anyone on this ship," Kara admitted.

"That's not saying much," Sayuri said, "but I get where this is going. You want me to help bring the others around."

"Yes."

Sayuri frowned, running her fingers along the dark status board. "Tell me there isn't a better way."

There was always a better way, but—as far as she could see—this was it. "It's the best I can think of." She wasn't sure if it was an endorsement or an apology, but at least it was honest. Of course she couldn't see all ends, but she could anticipate some of the fallout. None of it was too drastic, and all of it could be avoided by some sensible politics from the Alliance. Belligerence was more likely, and the consequences would be born by the usual powerless groups, with the only comfort being that the alternatives were no better, and that something positive might come of her resistance.

"Woah," the marine grinned, not impressed by Kara's response, but she straightened, setting her shoulders firmly. "I'll tell some tales, when I get the chance."

Kara stood, hunching over in the cramped cabin, and laid her hand on Sayuri's shoulder. "Thank you," she smiled. "I want to leave before the end of the day. I know it isn't much time."

"Oh, I bet the mess'll be full of people spinning rumors about your new job," the marine smirked. "I couldn't wish for a more perfect audience."

"Yes, and I'll be nearby," Kara reminded her, "so try not to get too fantastical."

Sayuri clasped her hands to her chest, a compliment to her wounded expression. "Oh, sir, how could you! I'd never lie about how you fought off fifty… no, five hundred berserker pirates with your bare hands, while—"

"No," Kara interrupted dryly. Five poorly trained pirates would be more accurate, and she had taken them by surprise, so it wasn't really much of a feat. "I'm sure you wouldn't."

"Don't worry, sir," the woman said, grinning again. "It'll be drama, not action-adventure."

Kara nodded. There had been plenty of both on Torfan, and Sayuri was intelligent enough to put across the right message. "Good. I'd better get going."

"Yeah, okay," Sayuri said, letting her chair swivel back to its forward-facing position, restarting the simulator as Kara disembarked.

Garrus was probably the next person she needed to talk to, Kara thought, as she made her way out of the cargo hold. She also needed to make a final decision about the krogan, Urdnot Wrex. If she could settle the issue of trust, he would make for a powerful addition to the team. She might need him, if she could not get the support of enough of the Normandy's marine compliment. He might also be under the employ of Saren, and sent to keep an eye on her.

She sighed, as she touched the lift control and waited for the door to open. Normally, she preferred to trust people by default, and give them space to prove themselves, and at least with Garrus and Tali, she understood their motives. If not money, then the challenge and thrill of combat was all Wrex cared about, and she could expect no loyalty.

"Kara?"

She turned towards the source of the voice and smiled. "How was the tour, Tali?"

"Quite interesting," the quarian said. "Do you think I could help out in Engineering? Between missions, of course. I asked Greg, but he said I needed permission from his commander, which I guess is you now. Right?"

Kara gestured that Tali should enter the lift, then followed her in. "That's something I wanted to talk to you about," she said, waiting for the brief trip to the crew deck to complete before she continued. "The admiralty won't want a quarian working with classified technology."

"That's a 'no,' then," Tali muttered, following her out of the lift and up the stairs. "Kara, I helped maintain the Rayya since I was old enough to walk. You can't just expect me to sit around and wait while we travel."

"I don't," Kara said, leading the quarian into the briefing room, before turning around. "I'm commandeering the ship."

"What?" Tali gasped, her eyes grown wide behind her mask. "Steal a ship? My father would kill me."

"Not steal," Kara corrected. The distinction was important. "As an agent of the Council, I have the authority, but I expect resistance. I'm going to need your help."

Tali sank into the nearest chair, slumping a little, and shook her head. "I don't know…"

Kara sighed, sitting beside her. "I'm risking everything on the chance I can pull this off, and it won't be easy. It is important to me, though."

The young quarian straightened, at that assertion. "What… what is it you need, exactly?"

"For now, just get to know the crew," Kara said. She didn't expect much to come of it, but Tali could be disarming, and relentless. "Things could get tense, after I make the announcement. I'd rather you stayed out of it."

"I don't need to be protected," Tali growled, her eyes narrowing. "I told you I want to help."

Kara found herself smiling. The young were always so eager, and usually for the wrong things. Hers had been a lust for life, which had somehow become a desire to serve. Even then, she had not really felt the need to prove herself to anyone. The quarian's pilgrimage tradition was based on proving themselves to authority figures, though.

"I know," Kara said. The problem was, Tali now looked to her for approval. She had made an impression, just like with Sayuri, and now had to deal with the consequences. "If this is going to be my ship, Tali, it's my job to look out for the crew. You included."

Tali's expression didn't change, at least so far as Kara could see. Finally, she nodded. "I understand. In the Flotilla, a captain's most important duty is to protect the lives of their crew, but sometimes they have to risk a few to save the rest."

In truth, she had need of trusted allies if she expected to take control of the ship. "All right," she decided. "After the announcement, arm yourself and come to the crew deck."

"Sure," the quarian agreed. "I can do that. I guess I'll go back to Engineering, and talk to Greg again."

Kara nodded. They hadn't spoken enough, but Adams had seemed like a man who cared about the people under his command. If he accepted Tali, and was willing to stay to protect her, much of his staff might also stay. "I'll see you later, Tali," she said, as a polite dismissal.

As the quarian departed, Kara walked over to the control console, and entered the comm-code Garrus had given her. After a few moments, the turian's image appeared on the small display.

"Shepard. Is it time?"

"Not yet," Kara said. "Did you speak to your friends at Citadel Control?"

"Yeah," the eturi replied. "They had some reservations, but we'll be free to go. How's your end?"

There was no clear answer to that. "Still in progress," she told him. "More time would be nice. I could use some information on a krogan, Urdnot Wrex."

"You're in luck. I got a tip that someone, maybe Saren, had hired him to kill someone. This was just after Tali'Zorah arrived. I thought maybe he was after her, but it turns out Fist was his target."

He had mentioned that, but it wasn't what she needed to know, either. "Anything else?"

"Not really. He does most mercenary work, and the occasional bounty," Garrus said, his eyes moving as though he was scanning records as he spoke. "There's no breach of contract complaints or criminal convictions on record. Sounds like he keeps to himself… but this is interesting. He was reported fighting with someone in the wards last night… an unidentified human female, red hair, civilian clothes. You have something you want to tell me, Shepard?"

"He offered to help hunt down Saren," Kara replied. "I didn't commit myself."

"Tossing Dovar about was impressive enough, but you took on an armored krogan in hand-to-hand combat? And won?"

"Did I?" Kara snapped, annoyed by the approval in his tone. "Garrus, I just need to know if I can trust him."

The eturi's mandibles flexed, thoughtfully. "I don't know. I don't think he's working for Saren."

It was, she guessed, the best she could ask for. It sounded as though he had more discipline than the average krogan mercenary. In the end, she decided, she needed the extra support. "Contact him," she said, "and bring him here as soon as possible. I'll make sure you're both cleared for access."

"Got it, Shepard," Garrus nodded, giving her a turian salute before signing off.

Kara ran her fingers through her hair, and sighed. She was beginning to feel tired, but she didn't have time to rest. Not until they were underway.

She closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and tried to clear her thoughts. She wished she had half an hour to practice vanan ithal, one of the basic forms of asari martial arts. It helped her focus, and that was important right now.

If only she had the time.

Kara had expected a confrontation with Captain Anderson, though it could have come at a better time. If he was as good as his reputation claimed, he must have suspected her intentions even before she issued the order to recall the crew. There weren't that many other choices, on the path she had taken.

"You certainly have a talent for making a mess of things," the greying officer said wearily, standing over her seat in the briefing room's circle of chairs. "Couldn't you have sent your resignation in after you were clear of Citadel space?"

"No," Kara said. She kept her posture straight, and her gaze firm. Confident and indomitable—a well-practiced show of defiance. "Forcing the choice on them was the point."

Anderson snorted. "Ambassador Udina is furious with you, Commander, and rightly so. The bass won't let you have the ship, but they can't take the matter to the Council without looking like fools. How the hell are we supposed to explain to them that, after twenty years of pushing for a human Spectre, we already want you recalled?"

"With humility," Kara suggested, though she wasn't sure that Udina was capable of expressing it. How else did one admit to a mistake—to effectively admit that what the Alliance had wanted all along was not a human Spectre, but a loyalist one.

"That would be sound advice, but I doubt the Ambassador is interested in hearing it," the captain sighed, walking to a chair on the far side of the circle, and sitting heavily. "You might try taking it yourself."

Kara frowned at the man. If trusting her own judgement was arrogance, then she was certainly guilty of it.

Sighing heavily, Anderson rubbed his face with his hand. "The irony is," he began, "you haven't left us with much choice. Saren's a thug, and you're the only person that can stop him—and show the galaxy what humanity is capable of."

And there it was again, the assertion that she was somehow indispensable, paired with the absurd notion that she was a paragon of her species. Certain she expected Alliance spokespeople to dispute the later, with help from the major news networks, but they might grudgingly accept the former. "Then let me stop him."

"You really think you can pull this off?" Anderson asked.

"I will," Kara stated firmly. An officer needed to present the appearance of confidence to her subordinates, according to her training. She knew well enough that innumerable failures could be hidden beneath a façade of confidence, sometimes from the very people whom they most effected.

Did Anderson see her uncertainty? Her doubts? Did he see her as a petulant child, demanding her own way, or did he understand? He didn't know her, not really. They had talked, but she had not been forthcoming. He had read her service record, which said even less than his. That left him with intuition, and whatever he could read from her expression.

Her instincts said he would fold. If she was indispensable, then he had no other choice. "You understand that I can't help you, Commander. My orders have already come down. What I can do is… see to some business on the Citadel. If the Normandy was gone before I got back…"

Then he would be blameless? Only that wasn't how it worked. He was ultimately responsible for the actions of his crew, and that including her. Even though he was considered a hero of the Alliance, walking away would end his career. Ironic, considering that he was a far more model officer than her. "You know that won't—"

A beep from the internal comm system cut her off. The soft voice of one of the ship's operations officers—Lieutenant Alex Mifsud, she guessed—followed it closely. "Commander, there's a young woman on the line," said a soft male voice. Lieutenant Alex Mifsud, she guessed. "She says you're expecting her call."

"Put her through," Kara replied, taking care to shut down the internal comm before turning her gaze back on her former captain. "This is private business. Excuse me."

Anderson looked surprised, his slight frown hinting at offense, as he stared back at her. Yes, she was dismissing him, and without apology. "Fine, Commander," he sighed, his irritation faded into a resigned expression as he stood. "I'll leave you to it."

Over the years, Kara had gotten a mixed reaction from most of her COs. She hadn't made things easy for them, always doing things her own way, defying protocol and expectations. She couldn't help but wonder if the Councillors would be giving her same look in the coming weeks.

She put the thought out of her head when the door sealed, shutting the captain out, and walked over to sit in front of the console. She checked to make sure the call was what she expected, before accepting it. The face of a young asian woman appeared on the screen. Her attention had wandered during the wait, but refocused on the screen as soon as Kara spoke. "Emily Wong?"

"Yes," the woman began, though her brow scrunched in confusion. "You're Commander Shepard?"

That doubt had a source other than mere uncertainty, after wading through several layers of naval security protocols. Seven years ago, she must have been somewhere in her early teens, young enough to be impressed by the Heroine of Elysium's speech accepting the Star of Terra. Not the real one, of course, but the patriotic fake put out by the Alliance. "That's right."

"Huh," Emily said, biting her lip briefly as she stared at her own display, somewhere on the Citadel. "That must be an interesting story."

"Not compared to the one I'm offering you," Kara replied, smiling warmly. "Have you heard the name 'Fist' recently?"

The young woman nodded. "My editor has been pushing us for a scoop since CSec picked him up. He was a minor crime boss or something."

"I have a copy of his personal database," Kara said. Emily perked up at that, leaning into the camera. "There's enough information in it to make your career, and I'll let you have it. In exchange, you're going to interview me."

The young journalist leaned back, biting at her lip again as she continued to stare into the display. "I'd agree to that without the bribe, Commander, so there must be a catch."

"I have something important to say. The Alliance would prefer that no one hears it—like my acceptance speech."

Emily shook her head, her gaze falling. Her reporting on the latest New Texas raid had received a harshly negative response, particularly from the 'defense analysts' who plagued the major networks, and probably an inbox full of death threats. "I can't help you. I'm sorry."

Kara sighed, looking down at her hands. Her hope was to create a widely circulated counter to the Alliance's expected propaganda campaign, and although she could easily find someone else to do the interview, none of them had access to a platform with the ANN's reach. She wasn't prepared to give up on the chance. "You have a choice, Emily," she said, not looking up. "You can go back to your desk, and write the stories they want to hear. It's easy, and it pays well. You might even come to believe what you say. Or you can take a chance, and keep trying to uncover the truth."

"And you can help me with that?" the woman asked, raising a thin eyebrow. "That's not pretentious."

Smiling, Kara raised her head. "Come and find out, or I'll just have to find someone who is willing to interview the first human Spectre."

"Okay, okay, you've made your case," Emily agreed. "Where do you want to meet?"

"So, here I am," Emily said, shifting her pack uncomfortably. She had changed clothes since they had spoken over the comm, and gone through makeup, as well, now wearing a dark grey jacket over a shirt that emphasized her cleavage, and a short skirt. The overall effect was common among female reporters, a confident-but-sexy look that Kara simply didn't care for.

Kara had sent Kaidan to escort the journalist through the security checkpoint that kept unwanted visitors from wandering the Alliance's docking section. They had arrived in silence, with the marine lieutenant looking more taciturn than usual. Frustrated by questions he couldn't answer, perhaps. "We can get started as soon as you're set up."

The young woman nodded, scanning the room as she set her pack on the nearest chair. "Commander, can we get some sort of backdrop on those holoprojectors?" she asked, pointing at the rear wall. "Also, I really think you should be in uniform."

"I'm fine as I am," Kara replied, sitting at the console. The computer had several images of the Normandy in space, taken during the ship's test flights, and she chose the one with the best lighting, and a background of stars.

"That'll be great," Emily said, as Kara turned around. Two camera drones were already in the air, awaiting orders with their recording lights off.

Kara let the journalist clip a microphone to her shirt, and guide her to a chair.

"Ready?" Kara nodded, and Emily activated the drone's VI operator. "Hello. I'm Emily Wong, and I'm here in the briefing room of the SSV Normandy with Commander Kara Shepard, Alliance marine and heroine of Elysium, now a Council Spectre. Commander-"

"It's just Kara, Emily. I've resigned my commission," Kara interjected.

"Why, Comm-Kara?"

Kara smiled, and waited a few seconds for the camera to focus on her properly. "The Council and the Alliance share some interests, but they are still competing organizations. I cannot honestly pledge loyalty to both. I also wanted to divorce myself from the Alliance's attempts to gain power. I did not accept the Council's offer to advance human interests, or the Alliance."

"Why did you accept Spectre status, then?"

"To end a specific threat. Once that is accomplished, I intend to stand down."

"What threat?"

Kara had already considered her response carefully. Most would council secrecy out of reflex, but instinct and reason both told her that Saren already knew, so she told the truth, leaving out only the references to the Conduit and the Reapers.

"I've requested that the Normandy be transferred to my command," she continued, "but the Alliance has refused. The interests of humanity lie, it seems, in contrast to those of the Council, and the Alliance is unwilling to make so small a sacrifice as a single frigate."

She leaned forward, into the camera. "I intend to take it anyway."

Emily's eyes widened. "You're going to-"

"Yes," Kara affirmed.

From the sharp edge to her voice, Kara guessed that the young journalist was keenly aware that, having foreknowledge of a crime, she was obliged to report it, or be considered an accessory. To what authority did one make such a report? Or was such a thing within the authority of a Spectre? Kara doubted that Emily knew.

"I have urgent need of a ship with the Normandy's capabilities, and the Council requires that members provide all necessary assistance to its Spectres. Ambassador Udina demanded action from the Council after Saren's attack on Eden Prime; he demanded that they deploy their ships and crews to defend our colonies. I ask only one ship, and its crew, for the same purpose."

"To defend humanity?"

"To defend humans," Kara corrected, "and aliens. Anyone who is under threat."

Emily sat quietly, pondering her next question. She appeared to have recovered from her surprise, though Kara wondered if she had quite decided what to do. "You seem to have some issues with the Alliance, and maybe humanity itself. Could you elaborate?"

Kara smiled. She'd been hoping that the young journalist would ask that. "My problem is with the Alliance and its policies, and it represents—and influences the culture of—humanity. You wrote recently about our fleet deployment in the Attican Traverse, where colonies are deliberately left vulnerable to raiders, many of whom are also human. They took some corporate deal to colonize a border world, with grand promises of a better life, but they end up so far in debt that they can barely survive. They can't get help from the government, which is controlled by the same corporations that own their debts. I wouldn't accept that kind of life."

"I thought the raiders were mostly batarian?"

"Not according to the statistics," Kara sighed. "The threat from the batarian hegemony has been greatly exaggerated as well, but that's a difficult subject. To simplify it, Alliance officials want us to have an enemy, and so they've played up the rival they think is vulnerable."

It wasn't just a difficult subject, as Emily's uncomfortable nodding proved. "What does it feel like to be the first human Spectre?"

Kara suppressed an irritated scowl at the journalist's timid change of topic, using an idiotic question which invited self-adulation. She simply refused to speak any foolishness about honor and responsibility, but anger was not appropriate either. It felt like another burden she didn't want; another excuse to turn her life into a movie, with plenty of quiet, attractive men helping her to make the right decisions from the background. It felt like another step on the road to hell. "Much the same as not," she replied, with a faint smile. It was sufficiently vague, she hoped, to not allow for positive interpretation.

It was only a faint hope, but it took Emily by surprise. "You don't want to be a Spectre?" she blurted out; it was perfect, though not for her.

"No. Show me someone who wishes to be a hero, and I'll show you a fool; I've been both. What I want is a quiet life; did you know I play the violin? There are Quarian composers whose works far surpass Mozart or Beethoven; turian epics that put Gilgamesh and Beowulf to shame; asari poets whose verse can stir the heart more potently than all the sonnets of Shakespeare. I'd like more time to enjoy them.

"However, I was reminded recently that I'm not the type to set aside burdens. So I do what I must, but I want to make it clear," Kara continued, leaning forward and staring directly into the camera. "I don't represent humanity, or Earth, and certainly not the Alliance. I'm not going to be your standard-bearer, or your heroine."

Emily had gone pale, probably contemplating her career, or its swift end. "Kara Shepard, former Alliance officer, and now a Council Spectre. Thank you, Kara."

Kara merely smiled and nodded. Emily shut down the drones, which continued to hover, waiting to be collected.

Silence fell comfortably over the room. Relieved though she was to have the interview done with, Kara hardly felt any more relaxed. It was nearly time for her announcement, and after that… she didn't expect things to get easier.

Note: Well, I made some more changes to the inside of the Normandy, brought on by an attempt to figure out just how things were supposed to fit inside a hull of that shape(with a corrected size). Mainly, I shifted the lift to the side, as putting it in the center interfered with the primary mass accelerator cannon, which runs between the crew and cargo decks, and removed the starboard stairway. The rest of the changes are carried over, and mostly involve finding places for things that weren't in the game. Like enough sleeping space, and washrooms.

If things keep going as they are, this may end up being a longer project that I first expected, in both words and time. I'm about fifteen thousand up from the original. Please leave a review and tell me what you think, for or against.