Chapter 10 – …The Best Form of Defence

The one thing Kaidan thought as he walked through the ship was that it felt far from the home Terra had made the Normandy. He missed his family already. With an inward sigh as he thought of them back on the Citadel, Kaidan stifled the longing as well as a yawn and gestured for Clay'Gerrel to join him. The young quarian pulled himself up from the Mess chair where he'd been waiting, and followed Kaidan into the Captain's cabin, which had been offered up by its owner as a quiet place where they wouldn't be disturbed.

They settled at the desk and, as weariness pulled at him, Kaidan wished he'd grabbed a coffee beforehand.

"I'm sorry we haven't talked sooner, Clay."

"It's fine, Sir. Really, I understand. I'm glad your daughter is okay."

Clay'Gerrel had been so self-assured when he'd forced his way into that meeting, but since then Kaidan had seen nothing of that demeanour. The youngster wore a shroud of reserved quiet like it was his usual dress-code.

"Thank you, and please, call me Kaidan. I know it's late, but I need to know why you think your father started ignoring his agreement with the Council. I mean, it's quite a risk to take when your people have only just been brought back into their good graces."

Clay's head dipped, and Kaidan wished the quarians didn't still use their suits when off Rannoch. As if he'd heard Kaidan's thoughts, Clay then removed his facemask, revealing the white luminous eyes all quarians had. His complexion was slightly darker than Tali's had been, the Rannoch sun having reached his skin. Dark hair rimmed his face, with a strong nose and jaw. The flawless skin made him look even younger than his seventeen years, but he exuded an older soul.

"Being ostracised by the Council is the least of my father's concerns. Sir- Kaidan… my father didn't act on Admiral Hackett's requests because he's only focused on one thing: destroying the geth."

Not expecting that, Kaidan could only stare back at the boy while his brain worked to comprehend it. "What!?"

"He's become obsessed with it."

"But…he backed off," argued Kaidan. "When Shepard and I were on Rannoch."

Clay looked even younger and vulnerable in those seconds he took to answer. A memory surfacing.

"I was there aboard my father's warship that day. I heard you all trying to convince my father to stand down... and he kept refusing to do it, even when the whole of our race was at stake!" The anger, frustration and disappointment in his father was evident on the boy's face. "He's spent his whole life battling the geth. He wouldn't accept that there could be peace."

"So what happened up there on that ship?" Kaidan wondered out loud.

"Me," Clay said simply, quietly, hesitating as he remembered…

Tali's was the first voice Clay had heard as he joined his father on the bridge.

"All units, break off your attack!"

"Belay that order! Continue the attack!" his father ordered vehemently into the comm, so focused on those screens he hadn't noticed Clay's arrival.

"All ships. This is Commander Shepard. The Reaper is dead. Stand down."

"This is Admiral Tali'Zorah. Shepard speaks with my authority."

"And mine, as well," added Koris.

His father was already shaking his head. "Negative! We can win this war, now! Keep firing!"

"The geth are about to return to full strength. If you don't stop attacking they will wipe us out!" pleaded Tali.

"Your entire history is you trying to kill the geth. You forced them to rebel. You forced them to ally with the Reapers!" said Major Alenko.

Clay had read enough about their history to know it was they, as the geths creators, who struck the first blow; the Major was stating the truth.

"The geth don't want to fight you. They never have. If you can believe that for just one minute, this war will be over. You have a choice," stated Shepard.

Those last words hit Clay hard. They could have peace - something his mother used to dream about - if they were only prepared to take a leap of faith.

"Please! Keelah se lai," finished Tali.

His father was still shaking his head, and Clay could see his father wasn't listening; that Admiral Han'Gerrel was going to order the strike. Clay threw himself forward, emboldened in his desperation. He'd never been able to stand up to the immovable force that was his father, learning at an early age that there was no point in trying to argue something he felt was unfair because nothing he could say would change his father's mind once he'd made a decision. So instead, Clay always retreated to engineering and accepted it had to be. But not today, and not over this, and he grabbed his father's arm to stop him activating the comm.

"Father, just for once, listen to reason and admit that you were wrong to start this war! It's our ancestors like you who got our people exiled from our home world in the first place! We have a chance for peace! Take it! Please!"

His father had stared back at him, shocked by the accusation and impassioned plea, and Clay held his ground, maintained that grip on his father's arm and willed him to listen to him. Then his father placed his hand on Clay's shoulder and bowed his head just enough that Clay released his father's arm and watched him reach for the comm.

"All units… Hold fire."

Clay had almost sagged to the ground as the tension left him. His father was looking at him again, studying him, then turned and left the bridge without a word. All the crew around him had seen and heard, and now they waited, as did Clay, for what would come next. When it was nothing, it was almost an anti-climax. They all stared at each other in stunned silence and relief. After the long years since the Morning War, it was finally over...

Returning to the dull-lit cabin, Clay looked at Kaidan. "I finally got my father to listen to me."

Kaidan was shocked that the course of the war had been steered by a, then thirteen year old, boy, and he immediately saw Clay in a new light. "Then the quarian people have you to thank, as do the rest of the galaxy. Without the quarian fleets against the Reapers we'd have likely failed."

Clay was taken aback by that and he swallowed at the thought that something he'd said could have had such a far-reaching impact. "Looks like it was a decision my father has since decided was a mistake," he added a little bitterly.

"I know your father was wrong to disregard his duty to the Council agreement, but what led to your belief that he's still pursuing war with the geth?"

"Not war. Total annihilation – in one swoop – with a virus, or something like it. I don't know the details about that, but I know it exists, that my father's been pouring all his resources into its research and development, and I think he's on the verge of using it."

"Jesus." This was far bigger than Kaidan had imagined, and somehow he was supposed to stop this. As tired as he felt, sleep seemed like a distant dream. "Do you have any proof of all this?"

Clay activated his omnitool and sent Kaidan a large file.

"That's everything I could find."

Kaidan looked down a long list of items, most had once been encrypted. "How'd you get hold of these?"

"When I had suspicions I hacked into my father's personal files."

"You don't have a good relationship with him?" Kaidan asked gently, and the boy's sadness was palpable.

"My father only considers one point of view: his own. When I didn't conform to his ethos of striking back first and showed no interest in guns and warfare, he made it clear he was disappointed in me. As far as he's concerned, his only son is supposed to be a soldier. Gerrels have always been soldiers. Instead, I found a love for engines, and spent all my time in engineering. I'm no fighter."

"But you are fighting – for what's right. It's hard to believe that your father can't see how much the geth have done to assist the quarians, particularly with your fast-track recovery and acclimatisation."

"Exactly. They've done nothing but help us and yet he's ready to kill them all for something he thinks they might do. Just like before."

The youngster impressed him. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, Clay. Get that from your mother?" Kaidan joked, lightly.

"Huh! Yeah. I miss her. She died a year before father waged war on the geth."

"I'm sorry." Kaidan's heart went out to a kid who's only surviving parent was too hung up on his own agenda to see how much his own son was hurting. "Admiral Koris said you've been missing."

"I couldn't sit on this. Not with what's at stake. It's too important. So I left. Stowed away on the first flight I could find to the Citadel."

"That was very brave. You know, you remind me of Tali."

Clay smiled, sadly. "She taught me most of what I know about engines and programming, and such. She understood me. We had a lot in common… I miss her, too."

"It was an honour to have known her, that's for sure," Kaidan said, saddened that Tali had lost her life on Earth. "Look, you should go get some rest before morning. Who knows how tomorrow's going to go."

"Thank you, Sir. Kaidan. Thank you for listening to me."

"Of course, Clay."

When the young quarian had left, Kaidan gave the Captain his cabin back, moving to the Mess to peruse the data given him over a strong coffee. It was getting on for one o'clock. He'd give it an hour - then he required sleep. His mind drifted wistfully to thoughts of his sleeping girls, wishing he was with them, then Kaidan dug deep for the focus he needed to get him through the hour.

oOo

Zaeed Massani stood at the bar in Omega's Afterlife. He spotted the self-proclaimed Queen of Omega on her balcony overlooking the masses. Massani wasn't stupid enough to get involved with Aria. He'd been offered many lucrative contracts over the years to help some fool or another try to take Aria down. He'd turned them all down, then laughed when he heard about their nasty deaths. Massani was old in merc standards. Few made it as far as him in terms of years. It was all down to brains. Few employed them, thinking a big gun was enough to ensure you came out the other side. How wrong they were. Of course, a big fucking gun always helps.

Downing his whisky in one, he slammed the glass on the counter and demanded another. None of that weird brightly-coloured shit for him. If it didn't look like dehydrated human's piss, he wasn't drinking it. Once the re-filled glass was in his hand he turned back to the pretty writhing asari dancer who had been vying for his attention for the better part of a half hour. He liked her perseverance and beckoned her over. Nothing like a lot of bared skin to ease the burn of strong alcohol. He fancied a cigar but even on Omega it was considered bad manners to pollute someone else's air with a toxic substance. Not that there was any sort of law enforcement - you just ended up in an alley with a knife in your gut. As much as he enjoyed a drag, it wasn't worth the bloody hassle. He concentrated on the asari as she began to slide up and down his body. She'd be getting a nice tip for that.

Zaeed was distracted by the approach of a man whose sharp face made him think of a weasel, eyes darting continually to those around him as though he expected to be set upon any second, and instinctively Zaeed let his hand move to his rifle, the other still clutching his glass. It was just a precaution; he got the distinct impression this man was here with a purpose, and from the lack of weapons, it was to talk. Stopping right in front of him with only the asari between them, Weasel looked disdainfully at the dancer.

"Leave." It was directed icily at the asari.

"Fuck you," the asari retorted back to the newcomer, continuing what would have been called a lap-dance if Zaeed had been sitting down.

Zaeed chuckled at the blue beauty. "And here I was hoping you were going to fuck me tonight. Got a nice pile of credits I'm willing to part with for a good time."

The asari smiled. "I'm not cheap."

"I don't shag 'cheap', darling."

"Let's go-"

"Not so fast." The Weasel, who had silently listened to their discourse, radiated disgust, holding up his hand to stop the asari from leading Zaeed off to a private room.

"Do I need to call security?" glared the asari.

The asari was ignored. "Zaeed Massani. It's taken me a while to track you down. I need to speak with you."

Zaeed squinted, looking the guy up and down. The weasel wore an air of superiority which was a good way of getting taken down a notch or five out here. One thing was for sure, this bloke wasn't going to leave until he'd said his piece. Zaeed gave a put-out sigh. Opening his omnitool, he transferred some credits to the asari. "There's plenty more heading your way if you're ready and waiting for me when I get back."

Her eyes lifting from her omnitool, the asari grinned, lasciviously. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

Weasel spun on his heel and Zaeed followed him out of Afterlife to the streets beyond, ever vigilant of walking into an ambush.

"What's this about, pal? I'm not in the mood for games."

"No games, Massani." Weasel stopped and turned. "I have an opportunity for you that will set you up for life."

"Oh yeah? Had one of those before. It involved a goddamned suicide mission."

"Except you were prevented from getting your chance to earn your fee when Shepard ousted you from the mission."

Zaeed noticed the way Weasel spat out that name. Looks like Shepard had pissed this guy off, too. No surprise. Bitch had cost him some long awaited payback. It had come as one hell of a shock when it came to light that she was Hackett's kid.

"They came back from that with no casualties. You'd have been a very wealthy man right now," pressed Weasel.

"Who'd have guessed, huh? Not such a suicide mission, after all. You're very well-informed. Who are you?"

"My name's none of your concern, but I'm with an organisation named Chimera."

"What's that? Some sort of mythology bullshit? Sounds like something along the lines of bloody Cerberus. I didn't get on so well with them. Don't get on so well with anyone, in fact. Got a face to prove it." Zaeed jerked his thumb at the right side of his face where the scarring from Vido Santiago's gunshot was worn as a rage-inducing reminder every time he looked in a goddamn mirror. "Now, why don't you just get to the damned point and quit pissing around."

"We want to hire your services. Two targets, alive. Your reputation says you're the best bounty hunter in the galaxy, and our targets are more than standard hirelings can cope with. We need skill."

If that was supposed to make Zaeed bite without asking the prime question, it didn't. You don't sign deals with the devil, or weasels, until you have all the facts. "Stroking my ego? Gonna kiss my arse, next?" He laughed dirtily at the weasel's look of revulsion. "I want names."

The weasel didn't give him the information out loud, instead sending the names across to Massani's omnitool.

Reading the names, Zaeed barked out his surprise and amusement. "Right. Your 'Chimera' must have a bleeding death-wish." He shook his head. "Should have known this gig was too good to be goddamned true." He started to walk away. "You're on your own, mate. I'm not up for another suicide mission."

"If my information serves correctly, you're still hunting Vido Santiago."

Zaeed paused mid-stride and his omnitool chimed as he received a video file. Peering suspiciously at the weasel, he played it. There on his screen was footage of Vido preparing his men for a raid. His blood boiled as he watched Vido laughing at his own stupid joke.

"A trade," said the weasel, moving in front of Zaeed. "We have resources, but no skilled muscle. You get us those two people so we can deal out our own form of retribution, and we'll give you Santiago and more credits than you should ever need."

Staring back at the frozen image of that smug bastard Vido, Zaeed looked at the other smug bastard in front of him, his brain processing his options as he considered the targets. He wouldn't be able to engage them directly. People like that need to be taken by surprise. Hard and fast. Not a problem, but… one target gave him pause. "I'm not interested in touching the Spectre, but I'll bring you the turian."

The weasel's brows rose then fell into an irritated frown. "I'm surprised at you, Massani. Thought you'd jump at the chance. What with the connection to Hackett… From what I hear, you accused him of being the one who had you placed into that Alliance cell all those years ago. Your own squad-mate screwed you over. That grievance must have been festering even longer than Santiago."

This guy was really grating on him, and Zaeed got up close to the weasel's face, enjoying the sound of the nervous swallow. "Don't pretend you know me, you jumped up little ferret." To the bloke's credit, he put on a brave face - Zaeed wasn't buying it, but it was a good attempt.

"I have inside knowledge within the Alliance. People who were around the same time you were enlisted. Used to be Alliance myself, once. Had a promising career. Shepard had her admiral daddy kick me out. Like father, like daughter, huh? You and I have more in common than you might think."

"Doubt that." Zaeed pinned him under a hard stare and the weasel's bravado faltered. "So you know people in high places. That how you got yourself a 'promising career'? Do I smell a shitload of nepotism? You sure as hell ain't got what it takes to be a decent soldier." He liked the tic at the weasel's left eye; made him want to laugh. "What did you do to piss off Hackett, anyhow? Looking at you, it wouldn't be anything a real man would do. Touch something you weren't invited to? Like his daughter?" More rapid tics at Weasel's eye told him he'd hit it right on the nose, and this time Zaeed did laugh.

"Don't you want payback?" Weasel tried again.

Against Vido, abso-damn-lutely, but Hackett? They'd grown up together in Buenos Aires; Hackett's mother always out working some shitty job that paid peanuts and Zaeed's mother too busy 'socialising' with any man she could find, and not a father to be seen by either of them. He and Hackett had practically spent their childhood on the streets, skipping school and doing their own thing, fending off those who thought they were easy targets. Only difference between them was that Hackett wanted something better and Zaeed couldn't have cared less. Still, when Hackett enrolled in the Alliance, it hadn't taken much for him to convince Zaeed to do the same. But where Hackett thrived under all the rules and orders, Zaeed just got pissed off by them, and he didn't hold back on the battlefield, no matter how hard Hackett tried to temper him. He was a 'get the job done at any cost' kind of guy. In the end, it had been his downfall. Hackett may have betrayed him to their superiors, but it had been Zaeed's own actions and choices that got him there. Sure, Zaeed had been angry at the time, still was he supposed, but the difference between Hackett and Santiago was an old friendship. It made hate and the need for vengeance fade to little more than indifference. For a long time, Hackett had had his back, and that garnered the man some respect. Zaeed wasn't about to touch his family.

Zaeed refocused on the weasel. "The turian only."

Weasel considered that, and nodded. "Then I guess he'll do. But you'll only get half the original fee. Deal?"

"Depends."

At first confused, the weasel clicked as to what Zaeed meant and sent across some funds.

"That's a quarter of what you'll get if you deliver. As you see, it's still a hefty sum."

Zaeed whistled at the amount. "Your Chimera wants them bad. What did they do to warrant all this?"

"Not your concern. I'll get you onto the Citadel off-the-radar, you get the turian. Bring him back to the ship. Job done."

"Well, don't you just make it sound so goddamn easy?"

"He's just flesh and blood, or whatever the hell those things are made of. Don't pretend you need to think about it, Massani. You have your price, we both know that."

Zaeed didn't like the smirk, and he got back in Weasel's face. "You know, you'd do well to remember who you're talking to before you continue with the cocky bullshit. I could drop you with a flick of my wrist." Satisfied with the weasel's paler complexion, he ignored the unconvincing glare. "Alright. I'm in," he gritted out. "But you'd damn well better have that location on Vido."

Weasel grinned. "I've got some arrangements to sort out. I'll let you know when I'm ready to leave."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Zaeed began to walk off again. He needed to seriously unwind. "Right now, I'm off to show an asari tart how a real man does it." As Zaeed walked back into Afterlife, he wondered what the hell he'd just taken on. Then the asari appeared with a dirty smile and swinging hips and he decided to forget that last conversation until he'd had his fill of whisky and asari.

oOo

The call interrupted her sleep, and Terra had to quickly leave Rorie's room so it didn't wake her. A three o'clock call was never good news. "Shepard."

"Admiral Shepard, I'm sorry to disturb you at this late hour," the female voice came through. "I'm Officer Saris with C-Sec, and I have Commander James Vega in custody. Executor Vakarian thought I should call you."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Thankful she hadn't bothered getting undressed, Shepard was already downstairs, grabbing her boots, her thoughts trying to wake up and process the unexpected circumstances. "What was he taken in for?"

"Assault, drunk and disorderly, and vandalism, Ma'am."

Shepard finished pulling on her boots. "Damn," she muttered, wondering what was going on.

"I'd say he's been drowning his sorrows, Ma'am."

"I'll be right there." Shepard closed the line and started for the guest room to wake Jack, only to find her already leaning in the doorway, her arms crossed, having been woken by the sound and listening in.

"'Taken in'? It's got to be the idiot." At Shepard's disapproving face, Jack rolled her eyes. "Fine. Vega."

"I don't understand it. He was heading to see his girlfriend."

"With a surprise arrival. Wanna bet he walked in on something?"

Shepard's heart twisted for him. "God, I hope not. He was really happy."

"Newsflash, Shepard. That fairy-tale romance you have is an illusion for the rest of us." Jack gave a loud sigh. "You look beat. I'll go."

"You? No offense Jack, but if he's hurting he needs a comforting shoulder, not a verbal bashing."

"Hey, I can be… okay forget that, but I'll refrain from 'bashing' until I get him back here."

"Yeah, right, Jack. You biting your tongue?" Terra gave her a sceptical look.

"Bitch," retorted Jack, with a small smirk.

"If it makes you feel better," accepted Shepard, with a playful quirk of her brow. "Would you keep an eye on Rorie for me?"

"Goes without saying. Now quit worrying and go."

Shepard didn't waste any more time and left at a fast pace, while Jack went to sit in front of the fire to wait.

oOo

Dalatrass Linron sat at the dining table within the plush surroundings of her home, her sleep having been disturbed by her personal assistant just an hour ago. The news had been unwelcome. The Leviathans attack on the Citadel had pressed her to reconsider security at her top facility and she'd headed straight back to Sur'Kesh. Sending a full STG team would have raised eyebrows, but one capable soldier wouldn't. Begrudgingly, she admitted that Kirrahe was the best she had. The last thing she expected was to be too late. It was unsettling to discover what had gone on with no alert of anything untoward. If this was the Leviathans, then how had they compromised her facility, and why?

Her orders had been clear: nothing was to be released about the incident at their research lab, to anyone. All calls relating to work previously undertaken by their researchers there were to be re-routed to one of her staff, who'd been trained to delay and skirt round issues, and if need be, lie. Kirrahe had wanted them to bring it to the Council's attention, but to do so would bring more questions than she was willing to answer.

Kirrahe had been told to return to his training facility and resume previous duties, but he was a loose cannon as far as the Dalatrass was concerned, and so had placed a team to monitor his movements and block his external communications. She would not have him making it public, least of all to a certain Spectre.

No… She would handle this. No one else needed to know anything had happened at all.

oOo

When Shepard entered the C-Sec office the officers all stood as though on inspection. An asari stepped forward.

"Admiral Shepard. Officer Saris. It's an honour, Ma'am. Commander Vega's just in there," she pointed to an unlocked cell. "Kept calling me Niree, asking why I cheated on him."

"His girlfriend's asari," Shepard explained, sadly. Jack had been right.

Terra peered inside the cell, the sorry sight of James filling the small room. He was conscious but sat on the floor, slouched against a wall, his head lolling slightly as he stared morosely at his feet. She saw the bandaged knuckles and the bruise on his right cheekbone.

Something about seeing him like that... Anxiety weighed down on her. After four years of everything being normal, their lives ticking along the way they were supposed to, it all now seemed to be falling apart with the Leviathans return. The Citadel attacked; her daughter thrust into a situation no child should witness; the Normandy grounded without its ever-present pilot; Liara's personal issue that was clearly worrying her; Kaidan parted from them again; and now James...

"Who did he assault?" she worried.

The officer made a face before she answered. "No-one you should worry about, Ma'am. Name's Elias Kelham, and he's exaggerating his injuries. Got his fingers in a lot of shady stuff but we can never pin him down on anything. Guy practically walks around with his lawyer on a leash. He's got a nasty habit of deliberately baiting off-duty C-Sec and Alliance officers who are under the heavy influence of alcohol, in his spare time. When they get physical in response, Kelham has them arrested and starts a lawsuit against them. Usually wins, too. It's like a game to him. Some kind of power-play. The Executor's personally working to get a case against Kelham on his other activities, though."

"I certainly am," came Garrus' voice from behind them as he entered the office. "Shepard. I have an order to be notified as soon as anything concerning Kelham crops up. Sorry you were disturbed, too, but I thought having you involved in this one might make things a little easier on Vega. Kelham has a way of getting people suspended from active duty while he has a case against them. His damn lawyer knows every tiny loophole and ties our hands behind our backs with them."

"More laws to change, Garrus?"

"Just a few thousand. I'll get to them, eventually. In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to collate as much information on the crooked bastard as I can while still working within the law. Most infuriating experience I've had for a while, I can tell you."

"The lawyer causing problems, huh?"

"Blocks every attempt I make to get access to Kelham's business dealings. Discovering his latest victim was our very own Vega, made my day - perfect excuse to bring in my favourite Spectre. Don't tell Kaidan I said that."

"Garrus Vakarian! Are you trying to use me to do your dirty work!?"

"Absolutely. Problem?"

"Hell, no. I just remembered where I've heard that name before. He was the guy who hired Kolyat to assassinate someone and then left the Citadel to be sure he wasn't implicated for the murder. Saris," Shepard addressed the asari officer. "You have the charges report against Vega?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Saris handed it over, looking very interested in what was going to happen.

It was Kelham's unlucky day - Shepard's protective instinct had been brought out in full force since the attack started and she had zero tolerance for anyone threatening her family, in which James was included. She typed into the datapad, then handed it back. "There. Any property damages are to be billed to me, and I've authorised all charges against Vega to be dropped. If Kelham's lawyer has any problem with it, re-direct him to me. I've added a little addendum for Kelham's attention, stating if there are any further incidents involving him and any other officer, be they Alliance or C-Sec, I will be personally involving myself in every aspect of his life, and as of now I'm authorising the Executor full access to all of Kelham's financial dealings. I'll stop by the Spectre office on the way home; freeze his accounts so he can't alter anything."

"Yes!" fist-pumped Garrus, along with half the officers ear-wigging around the office as they grinned wildly. "Result. Total abuse of power. Knew I'd turn you to the dark side sooner or later."

"Dark side? Joker finally got you to watch those films, huh?"

"Yeah. Jabba the Hut? Your people had some strange ideas about aliens back then, Shepard."

"No comment. And Kelham may not be a threat to the galaxy but he warrants checking into. He's been lucky. In the chaos, he got forgotten about. He should have stayed quiet." Terra walked over to James, crouching down and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Casanova," she murmured.

James slowly looked up at her, stared at her for a bit, then frowned. "Lola. What're you doing here?" His words slurred, eyes were unfocused.

"I've come to take you home, James. Get you into bed."

He started chuckling at that. "Are you propos- proposish-sishin me, Lola?"

"This is the real me, James. You're not dreaming."

"Damn," he teased back.

"Come on. You need to sleep this off."

"Sleep…" he said morosely. "But I can't close my damn eyes without seeing…. I walked in on her with… Fuck!" He slammed his already damaged fist down on the floor, then looked at her with pained eyes. "How could she betray me? I thought she cared about me. I trusted her."

"I don't know, James," and she honestly didn't have any concept as to how anyone could do that to someone they had any semblance of feeling for. She swung his arm over her shoulders, Garrus taking his other side, and between them they hauled James back to her waiting cab. After a quick stop at the Spectre office, she drove them back to the apartment.

Jack had fallen asleep on the sofa, so they lugged Vega into the guest room for ease, and laid him down on the bed. Other than sweeping his legs up off the floor and removing his boots, Terra left him like that. Garrus silently waved her goodnight, and Terra wondered whether she'd be able to get back to sleep now. A look at the time told her she might be able to get an hour in before Rorie woke, so she settled on the other sofa and watched the flames of the fire until she dozed off.

oOo

Wrex was standing in the krogan embassy looking bleary-eyed over Bakara's shoulder at the figure of Grunt on the holo-vid in front of them.

"How bad is it?"

"Bad. The other clans are unsettled over something, and they're not sharing with Urdnot."

"Then we're returning immediately," stated Bakara.

"Send out scouts to every clan," ordered Wrex. "Get me information, Grunt. I want to know what's gotten them roused."

"Will do."

"What of the clans on our sister planet?" Wrex asked Bakara.

"Reports are the same," she answered, gravely.

"Then we call a meeting of the clans, to be attended at mid-day. If this is a rebellion, we need to stamp it out before it destroys us all."

"Agreed."

"Grunt, when you've done what I've asked, I want you to get your ass ready to leave. You'll be heading here as soon as we arrive."

"For Shepard?"

Wrex nodded. "Shepard's heading into a storm, and she'll need a krogan at her back. Now that it can't be me, I want someone I can trust to keep an eye on her. That's you."

Looking pleased, Grunt nodded in approval. "Understood."

Wrex watched the projection fizzle out and for the first time he genuinely felt the burden of leadership.

oOo