Chapter 8: Family

Citadel-Huerta Memorial Hospital

"How much longer is it going to be?" Kolyat asked pacing the room. The young drell was in the waiting room waiting for his father's results. After the mission with the Collectors Thane had told Shepherd that he was leaving the team, to be with his son, before his disease became worse. He came to the Citadel and found out that his son was now a capable C-sec officer, and that he was no longer the angry man months ago. Kolyat on the other hand was reluctant, but once he had started to listen, he started to understand the man…maybe they wouldn't have what they when he was ten, but it was something…

As Kolyat continued to pace, the door opened to reveal Thane walking out. "Kolyat" The younger drell looked back and walked over to him.

"Well?"

"It seems I have three months to live" Thane said. Kolyat blinked, he was expecting his father to not have long to live, but he wasn't expecting how calm he was about it. But why was he so calm? He was dying, he wasn't expecting the man to animated, but he could less calm about it. Thane sighed. "It's a relief…"

"What is…?"

"No responsibilities, no worries, free to fix my mistakes" Thane said. "Free to give life, not take it for once…." He looked at Kolyat, he always felt small under his father's gaze, even though he never showed it…he was intimating, but this time his gaze was peaceful almost gentle. "When I die, I want to die with no regrets, will you help me, son?" Kolyat looked shocked, Thane has never asked for help….He shook his head and got passed the shock.

"I will…"

Earth-Alliance Command HQ/Toronto, Canada

Shepherd and team were sitting around in the spectre's room, waiting for his lawyer to come. The committee members decided days ago that they wanted the mess that Shepherd brought to their doorstep gone and so Shepherd's trial was stepped up. From what they heard, the batarians were hiring a famous and tough lawyer from the Citadel, however Shepherd's lawyer was, from what they heard, was no pushover himself.

"He's late…" Garrus said.

James rubbed his head. "Sorry, this building is known as the toughest place to get into, so it's going to take a while" The door opened up and Kasumi, Tali, Kaiden, and Lia came in.

"Has he come?" Kaiden asked. Shepherd shook his head.

"How are things on the outside?" Shepherd asked. Kaiden sat down at the table and sighed as he explained it was circus outside. Every news outlet from Earth and beyond was covering the spectre's trial, some were on his side, and however there were some that just outright condemned Shepherd before the trial even started. Alliance command had to try really hard to keep the media at bay; this wanted the trial to be a private embarrassment and not a public one.

Tali sat next to Shepherd and wrapped her hands around his waist. "Are you okay, Wayne?"

Shepherd sighed. "I don't know, I suppose you can never prepare for your own trial" he said. "Now I know how you felt"

Tali rested her head on Shepherd's shoulder. "You won't be alone, we'll all be with you"

Shepherd smiled. "Thank you" The door opened and to their surprise it wasn't a man, but an older woman. She was in her forties to early fifties, thought you wouldn't tell from her looks, she had short dark hair that had several strands of grey. She wore a gray business suit, with black high-heel shoes. Shepherd couldn't keep his eyes off her, there was something familiar about her, but he couldn't quite place his hand on it.

She smiled and gave out her hand, Shepherd shook it. "I'm sorry for being late, my name is Natalia Swartz, and I will be representing you in your trial."

Shepherd's eyes went wide. "Swartz?"

Tali looked at him. "Wayne?"

"Yes why?" Natalia said.

"Would you be related to Julia Swartz?" He asked.

"Yes, Julia is my younger sister" She was the older sister of Emily's and Talitha's mother, in fact she looked like an older Talitha. "But how do you know her?"

Shepherd lowered his head. "My family lived in the same area as the Swartz's, their oldest daughter was my girlfriend" He said sadly. "I'm sorry I couldn't save any of them…"

"Shepherd….I thought I recognized your name, you're the son of Jonathan Shepherd" She said. Natalia lowered her head. "What happened on Mindoir was terrible; we've all been through a lot"

"Yes we have…" Shepherd said. "This is my crew" The team all waved at her, they all introduced themselves and then looked at the time, it was time to get to the floor.

"Wayne, we have to go, we'll see you soon" Tali said. Shepherd kissed her.

"See you soon rookie" The team all walked out, leaving Natalia and Shepherd.

"She seems nice" Natalia said.

Shepherd smiled softly. "Tali's amazing….she helped me move on…I would be loss without her"

"Emi would be happy you found someone that makes you happy" she said walking away.

"Natalia, I need to tell you something" His lawyer looked back. "Talitha is alive…"

Natalia's eyes went wide. "Tell me everything"

Two years ago

Talitha whirled around at the sound of their footsteps and pointed the gun at Shepherd. "Stop! Stop! WH…Who are you?" She yelled. The pistol was shaking in her hand, her eyes darted back and forth between Tali and Shepherd.

"It's me Wayne, its been a long time, Tal, you become pretty like your sister" The Commander said in a friendly tone with a smile.

Talitha blinked her eyes. "H-how do you know me?" she asked cautiously.

"I was your sister's b-friend on Mindoir, I'm your friend too, don't you remember?" he said.

"I remember only fires. Smells of smoke and burning flesh... people screaming as they kill them, cage them! As they put the metal to their backs, wires in their brains, the pain...don't want the pain" she shook with fear.

"Talitha, it's okay, they can't hurt you anymore, I'm here" Shepherd said softly.

"I want to believe that... I didn't want to... be there anymore. In the pen... in the cages. Screaming while... while they do things to me." She shivered, wrapping her arms around her chest protectively.

"Talitha, I'm going to take a step forward, no one is going to hurt you, I promise " The Commander said cautiously. Shepherd slowly took a step toward the girl.

"Stay away! Don't touch me! Never again" She suddenly snapped, the gun pointing back up at him.

"It's okay! I'm not going to hurt you Talitha" Shepherd put his hands behind his head. "My hands will be behind my head the whole time, I promise" She calmed down, and pointed the pistol at the floor.

"See we're friends, I grew up on Mindoir too, your family and mine were friends, you played with my sister all the time, do you remember Kiyoko, my sister?"

Tears ran down her cheeks and she smiled a little as she nodded. "We always played hide and seek, I would always win, but she never got angry with me." She then lowered her head. "Why are we alive? Why do we live and they die?"

Shepherd lowered his head. "I don't know, once upon a time I wanted to join them, it was easier than dealing with the pain" he said softly.

Talitha dropped the gun as he spoke, her eyes went wide. "What stopped you?" she asked.

Shepherd looked at her and smiled. "I had to put myself back together and keep going, because I wanted to show the batarians, that they can't and won't break me, and to make everyone proud."

"Do you think they could be proud of me too?" Shepherd nodded as he approached her. Talitha looked at him, tears still falling from her eyes. Without warning, she grabbed his waist, sobbing desperately as Shepherd held her.

Shepherd pulled the injection-gun out of his belt. "Listen Talitha, this will make you sleep and they'll take you to a place where you can get better. Okay?" she nodded as he pulled the injection-gun towards her. Shepherd pressed it gently against her neck and pulled the trigger.

"Will the nightmares go away?" she asked softly. Shepherd smiled and nodded. Talitha fell asleep in her arms and Shepherd carried her towards the officers with Tali close behind.

After Shepherd's story, Natalia sat down on the chair with tears running down her face as she smiled. "Thank you, Wayne, thank you; I thought I lost all of my family, but I have hope"

"She's been getting over the trauma the batarians had put her through and is with a loving family, but if you want to meet with her I got her number"

Natalia shook her head. "No, that's okay, just knowing one of my nieces' alive and safe is enough for me, Talitha deserves to be happy" Shepherd opened his omni-tool.

"Okay, but just in case, you change your mind I'm giving you her number" Shepherd said. "I think she would be happy to see you…nothing's more important than family after all"

Natalia smiled as she wiped away her tears. "That is so true" She said. "Okay, enough tears, we have a trial to get through" Shepherd nodded and the walk out of the room to face the masses.

Trial Room

Tali and the rest of the team went into the viewer's area. To the right side, were the representatives for the Hegemony, along with a salarian looking over the case reports. The jury to the side looked at them with caution, not surprising considering humanity and the batarians had a hostile relationship and one the verge of war. As the team walked to there seats, they had gotten strange looks from the other people in the room. Tali had to admit their group was strange, two Quarians, two humans, a turian, and a krogan.

"Can someone please explain why Grunt is with us?" Garrus asked.

"I'm here to make sure these pyjaks don't try anything funny with my battlemaster" Grunt said looking at the audience with a frown .

Kasumi crossed her arms. "It's a trial, not a battle to the death" she said annoyed.

Grunt snorted. "What's the difference?" he asked.

Tali glared at him. "Listen you bosh'tet Wayne is in trouble. And you will not make it worse, understand? "

Grunt grumbled. "Yes Battlemistress…." He muttered. James met up with the team.

"Jimmy, how's everything?" Lia asked.

James sighed. "It's not perfect, but they at least have a game plan"

"Let's just hope it's enough" Kaiden said. "There they are…" Shepherd and Natalia went to take their seats. Before the trial could begin, a man came up to the team.

"Are you Staff Commander Alenko?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You are to report to the committee chambers at this minute" he said.

"Did they explain why they want to see me?"

"No only that you see them ASAP" Kaiden looked at the team.

"Go on, we'll explain why you couldn't be here to Boss" Kaiden nodded and went with the man. The judge went and sat down.

"Court will now come to order, the case of Commander Wayne Allen Shepherd vs. The Batarian Hegemony will now begin."

The Committee Room

Kaiden arrived at the committee room, he was very nervous; he knew he broke the rules when he decided to help Shepherd on his mission against the Collectors. But for the committee to want to see him, made him nervous, these were people that could end the career of an admiral if they wanted to.

He went inside and saw them, the most powerful members of the Alliance military, three men and a woman. The balding dark skinned-man to the center was Henrie Mutuku, he was in charge of the committee and in charge of the funding the Alliance get from parliament, he is said to a very no nonsense type of leader. The blonde woman next to him was Alyson Shriver, she was in charge of coordinating the different groups within the Alliance, however it is said that she likes to play favorites which makes her unpopular with certain groups. To the next of her was a man with grey hair and glasses, Julian Alexandros he was the oldest member of the committee and in charge of research and recommendation, he was the that charted out the plans for the committee, though since he was the lowest ranking member he tend to be ignore by the rest of the members. And finally was the man with slick black hair, John Tui, he was in charge of public relations for the Alliance, and a man gifted with a silver tongue, a he can lie out of everything.

"Staff Commander Kaiden Alexander Alenko, step forward" Mutuku said. Kaiden stepped forward and spoke up.

"Yes?"

"We are here to discuss your future within the Alliance Navy"

"With all due respect, if it's about me leaving my post to help Commander Shepherd, I don't regret it" Kaiden said defiantly.

"No it is not about that, although we are not happy about you disobeying your orders"

"It is about the future of the Alliance, but more importantly the future of humanities' future position"

Kaiden frowned at that, they sounded too close to the Illusive Man for his comfort. "Meaning?"

"With Commander Shepherd's unfortunate situation, we will need someone to represent humanities interests"

"W-what do you mean?"

"Perhaps it is better for the councilor Udina to explain" An image of Udina appeared.

"Councilor, what is this about?" Kaiden said.

"I discussed your history with council, and they were very impressed with your skills, and would like to make you the second human spectre"

Kaiden's eyes went wide. "W-what?"

"Congratulations Mr. Alenko you now a member of the élite"

Kaiden, the second human spectre? And what does this means for Shepherd and his trial?

Find out Next time. As always review and comment.