Chapter 4
Cassandra walked into her office. It was 6 in the morning in the Stravowsky was already there, watching a vid on her Omni-Tool. Two familiar voices were shouting at another. Stravowsky was watching the vid with a bemused grin.
"DUCK SEASON!"
"RABBIT SEASON!"
"DUCK SEASON!"
"RABBIT SEASON!"
"Watching another Bugs Bunny vid, doc?" Cassandra asked.
"No, it's a political debate on C-Span." She replied in all seriousness, pausing the vid to fetch Cassandra a filled mug of warm, invigorating coffee.
"It's hard to tell the difference sometimes." Cassandra sighed.
"Hey, I got an idea last night." She said brightly.
"About what?" Cassandra asked, signalling to her to follow her into her office. Stravowsky sat down in the chair opposite her. They'd been having a lot of chats in here lately. It was their customary habit, even early in the morning when there was no other staffers in the office.
"You know how you were trying to help out Atherton?" Cassandra nodded. She'd spent the past week trying to figure out something and couldn't. "Well, how about you send him on a mission. He's got experience dealing with batarians, maybe he can get the two sides in the civil war on the negotiating table. Negotiating with slavers can't be easy and he pulled that off."
Cassandra mulled it over. Yes, he did have experience negotiating with batarians. The Council was already providing covert support to Grothan Pazness' faction, the first of the Blood Pack and Eclipse reinforcements would arrive any day. Maybe... yes. If she sent him, Balak could hardly accuse him of being her stooge. Even Balak had a pragmatic side, he'd proven that in the docking yard. The batarians needed to rebuild. After all this, maybe they could change, become less insular, hostile. The sooner this civil war ended, the better off the rest of the galaxy was. Realpolitik be damned.
"Okay, you convinced me. I'll message Hackett and see if we can get this started. Thanks, doc."
Stravowsky left her office. Cassandra opened her computer terminal and checked her inbox and her heart skipped a few beats when she saw an email from Garrus. She opened it first.
Hi Shepard,
I hope you haven't forgotten you owe me a drink. I see you on the news vids and you seem to be doing well. Liara's due pretty soon, isn't she? Anyway, I heard the Ascension's visiting Rannoch in the next few days so I managed to get some leave approved. I figure I'd join you and see Rannoch and Tali. It's been a few months since we've seen each other, we still talk but, well, you know.
I should be onboard at 1700 hours. See you then. Garrus
She smiled reading the email. She messaged Liara to let her know Garrus was coming. It was good to hear from him, even better they'd see each other. Since they'd buried Joker they hadn't seen each other very much, if at all. She'd seen Tali a few times when she'd come to the Ascension on ambassadorial business but that was it. Williams had done a few assignments but was now on shore leave. She'd only seen Wrex on news vids. Lt. Traynor was assigned to a cruiser. She was quietly relieved to be away from her, she was extremely smart and capable, but fighting off her advances and obvious attraction had been an unwelcomed distraction during the closing months of the Reaper War. Cortez was piloting a frigate, Vega was neck deep in N7 training. Jack was still teaching, Jacob was back with the Alliance, now a proud father. Some she had no idea where they were like Kasumi, she hadn't seen her since the assassination attempt. She knew she'd never see most of them again.
It saddened her, yet there'd always be a strong bond between all of them. Yet, the bond was of varying strengths. It was strongest with Liara, Tali, Garrus, Wrex and Williams to a lesser extent. She could be open with them in a way she couldn't with people like Jacob or Vega. It wasn't fair to them, but that's how it worked out. They'd been with her since the beginning and that counted for a lot.
She left a vid-message with Hackett. She hoped this would help Atherton and allow her to be seen in a more positive light. She felt optimism as she finished dictating the message. With fresh optimism and fresher coffee she went to work, no longer dreading the two hours she'd spend with the chief departmental head of the cabinet department of periphrastic tautological quintuple contingency planning.
When the meeting was at last concluded she was buzzed. She hadn't felt this light in weeks. She did have a slight headache gnawing at her again. She'd been having them off and on the past few weeks. She simply assumed they were related to stress. Asprin and sleep was usually enough to relieve the pain. Sometimes they lasted more than a day but that wasn't too often. She had vague notions of checking in to see a doctor but there didn't seem to be enough time, she barely had time to go the gym regularly and see the ship's psychiatrist bi-monthly.
They day kept her busy and it passed quicker than had she spent the day watching the clock slowly and inexorably inch forward. She only took a brief pause for lunch at midday and was back to work. It was a surprise to her when her clock flashed 1700 hours. An 11 hour day, pretty average. She said goodbye to Stravowsky and messaged Liara, who was making her way to the docking bay, they'd meet there.
They met in the docking bay without hiding their enthusiasm for seeing another again. They chatted all the way to one of the Ascension's restaurants that served foods for all species. Cassandra would've loved to cook for them but there was no way to make pasta edible for Garrus.
"So, Shepard. You owe me a drink, remember?" Garrus said as they sat down.
"I thought you owed me one." Cassandra shot back.
"Hm, so tell me, how would a wise Councillor solve this conundrum?" Garrus asked.
"Ask for impartial, third party mediation. Liara, what do you think?" Cassandra answered, wearing a huge grin on her face.
"Liara's hardly impartial!" Garrus objected.
"I think you should both buy another a drink!" Liara suggested, enjoying the jovial atmosphere and the reunion with a longtime friend.
"Liara!" Cassandra teased. "You're supposed to be on my side!"
"Oh, so much for impartial arbitration." Garrus scoffed. Liara smiled proudly.
"You're in trouble, missy." Cassandra said, giving Liara a playful glare. Liara smiled back and gave her a quick kiss.
"Am I in trouble now?" Liara asked, feigning innocence.
"I guess not." Cassandra answered. They shared another quick kiss before a waitress arrived and they ordered their drinks.
"So, Shepard, how's Council life treating you?" Garrus asked once the waitress left.
"Good, I guess. It's long hours, stressful and dealing with some of the biggest scum in the galaxy..."
"Just like fighting the Reapers then?" Garrus interrupted.
"Yeah, Garrus," Cassandra began. "Except for not being shot at by monstrous abominations, the galaxy being at risk of extinction and I'm not saving your ass from mercs, yeah, being a Councillor is just like fighting the Reapers."
They shared a good laugh. "I never needed saving from mercs!" Garrus objected.
"Except on Omega." Liara interjected.
"Well, on Omega I could've left anytime, really. But I wanted Shepard to believe she saved me from distress. You know, build up her confidence a bit."
"Keep telling yourself that, Garrus." Cassandra shot back as the waitress arrived with their drinks. Liara was drinking water, alcohol and pregnancy didn't mix. Casssandra was imbibing red wine and Garrus was having turian ale.
"Seriously, though, how do you like being a Councillor?" Garrus asked. Cassandra wondered where Garrus was heading with this line of questioning.
"I like it." Cassandra admitted. "I'm following through on the work I did before. It's similar too, doing favours, calling in favours, twisting a few arms. Only I'm using a pen instead of an assault rifle."
"Don't you ever want to retire someplace tropical?" Garrus asked.
"Yeah, sometimes it's real tempting. I mean, Liara and I are married but we haven't had a honeymoon, haven't had a bonding ceremony. I figure I'll do this for a few more years, and retire on Elyssia. Maybe write a few books, be a mom, live in peace." Liara squeezed her hand.
"You don't miss being a soldier?" Garrus asked.
"No." Cassandra admitted. "I've had enough of that life. I'm glad the war ended when it did, not just because of the people we saved but... I don't think I could've last much longer. Another week maybe. It's thanks to friends like you that I lasted as long as I did. What's on your mind?" She asked the last question quickly, eager to avoid the subject. Talking, thinking about how close she was to breaking down in those final days always brought tears to her eyes. Hiding and burying her emotions was something that had been second nature to her. But since her reawakening, it was much harder to too and she didn't know why.
"Well," Garrus sighed. "I've been working with the Hierarchy, security, rebuilding, smashing antique stores, the fun stuff. Anyway, I've gotten feelers from the Primarch about being promoted. It would put me in the third tier in the hierarchy."
"Congrats Garrus!" Cassandra said enthusiastically.
"You've earned it." Liara said quietly.
"What is it?" Cassandra asked. She could tell something was bothering Garrus, he was looking away, his shoulders shifting.
"Well, I'm not sure I'm ready."
"You're ready." Liara said.
"Why?" Cassandra asked, almost shocked that he would have doubts about being promoted, about his competence for command.
"Well I... keep thinking about how I nearly became a Spectre. I wonder if roaming the galaxy catching scoundrels is right for me. I just, don't see myself sitting behind a desk most of the time."
"There's got to be more to it than that." Cassandra said.
"Well, you're right." Garrus sighed. "If I accept the promotion, odds are I'll be on Palaven most of the time. Which means I'll hardly ever see Tali."
"What makes you say that?" Liara asked. Cassandra's eyes welled with sympathy for her longtime friend.
"Well, she's going to be the ambassador to the Council isn't she? Spending all the time on the Citadel, she won't have time for us to see another. So, I'm joining you to say goodbye."
"Garrus, I think that's a really bad idea." Cassandra said, a mischievous grin appearing on her face. She could seed Liara trying to decipher what she was up to.
"Tali's pretty handy with a shotgun. I don't think she'll take too kindly to breaking up. Don't you think, Liara?"
"Yes, I agree. At the very least she'll pump you full of tungsten rounds." Liara added, catching on quickly.
"I don't think the Primarch will be too happy to see one his prize generals done in by a spurned ex-girlfriend. Think of your obituary: Garrus Vakarian, aka Archangel, defeated the Reapers but got killed by an angry girlfriend." Cassandra added
Garrus laughed and when Cassandra resumed speaking it was with greater seriousness.
"What makes you think Tali can't be ambassador to Palaven instead?"
"She's already been assigned to the new Citadel. You know that."
"Who says she can't be reassigned?" Cassandra asked.
"What do you mean?"
"She's got a lot of influence. And so do I." Cassandra said, winking at her friend. "Have you talked to her about this?"
"No, I haven't." Garrus said. "I was... going to tell her in person. Now, I just got a brilliant idea that she should ask to be reassigned to Palaven. Where do I get these brilliant ideas?"
"I don't know, do you, love?" Cassandra asked her bondmate and wife.
"No idea." Liara avowed.
They sat and ate for a few hours, laughing and talking pleasantly. Not only was it just like old times, it was better than old times. There was no undercurrent of fear or dread. There was joy, hope, optimism. Rebuilding would take time, but with the Reapers gone, time was aplenty.
A few hours later Liara and Cassandra retreated back to their apartment. Both were in a jubilant mood, Liara due to spending a nice evening with a great friend and Cassandra due to the latter and several glasses of wine. Cassandra helped Liara out of her hoverchair and into bed. They changed into their pyjamas. Cassandra was ready to go to bed when her com link buzzed. She opened it and saw Admiral Hackett's familiar, grizzled face in front of her.
"How are you, Councillor?"
"I'm good, Admiral."
"Glad to hear it. I have some good news and bad news for you. The good news is the Navy's going to announce tomorrow that henceforth all frigates shall be based on the Normandy's design and frigates will be referred to as Normandy-class."
Cassandra shrugged. It was an obvious move and one that stirred some ambivalence. The true Normandy was dead, no matter how they tried to resurrect it. But they were keeping the memory alive, that counted for something.
"What's the bad news?"
"I received your request about Atherton. I think it's a good idea but he's gone AWOL. Hasn't been seen or heard from since he left the Ascension a week ago. We have no leads on where he might be. I don't have resources to look for one AWOL officer. If I find anything I'll let you know. Hackett out."
Cassandra looked down at the floor. She felt a sense of foreboding at this news. Atherton wasn't the type to go AWOL on a bender, that wasn't one of his faults. Something, or someone, sinister was behind this disappearance.
"It seems we have a mystery on our hands." Liara said.
"Ready to be my Dr. Watson?" Cassandra asked.
"Doctor who?" Liara asked, bewildered.
"Never mind. Let's see if we can trace his movements." She sat at her desk, across from the bed. Liara crawled out of bed and into her hoverchair. She came next to her. Her face wore a smile, her eyes betrayed an eagerness to work.
"I think I have more experience at hacking high security protocols than you." Liara said cheekily.
"Don't brag or anything." Cassandra teased.
Cassandra yielded control of her computer terminal. She watched, wioth some bemusement, as Liara hacked the Ascension's internal video feed. She hacked effortlessly, like it was second nature. Images blurred by as Liara searched the ship's internal security feeds. If she didn't know better, she'd guessed that Liara had resumed her work as an intel broker. Cassandra started massaging Liara's shoulders. Her muscles were a bit strained but otherwise felt rather loose. Liara moaned quietly though she continued to work.
"I never got to ask you, how was your day?" Cassandra asked her.
"It was quiet. I met father over lunch. I practiced Blue Rondo a la Turk for an hour but got frustrated. I wrote two more chapters in my book about Protheans."
"You mean the adventures of Prothy the Prothean?"
"Very funny. Just a few more chapters to go. My publisher's very excited and can't wait for it to be finished. He gave me an idea for my next book. But I want to check with you first."
"Sure. What will it be about?"
"You." Liara stopped working on the computer terminal and slowly turned to face her.
"A biography?"
"Yes, a chance for you to tell the truth before you get silenced by lies and myths. A chance also to... come to terms with what you did in the past."
Cassandra stopped massaging Liara's shoulders, lost in thought. A chance to set the record straight. Already myths were widespread, a cult called the Followers of The Shepard had sprung, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers. Vids with crazy theories were already abundant, the one about her being indoctrinated was the tip of the iceberg. And who better to write it than Liara, who knew everything about her and wouldn't be shy about bringing the warts to light.
"Yeah, I'd like that." She said quietly.
"I thought so." Liara said. Her computer terminal beeped. The search program displayed it's results. Several video screens displayed Atherton's progress the day when he'd come aboard the Ascension. It followed his progress from arriving on a shuttle to his first stop, the Alliance's office where they'd had their confrontation. After their meeting he'd gone to the gym, his guest quarters, the mess hall. He remained on board for two days before leaving on a standard military shuttle. The video footage offered nothing further.
"That's all I could find right now." Liara said with some disappointment. "I'll message Feron and ask him to look into this. He may be able to find something."
"Tell him to look into Tevos, too. " Cassandra said. "I got a feeling she's linked to this, somehow."
Cassandra lay in bed next to Liara. She was unable to sleep, she tossed and turned restlessly. Her mind racked by questions and anxieties. Tevos. Atherton. The batarian civil war. Liara. Their future family. The clock on the wall crawled with agonizing sloth forward, at times seeming to go backwards. After a few sleepless hours, Liara reached for her. Cassandra embraced her and with Liara's arms around her, she was finally able to fall asleep.
Retcon alert: I've changed the leader of one of the factions from Charn to Gov. Pazness. It makes more sense. I'd totally forgotten about Pazness. Not difficult to do since he's one of those meaningless war assets you fetch in ME3. I hope you'll all forgive me for the minor retcon :) Thanks to everyone for reading.