RiptideX1090 wrote...
"The Council is not impressed, Shepard."
Anderson was settling into his new role as Councilor well. He was even becoming as irritating as the previous Council.
"Do I look like I care?" Shepard stared into the hologram with cool disdain. He hated politicians. Anderson had proven himself one after Horizon, hiding and keeping secrets from him. He was no better than Udina.
"I know you don't care, and that's the problem." He was even starting to sound like Udina. "The Council is still dissecting the data you sent them. They aren't happy about it, and you going around, blowing up space stations with Hierarchy and Quarian civilians on board isn't doing much to quell rumors that you're a rogue agent."
"I don't give a damn about what the Council thinks. If it wasn't for me, none of you would be sitting on it now." Shepard tired of this game.
Anderson kept his cool, despite showing increasingly irritated body language. "I know that, Shepard." He looked down to a spot in front of his shoes, weariness worn like a mask on his aging face. "Can you at least tell me where you're going?"
Shepard didn't advert his gaze. "Camala".
"I take it you found out where our colonists were taken?"
"Yes."
Anderson knew this would only end in bloodshed. The batarians and Shepard had a violent history at it's best. Still, something wasn't sitting right with him. Looking directly into Shepard's cybernetic orbs, he inquired. "Why did you even bother attacking the space station? Why not have let a Council force deal with it? The slavers would have ended up dead one way or another. I thought you had a quarian and turian on your crew." Anderson's voice was rigid. "Don't they care?"
Any other day, Shepard might have cared to flash a broken smile.
"Tali does."
Anderson got a queasy feeling in his stomach. Shepard was cold, but even that seemed to be pushing it.
"That's sick Shepard. You know how much quarians place on family. Asking her to wipe out her own kind, you may as well have asked her to kill her own parents."
"Unfortunate that they're already dead."
Anderson felt his gut freeze with an icy chill. "What are you going to do when you're all she has, and even that isn't enough to warrent living? Do you care about anyone other than yourself, Shepard?"
Shepard's face remained neutral.
"You'll recieve my report once the mission is complete. We hit them in two days. Clear your shedule."
Shepard turned off the holo-projector.
The Engineering Deck was busy again, Tali was at her terminal running a diagnostics on the output of power from the drive core when she felt a presence behind her. It was one she knew, but still unfamiliar with, the placid machine stood behind her, making very simple stuttering noises, conforming with itself. Tali turned her head over her shoulder; the geth platform stared with a readable inquiring look on the silver disk of an eye. “Legion?” Tali asked with a daunting tone, she was still uncomfortable around the machine. “We have a query for the Creator.” Legion stood motionless, as always. Tali turned to her work, it was a routine, she looked back at Legion and made a slight shrug. The two other engineers across from her looked occupied. Tali felt she may as well answer. “What is it?” “In the previous assignment, you, along with Shepard-Commander and the turian comrade took another turian officer to join you. We have comprehended that the assignment did not go as planned and the officer was killed, we also understand that there has been many vocal exchanges between yourself and the officer. We are aware of Shepard-Commander’s usual methods, we have concluded that another occurrence happened between you.” Legion paused, anticipating an interruption. The cold ran up Tali’s spine, fainted dread swam through her. She did not want to relive the moment. Tali remained silent. Legion was intrigued by the quarian’s compliance. The machine tried to hide its own astonishment, but the head flaps slight movement betrayed it. It continued, hoping the embarrassment went unnoticed. “We have deduced that the turian officer was decommissioned by Shepard-Commander, strong emotional outbursts being the likely cause.” The accuracy of this inference unsettled Tali, she was fearful at what she may be asked. She leaned back slowly, disorientation was slight. “What we wish to know is your reception to this. We have deemed it illogical that both you and Shepard-Commander continue as if nothing has happened. Organic reasoning has faults, but this puzzles us. Why? Tali finally regained herself, “What is it? We don’t wish to face it again, that’s why.” The head flaps again open in bemusement, the iris slowly focuses. Legion made a short intermission, debating with itself again. “We have no more further questions. Shepard-Commander answered the same way.” Legion’s head flaps made another flare, this one being deliberate. The geth platform turned and walked away, its head was hung low.