~ I don't own mass effect, Bioware and EA do ~
26.03.0005 PRW
Citadel
Presidium Tower
Zaire had been reluctant to bring the extra security of Grunt and 5 of his best Krogan, but a five man team of the Turian DeathWatch, an STG team, a Quarian TCC squad, multiple Spectres of different species and Zaire's own security forces was extreme overkill at its finest. Not that anybody seemed to care, and it both settled and agitated Zaire's nerves with so many guns in the room. Thankfully she had clear line of sight to both of the entrances to the room, which was another issue she had discovered she had, and she had immediately noticed the lack of armed Asari, apart from her Commandos and Samaras Justicars.
Both the Council and The Board of Directors were in the same room as her, the room itself was rather large, with Zaire, Liara, The Citadel Council and Board of Directors sitting in a circle in the middle, with their security standing in hidden balconies and around the edge of the room. They were pretty far below the Presidium, with a small army of Council Guards and C-Sec between them and the prying eyes of the Galaxy.
Councillor Irissa looked rather nervous, with her hands twitching and eyes flicking between her and Samara. The Justicar was looking like she was preparing to dispense 'Justice' right then and there, Zaire herself was too tense and battling the instinct to keep glancing around the room to find it amusing.
Ashley was also in the room, which didn't help with her nerves at all, and the Spectre was alternating her glares between Zaire and the Asari Councillor, who Shepard had quickly realised must have known about the attack beforehand. So it appeared that another Asari Councillor was probably going to be needed, if the looks her colleagues were giving were anything to go by.
Apparently satisfied that everyone had wasted enough of their time trying to unsuccessfully settle in, Councillor Osoba clapped his hands in an attempt to gain everyone's attention, and began speaking.
"Right. I'd like to start by thanking everyone for clearing their schedules to be here, as I think we can all agree that this is a mess that needs to be sorted out as quickly and as smoothly as possible, and hopefully before this gets any more out of hand than it already has."
Zaire couldn't help but snort at the last bit. As she couldn't care less about what happened to the Council, all she wanted was to have a couple decades of uninterrupted peace to sort the shit in her head out and have a life with Liara. What happened to the Council after that didn't concern her in the slightest.
Liara sent her a mild glare, basically telling her to shut up and let the Councillor speak. Although Wrex looked rather amused as well, whether at the Councillors statement or Liara's order she couldn't tell.
The Human Councillor spoke up again before she could get lost in her thoughts, and it appeared that the rest of the Council and Directors were happy to let him speak for them.
"As we understand it, after the War, the Alliance found and kept Former Spectre Shepard detained illegally in order to study her new cybernetic implants. This is being addressed to quietly. After the Commander awoke and escaped, the Alliance panicked and lied to us. They contacted us and claimed that Shepard was indoctrinated, and asked us for our assistance in tracking her down."
Zaire had to clamp down on an unwanted surge of pure anger that attempted to overtake her, and it was only thanks to the piece of Liara's presence acting as a counter balance that she didn't fly off the handle and attack one of the Council.
Councillor T'Neari cut in quickly, "we have both a Spectre, and a reliable N7 team gathering intelligence for a quiet arrest behind closed doors, with another team on standby for rapid response."
Giving a confirming nod, Osoba carried on with his little speech.
"After the joint Council-Alliance team found evidence of the Admirals false accusations, they immediately brought it to our attention, while the Council and Board worked on finding the truth, our Colleague, Councillor Irissa, instead decided to quietly pass on said information to the High Asari Matriarchs on Thessia."
There was a slight shift in the room as everyone in attendance turned to look at the Asari Councillor in question, who seemed to shrink even farther into the seat she was sitting in.
Liaradecided to speak up for the first time, "perhaps you should explain your actions, Councillor, so that we can fully understand what compelled you to share Council Classified Intelligence with an unauthorised Government?"
The Asari Councillor seemed to shrink even further, but answered clearly without any need for further prompt.
"I believe that my Secretary is employed by The Thirty to monitor my office and secure communications, and when we were informed of the Commanders implant specifications, she informed the Matriarchs, who then contacted me, and used some uncomfortable information to gain access to the relative files."
Councillor Varn finished for her disgraced colleague.
"The Matriarchs realised that Shepard was a threat to their power due to her new, abilities, and sent a highly skilled Wet Work team to kill her before she could meet and possibly share the technology with us."
"My sources indicate" Councillor Esheel cut in, "that you personally allowed the Wet Work team onto the Citadel, and was well aware of the kill order the Matriarchs had sent."
This time the impulse to lash out was harder to contain, and a small voice in the back of her head told Zaire that punching the Asari Councillor though the nearest wall would no doubt be highly cathartic. Subconsciously, Zaire's trigger fingers started twitching, and Liara caught on almost immediately and moved to stand close enough to initiate a shallow meld.
The presence of her lover active in her mind helped Zaire get a lid on her unpredictable emotions, and Shepard let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. She started using a breathing technique Alliance snipers used to calm her racing heart and calm herself down, she only had to put up with them for an hour, and then she could walk out a free woman.
Nobody noticed the two silently share a conversation, and Osoba was still talking "-Republic is in political upheaval. I'm sure that when Shepard makes a public statement saying it was only small elements in the Republic the Galaxy will calm down. We can reinstate your Spectre status and you can start work on dealing with The Thirty, quietly of course."
Zaire didn't wait for Liara to answer, and spoke loudly and clearly as possible the answer to that particular question.
"No."
The following silence was deafening, and everyone who hadn't been told beforehand turned to look at her as if she was crazy, Ashley looked torn between confused and angry, with the Council looking annoyingly surprised. The the Human Councillor was the quickest to recover.
"You don't wish to make a statement?"
Zaire sent him an angry glare, and stood up as she began speaking.
"Let me get one thing straight with this Council."
She could feel her anger getting the better of her, but quite frankly, she didn't care, and pointed her finger at the seated Council before her.
"I don't care what happens to this God damned galaxy anymore, I've solved more of the galaxies issues than you have, and in a hell of a shorter time period. After this shit is done, I'm gone. You won't be hearing from me again for at least a decade, and if I do get in contact again, I doubt that it'll be to solve any more of your problems."
Director Von spoke up, looking rather shocked.
"You cannot simply walk away Commander, not after everything you've accomplished!"
Liara stood up and placed a restraining hand on her shoulder, as everyone in the room could see that Zaire looked ready to jump across the table and strangle half the Council. The respective armed forces around the room tensed as Shepard did, with guns of all shapes and sizes getting pointed around the room as Commandos and Justicars lit their biotics, while the Councils own Guards tensed.
The words that Shepard growled out we're practically laced with hate.
"Watch me."
With those final words, Commander Zaire Shepard turned and strode out of the room.
Liara sighed, but understood that her Aethria was struggling to emote properly, and stress was something she wasn't able to deal with correctly anymore. Still, a decade of peace with a dedicated mind-healer and psychiatrist would help, and the Councillor had been unbelievably presumptuous.
Turning to face the Council, she spoke clearly but quietly.
"Shepard has been suffering from a Human psychological problem known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, she will be receiving professional care, but will not be available for a decade or two."
"And where," asked Director Flesher, "will Shepard be receiving this care?"
Liara gave a sarcastic smile that had obviously come from her bondmate.
"Classified. Good day Councilors."
And with that done, the Asari Broker turned and followed her bondmate out the door, her Commandos forming up around her as she left, with Samara and her Justicars only staying due to the Order wanting her to escort the Asari Councillor to Thessia for trial.
There was a few more seconds of stunned silence as everyone in the room acknowledged that Shepard and her bondmate had simply stood up and walked out of a room filled with some of the most important people in the Galaxy without a backwards glance.
Though the silence was quickly filled with Wrex's laughter, as he got up and left the room as well, Grunt and his forces chuckling as they followed.
04.04.0005 PRW
Thessia
Attena
Well, Shepard considered, it wasn't in that bad of condition. The small hidden compound that Liara had on Thessia was more of a fortified house with extra walls than a fortified facility, which was probably a good thing when she thought about it, though it clearly had gained the attention of a Reaper at some point during the War.
Zaire mercilessly clamped down on the mental twitch that thought alone caused, and instead started looking at the walls and building itself.
The perimeter walls and outside structure of the house was built out of some sort of smooth pale looking curved stone. Which was supported and interwoven with curved steel that had a faint blue tinge, the second and third floors had large floor to ceiling windows, though Zaire could see that two at least needed replacing.
Sadly whatever had happened during the War had left both the Air Car Garage and the main front entrance nothing but rubble, with plant life starting to grow over everything without gardeners to tame the local greenery anymore.
Liara interrupted her muse by planting a kiss on her cheek, which brought an involuntary smile to the ex-commanders face, and the Human responded in kind. Wrapping her free arm around her Asari's waist as she set her bag down, and Liara rested her head on Zaire's shoulder, humming in content.
"I have construction workers being screened, and I'm getting in touch with a few of my mother's more trusted gardeners. We'll have to put up with the construction crew being here for the first four or five months, but after that everything should calm down slightly."
Zaire didn't reply verbally, but her thoughts were easily understood through the shallow meld Liara always created whenever they were alone and close enough, and Shepard couldn't help but look backwards towards the tree line, were a small forest stood between them and the recovering city of Attena. The secluded and peaceful atmosphere was just what was needed, and Zaire could practically feel her nerves settle down.
The moment was ruined when Aethyta walked past, giving a mild glare towards Zaire, and a small smile to Liara. Zaire had realised that this was probably going to be customary for a while, but Shepard also saw the way Liara left her side to go hug her father rather fiercely, and Zaire decided that putting up with an inlaw was worth it if Liara could learn to connect with her Father.
Shepard noticed Yano rounding up some of her Commandos and setting up patrols, and Zaire waved the Asari Commander over. For the first time in over eight years, the future looked decidedly bright, and Zaire smiled as Yano walked up beside her, both turning to watch the Thessian Sun set.
"You sure you want to stay here? I doubt anything will be going on for a while."
Yano just laughed, "nothing is boring when your involved Z. Besides, I think after everything that's happened in the last few months, my girls could use a break, and your in need of trusted security."
A shout of her name caused Zaire to turn around, and that was the only reason why she managed to catch the beer bottle before it hit her in the head. A similar bottle being tossed to Yano, Aethyta walked up to them, looking rather pleased with herself.
"Don't tell Liara, I promised not to bring any alcohol."
Yano laughed as she popped the disposable cap and took a swig, Zaire doing the same at a more subdued pace. While the two drank, Aethyta popped her own beer and wondered out loud, "Who knows what the future will hold?"
Yano snorted, and held up her beer.
"To whatever the future brings."
Smirking, Shepard clinked her beer with her friends, and then again with Aethyta's.
"To whatever the hell the future brings."
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of this story.
It's been a fun ride, and to those of you wondering about What happened to the Alliance and other lose ends, I will be posting a series of one-shots in one neat collection, it'll be called; Lose Ends Tied.
I would also like to thank everyone who Reviewed, as it was your feedback that helped shape the story and motivate me to finish it.
Finally, I will be going back over a lot of previous chapters and changing a lot. The story will be changed to fit the writing style of the later chapters, and I will post a chapter update when this is done to notify everyone.
Thank you for reading,
~ JunkMail