REQUIEM
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:
GUILTY BEFORE THE SANCTION
November 24, 2185
1600 hours.
Cockpit, Normandy-Class Stealth Frigate Normandy SR-2, Moving to dock with Arcturus Station, Arcturus System, Arcturus Stream Cluster.
Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Flight Lieutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko, Power Engineer Kenneth Donnelly, Propulsion Engineer Gabriella Daniels, Mess Sergeant Rupert Gardner.
There it was; Arcturus Station: Capital of the Systems Alliance, and seat of its parliament. The most heavily-defended Alliance installation in history, and surrounded by a fleet of ships. Even now, as he watched on, he saw the entire Alliance First Fleet, lead by Fleet Admiral Adina Netanyahu, swarmed around the gigantic space station, ranging from corvettes and frigates to destroyers and cruisers and even a carrier or two, accompanied by the odd battleship and of course, there was the single dreadnought that was currently drydocked with the station, which served as Adina's flagship; the SSV Aconcagua, which was only recently posted as her flagship he heard, as its construction was only completed by 2185 and was a Killmanjaro-Class, which, opposed to her original flagship the SSV Everest, was superior, as the Everest had been of the obsolete Everest-Class.
Upon entering the system via its mass relay, with the McKinley not far behind, they had immediately run into a patrol of five frigates and two destroyers, all of them running a tight formation around the relay and all part of Adina's First Fleet. Either way, they did not bother the group and simply continued their patrol as the McKinley stroad past, its intimidating form looming over the Normandy as it was basically towed towards Arcturus Station lying in the distance, almost right next to the sun Arcturus.
He had heard the stories about the Arcturus Stream cluster; how in a billion years, the entire ring the cluster sat on would disintegrate into nothing, and the Stream would practically float through dark space. It was interesting to hear about, and because it was so far away, the Alliance hadn't even bothered putting that into account.
The design of Arcturus Station looked much like the mass relays, when he thought about it. The huge space station was basically a pronged fork; a large disk sitting at the back, with two arms folding outward on the left and right, and you had the capital of humanity. It was covered from metal bulkhead to metal bulkhead in alliance blue and white, with the occassional Alliance insignia painted on it, and of course was the source of a horde of activity; transport freighters, warships and even a few ships from the turian Hierarchy and the Salarian Union, most likely being diplomatic vessels. But everyone cleared way for the giant Killmanjaro-Class Dreadnought heading straight for the station, unwilling to get in the way of it and its cargo.
He straightened his posture, eying Joker as he sat there, the control terminal infront of him switched off and deactivated, as were most of the systems on the ship. Gabby and Ken had deactivated the drive core and everything else aside from basic life support and lighting had been switched off in preparation for the Normandy's impounding. They all sat there and watched their doom approach.
He turned to EDI's holopad, watching it come to life, "I trust you'll stay hidden, EDI? Don't want anyone to find you."
The AI's response was quick and he swore she sounded offended, "Of course I will, Shepard. I would not allow myself to be found intentionally by the Alliance; their reaction to finding an AI on the ship would be hostile. Plus, it would not help in the case already being built against you. Suffice to say, the controls to the AI Core have been shorted out, and I will remain as inactive as possible. They will not even know I am here."
"Good work EDI," he replied solemnly, before speaking his final words to the AI, "This is also goodbye, EDI. We won't be seeing each other for a long while after this, so I expect this'll be the last time we do. Its been an honor knowing you and having you help us during the fights against the Collectors, the Shadow Broker and of course, the batarians and Project marines. Couldn't have gotten this far without you," finished, he added, "And...I'm also sorry for distrusting you at the beginning. My animosity and distrust proved to be unfounded."
"I am in no way offended, Commander," EDI replied, and he could imagine a smile on her face, if she had one, "Goodbye Commander. And may your journey be peaceful and without peril. I hope we meet again. If there is anyone who has shown me what it means to have a crew, it is you."
"You're welcome EDI. And thank you," with that, he turned away from the holo pedestal, straightening his back and clasping his hands behind his back, eyes looking out the windows and so focused on the approaching airlock on Arcturus that he barely heard EDI's response.
"Logging you out," and with that, her hologram winked out of existence, and it would be a long time before he saw it again.
"Well, this is it. The final run," Joker piped up, looking at everyone gathered in the back of the cockpit, "Final goodbyes. Boy do I hate them. No humor to be found in them."
"I dislike them too, Joker," he replied, a grim smile on his face. Saying goodbye to Tali was one of the most painful things I've ever done in my life. Except dying. I don't want to go through that again, but most of all, I don't want to go through months of life without her. And the worst thing is, all I'll be able to think about is her. And whether I did the right thing.
The pilot shook his head, eyes meeting his own, "Easy for you to say. I'll be all on my lonesome on this ship, with only EDI to keep me company."
"You at least have EDI. I have no one. Period," Marcus stated, shaking his head with a grin, "But hey, you have alliance dockworkers to talk with. Surely they'll be fun to talk to. And marines. Oh yes, our talkative marines..."
Joker just gave him a hardened glare, his eyes telling Marcus all he needed to see as the pilot gave him a deadpan response, "Gee, thanks Commander, but I think I'll pass. I was glad that I got to leave the Alliance for a reason, not because the lights were too much."
Marcus could only chuckle in light amusement, "Hey, better than no company at all..." Just being by himself on Aratoht had been an excruciating experience, he didn't want to imagine months of loneliness in a single, barren cell. And that's if they even give me a cell...
"Yeah, I guess," Joker rubbed the back of his neck, "Kinda sucks. Just try not to kill your guards while you're sleeping in that cell of yours. Don't want the Alliance finally finding a reason to kill you off."
He chuckled, nodding, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks Joker."
"Anytime commander," he replied, and for a moment, both of them went silent. Out of the group he was in now, Joker, aside from Kaidan, was the one he'd known the longest during his travels on the Normandy, and they had formed a strong bond during that period; a best friends kind of bond. This goodbye would be one of the hardest, but they would overcome it, just like they'd done to the rest of the challenges set before them.
Finally, Joker spoke, tipping his cap in respect, "Serving you has been a blast, commander, sucks to see it end. To everyone just...leave. But I guess it had to end with us going seperate ways again...just for us to come back together again. But I'll be here, sitting in this seat. EDI ain't going anywhere, and neither is the Normandy, so we'll be ready when you need us again. Just send the call. We'll even break you out of prison if you have like...a change of heart, or something."
He shook his head, smiling alittle, "Nothing like that Joker, but I'll think about it. Until now, I guess this is goodbye," the Normandy docked with Arcturus, and the ship seemed to vibrate as it did, shaking with the very contact. As soon as him and his crew stepped off it, it would then take off again, and that would be the last time he saw the Normandy, his ship, for a very long time. Everything is being taken from me, piece by piece. And I am powerless to stop it. With a grunt, he slowly turned to the airlock, facing its chrome surface. He heard Joker's voice behind him, speaking to him.
"I'll see you around Commander. I just hope you know what you're doing."
"I do Joker," he replied, smiling at him slightly, "And thanks for one hell of a ride."
"Wouldn't trade it for anything. Now, you better get going. Guards aren't going to hang around all day, if you're any indication. Goodbye...Marcus."
"Farewell Jeff," and with that, he tapped the interface and entered the airlock, followed by his crew and Kaidan, who stood in full alliance combat armor, weapons strapped onto his sides and back. He came to stand at Marcus' side, a solemn expression on his face, and his posture straight and approving. He leaned into his commander's ear, whispering.
"Good luck sir," he said simply.
"Thanks Kaidan," he replied just as simply, nodding as he returned to facing the door, waiting for the decontamination cycle to end. It cycled through, over and over, like an executioner slowly dragging his axe towards his victim. He closed his eyes, and inhaled a breath of air, trying to calm himself down. When he was done, he opened his eyes and exhaled, straightening his posture and clasping his hands behind his back, entering full Commander Shepard mode. Unbreakable, impenetrable, irrevocable.
So when the airlock door finally opened to omit him into Arcturus Station, he was ready, confident and determined. With a sigh, he moved one foot infront of the other, his body seemingly moving of its own accord, with his crew not far behind. After about a second, he was fully standing in one of Arcturus Station's many corridors, where observation windows lining the entire hallway gave them a beautiful view of the space around them, and the many ships flying by. As he turned, he saw the Normandy depart, and watched with sadness as the ship flew away, guided by the McKinley as it headed for...the relay?
Just where are they taking the Normandy? That's all he could ask himself as watched Hackett's flagship, Normandy tagging not far behind, slowly shrunk away, becoming dots travelling towards a blue dot in the distance. He was suddenly yanked from his thoughts by the sound of a marine's voice behind him.
"Sir? I said turn around."
He did as he was told, already knowing how this worked. He held his hands out infront of him, both of his wrists touching each other. The marine looked surprised but merely shrugged, taking out his pair of omni-cuffs and tightening them around his wrists, reciting him the Miranda's Rights as he looked at Kaidan, who seemed to be receiving orders from another soldier. He didn't listen to the rights being recited, as his gaze was already fixed on the N7 who stood nearby, N7 Valkyrie in her grasp, and watching him with a blank stare. Marcus watched as the rest of his crew were cuffed and hauled off down the corridor, and Ken, Gabby and Gardner merely nodded to him on their way past, carried off, along with the rest of the Normandy main crew as they were taken to some unknown location, leaving just him and Kaidan.
Turning back around, he was just in time to see Kaidan give a final nod, before he turned to Marcus, his glance telling him all he needed to know; he had been reassigned, and had to leave. With a final nod and a look of concern, Kaidan grasped him on the shoulder and left, taking off down the same blue and white corridor the rest of the crew had been hauled off down, uncuffed.
"Come with us sir," the N7 ordered, and he turned back around in time to be gently prodded forward by her, and he began moving of his own accord, surrounded by a squad of armed marines as they escorted him down the hallway, "You'll be taken to a temporary cell where you'll be held until your trial. After that is their decision. I was filled in on the bare details."
"That's okay Captain," he replied, noticing the rank listed on her armor, and merely smiled at her, "I already know what's going to happen to me, its just a matter of making it official."
The N7 merely nodded as he turned back down the corridor, walking towards his cell. Just as they moved around the corner and to the right, down a long hallway leading further into the station, he heard the special forces operative say, "Don't worry sir; I'm certain you're innocent."
He merely smiled, unwilling to voice the truth on that subject.
Oh, but I'm not, soldier. I most certainly am not.
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November 24, 2185
1618 hours.
Shadow Broker's Office, Halcyon-Class Prototype, Hagalaz Storm Center, Hagalaz.
Shadow Broker Liara T'Soni, Agent Feron, Glyph.
Becoming the Shadow Broker was definitely the defining moment in Liara's life; it had set her on a completely different path from the one she had planned. She had planned to simply kill the Shadow Broker and rescue Feron; she in no way had planned to become the very thing she fought destroy, but here she was, in its base, controlling essentially everything. She had a vast realm of information, and it was all at her finger tips.
"Shadow Broker, new information has been compiled by your agents," a familiar white drone behind her stated, seemingly hovering right behind her head, "Would you like it fed to your terminal.
She rolled her eyes, bracing her arms against the desk that served as main terminal for the wealth of intelligence at her disposal. The drone, or the Shadow Broker's automated VI assistant, had been very annoying to begin with, but she had grown accustomed to it. She had named it Glyph, as it seemed fitting for a drone of his helpfulness level. And it was very helpful; if only she could get it to stop calling her Shadow Broker.
She turned to it, nodding to the hovering drone that reminded her so much of Tali's Chiktika, "Yes, feed it to the main terminal and then leave me in peace. I have work to do."
"Very well, Shadow Broker," Glyph acknowledged, before turning and flying away, leaving the asari alone to her thoughts. She shook her head and then pulled a seat from under the terminal, and moving to sit on it as she then pulled herself closer in. A soothing voice from behind her spoke, and it immediately brought a smile to her face as its source came to brace his own body against her desk, eyes locked on her form.
"You know, you really should reprogram it so it doesn't keep saying that," Feron suggested, "Some days I just want to shoot it."
"Now, now Feron," she tsked, waving a finger at him, "No damaging my equipment. As much as Glyph can be annoying, it is extremely helpful."
"And annoying. That's the key feature," Feron continued his complaint, but upon seeing Liara's look, held up his hands in mock defeat, shaking his head as he turned to look at the terminals surrounding her, "But I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Glyph lives...for now. Just please remember to reprogram so it doesn't call you that."
"It'll be on my priorities list," she remarked, turning back and bringing up her terminal, cycling through the many menus until she reached her main inbox. Seeing the information Glyph had told her about, she opened it to see that it was a news report...about Shepard. Oh, I wonder what he's been...up...to...
As she read on, she could only begin to droop, and her eyes continued to expand into tiny saucers. No, this can't be. Shepard would never...how could he...? By the goddess...
"Feron, come look at this," Liara requested, and the drell was there in an instant, looking over her shoulder at the information scrolling past her screen. She was already standing and moving away, walking down the steps and into the main office. The glass dome on the ceiling still hadn't been fixed, and she had kept the scorched mark of the Shadow Broker's body etched into the floor as a reminder of her victory. But it didn't remind her of victory at the present moment. She felt herself trying to comprehend what had happened in her head.
How did I not know about this? That Shepard had destroyed an entire star system? That he had had been arrested by the Alliance? That he just arrived on Arcturus Station for trial, and that the Normandy has been impounded, and the whole crew disbanded...
She couldn't begin to understand what Tali must have been going through, having to leave her husband behind to return to the Migrant Fleet. It must have been painful having to leave. To just...walk away, not of her own accord, but by order of the said husband. And the rest of the crew...she couldn't even comprehend how lonely Shepard himself must feel...no friends around him, just the cold, blank, accusing eyes of the Alliance and its citizens...
And she realized, for all her power and resources, she couldn't help him. Not without raising alarm, and that's probably why Shepard got himself arrested to begin with. But why would he blow up an entire solar system? One with a colony of three hundred thousand, at that? He must have had a reason. Some logical explanation had to exist.
She heard footsteps behind her, followed by a hand on her shoulder, softly squeezing, "I'm so sorry, Liara. I didn't know. You couldn't have known until it was too late."
"How did this information escape me? And for two days at that?" she asked incredulously, shaking her head frantically, "I'm supposed to be the Shadow Broker, the one who has all the knowledge, the one who knows what you ate for breakfast! Yet I couldn't even find out that a STAR SYSTEM WAS BLOWN UP AND SHEPARD WAS ARRESTED!" she whorled on him, eyes brimming with tears, "I should be figuring out how to rescue him, return him to where he belongs and break the Normandy free, but I can't. I don't have the resources. I don't have the troop power. I don't have the skills necessary. All my power and information, and I can't even use it to save my friend."
He clasped her in a tight hug, whispering reassurances in her ear as he rocked her back and forth, trying to sooth her, "Helplessness is something we all feel. For all your resources as an information broker, you couldn't save me from the Shadow Broker, yet you eventually did. The same is to be said here. The time will come when you will have the power to rescue him, but until then, we must wait."
"While the Reapers are still coming?" she asked, looking up at him, breaking the embrace for but a moment, "How can I even contemplate that? The galaxy needs him to protect us all."
"Yes; when the Reapers come," Feron wiped the tears from her blue cheeks, placing his forehead against hers, "But that is for some time to come. Right now, we have to do our best to prepare. No doubt he has his entire squad out and about looking for ways to stop the coming threat, and that's what you should be doing. That's why you took up this job in the first place. To prepare. So...prepare. Use your resources and manpower for something you can do."
She sighed heavily, nodding and pulling herself from his embrace as she wiped away what tears were left on her cheeks and collecting in her eyes, "You're right, Feron, I just hate being so helpless, when I'm supposed to be the least helpless of them all. Power's gotten to me already."
"Then you'd best use it wisely," Feron suggested, moving to the side and waving a hand at the terminals standing at the back of the room, "For our time is short. The Reapers will come, and we'd best be ready for them when they do."
"As ready as one can be," Liara replied, straightening her posture, steeling herself and moving towards her desk with a new sense of determination, "I can't rescue Shepard, but I can help him while he's locked up. I joined Shepard not to just help him fight his battles, but to fight the ones he couldn't. From now on, I am the Shadow Broker, and I will stop the Reapers no matter the cost."
She stopped, turning to Feron with a cold look of confidence in her eyes, "Feron, bring every single resource and agent we have to bear. Its time to initiate Operation: Arrival. Every soldier, every scrap of information we have, reel it in. I want our agents across the galaxy scavenging for clues, any pieces of evidence we need. As for myself, I shall begin packing," Liara declared, continuing her progress up the steps towards the main terminal above.
I know just where to begin my search. And it requires a personal touch.
"Packing?" Feron stopped in his tracks as he almost reached the door, and he quickly turned to face her, a frown on his face, "Just where do you think you're headed?"
She sat at her terminal, a huge smile growing on her face in the midst of the dried tears on her cheeks, eyes searching the screens before her, "Where, you ask? Why, to the biggest treasure trove of Prothean information in the galaxy," she brought up the information immediately and began typing messages to her agents.
"I'm going to the Mars Archives."
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November 27, 2185
1121 hours.
Trading Deck, Liveship Rayya, Migrant Fleet, Aysur System, Caleston Rift Cluster.
Brigadier General Tali'Shepard vas Normandy, Major General Kal'Reegar vas Normandy, First Lieutenant Madi'Soi vas Ceresa.
Tali sat there, suitcase in her lap, sitting opposite Kal and Madi, with her hands folded ontop of the suitcase and looking at the ground with a thoughtful expression. She felt dead inside, like everything that helped her function and operate had just shutdown and stopped working, leaving her with an empty feeling. It was one of the worst feelings she could ever have, and she knew the cause.
But even as she sat there, she felt sick. Like her stomach was churning and twisting, and trying to push its way up her throat. It left her with a nauseous feeling, one that made her want to vomit, but she held it back as best she could. She didn't have time to be feeling sick; only time for sorrow, emptiness and a fuzzy life expectancy. Life was looking very bleak without Marcus by her side, and she just missed him all the more.
The transport that had taken them to the Migrant Fleet had stopped on the edge of the system, deploying them in a shuttle as it expressed no desire in getting any closer to what they seemed 'a filthy place.' Not in a position to call them out of their racist prejudice, they had simply taken the shuttle, the pilot guiding them within the Rayya's trading deck and gently bringing them down. Finally, they were home. Back on the Flotilla.
But it isn't home. The Normandy is, and she's been taken away. And my husband. And everyone I loved and cared about. At least I have a mother and aunt here...and someone I think of as a brother...she got a quick glance in Kal's direction, who had been asleep, but was now wide awake and gently shaking Madi's shoulder, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder, waking her up. She averted her eyes away, melting back into her thoughts. But Garrus...Kasumi...all of them are gone...somewhere in the galaxy now...Garrus is back on Palaven most likely, Kasumi...is somewhere...and my mate is wasting away in some cell on Arcturus Station...oh Marcus...why did you make me leave...
Of course she understood his reasons already, but constantly asking left her mind at ease; convinced her that she hadn't just left, conforming to his decision. And now she was here, light years away from him, and she could barely feel his presence. Till death do us part...
Who's death? Ours? Or the three hundred thousand he blew up to stop the Reapers? Was our vow that open to interpretation?
Just as the shuttle landed, the sound of its thrusters deactivating heard even from inside, the sick feeling returned; nausea, and a twisting feeling in her gut that made her want to spew the contents of her breakfast out onto her lap. What is wrong with me? Why do I feel the constant need to vomit? And why does my belly feel about ready to explode? Come to think about it, her stomach had felt it had expanded, but that couldn't possibly be connected, could it? And why had the achings deep in her core stopped, only to be replaced by this?
They're not connected too, are they?
She didn't get much time to ponder on that as the shuttle hatch shot open, revealing Shala and Meru waiting on the deck, hands clasped behind their backs. They had been contacted prior to the transport's arrival in the system, and Shala had transported from the Tonbay to the Rayya as soon as possible.
They had also heard about Shepard's imprisonment, and Tali's eyes locked onto her mother's, seeing the sympathy in them, even behind the mask. She shook her head, standing up, suitcase clasped in one hand. I don't need sympathy. I need to be left alone to my thoughts. To recover so we can focus on the real problem. Don't worry Marcus, I won't let your incarceration weigh me down. I'll help you. I'll save the galaxy.
She took her first step off the shuttle, followed by her second, and quickly made her way over to Shala and Meru, Kal and Madi not far behind. Tali tried to look strong, at least for appearences sake, but who was she fooling? Noone was going to believe she was standing strong after being forced to leave her husband behind to the mercy of the Alliance democratic justice machine.
But she kept on anyway.
"Tali," Shala greeted, her tone carrying a grief that Tali knew she only carried for her quarian niece and her current predicament. She moved forward, wrapping her niece in a tight embrace, before pulling back, sighing and shaking her head, "I'm so sorry about Marcus. I heard about the destruction of the Bahak System. Are you alright?"
Do I look alright to you? Tali mused, but she did not voice those negative thoughts: they wouldn't help at all, so she simply said, "I'm still a bit shaken, but I will recover. Marcus has assured me that this isn't a permanent arrangement, and we will be back together soon. I've always trusted him to follow his promises, so I'm willing to wait. But right now, the Fleet needs me, and I'm ready to serve. If only to prepare our people for the Reapers."
"That's my girl," Meru complimented, nodding as she also moved in an hugged Tali, moving her away from Shala as her aunt began to debrief Kal and Madi in secret. The two of them moved over into a corner, where they could speak privately. Once there, Meru turned to her again, hands on both her shoulders, "Although you don't need to play the strong game anymore."
Knowing they were in private, Tali allowed herself to plop her head down onto her mother's shoulder and began to quietly weep, trying not to draw any attention, "Its...its not fair...what they're...doing to him...he doesn't...deserve any...of it...the bosh'tets! He saved them, and they repay him...by doing this..."
"Ssssshhhhh..." Meru soothed, rubbing her back whilst also rubbing the back of her hood, "Life is hardly fair. And as long as you know he did the right thing, you cannot fault him. And that is all that matters."
"I miss him..." she continued to sob, holding onto Meru tighter, "Its only been six days, and already I yearn to be in his arms again; to hold him, kiss him, tell him he's safe. Keelah...its so painful..." she managed to control her sobbing long enough to pull her head up, looking into her the elderly quarian's eyes, "Is this how you felt when you had to leave father and flee the Fleet?"
Meru gulped, hesitantly nodding, "Yes. I felt empty, aimless, but most of all alone. I wanted to stay by your side and watch you group up, and most of all, I wanted to stay by my husband's side. But I had to leave, because its what was best, and you know Marcus wanted you to leave for the same reasons. To keep you safe; protect you from the political blowback of his decision," she sighed, smiling as she tapped her visor against her daughter's, "Only then do you know he truly loves you."
She smiled weakly behind her mask, before finding the need to back away slightly, the need to vomit becoming almost overpowering. When she finally managed to fight it off, she stood to see her mother's worried face, and she shook her head, nodding, cheeks still stained with tears, "You're right, mum. I just thought-keelah yeah. I just never thought it'd be this hard."
Meru barely heard her answer, her focus solely on Tali. What was that? Why did she pull back and hold her stomach like that? The last time that happened to me I found out I was pregnant with Tali...wait...no, she couldn't be, could she?
Regardless, she had to ask.
"Tali, is something wrong?" she asked, something dawning on her.
"What?" she replied, shaking her head, "Oh, its nothing. I just feel a little sick..."
"...in the stomach? In your chest? Like it wants to tear you apart?" Meru finished for her, and noticing the surprised expression on Tali's face, knew she had hit the nail. But she had to confirm it. She had to know for sure. Taking Tali's arm, she began leading her out of the bay, "I'm taking you to Doctor Nara. She'll need to take a look at you."
"Okay, but you need to tug at my arm. Seriously, its just a sick feeling. It'll probably disappear soon," Tali insisted, and Meru let go, letting her daughter walk beside her at an ordinary pace. Eventually, Tali turned to her having realized something about what Meru said, "What, Doctor Nara? Since when was Veetor a doctor?"
"Veetor? You mean Elan's husband?" Meru returned, laughing, "No, Elan'Nara vas Rayya, not Veetor. Don't know where you got that from."
"Wait, so Veetor and Elan did get married! Keelah yes!" Tali exclaimed, fist pumping the air, having seemingly, within a moment, forgotten about her situation. Noticing the frown Meru gave her as they left the deck and moved towards the ship's medical bay. Seeing the expression, Tali laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck, "Yeah, they weren't married the last I was here. Actually, they only got together a couple of months ago. Their relationship is travelling fast."
Meru simply nodded as they continued towards the medical bay, a mother's thoughts ever present and nagging at her. My daughter might be pregnant. The first interspecies child to be produced naturally. But is it true? Or is it just her body reacting in some weird way to the foreign DNA? We won't know until Elan tests her.
After a few more minutes of moving through crowded corridors, they arrived in the med bay. Standing behind her desk and shuffling through papers was Elan'Nara vas Rayya, and she looked up at the two of them almost immediately as they entered, and her eyes darted from Meru and Tali, making the connection in seconds as she approached, a smile behind her mask, "Tali, it is good to see you again. What brings you here?"
Meru answered for her, moving in to whisper in Elan's ear. After a few seconds, Elan's eyes widened, seeming to just stare at Meru for a few seconds before looking back at Tali. Still shocked, it took her a few more moments before she finally composed herself, motioning to the bed in the middle of the bay, "Mrs. Shepard, could you please lie down on that bed over there?"
Tali nodded slowly, putting her suitcase down and leaning it against the wall, "Okkkaayyyy...why?"
"Just do it," Elan replied alittle too harshly, but she made no attempt to apologize as she began rummaging through her desk's drawers looking for something. Tali merely watched her for a few seconds, before glancing back up at Meru, who simply nodded at the bed. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she moved over to the bed and sat on it, before quickly lying down, bed positioned so her head was slightly elevated and she could see her whole body. Meru was at her side in seconds, hand grabbing hers and rubbing the top of it. She merely frowned.
"What is going on?" Why are they acting so serious about this? Its just me feeling sick. Nothing out of the normal for a quarian. Probably just a mild fever building up, although I don't exactly know what caused it...
Elan, finally finding what she needed, returned to her side, looking at Meru for a few seconds as she held a small, circular white object in her hands. Her eyes hit Meru's, and she nodded to a set of controls near the door, "Run the decontamination cycle. Once its done, we'll see if you're right."
"Right about what?" Tali asked in confusion, looking between Meru and Elan, who merely looked back at her blankly, "Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"We can't be sure," is all her mother said as she dashed off, entering the code to begin the decon sequence and returning just as the beam of cleansing light began to row back and forth across the room, murdering all bacteria it came across. Tali only continued to watch them in confusion as they waited for the sequence to complete, which took all round, about ten seconds. Once it was over, Elan was already moving over to the end of the bed, and looked down at her.
"Tali, could you please spread your legs," Elan requested.
Her eyes widened, "No! Absolutely not! If you think I'm going to let you access my suit-"
"Do it Tali," Meru ordered, her tone cold and brokering no argument, "Do it now."
"I don't see what's wrong-"
"We need to make sure! Now spread your legs, damn it!"
"Fine, but I'm telling you, I don't understand why you need access to my...to my...you know what just to see if I'm sick or not!" Without further objection, she spread her legs open, allowing Elan access. The quarian promptly thanked her, but she ignored it, simply looking away at a far off wall as Elan began to release the seals surrounding her vaginal area, removing them and putting them aside. Tali, as always, almost shivered as the cold air impacted the exposed skin, but kept her gasp inside. She was more than used to it at this point. Then, Elan asked her something, and her eyes were brought back to the quarian, who was now prodding her device into her...you know what.
"Tali, when was the last time you bled?"
She shrugged, "I don't know...a week...maybe more ago...I don't get it, what has this got to do with my sickness?"
She heard a gulp from Meru, followed by Elan removing the device and resealing her suit. The doctor disappeared for a second, before returning, still holding the device, and appearing to be reading some data on it. Tali merely watched her, waiting to see what this was all about. All she saw was Elan holding the device over her, facing it towards Meru so she could see. And when she saw them, Tali saw her mother visibly cringe, as Elan pulled it away and tucked it in a pocket, both of them looking at Tali awkwardly.
"Okay, you better explain what's going on. Right now," Tali demanded, this time ordering answers.
"Tali..." Meru began hesitantly, "How do I say this..."
"Just say it!"
Meru cringed at the words, but knew she was backed against a wall. She had no choice, and her daughter was giving her a death glare. She glanced at her one final time, before looking at the floor, shaking her head, "Tali...you're pregnant. With Marcus' child, we have no doubt. We don't know how, but its happened. You're carrying his child inside you, and the readings say you're due in six months."
Tali merely lay there, unable to move, the words shaking her to the core. She had known that Mordin was a genius, but his serum had worked. It had actually worked. She was now pregnant with Marcus' child. She didn't know if it was a boy or a girl, but that didn't matter; she was going to be a mother. A rush of emotions impacted her all at once. She felt confusion as to how it could have worked, anger that they hadn't just warned her before dumping this on her and...sorrow. Wait, having a baby was a joyous time. What was so sad about it?
And then she realized what saddened her. There was a special someone who was supposed to be here when such things were announced, and by the time she was ready to give birth, it was likely he still wouldn't be there, when husbands should be. A tear fell down her cheek and before she knew it, she began to weep. And Meru and Elan could only stare at her in confusion.
She was pregnant, and going to be a mother. But the father was nowhere in sight. He was locked up, and at the very eve of a coming Reaper invasion.
She truly was alone now.
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November 28, 2185
1900 hours.
Alliance High Court B, Metropolitan Sector, Arcturus Station, Arcturus System, Arcturus Stream Cluster.
Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Legal Attorney Travis Volt, Fleet Admiral of the Navy Joseph Garrong, Fleet Admiral Adina Netanyahu, Kastanie Drescher, Fleet Admiral Nitesh Singh, Fleet Admiral Viktoriya Arefyev, Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett, Fleet Admiral Osamu Nakamura, Fleet Admiral Chang Teoh, Fleet Admiral Duncan Ward, Captain Hannah Rila Shepard, Commander Phillipo Conigilione, Rear Admiral David Edward Anderson.
Marcus sat there, waiting for the trial to start as the judges moved to their seats in where the judge and the jurors were usually seated. All of the judges were military officers; and all of them where every single fleet admiral in the Alliance Navy. Garrong would be the main judge, with his gavel placed on the platform infront of him. All around him and in the audience sat multiple other military officers of every stripe, from navy, to army, to Marine Corps, to N7 or vets. Anderson sat in the front row, with his mother and her XO, and all three of them gave him a nod of reassurace and confidence. He merely nodded back, already knowing his fate before they gave it. He was guilty before the sanction.
He sat with omni-cuffs tying his wrists together, two alliance marines standing behind him at attention with avenger assault rifles in hand, but wearing no helmets. Those weapons likely had live rounds in them too, and the N7 officer who had arrested him upon docking with Arcturus stood at the front of the room, along with four other N7s, acting as bodyguards for the judges. All around the room there even more marines standing at attention, the brass knowing full well of his abilities and making sure they brought more than enough men to take him down. Not that I'll attempt an escape.
He turned to his right, watching his lawyer sitting next to him as he shuffled through his papers. He wore a black tuxedo that was well groomed and looked after, with blonde hair that was combed neatly to the left, his blue eyes eerily peaceful to look at. His nose was large though, and his face looked like it had been hit with a shovel, giving this look they made his chin jut out, and his face seemingly having sunken in slightly, and he was missing a few teeth. And by the gold ring on his finger, he looked to be married. He's not what I'd call attractive. Tali would call him...what was the word? Uglier than a bosh'tet?
Still, he guessed he should be grateful; this was his defense attorney, after all. Every once and a while, he would turn in his chair to discuss something with Marcus or to clarify a few things, but aside from that, he remained relatively quiet. Marcus just sat there, feeling more vulnerable than he ever had. Yet again, I've never been okay with being at the complete mercy of a Judge's words and without wearing combat armor. Always made me feel...exposed. Naked, I guess. God I miss my armor already. And the feel of a weapon in my hands.
He shuffled in his seat, moving his wrists into his lap where they were more comfortable, but these damn cuffs were beginning to chafe them. It got to the point where he tried to itch them, but remembered he couldn't, so he just let them fall back into his lap, resigned. Besides, he had bigger things to worry about than chaffing wrists.
The court he sat in was huge, and its sheer size made Marcus feel tiny. Afterall, he was in the High Court, a place the Alliance barely touched unless it was matters like treason...or the mass genocide of thousands of innocent. Marcus had a feeling he was in here for both, if he were honest. The Alliance had been at him for joining Cerberus for quite awhile now, so he shouldn't be surprised at this point. Just as he mentally laughed at those facts, the court was called to order by the resounding thump of Garrong's gavel, followed by the man's loud voice echoing through the court room, "Bring order to this court so we may begin."
Silence fell on the court room, and Marcus felt as if all eyes were on him. All eight of the fleet admirals looked down at him in an instant, excluding Garrong, who's eyes landed on his lawyer, "Mister Travis Volt. I believe you're standing here in defense of Commander Marcus Lee Shepard of the Alliance Navy and Systems Alliance Marine Corps?"
Travis stood up, nodding as he did, straightening his uniform, and clasping his hands infront of him, "I am, your honor."
Garrong's eyes landed on Marcus, who did not move to stand, "Marcus Shepard, you are accused of numerous crimes in the face of your duty to the Systems Alliance, of which I will list off. Are you prepared to admit guilty or not guilty to these crimes?"
"I am, your honor," Marcus replied, merely nodding.
Garrong nodded, looking down at the podium before him, clearly reading off some document. After a moment, he looked back up, meeting Marcus' eyes as he braced himself against the podium, "You stand here accused of both treason and the ability to commit genocide. First off, you are seen as committing treason against the Systems Alliance Military on the following boundaries: 1. You were falsely listed as being Killed In Action upon confirmation of the destruction of the SSV Normandy SR-1 over Alchera, but later appeared two years later alive and well, and not only that, but flying Cerberus banners. 2. You were affiliated with a known terrorist organization, known as Cerberus, which has committed heinous acts of terrorism and extreme nationalism against not only the Systems Alliance, but also the Citadel Council and its citizen races. 3. Because of this affiliation, you have been seen as a deserter because 1. You did not inform the Alliance of your survival and 2. You did not attempt to make any contact with the Alliance post-survival, or report for post-action duty," finally finished, he looked at Marcus, eyes narrowed, "Do you deny these accusations?"
Marcus watched him for a few seconds before responding, "Yes and no, your honor. May I be allowed to elaborate, your honor?"
Garrong nodded, "Yes. Proceed."
"I deny that I was alive during the two year period of my inactivity," Marcus stated, "I was indeed dead, your honor. As an affiliate of mine said, 'I was just meat and tubes' when he saw me arrive at Lazarus Station for the first time. Cerberus spent billions of credits putting me back together, and two years later, I awakened. Whether you believe this or not is up to you; I am only here to tell the truth."
"I do not deny being affiliated with the terrorist organization, Cerberus. Of that, I am guilty. But the reasons are mixed, and the alliance was one of pure convenience, and not due to a sharing of mutual views on galactic society. Cerberus was a means to an end; that end was the Collector threat being posed against our colonies, and as you'll all know, I put a stop to that threat. The Illusive Man and myself had a falling out, and my crew and I cut ties many months ago; hence why my ship no longer flies Cerberus banners."
"As for being a deserter, I have my own words for that, your honor," he braced himself against the desk infront of him, meeting the eyes of every admiral in the room with a hardened, cold gaze, "It is the Alliance who deserted me. Was it the Alliance's scientists who brought me back from the dead, and spent billions doing so? Was it Cerberus who swept the Reaper threat under the rug?" his eyes scanned the room, eyes accusing, "No, it was the terrorists who brought me back, not the Alliance. It was the terrorists protecting our colonies, not the Alliance. No, I didn't abandon you, I just saw an organization that was willing to do something, and used them for my own gain. Interpret that however you wish, but don't try and accuse me of desertion when you deserted your own colonies. You know, the ones who rely on you for protection?"
Cries were heard in the court, and people began shouting, only to stop as the sound of Garrong's gavel slamming against the podium was heard, "Order! ORDER!" when silence was reached, he turned to Marcus, gaze just as cold, "The Reapers and the rest of your conspiracy theorism is not the topic of this trial, but your point is acknowledged and noted. Moving on."
"You are also accused of genocide, of a type that is inconceivable. You not only destroyed a mass relay, but are also responsible for the destruction of an entire batarian star system, equivalent to dropping a 1000 megaton nuclear bomb on the United States, in the Hegemony's eyes," he said, shaking his head in disbelief, "But this is only half of the information. The other half pertains to the mass murder of three hundred thousand innocent batarian men, women and children in the space of seconds. Not only that, but the destruction of a batarian light cruiser, the BRS Glorious Point, that was reported to have been patrolling in that sector when the relay detonated, and has since been assumed lost with all hands. How do you plead to this?"
This was it. The big moment. All eyes were on him. He met Garrong's gaze without fear, but alot of remorse, "I...I plead guilty, your honor."
The room was immediately in uproar, and this time it took Garrong several minutes to get the court to be peaceful again. Marcus, in that time, managed to look over at Anderson, Hannah and Phillip in the stands, and saw Hannah's devastated look. Phillip looked absolutely shocked and Anderson gave him a look that said 'you did the right thing.' Of course, Anderson had already known what Shepard had done, and knew he had his reasons. Reaper involved reasons.
His lawyer shook his arm, turning him to face Travis in an instant, who looked at him with a look of anger, "What the hell are you doing? What's the point of me defending you if you're just going to plead guilty anymore?"
"Hey, don't blame me. I didn't ask for an attorney," Marcus replied, nodding at Hackett in the judges' stand, "He provided one, not me. I was fully prepared to suffer punishment going into this."
Travis merely looked at him for a few seconds, before sighing, throwing his hands in the air as he returned to standing. By that time, Garrong had finally got the court back under control, and was looking at Marcus.
"Before we proceed, are you absolutely certain that you believe yourself guilty of these crimes, Marcus Shepard?"
He nodded, "I am, your honor. I had my reasons, but its quite clear that noone is willing to hear me out, so what's the point? Decide your verdict and be done with it. I won't waste my words on people who won't listen to me. But trust me, you'll all come running to me when they come. You'll all beg for my help, hoping I have all the answers. And I'll tell you then what I've been telling you for years; arm the fuck up or its over for all of us."
"Duly noted Commander," Garrong stated, before turning to the admirals behind him, "This court will be adjourned for a period of one hour. During that time, the admirals will build consensus. When we return, the verdict will be decided, along with your sanction," he hit the gavel against the podium once more before moving to walk away, "This court is adjourned." As he left, the female N7 snapped a salute and quickly followed behind him, followed by the rest of the admirals, and the audience filed out, leaving Marcus alone. He merely sat there, unwilling to leave. I want this over with, and they're prolonging it. They know I'm guilty, so why not just cast the verdict already?
"Aren't you coming?" Travis asked, packing up his suitcase.
"I'll stay here, thanks," Marcus simply replied. Travis simply left without a word. And Marcus sat in sullen silence, barely moving an inch, and during that entire time, he just closed his eyes and slept, dreaming of Tali.
When he was forced awake by Travis, the court was back in session, with the admirals moving back to their positions, the audience to their stands, and Garrong to his podium. When he found silence, he turned to Marcus, who just sat there, in the same sullen silence he had been in, watching Garrong, waiting for the verdict.
"This Admiralty Board has reached its decision," Garrong declared to the entire court, eyes now scanning them all to let them know of his declaration, pointing his gavel at Marcus the entire time he did, as if he needed to let everyone know who he spoke of.
"Based on the guilty plea from Marcus Shepard, and the verdict of the Admiralty Board," he drew out his words, as if building towards the great climax, "That Shepard, for his treason against the Systems Alliance and the mass murder of hundreds of thousands, be sentenced to death via lethal injection. However, due to the fact that the second crime that demands execution is a murder against batarian lives, it goes differently. Because of this, Shepard should be extradited to Khar'Shan, where his fate will be passed on into batarian hands."
Marcus gulped, not thinking it would end this way. I expected imprisonment, but execution? No. Tali; I promised I'd come back! He began scanning the room for exits, but stopped when he heard Garrong speak again.
"However, it seems that the Admiralty Board's decision was divided, and a complete decision was not reached. Majority ruled in this regard, but that is not enough to justify capital punishment," Garrong declared, looking at Marcus sullenly, before looking away, "Those admirals who were against execution will not be named, but there are other things to consider. Marcus Shepard is a distinguished war veteran, and we have not forgotten his actions on Elysium during the Blitz, his involvement in the attack on Torfan afterwards, and the trauma he was put through on Akuze. Of course, this does not make him any more innocent, but he is a champion to the human race, and his good deeds speak louder than the bad ones. And the Parliament still has not come to a decision on the Reaper situation, so it is possible that your genocide may be justified. Which is why a different sanction has been reached."
With a heavy sigh, he spoke with a finality in his voice, "In light of your service to not only humanity, but the Systems Alliance and the galaxy, you are hereby sentenced to protective custody. A call has been made to the Defense Committee of Vancouver City on Earth, and an apartment room in their headquarters has been cleared for your arrival. The period of your incarceration is subject to a good behaviour bond, of terms that will be discussed in private and are of a classified matter. A bodyguard will be at your door day and night, and you will not be allowed to see anyone, talk to anyone via the extranet, or send or receive messages. Do you understand these terms, as they have been read, Marcus Shepard?"
"I..." he was still surprised by Garrong's generous good will, but he surmised it wasn't all good will and decided to accept before he changed his mind, "Yes, I do, your honor."
"Also, due to your inactivity in the Alliance Navy, and your inability to report for duty, you are hereby removed from the rank of Commander, and stripped of your status as a Naval officer, and a officer of the Marine Corps, until further notice."
Commander Shepard is no longer a Commander. Ha.
"I understand, your honor."
"Good. The McKinley will have you escorted to Earth, where you'll be transferred into the care of the DC of Vancouver. You will also be subject to the commander of Rear Admiral Anderson until further notice. This court is adjourned."
He couldn't argue with the results of that meeting. He just couldn't. And as he was picked up the marines behind him, relieved of the cuffs on his wrists and escorted to the McKinley's docking bay, he could only muse that the galaxy might just have a chance afterall.
The Requiem wasn't upon them yet.
A/N:
Epilogue coming shortly, I hope.
And no, it won't be what you expect.