AN: I recently had an anonymous user posting comments on a couple of my stories and I had to enable content moderation on FFN. I get annoyed when people feel the need to tell me how stupid I am and how my story makes no sense, but truly it really doesn't matter in the long run, but if you want to call me retarded or insult my writing, sign up for an account and don't hide like a little bitch behind the anonymity of a guest comment. If this is what you're here to do, your opinion really doesn't matter to me, but if it matters that much to you then have the balls to stand behind it.
Chapter 23
Shepard said nothing after breaking off the kiss with Harry, instead taking him by the hand and leading him into the ship. She didn't bother stripping out of her armor, instead banishing the Rachni gore off it with her wand. They didn't stop until they were in her quarters and the door was closed. Harry could recognize her mood immediately, it was a signature of both the Weasley and Granger line. He knew she was about to explode, and she most definitely did.
Harry simply stood there and listened as she ranted at him. He knew that she wasn't truly angry with him, she'd just been afraid. More afraid than she'd ever been in her life. He didn't argue, he didn't fight back, and he did not correct anything that she said even if it was demonstrably inaccurate. He simply stood and allowed her to speak, and soon the yelling dissolved into crying and he found himself being held in Molly Weasley strength bear hug. The Genetic engineering that comes with Alliance service as well as N7 training certainly did not help things. Harry was thankful for his own augmentation and training.
"I'm sorry, Janey. Truly." Harry said.
"I know.. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that." Shepard said.
"No, I get it. It was a stupid mistake, but one anyone could have made. I just hate that I put you through that." Harry said. Shepard nodded. Harry smirked.
"We've been in here a long time alone, the crew might get suspicious." Harry said.
"Yeah..." Shepard said.
"I should go." Harry said with a shit-eating grin. Shepard blushed.
"I don't say it like that!" Shepard said. Harry laughed and brought her back in for another hug.
"I'll see you later, yeah?" Harry said. Shepard nodded and smiled back at him.
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"So you decided to let the Rachni Queen go free?" Sparatus said. Valern and Tevos' disapproval was apparent even through the holographic projection. Harry stood off to the side where Shepard could see him but the councilors couldn't. He was currently silently begging for Shepard to let him intervene.
"We knew it was too early to let Humanity have a spectre. Clearly you're not ready to make the hard decisions." Valern said. Shepard had to stifle a grin.
"Well Councilors, I suppose my poor, small-minded, backwards species is simply too inferior to feel justified in committing genocide simply because we can't control a species. Who was it that engineered and implemented the genophage again?" Shepard asked. Harry lost it and started laughing loud enough to be heard.
"I don't appreciate being mocked, human." Valern said.
"And I don't appreciate being chastised for making the morally right decision by two species guilty of genocide and a third who was complicit. Now if you'll excuse me, Saren is still out there so I have to keep doing your job for you." Shepard said, killing the connection. Harry walked across the room and took her into his arms, kissing her.
"I want to have your babies." Harry said.
"I don't think that's how it works..." Shepard said.
"I'll find a way to make it work. God I'm proud of you." Harry said, smiling brightly at her. She grinned and followed him out of the comms room. When they arrived, Wrex, Garrus, Tali and Liara were listening to Ashley and Kaidan explain something to them.
"So, did they get rid of the ring?" Wrex asked.
"Read the books! I'm not spoiling it for you." Kaidan said. Wrex shrugged.
"Got nothing better to do." Wrex said, bringing up his omnitool and downloading the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books translated into Krogan. Harry slid onto a bench next to Shiala who squawked indignantly when he stole some of her food.
"Heya skipper. How'd the council meeting go?" Ash asked.
"It was brilliant! She tossed their dumb, smug bullshit right in their faces." Harry said giddily. They all looked at Shepard who shrugged and grinned.
"They objected to my letting the Rachni Queen go free. I apologized for our primitive, backwards species feeling unjustified in committing genocide against another that we can't control, and told them I needed to get back to doing their job for them." Shepard said. Wrex bellowed with laughter.
"I'm glad I hitched a ride on this tub." Wrex said.
"Hey! This 'tub' is my baby and you will not disrespect her!" Joker shouted as he waddled over.
"Whose baby?" Shepard asked.
"Uh, our baby?" Joker replied.
"Damn straight!" Shepard said.
"Shiala, what is this?" Harry asked, looking at the food he'd just bitten into.
"There's no direct translation, I think the easiest way to describe it would be 'squid dumplings'" Shiala said.
"I don't normally eat squid, but this is amazing!" Harry said, popping the rest of it into his mouth.
"Well good then perhaps you could ask Gardner to get you some of your own!" Shiala said, covering her plate with her hands when he went to take another.
"But food tastes so much better when it's stolen!" Harry whined. Shiala laughed.
"So what's next on the agenda, Commander?" Ashley asked.
"We're bringing Benezia and her Acolytes to Thessia, they need medical attention after their time on Saren's ship, and Benezia said they'd prefer Thessia or even Earth over the hospitals in the citadel." Shepard said
"I can't say I blame her, honestly. Until Huerta Memorial opens if I get hurt on the citadel, I'm hobbling my ass back to the Normandy. I went to a Salarian clinic after breaking my humerus last year and they scheduled me for amputation." Joker said.
"You're kidding." Liara said. Joker shook his head.
"The physician literally told me to stop whining because it would 'grow back eventually'." Joker said, snickering.
"That's part of the reason the Alliance is pouring millions of credits into Huerta, Alliance citizens have standing orders to find an Alliance or Asari ship if they're in need of medical attention on the citadel." Harry said, his hand surreptitiously sliding towards Shiala's plate.
"We've been advised to avoid medical care on the citadel, barring a few small clinics, most commonly run by Asari, Drell or Humans." Liara said. A resounding smack was heard and Harry jerked his hand away from Shiala's plate, rubbing it and glaring at her.
"MUTINY! You'll be hanged for this!" Harry shouted.
"You're not an Admiral any more, Harry." Shepard said grinning. Harry frowned and crossed his arms.
"You guys suck." Harry said.
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"That'll never work, Mallene. You start an official inquiry, and they'll go to ground and destroy all of the evidence." Harry said. He was speaking to Mallene Callis on his omnitool from the cargo bay of the Normandy .
"I can't exactly go to the press like that, Harry. I work for a consortium of companies out of Ilium, the work they do tends to... skirt the lines of ethics and legality. If they find out I go to the press about Binary Helix..." Mallene said, trailing off.
"How would your bosses react if some obnoxious uppity retired Human admiral did it?" Harry said with a grin.
"That... that would work. Binary Helix going down would only bolster the other companies' position on the markets. What about all of the employees though? Most of them are simple researchers and administrative personnel?" Mallene asked.
"Well, if someone were to swoop in, say, a certain obnoxious retired Human admiral, and purchase a majority interest after the stock price plummets..." Harry said. Mallene grinned.
"I love it. I'll let you know when we're ready to proceed. You're doing us a huge favor, Harry." Mallene said.
"I'll need something in return..." Harry asked.
"And that is?" Mallene asked, her previous enthusiasm fading. Harry's grin turned feral.
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"We're being hailed by flight control, Commander." Joker said.
"Put them through." Shepard said. The screen lit up and an elegantly dressed Asari appeared.
"Alliance Vessel, you are expected. Please proceed to the following coordinates, there will be medical personnel waiting." The Asari said.
"Understood, much appreciated. Shepard out." Shepard said. She cut the connection before the Asari could respond.
"That was a a bit abrupt, Commander." Joker said, laughing.
"That would be on my advice, Flight Lieutenant. Did you notice the emblem on her dress?" Benezia asked.
"Matriarch Benezia, I didn't see you there. I didn't see it, ma'am." Joker said.
"No need for formalities, Flight lieutenant. The emblem indicated that the woman you just spoke to was a member of Asari Intelligence. It is unwise to speak too extensively with them, they have ways of weeding information out without you even knowing." Benezia said.
"Noted, and please call me Joker." Joker said with a wry smile. Shepard rolled his eyes at his obvious flirtation. The worst part of it is that it appeared to be working.
"Of course, and it's Benezia, please." Benezia said, returning his smile. She took her leave and went to go prepare the commandos for their transfer to the medical center.
"You realize she's a thousand years old, right?" Shepard said. Joker shrugged and grinned.
