Riding on fury after Shepard's subdued explanation over the comm and Kaidan's more in depth explanation afterward, Garrus strode through the main deck of the Normandy. Of course they weren't needed anymore. What did they know? They'd only been tracking Saren's movements and figuring out what he'd been up to for months. Fucking politicians. Was having your brains sucked out of your head a requirement to become one?
Shepard was just off the command deck, sitting against a set of lockers with her knees drawn up to her chest, her head leaned back against them and her eyes closed. He didn't think he'd ever seen her look so tired. He knelt near her, his eyes on her face. "Can they really do this, Shepard?"
"I've tried everyone I could get a hold of. They won't listen," she said quietly.
The defeated way she said it shook him to the core. He was so used to her having the answers, so used to her finding a way out of the most impossible situations. She always had an ace up her sleeve. "You can't be giving up, Shepard. You can't. We have to stop him."
"I know what has to be done, Garrus, I just have no idea how to do it."
"If you mean overriding the systems locking the Normandy down...it's possible..." Tali's voice came from behind him. The quarian knelt on Shepard's other side. Heavy footsteps announced Wrex's presence behind Garrus and Liara sat down beside Shepard. "You can't do it from here, but you can do it from wherever the control center is."
"I don't know where it is." Shepard rubbed her hands over her face in frustration. "We'll only get one shot at it..."
"I can find out...I can even override it for you," Tali said hesitantly.
"No." Garrus and Shepard said it at the exact same time. Shepard met his eyes and he could see his own thoughts echoed in them. Whoever had to try getting to the controls would have to be left behind. That couldn't be Tali "I can. Whatever punishment they give me won't be anywhere near as harsh as what they'll do to you, Tali," he said. He knew how the Citadel's information network worked better than any of them. He hated the thought of not being there for the end, for stopping Saren, but he was the best option and Shepard knew it too. Had probably been thinking of it from the start.
"Well, helping steal a ship is a capital offense among my own people, can it really be worse?" Tali said with a weak attempt at humor.
"Yes, my queen, it can be," Shepard said soberly.
"Wherever the control center is, it'll probably be heavily guarded," Wrex said.
"So are we doing this? Stealing the Normandy?" Kaidan said, having come up to stand beside Wrex. "We have to figure things out quick...we don't have much time..."
"Commander. Sorry to interrupt, but I've got a message from Captain Anderson," Joker said over the comm.
Shepard looked up sharply. "What did he say?"
"Only said to meet him at that club in the wards. Flux."
The hope that had been timidly starting in all of them flared up. Shepard nodded and pushed herself to her feet. "I'm on my way."
"Not alone, Shepard," Wrex said firmly. "Still plenty of people out there that want you out of the picture permanently."
She thought that over and nodded. "Garrus, Kaidan, you come with me." No matter what Anderson said, the chances were she would need one or both of them with their tech expertise to get the Normandy unlocked. The thought of sacrificing either of them, even if it wasn't their lives this time, almost physically hurt her but Saren had to be stopped. She met Kaidan's gaze and he nodded ever so slightly, understanding. "The rest of you stay on alert, I'll inform you what's going on once we meet up with Anderson." Her gaze traveled over all of them and they didn't need to say anything. They would be ready.
"That's the third little protest group I've seen since we left the docks. What the hell?" Shepard muttered. They were moving through the crowds carefully, keeping it casual in case they were being monitored, which was all too possible.
"Looks like Terra Firma, Commander," Kaidan remarked. "It's almost Armistice Day, they always protest around Armistice Day."
Shepard rolled her eyes. "Ah, yeah, I always forget about Armistice Day. Tends to happen when you don't care." She and Ash had talked a bit about the Terra Firma party. Shepard didn't pretend to be well versed in every party that made up Earth's Parliament but she and Ash agreed Terra Firma was pretty stupid. They claimed to be defending Earth's individuality from alien influence, saying their own culture would be swallowed by alien culture if they didn't stand against it. Despite the fact that every Citadel species interacted with each other on a constant basis and still retained their individual cultures. But that was logic, which, in Shepard's observation, played very little role in politics. She supposed it was just a throwback to the 'keep the species/country/our race pure!' cry that had echoed across nearly every age on Earth from somewhere, changing with the times.
The more things change... Shepard thought as she aimed for Flux, barely giving the protestors a glance.
Apparently their leader took that glance as an invitation because he hurried forward. "Commander Shepard! Give me a second, would you?" He angled himself perfectly so her choices were stop or run him over, shifting to keep her from moving around him. "It's an honor to speak with you!" He pitched his voice like he was speaking to a rally, the sound carrying. Shepard narrowed her eyes at him. Garrus pointedly moved back to join them, placing himself just behind her and slightly off to her side. The man's eyes flicked to the turian and narrowed ever so slightly but Garrus didn't take the hint to move off as Kaidan came up as well, looking impatient.
Shepard bit the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning. "I think you've made it clear you wanted to speak to me, so what can I do for you?" She glanced not so subtly at the display of her omni-tool.
"I'm Charles Saracino of the Terra Firma Party. With Armistice Day coming soon, we're making our voices heard by the alien appeasers on the Presidium."
"Yes, quite loudly..." Shepard tried to move around him but several of the protesters had gathered around to listen in eagerly, not actively trying to stop her but getting in her way.
Saracino gave her a smile she was pretty sure he practiced by looking into a mirror. "Can I count on your support in the next election?"
Who was he kidding? "Mr. Saracino, I have a multi-species squad, as you can see, and I've screwed so many asari over the years it's actually a rumor I prefer them to humans. Which is ridiculous, as anyone who knows me knows full well I prefer one of each, preferably at the same time." Saracino went red, his mouth opening and closing like a fish's for a moment. Kaidan sighed behind her but she'd used up all her politeness reserves dealing with Udina and the other Alliance officials earlier on. She started to shoulder her way through the protesters. "Anyway, I don't vote, that way I can bitch no matter who wins."
Saracino had recovered. Obviously a consummate politician, he was still trying to get what he wanted. "I, uh, I don't suppose I could convince you to give a public statement supporting my candidacy? The support of the first human Spectre would be invaluable." His voice turned sly. "Especially with you losing a human squadmate to that turian on Virmire. I heard she was General Williams' granddaughter, no less. Shanxi is still a powerful symbol, what better one for Armistice Day?"
Oh, now. That she couldn't let pass. Shepard paused and turned back toward him, a smile curving her lips as she walked toward him slowly. Saracino must have seen he'd pushed her too far but to give him credit, he didn't back down, even when she got right into his face. "Mr. Saracino." Her voice was low and pleasant. "If you even think about trying to use Ashley Williams as some kind of propaganda for your fucking election, you have my solemn vow that after I gut Saren and his geth, I will turn all my focus onto you. It will be my personal crusade to do everything in my power...which even you must admit is quite considerable by this point...to make your life such a living hell, that by the time I'm through with you, putting a pistol to your temple and pulling the trigger will seem like your best option." She smoothed the lapels of his shirt, her eyes burning into his. "I promise you."
Kaidan was surprised the man didn't piss his pants.
Shepard, eyes glittering, turned back and motioned toward Flux. Garrus looked the protesters over with a decidedly smug look for a moment before following her. Kaidan paused only long enough to make sure none of them were actually stupid enough to try and follow them before turning away, leaving Saracino and his protesters still and silent behind them, hopefully with any foolish notions about using Ashley as a symbol knocked right out of their heads.
Shepard couldn't stop her eyes from moving up to the table they'd all sat at the night before they had left for Virmire. Had it only been days ago? It seemed like years. She remembered Ash speaking of bringing her sisters here for a girl's night out. She swallowed hard, forcing it back as she spotted Anderson sitting at a table. She saluted him before they sat down, partly automatic and partly because she didn't see anything wrong with showing respect to someone she genuinely respected. The captain nodded. "I'm glad you came, Shepard. I heard what happened. I wanted to warn you, but there was no way to get a message to you before you docked." He leaned forward, his expression intense. "I know you're pissed off right now, but you can't give up. They all think this is over; we both know it's not. You have to go to Ilos. You have to stop Saren from using the Conduit."
"The Normandy is the only ship that can get us into the Terminus Systems and through the geth undetected, sir. Tali says there's a way to unlock it but..." She hesitated, not wanting to overstep her bounds, not sure how far Anderson was willing to go.
She need not have worried. Anderson was already nodding. "Citadel control's locked out all the Normandy's systems. But if we override the ambassador's orders we can get them to bring the Normandy back on-line. You can be in the Terminus Systems before anyone knows you're gone."
"That'll leave you holding the bag..."
Anderson waved a hand. "And if Saren finds the Conduit, life as we know it is over. The Reapers will destroy us. Humans, asari, everybody!"
Hearing someone outside the Normandy say it so plainly both made her chest go tight with fear and took a weight off her shoulders. At least someone on the Citadel didn't think she was nuts.
"You're the only one who can stop him, Shepard. So I'll do whatever it takes to get you on the Normandy and off this station." He leaned forward again. "The quarian is right. I can unlock the Normandy from one of the consoles in the Citadel control center. You'll have a few minutes before anyone realizes what's happened."
"If it's the main control center, it's a restricted area. C-sec will be guarding it," Garrus said.
"Leave the getting in part to me. You just be on the Normandy when the systems come back online."
"Sir, surely there has to be another way. You're going to get yourself killed!" Kaidan protested.
Anderson frowned. "Well, Ambassador Udina issued the lockdown order. If I can hack into the computer in his office, maybe I can override it."
"Udina isn't going to let you waltz into his office and use his computer."
Anderson shrugged. "Hopefully, he won't be there. If he is, I'll just have to think of something."
"He won't let that slide," Shepard said.
"You could be charged with treason, Captain," Kaidan agreed.
"We don't have a lot of options," Anderson said, bringing them back to the fact someone had to take the fall to stop Saren.
Again someone sacrificing themselves. You can do all you can to deflect the blame off him, onto yourself if that's what it takes, after Saren is dead. And if we're proven right, Udina isn't going to have much room to speak anyway.
That settled any of her doubts. She looked up at Anderson. "I think getting to the ambassador's computer would involve less bullets, which is always good, but you're the one taking the risk, sir, I think you're the best judge."
"I think you're right. Besides, the ambassador has made this personal." She couldn't help but hope his improvising if Udina was in the office consisted of a fist to the face. "You ready to get the hell off this station, Commander?"
"You bet your ass...sir."
"Your captain is a good man," Garrus said quietly as they left Flux and made their way back to the docks.
"Yes he is," Kaidan said.
"The best," Shepard said with a smile.
She sent Garrus to tell Tali, Wrex, and Liara what was going on and Kaidan to be ready to brief some of the crew when they took off. She headed to the front of the ship and came up beside Joker's chair. The pilot looked up at her, giving her a measuring look when he took in her expression. "What did Anderson want?"
She looked down at him. "I need you to be ready to take off the second the systems are back on line, Joker. Can you do that?"
Joker started to smile. "Yes, ma'am."
Anderson kept his pace brisk but not overly fast, giving no hint of any real urgency. He imagine he looked annoyed but anyone would expect that. He'd been in and out of Udina's office so often the past weeks, the guards barely gave him a nod as he passed. He waited for the office door to open, bracing himself.
Udina was there, behind his desk, a funny little half smile, half grimace on his features that roused Anderson's ire even more, though he didn't show it, keeping his face calm as he strode forward. Udina looked up, his expression going annoyed. "Anderson? What are you doing here? I didn't send..." Too late, he picked up that something was off. He started to rise from his chair and Anderson unloaded on him, cracking him hard across the jaw with a blow he knew from plenty of experience would put a much stronger man than Donnel Udina down. The ambassador collapsed, his head banging onto his desk. Anderson leaned around him, fingers flying over the console's keyboard as he worked quickly. It took him a bit longer than he liked, but Udina's computer was already unlocked and open to him since he'd been using it. After a few minutes' work, Anderson sat back and smiled as the order to ground the Normandy flashed green. "Go get that bastard, Shepard."
He was still smiling and sitting quite comfortably in one of the office chairs when Udina came too and started screaming.
"Aw, damn it," Joker complained as they left the Citadel behind. "No sign of pursuit? I was hoping the Council would send some ships after us. I was looking forward to putting the Normandy through her paces. Figured I'd get to see what this ship can really do."
"Could still happen," Shepard said. "We have a geth army, a crazy turian and a giant living ship ahead of us, remember."
"Doesn't sound as much fun when you say it."
Shepard snatched his hat off his head.
"Hey!"
She plunked it onto her own at a jaunty angle and started to saunter off.
"I told you about touching the hat!"
"Oh, fine, you big baby." Shepard tossed him the hat, smirking, and moved down the command deck. She kept an eye on the crew as she passed. Some looked confused and worried, but no one was protesting, at least not yet. Pressley was the first one to speak up about it as she passed, shaking his head. "I can't believe we stole the Normandy! I know we'll all be court martialed if it doesn't work out, but part of me loves this!" the navigator said, surprising her with a smirk.
"No one is going to get court martialed." She grinned and walked away. Between her and Anderson, she was quite certain they could make sure the crew wasn't blamed for any of it. After all, strictly speaking, they had just been along for the ride. So to speak.
As they got further away and there was no sign of pursuit, some of the crew started to relax enough she was certain there wasn't going to be a mutiny. The glances they sent her weren't worried or angry anymore, at least not with most of them.
They trusted her.
That fact made her even more determined not to let them down.
She looked toward the front of the ship. We're coming for you, Saren. Both of you.
Be a darling and don't start the party until we get there.