Life Moves On, and So Does War
Shepard sat on the edge of the couch, elbows resting on her knees with her hands hanging limply between her legs as she stared off into space. She'd left Garrus to deal with finding Harath a place to settle in and make the relevant introductions. It was normally something she'd do herself, something she often enjoyed doing in the past, in fact, but just then … just then they didn't have it in them to do a goddamned thing but sit on the couch.
Her chest ached—literally—and it clearly didn't plan on fading any time soon. Every breath took more concentration and energy than she thought she could give, but the amalgamation kept her right on breathing, anyway. The temptation to escape within herself, allow the amalgamation or Jane to just take over tested her willpower again and again. But they knew if she gave in, if she disappeared, she wouldn't resurface again. Garrus needed her—and he was pretty damn insistent the whole galaxy needed her, still—so it really wasn't an option.
They took in a deep, shuddering breath, and somehow more tears welled in their eyes, burning when she blinked.
"Commander," EDI said, voice soft, hesitant, and filled with sorrow, "Councilor Anderson is on the line for you."
Sighing, Shepard scrubbed her face and cleared her throat. "If it's not an urgent matter, then tell him I'll call him back later."
"He's calling to offer his condolences." EDI paused and then added, "Should I tell him that now is not a good time?"
Squeezing her eyes closed, sending more tears spilling down her face, Shepard nodded. "Yeah." Her voice croaked, so she cleared her throat once more and spoke again, "Yes, EDI, thank you. Tell him … tell him I just don't have it in me to hear any 'sorries' right now, but I'm still me. I'm still here. Still fighting. And I'll call him after I've gotten some sleep."
"Right away." EDI fell silent for a few seconds, but then she said, "If you decide you want to talk about it, I may not know the right things to say, but I'll listen and provide you whatever support I can, Shepard."
The AI's sympathetic words stirred something in Jane, but she remained silent. The fact was, even she'd run out of things to say and finally come to understand that there was nothing she could say that would make any of it easier for Shepard.
"Thank you, EDI." Shepard whimpered and turned—the tears coming faster, her throat aching with the urge to scream and wail—to curl up into a ball on the couch because the bed just seemed too damn far away.
She woke when Garrus crawled into bed next to her, but she didn't even remember moving to the bed herself. She was changed into pajamas, and her hair was damp, so obviously he didn't just move her from the couch.
"The amalgamation handled things while you rested," Jane said. "Nothing major, just the basics to keep you functioning, you know, food, water, bathroom …."
"Alright," Shepard thought, both to Jane and the amalgamation, "thanks."
Rolling over, she shifted closer and laid her head down on Garrus' chest. He hummed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, caressing her bare arm. It seemed like she could breathe a little easier with him nearby, and her chest didn't hurt so badly when she was in his arms.
"Where are we headed?" Her voice sounded low, barely above a whisper, because she didn't have the energy to speak any louder.
"Back to Grissom Academy." He rubbed her arm again before shifting his hand to run his fingers through her hair. "Everything with David's been arranged, all he needs is Dr. Chakwas' clearance to go and a ride to Rannoch."
"That's good," Jane said. "I doubt Dr. Chakwas will find any reason to keep him from going."
Shepard nodded but didn't give either of them any other response.
"Jack's been asking about you." He hummed again, rubbing the pads of his fingers against her scalp. "She suggested coming up here to sleep with us. She thought maybe it'd make things a little easier for you, but I didn't want to wake you to see how you felt about it …. I can ask EDI to send her up, though, if you want?"
Things with Jack were complicated, but at the moment, whatever romantic feelings she felt for the other woman were definitely on the back burner of shit to think about. Either which way, having Jack in there would make Shepard feel at least a little better, and it'd probably make Garrus feel better, too. They hadn't really talked much about how he felt about Thane's death, but she knew he was grieving, also.
"Okay," she said with a croak, nodding again.
Jane seemed to dither for a moment before saying, "Maybe … maybe we should ask him how he feels."
"Yeah," Shepard thought, "I know. I will. Just …."
"Just not yet." Jane gave her a mental nod.
"EDI?" Garrus called out, but he didn't wait for an answer before continuing, "Will you please tell Jack she's welcome to come sleep up here if she still wants to."
"She's on her way," EDI said a moment later.
Offering him the best smile she could manage, Shepard said, "Morning, Anderson."
"Hey, kid." He took a drink of coffee and let out a soft sigh. "How are you feeling today?"
"He looks tired. Worn down," Jane said. "Things must be crazy for him and the rest of the Council since the reapers were spotted."
They snorted and ran a hand through her hair. "Like shit, sir."
Jane was right, of course. The whole galaxy was in an upheaval since the deep space scanners picked up on their approach, and the Council had a lot on their plates. Everyone had a lot on their plates. Anderson did look a little rougher around the edges, even compared to the amalgamation's memories of their current time frame. She knew it wasn't just because of the reapers, though. She'd changed things for him just like everyone else she knew since the day Jane made herself known. Hopefully … hopefully the extra wear and tear would pay off in the end.
"It will," Jane said, but she didn't sound so sure herself. "It has to."
He hummed and nodded before taking another drink. "I'm so sorry, Shepard. You've been through more hell than anyone, and this universe just isn't giving you any breaks. Maybe you should come back to the Citadel for a couple of days, spend some time here, with me, recuperating."
"Pffft. Like we have time for that." Jane sighed, feeling just as worn out as Anderson looked. "It's a nice thought, but the war isn't going to wait."
"I've already spent enough time on the Citadel recuperating, Anderson." She shook her head and propped her elbows on her desk, rubbing her hands over her face before meeting his gaze again. "Spending time with you would be nice, of course, but there's still too much for both of us to try and get done before the reapers show up for either of us to take any more time off right now."
"Mmm. You're probably right." He studied her in silence for a moment, sadness and worry tugging at his brow and lips. "Where are you headed now?"
Jane scoffed and said, "He's so not done with the conversation."
"I know," Shepard thought in return.
"Grissom Academy," she said to Anderson. "Dr. Chakwas agreed to evaluate David Archer for the quarian Admiralty Board, and if she gives the all clear, we're taking him to live on Rannoch." She sucked in a deep breath, letting it out in a slow sigh as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair. "He worked … intimately with geth heretics during Project Overlord before his psychotic brother started torturing him, and he's incredibly smart. He'll be able to help both quarians and the geth with tech development for the war."
"Kahlee mentioned they're evacuating the academy." He took a drink from his mug. "It sounds like David must be doing pretty well and recovering from that whole ordeal."
"I wonder if he'll be spending more time with Kahlee now that the academy's closing down." Jane hummed, mood lightening a little. "I know they were able to steal some time together on the Citadel before, in my time, but there's so much different happening this time around."
Shepard just nodded and let her gaze roam as she spoke, taking in the model ships filling the display case above her desk. "I wasn't there to see him when we dealt with Project Overlord this time around, but he looks good compared to the others' memories of how they found him, for sure." She wanted Anderson to find happiness, even if it was only a few stolen moments. But, if she were being completely honest, thinking about someone else's happiness while Thane's corpse was being consumed by the seas of Kahje left her kind of bitter.
Jane winced. "Sorry."
"It's alright," Shepard thought. But it wasn't, and they all knew it.
"You think he'll do okay on Rannoch?" Anderson raised his brow, gaze searching her face when she looked his way again.
"Yeah." She loved Anderson, but the conversation was already starting to wear her down. It wasn't that she didn't want to fill him in on everything, it just took so much out of her to even be awake let alone put on a brave face for him. But she had to. She had to make sure he didn't doubt that she was okay, and she'd pull through. "He understands what it'll be like, the risks involved, the environment, social setting and all that. The Admiralty Board gifted me with a piece of land and they're building a house on it. David will be living there, for now. And I've declared him as being under my personal protection, so if something goes wrong, they'll bring it to me."
"Of course you did." He let out a soft chuckle, but it was short lived. His brow began to furrow again, and his shoulders hefted with a sigh. "Shepard, are you sure you don't need some more time off? We can find a way to make it work. This thing with Thane … it hasn't been that long since we checked you out of Pearson Sisters' Sanctuary."
"Wait." Jane's hackles rose. "Is he suggesting we go back there?"
Shepard blinked, unsure herself, and then stared at him a moment. "What are you saying, Anderson?"
He held up a hand, showing her his palm. "All I'm saying is your mental health is important to me, Shepard. With everything you've been through, any one would be a bit more … fragile for a time. The offer stands, you can stay here with me for a while if you need the time. It'd be better for you to take it than to push yourself too far and end up shutting down completely again."
"Ah," said Jane.
"I'm not going to shut down, and I'm not pushing myself too much." She rubbed a hand over her face, feeling a little tension slip away, and sighed. "Garrus is taking over quite a few duties as XO, for now. I'm talking through things with him a lot more than I used to, and I still have friends on the Normandy. Kelly Chambers is still onboard, and Dr. Chakwas, too. So, I have access to professional help, if I need it. Besides, I'd just be a sitting duck on the Citadel."
"Okay, Shepard." He shook his head slightly as he looked down into his mug. "Okay."
"With our return to Rannoch, and in light of the war, we've decided to allow those exiled from the Migrant Fleet to come home." Shala'Raan leaned a hip against the table and loosely crossed her arms over her chest. "Depending on why they were exiled to begin with, it might not mean exoneration, but rather a change in their sentencing." She nodded her head toward Tali where the other Admiral stood with Garrus, Jack, and David Archer discussing any specific changes or additions he might want to make to the house while living there. "Tali's father, for example, will never be allowed to serve on the Admiralty Board again, or to take any other formal position of leadership. Should he choose to return to Rannoch, he'll likely be resentenced to a position of service."
"Makes sense," Jane said, "They'll need every quarian they can get to help rebuild, repopulate, and … to fight to keep Rannoch when the reapers get here. I wonder how many will return, knowing they'll lose their freedom. Then again, if the idea of having their homeworld back isn't temptation enough, maybe being able to live without an envirosuit will be."
Shepard gave Jane a mental hum. "I can't imagine more than a handful won't jump at the chance to live on Rannoch. Reclaiming their homeworld has, more or less, been the quarians' entire existence since they fled the planet."
"Like what," Shepard asked Shala'Raan, gaze lingering on Garrus for a moment. All she wanted to do was go back to the Normandy and curl up next to him in bed. The hole in her chest threatened to destroy her, take her to her knees, but every second she fought to keep it together for him.
"It's not for me to decide alone," Shala'Raan said, "but I imagine he'd be assigned to crews helping to further clear the soil of contaminants, work farmlands, or maybe perform some sort of routine maintenance on public buildings. The geth would likely ban him from those areas they claim as their own, and his interactions with geth on our lands would be limited and supervised to ensure their safety."
"I doubt he'd be a threat to the geth," said Jane. "I think his only real interest in them was about getting back to Rannoch."
"Maybe," Shepard thought as she nodded to Shala'Raan's response.
She didn't really have much of an opinion on what they did with Rael'Zorah. She understood why he did what he did, even if it was a stupid idea. She knew how much worse it would've been if she hadn't warned Tali, and if Tali hadn't reported her father to the Admiralty Board. Many lives were saved that day, including his own.
What Shepard did care about were those quarians who were actively a threat to the peace. "What about Han'Gerrel? Where does he stand with the geth alliance at this point?"
Just thinking about him brought a flood of anger from both Jane and the amalgamation, and it drew Garrus' attention. He looked her way, nose plates shifting as he took in her scent drifting through the air. The anger was easily squelched, though, and he soon turned his attention back to his own conversation.
Shala'Raan sighed and dropped her arms, resting a palm on the table's surface. "He's a stubborn and foolish man, but I think … I think he may be beginning to question his own beliefs about the possibility of peace between our races."
After a noncommittal grunt of acknowledgement, Shepard opted to change the subject. "Did the Council reach out?"
"About joining the Council? Yes." Shala'Raan nodded. "The Admiralty Board is compiling a list of names as recommendations for a councilor, but the final decision will be left to the Conclave. There's some debate as to whether or not we even should accept 'the honor' after all of the degradation we've endured, but now isn't the time for us to refuse because of pride." She turned to face Shepard fully, a broad smile on her face. "Once again, Shepard, you've done for us what we've been unable to accomplish for ourselves for so long." She shook her head. "Keelah, how did you convince them to allow the geth to join the Council, though?"
Shepard smirked and shrugged one shoulder. "I told the Council it was time for them to do their part. If we're going to win this war, we all have to work together, and that includes the geth."
Gently rapping her knuckles against the metal door frame, Shepard smiled when Zaal looked up from his desk and grinned. His skin carried a light, sun-kissed glow that only made his silver hair stand out even more. He'd taken off not only his visor, but the entire hood of his envirosuit, and it sat next to him. He was the first she'd seen who'd removed anything more than the visor, but she didn't find it all too surprising.
He stood, and rounded the desk, heading toward her, so she stepped over the threshold. He reached out long before they met in the middle of the room, and she shook his hand. "Shepard, it's so good to see you. Please, come have a seat," he said, gesturing at a set of chairs positioned around a low coffee table.
She nodded, following him over. "Thanks."
"How have you been?" he asked, taking a seat. "I was happy to hear you were coming, and I'm quite excited to meet this man you brought to stay with us. David is his name, yes? Like the human councilor, David Anderson?"
"Exactly, yes." She sat down, allowing herself to relax completely into the chair. "David's getting settled now. Garrus and Jack are working with Tali and Shala'Raan to make sure he has everything he needs. I thought I'd slip away and come say hello to you; I was really just in the way of things, and I don't want to overwhelm David." She glanced at the time on her omni-tool and sighed as she added, "Though I'm sure someone'll come looking for me soon enough." She'd told Garrus where she was going, but she knew he wouldn't let her wander around alone for long.
"You don't seem too pleased by that." He gave her that haughty smile of his and said, "I can send them away, if you want. You can hide in here as long as you'd like."
She chuckled but sighed again, her smile slipping away as she shook her head. "Trust me, a huge part of me really wants to just hide from everyone and everything, but life moves on, and so does war."
"Shepard …" He leaned forward a little, eyes narrowing as he studied her from across the table. "... has something else happened?"
Her lips parted, her first instinct to brush aside his concern, assure him it had nothing to do with the war and wouldn't impact the quarians before changing the subject, but she hesitated. She remembered he'd lost his wife, and although Shepard wasn't married to Thane, she did love him so completely. She and Zaal had become friends after a fashion, why not be honest with the man? Especially knowing he'd completely understand? His brow started to raise while she debated her response, and his jaw took on a stern set as if he intended to scold her into talking.
After a moment, she took a deep breath. Eyes already stinging with the threat of tears, she licked her lips and said, "Thane passed away a few days ago."
She watched the slow crumble of Zaal's composure as the full weight of what she'd said sank in. His expression shifted to one filled with sorrow and sympathy, but he didn't speak. Instead, he slowly scooted forward and stood, coming to sit on the edge of the table in front of her. Hesitantly, he reached out and took her hands into his own.
The tears began to flow freely, and her body shook with a suppressed sob. Still, he didn't say anything, and neither did she. He closed his eyes and lowered his head as if in prayer, but if he had anything to say to his ancestors at that moment, he didn't speak the words aloud. He just held her hands, neither loosely nor tightly, but securely. Intentionally; with purpose. And he let her cry.
~6969696969~
Garrus watched, mandibles fluttering softly as Dawn stepped out of Zaal'Koris' office—eyes red, tears still drying on her cheeks—only to turn back around. She said something just beyond his range of hearing, and then stepped forward to hug the admiral. The quarian wrapped his arms tightly around Dawn, pulling her in close before tucking his head down next to her ear to speak.
Garrus lifted his brow plates and hummed but waited patiently, giving them their privacy. Truthfully, the bond she'd formed with the admiral surprised but also fascinated Garrus. Zaal'Koris definitely wasn't someone Garrus would've ever expected Dawn to actually care about since the two were so different, but she definitely did care about the man. From a tactical standpoint, it was a useful friendship. It'd help cement the growing alliance between humans and quarians, but it might also encourage galactic acceptance of the quarians if it became common knowledge, what with her being so well known and—mostly—respected as a Spectre.
After a moment, she pulled away and kissed Zaal'Koris on the cheek, making the man blush. He patted her shoulder, and then she turned and started down the hall. A soft smile spread over her face when she lifted her head and saw Garrus waiting. He hummed again, returning the smile before pushing off the wall and moving to meet her halfway.
"Hey, you," she said, slipping her arm around his waist when he turned to walk at her side. "Everything all set up for David?"
"Yeah." He draped his arm over her shoulders and looked down at her. "Are you alright?"
She stayed silent for a moment as they walked and then let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am." Despite it being obvious she'd been crying, she did, in fact, smell calm and her heart rate was slow and steady.
He rumbled and leaned down to bump his forehead against the side of hers. "Good. EDI's working with Legion to finish up some of the upgrades on her mobile platform, and in the meantime, Tali and Kal want us to come to their house for dinner. Lia will be there, too. What do you think?"
"Sounds good." She gave his waist a gentle squeeze and nodded.
"Oh," he said, surprised but happy she wanted to stick around and be social instead of hiding away in the ship until EDI was ready to go, "and, I overheard Shala'Raan mention that quarian you were worried about before. Veetor? He and David will be doing some work together."
"Really?" She turned her head and glanced up at him, eyebrows raised as she hummed. "That might actually make an incredibly useful pairing … if they don't set one another off by accident."
Garrus just hummed. He didn't know the Veetor kid, but Dawn had mentioned he was a bit mentally unstable. It didn't really matter to him how Veetor and David got along, though, just so long as no major problems arose, making Dawn have to fly back to Rannoch every few weeks to keep the peace. Anything else, he figured they'd learn how to work out between the two of them—or, they wouldn't, and they'd stop working together. Again, didn't make much of a difference to Garrus.
"Where's Jack?" she asked.
A flurry of scents washed over Dawn when she asked about Jack, and it was something Garrus was noticing more and more since they picked Jack up from Grissom Academy. It wouldn't have been difficult to work out what they meant, even if he didn't know Dawn so well. He didn't say anything about it, though, figuring he'd let her sort it out on her own until she decided to broach the subject with him. If she decided to say anything at all. At one point, he thought she might, but then with Thane … he didn't know, any more.
A wave of sadness washed over him as he considered Thane. He'd looked so terrible those last couple of days. Garrus was fairly certain that, despite everything, Thane had fought like hell to keep as much of his pain and suffering silent so Dawn wouldn't see. It was funny, Garrus always knew Dawn would end up with Thane, one way or another, but he'd never imagined that he'd become such good friends with the drell. And, admittedly, he'd grown a little fond of Kolyat, too.
He wondered how everything would work out having a new drell assassin aboard the Normandy. Harath seemed friendly enough, but of course, that might all just be training.
"Garrus?" Dawn stopped walking, pulling him up short and snapping him back to the present.
A little confused, he looked down at her and lifted his brow. "Hmm?"
"I asked where Jack is?" she repeated, her own brow hiking up.
"Oh, uh … she stuck back to help David unpack his things." He waved his hand back in the general direction of Dawn's house. "I think she wanted a little time with him to, you know, make sure he's actually going to be okay with the arrangement. I think she's worried about him. Although, of course, I doubt she'd ever admit it."
Dawn smiled and chuckled. "True."
"So you're telling me," Tali said, gaze on her plate as she cut into some tuber vegetable Garrus hadn't seen before, "that there's a turian on the ship now who could wind up being Palaven's primarch?"
Kal chuckled softly and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Garrus himself could, technically, wind up being Palaven's primarch—if he ever finds himself being next in the line of succession." He met Garrus' gaze, scent souring just a touch. "Ancestors willing, it never comes to that."
Tali snorted. "What are you talking about? Garrus would be a great primarch!"
Garrus let out a bark of laughter despite the telltale signs in Tali's voice and scent letting him know she was actually, genuinely, offended on his behalf. "No, I wouldn't. But, hmm, thanks, Tali."
"I only meant that if he finds himself the next in line, it means everyone in line before him has already died." Kal frowned, glancing between Tali and Garrus, but he seemed to relax when Garrus gave him an understanding nod.
"Oh. Keelah." Tali sat her utensils down and began wringing her wrists. "I didn't think of it like that."
"Either way," Garrus said, hoping to break the sudden gloom settling over the table, "It's never going to happen. Victus, on the other hand … in Jane's and the others' lives, he did become primarch shortly after the reapers hit Palaven. Hopefully, with what preparations have been made and Fedorian having plenty of advanced warning, he'll be able to stay safe himself."
"Won't that be weird for him, though? Victus, I mean?" Lia asked, resting her forearms on the table as she leaned into the conversation—it reminded Garrus of Dawn. "Having to answer to you aboard the Normandy?"
Garrus hummed and fluttered his mandibles. "For him, maybe. I've never exactly been a 'good turian', and right now, turian politics really aren't very high on my list of things I should care about outside of how it impacts the war."
"I think you care more than you like to pretend you do," Tali said, lifting a glass of wine to her mouth.
Jack snorted, but didn't say anything. In fact, so far, she'd remained uncharacteristically quiet most of the evening. Nothing about her scent really told Garrus what she might be thinking about, however. Dawn glanced at Jack, some unspoken communication passing between the two women when she found and met her gaze. She chuckled before taking a drink of her wine.
Flicking a mandible, Garrus studied Tali for a moment and said, "Just because you were in a hurry to join the Admiralty Board doesn't mean I'm interested in becoming a primarch."
Kal laughed, and Tali gently swatted his arm, bringing a snicker from Lia.
"Garrus, please," Tali said, rolling her eyes. "You know my decision to accept the offer was about the war and nothing else."
"I don't know, Tali," Kal said, giving her the side eye. "You did seem pretty proud of yourself when you came to tell me the news."
"Same," said Lia, smirking at the older woman.
"Oh!" Tali let out an exasperated sounding huff and flung a hand through the air. "You're all bosh'tets!"
~6969696969~
"Hey, Alliance! Wait up!" Jack called after Shepard then jogged across the path to catch up to her when she stopped and turned around.
Shepard brought a hand up to shade her face from the setting sun and smiled at Jack. That thing was in her eyes, again, when she looked at Jack. The fucking amalgamation or whatever drooling over something one or the other of them had with some other fucking version of Jack, once upon a time. Whatever.
"Hey," Shepard said, dropping her hand once Jack stood in front of her and she could lower her gaze a little. "Need something?"
"Nah, not really." Jack popped her shoulders in a shrug. "Just not really interested in hearing anymore about the differences between turian and quarian politics. Thought I'd go with you to see how EDI's shit's coming along. Say hi to Legion."
Shepard's eyes twitched a little, and something else flashed across her face. It was brief, but Jack caught it. One of them was a little pissed off about something. The look was gone so fast, and she didn't flare or even ball up a fist, so Jack figured whatever it was already passed.
Ever since Joker died and Shepard lost her shit, there were all of these quick, little expressions popping up left and right on Shepard's face. But no one but Jack seemed to catch them half the time, not even Garrus. She didn't understand why until she mentioned it to EDI one day. EDI suggested Jack learned to pick up on "even the slightest of microexpressions" while being fucking tortured by Cerberus as a kid. It made her "hypervigilant" to whatever was going on inside other people's heads so she could be better prepared for an attack. Made sense, she guessed.
"Did Garrus send you?" Shepard asked softly after a second or two.
Jack smirked. She got it now. "Nah, he didn't put me on babysitting duty." Shaking her head, she said, "Don't worry, Alliance. I'm just here because I don't want to be there anymore, and you're one of the few people I enjoy being around."
Shoulders relaxing, Shepard gave Jack a shit eating grin and nodded her head. "I love you, too, Jack," she said, words snarky but still real in that confusing-ass way of hers. She turned, throwing an arm over Jack's shoulder and started walking again.
Jack snorted and glanced sideways at her, but let the arm stay. "You know, you should probably let me touch up your phoenix soon. It's fading faster than it would for most people."
Shepard nodded and hummed. "Yeah, alright."
"And, if you want, we can add something new … maybe something for Thane?" Jack raised a brow, watching Shepard's profile.
Tears started to rim the other woman's eyes, and Jack inwardly cursed herself. Shepard didn't actually start crying, though. Instead, she sucked in a deep breath, blinked, and nodded again.
"Damn, EDI," Jack said, looking over the designs for AI's upgrades. "This looks badass."
They were currently incorporating mass accelerated weaponry into the actual body, making it to where EDI was the fucking gun and not just able to use one.
Legion's plating fluttered. "I do not understand."
EDI began saying, "Jack is using the term to indicate—"
"I got this, EDI," Jack said, holding up a hand and cutting her off. Crossing her arms and leaning against the workbench, Jack turned her attention to Legion. "I'm sayin' it's impressive, and it'll intimidate anyone trying to mess with EDI. Any organic, at least."
"Intimidation is not an aspect I had considered," Legion said, turning his attention back to his work.
"Being intimidating may serve me well in battle," EDI said, "but I need to be able to appear non-threatening the rest of the time. This is why we're making sure everything is incorporated as seamlessly and discreetly as possible."
Jack scoffed, raising a brow. "Why?"
"To better be accepted by organics, Jack." EDI turned her head to look at Jack. "Although they're allowing the geth to join the Council—giving them an official status and recognizing them as people in their own rights—the laws on AIs have not yet changed overall. Organics fear AIs, and they've been told we're about to face an enemy race of very powerful AIs. It's going to be difficult for the geth and I to gain public acceptance and cooperation."
The way Jack saw it, if EDI looked intimidating enough, the chances of some random asshole giving her a hard time dropped significantly. Being intimidating and being able to back it up had always served Jack well. But, whatever. She guessed the AI was going for a more diplomatic route or some shit, so she just shrugged and turned her attention back to Legion's work.