A/N - Dialogue is being taken directly from the game for a particular scene that provides all the information Shepard and his squad needs.
Australian / British standard English. There is a good chance of reading the following: lots of profanity, characters drinking, typos, and bad grammar at times.
Proofreading and editing suggestions provided by OhDave1. Any mistakes are still mine.
Comments are appreciated as always.
Feedback by email is always welcome. Enjoy chatting with anyone who likes my work.
*****
Shepard faces down the Council before he escapes the Citadel.
*****
"Kira will be waiting for you?" Liara asked again as Joker slowly took us towards our usual dock on the Citadel.
"Yeah. I think she wants to talk in private before I speak to them. I'll speak to Kira, then meet with Udina and Anderson. They'll have my report by now."
"Approaching the docking bay, Commander," Joker reported in from nearby, "Are you expecting a small or large welcoming committee?"
"I think we'll find out in a couple of minutes."
The
Normandy
was clamped into place once it was in position. Having no real idea of how long we would be on the Citadel, I'd authorised R&R for the crew though they were under orders to watch for messages in case we needed to leave quickly. Pressly would remain on the ship in the event of a hasty exit.
Walking off the ship once the airlock had cycled and the ship had depressurised, Kira was waiting for me, her eyes lighting up as always seeing me in my Alliance blues. Although her eyes lit up, there was no real smile as she greeted me with a soft kiss before she moulded her body against mine. She didn't need to say a word as I held her tightly in my arms.
We walked hand in hand in silence towards the Presidium. No one seemed to take any notice of an asari holding hands with a human. I'm sure she would have been recognisable. The Council often held press conferences, and she was often photographed at events. And given that I had a rather well-known face, I figured that if we continued to be seen together in public that two and two would eventually be put together.
"You should see Ambassador Udina before coming to face the Council," she told me as we stopped outside the Embassy Quarters. She rested a hand on my chest and looked into my eyes. "Shepard... It won't go well for you. Privately... I knew you did what was necessary. Publicly, the Council must appear united when something like this happens."
"Have you heard from Udina?"
"No. We told the Alliance that we would deal with the matter privately."
"Okay. I'll speak to Udina and see you soon."
I would have kissed her, but I could see people starting to look our way. She smiled at me though it didn't reach her eyes. I had a feeling that things were going to go badly though I was now wondering just how badly. As long as the Council didn't get in my way when it came to catching Saren, so be it. Censure me if you want, just let me finish the job. I now knew he was heading to Ilos. Why he was heading there, I wasn't sure. Whatever the Conduit was, it must be on Ilos.
"What the hell are you playing at, Commander?" Udina shouted when I strolled into his office, "A nuclear weapon. Are you out of your mind?"
"Ambassador, maybe..." Anderson started to say.
"No, Captain. This time, it's too far. You don't detonate nuclear weapons on garden worlds." I simply folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. He almost sneered in return. "You've got some explaining to do, Commander."
"You have no idea what I'm out there doing, Donnel..." I saw him bristle at the use of his first name. Fuck him. He was nothing but a bureaucrat. "You really think that I wanted to detonate a nuclear weapon? I did it because it was the only choice. And I'm sure the report from Major Kirrahe of STG will back up that assertion."
"The Salarian Union will deal with them," Udina retorted, "Unfortunately for us, due to your Spectre status, it will be the Council that will decide your fate. If it was my choice, you would be returned to Arcturus in handcuffs, stripped of your command."
"Well, it's a good thing that you don't make that decision because that would be a monumentally stupid fucking thing to do, Donnel." I stepped towards him, and I enjoyed the fact that he had to look up into my eyes. "You know my track record," I warned him, "Fuck with me at your peril, Donnel."
"I am the Ambassador of..."
"I don't give a flying fuck who you are, Donnel. When we enter the Council Chambers, just remember that. Don't fuck with me. I will fuck you up in return. I will bury you and no one will find your body."
Anderson cleared his throat, and it was probably wise that he reminded me that he was there. I was ready to do more than just hit Udina at that moment. I stepped back and made myself calm down before I turned to my old captain. "Are you attending, sir?"
"I am, though only to take an account for the Alliance."
"Fair enough. Councillor Tevos has already talked to me. Are we going to talk to them or what?"
"Follow me, Commander. And if you have any brains in that head of yours, you'll remain quiet while I talk to them."
Kira had been right to warn me as I could sense the mood in the chamber when we walked in and the three of us stood before the Council. Kira was the consummate councillor and politician. You wouldn't have guessed from the way that she looked at me that we were lovers and she'd already confessed that she loved me. Sparatus almost bristled with anger, and I knew it was at me. Valern was his usual inscrutable self.
I was completely fucked over by all four of them. Sparatus was incensed that we'd detonated a nuclear bomb on Virmire. Valern questioned if I was even still of sound mind. Sparatus insisted that it was obvious that the Reaper threat was a lie by Saren and that I'd simply fallen for his ruse. He insisted that Saren and his geth wanted to attack the Citadel for their own reasons and that the Council would now handle the situation.
