The Honeymoon is Over

It was the day after the wedding that the Normandy and the Ain Jalut headed out through the Citadel relay, flying completely and totally dark and off the radar, all crew at battle positions.

There was no knowing what they could possibly find out past the relays. There were no reports that Reapers had survived but if they had, they would come out of the woodwork soon enough. And if they did, then there may be a problem. And not only that, but the Leviathans - or just the Leviathan, Shepard hadn't been told how many had survived - were still out there, possibly posing a danger to the fragile galaxy.

The Normandy volunteered to skirt around in the Terminus Systems, checking out relays towards the Perseus Veil. The Ain Jalut went on the other side of the galaxy, going through the Traverse and checking out human colonies, with short jumps into the batarian space it was more familiar with.

It was this mission that they set out on the day after the public wedding, which was a source of great amusement to several members of the crew. They had shipped out early in the morning, around 0400 hours, which had meant Kaidan and Shepard were the last two crewmembers present and Shepard was still slightly drunk after drinking through the latter parts of the reception and promptly collapsed in the captain's cabin on Deck One. Kaidan filled a mug with coffee and stood on the bridge behind Joker, watching as he continued to put his copilot through the ringer and jumped the ship through the first relay towards the Terminus Systems.

All hands were at stations, with a few of the spares running around taking people coffee. Joker finally sent his copilot on the same mission, his own problems evident in the way he wore a pair of dark glasses at his post and winced around loud noises.

"Stealth systems are all engaged, Major," he said, voice sounding rough.

"Thanks, Joker."

"So . . . officially married, are you? It's respectable now?"

"Well, if you don't consider us sell-outs for doing what the Alliance and the Council wanted."

"Gotta do what you've gotta do," Joker replied, checking the screens. "Nothing on the ladar so far."

"We've only been out here a few minutes," Kaidan replied.

"You never know, people know the relays are open." He glanced over his shoulder. "Where are we trying to get to first?"

"Push through to Omega, I suppose. Shepard can check in with Aria over vidcomm and we'll find out how the region is."

"Think Aria'll talk?"

"Maybe. Shepard did save her life. A few times."

"Well. We'll see." Joker shrugged. "Or she'll just try to have us shot out of the sky."

"Nah. Aria will recognize the Normandy. And she owes Shepard a favor."

Joker shook his head. "Shepard's not going to call a favor in just to find out if the Terminus Systems are playing nice."

"Just . . . head out that direction, all right?"

"Aye aye, sir," Joker replied, half sarcastically.

Kaidan started back into the ship, checking a few of the consoles as he passed. EDI was standing next to Traynor, the duo talking quietly at the tech's terminal.

"Major Alenko," she said, stopping him as he headed towards the war room.

"Yes, EDI?"

"There is a non-Alliance unauthorized individual aboard the Normandy."

Kaidan blinked. "Where?"

"In one of the cargo holds on engineering deck."

". . . How could someone have gotten on board without you knowing?"

"I never said that I did not let her aboard," EDI replied, the smallest hint of smugness in her voice. Kaidan shook his head and started for the elevator, taking it down.

The interior of the small room was covered in signs and maps and papers and in the corner, studying something while surrounded by a pile of books, was a certain master thief. She glanced over her shoulder. "Major Alenko. I guess EDI ratted me out, then."

"Why are you squatting in my cargo hold?"

She scoffed, standing. "Your cargo hold? This is Shepard's ship, isn't it?" Kaidan stared at her for a few moments, and Kasumi sighed. "I've got some people after me. Again."

"Rob the wrong person?"

"Please. I've been out of work for a year and a half. No. Someone suspects Keiji's greybox has more intelligence information, and apparently I'm quite valuable in some circles now."

Kaidan quirked an eyebrow. "Have you found anything?"

"Not yet. I'm working on it. But I thought it'd be best to lay low for a while. Avoid those guys."

"So you . . . come on board an Alliance warship."

"No," she repeats. "I came on board Shepard's ship. Or . . ." She tapped her lower lip. "Are you seriously considering ratting me out? Because I might have to go talk to your wife about than."

Kaidan sighed, and shook his head. "No. Look. Fine. Just stay out of trouble, and refer to yourself as a contractor if you have to."

"You got it, Major. And don't worry. It won't be the first time I've had to blend it." Her lips twitched up in a smirk and she turned back to her books. Kaidan shook his head and stepped into the hallway.

"EDI?"

"I have already added Ms. Goto to our official roster as a civilian contractor," EDI replied immediately. "Obviously I have used one of her lesser-known aliases. I trust this will be satisfactory?"

"It will. Thanks, EDI." Kaidan shook his head and continued back up to the crew deck. With Shepard passed out upstairs, it was up to him to do her usual rounds.

#

"Aria."

::Shepard.::

The conversation between the two heavyweights was being closely watched by Kaidan, with a few curious crewmembers pretending they weren't peeking over the war-room steps. Shepard was leaning on her cane in front of the comm, Aria hovering over it with her arms crossed over her chest.

"How's Omega?"

::Rebuilding. No thanks to the relays going offline, which I assume was your doing.::

All Shepard did was nod, though Kaidan thought she may have winced. "Not by choice, as far as I know," she replied.

::And there's no way you called me to 'chat'. What are you after, Shepard? Don't waste my time.::

She chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it. Looking for information, about what's been going on since the relays opened. Any increases in pirate activity or-"

::You're pretty far out of your space, Shepard. I wouldn't poke my nose around too much.::

"Aria, you know damn straight that I'm just trying to make sure trade and travel routes are relatively safe. You can either help me, or I can fly in there and bust your ass in the middle of Purgatory. Maybe crawl around and find and adjutant or something. How's the center console of Afterlife treating you? Try to catch you in any electrical fields recently?"

::Fuck you, Shepard. Terminus Systems have been quiet since the relays came online. People are taking stock of their losses before starting anything.:: She paused, suddenly, then rubbed her chin with her hand. ::Actually, there is something I've heard of.::

"What is it?"

::Ah-ah-ah, what am I getting in return for this?::

"Me not telling half of Omega that you nearly got us killed by being a dumbass."

She huffed. ::Fine. Besides, if you deal with them, I won't have to. Heard of Echidna?::

Shepard glanced over at Kaidan. "The small egg-laying Earth mammal?"

::What? No, you dumbass. They're a human organization. Continuation of Cerberus, I've heard. Calling themselves Echidna.::

Shepard glanced at Kaidan again, then shifted nervously on her cane. "How do you know about this?"

::Caught one, two weeks after the relays went on line. I won't bore you with the details - it might tear your little bleeding heart up - but he confessed. He didn't spill much, but enough. Definitely talking Cerberus shit, just under a different name.::

"Think they're looking at Omega again?"

::I can't be sure. But if they are, I'll bash their leader's head in with his own spine.:: For once, Shepard wasn't willing to call Aria's bluff.

"Anything else? Know who their leader is, or what their plans are? General location?"

::No.::

"Nothing?"

::Do you think I wouldn't tell you? They're your problem, Shepard, not mine.::

"They'll be your problem if they show up in force on Omega."

::Be serious, Shepard, Cerberus didn't have the numbers to take Omega again.:: She was right. Sanctuary and Cronos Station had been Cerberus' last strongholds. Whoever, or whatever, this group was, they were operating on their own terms. Maybe using former Cerberus bases or resources, but having risen from the ashes.

"And you're sure they're Cerberus? Or, were Cerberus."

::He had Cerberus-type optical flashbangs, cyanide molars and evidence of Reaper implants. You tell me.::

Shepard sighed. "All right. Thanks, Aria. Let me know if you find anything else out." She nodded, and shimmered back out of existence.

"Echidna," Kaidan said. Shepard nodded.

"Sounds like it. But I don't understand why anyone thought this was a good name for a terrorist organization. Echidna aren't even that scary."

"They probably mean the Greek myth. The mother of Cerberus and other Greek monsters?"

Shepard smacked his arm gently. "And I'm talking about the not-anteater. People are going to get confused. They should have really looked for alternative names."

He shook his head and stepped further in. "We should contact Hackett."

"Agreed." Shepard nodded, and plugged in the contact. After a few seconds, Hackett stepped into view.

::Shepard. Have you found anything?::

"I contacted Aria T'Loak, to see if she had any information."

::She cooperated?::

"Enough," Kaidan replied. "She claims there's a new Cerberus-style organization out there, calling themselves Echidna."

Hackett was quiet. ::The mother of Cerberus?::

"Not the first thing I thought of," Shepard said quietly.

::Not the first thing I thought of either. Did she have proof?::

"She says she captured an Echidna operative who had Cerberus-class suicide implants and signs of formerly being implanted with Reaper technology," Shepard replied. "That's a former Cerberus operative."

Hackett nodded. ::Agreed. We expected another organization with Cerberus' ideals to show up at some point, just not this soon. Continue your mission and scout out the relays. I'll present this information to the Council. Keep your ears open, and contact me if you hear anything.::

"We'll do that, sir," Kaidan replied. Shepard added her own nod.

::Hackett out.::

"I don't like this, Kai," Shepard said, almost before Hackett had disappeared. Kaidan shook his head.

"Neither do I. That this sort of group showed up so quickly after Cerberus' dissolution -"

"We don't know that Cerberus was entirely gone," she corrected. "I killed the Illusive Man, but I didn't hunt down anyone with that philosophical leaning and kill them."

"But we have lists of Cerberus bases and all of Chronos Station's data. We'll find them, if they're using Cerberus' resources."

"Yeah." Shepard shakes her head. "I'd just hoped we'd be done with those jackasses after TIM was gone."

"Any idea who would have stepped up?"

"I would have thought Petrovsky, maybe, but as far as I know he's still in Alliance custody. And he rolled over awfully fast on Cerberus. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with Aria or not, but the fact remains that I doubt it's him. Apart from that . . ." She shook her head. "We should possibly contact Miranda. She may have an idea."

Kaidan nodded. "You do that, I'll get EDI to -"

::I have already begun to search the extranet for any mentions of Echidna, minus the small mammal. I will update you if I locate anything.::

"-do that. I suppose I'll be on the bridge, then."

"Go on," Shepard said with a small smile, leaning in to kiss him. "Go be Spectre-y. I'll take care of this."

Kaidan gave her a sideways grin and kissed her back. The crew had dispersed by then, fortunately, especially when Shepard patted his rear as he turned to leave. He glanced over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow, then kept walking.

#

He hadn't been one of Cerberus' best operatives, or most highly rated within the organization. But what he had been was a strong financial backer, giving the just pre-war organization most of its money to pursue its research into indoctrination, biotics, and other protosciences and pseudosciences, and the Illusive Man had trusted him with some of the more sensitive, secretive projects.

He'd only barely escaped the war unscathed. He had been seriously injured, during one particular skirmish with Reaper and Alliance forces, but the best medical care and reconstructive surgery had preserved his life. Rebuilding the organization itself with the relays down had been difficult, but they'd been left alone. And the Cerberus network had still been open and active, and each remaining facility was able to stay operational while the Alliance and the aliens repaired the relays for them.

"Sir."

He turned away from his screen, glancing back at the aide that addressed him. "Yes?"

"The reports from Hermes Cell are here. Would you like them now, or later?"

"I will take the reports now." He held out his hand, and accepted the datapads. "Thank you, Oxley."

Oxley nodded and turned to leave.

"Oxley!" He paused, looking back. "Spectre reports."

"I'll find out what is taking so long."

"Thank you."

He'd been busy. Placing moles on Alliance ships, placing monitoring on alien vessels, replacing agents in the councilors' employ - all these took time and money and effort. But Echidna, although certainly not in the same vein as its predecessor organization, was already on its feet. His interests had been too narrow before - his close brush with death had demonstrated that - and while he was keeping up with his previous goals he knew he had to expand his interests if the philosophy he had started to espouse was to survive. And it had to survive.

With Shepard's apparent influence, humanity would lose their rapid gains. At the moment they were poised right at the cusp of what could be humanity's golden age - subjection of the still devastated aliens under humanity's banner was possible, but Admiral Hackett was the de facto leader of humanity, and Shepard had his ear. And there were even demands for Shepard to step in as the human councilor! Any ability for humanity to step in and claim a rightful place at the head of the galaxy would be completely lost if she had her way. He did not intend to let that happen, even if that meant undermining the influence of the Alliance.

And, more particularly, the Alliance's golden child.

A/N: Finally we're up to what I'm more comfortable writing - plot. It only took us sixteen chapters. Thanks for your reviews and follows and this is the last chapter I've had written, so it may take a few days to update thanks to graduate applications and school and such.