I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best. ― Marilyn Monroe

Ài – [愛 – love] (whether spoken by Xiùlán or Samantha, the meaning is 'Luv')]
ARC – Alliance military slang for Arcturus Station
MP – Military Police Qīzi– [妻子– wife]
Tiánxīn – [甜心 – Sweetheart]

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Saturday, 15 March 2223-CE ⸰

I had awakened at 0728 with a slight headache, so decided to spend the day relaxing. To that end, I vowed I would avoid watching or listening to newsfeeds of any kind, as well as resisting the nearly overpowering urge to sit in front of my computer monitor. Immediately after breakfast, I composed and sent a short text message to Iringù-Eßizkur, explaining that I needed to take the weekend off, and that I would rejoin her Monday morning.

I spent the remainder of the morning in the on-base fitness center, doing light exercises, along with practicing and refining my moves in Jing Quan Dao. I even used my nángùn—somewhat neglected these past few months—in 'shadow' exercises, designed to reinforce my body's muscle memory in its use. Not that I was trying, but my unusual moves, especially with my nángùn, attracted a small audience during the two-and-a-half hours I spent there.

From time-to-time I glanced at the people watching me; I actually caught sight of Marine Corporal Hudson, the intolerant meat mountain I had encountered back in mid-October, the day I arrived to escort my Qīziout of the base hospital. He had only escaped a beat-down thanks to the timely arrival of General Park, who called him out for his boorish behavior. After five months of residing in the admiral's quarters as her wife, base personnel knew me, and ignored me … mostly. Today, it appeared as if Hudson wanted to goad me into an altercation; he approached me while I was taking a short break and snarked, "I wasn't aware General Park's special pet was still living on base."

I was standing next to my gear bag, taking a drink from my water bottle and wiping some of the sweat from my face; with a thought, I set my omnitool to recording audio, then drilled him with my eyes and responded coldly, "I wasn't aware the status of military dependents was your responsibility, Private." I could see my verbal demotion in rank had instantly pissed him off, just as it had in October.

Moving towards me, he growled, "You ain't got your general here to protect your skinny ass this time, you lesbian bitch." He was within two meters of me when I burst into action by planting the butt end of my nángùn and used the vertical pole to hoist my body up. The look of surprise on Hudson's face was priceless as I planted both feet in the middle of his chest and shoved … hard.

Landing firmly on his ass and falling back prone on the floor didn't improve his mood, but it was too late; I moved quickly and tapped his trachea with the large end of my nángùn as I hissed, "I didn't need General Park to protect me when I was a Navy chief petty officer, and I sure as 'ell don't need her today, you dumb bastard! You're just a heartbeat away from a crushed larynx." He attempted to bring his arms up in an effort to grab my nángùn; my response was to apply more pressure against his throat. After a few seconds, he wheezed, "Enough! Let me up!"

I lifted and spun my nángùn in front of me as I backed away a few steps. Hudson groaned as he rolled himself to one side, then got his feet underneath him and slowly stood back up. "You're awful goddamned brave with that stick in your hands, bitch."

I chuckled with my reply of, "Don't need my nángùn to teach you a lesson." I eased my staff to the floor beside my gear bag, crossed my arms under my chest and waited.

Hudson approached me and, without preamble, threw the first punch, straight from his right shoulder and aimed squarely at my face, immediately followed by one from the left, an uppercut. Both missed … I simply ducked under his right and leaned back from the left, never moving more than absolutely necessary in order to avoid being hit.

Much like my altercation with James Vega, decades ago during the Normandy's trip back from the galaxy's edge after the conclusion of the Reaper War, Hudson continued to throw punches, which I either ducked under or leaned away from, with none even coming close to connecting. Alliance training hasn't advanced at all in the intervening years, came the thought. If this is the best he can do, I'm gonna have to injure him bad enough that he won't be able to continue.

"Ready to quit, Private? I can assure you, you're not gonna lay a finger on me." This only served to make him angrier. Shouting a curse, he lowered his head and rushed me, intending to grab and crush me in his arms. In answer to this, I executed a combat roll to my right and, as I expected, he was past me before he could halt his forward progress. Before he could turn, I quickly placed my hands on the floor alongside my butt, lifted myself clear of the floor and lashed out with both feet, kicking both his legs behind the knees. He hollered another curse as he collapsed to his hands and knees, then hollered even louder as I planted the top of my right foot as hard as possible in his crotch, causing him to double over in pain, his free hand cradling his injured organs.

I jumped up, took two steps and leaped off the floor, sailing over his back while executing a half-twist. Touching down lightly in front of him, I quickly grabbed his shoulders to push him partially upright. As he brought up an arm in a futile attempt to grab me, I nailed his nose, right eye and mouth with my triple snap punch combination, dropping him to the floor unconscious.

During this time, someone must have called security, which arrived in the form of a pair of MPs; one of them pulled a pistol and, with the muzzle pointed at my chest, said, "Don't move." As her partner checked on Hudson, a chorus of protests arose from the crowd that had silently watched our altercation.

I declared, "I'm Admiral Yuán's wife, Sergeant. I was peacefully minding my own business in here until this intolerant sonovabitch decided to pick a fight with me … a fight he was incapable of winning." Several of the people nearby shouted at the MPs, telling them in no uncertain terms I had only defended myself from an unprovoked physical attack.

The other MP, a corporal, having rolled the Marine up on his side, rose from his inspection of Corporal Hudson. "He needs to be carried to the clinic, Sarge." Receiving an affirmative head nod from his companion, he opened his omnitool and called for a medivac.

Looking pointedly at the pistol in her hand, I asked, "You gonna shoot an unarmed woman, simply for defending herself from a thick-skulled wanker?"

The Marine sergeant slowly lowered, then holstered her gun. "No, I'm not, but, admiral's wife or not, I need you to come with us so you can provide a detailed statement outlining everything that happened here." She looked at Hudson, still lying unconscious on the floor. "You've injured an Alliance Marine seriously enough that he'll need a night in the base hospital … maybe two." Glancing again at Hudson's bloody face, she looked me over before adding, "And I seriously doubt you are ever unarmed, Missus …?"

"Traynor … Samantha Traynor." I paused a moment before adding, "And just so you know, I pulled all three of my punches … I could just as easily have killed him."

Her eyes went wide at that bit of information. After spending several moments silently looking me over, she said, "Traynor … I recognize your name, and am aware of the relationship you have with our base commander." She cocked her head while asking, "Any thoughts as to why this corporal decided to attack you?"

"I encountered him last October, when I arrived at the base hospital with fresh clothes for Xiùlán … that is, Admiral Yuán, my wife. He took an instant dislike to me when he learned of my relationship with her—guess he figures the admiral should be lying with a man … doesn't think it's good, or proper, that she's married to a woman." I bent down to retrieve my towel, which I used to wipe the sweat from my face and arms. After taking several swigs of water from my bottle, I picked up my nángùn and gear bag, looked back to the sergeant and offered, "I really need a shower and change of clothes. Let's get that report done so I can go home and relax."

After listening to my story, Xiùlán shook her head slightly while massaging her temples with the fingers and thumb of her left hand. "What am I to do about this, Sà mi? If you were any other civilian, you'd either be locked away in the detention center, or kicked off the base." Lowering her hand, she skewered me with her eyes while adding, "I'm told Corporal Hudson wants to press charges against you for assault and battery."

"That's an utter load of fuckin' bullshit, and you know it!" I shouted. "I have an audio recording of everything that happened, and the cameras in the fitness center will have recorded our little dance!" Trembling with barely contained anger, I placed my hands on my hips and loudly added, "You need to bring that bastard into your office, bust his ass down to private and put him in a metal cell for 60 days!" Staring daggers at my wife, I added, "He attacked a civilian, for God's sake!"

I paced about for a bit in an attempt to calm myself; pausing to stand right in front of her, I sighed, then reminded her of what she had told me when she first began instructing me in Jing Quan Dao. "You said then that I if I was ever attacked, by anyone, I had to be able to defend myself, and that I should never leave an opponent capable of getting up from the deck. You trained me so I never had to have my ass handed to me, ever!"

Xiùlán frowned as she studied my eyes. Shaking her head slightly, she grimly responded, "I just knew that someday you'd manage to turn my own words back against me."

"Nothing could be further from the truth, Xiùlán! I'm simply reminding you of your excellence as an instructor in Jing Quan Dao. It's patently obvious the Alliance has not updated their instruction manuals during the ensuing decades, and they sure'n'ell failed to teach proper manners to that jackass … he's a disgrace to the uniform!"

"Okay, Sà mi." With a heavy sigh, she softly concluded, "I'll think about your demand. Go get cleaned up and changed so we can have our lunch."

After a nice, relaxing shower, I rejoined Xiùlán for lunch. I took several swallows of beer, set my glass on the table and announced, "After mulling everything over, including your reluctance to discipline anyone under your command, I've decided to take you to court, Admiral." In answer to the shocked expression on her face, I added, "I'm going to sue the Systems Alliance Military … and Corporal Hudson. When I'm done with 'em, the Alliance will be paying for my retirement."

"Sà mi, you mustn't! How do you think the SA will respond? Nǐ huì bǎ wǒ hé tāmen yīqǐ dǎdǎo de! Rúguǒ nǐ zhèyàng zuò, wǒ de zhíyè shēngyá jiù huì zài cèsuǒle, Sà mi! Qǐng bùyào!" [你會把我和他們一起打倒的！如果你這樣做，我的職業生涯就會在廁所了，薩米人！ 請不要！- You'll knock (take) me down with them! If you do this, my career will be in the toilet, Sà mǐ rén! Please don't!]

"I'm sorry, Xiùlán! Really, I am … but I've had quite enough! The Alliance Military needs to learn that having people like that brainless sonovabitch Hudson in uniform does them no favors. They're not even teaching rudimentary manners to their recruits! I'm tired of having to deal with that attitude from every goddamned meat mountain the Marines place in a uniform! Since I'm a civilian, I'm gonna make them pay!" I took her hands as I added, "It's a shame he's under your command, Xiùlán, 'cause you're gonna get tarred with the same brush I'm gonna use on Hudson."

"Sà mi, qǐng … tuì hòu yībù. Duì tā tíchū tóusù … ràng wǒ zài jīdì lǐ chǔlǐ zhège wèntí. Qǐng bùyào tíqǐ sùsòng. [薩米人，請…退後一步。對他提出投訴…讓我在基地裡處理這個問題。請不要提起訴訟 – Sà mi, please … step back. File a complaint against him … let me deal with it on base. Please do not file a lawsuit.]

Hearing Xiùlán pleading with me in Mandarin brought tears to my eyes; I abruptly released her, rose from my chair and strode silently into our living room. After thinking about her words for several minutes, I turned to face her. "Okay, Ài … I'll wait, see how you handle this. But, make no mistake, Admiral. You sweep this shit under the rug, my next stop will be a lawyer's office. I'm done playing nice."

After she returned to her office suite for the afternoon, I took a nice long nap. I felt much better by dinnertime, but not so much that I felt like preparing dinner; I ordered meals for each of us from the officer's kitchen on base … beef, with mixed vegetables and steamed rice.

As we were eating, Xiùlán avoided speaking about Corporal Hudson and the trouble he had brought to our lives; rather, she spoke of my upcoming birthday. "Sixty-five, Sà mi. That used to be considered a milestone birthday." She smirked as she delivered the question, "What can I get you for your birthday gift, my Tiánxīn?" Upon seeing my snarky expression, she quickly added, "Within reason, Sà mi?"

I shrugged my shoulders with my reply. "Truthfully, I have no need for more material possessions. Your love is everything I will ever need, Xiùlán. Thinking about how close I came to losing you to a vindictive assassin's bullet scared the living 'ell out of me … it was too damned close, Luv! Losing you that day would have totally destroyed me!"

The happy grin from a few moments ago disappeared with her response. "And yet, you'd see my career dumped in the shitter just to satisfy a vendetta against Corporal Hudson."

I took a swallow of beer and replied, "It's not a vendetta! You already know where I stand on this matter, Tiánxīn. If you fail to discipline the sonovabitch, my next stop is a lawyer's office … it's as simple as that."

• INSIDE IRINGÙ-EẞIZKUR, IN GEOSYNC ORBIT · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Monday, 17 March 2223-CE ⸰

Sitting in front of my primary research terminal, I noted with satisfaction that Irin had been as good as her word. She had successfully consolidated all of the files generated and saved by Jack Harper during his tenure as The Illusive Man; additionally, she had eliminated the various duplications by merging everything from the several servers discovered and uploaded by T'Soni and Vakarian, then cataloged each of the records of Harper's conversations with General Brad, from 2175 until his suicide just prior to Shepard's activation of the Crucible and her dive into the resulting energy stream.

As I looked at the vids of their conversations, I was struck once again at how simple it was for Harper to exert control over high–ranking officers in the Alliance. Same ol' story … money talks, bullshit walks. I sighed as I cued up an OSD and copied over several of the most egregious examples of the general's collusion with Harper. It seemed as if Cerberus had control over the entire Alliance military during the war; that control evaporated somewhat after Harper's death on the Citadel, but there were still outliers that desired to see humanity ruling the galaxy!

With a heavy sigh, I secured the terminal and asked Irin to take me home. Little did I know of the shitstorm in which I was about to engulfed.

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Monday, 17 March 2223-CE ⸰

»It appears you have a welcoming committee standing below, Friend–Samantha. There are a number of Marines waiting, all with activated weapons in their hands. Yuán–Admiral appears to be standing with them.«

"Don't worry, Irin … I'm sure there's simply been some kind of misunderstanding." My words sounded hollow in my ears. I couldn't imagine why there'd be an armed welcoming committee waiting for me. "Lower the boarding tube. As soon as I'm on the ground, lift off and enter a parking orbit until you hear from me."

»As you wish, Friend–Samantha.«

I watched with increasing dread as the Marines took up positions on either side of Irin's egress/ingress tube. As my feet touched the ground and I stepped away from the device, Xiùlán walked towards me and stopped a couple of meters away. "Samantha Traynor, you are being taken into custody, to await a hearing concerning your physical assault on Corporal Hudson on 15 March." Seeing the defiance in my expression, she quietly added, "Please, Sà mi … don't make this any more difficult than it already is. Hand over your weapons—I'll keep them safe in my office."

"Xiùlán, zhè tā mā zěnme huí shì?" [秀蘭，這他媽怎麼回事？- Xiùlán, what the hell is going on?] I made a point of looking at each of the six Marines standing in a semicircle before me. In an unnaturally flat voice, I asked, "You gonna have these grunts shoot me if I don't comply?"

When she didn't answer, I heaved a sigh. "You're gonna hold a damned hearing in order for me to prove to that brain-dead Hudson he was totally to blame for me handing his ass to him?"

She maintained her stony silence as I reached over my shoulder and slowly retrieved my Liǔyè dāo in its custom scabbard; after handing it to her hilt first, I bent down and unstrapped my Húdié dāo from each of my calves. Handing her the pair of butterfly swords in their leather sheaths, I placed my hands on my hips and waited.

She nodded to the Marines on either side of us, who responded by trotting up to me. One of them said, "On your knees, Ma'am." Looking daggers at Xiùlán, I slowly complied; apparently deciding I wasn't moving fast enough, the man roughly grabbed my shoulders and shoved me down the rest of the way … hard, then violently yanked each of my hands behind my back and clamped a set of binders on my wrists. The pair then used my upper arms to jerk me back to my feet and shoved me forward. Xiùlán turned and walked beside me. I mentally sent a text to Irin telling her to lift off. After a short delay, I felt the rush of displaced air as she left the pavement and accelerated into the sky.

Xiùlán turned to watch her ascent, then looked at me and said, "Since your omnitool cannot be removed from your wrist, I'm asking you to refrain from using it while in our custody."

I heatedly replied, "Go to hell, Admiral! You're treating me like a common criminal! Don't expect any cooperation from me until this is all over. Oh, but you can expect to be named in the lawsuit I'm going to file against the Systems Alliance."

She looked at me as if I had just slapped her. "Sà mi, I thought we talked about this. Do you think so little of me … of our love for each other, that you'd torpedo my career? I have no doubt that your audio recording, along with the video taken that day, will exonerate you."

"This is an unlawful arrest, Admiral … how can you take the word of that ignorant bastard over mine. I intend to see you and the Alliance pay me for my suffering and mental anguish."

She shook her head minutely as she looked at me. "Sà mi, I'm simply following procedure. Hudson filed an official complaint, which I must act upon …"

I vehemently interrupted … "So, you fuckin' come at me with a goddamned squad of armed Marines? Take my weapons, put wrist binders on me before escorting me to the brig? Seriously?"

"I'm sorry, Sà mi … truly, I am."

"Not nearly as sorry as you're gonna be, Admiral!" I replied in an acidic tone. "Count on it!"

SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM
⸰ Wednesday, 26 March 2223-CE ⸰

I'd been relieved of my armor and strip-searched by a female sergeant before the Marines slammed the cell door behind me. During the intervening week-and-a-half, I had contacted the lawyer recommended for me by RaeLee Park, who had expressed surprise at Xiùlán's actions.

"I cannot believe she'd put you in the brig for such an inconsequential offense. Having met the man, I have no doubt that Hudson had a beat down coming; he should be glad you didn't kill 'im!"

"First opportunity I've had to really cut loose with my triple-snap-punch combination, and I still pulled my punches; the closest I came was at the end of our trip back from the galaxy's edge right after the war. I intended to beat Javik to death, not only for his holier-than-thou attitude regarding myself and the galaxy's other races, but for his attempt to blow Žiuk'Durmah out of the sky. Despite my best efforts, he managed to introduce a modified sub-routine into the programming that controlled the containment field of ZeeDee's Eezo core."

"I don't believe I've ever heard that bit of your history, Samantha. So, what did you do?"

"I used my Liǔyè dāo to relieve him of his head."

"Damn, Sammy!" Rae Lee laughed as she added, "When this crap is all over, you'll have to tell me the entire story over a drink or two."

"Might be a while," I chuckled. "I'm tired of dealing with the attitudes of the males in the Alliance military, Rae Lee, and I'm done apologizing for my take-no-prisoners attitude. I intend to bleed the SA dry in the courts, teach 'em an expensive lesson about their failure to properly vet and educate the so-called men in the Navy and Marines." I looked up to see my Qīzi walk up to the door to my cell. I reluctantly said, "Have to go, Rae Lee. Talk to you soon."

I stood from my bunk as I cut the connection. Moving to stand in front of the door, I clasped my hands behind my back and waited for Xiùlán to speak.

Holding up several sheets of paper, she asked, "Nǐ dàodǐ zuòle shénme, Sà mi?" [你到底做了什麼，薩米？– What on earth did you do, Sà mi?]

I crossed my arms under my chest and cocked back on my right leg. "Don't act so surprised, Admiral … I told you this would be your reward for failing to do your goddamned job!"

"Failure, Sà mi? What failure?"

"Your failure to drag Hudson into your office, demote him and throw his ass in the brig for sixty days. Since you refuse to discipline the people under you, I'm gonna let the courts do it for you! And believe me when I say it'll cost you a hellova lot more than if you'd simply done your job."

"You'd throw my career down the sewer pipe over this, Sà mi? My God, the fleet admiral is already up my ass about your lawsuit! I won't be able to get a job on an Elcor shit hauler after it's over and done! Is that what you want?"

I frowned with my reply. "What I want is to be treated like a human being, Xiùlán … I don't want a damned grunt screwing with me just because I'm married to you! Hudson obviously cannot disrespect you for being married to a woman, at least not to your face, so he chose to pick a fight with me. I intend to show you, him, and the Systems Alliance Military that I won't tolerate it, from anyone, and if your career goes in the shitter because of this, then so be it."

By now, there were tears in her eyes. She gulped down a sob and whispered, "Wǒ bèi qiāngjī hòu wèishéme hái yào jiù wǒ?" [我被槍擊後為什麼還要救我？ - Why did you (even bother to) save me after I was shot?]

Her question brought tears to my own eyes. I moved closer by grabbing the bars that separated us and answered in a low voice. "Yīnwèi wǒ quánxīnquányì dì ài nǐ, Xiùlán. [因為我全心全意地愛你, 秀蘭 – Because I love you with all my heart, Xiùlán.] That will never change … not as long as I still draw breath. This lawsuit isn't a personal attack on you; it's an attack on your position here. I've come to believe you don't have it in you to discipline your personnel … Hudson being a case in point. As I've said, he doesn't believe it's right and proper that you're married to a woman … that you're married to me."

She gently placed her hands over mine, still gripping the bars between us; voice hitching in sorrow, she replied, "Okay, Sà mi. Yào zhīdào, wǒ yě quánxīnquányì dì ài nǐ. [要知道，我也全心全意地愛你 – You know, I love you with all my heart, too.] Perhaps I can manage to hold onto my command here when all is said and done."

"I'll be happy to accompany you to see the fleet admiral whenever you're ready," I pressed my lips together in a flat line. "I believe she'll see reason once I explain the reasons for my actions."

Releasing my hands, she turned to leave while responding, "We will see, Sà mi."

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Monday, 31 March 2223-CE ⸰

The presiding judge advocate pierced Corporal Hudson with eyes rivaling a pair of lasers. "Corporal Hudson, I find for the defendant in this case. Furthermore, I am ordering that you be reduced in rank, and that you serve 60 days in the brig." His voice hardened further as he continued. "You displayed extremely poor judgement on the day in question, and it's my belief you are fortunate to have survived your encounter with Missus Traynor. I suggest you spend your time in the brig reflecting on the error of your ways. Sergeant, please take Private Hudson into custody." Looking out at the small audience, he banged his gavel on the sounding block as he said, "This hearing is adjourned."

I left the small hearing chamber a free woman. Upon meeting Xiùlán at the exit, I coldly stated, "I want my weapons and my armor back, right now!"

"Sà mi, please. Accompany me to our quarters … I stored everything there." I fell in step beside her as she walked towards our apartment. "What will you do now that you're a free woman?"

"I think I should vacate our apartment, Tiánxīn … live inside Iringù-Eßizkur while my lawsuit works its way through the system. Might appear like a conflict of interest if the person that's suing you and the Systems Alliance is living in your apartment on an SA base."

Xiùlán lowered her head until her chin touched her chest. "Is this what our lives have come to?" she queried. "Hell, why don't you just divorce me while you're at it?"

I grabbed her hand, pulling her up short, such that she was forced to turn and face me. "Don't you ever suggest such a thing again, Tiánxīn, understand? Never! Wǒ ài nǐ! That will never change! My love for you will only deepen with the passage of time." I seized her head with both my hands and proceeded to thoroughly assault her mouth with my lips and tongue. She gripped both my wrists in a half-hearted attempt to pull free of my grasp, even as she gave in to my kiss. I felt her body slowly melt into mine as I continued to ravage her mouth; an intense lance of heat in my core forced me to break contact. Half-lidded eyes gazed at me as I released her and leaned back slightly to catch my breath.

She slowly took a small, single step back to put a few more centimeters between us. "I have never doubted your love for me, Sà mi, despite the unpleasantness of our meeting two weeks ago, as well as everything else that's been going on since." She searched my eyes as she softly added, "And I don't believe you should relocate to Iringù-Eßizkur. Liú zài wǒ shēnbiān? Qǐng?" [留在我身邊。請？- Stay with me? Please?]

"Dammit, you know I've never been able to deny you anything when you ask me in Mandarin." Returning back to our path, I snaked an arm around her back at the waist and resumed walking, drawing her along beside me.

• INSIDE IRINGÙ-EẞIZKUR, IN GEOSYNC ORBIT · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Thursday, 03 April 2223-CE ⸰

I input the secure access code for a special individual—Asari Spectre Arinya T'Zemi, After discussing the matter with Captain Shepard, she had concluded the records of General Joesiar's decades' long collusion with Cerberus would be better received, and more believable, if brought before the Galactic Council by a non-human Spectre. Rachaél didn't wish to gain a reputation of a mercenary whose sole purpose in life was bringing down high-ranking Alliance officers, even if there was slightly more than a nugget of truth to that perception. For that matter, I had spent a fair portion of my own life exposing the corruption in the Alliance military.

"Arinya T'Zemi, at your service."

"Spectre T'Zemi, my name is Samantha Traynor. Spectre Rachaél Shepard believes you will be able to assist me in solving a problem." When she remained silent, I forged ahead. "I have compiled an extensive amount of verifiable evidence that proves Alliance Marine General Bradley Joesiar was colluding with Cerberus, both before and during the Reaper War. He has already been relieved of duty and confined in the brig at the Vancouver headquarters on Terra. What I have discovered are a number of certifiable video records of his numerous meetings with Jack Harper, the so-called Illusive Man. These show the general was regularly selling sensitive information to Cerberus. You would be doing humanity an enormous favor by presenting this evidence to the Galactic Council, followed by the Alliance's Defense Committee."

"If this data is irrefutable, why can you not furnish it to them yourself?" she asked impatiently.

I frowned as I replied, "I am a private citizen, Spectre, with no affiliation to any organization. While it is true I am married … bonded, to base commander Admiral Yuán Xiùlán, I resigned from the Alliance Navy decades ago because of crap like this." I smiled slightly as I continued, "Council Spectres are never required to reveal their sources. The vid-records I possess are of actual conversations, with the faces of both parties clearly visible at all times."

After several silent moments, she sighed. "Transmit the data, and I will inspect it all. Once I am satisfied it is, as you say, certifiably accurate, I will meet with the Galactic Council at my earliest convenience."

I cued up the OSDs in the reader and transmitted the data to Spectre T'Zemi as I said, "You have my sincere thanks, Spectre … along with the thanks of Spectre Shepard. I served with her on the Normandy; if you require proof of my good intentions, please feel free to contact her on Thessia."

"That Spectre Shepard knows and trusts you is all I need to know, Missus Traynor. Thank you for contacting me and trusting me to do this for you. May the goddess watch over you." With that final word, she terminated the connection.

I smiled as I leaned back in my chair. With any luck, General Brad would soon be residing in a cell in Arcturus Prison. If he was lucky, he'd be assigned a cell between his murderous nephew, and disgraced former councilor Dominic Osoba. It would be a fitting end for the corrupt bastard.

• SYSTEMS ALLIANCE BASE, VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •
⸰ Friday, 04 April 2223-CE ⸰

I was enjoying a late dinner with my Qīzi in her quarters on base. She took a sip of wine before fixing her gaze on me. "About this lawsuit, Sà mi. Would you be willing to accompany me to the ARC on Monday?"

I eyed her suspiciously with my reply. "To what purpose?"

"I have to meet with Fleet Admiral Ines Lindholm, Sà mi." She took a bite of salad and chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, swallowed and added, "As I told you, she's really up my ass over this lawsuit, so I'm thinking she might cut me some slack if you would explain to her why you've taken this action."

"Sure, if you think it'll help." I took the last bite of my steak and added, "Once I lay it all out for her, I'm sure she will be just as pissed about the lack of training Hudson received." I emptied the wine bottle into my glass and took an appreciative sip before concluding, "Busting him back to private won't even begin to change his attitude about our sexual preferences, Xiùlán. That we are in love with and are married to each other just rubs him the wrong way. Personally, I don't see what his issue is … we have no control over whom we choose to love."

"In all my years in the Navy, I have seldom encountered open hostility concerning either my race, my gender, or my life choices, whereas you!" She chuckled. "You seem to be a hostility magnet, and it's always the overgrown Marines that want to pick a fight with you."

I burst out laughing. When I could speak coherently once more, I gasped, "They cannot accept the fact I'm not attracted to men. And those that think that way are always surprised when I hand their asses to them. That's thanks to your training, Ài." I downed the remainder of my wine and frowned. "I won't make any apologies for putting that bastard in the hospital, Xiùlán … I won't. If that is why you want me to accompany you to meet with Lindholm, both of you are going to be quite disappointed." I rose from my chair and took my dishes and utensils into our small kitchen. An orderly would be coming by in another hour or so to collect serving pans, dishes and leftovers and return it all to the kitchen.

Xiùlán heaved a sigh as she rose and followed with her own dishes. "I've been your companion, and Qīzi, long enough to realize that you will never apologize for defending yourself, my precious Sà mi." After setting her dishes down, she placed her hands on my shoulders and drew me close. With her mouth beside my ear, she whispered, "I love you, Samantha Traynor. Nǐ shì wǒ línghún de lìng yībàn, [你是我靈魂的另一半 - You are my soul mate] and nothing you do will ever break that bond."

I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her to me; sliding my hands around and up to her back, I held her tightly against me as I placed little kisses along her neck, before locking my lips onto her mouth. Our tongues jousted for dominance as I slipped a hand down to caress her shapely butt. This caused a hitch in her breathing, leading her to break our kiss to say, "Come, Sà mi. Let us relocate to our bedroom, so we can more comfortably continue this discussion."

With a groan of acquiescence, I slowly, reluctantly, released her so I could follow her to our bed.