Shepard came from her report to the Council with the conclusion that nothing she ever did was going to please the turian councilor and she might as well get used to it. Besides him, though, everyone else was happy the colony was saved. Even Udina grudgingly admitted she hadn't screwed up too badly.

She strolled down the steps. One good thing about the Presidium was they were picky about letting reporters around. Too many high officials around with too many secrets. To top it all off, interest in her had tapered off, though she guessed that would spike up and down. Westerlund News had run a story about her criminal background while she'd been on Feros, Udina had been happy to point it out to her, but since that had already come up when she'd been appointed to the Normandy, it was rather old news. Other news stations had been endlessly playing the moment they'd cornered Captain Anderson about it as he dryly congratulated Westerlund's reporters for their stunning journalistic skills in finding information in Shepard's public files where anyone could look it up. Which just further proof Captain Anderson was one of the coolest people to ever live. Since no one was making a big deal about it and other stations didn't seem all that interested, it had passed away fairly quickly. Besides, there were more important things to focus on. Like Aish Ashland going back into rehab.

Indulging herself for a while, Shepard wandered idly around the Presidium, aiming for the less official areas, looking for a building she'd spotted from the distance on the way in. She still didn't like the Presidium better than the Wards but she had to admit that some of the finest architecture on the Citadel was in this area.

Her focus on this particular building stemmed from her recent interest in Elcor architecture, which, she supposed, stemmed from her being sick of Prothean architecture. The Presidium buildings looked pretty much the same (yay conformity) but a few of them had subtle touches meant to give them some character and set them apart. Like this one. She slowed her pace, drifting closer to the wall. There it was. The faint ripple in the metal and patterns formed over the lights caught the eye, something she'd noticed in books and vids about Elcor designs. The elcor were a big, thick limbed race from a high gravity planet. They all spoke in such a low monotone that most of them she knew had to actually prefix their speech with whatever emotion they were supposed to convey. Looking at them, with their huge front legs and bulky bodies, you'd have expected their buildings to be as thick and bulky as they were. To her surprise, she'd found they had a fascinating sense of design, focused by their native language of scent, subtle body movement, and multiple tones. Elcor artists and architects were highly prized. This one had to be very renowned to do such fine work on a part of the Presidium, she wondered if the owner could tell her the name.

Shepard was so intent on picking out the intricacies of the building that she moved down the stairs and into the corridor that took her further in without thinking. She almost bumped right into the young asari standing by a podium in the middle of the hallway.

"Excuse me," the asari said, sounding peeved.

Shepard hopped back a few steps, wincing. "Sorry...sorry..." She gave the asari her best charming 'silly me' smile.

The asari was not appeased. She looked down her nose at Shepard, a particularly impressive feat since she had to tip her head back to look Shepard in the eye. "I don't recognize you as one of our expected clients today," she said. She was good. Like the look, she conveyed the obvious fact Shepard couldn't possibly be one of her expected clients without having to say it. The asari was dressed in one of those amazingly sexy dresses that cost a small fortune and were meant to show off one's assets to the best degree. Shepard was dressed in loose trousers and a sleeveless top that barely covered her tattoos and left her scar mostly uncovered. She saw the asari's gaze linger on it for a moment, her lips tightening in distaste. She'd been testing to see what kind of looks her piercings would get from the crew by wearing a few of them on and off lately. Today she had her nose stud in and since she wasn't going into a fight she'd indulged in earrings: multiple hoops in each ear dripping brightly colored chains down halfway to her shoulders that jangled softly with every move. She imagined she looked positively rag tag but frankly she couldn't stand the stiff fashions that were popular on the Citadel and didn't think it was right for her to wear an Alliance uniform anymore. Which meant she had to dress in her own style. Her life was so hard.

She took a couple more steps back. "I imagine not. I'm Shepard, just some random idiot admiring the architecture." She gestured around them. "Was this part of the building designed by an elcor, Miss...?"

"Nelyna." The asari blinked and cocked her head, losing her hauteur. That was obviously not a question she was used to hearing. "Yes...one of Sha'ira's clients redecorated the building for her specially. I believe her name was Vetra."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Happy, happy client."

The asari's lips almost twitched into a smile before she stopped herself. "So many of them are."

Shepard was trying to remember where she'd heard that name. "Sha'ira?"

Nelyna raised her eyebrows. "The Consort?"

"Oh, her!" Shepard lit up as she remembered. "I heard a lot of news reports mention something she said. She's an...advisor?"

"To many she is, yes," Nelyna said. "She's able to accommodate whatever her client needs." Her voice was filled with quiet, but sincere zeal. She clearly admired her boss. Her demeanor became more business like. "If you'd like to make an appointment, I'm sure she'll make every effort to meet with you."

Shepard had to laugh. "I think we both know she's a bit out of my league but thanks for offering, that was awful nice of you."

Nelyna had the grace to look embarrassed. "I didn't mean to..."

"Quite all right, sugar, you were nicer about me almost crashing into you than I would have been if our positions were reversed. And you gave me the architect's name, thanks!" Shepard smiled at her, waving a bit, and started to move away.

Nelyna started to say something and paused, putting her hand to the side of her head in an odd gesture. "Yes, Sha'ira?" She glanced up. "Wait a moment, please. You're Shepard...as in Commander Shepard?"

"Yes..."

Nelyna glanced away again, listening. "Yes. Of course, mistress." She dropped her hand and looked at Shepard, a baffled expression on her face. "It appears the Consort has taken notice of you. She'd like to meet with you now."

It was a relief to have some down time. Ashley didn't agree with Shepard on some things...okay, a lot of things...but she had to admit the commander was good at realizing what her crew needed. And everyone needed a breather after that mission.

Ash walked along the street with the vague goal of getting a drink somewhere. She ended up walking without direction, lost in her thoughts.

Dealing with a colony under the control of a hundred thousand year old mutant alien freak was definitely something to leave you shaken, but Ashley admitted that was only part of it. She shouldn't be letting Shepard's orders bother her. Shepard's reasons for leaving her and Kaidan with the colonists instead of taking them along to fight the geth were good ones. She knew that. It wouldn't have bothered her so much if it didn't remind her of how other commanding officers she'd had in the past had started to act as she climbed up the ranks.

A Williams had to be better than the best. That was her father's mantra. And yet, despite the fact he was a skilled and excellent soldier and he'd dedicated his life to the Alliance, her father had never even come close to becoming an officer. Ashley had dedicated her life to becoming the best soldier she could possibly be. She had good technical scores and good evaluations, recommendations from several people. With all that, she should have had a post aboard a ship, actually taking those skills out into space where they were needed, right? Wrong, cowboy. Not if your last name was Williams.

Until recently, she'd been blinded by the sheer joy of being on the Normandy. Of knowing she was actively helping to defend humanity...hell, the whole galaxy...from a huge threat to them all. Sure, she thought Shepard was a little bit too lenient with aliens that might be potential enemies in the future if the Council failed them, but she could deal with that.

But there was a part of her, Ash admitted, that was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. And she couldn't help wondering if it had; if Shepard had finally put two and two together. She was weird, but Shepard was still an Alliance commander. She could still shunt Ash aside if she had the same resentment toward General Williams's legacy as most commanders she'd had.

"Chief Williams?"

Ashley turned. A tall man dressed in a sharp suit was standing a few steps behind her, his back ramrod straight and his expression neutral. He wasn't wearing a uniform but everything about him screamed military. He nodded. "I have a request from Major Conner Baker. He'd like to meet with you." He might have claimed it was a request but he wasn't asking. He'd already turned away even as he spoke. "This way."

Ash was half tempted to tell him to go to hell, if only to see the tight ass try and go up against Shepard if he wanted to make a fuss over it. But she was too well trained and she was also curious, so she followed silently.

He led the way to a pub with an impressive view of the Wards. Major Baker was enjoying the view from a comfortable seat on the pub's upper deck, surrounded by three men. None of them were in uniform, not even the major, Ash noted.

Baker hadn't even made it to General yet and he was already legendary. Her father had spoken of him with both admiration and disgust. She'd even heard that some of the turians admired his utter dedication to getting the job done, no matter what the cost. She saluted and took a seat across from him, taking the measure of the man batarians hated so much his name was practically a curse word. He'd torn through so many of them, even the ones that had surrendered, on the criminal base on Torfan he was almost single handedly responsible for the batarian's retreat back from Citadel space. All at the cost of most of his squad, something he'd never apologized for, because they'd gone down in with honor in the line of duty.

He was a big man with brutally short, sandy hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. He was wearing a sharp, tailored suit but that didn't in any way hold off the impression he could tear someone to pieces with his bare hands and not even break a sweat. Hard brown eyes locked with hers. He nodded. "Chief Williams, I've heard a lot about you. Drink?"

"No, thank you, sir. What exactly have you heard about me?"

"Shepard never shuts up about you and the rest of the crew. Even the aliens. Bragging about the people under her to anyone she meets has always been a habit of hers. I suppose it's how she courts loyalty." He continued before she could speak. "Not to mention I've kept an eye on reports about the Normandy after the turian attacked Eden Prime."

Ashley pressed her lips together, not sure what to make of that. "What can I do for you, Major?"

Baker smiled for the first time. "Not one for bullshit, either. I also heard that about you." He settled back in his chair. "Your evaluations are impressive and not just anybody could have faced off with a completely unknown threat like the geth and come out of it alive."

She was getting more and more uncomfortable, trying to figure out why exactly he was going into this. She knew when she was being played up. "I just serve, sir..."

"As do we all, Chief Williams. Or at least most of us do. May I ask why you haven't served on a ship before Anderson took you aboard the Normandy? You've requested a shipboard post often enough."

Ash bristled inwardly. No one ever asked her that question unless they already knew the answer. She kept her voice low and polite, but couldn't keep the edge out of it. "I wouldn't know, sir, I've never received an in depth explanation."

"Of course not. I love bureaucrats. It's perfectly fine to hold a young woman back because they consider her grandfather a fuckup but it's not okay to admit it out loud."

That was the first time she'd ever heard anyone say something like that. It was so close to her own thoughts she could only blink at him in shock for a long moment.

Baker smiled knowingly. "I didn't fight in the First Contact War but there are still plenty of men at the top who have. No matter how much they bleat about making peace with the turians, none of them like having to deal with them politically. Can't take it out on the turians because they're allies now. So they focused on the one man who shamed us all by being the only man to surrender to an alien force. That's a bit understandable but once the General died, they still needed someone to take it out on. Pisser for you and your father. It's not fair but not surprising either."

Ashley was silent for a long time, simply looking at him. She finally spoke, uncertain: "I appreciate you not holding my grandfather against me, sir, but I'm wondering why you brought him up. Why you wanted to see me at all."

Baker looked back out over the Wards for a few moments. "What if I told you I was in the position to clear his name? Several people have tried, I know, but I've got some people of authority ready to push it in a way no one has before."

"Why would you do that?"

Again, Baker fell silent, his eyes on the lights that stretched out around them. "Anyone who moves up the ranks gets called on to do their duty, no matter what. Your grandfather did that, it was the wrong decision but he thought he was doing his duty." He turned his gaze back to Ashley, those cold brown eyes locking with hers intensely. "Eleven years ago, I was a lieutenant and I was called on to do the hardest thing I've ever done. Do you know what it was?"

Ash shook her head, mesmerized and more than a little intimidated.

"I accompanied two Alliance men down to Earth. One was Admiral Kahoku- though he was a captain then -and the other was Dr. Harris, one of our top biotic researchers. Back then, we didn't know half of what we know about biotics today and with all the asari out there and other species who have been using biotics for years, we were desperate to get some trained ones in the ranks.

"That day we were there in the Saint Augustine Penitentiary in Texas because the Alliance had been informed of a trained biotic who had suddenly appeared out of the Terminus Systems by the name of Arian Creed." He paused, looking at her significantly.

"Arian...wait, you mean Shepard?" Ash stared at him. She'd known Shepard had been recruited out of prison, but this was new to her.

Baker nodded, looking pleased. "She insisted on going by her mother's name. I didn't know why at the time, all I knew was she'd been arrested for murdering two men."

"She turned herself in, you mean."

For an instant, a flicker of annoyance passed through those cold brown eyes, then it was gone. He waved a big hand dismissively. "I had respect for Kahoku then, I thought between me and him we'd be able to convince our superiors that it was a mistake no matter what Dr. Harris said. She was eighteen then. Eighteen years old and capable of cold blooded murder and they wanted to let her into the Alliance ranks, possibly placing the lives of good men in her hands."

"Wait a minute, I've read the reports, Major, and I've heard a couple people both in the Alliance and out of it talking about the kind of shit those two men she killed were involved in."

Another flicker of irritation. "So she says."

"They completely broke open that slaving ring later on because of the information they picked up from their files."

"You're missing the point, Chief Williams," Baker interrupted, leaning forward a bit, his eyes burning into hers now. "The circumstances don't change the fact she was a kid capable of murder, and it wasn't just those two either. Someone who is willing to take the law into her own hands like that has no business in the Alliance ranks with people depending on her. I thought Kahoku would see that, trusted him to see that, but for some reason he saw something in her..." He frowned, looking almost confused. "He let her in, and she made it through the trial period without incident, through her training without incident...I'll admit when that happened she showed more discipline than I'd thought she was capable of but then she started rising in rank..." His eyes rose to hers again. "You see the parallel, Williams? They held you back when you deserved to rise and let her rise in rank when she had no business being in command of anyone's life." He sat back slowly. "There's more to it. Her father's name is Benjamin Creed and he operates...if that's the term...out of the Terminus Systems. That slaving ring started with him, Williams. And she used to work for him."

Ash just looked at him for a long time, trying to process it all. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'm about to call on you to do your duty to the Alliance. Not officially, it's too risky, but it's still for the good of the Alliance."

She knew what was coming. Perhaps she had since the moment she'd sat down across from him. Ashley felt anger start to pulse in the back of her head, making her speak through gritted teeth: "You want me to go behind Shepard's back? Spy on her for you?"

"'Spy' is a dramatic word, Williams. Shepard is becoming more and more of a wild card now that she doesn't have the Alliance keeping her leashed anymore. Doesn't even have laws leashing her now. There are some people high up who are worried she isn't quite as willing to stand for humanity now that she's managed to claw her way to a position of such power. Just look at what she's making you work with. All they want is someone who's willing to pass on information if it looks like Shepard is doing anything that will harm or embarrass the Alliance. That's all and we'll work on getting your grandfather's name cleared. We might even be able to give your father a posthumous promotion."

The anger was boiling through her now. "Sir, you've laid your life down for the Alliance, you've fought well for it and I have the utmost respect for you for that. Which is why I'm simply going to say no instead of what I really want to say."

Baker looked genuinely disappointed. "Loyalty is admirable, Williams, but not when it's to a person more than your race..."

"I said no. Sir." Her hands were balled into fists. Who did he think he was? What did he think she was? She was happy to tell them. She was Ashley Madeline Williams, Gunnery Chief of the fucking SSV Normandy SR-1, daughter of a man with honor who came from a man from honor himself. And both men deserved more than being used as a bargaining chip.

Do her duty to the Alliance by spying on Shepard? Fuck them.

Her legs felt shaky as she rose to her feet but she had to leave. Had to get out of here before she did something she'd regret. Even as she turned the man who'd first approached her was rising, his hand wrapping around her arm and stopping her short. "You haven't been given leave to go, Chief Williams."

Pure, furious instinct had her whipping around as he pulled back, plowing a fist into his stomach. He doubled over but didn't let go, shock widening his eyes.

"Williams, you disappoint me, I wasn't looking to give you trouble," Baker said with cold authority.

"Sit down," the man holding her said, sounding slightly breathless. And seriously pissed off. "You have five seconds to sit and apologize to the Major before I hurt you."

"You've got less than that to get your fucking hand off my gunnery chief, boyo." Everyone, even Baker, froze at that icy voice. Ash twisted free of the man to turn and face her commander, who was standing in the doorway between the pub and the deck. Shepard looked past her, a cold smile curving her lips. "Baker. Long time no see."