Chapter Sixty-Four

Hackett blinked when he saw another sender appear on the communications array. As this happened, the exion in question stepped back, his gaze turning to the notification. Sura and Zaal both leaned closer upon seeing this, both of them inspecting it with some degree of skepticism.

The admiral answered it anyway. "Hello?"

"Well, if it isn't the good old admiral," a jocular voice responded. "Can't believe this is what it took to get my baby back, but I am glad to be back in charge of this ship, Admiral!"

The exion frowned, looking over at Hackett. "Jokes at a time like this?" he asked.

Hackett shrugged, giving him a smile. "Sometimes they break the atmosphere," he said. "That, and it is his callsign." He then turned to the sound wave projection. "Glad to hear you have the Normandy, Joker."

"Yep!" said Joker. "We're bringing her in now."

"And what of this Admiral Kalpalan?" asked Zaal'Koris.

"There is nothing to fear on that front, I'm glad to report," said a new, gruffer voice that Admiral Hackett just barely recognized from the failed attempt to get Jon'ison to their side. "We are all still here."

"Admiral Kalpalan!" The exion bowed his head. "What has happened? What about our orders?"

"My orders remain to desist from firing," the Admiral Kalpalan replied. "We've got some talking to do, and some big changes. You'll be receiving a data packet within the next few hours, as will all of the ships here. Let us just say that I do not believe the Artician people can be trusted."

"They can't?" The exion's eyes bulged out. "Uh, sir, they created us."

"You will see when I send this data packet out," he said. "For now, my orders are to wait until we discuss what courses of action are to be taken." He then cleared his throat. "You are in the SSV Orizaba, correct? Joker has piloted a course to dock directly to them."

The exion nodded. "Alright..." He exhaled. "And what about the Shardan prince?"

"He..." The Admiral Kalpalan paused at this. "He is gone."

The exion blinked in shock. "Again?" he asked.

"I am afraid so," said Admiral Kalpalan. "We will discuss this when I come to the Orizaba."

"Alright," said the exion. He then turned to Hackett. "Will our Admiral be safe there?"

In response, Hackett smiled at the exion. "You will see," he said. He then turned to Zaal'Koris and Sura. "I guess we should prepare to greet them, yes?"

"Yes," said Sura. She then shrugged. "You should probably also tell Victus and Pravuil to get over here, and I bet you anything the Council's gonna want to get clued in on what's happening here."

"I was thinking the same thing," said Hackett. "Come on, let us greet our friend from the other galaxy first."

When the airlock door opened, Tali'Zorah was not entirely sure what to expect. Someone in the Alliance Brass, she was sure, but never an Admiral.

So when she saw Zaal'Koris and Han'Gerrel standing beside the man with the grey hair, she knew for certain that the alliance was certified at that time. They blinked, looking to her wordlessly as she looked between them.

She froze in place, before she felt Jodie's hand squeeze her shoulder. She looked down at her much shorter friend, seeing the gentle gaze with which Jodie looked at her. She patted her shoulder once, before nodding and pointing at the admirals. She almost forgot that the Admiral Kalpalan stood behind her bearing the corpse of Jon'ison Shardan, before she stepped towards the quarian admirals.

"Tali'Zorah," said Han'Gerrel. "Back from exile?"

Tali said nothing, her gaze turning to the floor. A great sense of shame filled her as she stepped towards them. She stopped in front of them, looking down to the floor in front of her.

Zaal'Koris turned to Han'Gerrel at this. "That's no way to treat Rael'Zorah's daughter," he said. He then turned, looking to Tali. "Are you alright?"

It was then that Tali sniffled again, the mention of her father bringing everything up again. She thought she had no more tears to cry at that point, but as she fell to her knees and shook her head, she proved herself wrong with a fresh batch of tears coming to her eyes.

At this, Han'Gerrel and Zaal'Koris both immediately moved to her level, Han'Gerrel pulling her up against his shoulder. "Hey, hey," he said. "What's wrong?"

"I... I made a huge mistake," Tali managed amidst her tears. "I can't... I'm not worthy..."

"Nonsense," Zaal replied. He pulled Tali back gently. "You're here now, aren't you?"

Tali inhaled, her arm weakly brushing a part of her scarf out of the way. "But he still... Jon'ison still did... all that, and..." She shook her head, covering her eyes immediately. "I'm so sorry."

Han shook his head, patting Tali on the shoulder gently. "You came back to us," he said. He then looked back to everyone behind her. "Right?"

"Yeah." Jodie stepped forward. "She killed Jon'ison Shardan herself." With this, she held a knife out, and it was in only a few seconds that Han'Gerrel recognized it. "Stabbed him in the back with this."

Han'Gerrel blinked, before bringing his hands forward. Han let Jodie drop it into his hands, where Han'Gerrel inspected it.

"This was Mari'Zorah's..." He then turned to Tali, his eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "And..."

"I didn't know him," said Tali. "I..." She shook her head, pulling her hands away. "I thought I did, but..."

Zaal'Koris shook his head, before gently patting her on the back. "There, there," he said. He then stood up, looking to Han'Gerrel. "I think the admirals need to discuss this, see what our options are." He then looked behind them to see Kalo'Veera just behind. "Right?"

"Yes." Kalo bent down, helping Tali to her feet gently. "To the Fleet?"

"Not quite," said Han. "The rest of the Admirals are due on the Orizaba soon." He then turned to Admiral Hackett. "Can we have a spare room for a meeting?"

"Of course," said Admiral Hackett. "I know a perfectly good one in the crew quarters that will afford you lots of privacy..."

"And that is how it happened?"

"Yes. I... I don't know what came over me, but when he started attacking Jodie, I felt... I felt this rush. And I didn't know what it meant, or why I thought it, but there was only one thing that came to my mind."

"And now he's dead."

"Yes."

Tali sniffled gently where she sat at the table in the center of the room. Jodie sat next to her, keeping her close as she gently patted Tali's shoulders in comfort. Kalo, too, remained standing next to her, and as he looked at the admirals who sat across the room from her he noticed that they were all unusually somber, for how meetings there usually went.

Daro'Xen was the only one who remained emotionless, and it was with this that she turned to Tali. "You seem awfully emotional over this," she observed.

But Rael'Zorah immediately glared at Daro. "Daro, she loved the man," he said. He then turned to Tali. "I think she can be excused for feeling emotional over this."

Tali nodded. "It is a lot..." she admitted. "I thought I knew him even after he revealed he was Artician, but..."

"It's tough to deal with that," said Jodie. "It's the worst kind of betrayal there is."

Tali nodded, looking back at Jodie. "I guess you have some experience on that front?"

"Yeah," said Jodie. She shook her head, leaning close as she thought of Ryan Clayton and the way he had betrayed her in his own way. "Been there, done that, you know."

Rael'Zorah nodded. However, it was Shala'Raan who stood up at that point and bowed her head. "Either way, Tali, you are here before us," she said.

"I am," said Tali. "If I'd have known what he was really like, I would never have helped him or his galaxy on anything. And I..." She bowed her head slowly. "I'm sorry that it came to this." She exhaled, before looking back up. "And I am sorry I worried all of you."

In response, Rael shook his head, before standing up and walking to Tali. He exhaled gently, standing before her. Jodie found herself leaning back, slowly peeling away from Tali as Rael approached. Kalo only leaned in the slightest bit closer, his head tilted forward.

"Tali, surely you remember Anora'Vanya vas Selani," he said quietly.

Jodie frowned, tilting her head to the side. "Who?" she asked.

"The last quarian tried for treason before I was," Tali began. She exhaled, looking to the floor. "She had handed defense schematics to the batarians, and was found guilty of treason when the batarians passed them to a pirate gang."

"But she was pardoned, right?" asked Kalo.

"Posthumously," Tali added.

"And before the trial really began in earnest," said Rael'Zorah. He then placed his hand on Tali's shoulder. "I think, Tali, there may be room to prove to them you can come back to the Fleet."

And here, Tali looked up to Rael. "There is?" she said.

"It would be unprecedented, to be sure," said Han'Gerrel from behind Tali. "But, it is a precedent break we are willing to try."

Jodie frowned. "And you can't just restore her to the Fleet... why?" she asked.

"There's still great mistrust against Tali on the Fleet," said Han'Gerrel. "But, I think there is room for her to prove herself in the coming war."

Tali nodded. With a sharp inhale, she pushed herself to her feet. "That is better than nothing," she said. She then bowed her head, closing her eyes. "I will do my best to prove my loyalty to the Fleet. You have my word."

Rael nodded. "Then I think there is only one thing that must be done."

And with this, Rael immediately pulled Tali into a hug. Tali's eyes shot wide open in shock, and for a second, her arms remained splayed out behind Rael. She glanced to Jodie in surprise, before looking right up at Rael as he leaned in close.

Rael closed his eyes, holding his daughter close. "I am glad, Tali," he said. "At least this much could be salvaged."

Tali frowned, looking up at her father, the confusion evident in the way her shoulders shifted. However, she said nothing, and eventually she pulled herself close to Rael, before exhaling contentedly in his arms.

As soon as Tali, Jodie, and Kalo exited the room, Tali exhaled, standing outside of the room. None of the admirals followed them out, and as they noted this Tali exhaled.

"Well, it's better than nothing," Tali said.

"No kidding," said Jodie. She chuckled, looking up at Kalo. "I didn't think the Fleet could take her back."

"There's no precedent for it," Kalo replied. "But, I suppose if they do welcome the child of an exile back, then there is room here to accept a repentant exile."

Tali nodded. "I'm... surprised, though," Tali said. She exhaled, before looking back at the door. "My father... He has never acted like this. To get a hug out of him now, after all these years..." She looked to the floor, shaking her head. "I guess he wasn't as happy to exile me as Jon'ison thought he was."

"I did find myself in the position of having to comfort him."

At this strange voice, the group turned, seeing an asari in Justicar armor approach. At this, Kalo immediately stood up straight, bowing his head politely as he smiled.

"Justicar Samara!" he said. "I was not expecting you to be on the Orizaba!"

"I was told by Admiral Han'Gerrel that my presence was requested by Councillor Tevos," she said. "She wanted a Justicar's take on these people from the other galaxy. I have yet to meet them, though: Admiral Hackett has had them behind closed doors since I arrived."

Kalo frowned at this. "You would think they would let you in on that, Justicar," he said.

"You would indeed," Samara replied. "But evidently, there are other discussions to be had, so until they are released, here I am." She then turned to Tali, slowly approaching. "So you are Tali'Zorah."

"I am," said Tali. She then looked to Kalo. "Do you know her?"

"She helped me escape Omega with the research Dr. Solus and I did into that nanobot network," Kalo replied. He exhaled. "If not for her, I am not sure any of us would be standing here right now."

"I see..." Tali then turned to the Justicar, bowing her head. "It's a pleasure, Justicar. I..." The quarian chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "I don't imagine you have an especially flattering opinion of me right now."

"On the contrary," Samara replied as she stepped closer. "Your father spoke very highly of you when he and I talked after your exile." She then looked to the side. "It is a very difficult thing when you must punish your daughter in such a way, and it is rare that any such parent gets a second chance."

Kalo nodded. "She would know from experience, as we found out," he said.

Tali nodded. "I guess... I guess that explains how different he was," she said. She chuckled at this. "He was never so affectionate to me when I grew up. He was... He was always busy, and he was a little cold to me."

Jodie nodded. "I'll tell you this, Tali: there's nothing quite like getting a whole system shock like that for someone to figure out how important their family is to them," she said. "I think this means more than what you might think to him, in the end."

Tali nodded. "I think... It is certainly worth exploring in greater detail," she said. She shook her head. "And not many quarians get a chance like this." She nodded, then, looking to Jodie with a smile. "Thank you, Jodie. I guess Jon was wrong: you really were the first friend I ever made on the Normandy's crew."

And Jodie shrugged. "I try," she said. "It's new for me too."

"Yes, I've heard of that," said Kalo. He then shrugged. "You've had... a history, right?"

"One that's very hard to believe, but there it is," Jodie said. She then gestured Tali to follow as she walked on. She then nodded to the Justicar. "You're welcome to listen along as well."

"Of course," said Samara. "He tells me you are gifted with a spirit."

Jodie nodded, smiling at her. "His name is Aiden," she said. "And he's been attached to me since the day I was born..."

Thane sat in the room quietly, looking at the holographic projection before him. He had never met Councillor Tevos before, nor had he intended to, but as he sat across from the holographic projector that displayed her, he could not help but note the ease with which she remained seated.

The drell shifted in his seat. "So you think it would be safe to let him leave the Council's protection," he said.

"Not entirely," Tevos replied. "I will need to meet with turian intelligence to say for sure. But, considering the circumstances, he may come out of it soon."

Thane nodded. "It is hard to consider him a priority when the only reason they could have had for taking him alive has been thoroughly nullified by now," he noted.

"Precisely," said Councillor Tevos. She then paused, before looking down. "Actually, it is possible I may be able to get him on this channel. It is secure, after all..."

Thane sat at attention, his second eyelids nictating. "Do attempt it," he said.

"Of course." With this, Tevos's holographic projection slowly getting minimized. It moved around, and then a second screen came up, showing a second call beginning, one that only had a single screen appearing. Thane watched it in nervous anticipation, not certain who would be making the call.

And then, the image came up, and there Kolyat was, all smiles as he leaned in front of whatever was broadcasting the video feed. "Is this thing on?" Kolyat asked, his voice a little lighter than usual. "It's been so long since the last time I made one of these..."

Thane smiled, a wave of relief washing over him as he laid eyes on his son again. "Still able to joke after everything that has happened?" he asked.

"Well, now that an end is in sight for all this, I think I can afford to crack a joke," he said. "Or attempt to, at least. I think Valentine would've been proud of that."

"Valentine?" Thane asked.

"The pilot of the Lying Bastard," Kolyat replied. "Wish I could've chatted with him more, but I'm under protection and he's in the Corsairs, so that means he can't really talk to me at the moment." He then leaned back, looking behind him. "Still, I'm glad I don't really have to hide anymore. It was... It was really scary."

Thane bowed his head. "I am sorry," he said. "None of this would have happened if I had not sent you to your aunt and uncle on Kahje."

"Don't worry about it," said Kolyat. He shrugged. "I looked through the data packet. That's..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I'll admit, I don't know how else to think about the fact you killed people for a living."

"I made that packet assuming you would hear it after I was gone," Thane admitted, looking to the floor. "There is no easy way to say this, but... I am sick, Kolyat."

The younger drell blinked, before he then leaned forward. "Not Kepral's," he said.

"I am afraid so." Thane sighed. "But I am beating all of the doctor's projections as of now."

"Then there's still time to catch up," Kolyat replied. He bowed his head. "We've got a lot of ground to cover, dad, and..." He then looked back up. "Who knows? Maybe your ship needs a good cook or something."

Thane leaned back at this, his eyelids nictating in shock. "Kolyat, are you sure?" he asked. "I do not even know if I still have work to do, or if Jodie would have me back in her group."

"Well, I went journeying around with her once, I think provided that our ship doesn't get captured by them again I could probably afford to get back into the fray," Kolyat said. "Sa'lem already said he's going to do that: he wants to join Punargathana as a consultant of some kind. I don't know how useful I am, but..."

Thane nodded. "I will keep this in mind if Jodie decides to let me come back on," Thane replied. He smiled. "In the meantime, we have this."

"When is it ever good enough versus in-person meeting, though?" asked Kolyat.

"Very true, Kolyat," Thane said. He then looked up. "If you were to come back, where would you go?"

"Depends." And here, Kolyat smiled. "Where would you like me to come?"

Thane nodded, his eyes twinkling happily. "I will keep Councillor Tevos updated," he said. "I do not know where I will go from here yet."

"Well, wherever it is, I'll see you there," Kolyat said. "It was... good to talk to you, dad. I'm glad you're okay."

"Likewise, Kolyat." Thane reached for the holographic projection. "May Arashu protect you these last few moments."

"And same to you," Kolyat replied.

With this, Kolyat's feed cut out. Councillor Tevos' hologram took up the whole space of the projection before him once again, and she nodded, smiling at him as she stood up.

She then shifted, before looking at the drell. "I suppose you will wait until hearing further word before you decide what comes next?"

"Yes," Thane said. "I have found peace with my son, but I suppose the universe is not done with me yet. In that regard, I stand ready to assist Jodie in whatever capacity she requires until I can move no more."

"Then I am certain I will hear from you again," Tevos replied. "Good day, Thane Krios. And thank you for all you have done to help Jodie."

With this, the feed cut. Thane's second eyelids nictated, and he found himself standing up. His shoulders felt lighter than they had in a long time, and as he left the room he could almost feel Irikah smiling down on him.

Garrus Vakarian sat in a holding cell, his back against the wall. The floor felt hard under his legs, but as Garrus sat there, he figured that there was really nothing else he could muster up at that moment. He exhaled gently, before turning his gaze up to the ceiling above.

Of all the places he had seen the inside of, this had to be the most humiliating for him.

"Officer Vakarian. You may have bent the rules a little bit, but outright trying to overthrow the Council? Not your style."

Garrus turned to the mass effect field that separated him from the rest of the ship. There, he saw Sura T'Lenya, the asari donned in a uniform clearly leant from the Alliance. It fit her very well, but it was such a disconnect from her typical C-SEC uniform that it threw him off for a second.

"Officer T'Lenya," he said. He then turned, looking away. "I should've known you were involved in all this."

"I'm a friend of Jodie," she said. "Of course I got involved." She then crouched down next to him. "But that's not the point. I never thought you'd be the one who'd commit grand treason, you know. You weren't always playing by the rules..."

"Too much red tape," said Garrus. He sighed, pulling his legs in. "When I joined the Galactic Order, he told me that I could do whatever I needed to do to get the job done. I couldn't refuse that chance. Besides, getting to actually stop criminals..." He then paused, looking to the floor, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Sura nodded. "He offered you everything you ever wanted," she said. "Hell, if he had promised me justice against the Geth, I would've done the same things you did. We've all bitten that forbidden apple at some point, Vakarian."

"Too true, Officer T'Lenya. Too true." Garrus leaned back, before looking up. "So what happens now?"

"What happens now indeed," Sura replied, tapping her finger against her cheek. "Whatever would happen to a gullible turian whose own sense of justice was used against him by a malignant narcissist in power descended from a line of tyrants?"

Garrus chuckled. "When you put it that way, you make it sound like I'm screwed," he said.

"Maybe," said Sura. She shrugged, shaking her head. "We'll find out when you get back to Pallin.

"Don't sound too happy to hear me get chewed out by him," Garrus stated.

"Knowing what you've done? I don't think anyone will be happy to hear it, least of all Pallin himself." Sura stood up, shaking her head. "I wish things had been different, Garrus. I always thought you were a good officer."

Garrus sighed, shaking his head as he looked ahead of him. "I'm a bad turian," he said. "Judging from this, I was worse than I thought..."

And so, Garrus returned to looking at the wall. Dimly, he noticed Sura walking away, and with this, he remained quiet, returning to his vigil of self-reflection.

Jodie sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Most everyone was still busy trying to regain their bearings, especially those who had been flung about by Jon'ison in his dash to get to her. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured, but with the way he had rampaged, Jodie was unsure if everyone was really safe. But, there she was, and with little more than a crick in the neck thanks to Aiden, so perhaps not all was lost.

Still, among the confusion she was feeling, she worried for Tali. The quarian had been whisked away as soon as they got back to the Orizaba. Everything else was a weird haze, and she was not totally sure how she was supposed to feel about anything.

"Well, seems you're still digesting a lot."

Jodie blinked, before looking to the side. There, she saw Admiral Hackett standing with his arms crossed. Behind him, Jodie saw the Admiral Kalpalan with his head bowed forward, his arms crossed as he looked at Jodie. Next to Kalpalan, though, Jodie saw Victus and Pravuil, with Pravuil bowing his head with the first smile Jodie had seen him give in a long while. And there, next to the both of them, was Kim and Wilson, both of them looking around as they turned to Jodie.

Jodie stood up slowly, brushing some hair out of her face. "Yeah," she said. She sighed. "Honestly, I don't know how I'm supposed to feel right now. A lot has happened ever since I first got off the Normandy and this whole war broke out."

"It's certainly been a hell of a time," said Kim. She then turned to the Admiral Kalpalan. "But I've gotta say, it's refreshing to met someone from upstairs who has some amount of sense."

Kalpalan nodded. "Now if only it didn't mean that the entire FAR went rogue," he said.

"It did?" Jodie asked.

"After conferring with my generals, it is the only thing that makes sense," said the Admiral Kalpalan. "Considering what we now know about the beginnings of the Great Purge, it is clear that the Artician people can't be trusted, and as they are the ones who constructed our galaxy's entire system of governance that means the system we have now is geared in their favor, no matter how democratic they may try to spin it."

"Seems the only option left at that point is to tear the whole system down and rebuild it to be what it actually should have been," said Kim. "And so, the FAR is going rogue, at least the parts that are here."

"I don't know how well they will all turn," said the Admiral Kalpalan. "But this is a start."

Jodie turned to Kim. "How will that affect the power balance?"

"Right now, we're working on that," said Wilson. "Jon'ison Shardan was their prince, and now that the last of the Shardan bloodline is well and truly gone, we now have to deal with the Artician power vacuum left in his wake."

"I don't think that will crumble so soon," Pravuil said. "The DGI had safeguards in place for that. But, what we have now is the information they didn't count on: the truth." He shook his head. "It will be a long, bloody path for them to see the truth, and I don't expect that everyone will see the truth the way I did. But, I suspect that there will be a push to determine our own fate, and if that gets enough momentum, then..."

"I see," said Jodie. She then looked between Kim, Kalpalan, and Pravuil. "I'm so sorry. I wish things could have ended differently." He then turned to the admiral. "At least your family is intact, Admiral: I know Sa'lem can't say the same thing for himself, and it's been really hard on him from what I know."

"Please, call me Sugrak," the Praetorin replied. He sighed, before looking at Jodie. "I don't know how much bloodshed this will incur in my galaxy, but we'll cross that river in a second. For now, we have time to regroup." He then walked forward, bowing his head down. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. Truly, doing the right thing isn't something that we praetorin can do alone, and the fact you listened and gave her that outlet even after what happened at the Cerberus base says volumes about you as a person, Jodie."

Jodie nodded. "You're welcome," she said. She then turned to Victus. "So, what's going to happen with the turian councillor?"

"That's to be determined soon," said Victus. "But, word on the grapevine is that our current Primarch is the most likely candidate to take that position. If that happens, then that means I become the Primarch of Palaven."

"Really?" Jodie's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, that's wild!"

"It's just another duty," said Victus. "Unfortunately, that means I can't oversee much of this galaxy's affairs if that happens."

"Which will be a bummer," Pravuil said. He then looked to Victus. "I've rather enjoyed working with you, sir. I've never had a superior quite like you."

Victus smiled, his mandibles clicking against his teeth as he turned back to Jodie. "Thank you, Pravuil," he said. He then shrugged. "And I have never had a subordinate quite as attentive. If I do ascend as Primarch of Palaven, I may have work for you yet!"

Pravuil frowned. "Sir, I am not a turian," he said. "I cannot ask that of you."

"I'll find a way around it," Victus replied. He then turned back to Jodie. "And I suppose that settles it."

Jodie then nodded. "Of course." She then turned back to Hackett. "I'm gonna guess this isn't just a social call, though."

"No." Hackett bowed his head. "I just got done talking with the Council. They want to talk to you about something big."

Jodie frowned, looking directly at the Admiral before him. "And what's that?"

"You wish to make me a Spectre?"

"Yes. Through this whole event, you have proven that you can do what you think is right for the safety of the galaxy. We felt we should honor that by making you the first truly human Spectre."

The Council sat before Jodie, with Tevos, Valern, and Anderson all looking on at her. Jodie felt all of their eyes on her, a sensation that was only amplified with the fact that they were all physically in the room with her. Nobody else was in the room with her, and as she was the only one standing she felt like a spotlight had been shone on her. And then, they asked her that question.

Jodie inhaled, rubbing the back of her head. "I... I don't know what to say to that," she said.

Anderson stood up in turn, shrugging. "It's nothing official for now," he said. "We'll need to wait for a new turian Councillor before we can make any concrete decisions on that front. But until then, we wished to extend the invitation regardless."

Jodie sighed, looking down at the floor. Aiden gurgled gently, knowing what this meant, and as Jodie looked to the floor her mind went into overdrive. Indeed, thoughts of her life with the CIA flittered around her, and as she thought of all of those memories, she remembered how hurt she had been at their betrayal. With everything from how they had used her, to seeing the hatred on little Salim's face...

"You seem lost in thought."

Jodie looked up at Valern, surprised by the salarian's bluntness. "I..." Jodie sighed, rubbing her elbow gently. "I have a bad history with agencies making me do their dirty work for them." She gestured to Tevos, exhaling gently. "You saw some of that in the meld."

"I did," Tevos replied. She bowed her head. "And I understand if you approach it with some trepidation."

"Some indeed," Jodie said. She sighed, looking to all of them before turning to Anderson. "I don't know how to feel about this. There's my baggage there, but on the other hand you guys have been way more transparent, and..." She shook her head. "We stopped another galaxy from taking over."

"And we did act on your suggestions," Valern replied. He leaned forward. "If there is anything more we can do, please let us know, because we cannot think of a more worthy recipient of Spectre status right now."

Jodie exhaled, her thoughts all over the place. She knew that, indeed, they were right. In the end, the Council had been much better about being open with Jodie than Ryan and the CIA had ever been. Ash had been right: they were overall better about transparency, and that was big for Jodie. And additionally, she knew this war was not yet at an end, and she realized that they knew it just as much as she did.

What reason did she have to refuse?

Jodie breathed in, hearing Aiden chirp his agreement as she exhaled. She then swallowed.

"I'll..." Her breath hitched. "I'll do it." She then exhaled quickly, feeling her heart rate briefly spike.

"I'm glad to hear that," said Anderson. "This is purely unofficial now, but officially there are steps. You will need a mentor, of course, and we will have one for you soon."

Jodie nodded. "I look forward to meeting this mentor," she said.

And then, she felt the weight lift off of her chest.

"And this, coming from someone who wanted her secret hid so much?"

"I've had a long time to think about it, Ash. It just seemed right, I guess."

"Well, it's good you did. I think you'll make a great Spectre, Jodie."

"I hope so..."

Ashley and Jodie sat in the Orizaba's mess hall, the two of them conversing as they watched the people there. To one side, Jodie saw the Admirals and the Council speaking about something. On another end, she saw Jacob and Miranda talking to each other, no doubt about Jacob's ties to Cerberus. On another end, Karshia, Pravuil, and the Admiral Kalpalan were all talking to Victus, the four of them seeming rather animated in whatever conversation they were having. And off to the side, Kalo and Sura were involved in a conversation with Thane about some drell spirituality thing. All in all, the talk was brimming with excitement, and as Jodie looked on, she felt hopeful about the future prospects.

She then turned to Ashley. "I guess it'll help against the Reapers, too," Jodie added. "Now that Shepard's gone, someone has to take up that banner."

"Yeah," said Ashley. She sighed, drumming her fingers on the table. "Do you think we can get them together?"

"No," said Jodie. She shrugged. "But that's not gonna stop me from trying. We have to, after all."

"Yeah," said Ashley. "Well, whatever the case, I can't wait to kick ass with you again. It's gonna be a nice change to be a friend on the Normandy again."

Jodie nodded, leaning back. "That it is," she said. She then looked above them. "Right, Aiden?"

The entity chirped. Jodie chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh come on, Aiden, it won't be that bad of a fail."

Ashley chuckled in turn, before frowning. "By the way, Jodie..." She inhaled. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Jodie rose her eyebrows at Ashley. "Sure," she said. "What's up?"

Ashley nodded, leaning forward where she sat. "When you talk about your past, you're always talking about how much it sucked."

Jodie let out a small breath, turning away from the door and looking at Ashley where she stood. "It wasn't all bad," she said.

"No, but all that isolation and those people using you were pretty screwed up," said Ashley. She then placed her hands on the table. "And yet, even through all of that, you're still here, and you still want to help," said Ashley. "There's everything you did, everything you're doing now… for the life of me, I can't figure out what it is that makes you want to help even though you had a shit past." She paused, before looking at Jodie. "You don't have to reply to that if you don't want to. But I'm kind of curious as to how you got from being scared the Alliance would use you to accepting the Spectre position."

Jodie glanced up at Aiden, hearing Aiden click once, twice as she thought about the question. She closed her eyes, thinking back a little bit. The silence hung thick in the Mako, Jodie remaining standing as she considered Ashley's words. She then looked back at Ashley, exhaling rather briefly.

She then leaned towards Ashley. "Well, first of all, I think they proved themselves," Jodie said. "But even before that... Well, there were other things at play. And people that pulled me out of a dark patch in my life." She sighed, before looking up. Her mind drifted to a place in her memory she had revisited once or twice.

"His name was Stan." Jodie leaned forward. "When I was on the run from the CIA, I wound up in a very cold city in the middle of winter," Jodie continued. She paused, looking down at the ground. "One night, it got so cold I nearly froze to death. I remember walking down a street, I had even called Nathan on a payphone very briefly before I blacked out."

Jodie held her arms together. "I woke up next to a fire. There was concrete above my head. And... well, there he was." Jodie chuckled softly. "He was homeless, just like I was, and he had dragged me all the way back to where he had set up shelter, warmed me up best he could."

Jodie smiled as she leaned back against the wall of the Mako, her gaze directed up towards the ceiling. "He didn't need to do that," she continued. "He already had his hands full. There were three others under that concrete that he needed to help, three other mouths to feed. One of them was even pregnant with a little girl. He didn't need the extra mouth. He could've just left me there."

"And yet he didn't," Ashley finished.

"And yet he didn't," Jodie repeated. She then looked back at Ashley. "He took me under his wing, gave me a place to stay when no one else would. I had to help him a little, but I went with it. I was just as desperate as they were, you know? And when I eventually had to reveal Aiden to him and everyone else, they..." Jodie's smile broadened, her eyes glistening nostalgically. "They didn't make a big deal of it. I was one of their own, and they never asked any questions. They wanted me for me."

Ashley smiled, looking at Jodie. "Sounds like you had a good run with them," said Ashley.

"It was too good to last," Jodie replied, looking up. "It's a long story, but to make it short I got put in a coma by some idiots with a camera while trying to help my friends, and when I woke up I had to go on the run again." Jodie looked down, her smile remaining. "But Stan... Stan, Jimmy, Walter, Zoey... They always stayed with me in some way." She looked up at Ashley, smiling. "I never thought I'd find people like them. But I did, and it was so good to see people who were willing to take me in out of the true goodness of their hearts."

She shook her head. "When I first came to them, I was still feeling the sting of the CIA's betrayal," Jodie replied. "I even got... suicidal about it. I thought I could never trust anyone again. But after meeting Stan, I rethought a lot of my priorities. You kind of do when you meet a real life Good Samaritan, you know?" She then turned her attention to the ceiling. "If there's even one person out there like Stan, wouldn't you want to fight for them?"

Ashley nodded. "I would," said Ashley. "I do it all the time. For my sisters, for dad, for mom... I know a lot of good people." Ashley chuckled. "I'm almost jealous I didn't get to meet any Good Samaritans like this Stan."

"They're hard to spot," Jodie admitted. "But when you're riffling through garbage in the middle of a cold night where nobody else is looking, you tend to show that." She leaned forward, exhaling. "And now, here I am, in the middle of an intergalactic war, right? I don't think even they could've seen my life turning out like this."

"To be fair, I don't think there's anyone who would," said Ashley. She then leaned back, nodding her head gently. "Thanks. I always wondered about that."

"Well, now you don't have to," Jodie said. She exhaled, shrugging. "But I think you're right. I can trust these people, and since I can, I don't really see what the harm is in helping them."

"That's the spirit!" Ashley said. She then leaned forward, her shoulders sagging somewhat as she stood up. "Well, I don't know about you, but today has been a long day."

Jodie chuckled, feeling a yawn coming on. She covered her mouth quickly, standing up and stretching. "I haven't slept since we got to the mass relay to get here," she said. "Man, this has all been exhausting. I think I'm gonna go sleep somewhere."

"You deserve it," Ashley replied. She then patted Jodie on the shoulder. "Good night, Jodie. you've got a lot to figure out!

"Indeed," Jodie replied. She exhaled. "Indeed."

With this, she walked away. And as she did, she looked up to Aiden. There were sleeping pods down there, right?

Aiden chirped in the affirmative. Jodie nodded, walking along as she thought of the day's events. Who could've ever thought? Right, Aiden?

Aiden gurgled in response, the gurgle full of mirth. He then swooshed around, the sound filling her ears up quite well.

Hey now, don't get any ideas, Jodie thought, shaking her head with a smile. You've been really good about all this, we wouldn't want to start with that now, would we?

When Aiden gurgled back, he sounded almost guilty. Jodie only smiled at this, shaking his head and chuckling. She then moved towards the sleeping pods, brushing some hair out of her face as she exhaled.

Well, good night, Aiden, she thought. I'll see you in the morning.

Aiden chirped in the affirmative, and then Jodie opened the pod, stretching herself out one last time before entering.

As Jodie slipped into slumber, she blinked, noticing that she was wading around in the static again.

Great, she thought, feeling the urge to roll her eyes. Apparently even my dreams aren't safe...

The dreamscape around her took a very strange form, one of a room she had never seen before. She noticed that there was a window peeking out outside: as she approached it, she noticed that it looked out onto the Obschesto. It looked as massive as ever, with its huge curving arms leading to the Tayurmya, and as she glanced at it she thought of everything she had endured here.

And then, behind her, she heard the sound of a child crying.

Jodie turned, looking back to see a young boy crying at a table. He could not have been more than five years old, and his face was streaked with tears, both fresh and dried. Jodie stepped closer, with Aiden gurgling gently as she approached. There was also a good deal of grime on his face and his body, and his clothing had been tattered and torn. In a way, it reminded her of little Salim, back to the shredded clothes in the combat zone of Somalia even down to the way his pants looked.

But the face looked familiar. And then, she saw the same eyes, the same face, all of them looking much younger with his age.

Is this...? she thought to herself.

At that moment, the door opened. Jodie and Jon'ison looked up at the same time to see a group of articians entering, all of them in large robes. These robes in red and yellow betrayed some sort of great class with the way they shone with precious jewels and even a little gold. They looked at him, all of them parading in slowly and gave him cold looks.

Jon'ison's tears renewed again, more of them coming down. "Where's momma and pawpaw?" he asked, looking up at the robed articians.

But the robed men remained still, but for a single artician among them who stepped forward. "We... They didn't make it, little Jon'ison," he stated. "Your father and mother were felled by the uncontrolled."

"No!" Jon'ison's fists banged on the ground, his eyes glowing red for just the briefest of seconds. "Momma and pawpaw... I want them now!"

"They can't come, little Jon'ison," said the single artician. "They are gone..."

"No!"

The younger Jon'ison kicked and screamed at the table, managing to shift the table away from him by about a foot before kicking it and flipping it over. The loud crash that was left in its wake was followed shortly afterwards by Jon'ison crying, the sound awful and piercing in the air. Jodie almost felt guilty, before looking to the side and hearing Aiden gurgle.

She then looked to the side, seeing one of the articians approach. The younger artician looked up.

"It is all up to your actions now," said the elder artician, his dark hair flowing over his shoulders. "You will learn in time."

With this, he laid a book in Jon'ison's lap, a book only about the size of her palm. Jodie leaned in closer, with Aiden gurgling as he looked at it.

"This is our book of platitudes," the elder artician continued. "Read this. You will learn in time..."

And then, the vision faded away, but not entirely. Around her, she watched as the static took form again, but this time it rematerialized into a new location pretty quickly. And there Jon was, sitting in an office, looking up at a single person. He had grown two years from the last time he was spoken to, his legs filling out a little more and his face already looking sunken in from the pressures of war. Jodie looked at this person, watching the way he leaned forward, sighing in exasperation as he tapped his temple gently.

"So let me get this straight," he said. "You say you can't hear the spirit talking to you."

"No," said Jon'ison, his voice a little more developed. "They tell me to focus, but it's just... nothing."

"Hm..." The office man nodded. "Very well." He then leaned closer. "Jon'ison, if I may, I would tell you not to tell anyone else about the conversation we have had about this."

"What?" Jon blinked in surprise. "But that would be lying!"

The office man shrugged. "Remember the platitudes, Jon," he said. "All pedestals are good, as long as they advance our people forward."

Jon sank back into his chair, nodding. "But what do we do?" he asked.

The office man nodded. "That, we will need to come up with," he said. "You still transmit visions, yes? We can work with this..."

And then, the static rose once again, leaving Jodie to step back and admire how quickly it shifted to the next location. And here, Jodie watched as Jon'ison sat in his study. Here, he looked rather older again, this time by a year. He had already seen the beginnings of a growth spurt, and as Jodie looked on she noticed that his face was filling out, with the beginnings of muscle already appearing on his otherwise twig-like body.

Jon'ison looked up at someone who must have been a tutor, who bowed his head forward. "I have something for you," the tutor began.

Jon'ison looked up, his gaze surprised as he looked to the tutor. "Is it another lesson?" he asked.

"No," the tutor said. "But it is an item of significance to you. Here."

And with this, he pulled out an object from his cloak. Jodie immediately recognized it as Jon'ison's sword, the hilt seeming to be a little more grimy than she knew. It was certainly not in any usable state, but with a few repairs...

"This is pawpaw's blade," Jon'ison stated. He then looked up at the tutor. "Where did you find it?"

"Inside the warzone," the tutor stated. "We found it when we cleared the last of the uncontrolled from your sector on Artice's moon." He then bowed his head. "It may never see use again, though, little Jon'ison."

But here, Jon'ison grinned, before looking to the side. "No," he said. He then bowed, before accepting the blade. "Let me fix it."

The tutor blinked. "But young Jon'ison..."

Jon lifted his hand. "If I fix it, then it'll prove that I'm the person to save us all, right?" he asked. "Then let me fix it! And when I do, you'll know I'm ready."

The tutor blinked, tilting his head. "Ready for what?" asked the tutor.

Jon nodded. "To avenge my people."

Jodie caught the smirk that appeared on the tutor's face, but before she could comment further the static appeared again, the sound loud and unyielding. However, this time she heard the zing of the blade's unsheathing, and it was this that pierced the static. Jodie looked on, seeing the way Jon'ison stood triumphantly with his blade shining in the static. Just off to the side were several unidentified faces, ones that looked on in awe as he swung it around. The smile on his face said everything, of course.

And then, the scene shifted, and suddenly there he was, standing in front of three people. The three people before her loomed large, remaining enshrouded in shadow as they looked down. Jodie was not sure they were really in the room with Jon'ison, but whether they were or not seemed unimportant.

Jodie blinked, watching as Jon'ison stood up. "And that is all I have to report."

The tallest of the three shadowy figures leaned forward. "Very well," he said. "You seem to have taken a liking to this Tali'Zorah. You are certain she will not hate the exions the way her people hate the geth?"

"I am sure," Jon'ison replied. "What they need is a people who can carry them out of their predicament. It's... unjust. They've done what they can, but they are pariahs in the galaxy, and this Council has failed them." He shook his head. "It was just like you said: this Council trods all over people and doesn't care who they've hurt, as long as they can protect powerful species."

"Then you think they can be lulled to our side?" the shortest of the shadowy figures asked.

"Yes," said Jon'ison. He stepped forward. "I think we can give them the medical nanobot network, let it rebuild their immune systems. That would be all we'd need." He then shook his head. "But their distrust of AIs is... worrisome indeed. I'm going to have to figure that out."

"Leave that to us, Jon'ison," the remaining shadowy figure replied. "We will find a good way to do this."

"Good," Jon'ison replied. "I will keep in contact with Tali. The daughter of an admiral is a useful contact, and I don't know when it'll come in handy, but I'm sure it will." He nodded. "Especially when they have the largest fleet in the galaxy."

"Oh, so they can help us fight that galaxy while we keep our true power under wraps?" asked the tallest of the shadowy figures. "Most excellent. You have done brilliantly well in this recon mission, Jon'ison Shardan. Keep up the good work: we will try to position a mole into the Alliance so you can infiltrate them."

"Of course."

And then, Jodie stepped back, watching as Jon'ison vanished from view. She was thus left with the shadowy figures, right before the lights came up on them. She gasped, seeing more articians, the two men bowing down as the woman grinned.

"What are you thinking?" asked the tallest one.

"That the medical nanobot network will prove useful here, too," she said. She stood up. "How far along are we in reconstructing it?"

"Not far," the third one said. "Soon it shall be complete, and nobody, not even Jon'ison, will be ever the wiser."

"Excellent." The tallest one stood up. "Then let us prepare for this. WE have much to fix..."

With this, the visions finally faded away, leaving Jodie to contemplate what she had just witnessed. She then looked around her, hearing Aiden gurgle lowly in the strange otherworldy place.

And then, she thought of the information she had up until that point. Jodie had talked to Kalo and the Admiral Kalpalan briefly, who had mentioned that Jon'ison seemed genuinely surprised by his research. But given what she saw, she realized that it was, in fact, even worse than she imagined. It was exactly how Admiral Kalpalan described it, but to see it so intimately, and to see how he had grown up under that...

Jesus Christ... She shook her head, thinking back to her own childhood. He was a pawn in their grand schemes, always was for as long as he lived. And he had his childhood turned against him for other's needs. Just like me...

"It depends on how you think of it. You at least broke away, no doubt because you have not let your worst experiences define you completely."

Immediately, Jodie turned around: behind her was the wispy cloud she had seen before. This time, though, the cloud seemed much less turbulent, and as she looked at this, Jodie stepped forward.

"You again," she said. She then frowned, leaning forward. "You're not this 'All-Mother' that Karshia told me about, are you?"

"That depends on how you look at it," the cloud replied. She then moved past Jodie. "That is the name I have been dubbed by the Artician people, at any rate. But, if you asked me about the term they used, then I am not necessarily all-powerful as you might think."

Jodie nodded. "Right." She then looked forward. "Are you finally going to stick around long enough to give me some concrete answers?"

"Yes."

The cloud then compacted on itself, forming into a strange Artician woman that Jodie had never seen before. Her hair billowed in an imaginary wind, and as Jodie watched her walk forward, she noticed the aged, wise features on this woman's face. Even then, though, the wisps flew off of her, still giving her a very ethereal appearance, and one that Jodie found herself marvelling at as the All-Mother approached.

Jodie nodded. "I guess you're something from their galaxy."

"Only if you consider all spirit-touched to come from there, yes," she said. "But I am something greater than their reality."

"I guess so," Jodie conceded. "Of all my years dealing with the infraworld, I have never bumped into anyone like you."

"As far as I know, I am the only one," she said. "I am just a soul lost to the physical realm. I had a body once, but... it was stripped from me, on Artice."

"The Artician homeworld?" Jodie asked.

"Yes." The All-Mother moved forward. "Since then, I have tried relentlessly making contact with people through this realm. Only the spirit-touched have heard me."

"Even despite your best efforts," said Jodie. "Like when you tried to contact the Illusive Man."

"This wormhole has opened twice to me," said the All-Mother. "The first time, there were many with the potential, but none who had unlocked the ability to create the ties. The second time, I found nobody, and in my frantic search to get a Tiven'Vian to tell the Illusive Man the truth I failed. None were willing to listen to what I said: the Artician people's stranglehold on their own was too powerful even for me."

Jodie nodded. "So that was why you turned to me, then," she said. "I was the only one not under the Artician's control."

"And thus, the only one who would have truly listened," the All-Mother replied. She looked up. "I am glad my faith was not misplaced. I regret that the Shardan bloodline had to be extinguished, but at the same time my people now have a chance to live without being smothered by that bloodline of oppressors."

"So that was your plan the whole time," said Jodie. She exhaled. "I guess you knew their designs all along."

"Yes," said the All-Mother. "I may not be all-powerful, but I do know a good many things about the Articians and their motives. I apologize that I could not be more direct about it in our conversations."

"No, I get it," said Jodie, shaking her head. "You needed us to find the answers on our own, especially in a galaxy that didn't know that the Infraworld could be accessed like this."

"Yes," said the All-Mother. "I very quickly realized how much less connected to the mystical this galaxy was. For a moment, I thought all was lost. And then, I found you, in no small part thanks to Jon'ison's deceptions. I knew immediately you were the only one who could help, as the only spirit touched in both realities who was not under their control. But how to do so in a galaxy that puts more faith in science than the mystical was something that took me a little while to figure out." She then shook her head. "It did not occur to me until your fleets defeated Sovereign. I would have been able to contact you sooner had I had an answer before then."

Jodie nodded, satisfied with that answer. She then paused, before lifting her finger. "You're talking like you just stumbled into me."

The All-Mother nodded. "If you are asking whether or not I brought you here from your own reality, then no, I am afraid not," she said. "I am just a knowledgable spirit who has not lost her connection to the realm of the living: I have no power to carry people from one reality to the next. My best guess is that whatever happened to you to bring you here was a result of a happy accident."

"The Black Sun initiative..." Jodie trailed off, thinking about what she had felt as she closed the black sun. "In my home reality, my scientists were experimenting on... on portals. Ones that would open a gateway to the Infraworld, let us discover its secrets. But they went too far, and the Infraworld has a funny way of trying to take over the real world when a gateway is opened."

The All-Mother turned to her in surprise. "Your people did this as well?" she asked, shock coming to her voice.

"Yeah," said Jodie. "I closed the portal on them. I guess whatever they did created enough of a disturbance it brought me here..."

And then, she paused, noting the shock on the All-Mother's face. And then, she thought back to what she asked, before frowning herself.

"What do you mean, 'as well'?" Jodie asked.

"The Articians also experimented with opening these portals to the Infraworld in the past," said the All-Mother. "It was how I was birthed." She then paused, looking down. "Then... Then you must go to Artice."

"What's waiting for me there?" asked Jodie.

"A planet overtaken by this realm," said the All-Mother. "Its grasp has had difficulty reaching beyond the confines of Artice."

Jodie's eyes widening in shock. "Is that why nobody can access the Artician homeworld?"

"Yes," said the All-Mother. She then looked to Jodie. "At some point, you must go there, close the Black Sun. I don't know when it will break past Artice, but I have the awful feeling it will break past eventually, and it must be stopped."

"I see..." Jodie shook her head. "And what about the Reapers? We have them coming eventually, you know!"

"They... Now that you have the Admiral Kalpalan on your side, and their technology with you, I think you will be alright against them," said the All-Mother. She then frowned. "But there is one thing you must be aware of. In the Bahak System, there are experiments being run. Alliance-based ones. The scientists there have discovered something that is slowly corrupting them."

"Indoctrination..." Jodie said. She nodded grimly. "So that has to be stopped."

"Yes," said the All-Mother. She then walked forward. "I know now you must deal with the fallout of the Shardan prince's death, but with the people in power at the moment, I am sure you will find the right solutions to this problem somehow. You are not out of the fire yet, but you have all that you need to end this conflict in a fair, just manner."

Jodie nodded. "I'll try not to disappoint you," she said.

And here, the All-Mother smiled warmly at her. "I have the feeling you will do just fine," she said. "You will certainly see me more often than this in the future."

And with this, the All-Mother disappeared in a wisp of smoke, leaving Jodie to her thoughts in whatever odd dream-scape she stood in.

Jodie woke up, feeling somewhat refreshed and even, dare she think, hopeful. She slowly pushed herself up, hearing Aiden gurgle in her mind.

I know, she said. But... It can't be that bad, can it?

She then exhaled, before stepping out. Aiden chirped his agreement, and with this Jodie rolled her sleeves up.

Alright, let's see what the Council's got for me right now...