Disclaimer: I do no own Mass Effect, I do not claim to own Mass Effect, I am only doing this for fun.
Author Notes: November was not kind to me, so I do apologize for being a few days over a month since my last update. But, please, enjoy!
Episode 57: Pompey and the Senate [Part II]
In the XO's Quarters…
After leaving Shepard in the OD, Nihlus returned to his quarters to continue his work. He would admit that his exit was not at all graceful, but Vakarian wanted to talk with Shepard in private, and he had to respect that. As much as it chafed to think of it, Vakarian would probably be able to soothe some of Shepard's worries. Nihlus had never been particularly good at that. He was the sort to get things done directly, and if need be, end someone.
He rounded his desk, sat down, and reached for his terminal. He had been using his free time to pursue leads. Not an easy task given Lindholm's frivolous meddling. Her nonsense pushed Shepard to the brink of buckling, and Nihlus would never forgive anyone who caused that. Then there was the fact that Lindholm's sense of self-importance was inversely proportional to her leadership abilities.
Fact was that because of the velocity disparity between electromagnetic radiation and the sub-luminal propulsion used to traverse solar systems, Lindholm would have had a few minutes of advance warning to prepare a defense effort when Hierarchy ships streamed in via Shanxi's system relay. Yet they only began to assume formation when the Hierarchy fleet was already only a few million kilometers away. Desolas Arterius merely seized on the opening when he ordered a long-distance cruiser barrage and then sent his Thanix frigates ahead to obliterate any damaged vessels. Lindholm let that happen, so it was ridiculous that she was still serving, and worse, allowed to waste their time.
Nihlus opened his message inbox and saw that he had received a reply he had been waiting for. Two days ago he had sent an official request to the Citadel's lawyer and paralegal oversight organization with a request for information on Shepard's lawyer, one William Stewart. Now, as Nihlus skimmed the reply he discovered that his instinct had not failed him yet.
The representative who sent out the reply began by apologizing that it took them two days to respond to an official Spectre inquiry. They conducted a thorough review of all relevant records and documents for William Stewart. The lawyer was a genuine article, though relatively new on the Citadel. Despite that he already managed to do something that was rather unprofessional. Details were in the documents attached to the message.
Nihlus duly opened the attachment. What he found bothered him instantly. Stewart had defended a human male charged with sexual assault at a night club two years before. The human had grabbed an asari and made lewd comments while drunk. A different lawyer would have argued that his client was too drunk to think straight, but Stewart attempted to discredit the victim. Then Citadel Security showed him video evidence, and the asari reported him. In the subsequent review, Stewart was censured and essentially put on probation.
Nihlus leaned back in his seat and folded his arms over his chest. He did not like that Citadel Security gave Shepard such an unprofessional, arguably biased lawyer. Sure, the bias worked in her favor, but Shepard did not need it, and she definitely would not have wanted it. Nihlus knew that he would have to tell Shepard, and so he transferred the message and documents onto a datapad he had set aside until the time was right. In the meantime, he would send a few more messages to request other documents, in the interest of thoroughness.
First though, he wanted to get EDI on the task of answering the other great question, just who was the male that killed Shepard's clone? Nihlus had spent hours cleaning up the video from the hotel until it was as good as it was going to get and he gave himself a tension headache. He had idly entertained the hope to hear something from Citadel Security, but as of yet there was nothing. He would not wait any longer.
Thus Nihlus brought up the polished copy of the video and opened it. It took him less than a minute to find the best angle on the black-haired male's face. A quick screen capture gave him a still image to pass onto the ship's network where EDI could access it. "EDI, can you access the image file I just put on the network and run facial recognition on the male in it?" He asked.
"I can attempt to do so, Spectre Kryik." EDI announced. "Access established. The individual in question is wearing sunglasses, so some facial proportions are obscured. This will make identification less precise. I will need to map his facial structure before making any recognition attempts."
"Do what you need to do."
"Right away, please stand by," EDI replied.
Nihlus slumped into the back of his seat and let the synthetic work. EDI could identify ship types based on LADAR imaging, how much harder could an individual be? The principles seemed analogous. Assuming of course, EDI had access to the correct databases to compare her measurements against. Even if EDI found multiple candidates it would be something. Shepard could look at them and make the final decision. Her instinct was almost better than her aim.
"Facial mapping complete. I can now attempt to run recognition. Which databases would you like me to access?" EDI replied.
Nihlus straightened in his seat. "I want to start with Alliance service, include those who participated in the Interplanetary Combative Training program. Assume that it is a male, and that his hair is naturally black. Include current and past members, and those discharged with criminal convictions." It was as specific a set of instructions as he could formulate for something like this.
"Understood. Database access established. Initiating recognition. Please stand by, this process will take some time."
"You will notify me when you finish, yes?"
"Of course, Spectre Kryik," EDI replied, sounding distant, clearly occupied.
Nihlus wanted the identification done by the time Shepard finished with Lindholm. This was Shepard's personal battle, and he would never take that away from her. Now that EDI was set to the task, he could pursue Stewart, more specifically his finances. A few inexplicable deposits or any other indication that he lived beyond his means and Nihlus would have him. That meant he needed to write up and send even more annoying official requests. This job would have been much easier if they were not stuck on Arcturus Station because of one female's ego.
The Next Morning…
Shepard woke up a good hour before her alarm was set to go off. Sleep had done nothing to make her feel better. She had to drag herself out of bed and towards her bathroom. A shower did something to reinvigorate her, so she was in out of the bathroom, having done her morning routine and dressed in fresh fatigues within forty minutes. After that, her priority was checking up on the news. The primarch met with Alliance representatives last night, and Shepard needed to know the outcome. She would not bother Nihlus for this, and checking on whether he got anything from Avitus could wait a little.
Shepard sat down at her private terminal and brought up the Alliance News Network portal. She bypassed the overnight bulletins, because they typically carried major events from Earth and the colonies, and went straight for the transcript of the final evening bulletin from the day before.
As expected, the top story was the meeting between Alliance representatives and Primarch Fedorian. The report talked about who was at the meeting, but after that they only offered a few scant details about what had gone on. The report did not mention the Normandy or her, but it did mention that there was Hierarchy salvage involved and the attendees whom they talked to mentioned that the Hierarchy had not pressed any demands for reparation for, or the return of, said salvaged material. Someone was quoted saying that the whole thing was a misunderstanding that was certain to be resolved without any escalations of tensions.
Shepard crossed her arms over her chest, leaned back in her seat, and hummed. Someone was definitely keeping ANN abreast of things, but in name only. Still, even such a basic recap gave her something. First, the first meeting would not be the last, but she had no reason to think ANN were lying about the mood of the evening. If there was any sort of escalation, they would have been all over it, simply because. Admittedly some part of Shepard just wanted to take the lack of bad news as good news. She was happy with that report, though she would have liked to know how much Fedorian had revealed in the meantime. Avitus would have been present at the meeting, playing the bodyguard, so he would know. If his offer of help was good, he would have messaged Nihlus with the news by now.
She straightened and reached for her terminal to close the window and put it back into standby. Did she want to wake Nihlus? Not really. However, she needed to know whether Avitus sent him anything. Nihlus would forgive her, right? She got to her feet and breezed out of her quarters.
When Shepard got down to deck three she saw that Doctor Chakwas was already there, along with some of the morning crew. Matthews was busy coaxing the coffee machine into providing for all of them, but it was her appearance that beat caffeine to the punch. She even saw one of the men surreptitiously try to straighten his fatigues.
"Morning, everyone."
"Good morning," Chakwas replied.
"Good morning, Commander!" one of the enlisted members called back.
Two others who were sitting at what was normally the officer's table rose to their feet, and then moved to the other table.
"Would you like to join me?" Chakwas asked.
"I'm afraid I can't, Doctor. Much to do, too little time to do it in," Shepard replied.
"Ah. Can't be helped. Do try not to overdo it," the doctor smiled.
"Yes, none of us want to see you wear yourself down," Matthews slipped in as he ripped open a package of pre-ground coffee to pour into the percolator.
"Thanks," she smiled. "I'll try, but that is really not under my control."
"Uneasy is the head that wears a crown," Chakwas said.
Shepard grinned sheepishly and nodded. Then, with nothing else to say she turned toward the XO's cabin. Once in front of the door she reached for the console to announce her presence. It was a good five seconds before the door opened and Shepard could slip inside.
The room was still shrouded in darkness, the lighting lowered almost to nothing. She spotted Nihlus still sitting on his bed, wearing only his pajama pants. However, before she could say anything he pushed off and grabbed his omni-tool band.
"Morning, Nihlus. I'm sorry for waking you up," Shepard said.
Nihlus made a chuff-like sound as he put his omni-tool back on.
Shepard was not sure what to make of it. However before she could articulate a single thought the Spectre was standing in front of her, grinning with all his teeth showing and a twinkle in his eyes.
"I do not mind this sort of wake up call." He replied.
"Alright… yea." What the hell was wrong with her right then? Damned smirking turian and his eyes.
"Really, I do not mind, but I get the feeling you came here for something."
"I was wondering, did you get any news from Avitus?" Whatever it was, had passed. Her mind had seemingly kicked back in gear. She would blame everything on Nihlus. He tended to put her out of sorts whenever he happened to be in one of his more mischievous moods. Right then, he definitely seemed to be in one of his more mischievous moods.
"I did. I was going to wait until breakfast, but since you are already here…" Nihlus rumbled as he perched on the edge of his desk. "Hierarchy records confirmed everything in the documents regarding the Vercinix. The registration numbers are correct, the final mission logs confirm it was attacked by the Hegemony, and also where the crew submerged it. That is the official word, Avitus even reported it to Sparatus before he contacted me."
Shepard felt the rock around her neck lighten a little. This meant that come what may, the Hierarchy could not claim any sort of grievance. She was not going to say it, but she suspected that Sparatus would have liked that as an excuse to disqualify her. "Batarian privateers my rear end," she muttered. Still, it would not do to be criticizing Sparatus right then.
"You are flattering them," Nihlus rumbled.
"Not on their life." Shepard drawled. Did Nihlus forget that she had no love to lose for Batarians? As far as she was concerned the Hegemony missed an important memo. It was down to their own failures and everyone's tolerance that they had not been trounced in all-out war yet.
Shepard had reasons to doubt that the Hegemony could have won if they had managed to incense the Hierarchy properly. Now they had to deal with the Alliance. Whispering about teaching the Hegemony a lasting lesson had begun as early as the twenty-one-sixties, and tended to grow fervent after every notable incident. Of course the Alliance released the pressure with retaliatory actions, like Torfan, so they also died back down. However, Terra Nova had been on the scale of a proper inciting incident. Had Balak succeeded, the whispers would have turned to outright baying for Batarian blood. The way she saw it, the Batarians ought to be thanking her for stopping Balak, not that she would ever admit to that thinking out loud. "Well, that's definitely one of the pieces in place. Did Avitus mention anything about the meeting by any chance? Maybe some details about what went on?"
"He mentioned that the Alliance were being recalcitrant." Nihlus replied.
Shepard shook her head. "Nihlus… gravity pulls, stars are really hot, and the brass are recalcitrant."
Nihlus chuckled, "Yes. But you missed the point. Fedorian gave them the option to walk away from that one with a sense of pride. Then when they did not take it… Avitus mentioned that Fedorian told them that he already got the information he needed, from a reliable source, and showed them the salvage report and star chart you gave him."
Shepard froze in place. "And what did they say?"
Nihlus' grin returned in full toothy force.
Shepard's heart rose and lodged right in her throat. On the one hand she knew it would be inevitable, and she wanted it to happen, but some part of her still kicked into panic mode. She took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and slowly let it out. She had to remind herself that things were aligning as she had anticipated. Now everything hinged on these next couple of hours, but she could not be certain of anything from that point on. It had to be that uncertainty and loss of control that drove the panic. She had to rein it in.
"Shepard, are you alright?" Nihlus asked.
"Sure. Just gimmie a moment to think," it was not entirely a lie there. She had to remind herself that Lindholm had to be seeing red about now, especially given that her scheming had failed. Livid people made mistakes, ones Shepard could use, but only if she kept a clear head.
"Alright, well there is some more good news. Avitus also told me, in confidence –yes, I know–" here Nihlus chuckled. "That Fedorian is inclined to accept that you gave him information because you wished to keep the peace, and were carrying out your Spectre duties. He also mentioned your involvement and cooperation to Sparatus," Nihlus added.
That bit of news would make Sparatus' day, Shepard thought to herself.
Nihlus went on. "Sparatus will have to discuss matters with Tevos and Valern at their next scheduled meeting, and I cannot tell you when that will be, but this should reflect favorably on you."
Shepard nodded mutely, so the final cards had been dealt. There was just one last outstanding issue. How to play the card that was Lindholm's indiscretions? Sure the video she had on hand hardly flattered, but it was not exactly condemning either. She had no actual evidence on who had snitched to Lindholm, just a very good guess. Leif could still come through for her, but if he did not, she could not use the video as freely.
Then what to do with the Council? That was a bit easier really. It was time to lay out the honey trap. "Nihlus, do offer my information on Cerberus to Valern, will you? Also in the spirit of thoroughness, I wouldn't want to omit that I've made a bit of a… Prothean discovery on Feros. Don't mention what it is, just that there is something." They would know that her cooperation hinged on a bit of quid pro quo.
"Can do," Nihlus replied, grinning.
"Well then, now the only thing left is to wait. Everything else seems to be in place."
"Indeed."
"Thanks, Nihlus. This puts my mind at ease. And I am sorry for waking you up."
"As I said, I do not mind. Shepard, I know you are under a lot of stress. One early wake up will not kill me. Now go, do whatever that needs to be done, and do not worry about me."
"Alright, I get it. I'll get out of your… metaphorical hair." She turned to face the door. It opened as soon as she was close enough.
Nihlus chuckled behind her.
Meanwhile in the Gardens of the Arcturus Station Naval Base…
Leif sat on the lip of the large fountain, listening via open audio-only comm link as Gino pursued their lead on Mikhailovich. Because Lindholm had seen his face, it was best he remain as far away from her offices as possible. But it was a whole other story for Gino. No one would think that someone with a faint limp could still be an active N-Seven. Gino had managed to arrange for himself to be one to run routine network and computer maintenance inside the First Fleet headquarters as a smokescreen to cover up the fact that he was to access the building's security video archives.
Leif stared up at the artificial sky, and sighed, "You're too quiet, Pazzo. What's going on?"
"Relax, Livewire, I know that took a while… but I had to talk the other guy to boredom. I wouldn't have been able to do anything if I didn't get rid of him. Now I'm just resting my vocal cords."
"I still would like some sign that you don't need to be bailed out," Leif replied.
"If I ever need bailing out you'd- hold up!" Gino replied.
"What? What's going on?"
"I think I found something." Gino's voice took on a note of both awe and glee.
Leif knew it was indeed something if Gino turned gleeful. "I can't see what you see, remember?" Leif replied.
"I went straight for the camera right outside Lindholm's office and the one just inside her waiting area at the date of the meeting. And… I just watched Mikhailovich stroll into her office less than half an hour after he stormed out of Hackett's. There is no audio, but he definitely met and talked with Lindholm."
Leif sat up straight as incredulity washed over him. "You're kidding right? He went point-to-point like that?" It was about as subtle as going up on a roof with megaphone.
"He sure did! And he looked pretty peeved."
"Of course he'd be peeved, Shepard lied to his face and he couldn't call her out on it."
"Well, we got him! I'm downloading these, and we'll see if he sings like a canary."
"Don't insult the canaries," Leif hissed. "He'll… sing castrato."
"Hey now, he's still our superior." Gino protested, amusement in his tone.
Leif grinned, "Not for long." He was the very worst of sort of traitor; the personal-gain-motivated amateur schemer. It was just too bad that none of them could read mouth movements. Still, the videos were good as circumstantial evidence, something to raise questions. They would have to get it into the right hands as quickly as possible. "Make you sure you cover up your tracks."
"Who do you think I am?" Gino snorted in his ear, speaking the words so quick that they all but blurred together.
Leif chuckled as he turned to look up at the fake sky again. Lindholm was repeating the folly of Arachne, a mortal who dared to challenge the goddess of crafts to a weaving contest. Their Athena would make the admiral pay for that arrogance. Leif wanted to be there to witness it. Lindholm had already seen his face, might as well make her realize just how thoroughly she had been outwitted.
Back on the Normandy…
Shepard had just finished her small breakfast of scrambled eggs, bread, and coffee when EDI announced the arrival of a priority message. Shepard had to cut the social gathering short and rush back to the OD. It took just looking at the message headers to confirm that it was a summons. She was to appear to before Alliance navy and parliamentary representatives in three hours at the Arcturus Naval Base Headquarters main administrative facility. The message went on to list who was on the panel, and Shepard recognized only two names, Lindholm, as expected, and Admiral Singh.
Shepard sighed, "EDI, could you tell Nihlus that the summons has arrived? He will want to shadow me." Right at that moment, she could use his support. "Also please tell Kaidan that I need him to secure the Normandy. No one is allowed to board while I am away, he can consider that an overreaching order from Admiral Hackett." It was unlikely, but Shepard wanted to head off all attempts to pre-emptively seize the Normandy.
"Right away, Commander." EDI replied.
Luckily she got more than enough time to prepare. She would start by collecting everything she needed on her omni-tool. Avitus said Fedorian showed the Alliance representatives the salvage report and star char she had given him, it was a good point to start. Lindholm would make a fuss about unauthorized documents handed over, Shepard could deflate her if she could produce the exact same documents. In the end she brought up all the files Hackett had given her, for the sake of thoroughness, and ordered them to transfer to her omni-tool. While that was processing, her mind invariably retreaded the path of all the arguments she could use.
When that finished, she took a few minutes to go over and double-check everything. Once that was done, she put the terminal back on standby before leaving the OD. Now she needed to go and make herself presentable, which meant putting on her officer's uniform. As soon as she stepped past the doors, she noticed that the mood on the CIC changed. The monitoring shift were all watching the OD door. Kaidan had come up as well, assuming his post at the central console.
"It's time then, ma'am?" Kaidan asked.
"Unfortunately." Shepard replied, trying not to grimace. Almost as soon as the word slipped from her mouth, his brow furrowed. Worried in an instant.
"EDI told me to secure the ship, but is there anything else you'd like me to do?" Kaidan asked.
Shepard pressed the button to call the elevator, and was somewhat pleasantly surprised that the door opened immediately. She turned to look at Kaidan, "Just that… if the worst comes to pass, look out for everyone. Keep them clear of the mess. I do not want any… career suicides for my sake." She very much doubted that Lindholm would arrest her off-hand, but the odds of that were not zero. She was taking a precaution.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say that if you are stripped of command like this, continuing to serve becomes… objectionable," Kaidan smiled.
"Noted, Lieutenant. But my order stands, there will be no career suicides for my sake."
"Understood." Kaidan replied with nod.
Shepard suspected that the order would be the one he would happily countermand. Why was it so hard to understand that she did not want anyone else to suffer for her decisions and schemes? Still, she did not have the time to argue those points. She had no choice but to step onto the elevator and press the button for her loft.
When the elevator reached her loft, Shepard all but flew out as soon as the doors opened wide enough. She was in and out of her quarters in less than fifteen minutes. It almost took her longer to tame some of the frizz in her hair than it did to actually change into her uniform. By the time she returned to the CIC the situation had changed yet again. Kaidan was still there, but so were Ashley, Nihlus, and Garrus. Ashley was in her fatigues, carrying a sidearm at her hip in a belt holster. Garrus and Nihlus were both in full plate, their side-arms essentially on display. The lieutenant was intently focused on the console in front of him, but she knew it was an act. Kaidan had notified Ashley. Nihlus had probably done the same with Garrus. They sniped at each other, but when they worked together, it was like trying to move the immovable object. This was a coordinated ambush.
"Skipper, I want to come with you," Ashley announced.
Shepard sighed, did she have time to be quibbling? Ashley's presence at the meeting would be akin to waving a red cloth to a bull, with Lindholm being the bull. On the one hand, Shepard could definitely use that as a subtle gambit, but was it a wise one? She glanced at Nihlus, and noted his bemused grin. Garrus stood on his other side, and as soon as he caught her looking, he shifted his weight from foot to foot, a conspirator admitting his guilt. "Insubordination," Shepard murmured.
"Kaidan and I will accept any and all punishment. After I do this."
The lieutenant nodded without saying a word.
"Glorious, no?" Nihlus rumbled.
Shepard sighed. Nihlus and Garrus were already on hook for cargo bay duties. What else could she make them do? Well, she really did not have time to be quibbling over this. "Fine. Come along. And Nihlus, wipe that smirk off your face, before I decide it was all your idea and punish you in their stead."
Nihlus' grin only widened.
Shepard glared, but she could not muster up the heat to cow him. The next half an hour of so would be packed. She needed to make sure that her suddenly oversized entourage was fully briefed on the scheme. Why did she feel like a celebrity behaving badly right then?
Shepard spent the whole trip to the base briefing her entourage. Fortunately Ashley got just enough context from their earlier conversation to know why Lindholm had become a persona non grata as far as most on the Normandy ought to be concerned. In the end Garrus and Ashley agreed to be the silent support, the majority of the work would be up to Nihlus and her.
The administrative headquarters was a relatively unassuming rectangle, seven floors, and done up in the typical retro idealism of centuries past, complete with faux white marble, a small portcullis with Doric columns, and small, evenly spaced windows in multi-panel frames. What actually gave Shepard a pause was the Alliance News Network equipment and broadcast vehicle parked across the vehicle access drive outside.
"The vultures already picked up the scent of career death," Ashley muttered.
Shepard hummed. Who had actually summoned them? She had not mentioned her suspicions regarding Admiral Hackett's publicity play to the others, but this seemed awfully convenient. "Carrion feeders are as carrion feeders do." She figured she owed Nihlus and Garrus some context.
Ashley chuckled, "I'd say. We just need to make sure that it isn't our careers they descend on."
Shepard did not reply as she moved toward the large double doors leading inside. The interior was as anachronistic inside as it was outside. Dark faux-wood wall paneling and floors, with LED lighting elements tinged yellow and disguised by old-fashioned fixtures. The square central atrium opened all the way up to the top floor, with circling galleries connecting the wings to the central elevator bank at the back. All the railing was black metal, topped with more faux wood. The walls were also decorated with replicas of romantic paintings and landscapes. The only thing missing was the old tinge in the air. Nothing in this building was old enough to sully the crisp, slightly too dry, centrally-controlled space station air.
There was a security checkpoint between them and the elevators, and standing as far from the guards as possible were the carrion feeders. Shepard instantly recognized ANN's Alliance Naval Correspondent. He was a short but hawkish, fashionably suited man in his sixties. Hovering behind him was camera operator, in a full rig, which looked like the top half of a hardsuit, his camera perched over the right shoulder and a live feed transmission antenna over the left.
Then the reporter turned and his eyes lit up. "Commander Shepard!" the man called as he pulled a hand-held microphone out of the charging cradle at the camera operator's hip. "I am John Murray, ANN. May I have a moment of your time?"
"Sorry, I can't spare even that, Mister Murray." Shepard replied. Well she could, but she would not talk to the reporter now. If she gave him anything now he would not be on-hand for the real juicy bits to follow. Add to that, she kind of wanted Lindholm to know that there was a reporter down here, waiting to pounce.
"I see," Murray replied. "But it is true that you were called to a disciplinary hearing?"
Shepard tried not to react. They knew that much? Well, well. That lent some credence to her theory that Admiral Hackett was behind it all. "A misunderstanding I intend to correct, Mister Murray. Shall we talk later?"
"Of course," The man replied.
Shepard turned and made her way toward the back, satisfied with herself. The hook has been baited, Murray would stick around, waiting for that later conversation. Shepard could still avoid him if she chose to. Or she could give him a story, if it would suit her plans.
"Setting up an insurance policy?" Ashley whispered.
"Everyone needs them." Shepard replied blandly
Ashley nodded, but said nothing.
Silence returned after that, which suited Shepard fine. She did not want anyone to overhear anything. Since they were not registered employees with authorizing RFID cards, the security guards had to run them through the weapon detectors and then issue temporary cards that let the building's network track them at all times. Only once they were cleared could they take the elevator up to the fourth floor.
The elevator ride offered Shepard enough time to double-check her uniform and glance at her omni-tool clock, she was about half an hour early, which was good. It was never a good idea to be late for these affairs. Lindholm was the type to use whatever she could get, even five seconds of tardiness, or an out-of-order uniform. When the elevator chimed and opened its doors, Shepard stepped out, head high. The performance was officially on. However she did not get very far before she saw the first familiar and truly welcome faces.
Standing on her right, conversing in hushed tones, were Admiral Hackett and Hannah Shepard. Theresa Carrere was some distance away, standing with two officers whose names Shepard did not know. She assumed they were Hackett's men. Their conversation died the instant Hannah saw her.
Shepard approached the group calmly, "Admiral, Captain." She came to attention and saluted. She would not be caught dead using informalities here. Not where the walls might have ears.
Both Admiral and Captain returned the salute, but Hackett was the first to drop it. "At ease, Commander," he said calmly.
"Travelling with a celebrity-sized entourage I see," Hannah whispered, not missing a beat, eyes instantly alight with mirth.
"My plan was to bring Nihlus along." Shepard replied. "Gunnery Chief Williams and Officer Vakarian are my security detail."
"How positively official," Hannah said. "I'm sure Admiral Lindholm will be pleased to make acquaintance."
Shepard smiled, instantly sure that her mother saw right through the gambit.
"We live to serve," Ashley replied.
Out of the corner of her eye Shepard spotted Admiral Hackett make an effort to suppress his own grin. Maybe the Admiral would not join in on the fun, but that was as good as a tacit approval.
Then the hints of mirth drained from his countenance. "Commander, did you get the names of who will be on the panel?"
Well, the light mood was good while it lasted, now it was back to business. "I did, Sir."
"Good. At least they're following basic protocol. You probably don't know the Parliamentary representatives, so here's what we can give you..."
Hannah stepped in, "Hakeem Bashar is an FCW veteran, and served under Admiral Drescher. His ship was shot to pieces during the breaking of the blockade, he was injured, but he managed to get to an escape pod. Suffice to say, he's as tough as they come."
Nihlus hummed, "He would have also avoided Hierarchy fighter pilots. Standard protocol was to fire on any enemy escape pods. That is luck."
"That goes without saying, Spectre." Hannah said, without so much as twitching.
Shepard nodded and remained quiet. Did Nihlus just bait a reaction hook with that one? He really should know that her mother was not the sort to fall for such things. Shepard had learned to be unflappable from her mother. All the same, Admiral Hackett spared the Spectre a piercing look, but said nothing. To be fair, Shepard did not want to focus on that when the implications of her mother's nugget of information mattered more.
Her mother was hinting that Bashar and Lindholm would not be allies. There would not have been the need to break a blockade if Lindholm's fleet had not been routed to begin with. Bashar might be inclined to oppose Lindholm, and believe her. That was one less panel member to convince. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but Shepard would read Bashar's presence Parliament giving her the best opportunity to clear her name. A sign that they wanted a Spectre more than they wanted her head.
"Wright, the other member," Hannah went on, "was there at the meeting with Primarch Fedorian last night. I think it's obvious why he's here today."
"Yes," Shepard murmured. He was invited to catch her on lies, omissions, and half-truths. What the panel did not know, was that she had an inside source too. Unless Avitus was a case of broken telephone, Shepard thought that she had a good idea of how to synch her story up with Fedorian's.
"You're not worried." Hannah noted.
"Nope." Shepard smiled. "The Primarch's Spectre bodyguard is actually Nihlus' friend."
"We talked." Nihlus added cryptically.
"I should have known," Hannah mused. "Well that's good. Very good. Anything else you want me to explain, Steven?"
"No. You covered everything." Hackett replied.
"Perfect. Then, I think we've help you up long enough. Go now. And give Ines my regards, yes?" Hannah said, affecting a light casual tone, though her blue eyes turned positively glacial at the mere mention of Ines Lindholm.
"Will do," Shepard replied. Then she came to attention, snapped a salute, and a moment later turned and made her way down the corridor past the small group. It was not a long walk, the building was not enormous. Most of it here was just offices that took care of the daily operations on-base. She stopped in front of the second door on her right. It was also covered in dark faux-wood. The only thing breaking the anachronistic illusion was the small control panel.
Shepard paused before announcing her presence to turn toward Garrus and Ashley. "One last little thing. Strictly speaking, only Nihlus can request special permission to be in that room. If anyone, even Lindholm, makes a fuss about you two-
"And she probably will," Nihlus cut in blandly. "Just to spite you."
"Naturally," Shepard spared him a grin, but then turned back to her original addressees, "If she does… please do not react to the baiting. Just seeing you two will be enough to irritate her."
"Which is what you really want. Understood." Garrus replied, terse, and clipped.
"No problem. I wouldn't want to talk to her. I can't guarantee I'd stay civil," Ashley said.
Shepard knew that neither of them was exactly happy with that, but there was nothing she could do. She turned, raised her hand to the control panel, and tapped the button to sound the chime.
The door opened a moment later and Shepard walked right in, keeping her hands at her sides, and making her best effort to appear nonchalant even as she scanned the room. Directly in front of her was a heavy raised desk with an enclosed front that bore a painted Alliance emblem right at the center. Immediately in front of it was a small podium for the subject of the hearing, complete with a terminal, which would allow her access to the room's projection equipment. At the right side there was a sideboard with glasses and a selection of beverages, including a coffee percolator. At the left back corner was another door.
A moment later that door opened and a woman clad in a neat officer's uniform stepped out. Her shoulder bars indicating she was a second lieutenant. At about Shepard's height, with short brown hair and matching eyes, she clutched a large data pad to her chest, which gave her the air of timidity. "Commander, welcome… you and your guests are early."
Shepard blinked, the woman sounded every bit as timid as she looked. Did she just get her commission? Also, did Lindholm actually tell them to expect her to be fashionably late for this? Was the admiral that petty? Shepard was not sure what she should say.
"Please, help yourself to any refreshments. I will notify your review panel that you've arrived." The young lieutenant did not even way for a reply as she ducked right back into the other room.
There was nothing but silence for a few minutes. Here was neither the time nor place for conversations, and all four of them knew that. Shepard was just beginning to think that they would be forced to stand there in wait the whole time up to the appointed hour but then the other door opened again. Shepard came to attention, saluted, and cast her eyes straight ahead.
The parliamentary representatives emerged first, followed by Admiral Ines Lindholm, in full uniform, and then Admiral Singh, his Sikh dastar color-matched to his uniform. They made their way toward the large desk, and all Shepard could do was wait. Only once they were in position, did the admirals return the salutes. Lindholm's was curt, and she looked like she was chewing glass already.
"At ease, Commander, Gunnery Chief." Admiral Singh stated in perfect, although accented English, as he lowered his arm.
Shepard instantly slipped into her parade rest.
"Commander, we expected you alone, you'll have to pardon our surprise at seeing your associates," Lindholm stated.
"My apologies, Representatives, Admirals," Shepard replied. "These are Council Spectre Nihlus Kryik, Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, and Officer Garrus Vakarian." Shepard watched as Lindholm's eyes instantly snapped to Ashley, and then her brows drew together. The old admiral tried to hide it, but that was an unmistakable micro-expression.
"As Council Spectre, and Commander Shepard's mentor, I hereby request to be allowed to witness these proceedings," Nihlus stated.
As Shepard watched, Lindholm's upper lip curled ever so slightly. Shepard mentally chalked a point under her own name.
"There is no reason to reject that request," one of the parliamentary representatives said, his words tinged with a very slight Arabic accent.
It was then that Shepard realized he had to be Hakeem Bashar. He had to be in his fifties, but his short dark brown hair and neatly-trimmed square goatee showed no signs of grey. His dark eyes also had a hawk-like keenness to them, which spoke of past military training. Once a soldier, always a soldier, it was not something one forgot. Nevertheless he clearly cared for his appearance, as his graphite grey suit looked tailored, and his leather shoes were polished to a sheen. He also walked with a cane, which was made of polished dark wood with a decorative engraved metal ring under the handle.
"I do not have any objections either." The other representative stated, speaking quickly, and mispronouncing the final word as 'eithah'. Shepard had only heard that variation of the r sound on a Boston native she had met back in basic. He was in his forties, with black hair, brown eyes, and wearing an entirely black suit, which gave him the air of someone who had come to a funeral.
"Yes, there is no problem, the Council will want to know what happened." Admiral Singh said. He was a relatively slim gentleman in his forties, with dark eyes, and thick, neatly groomed black facial hair.
"Very well, Spectre you may witness. However, Commander, your other associates have to wait outside." Lindholm stated.
"As you wish," Shepard said even as she turned to look over her shoulder.
"You heard that, Garrus. Commander, we'll be right on the other side of the door if you need us." Ashley stated.
Garrus nodded without saying a word, and then followed Ashley out of the room. Still, Shepard caught some hesitance from him. She turned back around and approached the podium. Then, judging from his shadow, Nihlus took up position two steps behind her on the right.
"Let's get the introductions out of the way, I am Landen Wright, I was appointed to the negotiation team for the talks with the Hierarchy. This is Hakeem Bashar, he volunteered to sit on this panel. Then, you've undoubtedly recognized Admiral Ines Lindholm of the First Fleet, and Admiral Nitesh Singh, of the Third Fleet."
"Pleasure to meet you," Shepard replied. It was part of her tactic to be as polite as possible. She would do whatever she could to obliterate whatever fallacious impression Lindholm undoubtedly gave them.
Right then Wright looked every bit the sort who would bust her for the slightest infraction, but given her mother had not warned her about him having reason to side with Lindholm from the get-go, she would not see him as an enemy at the gate, yet. Then there was Admiral Singh, Shepard knew very little about him, and nothing hinted where his sensibilities lay. Her mother had not mentioned him at all. So what to take away from that? Then one had to consider the overall profile of the whole procedure. Normally, disciplinary hearings of this sort were an internal matter. It should not have left the confines of the Fifth Fleet. Then there was Shepard's Spectre status. She was a giant headache a few times over. Was this whole meeting an attempt by the Alliance to figure things out? She would have to navigate this with extra care.
"As was indicated in the letter that was sent out to you, this meeting is to be considered a formal disciplinary hearing. We wish to ask some questions, and we will hear your arguments before we decide whether the matter should be put forward to a full General Court Martial." Lindholm began.
"I understand," Shepard replied automatically, it was basically a repeat of the letter, though she did note Lindholm's honeyed tone. The old admiral was already measuring her neck for a noose. "I will be happy to answer any and all questions this esteemed panel may have," she added.
Nihlus shifted his weight behind her, she heard his boots shift across the floor.
"Commander, we are aware that the murder charges against you have been withdrawn, and that you were not the one responsible for the murders on the Citadel. However, there is the matter that you allowed Citadel Security officers to conduct their investigation on board the Normandy," Lindholm began.
Shepard did not even twitch. Some part of her fully expected that to be the opening salvo launched against her. It was too easy, too predictable, and fortunately also too easy to beat back. "I'm afraid it was entirely unavoidable. I was charged with three murders, and Citadel Security needed to collect evidence, which exculpated me in the end. Yes, the Senior Detective in charge saw the Thanix system. However, my crew was able to keep EDI and the IES secret. And I feel the need to say this right here and now, neither Spectre Kryik nor Officer Vakarian have revealed them, and they never will."
"I find that hard to believe." Lindholm said as she looked at Nihlus directly.
"I am a Spectre, Admiral. Such decisions are left up to my discretion." Nihlus replied, his voice completely void of emotion.
Lindholm glowered, but did not say anything.
"And that's perfectly acceptable," Bashar stepped in. "Ines, by all reports Spectre Kryik has had months to reveal everything, and he hadn't. Let us not look a gift horse in the mouth. Furthermore, the Commander is the questioned one here."
Shepard noted the sudden sharpness crept into his tone as he reminded Lindholm not to question Nihlus. Bashar was definitely keen on keeping Lindholm in line.
"Alright, please pardon my curiosity." Lindholm slid back into her seat.
Shepard figured that was a tactical retreat, the woman would have loved to push the issue further. She knew it was time to wrap up this line of questioning. "The only people who know of the existence of the Thanix ought to be the Senior Detective investigating the charges, obviously the Council, and Primarch Fedorian. Furthermore, I believe the matter is unlikely to be widely publicized, because the Hierarchy would be foolish to publicize the Alliance's near-parity in terms of military capability."
"Yes, there was some discussion of what to do with the Normandy, it is an issue for a later time." Wright said. "Ines, I believe I told you that there was some discussion of the matter in Parliament. It was decided that… the cat is out of the bag, and there is no putting it back. As much as it is untimely, the Commander was right to avoid making a bigger scene by refusing the detectives access. Those assassinations were too high profile to risk causing an incident."
"Yes, good for her," Lindholm murmured.
It looked like Lindholm had just agreed to drop that matter, though mostly because the parliamentary representatives wanted her to leave it alone. Shepard could live with that.
"Shall we move on to more pressing concerns? Commander," Wright sat forward in his seat, clasping his arms over the table in front of him. "I was present at last night's meeting with the Primarch. He mentioned receiving some documents from you, which explained the origin of the SSV Normandy. You've clearly met him in person. Care to explain that situation?"
"Yes, we would very much like to hear you explain that one," Admiral Singh added.
Lindholm leaned back, and the corners of her mouth were twitching. She was barely suppressing her urge to smile.
Shepard had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. If that was how this would go, she could deal with it. "I am perfectly aware of where the Normandy's technology came from. I have the security clearance to see that material."
Wright's eyes narrowed.
Shepard knew that she could not argue that point without gambling. Was Avitus a broken telephone? "Representative, since you were indeed at that meeting, you would know that the Primarch is only interested in ascertaining whether the Alliance obtained the Thanix system through an act of aggression, which would violate the Armistice Accord of twenty-one-fifty-seven. Quite frankly, as the leader of the Hierarchy, it is well within the Primarch's right to ask those questions."
"You have to admit that she does have a point there, Wright." Hakeem stated plainly as he looked at his younger colleague.
Wright's gaze flicked up to the ceiling, it was as good as him saying he would not argue that.
Shepard decided she had best press on with her explanation. "I met with the Primarch in my capacity as a Spectre in training. Such a meeting, a token effort to understand the situation, in the interest of preserving the peace, is something Spectres are allowed to do. Furthermore, it was up to the Primarch to accept or refuse to meet with me. Spectre Kryik also told me that such efforts were actually quite common for Spectres. We are the right arm of the Council, but that does not mean we are there just to wield weapons." She needed to get all that background out, before she admitted to giving Fedorian anything. If she so much as breathed an acknowledgement to that, Lindholm would pounce on it like a tigress on her prey.
"I will confirm that, on the record. Shepard and I discussed the matter, and her actions were within the limits of her position and the boundaries of what Spectres are allowed to do. Primarch Fedorian accepted the meeting request knowing those same facts," Nihlus repeated.
"Very good, except, Commander, you are not a Spectre in full standing!" Lindholm rebuffed, eyes narrowing into slits as her glare took on a particularly murderous quantity.
Nihlus chuffed, drawing everyone's attention right back to him. "Allow me to correct your misunderstanding. Shepard does have the ability to act as a full Spectre. The only caveat is that she is under additional scrutiny to ensure adherence to Council law. I repeat, her meeting with Primarch Fedorian was legal as far the Council is concerned," Nihlus replied.
Lindholm froze for just a split of a second. Wright suddenly looked a little less certain of things himself.
Shepard could have kissed Nihlus. He just demolished one charge against her, as Lindholm could no longer argue that she could not have met with Fedorian.
"The question still remains… Commander, did you pass sensitive information to the Primarch? And from there, what was the nature of the information that you passed along." Admiral Singh asked.
It was officially crunch time. "As I've said before, I have the clearance to know where the Normandy's technology came from, and I conducted a thorough investigation into the situation surrounding the Normandy's design and sourcing. There was no need to give the Primarch anything classified in any manner. Much of the Normandy's design comes from a vessel the Alliance salvaged in twenty-one-seventy, the identifying numbers of which were in the initial salvage report. I looked that number up in the Citadel Archives, and from that, reconstructed the vessel's history. The Vercinix was downed in the beginning of this century, long before the Mars ruins were found. What I gave Primarch Fedorian, was that initial salvage report, with the numbers, and the star chart of the moon on which the Vercinix was found. The Primarch was able to confirm everything from Hierarchy records."
Lindholm looked like a kid with a dollar in a penny candy store.
"Please give me a moment to show you the exact salvage report."
"That would not be necessary," Lindholm stated. "You've already-
"On the contrary, Ines, I would very much like to see that report. Wright can even confirm whether it is the one Primarch Fedorian showed him," Bashar stepped in.
Shepard really ought to have been able to thank Bashar for that save. Lindholm had indeed pounced on the opportunity. "Just a moment please," she stated as she brought the podium terminal out of standby and then synched it up with her omni-tool. It took a good minute for the file to appear, projected over the screen on her left. "As you can see." Shepard went on, "The file does not carry classified markup. The salvage report in of itself is not considered top secret."
"Is that the same document you saw?" Bashar asked, addressing Wright.
The younger representative stared at the projection long and hard, his eyes moving side to side at a rapid pace as he read.
Shepard waited with an unabashedly baited breath. Was Avitus a broken telephone? Had she just shot herself in the foot? She chanced a glance at Lindholm, the old admiral was staring at the projection like it had offended her, which it probably had.
Then Wright sighed and shook his head. "It's the same document, with the same redactions." He announced.
Shepard could have sworn she heard existing angels sing. Avitus was not a broken telephone! She had just dodged the nastiest part of this whole affair. As she chanced to glance at Lindholm, she found the admiral glaring murder down on her.
Lindholm finally broke eye contact and turned to the others, "I still contend that it was not her right to be giving the Primarch anything, doubly so ahead of the official meeting."
"Perhaps," Wright agreed hesitantly.
Shepard knew that this was going to be part two of the battle. "I did it solely in the interest of preserving the peace, ma'am, and solely in my capacity as a Council Spectre in training. Spectres are first and foremost agents of the Council. Our primary mission is to maintain the peace. Most of the time it involves solving problems such as the incident on Terra Nova. I kept the peace there, and yes, the terrorists were dealt with."
"I saw the report on Terra Nova," Bashar said, seemingly aside, smiling faintly.
"So did I," Wright added. "There are no issues with the Commander's actions there."
Lindholm's expression remained perfectly murderous.
Shepard knew she had to drive the point home. "But not all peacekeeping efforts involve eliminating terrorists with deadly force. Some involve being open with the truth. I knew that the Primarch would see the truth when presented to him." Ironically Shepard was bending it with that statement, she only suspected that Fedorian would not want to start a conflict. "And if I may be candid, Representatives, Admirals, I do not see the point of escalating the tensions between the Alliance and Hierarchy like this. I wished to prevent an escalation, and if the only way to do so was to let the Primarch see a single salvage report, star chart, and a set of numbers, I thought it would be an acceptable bargain."
Wright sighed and slid back in his seat. "Ines, the Commander's assumption are right, neither the President, nor the majority of representatives are willing to allow the Armistice Accords to lapse like this."
"That is fine, I do not wish for war either." Ines ground out.
Shepard fully suspected the woman was lying through her teeth, toeing the popular line.
"But war is not the topic of discussion here. We are discussing Shepard's decision to go around official procedure." Lindholm went on.
"Oh, but Spectre Kryik already made a counter-argument to that," Bashar countered with an audible tap of his cane against the floor, as if to make a point.
Wright shook his head, "And the negotiating party was going to release those same documents eventually. From where I'm sitting, Ines, the only thing Commander Shepard is guilty of, is impatience in her exercise of otherwise… good intentions."
"Yes. I have to agree with the representative here, and if impatience was a crime, we'd have enough to dishonorably discharge half of our recruits before they even finished Basic," Singh spoke up, sounding rather very amused at that moment.
"If it will make your decision any easier, then know this…" Nihlus stepped in. "The Alliance is the closest it has even been to having a full status Spectre."
All eyes instantly turned on Nihlus.
The Spectre did not lose a beat. "The position comes with as many responsibilities as it does privileges. Shepard acted to the benefit of both sides. If anything, that will only increase the likelihood of her obtaining final approval."
Shepard tried not to smile. Nihlus had laid out the perfect bait to make overlooking the situation seem appealing. Lindholm's glare turned positively withering. Shepard counted that as a wordless admission of defeat. The old admiral realized that getting her way had just slipped from her grasp.
"If you strip her of her position, you might not see another Spectre candidate for decades." Nihlus went on, tone perfectly smooth and casual, as if he did not care.
Shepard would have whistled in admiration, if she could get her heart dislodged from her throat. The part about being so close to the goal had been the carrot, and now he showed them the stick. There was a very real threat implied in those words, though it was one that only Shepard could see. She knew, without a doubt, that if Lindholm got her way, Nihlus would ensure that his warning became prophecy. Nihlus was once again taking a page from Saren's playbook.
"Ines, I do believe that it's time to back down," Bashar said with a tap of his cane against the floor. "In my opinion, the Commander acted a bit unwisely, but since the files are identical, and you do not have any way to prove that she acted nefariously, continuing seems wasteful."
Shepard bit the tip of her tongue. Did Bashar mean that the way it sounded? Did Lindholm just exhaust all her arguments?
"You may disconnect your omni-tool, Commander." Bashar added.
Shepard did as ordered. Within half a minute she put the podium terminal back in standby, and when she looked up, she found Lindholm glaring at her across the space between them. The old admiral was not even bothering to conceal her loathing right then.
"I do believe we can make this official," Singh said. "The Commander's actions were unwise, but in of themselves, not a breach of any confidentiality."
"I second that," Wright voiced, sounding reedier than before.
"I will third it," Bashar added, smiling.
Lindholm sighed, "Very well. We are in agreement." Except she did not sound like she was in agreement with anyone.
"Then it is decided. Commander, thank you for your honesty," Admiral Singh stated calmly. "But a word to the wise… next time when you feel the need to help, please consult someone before you do, alright?"
Shepard was going to ignore the fact that the admiral was talking to her as if she had been a misbehaving child. "I will, thank you, Sir." Was this it? Was she done with this matter?
"Well, if this is indeed everything… I declare this meeting adjourned. Mister Bashar, Admirals, I do need to get back to the office. I have tonight's second meeting to prepare for." Wright announced.
Shepard continued to watch Lindholm. She was convinced that this could not possibly be everything. Thus she did not pay much attention as Bashar, Wright, and Singh got to their feet and stepped down away from the desk before making their way toward the other room.
It was not long before Lindholm was the only one who was still present. Finally she rose to her feet, her glare still in place, though now it looked like the gaze of a coiled serpent. "Commander, let me make one thing perfectly clear, here and now," she stated. "You've only gotten this reprieve because the parliament want their Spectre. If you disappoint them by failing to become one…"
Shepard did not break eye contact. Was Lindholm so angry that she was going to utter an open threat? Damn it, and she did not have her recording software running.
"Or if you later lose your status in disgrace…" Lindholm continued. "I will have you stripped of your command, medal, rank, and you will end up in prison for decades. Am I making myself abundantly clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Shepard replied. Lindholm had threatened her! The woman was seething and as petty as they came, and Shepard had no way of proving any of that.
The admiral was the first one to break eye contact as she stepped down from the desk, and moved toward the other door. Only when she was gone, and the door had closed behind her, did Shepard allow herself to relax.
Something about much of what went on still bothered Shepard. That meeting was over and done with almost too soon. Something just did not add up, and that bothered Shepard. It felt like the other shoe was yet to drop. "I need to talk to my mother." She announced as she turned toward the door.
"What for?" Nihlus asked.
"I hope that what I'm feeling is just lingering anxiety of some sort, but… it feels like there's something going on that I'm not aware of."
"Ah," Nihlus chuckled. "You have to know everything."
Shepard looked up at him, but then she realized that he was teasing. Though it would not alter anything, she needed to talk to her mother and Admiral Hackett. Preferably sooner rather than later.
Author Notes: I am evil, giving you a sort-of-kind-of cliffhanger. Yes, Nihlus is angry, in a tranquil fury (trope) sort of way. And yes, you're seeing hints of polycule development, pardon my foxlike smirk. The final scene gave me endless grief, I spent around twelve hours just trying to make it work, and I'm still not a hundred percent happy, I don't think I'll ever be happy with it. Any engineer reading this will understand that feeling.
General Notes:
Nothing here…
Chapter Notes:
Quote of the Day – The line Doctor Chakwas said was a direct Shakespeare quote from act three, scene one of King Henry IV, part two. It is commonly misrepresented as "Heavy is the head that wears the crown."