A/N: First of all a shout out to Vorcha Girl for taking the time to beta read this chapter for me even though she's been absolutely snowed under with work. Thank you so much, lovely! Next I want to thank ela11, Kirabaros, Impslave, Jules Hawk, Ms Sticha, and Vorcha Girl for your reviews. Also thank you to those that added my fic to their favorites of follow lists. You guys all rock. Now, apologies for the long delay in updates, and please enjoy!
Chapter 49. The Council
Shepard watched the gurney with Kaidan being rolled away to Huerta Memorial Hospital, an odd numbness spreading through her as she listened to James and Liara. Clenching her fists, she stepped away from them and stared out of the window. She felt drained.
Footsteps approached, coming to a stop not far behind her.
"Commander Shepard," a familiar voice spoke, and she turned around. "Got word you were arriving."
"Captain Bailey," Nick said, stretching out a hand to greet the C-Sec officer. She gave him a small smile. "Good to see you again."
"You too," he replied. "Though, it's Commander now."
"Congratulations?" she said hesitantly, glancing at Bailey as she walked along the corridor with the C-Sec officer. To her surprise he told her the Council was not ready to see her yet, but to meet them in Udina's office soon. A frown tugged at the corner of her mouth. The delay didn't sit well with her; she wasn't keen on waiting and she wanted to find out how Kaidan's condition was.
"I heard one of your crew was severely injured," Bailey mentioned, eyeing her carefully. "There should be enough time for you to go to the hospital and check on things before the Council is ready."
Relief washed over her and she closed her eyes briefly. With a nod she thanked him before turning around and walking briskly toward the nearest rapid transport hub.
The typical hospital smell wafted toward her as soon as she stepped into the foyer of Huerta Memorial, and she headed to the front desk.
"An Alliance officer in critical condition was brought in not too long ago. Where can I find him?" Nick asked the hospital staff.
"His name?"
"Major Kaidan Alenko." She swallowed, waiting for the employee to answer.
"He's on the ICU. Straight through there," the woman replied after a short inquiry on her terminal. She pointed toward the far end of the foyer and gave her the room number. Nodding once Nick walked in the appointed direction. She hesitated at the sight of a handful of doctors and nurses busy in the room the front desk employee had sent her to, and slowed down to watch them through the large window. Eventually they filed out, talking quietly. She slipped past them and entered the room.
Her gaze fell on the tangle of cables connecting Kaidan to a number of machines, their whirring and beeping the only sound in the otherwise silent room. She watched the slight rise and fall of his chest, her gaze lingering on it, mentally recording every swelling and every bruise. She stepped close to the bed, her eyes traveling up to his face. A small trickle of blood ran from his nose again and she furrowed her brow. She glanced around the room, searching for something to wipe it off with, and with a few quick steps made her way to the sink before returning to the bed with a towel in her hand.
"Hey Kaidan," Nick began in a subdued voice, gently cleaning the blood away. "Not sure how long I can stay now, but I wanted to check in on you before talking to the Council. Not really looking forward to seeing them again, if I'm honest. They've never listened to a word I've said and just the thought of having to deal with their condescending BS makes my fingers itch. It wouldn't be so bad if I had you at my back, but -." Her voice faltered. Tears stung in her eyes and she blinked them away rapidly. "I need you." With a pneumatic hiss the door opened behind her. She cleared her throat and continued in a more professional tone, "You're one hell of a soldier, a powerful biotic with front line experience. The Alliance needs you."
She turned to the doctor who was checking the readout on one of the machines. "Let me know if you need anything. I'll lean on the right people to get it." The physician nodded in acknowledgement, and she turned her attention back to her wounded crewmate. "C'mon Kaidan," she whispered hoarsely. "Fight!"
Hesitating a split second, she finally turned and headed out into the hallway slowly walking towards the exit. What if he didn't wake up? The thought tied her guts into an icy knot. She swallowed, fighting down the unease creeping down her spine and settling around her heart.
The elevator doors closed behind her with a quiet swoosh as Shepard walked into the Council chamber, swiftly making her way up the steps.
"We've got our own problems." The turian Councilor's voice carried through the lofty room as she drew closer. "Earth is not in this alone."
Councilor Udina spoke up. "But Earth was the first Council world hit. By all reports it faces the brunt of the attack."
"By your reports," Councilor Valern sneered dismissively.
This didn't sound good.
"The reports are accurate," Nick said, keeping her voice level as she climbed the last flight of stairs. "Earth was attacked by the Reapers, and it's just the beginning. We need all the help you can spare to stop them."
Tevos shook her head slightly. "Each of us faces a similar situation. Even now they are pressing our borders. If we lend you our strength then our own worlds will fall."
"We must fight together!" Udina threw in. The salarian Councilor scoffed.
"Much as it pains me to agree with Councilor Udina," Shepard began, "but he is right. If we don't work together all worlds will fall. Yours, ours, all of them. Every. Single. One." She lifted her chin defiantly and punctuated the last words by bringing her fist down on the railing in front of her.
"So we're just supposed to follow you to Earth?" the salarian Councilor huffed.
Valern's condescending tone grated on Nick's nerves and her reply was icy, "Earth is an anvil and our fleets are the hammers we need to smash the Reaper threat once and for all. In this case we don't need finesse, we need sheer strength and larger numbers. We need a bigger hammer."
"Even if we were to unite our fleets, do you really believe we could defeat the Reapers?" Councilor Sparatus put in.
A sly smile appeared on Shepard's face. "I'm glad you asked. We have a plan."
Nodding at Liara she stepped back to let the asari present the data they had found in the Mars archives. Shepard watched the councilors closely as Liara spoke, and with every word the hopes she had had died a little more. None of them looked convinced. Instead, they were sceptical of everything. She shifted her stance slightly, and when Valern commented on the scale of such an undertaking with a shake of his head she spoke up, "I forwarded the blueprints to Admiral Hackett. The remnants of the human fleet are already working on gathering the resources we need, while those left on Earth are building a resistance."
"Have you considered that the Reapers destroyed the Protheans? What good did this weapon do?" Tevos asked.
Shepard took a deep breath. "They never finished building it."
"Precisely," Liara said. "There was a missing component, something referred to as the Catalyst, but they ran out of time."
"And you really believe this can stop the Reapers?"
"Oh, for fucks sake," Shepard muttered under her breath. She stepped forward again, pulling herself to her full height. "Trying to do something sure as hell beats standing around doing nothing but arguing. I've said it earlier, but you clearly have your heads so far up your asses you're having difficulty understanding me, so let me be clear: The Reapers won't stop at Earth. They will destroy every organic being in the galaxy if we don't find a way to stop them."
She fell silent, her throat constricting as both the asari and turian councilors looked over to Valern. Even before he shook his head she knew the verdict was going to be a death sentence for Earth and all humanity. Frustration and annoyance rose deep in her, and she slowly clenched a fist until her fingernails dug into her own flesh, waiting for the Council to utter their decision.
Finally Tevos spoke. "The cruel and unfortunate truth is that while the Reapers focus on Earth we can prepare and regroup."
"We are convening a summit amongst our species," Valern said. "If we manage to secure our own borders we may once again consider aiding you again."
"May once again consider aiding us?" Shepard echoed angrily. Her voice was a low feral growl as she continued, "With all due respect, Councilors, go fuck yourselves." She heard Liara whisper her name urgently. Ignoring it she leaned forward and braced herself against the railing in front of her. "I regret ever saving you when Saren and Sovereign attacked the Citadel. A lot of good people died then, and I don't believe you deserved their sacrifices, neither the human or the alien. Don't ever come running to me for help again."
Glaring she watched the Council file off the pedestal. Sparatus hesitated a brief moment before following the other two alien councilors.
Apparently Earth was in this alone.
"Shepard," Udina said coldly, "meet me in my office."
"The Normandy is one of the few ships that can extract Primarch Fedorian undetected," the turian Councilor continued. He had arrived at Udina's office shortly after her to tell her of a way to get the Council to help Earth, and of course it meant she had to do something for them first. "The leaders of this summit will be the ones to decide where our fleets fight, and with whom," he added as she scowled at him. "A grateful Primarch would be a tremendous ally in your bid to unite us."
Her scowl deepened and she crossed her arms. "I fucking hate having to play politician."
"If it gets you what you want, what does it matter?" Sparatus asked. "Our intelligence says the Primarch was moved to Palaven's largest moon. I've done all I can to help. The rest is up to you." With a final glance in her direction the turian headed for the door. "Oh, one last thing. We've decided to uphold your Spectre status, commander."
Shortly afterward Nick stepped out of Udina's office, grinding her teeth as she walked along the corridor. "Go rescue your Primarch yourself, asshat," she muttered under her breath. But, there was no use. The Alliance - Earth - needed all the help it could get, and she had the means to get it. Apparently it included groveling in front of the Council and playing their gopher. God, she hated politics. At least the turian Councilor had offered an alternative, a small ray of hope. She took a deep breath before opening her omnitool and ordering Joker to prep the Normandy for departure.
No support from the Council, but go to Menae and rescue the turian Primarch and then maybe you'll get what you want.
Fuckers.
She rubbed her temples. Her anger was slowly turning into a dull, persistent headache.
"Nick? Is that really you?"
She started at the unexpected familiar voice calling her amid the constant murmur of voices around her, and turned around. Her eyes widened in surprise, and a smile tugged at her mouth. "Matt? Holy shit, what are you doing here!" With a few quick strides she crossed the room to embrace her best friend.
"I could say the same thing," Matt replied, returning the hug. He let go of her again and studied her face. "You look pissed. You butting heads again? We've been following your trial on the news. I tried sending messages, but I guess they never came through?"
She let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, I was kept completely out of the loop and both the Alliance and the Council ignored all I ever told them about the Reapers, but now that everything is going to shit they come running. Not that they are willing to help. Oh no. It's all If you do this we might consider helping you again. Not to mention that thanks to them one of the best marines and probably strongest human biotic is lying in a coma on Huerta's ICU, and I don't know if he's going to pull through." Her voice rose steadily, and there was a certain edge to it. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "The whole situation sucks, Matt."
Matt gave her a hard look and frowned. He knew her well enough to understand there was more to her remark. "Do you have time for some catching up? " he asked. "You could vent over a cup of coffee. Tea. Your choice."
Nick sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Regret washed over her, and she wished she had more time. "I wish, Matt. Unfortunately I have to get back to the Normandy ASAP. You can walk to the docking bay with me though if you want. That way we can at least catch up a little."
"Sure." He fell in step next to her.
"What are you doing on the Citadel?" she asked desperate to talk of more pleasant things. "Last I knew you and Trevor were on Arcturus."
Matt chuckled softly. "We just moved here about four months ago. We tried to tell you, but … you know." She simply nodded. "We both applied for jobs here, and got them."
"I'm glad," Nick replied quietly, stepping to the side to avoid colliding with a volus. "When the Reapers attacked Earth I knew Arcturus had to be gone and I thought I had to mourn my best friends."
Matt nodded. "Yeah. So many dead in such a short time." He cast a quick glance at her. "How was the situation on Earth?"
Nick grimaced. "Bad. Really bad. The Reapers are there in force. The news vids coming in from other cities showed high levels of destruction before the network links were severed, and they turned large parts of Vancouver to rubble in the time it took me to get from the courtroom at HQ to Normandy's dock. And that wasn't long." She chewed her bottom lip, eyebrows drawn together with worry. "The Alliance is putting up a fight, but they'll need resources and personnel, and that's a pretty big problem." She stopped and turned to her friend. "Now to something a little more pleasant. Tell me what you and Trev have been up to."
"Well, I took up acting again," Matt told her. "That was the main reason we relocated from Arcturus to the Citadel. I got a part time contract with one of the theaters here." He laughed at the surprise on her face, and shrugged. "What can I say? I missed acting."
"Wow," Nick said. Then she laughed too and poked him in the ribs. "I seem to remember you saying we should shoot you if you ever got up on stage again. Want me to fetch my pistol?"
"That was almost fifteen years ago!" Matt replied with a roll of his eyes. "And aren't you always whining about the pistol being your weakest weapon? That's not exactly frightening."
"Just giving you a fair chance of survival," she shot back. "I can always give you a headstart and get my sniper rifle instead, if that's more what you had in mind. You'd never see it coming. Then again, Trev would probably never talk to me then anymore, so you might be safe after all."
Matt laughed. "Enough about me. Now, tell me how you're holding up."
Nick remained silent for a moment, pondering her answer.
"I'm not sure I am," she finally admitted. "I'm so fucking angry. At the Alliance, at the Council. The past year and a half have been hell. I've had to deal with nothing but distrust by them and gloating from the Illusive Man, because he was fully aware I didn't have a fucking choice but to help Cerberus." She paused and took a deep breath. "And then after destroying the fucking Collector base I get sent on an unofficial mission, only to be sedated by indoctrinated scientists and having to blow up a mass relay to stop the Reapers from waltzing into our galaxy. And what happens? They charge me with attempted genocide! Give me a fucking break! What did they expect me to do? Just stand there and fucking watch? God!"
She hadn't planned on dumping all this at her friends' feet, but now everything seemed to tumble out. All the frustration and anger of the past months spilled from her as she went on, "So they put me under house arrest and question me again and again about everything concerning my dealings with the Prothean artifacts while taking down Saren to the incident with the Alpha relay, but did they listen? Fucking hell, no," she hissed. "Then - surprise! - the Reapers attack and the brass sends the Normandy to Mars and guess who's there? Right, Cerberus!"
"Who got hurt on Mars?" Matt asked suddenly.
"Kaidan," Nick replied quietly. "Kaidan got hurt. I froze, Matt. I watched this … robot smash him against a shuttle, and I couldn't pull the trigger. I couldn't move a damn muscle, not until it dropped him to the ground and came running toward me," she pressed out. She opened her mouth to go on, but only a small anguished sound escaped her. Matt waited silently until she continued. "I keep on seeing that moment before my inner eye again and again and again. It was holding him up by his throat, always keeping him between me and it's body so I couldn't get a clear shot, and then it turned around and slammed him against the shuttle twice and with force. It had it's back turned to me, and I did nothing. I just stood there, pointing my pistol at it. If he dies it will be my fault."
Matt shook his head. "It's not your fault."
An uncomfortable silence spread between them as she quickly wiped away a tear. "I have years of combat experience. This shouldn't have happened. Not like this."
"Isn't this the marine you told us about ages ago? The one you spent your shore leave with?" he asked carefully.
"Yes," she said, looking away. She drew a shaky breath and tried to keep her voice calm. "We've been trying to patch things up after a disagreement we had, and now I don't know if we'll ever have the chance again. I miss him," she whispered.
They continued silently until the Normandy came in view through the large windows looking out to the docking bay. Matt whistled softly and slowed down. "She's a beauty."
"She is."
"She looks impressive on the news already, but … damn." He was clearly quite taken.
They stopped in front of the window and gazed at the deep space frigate. After a few minutes Nick sighed. "I'd love to give you a tour or at least give you all the technical details, but I've gotta get going. I'll let you know when I'm on the Citadel again, and we'll try to catch up properly. Give my love to Trev, okay? And Matt? Thanks for listening."
"Will do," Matt replied. He pulled her into a fierce hug. "If you need to vent, call." She nodded. "And don't do anything rash out there," he added.
"Me? Never!"
They laughed, but it was just a little too loud, a little too forced, to sound happy. Nick reluctantly let go of her friend. She had a job to do. She walked to the entrance to the docking tube and stepped inside, waving to her friend a last time before the doors closed. She boarded the Normandy with mixed emotions, both happy to have learned at least two of her friends were still alive and, for the meantime, safe, and worried about Kaidan.
He's strong, he'll pull through.
"Is everybody aboard?" she asked, stopping in the bulkhead leading to the helm.
"You were the last one to return, Commander," EDI's disembodied voice replied.
"Good. Joker, take us aweigh and set a course for Menae. Let me know when we're half an hour out." He acknowledged her order and she made her way through the CIC to the elevator.
She should try to get a few hours of rest.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are most welcome! :)