Insert your Author's Note here: Thanks, IE7 and a very limited time span, and thanks reviewers for pointing it out to remind me to come back and edit. Some short interludes on the Citadel, giving some of the Shepards (and my favorite canon teammate) more screen time.
They flew directly to the Citadel, the few hours in transit enough to drive any introvert to despair. Angela spent most of it in her quarters, staring at the screen, trying fitfully to type up the notification letter to Alenko's family. Several of the others had stopped in to try and help her, to one extent or another – even Zombie, though "I think he had delectable brains" was not what she thought his family would want to hear. Finally, thirty minutes out, Robo entered the room, and extended its omni-tool display towards her. "Your emotional attachment to your crew is interfering with your capability to perform your duties," it said simply. "Notification has been completed."
She read through it quickly, trying not to sigh. Surprisingly, it was accurate without breaking security protocol, though it did seem a little cold. "Thanks, Robo."
"Tasking complete. All Shepards and crew are requesting shore leave on Citadel while you brief the Council on status of Saren and Sovereign."
"Wait, why me?" she complained. "Just because I'm the original?"
"Correct." While she was still spluttering and trying to come up with a counter-argument, Robo turned and left.
Grumbling slightly, she grabbed Kirrahe, Williams, and Victor, and went to see the Council. Even grabbing Victor, she had to consider an accomplishment, as he had been about to grab an aircar to the marketplace and browse weapons mods. "You owe me for this," he complained as they landed at the top of the tower.
Over the next half an hour, Angela explained everything that had happened on Virmire, with some helping details from Kirrahe and Williams. Victor described the force of krogan they had destroyed. Overall, the Council seemed pretty impressed, maybe even grateful, which would have been a first. "So, the next thing to do is get a group of ships together to go to Ilos," she concluded.
"That's not going to happen, Commander," Sparatus said. "We're not going to risk a war with the Terminus Systems with Saren dead."
"He's only probably dead," Victor muttered. "He could have escaped the blast."
"Even if Saren did escape, we're talking about a planet with possibly-functional Prothean technology, that's never been seen by our civilizations!" Angela protested. "You want to let it just sit there?"
"If it hasn't been touched in fifty thousand years, it can last a few more months," Udina said. "Let me handle this, Commander."
"You scum," Victor growled, moving towards Udina as Williams tried to stop him. "Even if Saren is dead, the geth still follow Sovereign!"
"Really, that's quite a ridiculous tale," Tevos said dismissively. "That ship is clearly just an advanced geth warship."
"The Normandy is locked down," Udina oozed. "Shepard's not going anywhere until you tell her."
"You son of a bitch!" Angela shouted, and Williams, still trying to hold back Victor, could do nothing as she stalked over, grabbed the ambassador by the lapels, and pulled him closer. "I'm going to collect the rest of me, and you're going to regret this," she promised, whirling away and stalking back to the aircar, Victor on her heels.
Kirrahe watched them go, turning back to the Council. "After what I witnessed on Virmire, I have one piece of advice for the Council. Let the Shepard win."
At the aircar stand next to Barla Von's office, the two Petrovsky's were pressed back against the guardrail of the park, seriously considering making a run for it. "How is your constant shouting at her going to help the baby?" Deirdre shouted in his face. "What kind of ancient macho BS did you subscribe to? Just because your brother died doesn't make her your wife now!"
Right beside her, Yvette was calmly, even coldly, tearing Mrs. Petrovsky to pieces. "There are more than two options here, obviously. Genetic scans, in-utero scans. Any competent human-specialized doctor should be able to tell you whether your child is going to need any kind of therapy. Instead of arguing with your brother-in-law, why aren't you trying to find a solution?"
Both of them were cut off unexpectedly by hands on their shoulders, spinning them around, and then propelling them in the direction of the marketplace. "I'm so terribly sorry about that. Some people just have no manners whatsoever," Waldo's voice came from somewhere in the general area.
As two Shepards and a disembodied voice walked away, Mrs. Petrovsky fainted dead away.
In the middle of the Presidium, on the walkway in front of the krogan statue, Eric and Wrex squared off against each other, Havok, Sachiko, and Marid cheering them on. "I think I figured out why you're giving me so much trouble," Eric grunted out, one arm straining against Wrex's hump, the other holding back one krogan hand from his throat.
"Why is that?" the battlemaster asked, planting his feet more firmly and shoving backwards. Eric's feet slid a few inches before he regained his grip and pushed harder, tilting the krogan backwards.
"Vanguard training focuses mostly on groups," he forced out, shoving suddenly away and circling to one side. "Taking out small groups, gang tactics, using them against one another." He lunged forward, grabbing Wrex around the waist, shoving him backwards into the railing and just barely managing to get the krogan's feet off the deck.
"Why should that make such a difference?" Wrex asked curiously, his question interrupted twice as he dished out some nasty punches to the rib cage.
"It's been so long since I fought one-on-one with someone of my skill level, I'm out of practice." Eric dropped him, ducking backward from a headbutt and kicking solidly into Wrex's abdomen. As the krogan stumbled backwards, the weakened railing gave way, dumping him into the lake.
"I can't swim!" he roared, in a panic, flailing around, water already lapping around his head and shoulders. "Help me, you pyjak!"
Suddenly worried, Eric leaped in next to him, only to suddenly have his feet swept out from under him and land, submerged. He sat up in the shallow water and spit out a mouthful of water in Wrex's direction. "I think that's cheating, old man," he said dourly, as the chortling krogan splashed easily through the two-foot-deep water back to the walkway, climbing up with a little help from Sachiko.
"Sneaky, and well fought," she complimented him. "Let's get you out of those wet clothes and get a drink, what do you say?"
He blinked up at her, frowning. "Are you hitting on me?"
"What if I am?" she asked coyly, running one hand over the bony forehead plate.
In response, he shoved her into the water too, managing to knock over Eric again. "Try to keep up," he taunted both of them, then started jogging away.
"Oh, it is on," they both said, leaping out of the water and chasing after him, leaving Havok and Marid, collapsed on each other, breathless with laughter.
Outside of Flux, Bradley and Charles listened in consternation to the embassy clerk's tale of woe. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" the soldier asked.
"I think so Charles, but if they called them Sadness Meals little children wouldn't buy them," the adept responded.
"What?" the clerk asked in utter confusion. Rather than answer, the two Shepards each grabbed him by an arm. "Hey, let go of me!"
"You're going to see the doctor, and get some treatment for that addiction," Charles told him as they frog marched him towards the door.
"Like it or not," Bradley agreed.
Behind them, Oksana was staring intently at the increasingly nervous salarian as Talya examined the device he gave them. "And this thing is foolproof?"
"Of course it is!"
"Then why were you kicked out?" Talya asked suspiciously.
"They watch closely to see who's winning too often, that's all," he said. "I think your Earth casinos do the same thing."
The two of them looked at each other, and shrugged. "Sounds like fun," Talya said.
"We get to keep the winnings, right?" Oksana added.
"Of course, of course! I just want the device back," he exclaimed, wringing his hands nervously.
"We'll think about it," Talya said over her shoulder as they ascended into the club.
Still on board the Normandy, Garrus cautiously opened the hatch to the Mako, peering out. He had made a great show of leaving the ship, then used his C-Sec knowledge of the Citadel to sneak back on board and hide. It had been thirty minutes now, and he was sure he had lost the unicorn in the back alleys around the academy. Still, you didn't get to be a sniper, or a top C-Sec operative, by being sloppy.
The cargo bay appeared to be empty, even Tali had graciously allowed Adams and Robo to drag her away from the drive core, and everyone couldn't wait to get off the ship and into less crowded places. He swung the hatch the rest of the way open, and dropped down to the floor silently. He could sneak back out now, ask Bailey to give him a lift out to Zakera ward somewhere. No way Polarity could track him by aircar.
His train of thought was cut short as the elevator dropped in front of him, and the unicorn sauntered out. "I knew you were hiding in here somewhere," she said wantonly. "Why don't you get out of that armor, and I'll show you something to calibrate."
He was trapped, she was between him and the elevator, and he didn't think he could lock the Mako sufficiently to keep her out. "Oh spirits," Garrus muttered under his breath.
Elsewhere on the Normandy, Jared and Flora locked the door to the CO's cabin, the room now crowded with bunks and personal lockers. "Now that we have some privacy, we can finally get down to business," Jared purred, running one biotically glowing hand over her face as she unzipped her jumpsuit.
Twenty minutes later, they both exited the cabin, their faces a mix a nausea and disappointment. Halfway up the stairs, she grabbed his hand. "We never talk about this again."
"Naturally," he whispered back. "As long as we don't have to keep up the pretense in front of anyone else, either."
She just shuddered, resting her forehead against the wall.
Inside Flux, Angela entered, with Zombie, Gina, and Inara behind her. The pulsing lights were enough that, combined with a helmet, Zombie was passing unnoticed through the crowd. She spied Anderson at a table, moving over to join him. "You here to commiserate?" she asked bitterly.
"Angela, child, I agree with you," he said, sipping from his beer. "Even if you did manage to nuke Saren, leaving that planet alone for the geth to plunder it is folly."
Inara sighed heavily, grabbing a margarita from a waitress and taking a big sip. "The moment we all converge on the ship, though, they'll know something is going on."
Anderson nodded. "Only a handful of Shepards can go. I'd recommend only however many you can fit in the Mako, and have the rest here. Just in case that Conduit thing you talked about is still operational. Udina's already talking about having all of you psychologically evaluated."
"Iiiaaaa oooo ffiiiirrrr," Zombie moaned.
"Uh, right," Anderson responded, taking another gulp from his beer.
"Fine. I'll figure out which other four Shepards are going with me," Angela sighed. "But then how do we get the Normandy out of here?"
Gina grinned, slouching down in her seat. "I have an idea about that," she said. "I just need to borrow a couple of other Shepards. We can make this work."
"Alright." She turned on her omni-tool. "All Shepards, we're going to have a 'Fuck the Council' party in Chora's Den. One hour." She looked over at Gina. "Think that's enough time?"
The other engineer's grin grew broader. "Oh hell yes," she said.
Ninety minutes later, the general crew of the Normandy had been recalled to the ship. Lurking behind Joker's chair was Angela, Eric, Lilitu, Neville, and Quistis. "Uh, could you guys give me, yanno, a little space?"
"Sorry," they said in unison, just enough creepy factor to make him twitch.
Inside Udina's office, the ambassador sat at his desk, allegedly doing paperwork, but actually checking his stock portfolio, when the door opened. Gina entered, flanked by Deirdre and Inara, those two backed by Yvette, Talya, Oksana, and Ubon. "What is the meaning of this?" he blustered.
All seven of them pointed at him, and ordered, "Go the fuck to sleep." Without another word, he toppled sideways out of his chair, snoring. Gina moved around to his computer, typing quickly, and gave a thumbs up.
Inside the Normandy, the light turned green, Joker hit the button, and they cruised silently away from the Citadel.