The Citadel-Shepard's Apartment
Abigail Shepard, the Valkyrie, first human Spectre, and a Captain in the Alliance Special Forces, felt as relaxed as she had in months. She arched her head off to the side, hell, maybe even years.
A glass of cheap champagne in one hand and a report pad in the other, she was pacing the second floor of Admiral Anderson's old place. She paused to consider the situation, you know for a Spectre and an Alliance Officer with only a modest income it is surprising the number of properties I 'own'. Expensive ones too, this place certainly isn't an outhouse. She smirked but felt her eyes grow misty. The only reason why she was in this position in the first place was because Anderson had given it to her, and then promptly died.
Other than the nostalgia and sadness factor it did little to help her now, and had little to do with the pad, a report of a newly reconstituted Alliance Government.
It read: 'A combined Turian/Alliance task force was deployed to the target 'Leviathan home world' as described by Captain Abigail Shepard Alliance Navy N7 ranking (mention redacted in press briefing.) As per Alliance Regulations official reports have been issued to the Alliance parliament, Acting Prime Minister Daniel Hudson's office, and the Alliance media. Scans of the area reveal no signs of life on the planet and no signs of any remaining transportation nodes. The Leviathan's, if they survived the bombardment, should be effectively immobilized.
As per Captain Shepard's and Admiral Jameson's personal recommendation the military will put forth a proposal to place listening posts around the Sigourd's Cradle Relay and within the Psi Trophet System itself to monitor the situation and report on any Leviathan disturbances.
Also per recommendations made by the above mentioned N7 teams will be held primarily responsible for hunting down and neutralizing any remaining spheres around the Galaxy.'
The Valkyrie felt her stomach lurch painfully, so I've participated in another mass genocide, she knew that there probably wasn't any other choice, like with the Reapers before them, but knowing didn't take away the sting. Her background, her temperament, her training, and her religious education all screamed the same thing to her. Genocide is wrong, but, now she had killed off two races.
Unless of course… Abby bit her lip as the thought occurred to her. Yes, of course, they have survived genocide before, so they could still be out there, waiting. But at least this was over, for now.
"Yo Abby! The Sausage is up!" James called before the thoughts could have continued on their present path.
She twisted her head around and arched her eyebrow towards the kitchen. She could just make out the smell of burning sausage. This drew her along the path of the aroma as she put the pad down on the table as she went by.
"Smells good," She remarked smiling.
"Yeah," James smiled back at her and made and 'hmm' noise, "first time I have gotten to cook a real breakfast in months. Sounds like the perfect post-coup celebration to me."
"Here here," she twirled her glass around. James took the hint and picked up the bottle as they clinked it together, and then drank.
They stayed silent for a few moments wondering; James smirked at her, "They'll be done in a couple of minutes."
"I thought you said they were 'up'?" She smirked back at him curious.
"Yeah that was just to get you down here so that you would get the dishes out." He teased.
"Uh huh." She said sauntering over to the cabinets and plucking three plates out for the two of them. Taking these plates into the main living room she placed it down and set the 'table' where they were eating. My VI can take care of any mess.
James brought the sausage down and placed them on her plate.
They started eating in silence for a few minutes, shoveling forkfuls of food into their respective mouths.
Abby looked around the room curiously, gazing at the picture that Glyph took when they were here the first time during the end of the Reaper War.
"You know I'm surprised," She said upon swallowing, James glanced at her still chewing, "I would've thought that Soren and his cronies would've seized this place and sold off the proceeds to benefit the Alliance Military to help them bring the criminals to justice…yet this place is pristine."
"Probably didn't see the point in it." Abby shot him a look. "I mean, we would've been fools to try and come back here to get anything, and Soren would've known that, so taking this place would've just been a purely selfish move and for no point at all."
"I guess," Abby shrugged.
"Yeah, to achieve the proper effect they would've needed to go to the press. And the press, and public, might not have reacted well to them stealing the property of a war hero without a proper trial."
Abby's puzzled frown transformed into a proud smile, "Well James, you actually make a surprisingly good point."
He shrugged, "Can't hang around you for too long without picking up a few tricks."
She shrugged right back, "I guess."
He smiled at her, "It's been a hell of a ride Shepard."
"The best." They toasted again and they drank gingerly.
They finished their meal and Shepard leaned against him stretching a leg out as his arm went around her. He patted her belly and gave it a long stare, seeming to peer into it with X-ray vision. She wanted to shift around but there was no room for it.
"Kinda crazy isn't it; you're going to be a mommy." He said.
She shot him an arched eyebrow but nodded, "Yeah, I know…kinda scary." She gave him a wan smile.
"Oh?"
Shepard considered her response carefully, "I have always been a soldier; always relied on a certain professional commitment to 'kicking ass and taking names', a commitment to protect my crew and those who serve under my command. But now…this? I have no idea how to be a mom, it's not something I even gave much thought to even after I married you…just starting a family…in this universe seems insane."
"Not to mention dangerous." James agreed.
She smiled cockily, "well we have taken care of at least some of those problems, the universe is a lot safer place right now then it was five years ago."
"Yeah but who knows what is on the horizon." Abby said diminutively.
"Yeah, but you can't know what you can't know, we'll deal with the bogyman when we get to it, but for now, we celebrate." James remarked.
"Yeah," She stretched back on the couch, "Ok, but where do we raise the kid? How do we balance our duties with raising him or her? Where do we live, out of all our infinite possibilities, here?"
"Well, there is a guest room." James remarked slyly.
She smirked at him but gave him an under eyed 'not funny' look, "but it's the Citadel, it's a space station, I don't want my kid raised on here. I want them to enjoy real sky, natural gravity, and to stay away from all the interstellar politics, and the celebrity…the fame…getting caught up in this nightmare…even if I manage to reform it today."
He arched an eyebrow.
"Long story and pointless right now." She assured waving her hands. "Then what? Archturus? Space station and the seat of the Alliance Government, where my job technically is. Earth? Thanks to the Reapers and Soren it's a death trap and needs fixing again. The planet that Ahern gave me? A sparsely populated Hamlet out in the middle of nowhere, I suppose we could raise the kid off the extranet but that is hardly a good place to go to the Citadel or Arcturus from."
"Right the commute would be a real hassle," James deadpanned.
She snorted and outright laughed leaning back again in his embrace. "Sorry, whether it's the Reds or my professional life I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and relax. Trained myself, after decades, to always think of the next crisis…and it is a big decision…am I forgiven?" She frowned at him playfully.
He sighed, "With a look like that, of course you're forgiven."
She grinned triumphantly crossing her arms back over her chest and leaned back, still got it.
"Honestly though the kid probably won't ever have a normal life or a real home, despite our best intentions. Any of our kids. We'll do our best of course, but really…I imagine you will take them with you when we travel right?" James asked.
Abigail nodded, "I mean unless it's out in the field or out on a dangerous assignment, then yeah, probably."
"Then Earth it is."
She queried her eyebrow into an arch.
"It's still centrally located, and a planet. Its only one relay away from Arcturus or from the Citadel, the commute wouldn't be too unreasonable. We just need to make sure the schedules match up. And Earth there is still a few secluded places left where one can be relatively quiet. It's just not the outer colonies or anything."
She nodded, "makes sense, Earth it is."
With their issues solved they enjoyed their company and Abby replaced her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She did not know how long she was like this, and did not really care it did feel good to just relax after so much struggle. Even when they were on R&R, or on the journey between systems, there was always a threat hanging over their heads. Saren and the Geth, the Reapers, Cerberus, the Trygerisch Corporation, some Special Forces matter, or some coup to worry about. Now she could enjoy building a life with the man she loved.
A twinkle broke out in James's eyes and he moved in towards her ear. "Come on, now that we have gotten that out of the way lets we celebrate, for real this time."
Abby knew his meaning and leaned back, bringing a hand across his back and pulling on him. It was all the invitation he needed as he responded in kind, running a hand down her lower back and pulling her in. He nuzzled her first, tickling her nose with his, and then leaned in for a deep and passionate kiss. She responded by tilting her chin up into him and sucking greedily on his lips, his tongue entered her mouth; she felt a shiver run down her spine…and then snapped up as the apartment's buzzer trilled dramatically.
Abigail traded a look with James and he swore in Spanish.
"Sorry," she whispered before plugging in her Omni and toggling the apartment's security camera.
And in the holographic window was standing, in N7 hoodie, "Cameron?" She asked, and then sighed, it's probably important.
"What's he doing here? And how does he know where we live?" James asked sounding wounded and concerned.
"Stay here, I intend to find out."
She got up, untangling herself from James and moved over to the hall door. She crossed into the hall, turned left at the door, and opened it up just wide enough to peak her head out but not allow the other Shepard to enter.
"Can I come in?" Cameron asked arching an eyebrow.
"What do you want?" She said, sighing, I don't want to be rude but you did just break up the private time I was going to have with my husband.
"To talk," he shifted around uncomfortably, "and I don't want to say anything out in the middle of a crowded square, especially since, of who I am."
Shepard nodded gravely, stood back, and gestured for him to come in. He smiled and followed her as they stepped in line with one another walking into the apartment.
"Hey Cameron," James greeted amicably as they entered.
"James." The Male Shepard replied.
"Sorry, you just missed breakfast."
"That's Ok," Cameron waves his hand off in a dismissive manner, "I just ate on the way over here."
"Yeah," Abby commented, "how did you know where 'here' was?"
"Admiral Anderson gave me this apartment in my universe too, all I had to do was look up where the strip was to make sure when I got to the Citadel." Cameron explained.
"Oh," Abby's face brightened. "I see. So what did you want-"
"I want to go home Shepard," Cameron stated solemnly.
Abigail's face froze and her mind started racing both the insult and the claim that he was making. She could sympathize, but-
"Is that even possible?" James asked.
Cameron shrugged his hoodied shoulders, "I'm not sure, been going over some of the theoretical science with EDI and she thinks the process can be duplicated, if we reverse it. After all the Normandy's main gun is based on Reaper technology, it was a Reaper who sent me here."
Abby nodded, "Well if you are willing to try it out…"
"I am," Cameron assured.
"Then sure…but it may have to wait for a while." Abigail started, and smirked off of Cameron's look, "I am sorry Cameron, but the Citadel Council is going to get quite the shock today, and it is their station, they have to authorize something of this nature I am sure."
"Shock, what shock?" Cameron asked forgetting his problems.
"You'll see." Abby said smirking.
Council Chambers
Abigail walked up the steps on the top of the Citadel Tower for quite probably the fourth time in her life, what she hoped was the last time in her life. Probably not she frowned, but tried to balance out her expression as she marched up the steps towards her fate.
Or the fate of the Galaxy, depending on who wins today.
She crested the walkway and the Council, the Asari, the Salarian, the Turian, and the human all standing in a row behind their platform, rose up on their dais. They looked frightened, confused, and more than a little anxious at her approach. Like they are expecting something, Abigail thought. And in truth she couldn't blame them, they were after all the third council at least that had to be completely replaced since the Reaper War started, and they were now a post-coup council after the first one was corrupted by a billion year old menace which was the progenitors of the intelligence which created the Reapers. Hell of a crash course in galactic politics on your first day, and I'm about to throw a fusion bob in the middle of them, Abby gloated internally.
What's more they hardly looked the part, they looked youthful, especially the Asari who looked young even for an Asari. They were all staring at her blearily, only the human woman showing the least bit of age to go with her position, a streak of grey slashed through her normally brown hair.
Well, this is good…or it could be bad, the Council is not what it used to be.
Abigail assumed her position in front of the 'visitor's dais' and awaited the Council to acknowledge her existence.
"Captain Shepard," The Asari in the lead spoke, "we have read the preliminary reports from your office and Turian High Command, and it would seem the Leviathan threat is over, though your people recommend we place a listening post in the area to monitor them for any signs of activity."
"We do, Councilor, and I support that recommendation to its fullest," The Asari did not speak and instead nodded, urging her Spectre to continue "we know the Leviathans created the Reapers, and then they survived the first harvest, even though they lost most of their power they survived with just enough to make an attempt at the ruler ship of the Galaxy. It would be dangerous to overestimate our success at the present time."
The Asari nodded again, "Very well." She scratched the back of her head absently, "but our first priority is to plan for the future. With this latest conflagration, even though it was not as devastating as the loss to the Reapers, still caused the death and destruction of lives and property. Our forces due to the resulting Civil War are in a gravely weakened state-"
"Especially those of the Salarian Union," The new Councilor murmured just loud enough to cut the Asari Councilor off.
"Yes, especially the Union." The Asari hissed shooting her compatriot a look.
"Notto mention the environmental catastrophe on Earth." The human piped in.
The Asari sighed, "Regardless we all have our burdens to solve in the coming months, and we need to do so rationally, efficiently, and together."
Shepard smirked grimly and just when has the Council ever been efficient? Just look at you now.
"Councilors," She interrupted before another round of pointless bickering could start, "it is of the future that I came here to talk about today."
The assembled mass of politicians completely turned on her as one, all four off the heads started to regard her. The arch of the human's eyebrow seemed to say are we really doing this?
Abby nodded subtly, to the others it would look like a nervous tick, but she hoped her message would ring through loud and clear.
"And just what do you propose Abigail Shepard?" The Asari asked haughtily,' I am more important than you, why do you interrupt me'?
Shepard breathed a deep sigh letting her mind be purged, and for her to steel herself for the plunge.
"This Council, if the galaxy is to be free and prosperous, then the Council itself must be dissolved."
"What?" The Salarian went bug eyed.
"Surely you are joking." The Asari said with a smirk.
"I am not," Abigail cut through with a confident chop of her head, "it has become increasingly clear to me that the largest threat to the Galaxy is the Council and its iron tight control over the affairs and customs of that Galaxy."
"This Council has represented the combined will of the Galactic Community for millennia and you want to come in here and just wipe it away with a swipe of your hand?" The Asari replied haughtily.
"I did not say that it would be easy," Abby remarked wryly to a slight chuckle from the Turian.
"What you say is preposterous," The Salarian sniffed nasally, "especially in the current situation. We are trying to rebuild the Galaxy that effort alone almost requires as much coordination as defeating the Reapers, like it or not Spectre, the Council remains the best chance to achieve those ends."
"But at what cost? Of the freedoms and sovereignty of the individual people? The current system is corrupt, and it has been easily corrupted by those who have used it in the past few months" Abigail argued.
The Asari smiled chidingly, "The Council respects the individual sovereignty of each of our members perhaps that is why the Reapers had to go after the Council home worlds and not the Citadel itself?"
"The Council never accepts the sovereignty of its individual members," Abigail snapped her temper rising, the Council looked like it was going to challenge the assertion and she cut them off, "You make policy on a Galactic level, and it was the very reason you were in control that the Reapers went after us, if they didn't have the power base to go after, they would've had to disperse their attack. Meanwhile you decide the fates of entire species based on who you like or you do not like, who pisses you off and who goes begging at your table. My species, you gave us colony rights in the Traverse, you picked us over the Batarians, and this alienated the Batarians from Galactic society and led to a war between our peoples resulting in the deaths of thousands. With the Krogan you gave them colony rights, but then they started to expand and you clamped down on them."
"What would you have had us do?" The Salarian hissed, "Let the Krogan conquer the Galaxy?"
"No," Shepard admitted, "but you fought them out of spite and anger, you reacted to punish them rather than to help them…or let them help themselves."
"But this Council's actions benefitted your species, as you just admitted, why would you want us dissolved?" The Asari asked.
"You don't get it," Abigail shook her head, "and this is exactly why this systems needs reformation. Because it's not about races seeking favor with you, it's not about wielding political power, or about picking winners and losers, it's about doing what is right, about resisting the control of any organization that tries and takes it, about races and individuals being free to achieve their destiny without coercion."
The human Councilor cleared her throat dramatically cutting in before the debate could go into tennis match territory, "I have been instructed by my Government to support Captain Shepard's recommendation, I also happen to agree with her personally."
"You what? Are you mad?" The Salarian cut in, the human and her locked stares, "why would the human parliament assign you here if you wanted to dissolve the body you would come to represent?"
"Because the Prime Minister believes strongly, a change is needed." The human replied calmly.
Abby pounced on her opportunity, "I believe the Council should assume an advisory position, to mediate in any conflict between the races that have embassies here if those races need it, they have no final say in the decision process instead they will help the two races reach a decision. The Citadel will become a central meeting place between the various races. The Council will not have a military, will not have a say in interstellar affairs, but the will be a symbolic organization dedicated to keep the peace through diplomacy."
The Salarian spluttered, "What about the Spcectre's? And the need for interstellar law?"
Shepard tried to stop, but she snorted anyways, "Interstellar law? Interstellar law shouldn't exist until the species of the Galaxy show a willingness to use that power fairly, and justly." She let the accusation hang in the air for a spit second before plunging forward, "as far as the Spectre's are concerned either they can have a role in interstellar affairs, or they too will be dissolved. Let the individual species decide extradition and matters of interstellar criminal affairs between their members, not with the force of the Council."
The room was silent for a few moments, the Councilors shifted around uncomfortably. The human Councilor locked eyes with the first human Spectre, they both knew what was at stake here if they were the only ones who would go along with this plan, being right next to the Citadel as they were, with the Krogan not a major force, and with the Quarians on the other side of the Galaxy.
They would be ostracized.
"Their plan…certainly has merit." The Turian councilor mumbled out after another second.
Yes!
"Are you insane?!" the Salarian hissed.
The Turian looked over at her and did the Turian equivalent of frowning, "A look at our history should demonstrate that our record has not been the most stellar. Far from it in fact."
"We have made mistakes, yes." The Asari sniffed.
"Yes," The Turian agreed, "but when we make thousands upon thousands of people die."
Abigail's heart did a little jig inside her chest.
"And," The Turian pressed on, "recent events have proven the entire Galaxy is vulnerable if we fall under foreign influence. We did, and nearly lost the Galaxy."
"But we didn't!" The Salarian countered angrily.
"It was only because of Shepard, one woman, working outside the bounds of this Council's purview was the Galaxy saved. While this Council ordered her captured or killed."
"That was not this Council, but our predecessors!" The Asari joined in.
"Nevertheless, the point stands, the Leviathans used the power represented by the four of us to control billions of our people that must not happen again."
The Council fell quiet, deathly quiet, the Salarian and Asari gaping at the Turian, the human looking resolute and aloof in her current isolation, and the Turian looked defiant, bound and determined to stick to his position.
Abigail's eyes darted across the dais at each Councilor in turn, trying to gage the mood, the feelings, the political risk she was about to take, whether or not this was worth it. She could just forget it, walk out of the Council Room and they would treat this like it never happened. They would keep a watch on her, but they would at least be willing to forgive this momentary breach in protocol. No, we can do this.
"Those of you who support my referendum and want to see a new way of life for the Galaxy, follow me, let's get off this station and leave it until the Council is ready to have an honest conversation about the future of the Galaxy."
She saw the human ambassador begin to leave the platform and head over for her.
Abby pivoted militarily on her heals and marched away from the other three members, turning her back on her power, but in so doing hopefully setting an example, power is not the answer.
"You can't do this Shepard!" The Salarian raged.
"We can," The Turian said behind her, she had to peak and saw him join the human in following in her lock step.
Good, with the Turians on our side the Council can't just bully us back into their ranks, she nodded, entering the elevator with the two former Councilors, the door closed, the elevator moved, into the future.
AN: Well stuff happened, getting back into the College Swing of things and finding other things and just trying to solve some issues. That has delayed the publishing of this chapter, I do apologize, but that is where we are. Unfortunately and or fortunately that means only one chapter to go. Thank you again for all the reads and reviews.