A/N: Well, all that is left after this is the epilogue to wrap things up. It will be posted on Monday. :)
Chapter 151 - The Light Of Their Lives
"Damn it, Singh almost did not take the bait," Kasumi complains, walking back and forth across the floor of what had once been a cozy antique shop in downtown Leeds. "Following the death of that other admiral, I guess he's become very paranoid?"
"Yes, you could say that," Miranda replies, sitting on the sole surviving chair behind the counter, reading through the messages on her omni-tool and several datapads scattered in front of her. "He doesn't even stay alone with me, and I'm still one of his most trusted agents..."
"I'm surprised he swallowed it in the end," Spectre Jondum Bau remarks, leaning against the wall near the doors and discreetly observing the quiet and empty street outside, just in case. "The request of a personal meeting with no witnesses should trigger plenty of alarm bells."
"Well, it was the best I could come up with on such short notice," Kasumi says, a little defensively. "It's a very tantalizing bait, though. Video footage of what truly happened to his friend Mayorov, laced with a promise that it would reveal that his fellow admiral was murdered and that it wasn't a simple air traffic accident as the official sources stated."
"He certainly seemed very excited about the little clip that you sent him as a teaser along with the message," Miranda nods. "I can't think of anything else that would have made him dispatch four other agents just to verify that the story and the man behind it were legit, before he dared to set up the meeting. By the way, great job working those agents, Mr. Bau. The guise of a hapless, starving salarian mechanic, willing to trade the footage for two crates of MRE's and 250.000 galactic credits was very convincing. And you do the paranoia very well, too, I think those agents really bought your reasons for demanding that you will deal only with the admiral himself."
"It was quite easy to fool them, they seemed like rank amateurs compared to you, miss Lawson," the salarian Spectre replies casually. "So I'm relieved you're not actually here to verify my story."
"I think that as soon as I deliver a positive report back to Admiral Singh, he will want to move ahead with the plan," Miranda muses. "I already have chosen a place for the meeting, which I hope he will agree upon. It offers excellent advantages in positioning to take his bodyguards out quickly, as well as providing me with several escape routes in case Singh smells foul play and decides to bring in the army instead."
"And you don't want us there with you?" Kasumi asks, a little worried. "I'd be much happier if we could help, I mean, this isn't one of my plans that I'm super confident about."
"You've already done more than I could ever ask of you, both of you," Miranda Lawson smiles. "I want you to get back to the Citadel and stay there in safety while this whole thing blows over. I started this, it's up for me to finish it," she adds, playing the footage of the bait over and over, watching her own easily recognizable shape diving from Mayorov's shuttle right before it explodes, her lips curling into a twisted grin. "I wonder if I could tease him even more, claiming that the vid is supposed to reveal the identity of the resistance leader."
"Oooh, I like that," Kasumi giggles, clapping her hands excitedly. "There's something utterly sinister by luring your enemy into a trap by using truth instead of lies."
"Anything that would provide further motivation for Admiral Singh and make him become irrational and reckless should be considered helpful," Bau nods.
"Very well, it is decided then. But, I think we should conclude out meeting, Mr. Down-In-His-Luck salarian mechanic, " Miranda says, smiling approvingly at Bau, before turning to Kasumi. "And you too, completely random bystander," she adds, sighing theatrically when the younger woman slowly walks over to briefly hug her. "Oh, this is too much!" Miranda exclaims, batting the laughing Kasumi away from her.
"You like it, admit it, everyone likes hugs," the petite thief chuckles.
"The street is completely clear, if you wish to make a discreet exit, miss Lawson," Bau speaks up. "It would appear that the admiral is not quite as paranoid as to tag his own agents."
"And I intend to make sure he doesn't live long enough for his paranoia to worsen to such extent..." Miranda states, brushing past the salarian and leaving the antique shop, heading back towards her skycar.
"Gods... this is insufferable..." Shepard moans, pulling her legs up unto the sofa and curling into a small, pathetic ball of angst and nerves. Occasionally, a nurse or a doctor walk by through the small waiting room but otherwise it is just her and Matriarch Lidanya, their gracious host on the Destiny Ascension keeping her company and trying to give what comfort she can. "It must be coming up to three hours... should it really be taking this long?"
"Commander, I understood from Dr. Lorisia that the procedure routinely takes up to three hours, yes," Lidanya replies, keeping her voice soft and soothing.
"Yes, but she said up to three hours, not over... gods, I just know something has gone horribly wrong, something always goes terribly wrong, it would just be fitting, knowing my luck..." Shepard groans, burying her face in her hands, sensing a sharp, painful tearing somewhere deep in her stomach, her insides feeling like a twisted cord. She is sweating profusely, first feeling blazing heat from all the agonizing worries, then starting to freeze cold as her subconscious feeds her with mental images of something horrible happening to Liara or the baby. "We saved the galaxy, and in return it always finds some way to laugh back in my face in the most cruel of ways," she grinds out bitterly.
"Goddess, Shepard... you're more tense than a coil of spring," Lidanya speaks, having put a comforting hand on Morgan's shoulder, feeling the tightness of pulled muscle underneath. "I'll ask one of the nurses to give you something to calm you down. Or perhaps..." she then says, hearing Morgan's frantic protests and refusal to be sedated. "Give me your hand, Shepard," Lidanya orders and Morgan quietly obeys, reaching out her sweaty palm, a little embarrassed as the matriarch takes it, feeling the pleasant, soothing coolness of her touch.
Shortly after that, Morgan begins to feel something, a soft presence pushing around the edges of her consciousness, recognizing it instantly and drawing back in shock and surprise. "What are you-" she is about to demand, but Lidanya hushes her and motions her to remain quiet.
"Nothing invasive, Commander, I assure you. I merely want to share something with you... some of my memories, I think they will help you relax," she says quietly. "Please, allow me to do this for you... trust me, Shepard."
Morgan tries to tell herself to relax, and while she is completely unsuccessful with these efforts, she no longer fights Lidanya when feeling the matriarch's consciousness slowly beginning to slide forth to join with hers. True to her word, the matriarch's presence does not feel in any way invasive or probing, and Shepard allows her mind to overflow with images that Lidanya sends towards her. She sees beautiful landscapes of lush, softly glowing thick forests in a myriad of colors raging from pale yellow to bright violet, cities rising amidst the beauty of nature, built in such harmony with their surroundings that their glorious, meandering bridges and skyscraper spires seem like natural extension of the majestic forest and snow-capped mountain peaks, surrounded on all sides by the deep green lakes and oceans.
Gods, such beauty... and with their lifestyle, it almost feels as if the asari are some kind of mythical space elves, Morgan smiles inwardly, feeling a little more relaxed as Lidanya continues to show her more and more views of Thessia, each new one more beautiful and breath-taking than the previous. Of course, it's not looking quite as lovely after the Reapers have stomped all over the planet, but it can be rebuilt and grow beautiful again, I'm sure of it. We must make it happen.
'This is beautiful,' she whispers through the weak mental link, amazed at the pictures of one of the larger cities, sitting at the feet of a forest covered mountain range, the nature wild and with a hint of danger, but calling to something within her soul, begging to be explored. The city is surrounded by lush looking plains, farmlands surrounded by a disturbingly pale orange glowing lake in the vague shape of a horseshoe.
'That was Armali,' Lidanya replies softly through the link, then ending the stream of pictures when she senses that Morgan is no longer as tense and upset as before. "I'm afraid it is not quite the same now, but given time and effort, it can be beautiful again."
"That's... where we're going to live," Shepard breathes out, finding herself quivering with anticipation.
"I know," Matriarch Lidanya smiles. "I have friends and family in Armali as well. Those who survived are there now, helping to rebuild."
"Matriarch?" Shepard asks, a little hesitantly. "You've had children yourself, of course?"
"Most certainly, Shepard. Four of them. One with a salarian, then another one with a different salarian two centuries later, and lastly two with a turian. But they were all natural childbirths, so I would not know what to advise in these circumstances. There was pain and hardship involved with every relationship and every pregnancy, but... as I look upon my children now, I know it was all worth it."
"Hope we'll have the chance to feel the same way," Shepard sighs, lowering her head and giving a half-hearted glare at the waiting room doors. "But if it takes much longer... I might just pretend there's a Reaper hiding behind those doors and charge them down..."
"Take heart, Commander, everything will be fine, I am sure of it," Lidanya says, and at that very moment the doors to the waiting room open. "Ah, I thought so, there's Lorisia."
Shepard jumps up from the sofa with such enthusiasm that she knocks over the table in front of her along with everything placed upon it. Dr. Lorisia looks extremely exhausted, beads of perspiration still covering her brow, but above everything, Shepard only sees the broad smile on her lips, and it tells her everything she needs to know.
"You can stop worrying now, Shepard," Lorisia tells her, watching Lidanya pulling the table back up, quickly fixing the mess. "While not without complications, the surgery was successful... Liara and the baby are out of danger by now."
"Gods..." Morgan whispers weakly, feeling her knees turning into jelly as she collapses on the sofa, finding herself too exhausted and near-paralyzed, unable to move. "I can scarcely believe it myself..." she mutters, mostly to herself. "But for once it seems as if the galactic gods have decided to take pity on us..."
There are plenty of warning signs about the encounter with this salarian who has somehow come across this most valuable footage, and Admiral Singh knows the risks only too well. However, he feels as if he has done everything possible to check whether the deal is legitimate or not. Five of his most trusted undercover agents have verified the salarian's story independently, and while he might have scoffed at the first four reports, once Agent Lawson confirmed the story as legit, he had put his doubts aside.
In the beginning, he had been more than suspicious of Lawson, considering her Cerberus ties, but the woman had more than proven herself. Her intel had painted them more resistance and Terminus merc targets to strike than the leads of all the other agents put together. Now, he could no longer imagine planning his operations without Lawson's viable input, having grown to almost trust her, as much as a man in his position could afford to dispense a valuable commodity such as trust.
The meeting with the salarian is scheduled to take place in an abandoned apartment building in Bromley, the exact coordinates having been sent to his shuttle while they were circling around London, waiting for the overly cautious salarian to make contact. It made sense for the frog to be jumpy, Singh admitted as much. Apparently the resistance had learned that he possessed this footage which would reveal the identity of their leader, wanting to silence the salarian before he had a chance to pass the intel on. Under these circumstances, Admiral Nitesh Singh easily understood why the salarian did not trust to finalize the deal through intermediates, it had been a considerable challenge to even get him to reveal himself to Singh's agents.
Admiral Singh watches his men taking out the two large crates of food supplies from the shuttle and bringing them inside a previously designed apartment, noticing the surveillance cameras mounted on the wall, the salarian no doubt overseeing their actions. He reaches out and raises the credit chit in his hand to display it to the camera and the observing salarian. "Thank you for your cooperation, Admiral. Please proceed upstairs to apartment 31-B. Alone, as agreed," a metallic, robotic-sounding disguised voice addresses him through the intercom.
"Are you certain of this, Admiral?" one of his personal guards asks, understandably disliking the situation.
"Don't worry about it, he didn't ask me to relinquish my weapon," Singh says, trying to sound more confident than he feels, patting the Predator pistol at his belt. I don't think that salarian will try anything, we checked him, he's legit, Singh tells himself, starting to walk up the stairs towards the third floor apartments. Besides, I must learn the identity of the one who has been a thorn in my side for so long, who plotted the demise of my friends, my fellow admirals. The relays will be fixed shortly, the Terminus mercs will withdraw, and we will be able to deal with the resistance. Once we know the identity of their leader, we can eliminate them and watch their whole power structure collapse... and Earth will be mine to rebuild as I decide.
Admiral Nitesh Singh nudges the doors of the apartment 31-B open with the tip of his Predator pistol, revealing a complete state of disrepair in the room, nobody having lived there in over a year. He is a little surprised to find the room empty, after careful looking around he finally decides to step inside, having noticed a small OSD placed on the corner of a table in the middle of the room. As he starts towards it, he notices movement in the doors leading to the adjacent room, turning around swiftly and pointing his pistol at the figure appearing in the doorway, almost releasing the shot.
"Agent Lawson?" he asks, surprised, lowering the Predator. "Damn it, I nearly shot you. You should have warned me. What are you even doing here?"
"Let's just say that this was one tricky mission where I wasn't completely certain about my own intel," Miranda smiles, stepping inside the room with Singh. "I couldn't stand the thought of any oversights leading to your demise, Admiral, so I decided to tag along and make sure that everything proceeded smoothly. I hope you won't object."
"Did you tail us? None of us noticed anybody following," Singh remarks, feeling impressed as he returns the pistol to its holster.
"Please, Admiral, there's a reason why I'm your top agent," Miranda grins confidently.
"But where is the salarian?" Singh then remembers, scrunching his brow, looking a bit more suspicious again.
"He's gone," Miranda replies meaningfully, smiling inwardly as she thinks of the voice modulator safely in her pocket, used to fool Singh just scant minutes earlier. "I hate loose ends. Besides, he was a security risk. Imagine if the resistance had eventually captured him and learned that we have received this intel. They would have gone underground and we would be left without an opportunity to act upon this information," she says, pointing at the OSD which Singh now greedily grabs in his hands.
"So you silenced him?" he asks, Miranda nodding coolly. "Well... a little ruthless, but I will defer to your judgment in this, Agent Lawson. Your service have been most efficient thus far." He looks at the OSD again, uploading the contents to his omni-tool. "And the intel, did you verify it? Does it really reveal the identity of the resistance leader?"
"It does," Miranda replies, Singh missing the wicked shadow of her grin, his attention by now focused solely on the recording.
"Let's see... that's Alexei's shuttle," he speaks, watching the footage from the Citadel 'accident'. "And there... oh god, it just... crashed into the wall! And someone jumped out of it right before the impact, was that the killer?"
"Had to be, yes. Just scroll back and enlarge," Miranda advises, her hand unbeknownst to Singh beginning to slip towards her heavily modded Phalanx pistol.
Singh quickly does as he is told. "Looks to be a woman... a biotic, too," he says, watching the enlarged fragment. "Can't see much more than that, let me enlarge it even more... what the... but... this has to be some kind of a trick? Agent Lawson!" Singh cuts around and freezes, staring down the barrel of the Phalanx.
"No tricks, Admiral Singh," Miranda smiles smugly. "You have been played for a fool. The salarian was never even here. I simply used a voice enhancer and you fell for it."
"You bitch! Why? Why do this?" Singh shouts, his hands trembling, itching to go for his weapon even if he knows that Lawson will shoot him before he has managed to draw his pistol.
"You have not earned any answers, Admiral. Only ignoble death and fading into obscurity," Miranda replies coldly, squeezing the trigger, denying herself the temptation of gloating over her victim. Singh falls to the floor, half of his face blown off from the shot at point blank range, as Miranda walks over to the twitching corpse, bending down to remove the admiral's omni-tool with the OSD. "Nearly there, Miranda," she tells to herself, heading for the emergency exit at the end of the corridor, her skycar discreetly parked two buildings away. "Just one more thing to take care of... and then I can leave Earth and let them rebuild in peace..."
The image of her bondmate propped high up in the pillows in the medbay bed, looking down at a tiny bundle of wrapped cloth with tired but loving expression in her eyes, is something that Morgan Shepard knows that she will cherish until the end of her days. She quietly approaches the two most important people in her life, unwilling to break the magical image of Liara quietly cooing at their daughter, her eyes shining with indescribable relief. Morgan feels herself tearing up as well as she finally stands next to Liara's bed, looking down to see her child for the very first time. The scrunched up face, the hair-tentacles barely developed and looking so fragile, makes Morgan almost afraid of touching something so tender looking and at first she settles for gently poking the baby's hand with her finger, feeling the little asari's hand instinctively grabbing her finger, pulling on it, making her chuckle.
"So beautiful," Morgan sniffles, unable to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks. "Just like her mommy," she adds, kissing Liara on the brow, noticing how weak and exhausted Liara appears from the draining surgery, feelings of worry surging through her.
"Thank you, Morgan..." Liara whispers, then yawning and Morgan places her hands over Liara's, helping her hold the baby, her bondmate looking as if even as little effort as that is drawing on all her reserves of strength. "I was just... thinking how much she... reminds me of you..."
"Well, this beautiful light shade of blue is definitely from you, not from me," Morgan winks at her bondmate, then carefully brushing her thumb across the baby's cheek, her child letting out a happy sounding gurgle at that. "How are you, sweetheart? You look really worn out, is everything alright?" she turns to Liara, asking with concern.
"Liara will be fine, do not worry, Shepard," Dr. Lorisia replies for Liara, the asari doctor smiling as she approaches the couple cooing over their newborn. "There were some unforeseen complications during the surgery that we could not have predicted. I will not lie to you, we came frighteningly close to losing Liara. She has lost a large amount of blood and should conserve her strength as much as possible. Don't speak unless absolutely necessary, Liara, do you understand?" Liara only nods weakly at that.
"She will be fine though, doctor? Gah, you said they were out of danger!"
"They are, do not panic, Commander," Lorisia gently chides her. "Your child will sense your distress and become upset as well. Liara's recovery will be very swift if she listens to everything I tell her and acts responsibly. We will have her back on her feet in three to five days, Shepard."
"Thank the gods," Shepard breathes out another sigh of relief. "And the baby, you were worried about her not being... well, fully developed? She looks like a perfectly healthy, lovely child, but..." she says, looking at the little asari's eyes watching her with wide-eyed curiosity.
"I have good news about that, Shepard," Lorisia looks very happy to inform them. "The brain scans we have made reveal no anomalies, reaction to various stimuli seems normal as well. Liara has done very well in these last few weeks. As a very young maiden it is understandable that she does not have as much control at maintaining mental bonds, they are more frantic and intense and less gradual... something that I'm sure is only welcome in certain circumstances..."
Morgan blushes at that, Liara also sporting a tired smile. "Aw, gee, thanks for embarrassing us, Dr. Lorisia," she chuckles.
"It is a part of my duty as a doctor," Lorisia replies, not missing a beat. "But we will continue running various tests on the little one, just to be sure. By the way... have you chosen a name yet? I could sort out the formalities for you, if you just let me know."
"We have decided, yes," Shepard smiles, about to speak the name to Lorisia, when Liara interrupts her.
"Take her," she says quietly, looking down at the baby.
Morgan gives her a questioning glance, then encouraged by Liara's smile she bends down and carefully scoops the little bundle of joy in her arms. "Come to... heh, yeah, come to... daddy, I guess," she speaks, finding her own words a little odd, but the way they make her feel is beyond delightful, and the sensation of holding the littlest asari gently against her chest is indescribable. "Come to daddy... Lita Ashley Shepard-T'Soni..."
"...you make a very interesting proposition, miss Lawson," Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett speaks, sitting behind his magnificent mahogany desk in the fully renovated Alliance HQ in Vancouver. "As you are well aware, Alliance and the resistance have a good track record at working together in the North American theater. With the sudden disappearance of Admiral Singh and the newly promoted Rear Admiral McIllis assuming control over First and Third Fleets, there is no longer any reason for us to continue our operations against the resistance."
"My people will be relieved to hear that," Miranda speaks, sitting in the chair opposite to Hackett, arms placed neatly in her lap, wearing a stylish black leather jacket, this time choosing not to put her curves on prominent display. "I assume that you have also liberated information about secret Alliance depots that will relieve the dire situation with food supplies. I learned about them while working as Singh's double agent," she quickly adds, seeing Hackett's curious stare.
"Ah, I see. You are a woman of many talents, miss Lawson," he nods approvingly. "Yes, we have identified the locations. Teams have been sent there to take the inventory and ensure proper distribution all across the globe. We have also finally lifted the curfew and in the coming days we will make an announcement to double the weekly allotment of food supplies, if the reserves in those depots are truly as vast as the intel claims."
"Good start," Miranda agrees politely. "The Terminus mercs are flocking back to their fleets, ready for their turn to navigate the relay as soon as it is once again declared safe for travel. I believe the official announcement is expected later today."
"You are... remarkably well informed, miss Lawson," Hackett notes, looking just a tiny bit uncomfortable. "Which makes me wonder what you expect to gain from all of this. I don't imagine you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart. Perhaps like Singh you seek to be nominated as humanity's councilor?"
"Please, Admiral..." Miranda raises her hands defensively. "I suppose it would be difficult to imagine that someone once associated with Cerberus could be doing something guided by noble motivations. Oh wait, but what about Commander Shepard?" she adds sarcastically, chuckling as Hackett gives her a stern look. "But to answer your question, no, I do not expect anything in return for myself. In fact, as soon as the relays become operational, I will be leaving the Sol System. Do not expect me to return."
"Most... surprising," Hackett says, looking slightly astonished.
"Besides, we both know who will be nominated as the next councilor to represent humanity," Miranda Lawson smiles.
"It would be both honor and great challenge to receive this nomination," Admiral Hackett nods. "What of the people who will take over the resistance once you leave? Can I trust them to behave? I have never been comfortable with the 'Terra Firma' label they occasionally use."
"When I started to organize the fight to oppose Singh and his companions, I used my network of ex-Cerberus people who had broken ties with the organization. I needed something easily identifiable to get them onboard, but they are not the Terra Firma that you knew from before," Miranda replies. "They care about Earth and the fate of our people, but they do so without the hatred for aliens. Besides... if you keep your promises, Councilor Hackett, I believe that the resistance will simply dissolve in a few weeks... there will be nothing to resist anymore, just common goals to work on together and hopefully build a brighter future for our people."
"Well said, miss Lawson," Hackett agrees, satisfied with Miranda's answer. "Even if I take issues with your involvement in... certain acts against my fellow officers of the Alliance, in light of your decision to leave the Sol System, I feel that I can do nothing else but to thank you for your contribution in securing peace for Earth and wish you all the best in your endeavors wherever your path takes you."
"Thank you, Admiral," Miranda says, rising from the chair as Hackett circles around the desk to shake her hand. "But remember... if news of our people chafing under your leadership reach my ears in the Traverse," she says, as Hackett escorts her to the door. "I might be back to stir some trouble for you..."
"Point taken, miss Lawson," Hackett smiles. "You are a very valuable ally to have... but I most certainly would not want you as my enemy..."
With feelings of slight trepidation, Commander Morgan Shepard sits in a soft leather chair in the small hallway outside Fleet Admiral Hackett's office in the Vancouver HQ. The secretary, furiously typing on the console nearby, has informed her that the admiral is currently in a meeting and will be able to see her immediately afterwards. All that is left for Shepard is to sit and stare at the heavy footlocker at her feet, thinking again and again on what she is about to do. Not that there really are any other options for me. In a few days, we'll be on our way to Thessia... to a new life, something that I am looking forward to more than I could ever describe. Gods, this feels so weird... looking to the future and seeing only good things, a promise for happiness... for so many years such feelings have been denied to me.
Finally, after what feels like an hour of waiting, the heavy doors to Hackett's office open and Morgan blinks, seeing the admiral escorting out none other than her old XO Miranda Lawson. "Admiral Hackett... miss Lawson," she manages the greeting, bolting to her feet.
"Ah, Commander. Come right in," Hackett tells her, stepping back inside his office.
"Just a moment, Admiral, let me exchange a few words with Miranda," Shepard calls out after him, turning to the raven-haired biotic, smirking at Morgan with an amused expression on her face. "Hey, Miri, fancy running into you here. Planning your next move or something?"
"No, with Singh dead, my job here is complete, Shepard," Miranda shakes her head. "And what about you? Must be something important for you to tear yourself away from Liara and the little tyke. And thanks for the baby pictures, Commander, Lita is certainly a very lovely child."
"Glad you think so, Miri," Shepard grins broadly, then bending down and with a heavy grunt picking up the footlocker. "Got some unresolved business with the Alliance before we depart Sol."
"I think I understand," Miranda nods. "Shepard? You'll keep in touch, won't you? After everything we've gone through together... it would be a shame to just drift apart, wouldn't you agree?"
"I would agree wholeheartedly, Miranda. Expect more baby pictures, invitations to visit us on Thessia, and so forth. We have long and exciting lives to look forward to, my friend. And god knows, we have earned this opportunity."
"You... you are right, Commander. So many things to look forward..." for a moment, Miranda Lawson almost looks overwhelmed with sudden emotion, but then she snaps out of it, opening the doors to Hackett's office, letting Shepard squeeze through, carrying the heavy footlocker. "Best of luck, Shepard," Miranda adds, closing the doors behind Morgan's back.
Hackett regards her with some curiosity when she places the footlocker down on the floor in one of the free corners of his office. "What's going on, Shepard?" he demands an explanation.
"Well, sir... I'm afraid that time has come," Morgan says, straightening out her back and saluting proudly. "Please consider this to be my official resignation from the ranks of the Systems Alliance military." I'm sorry, mom and dad... but looks like I'll be the first Shepard in many generations who won't be Alliance for life... but I hope you are still proud of me and what I have achieved...
"At ease, Shepard... sit down," Hackett sighs, pointing to the chair at his desk. "I was worried this would happen, yes. You know that just because you and Liara are moving to Thessia, you didn't need to immediately cut ties with us. We could have worked something out, perhaps think of some way for you to keep working for the Alliance to further the goals of humanity on Thessia, ensuring our cooperation with our asari friends and allies."
"It's not just about living on Thessia, I want to be more involved in the life of my child," Shepard explains. "Though... I'd be lying if I said that was the only reason. There are... too many wounds that have not healed."
"You mean the media treatment from Singh's people," Hackett shakes his head, looking irritated. "The way they vilified you was outrageous."
"But effective. I have become a very controversial figure to my own people, Steven. I cannot help the Alliance if I divide people and opinions, instead of uniting them. Believe me... this is for the best. Please... accept my resignation."
"Very well... I grant you your request," Hackett accedes after a brief pause. "When you walk out through these doors, you will no longer be Commander Shepard."
"Thanks. All the stuff is in the footlocker... if any items are missing, let me know and I will try to find them or compensate in credits-"
"Oh, stop with the BS, Shepard," Hackett cuts her off angrily. "You know I don't care about some trinkets. I would have let you keep all the stuff."
"Well, I'm not carrying that locker back to the shuttle, it's heavy," Shepard grins. "Besides, sir, it seems as if I'm not getting rid of you that easily, if there is anything to the rumors swirling around regarding the new human councilor."
"Yes, I have heard some backroom chat about that," Hackett shrugs noncommittally. "Does that mean you're staying on as a Spectre? Hmm, too busy to work for the Alliance, but not as a Spectre, Shepard?"
"Well... I don't want to drop off completely from the galactic scene. And Spectre job offers far more flexibility than working with the Alliance," Morgan replies defensively. "Besides, I'm taking the coming year off entirely, there's apparently still plenty to do to rebuild Thessia, and Liara and the baby will need me to be there for them."
"Of course, Shepard," Hackett smiles, now simply looking happy for her. "How are you finding parenthood?"
"Strange? A little scary? Overwhelming? All of that, I guess... it hasn't really sunk in completely, I don't think," Morgan admits. "I think we'll be okay, though. Everyone on the Destiny Ascension are really helpful, looking out for us, because god knows both Liara and I need a lot of help with this parenting thing."
"Yes, I think you will do just fine, Shepard. It would be too embarrassing if two of the galaxy's most famous heroes who annihilated the Reapers were defeated by a baby," Hackett adds, looking amused. "By the way, after my talk with miss Lawson, I've been meaning to ask... were you aware that she was the true leader of the resistance?"
"The leader? Uh... no," Shepard admits, blinking rapidly. "I knew she was up there close to the top, but... well, that's Miranda for you, she's always been so very secretive. Oh, and if you wanted to act all affronted about why I didn't inform you, well... I just couldn't do something that might have exposed my friend as a double agent, there were spies everywhere."
"Yes, you are probably correct about that, Shepard."
"Uh... sir, if I may make one last request... or well, suggestion. Not as an officer of the Alliance, but as a concerned friend," Shepard asks, a little nervously.
"Anything within my powers, Shepard," Hackett nods with certainty.
"It's about Joker. He is... wasting away in Bradford, succumbing to alcoholism and depression," Morgan says quietly. "I know he made a mistake by speaking to that reporter behind my back, and I'm not sure whether or when I will be able to forgive him, but... I can't leave Sol knowing that he is miserable, loathing himself."
"Are you certain, Shepard? I would have thought you'd want to see him dishonorably discharged," Hackett appears very surprised.
"I'm certain. I know that I should be incredibly angry with him, but... he'll succumb to his depression unless we do something, and I can't have it on my hands, knowing that we could have done something but chose not to."
"What do you want me to do?"
"The Normandy is currently docked on the Citadel, with no assignments and only a skeleton crew to keep up maintenance. If you could assign him back to the Normandy in whatever capacity, I think it might be good for him," Shepard says.
"I think I can manage that," Hackett nods.
"Oh, and please, don't mention that I was in any way involved with this decision," Morgan adds. "If he knew that, he might just deny this transfer out of some kind of misguided spite."
"Very well, Shepard, I will grant this request," Admiral Hackett promises. "Now, if there are no more outstanding issues, I should probably get back to my numerous duties... mostly involving paperwork."
"I shouldn't delay you from something so important," Shepard smiles, watching Hackett rise from his chair and walk around the desk to escort her to the door.
"Well, this is where our ways part, Shepard... for now, at least. I have no doubt that we will see each other soon again, though," Hackett says, opening the doors and leading her out, slapping her on the shoulder. "Good luck in your new life, my friend."
"Thank you, Admiral Hackett," Morgan speaks, taking her first few steps outside Hackett's office, remembering the words he had said. These steps are no longer made by Commander Shepard... and yes... somehow they do feel lighter, as if a huge load has been lifted from my shoulders.