Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth, and whatever you feed it is never enough. – Janwillem van de Wetering

Ài – [愛 – love] (whether spoken by Xiùlán or Samantha, the meaning is 'Luv')]
Chandra – insect resembling a honeybee, same name as sweetening nectar it produces (Thessian)
Qīzi – [妻子 – wife]

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC • EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ 0850, Monday, 16 October 2220-CE ⸰

The on-duty attendant looked up as I quietly entered the base medical center and moved to stand in front of the counter. Taking obvious notice of what I was carrying, he raised one eyebrow and queried, "May I help you, Ma'am?"

"You can. Samantha Traynor?" I gestured with the clean clothes draped over my left arm. "I'm here to spring the admiral from custody."

"Traynor?" He looked at his terminal display, then asked, "You're Admiral Yuán's … wife?"

The pause in his response before he said 'wife', along with the considerable tone of disapproval in which he said it instantly raised my hackles. "Is there a problem … Private?" I didn't have to wait more than a moment for his reaction to my verbal demotion; a menacing scowl immediately spread across his face as he corrected me with a contemptuous, "It's Corporal, actually," and stood from his chair. Leaning over the counter, he seemed to possess a clear expectation that I would somehow be intimidated by his size and apparent musculature. Looks like a physical clone of former Marine Lieutenant Jimmy Vega, came the thought.

His follow-on comment of, "I'm guessing you have a problem with real men," had me looking to drape Xiùlán's clean clothing over the back of the closest chair so I could teach this shit-for-brains jarhead a lesson in good manners. Fortunately … for him, at least … General Park had quietly strolled in behind me; this resulted in Corporal Hudson immediately coming to attention as she chastised him in a tone that left no doubt about the name of the creek he had just strayed into. "This lady asked you a question, Mister! Sounds to me that either the Marines, or your parents—maybe both—failed in their duty to teach you proper manners!" She cocked her head as she got right up in his face. "I can certainly have you sent to the monthly class on base that teaches proper military decorum to new recruits!"

"Yes, Ma'am," he stammered out. "No problem, Ma'am." He shifted his attention back to me and said, "I apologize for my momentary lack of professionalism. No disrespect intended."

RaeLee placed a hand in the center my back and glanced at me as she continued to chastise the big Marine. "Good to know, Corporal. It would be a real shame if I had to call for an emergency response team … and a cleanup crew, after Samantha finished mopping the floor with you."

At his expression of disbelief, she added, "You've just been introduced to her, whereas I've known her for over forty years. Those knives she has strapped to her calves aren't just for show." With a slight chuckle, she concluded "Now, escort us back to see the admiral. I'm sure she'll be much more comfortable after we get her moved into her new quarters."

It was obvious Hudson still thought me incapable of taking him down, but no matter. He obediently came around his desk; directing a curt, "Follow me," to General Park, he proceeded through a door to our left. As we had both visited Xiùlán the evening before, we already knew the way to her room, but quietly followed the corporal's lead through the short passageway.

Upon stopping at her door, he knocked and said, "Admiral Yuán? You have a couple of visitors."

A barely audible "Enter," came from within. General Park skewered Hudson with her eyes, saying, "You're dismissed, Corporal," as I eased the door open and walked in; I could hear Hudson's footfalls diminishing down the passage as RaeLee followed behind me and gently closed the door.

It was obvious Xiùlán had been informed of our arrival, as she was sitting on the edge of the med bed with her bare feet dangling; she grinned as I walked up to her, placed a quick kiss on her mouth, then helped her down to stand in front of me. Looking at the sling cradling her left forearm prompted me to ask, "How's the shoulder, Ai?"

"Tòng dé yàomìng, [痛得要命 – It hurts like hell] and it feels really tight, Sà mi; I expect I'm gonna need to endure some physical therapy, in addition to my daily exercise routine." With a rueful smirk, she added, "I'll also need to pay a visit to Jiang Mingli next time I'm home to visit my parents. Exit wound really messed up my dragon's head."

"I noticed, though at the time I was only interested in slowing your blood loss." I laid her uniform on the bed, then kissed her again while gently embracing her. "That was pretty brave, ya know …" General Park interrupted with an especially snarky, "Or foolhardy." I continued on as if RaeLee hadn't spoken, " … to stand there totally exposed, knowing Joesiar had an M-98a aimed squarely at your head, or chest."

She shook her head in embarrassment. "Truthfully, I expected that my new dress jacket, along with your enhanced kinetic barrier, would deflect one shot, at least … give me time to get to cover." As we chatted, she carefully began getting dressed; with my assistance, she pulled off the sweatpants she'd been given, replacing them with the clean pair of trousers I had brought with me.

Easing her arm out of the sling, she used her right hand to carefully pull it off over her head before just as cautiously shucking off the sweatshirt bearing the base logo; with my assistance, she managed to pull on her silk camisole. With her left arm hanging loose at her side, I reached around her torso, eased her hands into the sleeves and pulled her long-sleeve blouse up her arms; after settling it on her shoulders, I helped her close the fasteners up the front, then assisted her in placing her left forearm once more in the sling. Stepping back, I admired the woman's exotic beauty for a moment or two before declaring, "We can leave your jacket off until we're ready to step outside."

I kneeled in front of her; as she leaned against the bed, I pulled a pair of socks on her feet, then eased on her short-heeled boots. Standing again, she leaned towards me. Placing her right hand on my shoulder beside my neck, she pulled slightly in order to plant a sweet little kiss on my cheek, before whispering in my ear, "Xièxiè nǐ bǎ wǒ zhàogù dé zhème hǎo, Sà mǐ. Wǒ ài nǐ." [謝謝你把我照顧得這麼好, 薩米。我愛你。– Thank you for taking such good care of me, Sà mi. I love you.]

The quiet sincerity of her words nearly brought me to tears, leading me to respond with a somber, "It's my pleasure to take care of you, and I love you more. Wǒ jiāng yǒngyuǎn ài nǐ, Xiùlán." [我將永遠愛你 – I will always love you, Xiùlán]

General Park, standing beside the door, looked meaningfully around the room while saying, "If you're sure you've left nothing behind, I suggest we leave so you can get re-settled into your new quarters, Admiral. I expect you'll sleep much better in your own bed."

Xiùlán's grin widened. I grabbed her sweatshirt and sweatpants as she quietly replied, "I fully concur with your assessment, General. Please, lead the way."

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC • EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ 1142, Monday, 16 October 2220-CE ⸰

Xiùlán and I had finished eating a light brunch, in officer's country at the on-base cafeteria, and were now strolling in the direction of her office and residential suite. Walking shoulder-to-shoulder with me on her right side, we were discussing what we needed to do in order to see Dominic Osoba removed from his cushy position as humanity's representative on the galactic council.

"I need to meet with the leader of the Shadow Broker team that captured Joesiar … Dokken will have the video record of the little bastard taking a shot at you. I want to review that vid, then ask Rachaél Shepard to accompany you and General Park to the next council meeting … lay out the proof for the other councilors." I paused for a moment before adding, "I would really enjoy paying a visit to Osoba … just to let 'im know the hammer's getting ready to drop … but, I want your visit to the full council to take the man completely by surprise.

Xiùlán shook her head in denial, saying, "The Council's meeting agendas are generally set a couple of days or so prior to each regular meeting. How will Osoba not be aware of what's coming?"

"That's the reason I'm gonna involve Rachaél; Spectres are permitted to address the entire council, before any of the agenda items are addressed. Osoba will become an agenda item as soon as Shepard—with you accompanying her as the latest victim of Osoba's malfeasance—concludes her report on yesterday's events." By this time, we had reached her combination office and residential suite. Pausing outside the rear entrance to her residence, she gazed intently at her omnitool for a moment; it self-activated, causing my own omnitool to briefly power up. "I just sent the passcode for this door to your omni, Sà mi, since you'll be sharing my quarters whenever you're in town."

She waved her wrist through the red haptic interface, which went green as the door unlocked. Pushing it open with her hip, she allowed me in ahead of her as she continued, "This is the private entrance to my new home … our new home. That code will not unlock the public entrance to my office, nor will it unlock the inside door between the office and our new personal quarters." With a smirk playing along her mouth, she added, "I realize it would be child's play for you to hack those locks, but please? … For me? … Don't even think about it, my love."

"I promise, Ài … I'll never enter your office uninvited. I've already met one noncom that has a problem with your choice of partners, though I'd like to think it's more because I'm a civilian. Fortunately for 'im, General Park was just in time to save 'im from getting his ignorant ass smeared all over the walls and deck."

With a disbelieving shake of her head, she asked, "Really, Sà mi? My very first day on the job?"

"It was nothing, I swear!" I used my best innocent me expression and voice to plead my case. "Just an overdeveloped meat-mountain with crap for brains. Looked like a body clone of Jimmy Vega."

Xiùlán remained silent while placing a pot of water on the stove to heat for tea, making it apparent the wheels were turning. "What're you thinking, Ài? Something bothering you?

With a heavy sigh, she eased herself down into one of the chairs by the small breakfast table. "Come, sit with me."

Once I was seated, she placed an elbow on the table in order to rest her chin on the knuckles of her right hand and said, "When you see Dokken, I would like you to confiscate Joesiar's M-98a. Once all the legalities have been taken care of, I think I'm gonna have it mounted on the wall behind the desk in my office, where it'll serve as a daily reminder to me."

"Of … ?" I tilted my head slightly with my query.

"How close I came, Sà mi." I could see she was reliving the moment in her mind. "That shot came too damned close to ending me, Ài… I'm beginning to believe I made a mistake in forbidding you from pre-emptively ending the threat posed by the painfully xenophobic little misogynist. Now? He's occupying a small cell down in the sub-basement lockup." She shook her head in a sorrowful manner. "I don't want him to ever be able to breathe free air again, Sà mi, and I really don't want him to see the inside of a court of law." With a vehemence that slightly shocked me, she added, "Yǒngyuǎn zǔzhòu tā xià jiǔ céng dìyù! [永遠詛咒他下九層地獄！ – Curse him to the nine (levels of) hells forever!]

"Wǒ de bǎobèi Xiùlán, [我的寶貝 – my darling Xiùlán] I would be the first person to tell you our lives would be so much sweeter without him, his uncle, or Dominic Osoba." With a slight shake of my head, I concluded, "Regrettably, me killing any one of them, unless it could be irrefutably demonstrated to have been done in either your defense or my own, would brand me as an even worse criminal than my all too short stint as the Shadow Broker ever managed to accomplish."

She rose to attend to the now whistling water kettle; after pouring a measure of the hot water into a previously prepped teapot, she leaned against the counter, right hand holding her left elbow through the sling, while allowing time for the tea to steep; after about five or six minutes, she silently poured a serving for each of us, then brought the mugs to the table and retook her seat. As she was stirring a shot of Chandra into her own mug, she quietly asked, "Speaking of the Shadow Broker, have you spoken with him since the aborted ceremony?"

I stirred a shot of Chandra into my own mug as I replied, "Not yet. Of course, by now Jonathan Dokken will have reported back to him on yesterday's events. I suppose I should give the man a call, request a meeting. But, I'm not quite ready to leave you by yourself … not just yet."

At that, she actually grinned. "Wǒ huì méishì de, Sà mǐ. [我會沒事的，薩米。– I'll be fine, Sà mi.]

"Not so sure I'll be fine, wǒ de bǎobèi, [我的寶貝 – my darling] but if you're certain you'll be okay, I'll return to Iringù-Eßizkur." I took several sips of tea before continuing with, "I guess I'll go to the Citadel, meet with Dokken's team while I'm out and about … need to get all the data they've compiled, the OSD containing the video of Joesiar's attempt, and your new wall decoration."

"Sounds like a good plan, Sà mi. Just, for me? … please be careful?"

My response was a lot cheekier than I truly felt. "Always am."

• INSIDE IRINGÙ-EẞIZKUR, AT LARGE, SERPENT NEBULA •
⸰ 0905, Wednesday, 18 October 2220-CE ⸰

Having spent Monday evening and Tuesday morning with Xiùlán in her new abode in Vancouver, I had reluctantly returned to Iringù-Eßizkur for the trip to the Serpent Nebula. Before departing Vancouver, I had spent a portion of Tuesday afternoon on a conference call with Spectre Shepard at her home on Thessia, and Jonathan Dokken, who had been instructed by the Broker to await my arrival on the Citadel.

After explaining to Rachaél everything that had happened since Joesiar's premature release from Arcturus Prison, she had agreed to speak to the Galactic Council on Xiùlán's behalf, declaring, "I had expected that, when Dominic Osoba was selected to fill the councilor's position after Udina's death during the war, humanity finally had an honest representative." Shaking her head sorrowfully, she concluded, "Sad to say, it was too damned much to hope for. It would seem that kind of prestige—along with the power that accompanies it—simply provides too much temptation for any human to deal with."

I had countered with the possibility of having Admiral Hackett appointed to the office upon his retirement from the Alliance Navy, to which she had laughed. "I expect Hackett would rather take a stroll out of an airlock on the Orizaba than accept an appointment as humanity's representative on the Council. Hell, Anderson couldn't leave the position behind fast enough when the Reapers arrived; his departure was the only reason Udina was even a councilor to begin with. Sonuvabitch was always power hungry … and it played right into Jack Harper's plans for galactic domination."

Shepard had concluded the call with, "I'll see you in a couple of days, Samantha. Hopefully, I can persuade the other councilors that giving Osoba the boot is in the best interest of humanity, if not the entire galaxy." With a grin, she added, "And as much as I'd love to have her accompany me, let Xiùlán know I got this. She can remain in Vancouver, attend to business there while I take care of getting a council boot in the ass for Osoba."

"Sounds good, Rachaél. Thank you, and please offer my apologies to Liara for dragging you into human politics once again! And no matter the reason, it'll be a treat for me to see you again. Maybe we can have dinner somewhere nice … my treat."

• SHADOW BROKER'S APARTMENT, BRAVO WARD • CITADEL, WIDOW SYSTEM •
⸰ 1155, Wednesday, 18 October 2220-CE ⸰

I used my personal aircar—the same customized X3M I'd been using since my resignation from the Alliance Navy—to travel to my former residence in Bravo Ward. Buchanan had insisted I needed a 'safe house' on the Citadel, just in case—his words—I ever found myself in a situation requiring me to lay low.

Truthfully, it was the first time I had returned here since leaving my Shadow Broker persona behind for employment that gave the appearance of being a bit more … legitimate. Griff and I had left the Citadel to establish a new base of operations at a former Cerberus station – Ahn'Kahar Station – a small, obscure platform located at the trailing L5 Lagrangian point of Antitarra; afterwards, I had returned to this apartment only rarely, if at all, until the day I finally cut all ties with the Shadow Broker.

I had asked Jonathan Dokken, the leader of the Broker's Rapid Response Team, to meet me here at noon. To that end, I had sent him a one-time pass-code that would allow him to enter and activate the private elevator inside the ground-floor, asari-owned business. In addition to all the documentation that had been compiled, up to and including the attempt on Xiùlán's life, Dokken would be bringing the M-98a Widow confiscated from Joesiar when they had subdued and captured him.

With my aircar secure in the rooftop garage, I descended the spiral staircase to my former home. It certainly feels odd to be back inside this place after so many years, came the thought. Looking around a bit, I could detect no obvious change in the place—there didn't even appear to be any dust to disturb, thanks to the incredibly efficient electrostatic cleaners in the HVAC ductwork.

The sound of the elevator doors retracting into their recesses at the far end of the living room announced Dokken's arrival. He grinned as he stepped out of the car; of some surprise, he was accompanied by Irmina DiCaprio, who was carrying a long, narrow black travel case slung over a shoulder. "Ms Traynor … it's been too many years!" As he walked up to stand before me, he held out his right hand, which I enthusiastically grasped and pumped three times.

Turning towards his companion, I said, "Mina … it's nice to see you again as well." Looking at the black case as she pulled the shoulder strap down her arm, I asked, "Joesiar's rifle?"

Her grin mirrored Dokken's as she offered the case to me. "It is. I hope you're not planning to use the maledetto [Italian: damned] thing."

"It's a present for Xiùlán … um, Admiral Yuán. After it's offered as physical evidence in Joesiar's trial, she plans to mount it on the wall behind her desk … says she wants it as a reminder of just how close she came to dying three days ago."

DiCaprio snorted. "That's one helluva reminder, Samantha." Her grin lessened as she added, "Take my advice, huh? Remove the block shaver and actuator, and place some hard-set epoxy in the heatsink receiver—before you give it to her—so it'll be unusable as anything but a cudgel."

"Sounds like good advice, Mina. Thank you." I set the heavy case next to the stairs, than turned back to Jonathan, who handed the OSDs and a datapad to me.

"Here's everything we recorded from that day, Sammy. It should be more than enough to send Joesiar back to prison for the rest of his days."

I shook my head with my reply. "I wouldn't be so sure about the permanence of any life sentence handed down, when he was pardoned from the so-called life sentence he received 32 years ago." Hefting the OSDs and datapad, I smiled at both of them in turn and said, "You have my thanks for taking him down. Xiùlán sends her thanks as well."

"Our pleasure, Sammy," Jonathan replied. "I only wish we could have stopped him right before he took that shot. I hope the admiral will heal up okay." Holding his hand out, he took mine and squeezed gently while adding, "Farewell, Ms Traynor. Despite the circumstances, it was nice to see you again." Irmina echoed the sentiment, then turned to follow Jonathan into the elevator.

• CAPTAIN'S TABLE RESTAURANT, PRESIDIUM • CITADEL, WIDOW SYSTEM •
⸰ 1855, Saturday, 21 October 2220-CE ⸰

Spectre Rachaél Shepard strolled through the restaurant's entry and hesitantly came to a halt in the middle of the lobby. It was obvious from her slightly puzzled expression that she had expected me to be standing there waiting for her. I sent a text message to her omnitool, instructing her to look to her right; I watched in amusement as her jaw dropped in surprise upon seeing me, standing just inside the entry to the bar. Raising my glass in her direction seemingly broke her paralysis; she began moving purposefully towards me, a look of disbelief firmly fixed upon her features.

She softly exclaimed as she stopped in front of me, "By the gods, Sammy!" I leaned in to her, placed a quick kiss on a warm cheek, then turned to saunter into the bar. She pulled a chair out from the closest empty table and sat down, while I gingerly moved to sit across from her. "I never imagined I would see you wearing a dress, Sammy … especially one so damned provocatively revealing."

I actually felt I was conservatively dressed for an evening out; I was wearing a full-length gown in dark burgundy, with side-slits on both sides of the skirt that came up to the middle of my thighs. It had a deep-cut halter neckline and a completely open back.

Perhaps the reason for Shepard's amazement was her unobstructed view of my entire back, totally bare from my neck to just above my gluteal cleft, with my lower back dimples prominently visible. Of course, my dragon tattoo was also on full display, although I expected my nearly exposed derrière was the main attraction. A gold necklace and dangly platinum, gold and diamond earrings complemented the matching wedding ring I was wearing.

I polished off the liquid in my glass, prompting Rachaél to ask, "What are you drinking, Sammy?"

"Whiskey, with a splash of lime juice … been my favorite for decades." I paused as Shepard ordered a refill for me and a glass of Elasa for herself, then continued with a chuckle, "Elasa is Buchanan's favorite drink." I spun my empty glass around on the paper coaster as I added, "I really appreciate you taking the time to travel here in order to help Xiùlán."

She chuckled slightly with her response. "Udina was a fucking snake, Sammy … I never liked him, never trusted him … so was quite unhappy when he sorta fell into the councilor's chair after Anderson left to lead the resistance on Earth. Having Osoba slither into that office at the end of the war appeared to be a wise choice at the time, but all of his actions, and those of Udina before him, leads me to believe humans are not nearly ready for an equal seat on the Council." As our drinks arrived, she asked, "How is Xiùlán doing, Sammy? The ANN reports didn't reveal the extent of her injuries; I hope she wasn't hurt too seriously."

"She's healing. Could have been a lot worse." I shook my head as I admitted, "I really believed my enhanced kinetic barrier, in addition to her newly acquired, armored dress jacket, would protect her." With an embarrassed chuckle, I added, "Bullet just missed the ceramic shoulder plate. As for the kinetic shield, I now realize I should have utilized emitters capable of operating at significantly higher power." With a shrug, I concluded, "Anyway, what's done now is done."

"Good to hear she wasn't injured more seriously, and that Dokken's team grabbed the miserable cretin. You have the vid record?"

I grinned as I spread my arms slightly while looking down at the burgundy fabric just barely concealing my chest and snarked, "Not with me." Using a thumb sticking up from my fist, I motioned towards the ceiling as I added, "When we're done with dinner, I'll return to Iringù-Eßizkur long enough to retrieve it for you. That way, you'll have a full day to review it, along with the written reports from Dokken and myself. I really cannot imagine Dominic Osoba retaining his position after Tuesday."

"What about Lieutenant General Bradley Joesiar? Do you have any proof of him lining Osoba's pockets with credits?"

"Unfortunately, all I currently have is unsubstantiated rumors and lots of speculation. The simple truth of the matter right now is Osoba is directly responsible for getting a hardened criminal released from a life in prison. That Jay-Jay acquired a long-range weapon he was prohibited from owning, a weapon he then used in an attempt to murder …" I took a sip from my glass as I thought of the massive amount of blood leaking from both sides of Xiùlán's wounded shoulder, then coughed to clear the increasing tightness in my throat before continuing, "… to murder … my wife …" I drained my glass, then coughed again, this time in response to the alcohol burning its way down my esophagus. "Sorry." I used the fingers and thumb of my left hand to massage my temples for a couple of moments before continuing with, "Now? Xiùlán actually regrets forbidding me to pre-emptively take the little bastard out, before he could make it to Earth."

Rachaél nodded as I focused on the now empty glass in front of me. "You keep searching, Sammy. I have no doubt Uncle General Brad was twisting Osoba's arm with verbal persuasion—reinforced with a lot of credits—to issue that pardon." She downed her drink in one go, sucked air through her teeth, then added, "You find that proof, Sammy? … Xiùlán can submit that, along with a written complaint, to Fleet Admiral Hackett. Should be enough to get the general brought up on charges."

I nodded in agreement as my omnitool activated to accept an incoming text message. "Our table is ready, Rachaél." I stood from my chair, saying, "Let's go enjoy a nice, quiet dinner. We can talk about how pleasant our lives have been since you stopped the Reapers, and I'll enjoy hearing all about Thessia's ongoing recovery from the war."

"Sounds wonderful, Sammy." She stepped up beside me and started to place a hand on my back, apparently forgetting it was totally bare. I chuckled when she snatched it back as if she'd touched a live electrical wire.

I whispered, "Not to worry, Rachaél … that dragon doesn't bite my friends." As I started moving towards the dining area, Shepard placed a warm hand in the middle of my bare back as she walked alongside me; she quietly huffed, before commenting in a barely audible whisper, "Watching it rippling on your back in response to the muscles moving under your skin? I'm not so sure."

• COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PRESIDIUM • CITADEL, WIDOW SYSTEM •
⸰ 0906, Tuesday, 24 October 2220-CE ⸰

Asari Councilor Raesia Tevos stood from her chair, placed the palms of both hands flat on the polished surface of the table and announced, "Before we begin today's meeting, Spectre Rachaél Shepard has requested permission to address the full council on a matter of some importance."

She retook her seat and watched, along with the rest of the councilors, as the first human Spectre entered and strode purposefully up to the centrally placed podium. Shepard took the time to look at each councilor in turn, with her cold, green eyes coming to rest last of all on Councilor Osoba.

Returning her gaze to Councilor Tevos, she began speaking in a quiet voice … a voice that still carried to every corner of the chamber. "Councilors, it has come to my attention that a serious breach of the public's trust has occurred … one that quite nearly cost the life of a highly-placed admiral in the Systems Alliance Navy."

Shepard paused to take a breath, prompting Tevos to speak up. "Please pardon my interruption, Spectre Shepard, but it sounds as if this is a matter requiring the attention of the Alliance Military."

Rachaél smiled; inclining her head in the direction of her friend, she replied, "Oh, I fully intend to involve Admiral Hackett in this matter, but I felt that addressing the root of the problem first, in front of this council, had a greater priority." Returning her gaze once more to Councilor Osoba, she continued, "Earlier this year, on the fifteenth of May, the life-without-parole prison sentence of one Jason Joesiar—convicted of several capital crimes in 2188—was commuted by the human councilor, Dominic Osoba; this resulted in Joesiar's immediate release from Arcturus Prison."

Shepard paused as Osoba stood to angrily protest her announcement; his heated outburst was rather unceremoniously halted mid-sentence by Tevos, now also standing. She slapped both hands on the table; accompanied by a small biotic pulse, the sound was as if a clap of thunder had been unleashed. In a voice that popped and crackled like ice, she commanded, "The human councilor will sit down, and will remain silent!" When the infuriated man had slowly complied with her instructions, she retook her seat, then nodded in Rachaél's direction, saying, "Please continue, Spectre Shepard."

"Jason Joesiar, having been tried and convicted for a number of crimes, not the least of which was two attempts to kidnap Miranda Lawson, and several attempts to murder Alliance Commander Yuán Xiùlán and others, was serving a no-parole-possible lifetime prison sentence, handed down after an Alliance Judicial hearing in early 2188. It is believed that Osoba, upon being intensely pressured by Joesiar's uncle, one General Bradley Joesiar, persuaded the presiding judge, Lieutenant Colonel Elliot Chapman, to immediately reduce the death sentence he initially imposed."

"And now, after serving just thirty-two years of that life sentence, it would seem Councilor Osoba, apparently the recipient of the general's persuasion—along with an enormous amount of credits—was persuaded to commute the nephew's life sentence." Rachaél paused to activate her omnitool; this resulted in the omnitools of each councilor activating in turn. "Normally, that would have been the end of the matter …"

While the councilors inspected the file Shepard had forwarded to each of them, she continued, " … except, Joesiar decided to make yet another attempt on the life of Yuán Xiùlán, now an admiral, and just assigned to command the Alliance NorthAm headquarters in Vancouver, on Terra. The vid-file is certified genuine, having been provided by agents working for the Shadow Broker."

"The Shadow Broker is a criminal of the worst sort, Spectre," the salarian councilor sputtered. "How are we to trust that anything provided from this source can be relied on as the truth?"

Rachael skewered the salarian with her eyes while replying in a glacial tone, "The Broker's reputation for always providing accurate data has never been equaled, nor can it be questioned. As for the data just presented to you, it provides proof of Osoba's malfeasance in facilitating the release of a convicted murderer from prison." Shepard sent the vid-file to the large display monitor mounted behind her; the councilors all watched in amazement as Joesiar, camouflaged from casual view, set his shoulder into the stock of the bipod-leg equipped M-98a Black Widow and steadied up to fire a shot at one of the people on the presentation platform at the Alliance headquarters.

"As you will see, Alliance personnel involved in the change-of-command ceremony, held outside on the parade grounds, were the targets of this criminal. His first shot was squarely aimed at Admiral Yuán." Shepard felt as if the councilors were collectively holding their breath as they watched the events unfold before them: the bright green of a laser dot momentarily shining in the middle of Yuán's chest; her sudden shift to her right as the rifle barked; the assassin's take-down by members of the Broker's squad; the rifle discharging past a man's shoulder and past the camera recording the events. Visible in the distance, the panicked flight of the crowd over tables, chairs, and across the grass; the frenzied rush of uniformed Alliance soldiers moving to assist their fallen admiral; a woman—civilian, by the look of her, although she was clad in armor plating under a long, leather coat—carefully easing the admiral down to lie on the stage floor. Blood … in profuse amounts, the bright red completely out of place as it spread from under the wounded woman.

As the images on the screen faded to black, Shepard spoke in a tone of voice few people had ever heard; cold … hard … as if her vocal cords had been chiseled from the ice of a Thessian glacier. "I urge the other members of this council to give serious consideration to removing Dominic Osoba from his position as humanity's representative. Strip him of his title—his diplomatic immunity—and I will personally arrest and escort him back to Terra, there to stand trial as an accessory to this heinous attack."

Tevos' mouth ticked up at the corners as she responded to Shepard's request. "It will be done before the week runs out, Spectre." Shifting her attention to Osoba, she shook her head sadly while saying, "Councilor Osoba, in light of the evidence presented by the human Spectre …" her emphasis on the word 'human' was not lost on the other councilors, least of all Osoba, " … the asari, salarian, krogan and turian councilors will take this matter up in closed session. You are hereby ordered to provide your archived communications—all of them, from your first day in office—to the other members of this body." Seeing he was about to protest, she added, "Your compliance with this order is mandatory, and non-negotiable. Spectre Shepard will accompany you to your office in order to ensure you turn everything over to us. Do I make myself clear?"

Osoba slowly stood from his chair. Shepard felt certain that, if the man had possessed a sidearm, he would have employed it against the asari; his manner of speaking—petulant and defiant at the same time—nearly sounded like Udina at his worst. "This … is an outrage! I am completely innocent of any wrongdoing, do you understand?! You cannot do this to me! I won't tolerate it!"

As he was protesting—loudly—Shepard stalked over towards the angry man; coming to a halt in front of him, she spoke in a tone of voice that now sounded even colder than before … a voice that brooked no argument, as she told him, "I believe you should stop talking, and start walking … now, Councilor. Let's go. Your offices."

Osoba, with this larger-than-life woman unexpectedly standing in front of him, suddenly felt very small. He clamped his jaw closed, turned, and began slowly walking from the council chambers, all the while attempting to think of some way … any way … to extricate his ass from the meat grinder he felt was mere millimeters from chewing him up and ending him.

A/N: To see a real life example of the dress—in blue—Sammy was wearing when she met Rachaél for dinner at the Captain's Table Restaurant, watch actress Coté de Pablo (as Mossad agent Ziva David) perform "Temptation" by Tom Waits, in the premier episode of NCIS Season Six, titled, "Last Man Standing".