Disclaimer: I do no own Mass Effect, I do not claim to own Mass Effect, I am only doing this for fun.
Author Notes: It's finally done! This chapter proved hard to write, so much pressure to get things "right". Then real life happened. Let's just say that it's hard to write intrigue right now. Anyways, please enjoy!
Episode 69: In the Pale Moonlight
The stare-off continued as Shepard refused to close the distance. Saren's eyes brightened when shadowed, glowing an almost eerie silver color.
Then a hand slid onto her shoulder, "We will be here all night if both of you insist on to waiting for the other to yield."
Shepard let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding and glanced up at her partner, silently thankful for that snap-out. However, before she could say a word, or move, Saren started on his way toward her. Nihlus' grip on her shoulder tightened, but as far as she could tell he remained perfectly silent.
Saren stopped about three meters away, "Shepard," he greeted icily.
"Spectre Arterius," Shepard replied. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."
Saren's cold stare did not waver. "You wished to discuss Nazara, let us do so without wasting time on empty pleasantries."
Was that a hint of impatience? Was something weighing on his mind? There was no point in asking, but she could cut back on the idle chatter. "Alright, but I suggest we take it inside the gazebo." Shepard genuinely did not want to end up soaked through if there was shelter nearby.
Saren stretched his arm out toward it, a clear indication for her to go first. Coming from anyone else it would have been an act of courtesy, but coming from Saren, he likely did not want her at his back. She could understand that, and the only reason she did not protest was because Nihlus was with her.
As she ascended the gazebo's steps, she saw four benches arranged to overlook the garden. She sat down on the bench across from the steps and turned to Saren. He had stopped at the top of the steps, just within the gazebo. Nihlus had leaned on the gazebo pillar by the steps behind him, seemingly apart from the conversation but still near enough to keep watch.
For what though, Shepard did not know. After all, what was more likely right then? A complete breakdown of the tenuous détente between Saren and her? Well, she would have to prevent that, no matter what. "This discussion will not be over in a mere five or ten minutes," she started.
"You can spare me the preambles, Shepard. I did not come here because I enjoy your company," Saren replied even as he leaned on the other pillar by the steps.
Shepard heard something hard tap on the pillar as his back made contact with it. Right then he was not wearing his armor, there were no ceramics to make that noise, so it could only have been a concealed weapon.
"And what am I, a stranger?" Nihlus asked, feigning affront.
Saren ignored him and the look in his eyes grew stormier by the second.
Shepard doubted that she could take credit for souring Saren's mood, but she knew better than to exacerbate it. "As I've already mentioned, we've encountered Nazara on Feros. It has allied itself with the AI who orchestrated the attack on Eden Prime, the same entity we've encountered on Solcrum." Getting right to the point could be called diplomacy all on its own, with some people.
Saren's arms dropped to his sides, all hints of impatience or animosity vanished in an instant. "You are certain of that?"
"A hundred percent. Nazara was puppeteering a black proxy almost identical to the one you saw on Solcrum, and it was also ordering the Heretics around. No way to misunderstand that." She would not mention the ambush. After all, the Impera was a stealth ship with a Thanix system. Saren would wonder how the Normandy managed to avoid it. She did not need him thinking in that direction. "Suffice to say, I am… concerned about this alliance of theirs. One mad machine is bad enough, but two?" Fortunately it would not be three, unless the scientists royally messed something up.
Saren hummed inarticulately, and his gaze strayed somewhere over her head. "You encountered a third artificial intelligence in the ark on Eden Prime, correct?"
"Yes." Shepard replied. That confirmed Sparatus had given him at least some of her reports. "It also tried to turn Legion into its puppet. Operative term tried. Legion fought the attempt off." No need to mention the damage, let Saren think that Legion simply shrugged it off.
"And what of the AI, is it offline?" Saren asked.
"No, but it should never get another chance to do harm ever again," Shepard replied. "Its ultimate fate was not for me to decide." She leaned back, crossed her legs, and placed her hands in her lap. "What's important is that all of our problem synthetics are Prothean. The one on Eden Prime killed all the colonists, and with what I learned from the sole survivor, it's safe to assume all their AIs were tampered with."
Saren stood there, utterly motionless, but Shepard could practically hear the metaphorical gears grind away.
"Saren, Nazara and Harbinger are likely affected by the tampering as well. It would explain why Harbinger views all organic life as inferior. Remember what it said to Legion on Solcrum?" Nihlus added.
"That is… a possibility," Saren stated.
Shepard tried not to show any reaction. This was all part of her plan, start a casual discussion of a common enemy, it would establish important rapport. "According to Javik, the Protheans were at war with the Oravores, a contemporary power. Supposedly they viewed themselves as the only truly intelligent species of the age." She paused there, to find the correct term to use for the next part, as 'dehumanize' might not translate correctly. "Javik confirmed that they created the toxin we encountered on Noveria. It's a bio-weapon meant to kill Protheans. They also did the tampering. Both were means to a single end… Prothean genocide."
"And you are sure he is not lying to you?" Saren asked.
"If he is, it's a very good lie, it aligns with everything I've gathered so far. But there is one last thing that I've not been able to confirm. Javik claims the Oravores tried to strip-mine Thessia. The Protheans stepped in to save the Asari. That was the war's inciting incident."
"I find that hard to believe," Saren said bluntly.
Shepard did not fault him for that. After all, that implied one hell of an escalation, but it would not be the first time that pride and arrogance lead to that. "I think it's something to look into. The Oravores likely wouldn't have cared enough to cover up where they dug. There ought to be some shred of evidence left behind."
"We intend to start at the Library of Council," Nihlus added.
Shepard nodded, "We'll start by looking for physical evidence. I doubt we'll get anything definitive from the Asari themselves. Simply because- well- when someone on Earth starts talking about extra-terrestrial involvement in the development of our earliest civilizations, they're generally laughed out of the room. We don't really like to acknowledge that those theories exist. I doubt we're unique in that regard. But all that is only an operating theory, until I know more."
"You think the Asari would be unaware of something like that?" Nihlus asked, genuinely surprised.
"I do," Shepard replied bluntly, as she glanced his way, but then turned back to Saren. "Though whether the Asari know of it or not, is not important. What's important is that the possibility. If this is how the war started, then the Oravores would have had the opportunity, the means, and the motive for the rest. It fits together to make some sense."
Saren remained silent.
Shepard took that as a form of acquiescence. "Now, going back to our problematic Prothean AIs… Eden Prime, Daiwi, Solcrum, there's a pattern to all of their appearances there. My Krogan ally mentioned that the Heretics have been active out in the Terminus for nearly two decades. Most of course cannot tell them apart from the Geth."
"And what is your theory regarding that?" Saren asked in perfectly calm monotone.
"Harbinger is looking for something. I don't know what it is, but I do know that the galaxy is better off if it remains unfound."
"Suppose you are correct, what do you propose?" Saren asked.
Shepard tried not to shift or fidget. It would not do to display any nervousness or hesitation now. "Same thing I proposed when Nazara went rogue." She would not even use the word 'alliance' here. "Right now, we can still do something to contain the threat before they have the chance to do anything. It wouldn't do for us to lose that chance due to… personal disputes."
Saren stared down at her, his gaze flat but scrutinizing.
Shepard kept perfectly still, her legs still crossed, hands one on top of the other in her lap.
"That is certainly a well-constructed argument, but you know that one of the other arks is on Virmire, and that Sparatus ordered you to report to him for a reason. I do not believe you requested this meeting without a reason."
"I will not deny that," she replied, holding his stare.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nihlus look from Saren to her and back.
If he thought Shepard would let him get away with being a hypocrite, he was sorely mistaken. "But speaking of Virmire, it's truly a shame that it's in the terminus. I hear it's perfect for a resort, but please, do correct me if you observed something different."
Saren's expression darkened the instant the words were out of her mouth.
Shepard had to stop herself from smiling.
"Your act is good, but not flawless. Given our previous instances of… cooperation, my mere involvement cannot be the source of your unease, especially not if you were in an actual superior bargaining position. No, you are hiding something."
Shepard actually smiled back, he was not letting her have anything over him in this twisted dance. Unfortunately for him, she was a pretty good dancer when it came to a tango of wits. "I am required to hide things. As do you. That comes with the job."
Saren's predatory expression did not waver. "Perhaps, but you should know that the Normandy's stealth capabilities are hardly a secret anymore. That system is easier to reverse engineer than the Thanix, and the Alliance got both in the same bargain with the Vercinix. No, there is something else. Something that you know will reverse our positions in an instant."
Nihlus shifted his weight from foot to foot and his mandibles drew up against his jaw.
Shepard could see the apprehension in him, and she honestly wished things did not have go there. She turned back to Saren. "Can you blame me for the abundance of caution?" She asked as she got to her feet, which put her and Saren on more equal footing, even though he was still a full head taller than her. "That said, the mere fact that we are talking now… should tell you that I haven't used what I know to my advantage."
"But you should have," Saren rumbled.
Nihlus outright pushed off the pillar he had been leaning on, suddenly alert and wary.
"Were our situations reversed, exposing you for the connection to Nazara would have eliminated a problem for me. Instead, you propose this meeting," Saren continued, completely unmoved by the rising tensions. "You want something else, Shepard. I refuse to believe you are not motivated by something, you are not naïve or innocent."
Did he really think she would come out and confess? No. Probably not. This was just a power game, he wanted to make her squirm. "Contrary to what you may believe… I don't hold any animosity toward you," Shepard replied bluntly as she met and held Saren's stare.
"Shepard," Nihlus spoke up.
Shepard could hear the warning in the way he used her name, but she raised her hand to stop him, never once breaking eye contact with Saren. "We've had our disagreements, and you have a penchant for turning up whenever I'm in a spot of trouble," She smiled there, but there was no real amusement in the expression. "Still, we've worked together without too many... complications, and I respect you despite our differences."
"Foolish," Saren rumbled.
"Hardly, just… particularly understanding," Shepard rebuffed, but then dropped her tone, knowing full well that he would hear her. "But that has its limits. Those being that I'm nobody's fool. If you launch the opening salvo –if you use what you know against me– I will retaliate, and the destruction will be swift and assuredly mutual."
Saren smiled, flashing her all his teeth in a look that was all self-satisfaction.
Shepard froze. Why was Saren smiling? Was he angling for a reason to end the conversation and walk away? Had she just given him a reason? That would not do, she needed an agreement! She cursed herself for letting him get to her, even as her mind was a whirl with all the possible way to backpedal.
"Finally you are honest." Saren stated bluntly.
Just like that Shepard's thought train derailed in a spectacular, fiery crash.
"I still do not understand why you insist on looking for the good in everyone." His honeyed tone betrayed how much he was enjoying himself. "You also lack the resolve to destroy your enemies when doing so would be expedient. It makes you predictable."
Shepard entered a metaphorical tailspin. What was going on? She could understand his words, but not the direction or intent behind them.
Saren went on, "You say you wish to defeat Nazara and Harbinger, but what will you do when you face them? I am asking, because I have no intention of allowing them to continue functioning. Yes, Sparatus will be displeased, but he will not be there, so he will not be the one making that decision."
In a flash things once again began to make sense. "And this has nothing to do with Nazara knowing a little too much, does it?" Shepard asked, fully knowing the answer. Nazara would gleefully use any opportunity it got to tell everyone exactly who had removed it from the ark. Right then Saren wanted to know whether she would stop him from covering his tracks. She had let the AI on Eden Prime continue functioning, so Saren must think she would stop him from destroying Nazara.
"Take it as you wish, but I am not a paragon of foolish forgiveness," he went on.
Saren was driving a Faustian bargain that she would have to accept if she wanted safety from exposure herself. She would have to agree to destroy Nazara and keep quiet as Saren lied to the Council again. Well, that was hardly shocking, she really should have seen this coming.
"Nazara took my ship and killed my crew. It will receive no mercy from me," he finished as the look in his eyes turned tempestuous.
Shepard could understand that, she had ever counted on it. She just did not care for the side-swipe she got in the bargain. "The Batarians on Elysium and over Terra Nova also committed mass murder or worse. I showed them no mercy then, so I don't have the right to judge." There was nothing to it. If this was the price she would have to pay, then she would pay it. "My understanding does have its limits."
"Yes, the terrorists got what they deserved." Saren stated plainly as he pushed off the column he had been leaning on. "Then we have an accord. I will not tell Sparatus anything without a reason. I had already reached the conclusion that Nazara and Harbinger are a threat to the galaxy, but I wanted to see whether your… sentimentality would prevent you from doing what must be done. I am glad to hear that you are not unreasonable."
"Spirits," Nihlus murmured in the background. "So… things are good?"
"Unless Shepard objects," Saren replied.
Shepard shook her head. This had not gone quite the way she would have wanted, and she had almost torpedoed her own boat, but she had her accord, right? She could not quite believe it, and the paranoid part of her psyche still told her not to believe Saren. After all, she knew what a slippery customer he was. "I have no objections."
"Good… for a while I thought you two would come to blows," Nihlus went on.
Shepard rolled her eyes, "While I know that Spectre Arterius is armed, I somehow doubt he would be so unsubtle." Saren was not a street hoodlum with more pride than brains.
"Do not pretend you are unarmed yourself, Shepard," Saren replied flatly. "Your pistol is at your lower back."
Shepard chuckled, "Military training does give career soldiers some… unfortunate bad habits." That was a simple constitution of fact as far as she was concerned.
"Glib as ever, but fair enough," Saren replied. "Now, since we have reached an agreement, I will tell you this; the Virmire ark was stripped of all valuable materials."
Shepard nodded. That hardly surprised her. Saren had first removed Nazara, then the Council's team would have removed everything else.
"I suggest you ask for access to the material brought to the Citadel, but do not focus exclusively on that. Finally, do not count on me to assist you in negotiating with Sparatus. While I may not expose you, I will not support a plan that is anything short of your best. I know what you are capable of."
"Understood," Shepard replied blandly.
Saren wordlessly turned and started down the gazebo steps.
As Shepard watched him go, she idly wondered if she had just gotten a sample of Saren's teaching method. Give advice and directions, and then let them figure it out. It would explain Nihlus' tendencies and reinforce any notion that he knew better than most. Saren certainly was not winning any "Teacher of the Year" awards like that, but she supposed it made sense. He did not have the temperament or patience for teaching. Then, when he vanished around the bend in the path, she heaved a sigh and allowed the tension to drain from her body.
Nihlus was at her side almost instantly, "Shepard, are you alright?"
"Yes, just... dealing with him is like walking a minefield with no scanner," she replied.
"Yes, I suppose, but… now what?" Nihlus asked.
Shepard looked him in the eyes, "Saren is right, there's no point in going to Virmire. Even the Prothean remains would have been scattered across the galaxy among any number of research facilities. After all, little is actually known about them. Suffice to say, Javik is not going to be happy."
"We still have that lead on Ilos." Nihlus replied as he set his hands on her shoulders.
"Maybe," Shepard murmured. "Assuming we can find the relay." The pessimistic part of her insisted on not getting ahead of herself. If so many people have already tried and failed, what were her odds?
"Speaking of Saren, do you… trust him on this?"
She caught the reservation in his tone, and it reminded her that at the end of the day Nihlus was in a rather unenviable position. He had been one of Saren's students, but now her friend. It was hardly unreasonable for his loyalties to be caught between them. As for his question, that required some thought.
Her paranoid side told her that Saren would betray her at the first opportunity. At the same time, the more reasonable side said that if there was one thing to trust, it was Saren's sense of self-preservation. He displayed a twisted type of honor. As far as she could tell he had never uttered an outright, blatant lie, instead he omitted inconvenient facts to shape the appearance of truth. The dishonesty only became apparent if one verified literally every word and detail. He said, in so many words, that he would not expose her without a reason. That had to count for something. "I have no other choice but to trust him. Saren is…" she paused there.
"Complicated?" Nihlus offered.
"Frustratingly so," Shepard agreed.
"For what my word is worth, I think you can trust him," Nihlus paused there and shifted his weight where he stood. "By the way, the moisture level in the air is rising and the scent changed. The artificial rain is imminent."
Shepard hummed, "All I can smell are the flowers, so I'll take your word for it."
Before she could say anything more, there was a series of light taps on the gazebo's roof. In the garden's silence, they sounded like someone tapping their finger against the head of a drum. Then, suddenly, the overhead sprinklers opened up all at once, unleashing a torrential monsoon.
Shepard blinked, stunned for a few long moments. "Well I'll be damned, when you said imminent- I'm sorry, I didn't take your warning seriously."
"That much was obvious, Shepard," Nihlus chuckled. "But now we will be here for a while, unless you want to make a run for it."
What were the odds the Council summoning them to a meeting in the very next few hours? "I don't fancy getting soaked," Shepard replied as she eased down on the nearest bench.
Nihlus rumbled his agreement as he sat down on the bench next to her. "I do not want that either, and I am not going to complain. I do not often get to enjoy something like this."
Shepard turned to look over the square. The scent of moist soil rose into the air rapidly, and the drainage system prevented puddles from forming as the thousands of drops hitting the leaves and the gazebo roof played a symphony overhead. The soaked flagstones and foliage also darkened in color which made the bioluminescent glows stand out and seem brighter. She had lived on board ships her entire life, so weather was not something she got to experience often, and although artificial, this weather looked real enough.
In the absence of conversation Shepard went over the meeting, and the more she thought about it, the more the unknowns stood out, begging to be questioned and considered. "Nihlus, did you get the feeling that Saren agreed a little… too easily?" Saren had been right to say that had she exposed him pre-emptively, she would have eliminated him as a threat once and for all. She had not lied about her lack of animosity for him, but that was just one facet of it. Shepard did not want to accuse him of a crime she herself was committing. She was perfectly aware that such thinking came closest to being naïve idealism, something that would be perhaps unexpected coming from her. Maybe that was the reason why Saren seemed so confounded?
"So you noticed," Nihlus replied as he stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles.
Shepard bit back her grin, he really was almost feline in his mannerisms sometimes. She probably should have gotten comfortable too, but relaxation just would not come to her. "What did I miss? You heard his subvocals, I can't."
"Not much, he was suppressing them throughout," Nihlus replied, without once turning to face her. "But you are right, tonight he was uncharacteristically agreeable."
Shepard hummed as she looked out over the square. She figured it would go that way, Saren knew Nihlus was on her side. "I'm worried." She murmured. "When I really think about it, he gained more from the meeting than I did, and my offer benefits him more than his involvement benefits me." Had she made a fool of herself? "Then, I threatened him. Saren is hardly the type to take that from anyone, least of all me, but he seemed to have been waiting for it."
"He was," Nihlus agreed.
"Which begs the question… why?" Shepard murmured. "It was a perfect moment to walk away. He also knew that I needed something from him. He didn't walk away though, so none of that makes sense," She was rambling, somewhat unsure of what she was actually saying.
Nihlus hummed, "He also said that you have an agreement. Saren never goes back on his word. If you are willing to accept my experience, I think you can trust him on this. Ultimately you need to focus on the immediate obstacles. Whatever was on Virmire, is now on the Citadel. You need to figure out how to… convince the Council to allow you to access it. It is not guaranteed to you."
Shepard had to concede there. Saren even said that he would not lift a finger to get her that access. She could also assume that Sparatus expected her to raise the issue, and for Saren to say that it was case, so her assistance was unnecessary. That would allow Sparatus to slam the metaphorical door in her face. Except now they had an accord behind the council's back. By his own admission Saren would not help her, but she only needed him not to give Sparatus the pretext to shut her out. "Oh I'll convince them alright, when I launch a tag-team attack with their best agent."
"There. Good, at least that is in top form," Nihlus gave her a toothy smile, "Sparatus is in for a rough day."
Shepard smiled back. But the expression was wan, there was nothing there to smile about. Nihlus had strong-armed Sparatus into approving her promotion, who had always been open about his complete lack of faith in her. Going around him would not be easy. She did not even know the reason why Sparatus had disliked her, even before the strong-arming. Did he genuinely think that she could not handle the job? Or did he think she would not do it because of Saren? Did he think she hated turians? Or did he hate humans himself?
The former was a valid concern, to some degree, as he only knew her from reports and second-hand accounts. Then the middle possibilities were vexing. They implied that Sparatus thought she could not look past her biases, or that she was so thin-skinned, and unwilling to work with Saren. Neither possibility flattered him. But the last possibility was outright inexcusable. If he wanted to claim to be above bias, but expected others not to be, then he was not above his. Shepard hated hypocrites.
Nihlus' hand landed on her shoulder, by now the action was familiar, but it still served to halt her spiraling thoughts. Shepard took a deep breath, letting the scent of the moist soil and the humidity saturate her lungs. It was a good thing that he stopped her. It would not do for her to get worked up over what may not be an issue. She needed to give things some rational thought. She could not let any politician stand in her way. In her gut she was certain that Harbinger and Nazara posed a very real threat. Sparatus would just have to deal with it, because really it was easier to seek forgiveness than ask for permission.
The artificial rain lasted almost two hours before ceasing as instantaneously as it had begun. Their walk to the garden entrance happened under a second illusionary rain of dripping foliage. Once past the atmosphere retaining field, Shepard could not help but scrunch her nose. She did not enjoy the transition from the garden's perfumed air to the sterile, crispness of the Presidium.
From there it was a simple manner of deciding where to go. Shepard knew that the Council would summon her on their time, not hers, so she had to remain available and wait. They returned to the Normandy without further delay.
Shepard did not get to go far once she was back aboard her beloved ship. Garrus had been waiting for them right by the airlock, looking worried. However, it surprised Shepard to find Javik with him, and judging by his unwavering stare and the tension in his body, he had something on his mind. She had few other choices but to tell them to come along as she went straight for the OD. After all, she had meant to apprise them eventually. Garrus because he was one of her closest confidants, and Javik because he had a right to know, as the matter concerned him and his people.
As Shepard slumped into the OD couch, she realized that she was a little hungry, but that would have to wait. Talking about Virmire and Ilos on their own was not all that difficult. However, things became complicated fast when she notified Javik that the Virmire ark had already been found by one the Council's agents, and that there had been no survivors. Javik's expression grew positively stormy in an instant, and then Garrus' own darkened when she explained where her newfound certainty had come from. By the time she finished talking, they had grown deathly silent.
"Saren has much to answer for," Garrus murmured, low and rumbling, like the thunder along a storm's leading front.
Shepard lowered her gaze to the floor. They were now at the part that she had dreaded the most. How did one go about explaining the fact that she had just made an alliance with Saren on top of everything? "To be fair, I think I understand what he was thinking. If the Council got their hands on Nazara, it would have been taken apart, its databases analyzed, and the information contained therein would have never see the light of day again. Saren may have thought that he could… get more from it." At least she wanted to think that he had been acting out of some semi-noble, albeit misguided considerations.
"A fool's errand," Javik stated.
Shepard nodded, "Saren was hardly the first to believe a smooth-talking charlatan who whispered temptations and promises. In fact, this confirms that he's as fallible as the rest of us."
"You will defend him?" Javik asked.
Somehow that direct accusation lanced right through her. She could not believe she was defending Saren. "I hate it, but it's also too late for me to go back on my word now, and ultimately, Saren is Sparatus' favorite agent. If I go after him, Sparatus will see to it that I lose my Spectre status as quickly as possible."
"Politicians," Garrus murmured, deflating where he stood.
"Then, that's assuming I don't lose it from the start. I get the feeling getting rid of Saren won't be easy," Shepard added, knowing full well that she was making a rather flimsy argument there.
"I should think you could claim your victory. Why do you keep what you know about this Sparatus hidden?" Javik asked.
Shepard sighed. Javik had learned what other secrets she was privy to. "That would start a pointless, protracted war of words. Will I survive accusing a councilor of anything? If I lose, he'll eject me from the corps with a smile on his face. If I win, it would be a colossal waste of time. Regardless the outcome, the real winners will be Harbinger and Nazara. I refuse to give them time to find whatever it is they're looking for." The way she saw it, she was picking her battles strategically.
"You complicate your own existence," Javik said blandly.
Shepard sighed again, "I suppose to you that's how it is. I mean we can't know everything with a casual touch. We have to navigate the unknowns the hard way."
Javik actually grinned, "You admit to being inferior."
Shepard wanted to ask him whether he was raised by wolves, with manners like that, but instead she rolled her eyes and looked away. She did not want to come off as being bothered, even though his earlier accusation had found its mark. Defending Saren left a rancid aftertaste in her mouth, but she was not doing this for her own pleasure, this was for the galaxy at large. She knew that the road to perdition was paved with such rationalizations, but she had made her bed, and would have lay in it.
She straightened in her seat and took a deep breath. "Here's what I expect will happen in the near future. Sparatus will try to put Saren in charge, and he will want me to give Saren everything I have. I'd bet my paycheck that Sparatus will want to shut me out entirely. That said, Saren and I came to a certain… understanding." She allowed herself to smile.
Nihlus chuckled.
Javik's mouth twitched, baring hints of his teeth.
"Do you actually trust him?" Garrus asked.
"On the whole? Hardly. I know he will continue biding his time. On this matter though, I do. I only need him not to claim the mission for himself. If he gives me a token willingness to cooperate –and it wouldn't be the first time– Sparatus won't be able to shut me out."
"Saren respects Shepard enough to give her that," Nihlus stated with absolute certainty.
"I do not know if I should believe that," Garrus murmured.
"I wouldn't," Javik added. "You are not me, Commander, you cannot be certain that he is not lying."
"Were it anyone else, and I would agree with you," Shepard replied. "But I think I have a read on him. Nazara took his ship and killed his crew. He wants revenge. I can give him that, if he gives me a way around Sparatus."
"Vakarian, you should know by now that Shepard never does anything if she does not have the advantage," Nihlus stated, sounding very much amused.
"I wouldn't call what I got an advantage, it's more of a… equalizer. If he wants to keep his job, he won't question or dispute literally everything I say in front of the Council." Shepard explained. "He can dispute things, he's Sparatus' most trusted agent, so his word carries disproportionate weight, I just made sure he knows that I can question things too. We both keep secrets that we're not keen on sharing. I won't talk about his, if he doesn't talk about mine."
"Commander, you are fortunate that only I can see through you. Were you scheming against my kind, it wouldn't have worked." Javik stated, a constitution of fact, but he seemed amused.
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You're actually enjoying the show, aren't you?"
Javik stared back at her without uttering a word.
Shepard rolled her eyes again, "I suggest you get some buttered popcorn, we're just getting to the good part."
Nihlus chuckled under his breath.
Shepard smiled, but only for a moment before clearing her throat to continue, "Now… I plan to ask the Council for access to everything that was salvaged from Virmire, but our final goal is still Ilos. Finding that errant relay won't be easy, but it has to be done."
"Whatever you need, Commander, just ask." Garrus stepped in.
"Garrus, I will probably need your analytical mind for this." At the very least he was the one who could keep up with her thinking train without making her feel off for spit-balling ideas. "And Javik, I'll need your help too. I think I have a good grasp of Prothean, but I need to be sure that I'm not mixing my sigils."
"Writing was not the only way my people preserved knowledge. You will need my assistance with that which is encoded onto objects." Javik stated.
"I assumed as much," Shepard smiled. "After all, if an object can maintain an incidental thought impression, then it stands to reason that impressions could be stored in objects intentionally. And what is knowledge if not thoughts and impressions?"
"Your reasoning is basic, but… correct," Javik drawled.
Shepard shook her head, Javik just could not go two minutes without making a comment that could be misconstrued as an insult. That or he just did not realize that was how he came across.
"So it is decided then?" Garrus asked. "We will have to work with… him?"
"Likely, yes. I do intend to try to keep him off the Normandy, but there is a chance that I won't be able to," Shepard replied. She did not need people overreacting if that possibility became a probability, or an inevitability.
"You will have to explain this to Williams as well, besides Vakarian, she is the only other one who might take this hard," Nihlus stated.
Garrus turned a vicious glare on the Spectre in an instant. "You are not taking it hard at all. If I did not know better-"
"But you do know better," Nihlus cut in, a growl in his tone.
Shepard brought a hand to cover her face, she did not have the time or the energy for another of their arguments. However, when she opened her mouth to tell them to cut it out, she heard Javik chuckle. She let her hand drop away as she looked at him. Just what part of that was funny?
"Commander, if there is nothing else, I wish to leave. I do not want to witness anything private." Javik stated.
Private? Shepard chanced to look at Nihlus and Garrus. They had stopped glaring at each other, only to turn on Javik. Yes, ending the meeting suddenly seemed like a very good idea. "Alright, thanks for your time, Javik."
The prothean did not respond, simply turned toward the OD door, and sneered as he passed Nihlus and Garrus, "You two are obvious. A lack of response usually means a lack of interest."
The looks Nihlus and Garrus gave Javik turned murderous, but Javik paid them no heed, and as the OD door opened, he breezed through and disappeared.
Shepard was left to wonder whether Javik actually enjoyed being a cad. Right then, she did not have the energy to deal with that. She was not even going to ponder what his comment had been about. If it was important, Nihlus and Garrus would tell her. If they did not, then it was not.
Shepard prided herself on her drilled sniper's patience. She had no trouble staying in one place for hours, waiting for what could be a brief period of activity, and then punching out. That was waiting for something with plans and contingencies outlined long before her boots hit the ground. Waiting for the Council summons was hardly that nice and neat. She had a plan, but the longer she waited, the longer the list of ways in which things could go wrong became. Also Shepard could not ditch the paranoid sense impending doom, the fear that Saren would show his true colors at this crucial time. The opportunity was right there, ready to be used.
During the five hours between her return to the Normandy and the arrival of the Council's summons, her mind produced about a dozen different scenarios how things could go disastrously wrong. It prevented her from getting things done efficiently, although she managed to keep the doom and gloom to herself. She had at least explained the salient points to Kaidan and Ashley. The former because he was functionally her XO, and the latter because Nihlus had been right, Ashley had a temper. The crew went about their business as usual, unaware of the tension brewing on the CIC. The only ones who could see through her were Nihlus and Garrus.
Nihlus spent the time in his quarters, waiting to intercept any developments, while Garrus stuck to her like glue, trying his best to be helpful. Shepard actually had to tell him to stop after an hour, because while his concern was sweet, she did not need him to turn into a mother hen.
When the summons finally arrived, she learned that the Council took the decision whether to bring Javik along out of her hands. Sparatus stipulated that the meeting was to be considered top secret, Spectre eyes only. Shepard then took Nihlus' advice about her uniform to heart, and changed into her armor, bringing along her side-arms, as she could. Thus it was only about an hour from the arrival of the summons and the moment when Shepard stepped out of the elevator at the top of the Presidium tower.
As she followed Nihlus up the stairs into the central park plaza, she glanced at her omni to check the time. It was about an hour before lunch, so most of the people there were C-Sec patrol. There were a few suit types sitting off to the side, busy with their boxed lunches and omni-tools. The atmosphere was almost relaxed. Then her eyes landed on the asari in a white, forest-green accented maxi-dress standing by the base of the steps to the upper audience chamber.
Nihlus turned right toward her, but it took Shepard longer than she would ever admit to recognize the asari as Tevos' aide. Immediately Shepard made a mental note to look at the who's who of her new superiors. She could not afford to appear so apathetic that she could not even recognize the Council's aides on sight.
"Spectres," the woman greeted as soon as they were about five meters away from the steps. "Please follow me."
Shepard glanced at Nihlus, only to see that he followed the secretary up the steps without so much as looking in her direction, so the only thing she could do was follow him. She supposed the change in his attitude was explainable. Nihlus had his game face on, it was time to put on hers.
"Has Spectre Arterius already arrived?" Nihlus asked half-way up.
"Yes, he has. Spectre Arterius is early as usual," the asari replied.
"One of these days I will beat him to a meeting," Nihlus chuckled.
"I highly doubt that, Spectre Kryik," the aide replied blandly.
Shepard blinked, but kept quiet. There was no surprise there that Saren had stuck to his routines. Still, some part of her wondered if he used the opportunity to backstab her. But Nihlus' reaction indicated that the only one with paranoid alarm bells going off in their head was her.
At the top of the steps the aide turned to the right and made her way under the balconies that overlooked the audience hall and toward the corner closest to the stairs. It surprised Shepard to realize that the corner visible from the top of the stairs was a trick of perspective concealing a narrow corridor. Once they entered it, they only went down a short distance before the aide stopped in front of an unlabeled glass door and tapped at the console set into the frame. The door opened and she stepped in, but stopped just on the other side, "My apologies for this interruptions, Councilors, Spectre Arterius, but… Spectres Kryik and Shepard have arrived."
"Show them in," Valern's reedy voice replied.
The aide re-appeared and motioned with her hand for them to proceed into the room.
"Thanks," Nihlus murmured as he stepped past her.
Shepard mutely followed, sticking close to him.
"Think nothing of it, Spectres." The asari replied behind her back. A few moments later the door closed, with a smooth swish.
Shepard tried to be surreptitious about looking around. The conference room was relatively small, rectangular, stretching away from the door to the left. The lighting in the room was a cool blue-tinged florescent that made the grey imitation masonry paneling of the walls seem even colder. The floor matched the dourness with black tightly-woven low pile carpet. The only furniture was a large rectangular black metal and dark wood-topped table with a centerpiece of projection equipment and matching high-backed chairs all around. Behind the table's head was a door to an adjourning room. The choice of color scheme and the absence of viewports meant the room already felt formal and stifling, even before one added consideration for those who used it.
Tevos sat at the very head of that table, flanked along the long sides by Sparatus on her right and Valern on her left. Saren sat near the foot of the table opposite of the door, where he could see the entrance door, which put him almost immediately in front of her at that moment.
"Councilors, Spectre Arterius," Shepard greeted, affecting all semblance of normality. They would not catch her sweating bullets. From the corner of her eye she noted that Saren's stare never wavered, but he dropped his chin ever so slightly, a faint acknowledgement.
"Have a seat, and we can bring this meeting to order," Tevos said.
Nihlus had already moved, sitting right at the foot of the table, leaving her the seat across from Saren, with her back to the door. Shepard did not like that position. She was only comfortable sitting with her back to a door in two places, both of them on the Normandy. As she sat down, she kept her back straight and placed her hands on the table in front of her.
"Spectre Shepard, we've read all your submitted reports about Eden Prime," Tevos stated. "The supplemental material from Doctor T'Soni shows your continued commitment to thoroughness, a commendable effort."
"Thank you, Councilor," Shepard replied.
"Though the report was lacking in details about the survivor you rescued," Valern stepped in.
Shepard should have known they would start with that. "I apologize for that, but at the time, I was not sure what Javik would do, hence what I should put in my report. Since then, he chose to claim asylum with the Alliance. As far as the Alliance is concerned, he is now a refugee living within our space, with all proper identity documents. Then he requested to remain on the Normandy, as he wishes to assist me in my continuing search for other Prothean facilities. I've hired him with a contract and pay, same as all my non-Alliance associates. He can terminate our agreement at any time," Shepard replied calmly. With the Alliance guaranteeing Javik's personal rights, she had intentionally given him an open-term contract, that way no one could argue that she was pressuring him into anything.
"Of course," Sparatus said, sounding vaguely sour.
Shepard had to bite back her urge to smile. The Council could not do anything about the arrangement without being embarrassed in the end. Any attempt to take over would lead to a confrontation with the refugee advocates, and last until Javik confirmed his agreement to her terms. "Javik is not a concern or a threat to anyone, Councilors. The real threat is the Prothean AI I've begun to refer to as Harbinger." Now it was time to steer the conversation onto the desired track. "It commanded the Heretics I've encountered during the attack on Eden Prime, during the incursion on Solcrum, and now on Feros."
"On Solcrum it attempted to kill Shepard multiple times, ignoring Spectre Arterius and me almost entirely," Nihlus added.
Shepard glanced at Saren from the corner of her eye, but was not surprised that he remained silent. The Council would have heard him foist the blame for the Impera debacle onto Harbinger. This was part of their Faustian bargain, she would not expose that half-truth. "Harbinger is consistent in its behavior, it is looking for something. To make matters worse, it isn't the only Prothean AI in existence. The Eden Prime ark has a coordinating artificial intelligence. It boasted about killing almost every colonist entrusted to it shortly after they entered stasis." She paused there, genuinely wishing she could sugar-coat the next part, but there was no real way to do so. "Right now, both Prothean AIs I've encountered demonstrated an utter disregard for organic life. Harbinger outright called organics inferior to the Heretics."
"I find it hard to believe that the ark's governing artificial intelligence would commit mass murder," Sparatus stated. "They would have programmed it not to do that."
"Of course, Councilor. But what one programmer can put in, another can undo. Javik explained the whole thing to me. He believes their AIs were corrupted," Shepard replied. "The Protheans were waging a war against another contemporary power, and that enemy tampered with the AIs. They also created the toxin Spectre Arterius and I discovered on Noveria."
"None of that was on your report," Valern stated.
"Another unavoidable delay. Javik wanted a few days to himself to get settled in, and I did not wish to pressure him, but I could not delay the operational report." That was bending the truth, but the details she changed were unverifiable. Also she would not tell them about Javik's unique ability and just how quickly Protheans could pass information, if they wanted to.
"Understandable, the loss of the colony is a tragedy," Tevos stated calmly.
"The tampering worries me, but it also fits the wider pattern," Shepard went on. "During all our encounters, I've noted that Harbinger is looking for something, and on Solcrum it admitted to wanting to end what it called an interregnum. It thinks the natural order of the galaxy is a single, powerful empire, akin to the power that created it."
"And it has an army to attempt conquest," Saren added.
Shepard glanced at Saren, genuinely surprised. She would not have made that sort of statement, but coming from Saren? She could use it.
"Spectre Arterius, I believe your report from Solcrum mentioned that this… entity wished to position the Geth as the ruling power, yes?" Tevos asked as she turned to Saren.
"That is correct," Saren replied.
Shepard did not care for the lack of specifics right there. "Harbinger wishes to elevate the Heretics specifically, not all Geth. The Heretics are geth, but not all Geth. They are not a monolithic hive mind. Individual clusters of Geth runtimes are capable of independent decision-making, and so, only a small fraction of them follow Harbinger. The majority of the overall collective never venture outside the Perseus Veil."
"At least that is what your… Geth friend says," Saren drawled.
Shepard turned her head, "I believe Legion, and bluntly put, if the Geth had gone outside the Veil in any significant numbers and caused any serious trouble... they are kind of hard to miss, even harder to mistake for anyone else, and the locals would have retaliated. There is no covering that up."
Saren did not say a word edgewise.
Shepard turned back to the Council. "I first learned that the recent sightings of Geth outside the Veil began nineteen years ago. Legion said that contact between Harbinger and the Geth was made twenty years ago, leading to an ideological schism in the collective. The timing is not a coincidence. The Geth remained unseen for centuries after the fall of Rannoch, but Harbinger introduced a new variable, it gave some a reason to step outside the veil. Point is, I think the war in the past and Harbinger's ultimate goal may be connected. It wants a pan-galactic empire, an order deemed ideal by its core programming, the Heretics are its chosen... recipients of that power."
Sparatus' mandibles had begun to tick ever so slightly.
"And what is it looking for?" Valern asked.
"That I cannot be sure of, yet. However, with the exception of Solcrum, our every encounter involved Prothean tech. Based on all available evidence I would say it has to be something technological, possibly even others of its kind."
Sparatus outright stiffened like a pillar.
Shepard counted that as impact made. She had spoken nonchalantly, but that had been a calculated statement. She knew full well that Harbinger could be looking for something else, but she wanted to give Sparatus a reason to believe her, despite his reservations. The best way to do that was to present him with a doomsday scenario and then let his imagination do the rest. As an added perk, it worked for Saren too. If the Council thought that Harbinger was looking for others of its kind, Saren could say that he had nothing to do with Nazara getting the Impera. He would weasel himself out of that mess, but on her terms, and with her knowledge. It was her side of their Faustian bargain, her present to him, but really she had just planted another metaphorical demolition charge on a pillar that supported his career.
"You intent to continue pursuing it?" Tevos murmured.
"Yes. I am… well acquainted with it, and my team has handled it and the Heretics previously. We've amassed more experience than most." Shepard was hedging her bets there, allowing for Saren to claim some glory, but none of what she said was a lie. She glanced at Sparatus from the corner of her eye. He was looking less and less pleased by the second.
"And what of the other cryostasis facilities?" Sparatus asked after a few moments.
Shepard had been waiting for that turn of the conversation. "When I identified their locations, Nihlus informed me about the fact that the Virmire facility was already found by Spectre Arterius," she affected all pretense of unbothered calm.
"Of course he would," Saren murmured.
"Shepard would have found out eventually anyways," Nihlus replied, his metaphorical shrug literally audible in his voice.
"As for the second location-" Sheppard continued.
"How reliable is your information pertaining to that location?" Sparatus cut in.
Shepard had to stop herself from smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Sparatus had jumped the gun to cut her off! "Javik confirmed them. He was relatively highly-positioned in the Prothean military, so he knows all sorts of things." That was a calculated gamble based on a conjecture. She was uncertain of how highly-positioned Javik had been, but the Council would not know better unless they pried the information out of Javik himself. "Also, he obviously knows the language better than any expert."
Sparatus turned to Saren, "Spectre Arterius, this is your investigation. It is ultimately up to you whether you will work with Spectre Shepard."
Shepard tilted her head as she watched Saren. They had come to crunch time, the moment for Saren to show his true intent. Shepard had laid out the cards, showed him literally almost everything he would want to know before slamming the door in her face. She had even given him a hint of the way out of his messes. It was time for him to prove just how much honor he had, and decide what mattered more, her presence, or the galaxy.
Saren caught her stare and flashed her a semblance of his withering glare, though only briefly, and then he looked back toward the table's head. "I will hear what Shepard has to say in full before I determine whether I require her further assistance."
The silence that settled on the room was so absolute that Shepard heard a faint creak from one of the occupied chairs. Saren's words were hardly polite, but that was nothing new. All the same, he was being a right magnificent piece of work, offering a delightful false promise. Sparatus would think that Saren intended to extract information from her before making an about-face.
She turned to look at the Council. Tevos and Valern did not seem to be at all bothered, but judging by the way his eyes narrowed, Sparatus was suddenly not so confident.
Shepard thought she was watching a belated realization dawn on him. His best agent, the human-hater, was agreeing with a human. Maybe he even realized that he was being strung along by both of them. Maybe he had even figured everything out. But it was simply too late now. Satisfied with what she was seeing, Shepard chose her next words carefully, "Thank you, Spectre Arterius, for giving me an opportunity." The difference between Saren and the Council here would be in understanding what opportunity she was referring to.
Saren's eyes grew stormier.
That was all Shepard needed to see to know that he understood her loud and clear. Now it was time to finish this. "Should we reach an agreement to continue our amicable partnership, I would like to get access to whatever material was collected from Virmire. Javik and I would like to go over it, see what he can… pick up."
"What do you intend to do with the material?" Valern wondered.
"I want to see it, but I do not know if or how it would fit into the puzzle. Truthfully I do not expect to find anything that the experts missed," Shepard replied. She already knew that the experts never realized that there was missing hardware. She would have liked to ask Saren how he got that past them, but he would never tell her. "This is a fifty thousand year old jigsaw puzzle, I haven't counted the pieces and the box is long gone, so I don't know what the final picture is, but it can still be put it together. Then… well, I think Javik has the right to know what happened to his people."
The Council exchanged looks.
Shepard leaned back in her seat and waited. They could still stonewall her, but she still had Ilos as an ace up her sleeve. Sparatus had interrupted her before she could mention it, and Shepard had intentionally not finished that thought. They would probably realize that, and know that if they wanted the other facility, they would have to give her quid pro quo.
Sparatus was the first to turn back to them, "Very well, Shepard. We will allow you access to the Virmire material within the Citadel Archives if Spectre Arterius agrees to work with you. You will also tell him where the other facility is located. Those are our terms."
Shepard blinked, utterly unsurprised to see that Sparatus continued to cling desperately to the last shreds of victory still within his grasp. Well, she would snatch away even those, in time. She would tell Saren where the other ark was, and he would be the one to explain to Sparatus why they still needed her around. "I have no problem with those terms."
"Good," Sparatus bit out, a note of annoyance flashing through his tone.
Shepard kept her face blank, he would not catch her celebrating.
"Then you know what you must do. This meeting is adjourned. We will reconvene if Spectre Arterius decides to allow your continued involvement in his investigation," Tevos stepped in, her tone had deepened, flashing with a warning.
Shepard nodded, but otherwise remained silent as the Councilors rose to their feet and made for the other door.
"Shepard, I will contact Nihlus with a time for our next meeting," Saren stated as he rose to his feet.
"Of course, Spectre Arterius," Shepard replied.
He spared her another of his withering glares, but then made for the door across behind her. In a matter of thirty seconds the only ones left in the conference room were Nihlus and her.
"Spirits," Nihlus mumbled, breaking the silence.
Shepard chuckled as she got to her feet. Nihlus was probably wondering what he had just witnessed, but she would not explain anything to him up here, where the walls might have ears. She made for the door, and once she was out of the room, she could hear Nihlus' footsteps behind her.
There was no reason to stick around, so Shepard made her way toward the elevator that would take them down. Nihlus followed her in silence, and she was graceful for that. The silence remained unbroken even as the elevator made its way down, through the short walk to the cab stand. Nihlus wanted to say something, she could tell by his lingering gaze, but he chose not to. She refused to start the conversation even as they got into their vehicle, with Shepard at the front left-side seat, with Nihlus on her immediate right.
Once the car took off, course set to take them back to the Normandy, Shepard turned to Nihlus, "Alright Nihlus, I know something is eating you."
The Spectre made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat. "Sparatus is beginning to suspect that you have something on Saren. I would suggest you thread carefully from now on. It would not do to… play with fire and burn."
"I suspected that, Tevos of all people broke her placid diplomat persona, and I wouldn't be surprised if Valern already has ten theories," She replied as she finally allowed herself to slump into her seat.
"You normally only bend the truth, but today… you outright lied," Nihlus went on. "Javik will also know that you did."
Shepard knew that he was right, and yes Javik would know. She sighed again, "I have no choice. I refuse to let them sideline me, or worse… convince themselves that Harbinger is not a threat. It might now hate organic life, it has an agenda, and on top of that, it has an army, ships, and now the Thanix system!" She turned to look Nihlus in the eyes, "Yes, I lied to and cheated the Council out of my full knowledge. I blackmailed Saren into taking my side. I am colluding with and knowingly letting him get away with decade-old lies on top, which makes me an accessory to his crimes."
Nihlus did not say a word.
Shepard went on, "And the worst part? I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I will let Saren get away with more as long as he either helps, or at least does not interfere with my pursuit of Harbinger and Nazara. A guilty conscience is a small price to pay to stop those mad machines. What's a few lies and letting one person off the hook when billions of lives might be at stake? We are Spectres, we have to learn to live with those sorts of decisions, and so I will live with it. I can live with it."
Nihlus opened his mouth.
Shepard held up a hand to forestall whatever he would have said, "I can live with it." With that she turned to stare out over the presidium still whipping by underneath them.
Author Notes: That final scene proved the worst. There were too many things to balance and fit into the themes of the homage. Then, yea, writing intrigue right now is hard, and I'm sorry about the colossal delay.
General Notes:
Episode Title – As I've begun in the notes on the previous episode, this is the second half of my homage to one of Star Trek DS9s best episodes, also called "In the Pale Moonlight", intentionally only sticking to the same central themes. Though Shepard's final monologue does contain key words from a monologue delivered in the DS9 episode, the only time I allowed myself to use dialogue.
The Other Title Origin – Lesser known fact is that DS9 was actually making a reference with the episode title "In the Pale Moonlight". The words come from the 1989 Batman movie, where Joker asks, "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?" My two-parter is not only a thematic homage to DS9, but has my own interpretation the original line. Shepard has danced with the devil in the pale moonlight. The devil being Saren, the dance being a Faustian bargain, and arguably the pale moonlight was the bioluminescent glows in the park.
Chapter Notes:
Faustian Bargain – This is pact where someone gives up something ephemeral but valuable for immediate material gain, without considering long-term consequences. The term comes from a story about Johann Georg Faust (c. 1466 or 1480 – 1541), who supposedly sold his soul to a demon for knowledge and magical power.