Ch. 24

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.

Paul Valery (1871 - 1945), Tel Quel 2 (1943)

I wake up slowly, ugh my head. Where am I. I feel someone holding each of my hands one had three fingers the other had five, I only know two people with three fingers. Please be Tali, I say to myself as I open my eyes. Sure enough on one side of my bed Tali was sleeping her head leaning down on the bed, on my other side there was Liana holding my other hand. I'm trapped, I can't move because I don't want to wake them. A sudden surge hits me, Kaidan's dead, I knew someone was going to die either him or Ash, but truth be told I thought it would be Ash. I sit there just thinking and looking at Liana, and Tali both still asleep. I should've been able to do something, anything why couldn't I change anything, if I had told Shepard about Ilos maybe we could've skipped over Virmire and saved Alenko from dying. No that couldn't have worked how would I explain that, and who knows what would've happened with that lab. It had to happen.

"Good to see you're awake," Dr. Chakwas whispers, "you took a nasty hit."

"How long have they been here," I whisper back glad for some conversation.

"Since they carried you on," She replies, "around 11 hours ago."

"How's the crew taking Alenko's death," I ask.

"As well as you can expect," She says, "the Commander has taken it hard, but she's hiding it well."

I remember the moment they shared before we left. "I wish we could've done something," I say sadly. I see Tali start to stir, guess our conversation was a little louder than I'd thought. "Sorry we woke you," I say to her.

"Keelah, I'm just happy your ok," She says and hugs me, I hug her back with my newly freed hand.

"You must have been worried," I say, "you actually stayed in the same room as Liana with no one else to talk to."

"We didn't talk much," She says, "and you would've done the same for me."

"In a heartbeat," I say, "well maybe less than a heartbeat, probably about half a heartbeat."

I can't tell if she smiles or not, that would be one of the many reasons I hate those helmets. I do hear a slight laugh. "Looks like she's waking up now," Tali says.

I feel a slight squeeze on my other hand. "Good morning sunshine," I say with a grin.

She hugs me too, "Careful in pain," I lie with a laugh.

"I'm glad to see you are going to be alright," Liana says.

"Doctor," Joker's voice says over the intercom.

"Yes Joker," Doctor Chakwas answers.

"The Commander needs to see Will," Joker says, "is he up."

"Yes, I'll send him right up," She answers.

"Well ladies duty calls," I say getting up from the bed. I notice I'm not in the clothes I was in before, "who," I believe the answer to my question would be too awkward, so I just speed out of the room.

A short while later I'm standing in the Conference room with Shepard. She has her commander face on a mask she wears to hide her emotions. "Will we are going to arrive at the Citadel soon," She says, "you will come with me to see the council."

"Understood ma'am," I say.

"We will join with a fleet they are sending after Saren," She says with a monotone.

"Yes ma'am," I say, so it's coming down to this the final mission. Of course I know it's a trick and the Council will lock down the Normandy. Luckily Anderson comes up with the plan to stop the lock down.

"You have any dreams," Shepard asks.

"None," I say.

"Alright then... dismissed," She says.

"We're approaching the Mass Relay Commander," Joker says over the intercom.

"I'll go get ready," I say exiting. After getting dressed in my armor, grabbing my weapons, the pistol, two SMGs and sniper rifle, I head for the airlock. We had docked with the Citadel. None of us speak as we make our way to the Council chambers. We arrive at the audience area right next to my least favorite politician.

"Good job, Shepard," Udina says, "thanks to you, the Council's finally taking real action against Saren."

"The ambassador is correct, if Saren is foolish enough to attack the Citadel- as you believe- we will be ready for him," the asari councilor says. I already knew they wouldn't chase Saren, but I can't believe these idiots are just going to sit and wait.

"Patrols are stationed at every mass relay linking Citadel space to the Terminus Systems," the turian councilor my second least favorite politician adds.

"You think a blockade's going to stop him," Shepard asks with barely controlled anger, "He's on Ilos looking for the Conduit right now." "What are you doing about that," She shouts.

"Ilos is only accessible through the Mu Relay, deep inside the Terminus systems, Commander," the salarian councilor answers, "if we send a fleet in there, the only possible outcome is full-scale war."

"Now is the time for discretion, Commander," Udina adds, "Saren's greatest weapon was secrecy, exposed, he is no longer a threat." "This is over," he finishes.

"One ship going into the Terminus Systems won't start a war," Shepard suggests, "I can be descreet."

"You detonated a nuclear device on Virmire," the turian councilor says, "I wouldn't call that discreet."

"Your style served you well in the Traverse, Commander," the asari councilor says, "we recognize that, but Ilos requires a deft touch." "We have the situation under control," she finishes.

"Secrecy isn't his greatest weapon," Shepard says seething now, "the Conduit is."

"Saren is a master manipulator," the salarian councilor argues, "the Conduit is just a distraction from his real plan to attack the Citadel."

Shepard tries one last time to convince them of the threat, "Sovereign's the real threat," She shouts, "Saren's just a servant of the Reapers."

"Only you have seen the Reapers," the asari councilor argues, "and then only in visions, we wont invade the Terminus Systems because of a dream."

"If Saren finds the Conduit, we're all screwed," Shepard shouts, "we have to go to Ilos."

"Ambassador Udina, I get the sense Commander Shepard isn't willing to let this go," the turian councilor says.

"There are serious political implications here," the afore mentioned human bastard says to Shepard, "humanity's made great gains thanks to you, but now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth."

I lose it I grab Udina and lift him in the air by the scruff of his neck, "You backstabbing bastard."

"Commander control your crew," the asari councilor orders.

"Will drop him," Shepard says through clenched teeth.

I resist the urge to throw him, I drop him roughly to the floor. "Sorry ma'am lost control for a second."

"It's just politics Commander," Udina says after he collects himself, "you've done your job, now let me do mine." "We've locked out all the Normandy's primary systems," he says, "until further notice, you're grounded." "And you," he says pointing to me, "consider you're contract terminated." I clench my fist, I hope Anderson clocks you good when he releases the controls.

"Nobody stabs me in the back, Udina," Shepard says threateningly, "nobody."

"I think it's time for you and your team to leave, Commander," Udina says, "this no longer concerns you." "The Council can handle this," he continues, "with my help, of course."

We head back to the Normandy I get accosted at C-sec due to my illegal mods now that I'm no longer under the Alliance's protection. "Move out of our way now," Shepard says with a look that guaranteed pain.

The c-sec officers back off immediately recognizing her as a Spectre. "Thanks Shepard," I say as we ride up the elevator to the dock. She doesn't respond. We board the Normandy and Shepard storms off to somewhere. Who's going to convince her to get moving. I wait near the doors that lead to the lower decks sitting in the CIC. Garrus, Wrex, Tali, Liara, Liana, and Ashley walk up.

"What're you doing here," Ashley asks.

"Waiting," I say.

"For what," Tali asks.

"Shepard to get off her ass and get moving," I say to them.

"You are just going to wait for this to happen," Liara asks.

"The person closest to her should go convince her to get moving," I say.

"So what are you doing here," Ashley asks again.

"Whoa... what are you implying," I ask confused.

"You are the only one who really talked to Shepard in private, besides Alenko," Ashley explains.

"You mean she never talked to any of you," I ask.

"No she avoided the rest of us outside of missions," Wrex finally says.

I laugh man are they wrong, "We only talked because she was suspicious of me." Liana visibly relaxes and Tali is as unreadable as ever.

"Just get Shepard on her feet," Garrus says.

"So you all came to this agreement that I convince her to move it," I ask, "without telling me about your plans."

"Yes," Liana finally says.

"Ok I'll give it a shot," I say, "but I really can't promise anything." I head off to confront Shepard.

I see her sitting against her locker in the mess area, "I hate politicians," I say getting her attention, "well for now just those 4." "I can't believe they grounded us," I say actually I already knew that would happen.

She shakes her head, "I wish I could say I was surprised," she says.

"So you just gonna sit here and wait for the apocalypse," I ask her changing the tone of the conversation.

"What can I do, the Normandy's locked down," Shepard replies getting angry.

"Steal it then," I say to her.

"Just steal a ship right in the middle of one of the most protected regions in Citadel space," she asks.

"If we fail they catch us and the galaxy ends," I say to her, "if we win we escape and save the galaxy."

"When you put it that way our course of action seems obvious," she says getting up. I give her a bear hug lifting her off the ground. "What was that for," she asks.

"You look like you needed a hug," I say with a smile. OK now that Shepard's back in the game, Joker should call us and say Anderson wants to meet us.

"Sorry to interrupt Commander," Joker says over the intercom, "got a message from Captain Anderson."

"What is it," Shepard asks.

"The Captain said to meet him at Flux," Joker says, "that club down in the Wards."

"I've always wanted to go clubbing," I say with a grin.