Presidium Promenade, Citadel, 10:00 10th May 2184

Tethys, Asari Commando and member of the Talein's Daughters Mercenary Company

"No sign of the targets, just the normal activity around the shipyard…" As she relayed the information to Sister Taleis, the old 'friend' that she had owed more than one favour to, Tethys was honestly starting to wonder what her friend had gotten her into.

She, and three other ex-Asari Commando operatives that seemed to be here for similar reasons as she was, were quite clearly being used as cut-outs for some reason. It was standard Asari Black Operations Protocol for hostile and dangerous targets, and so far the majority of their targets hadn't shown anything remotely close to such a protocol requirement.

In fact, they hadn't seen any sign of the main focus of their op for almost three days, since his meeting with the head of C-Sec on his first day back on the Citadel. He was the main one Tethys was worried about, but other than a bunch of arrests at the shipyard there had been no other signs of a security presence or any action taken against their monitoring.

"Disappointing, but expected. Given the size of the ship he's taken and the fallout of the attack on the human colony, he is probably working on paperwork and other bureaucratic nonsense… Still, we would like more information about this 'Naruto Uzumaki', before he has a chance to further act against the Sisters…" This wasn't the first time the alarm bells had started ringing in Tethys' head about this whole affair, even as Sister Taelis reached into the pocket on her dress and pulled out a small memory drive, but it was now ringing louder and more insistently.

The Sisters of Reflection were meant to be an Asari order that kept to the interior of Asari space around their 'Temple' on Hyetiana, as well as being focussed on discourse and diplomacy rather than this type of subterfuge. That wasn't to say that the Sisters didn't indulge in such professions, all Asari were as familiar with such skills in one manner or another, but the way Sister Taleis and the other members of her 'coven' were acting was… wrong for the lack of a better word.

Basic Commando Recon and Stealth training would have dictated that in addition to 'hiring' Tethys and the others, through monetary means, blackmail, or a combination of the two, there should have been at least two more layers of 'backstopping' through unaffiliated groups and other disposable elements that couldn't lead back to any Asari at all.

"This drive contains several tracking and data retrieval programs. You are to get this into the shipyard's internal systems, or even better on the ship itself. Mother Reilya realises that such a difficult task is not what you signed up for, but…" Tethys didn't even give her time to offer whatever 'compensation' was going to be put on the table, shaking her head firmly before putting down the cup she had been drinking from.

"No. I signed up for monitoring and tailing a few targets, as part of the deal agreed between the Sisters and the Talein's Daughters, and that was only because of the favours I owed you. I am expected back on Thessia by the end of next week, and I intend to meet that deadline…" There was a flash of fury that crossed Sister Taleis' deep purple hued face that almost made Tethys flinch with it's intensity, another reaction that was so out of character Tethys almost thought she was dealing with an impostor of some sort.

Then the look was gone, replaced with the normal serene expression that was expected from Asari Sisters, though Taleis' hands were still clenched on the table between them.

"Even for 100,000 credits? Such an offer is far more than you would earn as part of your little group." Rather than entice her, as such a large amount of money was no doubt intended to, Tethys' resolve hardened as she realised she was right.

"I would only earn it if I was alive and free to collect it, and I wasn't stupid enough to merely take the intelligence you provided about these guys at face value Taleis." Admittedly most of what she had heard was only rumours at best, but her contacts in C-Sec had confirmed two key facts about this 'Naruto Uzumaki' human.

"I found it strange that your briefing missed the parts about the crew being affiliated with Spectres and the Council, as well as the shipyard owner having led several large C-Sec supported operations against pretty much every type of gang on the Citadel." And given those two anecdotes indicated at the very least a competent combatant, if not someone who did his best to avoid letting such events become public knowledge, Tethys saw the offered 100,000 credits for what they were.

"So I won't be agreeing to become your Nara'ulla (AN: Roughly translates to 'Agreed Bearer', equivalent to the term 'fall guy' in English), and I won't accept your blood money to go behind my Sisters backs. Find a Salarian or a Human if you want someone to die for credits…" Whilst normally such a refusal was simply the first step in the long and intricate dance that constituted Asari bargaining, Tethys had every intention of getting off the Citadel as soon as possible and not looking back.

Standing before Taleis could form an articulate response, the Sister seemingly caught between maintaining her serene mask and unleashing the fury that Tethys could see barely rested beneath the surface, Tethys moved over to the exit of the restaurant they had been meeting in without another word.

The sooner she was off station, the sooner she could get back to the simple life of a Huntress, and hopefully she would avoid the fallout of whatever 'plan' the Sisters seemed to have.

However, she realised in the first five minutes of leaving the restaurant that she was being followed, at least three other members of the Sisters that she had tagged on her way back to her hotel in the Citadel Wards. Normally in such a situation Tethys would have laughed at what was obviously an attempt to either intimidate or silence her, but the latest C-Sec security measures had put her at a considerable disadvantage now.

She had entered the Citadel as a civilian, rather than risking the attention her mercenary alias would have attracted to her 'mission', so she hadn't been allowed to carry anything bigger than a small hold out pistol or even wear light combat armour. Granted she still had her biotic powers, but against three or more other Asari such a talent was a lot less useful than it would be against other aggressors.

Make that six Asari, Tethys thought with a small feeling of despair forming in her stomach as she entered one of the normally crowded side streets of the Wards, finding instead three Sisters of Reflection stood rather arrogantly in the middle of the street, weapons drawn and ready.

"You should not have refused our offer…" As one of the sisters spoke, with the same almost blunt manner that had concerned her about Sister Taleis, Tethys shifted to one side of the street.

As they were on both sides of her she couldn't fully hope to bottleneck them and remove their numbers advantage, but this would allow her to keep an eye on them all until the bul…

"You know, this almost looks like someone is trying to perform a shakedown on my turf…" Her thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out from behind the Sisters who had been following her, causing everyone to turn in that direction.

A single human, even dressed in full combat armour and with a pair of submachine guns at his waist and stood at the entrance to the street she had entered at, wouldn't be what Tethys would call intimidating.

"I assume these belong to you…" The fact he was dragging a clearly unconscious Sister by the neck with each hand did certainly up the intimidation and awe factor, tossing them both on the ground in front of him before looking straight in their direction with his skull masked visor.

"You dare obstruct our business, human…" The Sister that had spoken to her before spoke with an angry tone that matched with the nimbus of biotic energy that was now pulsating around her upper body, the other Sisters following her lead and making it clear this was about to get violent.

But 3 vs 1 was much better odds for Tethys, especially as they had all foolishly stopped paying attention to her, and she wasn't going to let her chance go to waste. She was building up to a sprint a moment later, pistol drawn and firing. She preferred a sniper rifle and long range combat, patience and strategy, two things she excelled in, but she wasn't a Huntress for no reason.

Two pistol rounds caught the Sister on the left high in the chest, whilst her biotic throw slammed the one on the right into a pair of waste disposal containers with an audible crack. The remaining Sister managed to get her pistol up in time to fire a single round, Tethys wincing as it buried itself in her right shoulder, but her return fire was far more effective.

As the Sister collapsed backwards, blood leaking from her ruined eye socket, Tethys considered running without looking back, she was already injured and there were almost certainly other Sisters on the Citadel. But that last thought was the reason she looked over to her erstwhile ally, thinking that helping the human would be beneficial for her long term survival, even if they parted ways here two targets were better than one.

"Very impressive, clearly they were right to bring such numbers against you." The human didn't seem like he would need her help, given the three Sisters that had faced him were either unconscious or dead on the durasteel floor, all done seemingly without the man even drawing a weapon.

"Though I am a little disappointed, when I was employed to target Matriarch Benezia's spying operations on the Citadel, I expected…" The disappointment the human was expressing with his voice seemed genuine enough, even as he walked towards her in a relaxed manner, despite the fact she had her pistol raised and aimed right for his face plate.

"Never mind, I see you are injured, and no doubt C-Sec is on its way. I'm assuming you wish to avoid being involved in that particular shitshow?" The human didn't even give her time to respond, tossing her a data chit with remarkable accuracy even as he turned away from her once more and started looking through the pockets of one of the Sisters he had downed.

"That would be preferable human, though I doubt I can get treated for a gunshot wound on the Citadel without it being reported, so running would only make me seem guilty." That and the issue with her using a civilian alias and then taking down three people in an ambush, but that issue was pretty much unavoidable either way.

"Head to the Michel Clinic, it isn't too far from here. Tell her you are an associate of mine, my description or the code name 'Skull' should be enough. She is known for her discretion and her willingness to treat anyone who comes to her clinic."

Tethys didn't know the place off hand, her time on the Citadel pretty much entirely focussed on the shipyards and the small area around her hotel, but that's what the extranet was for. She was turning to leave when she remembered the data chit the human had thrown at her.

But as the sounds of shouting became audible, Tethys realised she would have to look at it later and discern its importance. Whatever it was, she resolved to herself that she would be dedicating considerable resources to finding out more about this 'Skull' character…

A man who can take down five Asari without drawing a weapon, even if they were Sisters and not Commandos or Huntresses, was worth looking into as a contact at the very least…

[]{}#%^*+=

Crew deck of The Will of Fire, Citadel Ward Shipyard, 18:00 10th May 2184

Jv'kari Glavcar, First Officer of The Will of Fire and interim Clan head of the Glavcar.

"Right, that's enough for today! That was very impressive everyone, hit the showers and then feel free to head onto the Citadel for the evening." Even as Jv'kari finished her last series of push ups and pushed herself to her feet, she could see the somewhat confused faces of her clansmen.

The idea of 'free time' was something that most Slave Clan members never got to really experience, they were either working, training or resting. And whilst the youngest members of the Glavcar clan were already being corralled by the small contingent of Quarians that were stationed on The Will of Fire towards the showers, the older members were looking to her.

"Kari-chan, everything okay? I don't want to push you guys too hard when you are all still recovering." More importantly, the rest of the clan were looking at the one that many of them considered their new 'master', and her as the new Overseer.

A lifetime of following orders without question and never talking back to the 'superior' caste was not easily broken, though she knew not a single member of her clan regretted her decision to rebel in the slightest. The fact she had been forced to refuse extra offerings of food during their meal breaks was not only a novel experience, but one that still made her smile slightly when she was working on some of the more mind numbing maintenance tasks they were performing on the ship.

Still, now was not the time to get distracted, and with a quick glance around her gathered Clan members Jv'kari made some subtle hand gestures that were Batarian Slave Code even as she responded verbally to her Captain.

"We are all still capable of working, Captain. Given there is still work to be done on Deck 4 to make sure the ship is fully operational…" Even as she stopped speaking at her Captain's disappointed sigh, her facial muscles twitching unconsciously as she thought she had done something wrong, Jv'kari managed to finish signing.

'Seconds, take 43 and 74 to quarters and treat. 54 and 62 go with the Kl'shalek, no embarrassment.'

All Batarian Slave Clan members had numbers more often than names, and whilst the Glavcar had both, the numbers were easier to sign. She had seen two members of her clan were struggling with injuries of one form or another, but to take them to the medical bay was a sign of weakness the clan couldn't afford. The other two, some of the eldest clan members who hadn't been 'culled' before the rebellion for being physically incapable, would be more useful in reigning in the young bloods out on the Citadel than working after that exercise.

"Kari-chan, when I said there was free time…" There was a sudden cough and the ship's medical officer, a relatively young human woman who had somehow gained two powerful positions aboard their ship, gave a glare that obviously meant something as the Captain's posture changed considerably by the time he turned back to them.

It was a display of insubordination that was remarkably common on The Will of Fire, Jv'kari and the others having learned to stop reacting like someone was about to get executed for it on the first day after almost a dozen incidents.

"Right, I need to ease you guys into making your own decisions with your time. You six are to follow Nirali-chan to the Medical bay…" Naruto pointed to the two Jv'kari had prioritised, as well as four others who seemed to be struggling to recover more than the others, either not noticing or not caring about the embarrassment Jv'kari suddenly felt at her clan's shameful performance.

"Then the rest of you can go out and get some new clothes and armour. While I won't push on what clothes you get, I want no second hand or shoddy armour suits for any of you, We have set up a joint account for your clan to use Kari-chan, and put the first three months' pay as well as a moderate figure for procuring armour in there. The details should be coming through to your omni-tool shortly."

It already had come through in fact, and though Jv'kari had never really handled credits directly before, she knew it was more than enough to outfit every member of her clan in brand new Mark III Partisan light armour without touching the separate amount for their 'pay'. Logically, Jv'kari knew that such generosity was nothing more than exactly that, but emotionally it was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

"Of course Captain…" Her 'training' was screaming at her to leave it at that, to accept the orders of her Captain and leave.

"But Captain, I would prefer if some of our group continued to help with the repairs…" There was an actual audible gasp from behind her as she spoke up, something that would be admonished later in the Clan Quarters.

"I thought you might say that Kari-chan." Jv'kari managed to resist flinching… just, as the Mas… Captain's hand slapped down lightly on her shoulder.

"In which case, I need you and your three Lieutenants… Or whatever else you call them, to pick me ten people that are technologically adept and follow you and me up to the Bridge! I also want you to appoint five people to help Nirali-chan with her inventorying and purchasing tasks, before she asks me for another 40% pay rise." It was like trying to tear out a damaged ship plate with her bare hands, everytime she built up the courage for the pain to come, the damn thing broke in a way that she didn't expect.

The Captain obviously knew that she and the other Batarians wouldn't stop working unless he explicitly ordered them to, and instead of lashing out to prove his authority to them, he was instead giving them tasks to perform that were not as labour intensive as repairing the ship would have been.

He had implied that she was going to be accompanying him somewhere separately, which meant she was probably going to be punished privately, and that she needed to assign a Second to each of these tasks to make up for her absence. It would take at least thirty of them to search the Wards effectively for suitable shops and the best deals, given the Captain wanted them travelling in groups of no less than five.

"Surgesh, you are to lead the acquisition of our armour with forty men, regular communication updates every 7 cycles to review progress. Kraghom will help Quartermaster Bhatia, take the remaining 7 with you to speed tasks along, Akrask the tech specialists." Luckily the roles were easy to delegate, and with the 41 young bloods already accounted for the numbers available to her for this Clan shift fit the Captains requirements perfectly…

Jv'kari knew that the feeling in her upper gut was suspicion at her Captain rising, as Akrask and the other members of the 'specialist' group followed the Captain and her into the main lift, but at the same time she was slightly relieved. With all the examples of poor discipline that they had seen over the last few days, she had started to become concerned that Spectre Shepard had given them to a poor Master who didn't know how to control his underlings.

The fact he was letting her insubordination stand without physical punishment was still a problem and something she would try to raise with him, but he had just managed to compromise her Clan into doing something productive without letting them push themselves in such a way that the rest of them probably suspected nothing.

"So Kari-chan, how's the Clan liking their new quarters?" The somewhat unexpected question, as well as the light tone the Captain spoke in as he glanced at her with his usual cheerful grin, somehow got around Jv'Kari's mental training.

"The young bloods are still marvelling that every one of us now has allocated bunks and personal storage, we are not used to such…" Her mind catching up with her treacherous tongue, Jv'Kari only kept herself from panicking because the Captain had already known about the Slave Clan's previous living arrangements.

Deck 10 had been the previous Slave quarters, along with the sections of the ship for waste management and materials recycling. While Jv'kari knew the packed rows of shoddily built and barely maintained bunk beds weren't anywhere near as bad as the living conditions of the 'merchandise' from the Batarian Slave Raids, it still seemed to set something off in the Captain.

Deck 10 was currently being gutted, with the aim of putting in an additional set of ship weapons and their associated automated systems down there when they could afford it, and the Glvacar Clan survivors were based on Deck 3, where the actual Clan members should be staying.

"Excellent, I'm glad to hear you are all settling well Kari-chan. I will pop by some time to see how you have personalised the quarters, I need some ideas of Batarian culture that aren't just about fighting and slaving… Ino-chan, Kasumi-chan!" The elevator reached their destination at that point, the Captain stepping out eagerly to greet some of the other crew that had been waiting for them, therefore missing the look she cast Akrask of shared confusion.

Given she had been born and raised as a slave, as had nearly every member of the Glvacar Clan still among the living, she was almost entirely unaware that there was another part to Batarian culture.

"You're nearly late for the meeting Naruto-kun, it won't look good to Executor Pallin and the others if you aren't there on time." While the young blonde woman in front of them spoke calmly, there was an undertone that made Jv'kari and the other Batarians stiffen slightly in place.

Whilst many of the Urdar Clan members Jv'kari had served under were dismissive of humans as anything other than slaves-in-waiting, despite her obvious injury Officer Yamanaka carried herself in a similar way to the Butcher of the Clans, and Jv'kari had seen the Spectre in action personally.

"Sorry Ino-chan, but I thought Kasumi-chan would like some extra help with tracking all of the data we are getting about Benezia's operations on the Citadel, seeing as Kari-chan won't let her Clan have a proper evening off." Any shame Jv'kari might have felt about her impertinence being aired so brazenly evaporated as both women actually openly laughed out loud.

"Eh, what are you two laughing at?" The sight of her Captain almost flapping his arms around in a flustered manner was strangely endearing, even as Kasumi waved towards the other Batarians.

"Kettle-san, meet Pot-san." It seemed that whatever Kasumi had just said confused more than just Jv'kari, as she shook her head.

"I'll leave Ino-dono to clear that up, the rest of you can all come with me… It isn't like I wanted to go out tonight anyway…" Officer Yamanaka scoffed at the statement before she grabbed the Captain's arm, leading off towards the Command room even as she started speaking once more.

"What I think Kasumi-chan was trying to point out, with her rather odd fascination about kitchenware aside, is that you cannot complain about other people not taking time off Naruto-kun. I know you are sleeping less than six hours a night, and you haven't spent more than an hour doing something other than work or favours for another member of the crew since we got back to the Citadel." The Captain seemed like he wanted to protest for a moment, before his posture relaxed and he suddenly seemed more… at home with his surroundings.

"You know me too well Ino-chan, but I've had to put in all this work to get things ready for when we head back out. Can't have the workers at the Shipyard getting complacent because 'The boss from hell' has left them without adequate supervision." That was another mark of a good master, the fact that he had such a tight hold on his off ship operations was one of the reasons that the Clan members thought that the Captain's pleasant treatment of them so far was the varren meat to the shock gauntlet, waiting for those who didn't toe the line.

"And the fact that you have a crew of more than 500 people means you have to start delegating some of these 'things' you have going on." Officer Yamanaka raised her right hand and started listing things off in a manner that seemed more amused than upset now, even as the three of them reached the entrance to the Command room.

"I mean, between captaining a ship that would have fitted most of Konoha's population inside; assisting a Spectre in a Galaxy wide hunt for a genocidal madman; running at least four businesses that I know about; working as a C-Sec Private Contractor in gathering information on at least a dozen gangs; coordinating relief and restructuring supplies for more than one colony; and who knows what else…" The pair of Quarians who were standing guard at the door didn't seem surprised by the facts that Officer Yamanaka casually listed, though this was the first Jv'kari had heard of at least half of the feats being thrown at the Captain's feet.

"Captain on Deck!" The call from the deep green suited Quarian male stood working on the ship's communicator system was another reminder of her clan's tenuous position, the captain having hired almost two hundred new crew in the last two days alone.

In addition to the fifteen Quarians from the Ontario, there were almost two hundred and fifty of the Space Rats now aboard the ship, at work to strip all but the most basic systems from the ship and replace them. And as much as Jv'kari wanted to claim otherwise, the new systems they were putting in place were far more efficient, both in function and in labour requirements.

Even as most of the crew pulled salutes and other signs of respect, there were some noticeable exceptions to this that Jv'kari noted, though the one that was still talking to her father through the communicator was the one that had clearly held everyone's attention before they had arrived.

"And then Sarah showed me how to replace a software system, we've even been helping with laying some of the replacement wiring. Mum said she wouldn't teach me how to make things explode until I'm at least 50 though! Dad, I don't think I can last that long… you'll teach me right?" While Jv'kari and her clan were pretty much cut off from events outside of Batarian Space prior to their liberation, she'd wasted no time assigning her clan to gather whatever information they could find on their rescuers and their companions.

Seeing any Krogan struggling to resist his daughter's pleading gaze was funny enough, especially as her mother glared at him from less than three feet behind her, but the fact that this was a Krogan clan leader whose bloody rampages stretched back centuries only made the situation all the more ridiculous.

"It seems that you have become weak with age Clan Leader, if you are letting two Asari control you so… I hope you have more reason to call us than simply to publicly embarrass the Urdnot name…" The speaker was unfamiliar to Jv'kari, though to her all Krogan merely meant one thing, and that was death to her clan members as they were used as fodder to slow the lizards down.

This one was tall for his kind, battle marked but clearly well maintained silvered heavy armour covered with the same markings as Wrex had on his armour. Despite his disparaging comments though, there was no real hostility in the Krogan's tone that Jv'kari could pick out, but given Krogan culture was built on violence and death maybe that was a bad sign.

"Say another bad thing about my daughter Dagg - and normally I would threaten to rip your throat out. But given you just insulted his blood daughter, I might not get the opportunity…" Wrex gestured behind the Krogan and the two bodyguards he had brought with him, though before they had a chance to look around they were slammed off their feet in a surprising show of biotic strength.

"I realise you are new to my ship Oji-baka, so you have some leeway with the rules…" Stood over the three downed Krogan, with his body surrounded by a nimbus of biotic energy like Jv'kari had never seen before, was The Captain.

"But no one insults one of my Krantt without consequence, especially someone who is only here on Wrex's invitation." How he'd gotten from just in front of her to where he was standing without her noticing was mind blowing, as well as the fact he had done it without anyone else noticing as well it seemed.

But even as her mind struggled to comprehend the action, her arm was recording this on her omni-tool as subtly as she could. The young bloods would learn exactly what The Captain looked like when displeased.

"I'll rip your face off human!" But even as Dagg forced himself to his feet, growling like an enraged animal, The Captain merely stared right back, his expression so unlike his normal cheer it was scary.

Despite his threat, Dagg merely drew himself up to his full height and glowered at The Captain for what felt like cycles.

"Weapons down everyone, remember we have important guests, and I don't want to clean blood from my new suit so soon." It was at this point Jv'kari pulled her focus away from the stand off to notice that pretty much every person in the room had drawn their side arm to point at the Krogan.

Though the fact Nora's gun was clearly a kid's one, which was making rather fake-sounding explosion sounds as she pulled the trigger while dancing in a circle round her mother, kind of spoiled the effect. Aleena had to stow one of the two submachine guns she had drawn with a sigh that reverberated around the room, grabbing her daughter none too gently by the top of her head and fixing her in place in front of her.

"Nora dear… Not now!" The sheer frustration in her hissed tone and body posture made Wrex break his aggressive stance, badly disguising his amusement behind her with a growly snort that caused him to receive a baleful glance.

The tension was broken completely when Dagg suddenly gave a belly laugh and relaxed considerably, the other two Krogan stowing their weapons as he did so.

"You weren't lying when you said this human had some quads Chief, and his Krantt aren't spineless cowards either. Clan Urdnot will fight for him as you command." Jv'kari suddenly recognised this for what it was, even as the Captain grinned and clasped hands with Dagg.

It was similar in a way to the treaty meetings between Batarian clans, where each side tested the other for weaknesses that could be exploited, but even the most bloodthirsty of clans wouldn't have been quite so brazen in their attempts. The captain spent the next two minutes talking with both Wrex and Dagg off to one side as the rest of the gathered groups calmed down, allowing Jv'kari the chance to look around herself.

She had to admit, even if only mentally and with a reminder to push her clan harder, the Quarians that had worked on the Command Deck had done fantastic work in only 3 days. The massive ship command room had effectively been cut in two, with the half they stood in now remodelled as a grand but functional meeting and communications room.

Set in the middle of the unraised area in the middle of the room, where Dagg had been standing, was an intricately carved wooden table that almost seemed like it was still… alive? It was large enough for a dozen people to sit around it with space to spare, but the key part of it was actually the communication's projector that was incorporated into the middle of the table.

"Jv'kari!, Ino!" drawn from her thoughts by the call from nearby, Jv'kari very quickly focussed when she realised she had just been addressed by Spectre Shepard, the projection sat off to her right about half way up the rows of comfortable looking seats that rose up on either side of the room.

"Jane-chan! Good to see you. How are you and the others doing?" Officer Yamanaka strode over with the same panache she had shown throughout the Krogan confrontation, seemingly one of the few that hadn't drawn weapons at any point.

To Jv'kari's surprise, Spectre Shepard smiled at both of them as they walked up and gestured to either side of her, clearly indicating that they should be seated with her. It wasn't a direct order, but memories of what happened on the Asteroid prevented Jv'kari from trying the same level of impertinence that she had with the Captain. While the Captain was staying his hand for whatever reason, Spectre Shepard was known to be far more… decisive.

"Spectre, it is an honour." Sitting down next to Spectre Shepard, Jv'kari took a moment to understand the panel of controls in front of her. In addition to a pair of small projection panels set into the back of the seat in front of her, which probably would allow her to project specific channels of incoming communications to her seat, there was a camera that would allow her to project herself.

"We are doing okay Ino, though I think we are all about ready to get off this station as soon as possible. Jv'kari, I know Naruto will have been over this with you. Right now we aren't working, so call me Shepard or Jane. None of this Spectre crap amongst friends." They weren't working? Jv'kari could see the Executor of C-Sec and his three bodyguards sat across from them, as well as projections of the human Ambassador, at least two human Navy Admirals and a dozen other people that she didn't recognise.

These were some of the most politically powerful in the galaxy, and this wasn't classed as 'work'? She had been to clan gatherings that were less populated than this, though she knew at least half of the people gathered were related to the various groups the Captain had been recruiting for the ship.

Before she could work out how to correctly reply to Spectre Shepard, avoiding being too familiar while still obeying the command she had just been given, two more projections appeared further down the row of seats they were currently sat in.

"Right, everyone seems to be here now, so everyone sit down and let's get this party started!." Obviously these late arrivals, two middle aged human males dressed in work jumpsuits, were what the Captain seemed to have been waiting for as he moved towards the area at the far end of the room away from them.

Dagg and the other Krogan seemed to have concluded their business however, as they headed for the doors back to the elevator without another word. Just as Jv'kari was leaning forward to keep him in easy view, a projection of the Captain appeared from the projector in front of her. Obviously there was a dedicated 'command' area for this room that would make sure he could be easily seen, yet another improvement over the very limited communications system that had been present on the ship beforehand.

"So, first off apologies in advance if the communication cuts out at any point. Whilst Ter'van and his teams have done wonders, this is something of an experimental system we have put in place. If you struggle with anything or the quality isn't perfect, send a message to me afterwards and we will upgrade the system." There were several sounds of acknowledgement from around the room, though Spectre Shepard remained silent as the Captain waited for quiet once more.

"Now, as you have probably noticed, there are quite a few people here, mostly because there is a lot to cover about quite a few situations. Because quite a bit will be classified, we will cover the colonial situations first, and then move onto other matters after those representatives leave." That explained who some of the projected humans probably were, though why the Captain was worrying about some remote colonies was not as easy for Jv'kari to immediately grasp.

"Warren-san, if you can provide a sit-rep for Eden Prime first, then we can do Feros before focussing on Terra Nova." As the projection changed to that of a middle aged human woman with short cut brown hair, Spectre Shepard shifted into a somewhat more serious posture next to Jv'kari.

"Thank you Naruto. We have almost 40,000 casualties still requiring intensive medical assistance, mainly long term injuries from the attack and illnesses that have arisen from poor housing and sanitation. Thanks to the shipment of supplies arranged by yourself and Spectre Shepard, we have managed to restore approximately 10% of the housing units damaged by the Geth assault. While the conditions are not ideal and we are barracking multiple families to the same unit, there is a much more upbeat feeling around the camp than there was two months ago. Thank the Maker." Spectre Shepard gave a quiet snort at this point, and when Jv'kari looked at her questioningly, the projection pointed across the room to where the human ambassador was looking uncomfortable.

"We were expecting the first deliveries of aid and support from the Alliance next week, though I assume that the attack on Terra Nova might lead to delays on that matter?" The human woman's tone wasn't angry or accusatory, but given the look on the human ambassador's face it seemed like she had stabbed his favourite varren with a rusty shiv.

"The Alliance is doing everything we can to aid our colonies in their recovery from these attacks, but attacks on such a large scale…" The ambassador was cut off by the Captain speaking up, his tone friendly but with a small undertone of steel behind it.

"Udina-san, save the speeches for the press release. None of us have time for grandstanding. I know the Council has been working on a relief package for Terra Nova. Pallin-taichou, I realise you are being put on the spot a bit here, but do you know the progress on that point?" As the Turian nodded, showing no signs of surprise at being called upon in such a manner, one of the Turians guarding him twitched slightly.

"The Council has been gathering relief materials on the Citadel, primarily food and medi-gel, though housing and other construction supplies are proving harder to source. There are approximately 10,000 units of medical supplies that could be shipped today, along with approximately 100,000 meal equivalents of dextro-food rations." The captain nodded, but rather than say anything about the offer directly he pointed at one of the men that had joined the meeting late.

"We can discuss what is going where once we have an idea of priorities, but I think there is an opportunity to mitigate some of the housing problems on Eden Prime. Fai Dan, if you would?" The man nodded before bowing to the room.

"Thank you… Captain?" At the Captain's nod, the now named Fai Dan continued.

"We are only a small colony here on Feros, but with the recent Geth assault and our new patronage, we have uncovered a very large section of intact Prothean ruins that require stabilising and exploring. With Exo-geni's departure, there are housing and agricultural facilities that could house several thousand people if they don't mind using the existing structures, and I have been instructed to look for at least 1000 more permanent settlers to help with disassembling enough of the ruins near Zhu's Hope to allow for a permanent settlement.." This was clearly news to most of the room, even The Captain sat forward with obvious interest, Dr Warren nodding her head enthusiastically.

"I can't speak for anyone here on Eden Prime about the permanent settlers, but I know there are a large number of the younger generations that will jump at the opportunity to do something useful while they wait for the farms to be repaired and replanted." Ambassador Udina spoke up once more, Jv'kari getting the feeling that this particular human might live up to the very low standards most Batarians set for their kind.

"Of course, any intact artefacts that are recovered are property of the Alliance, given the fact that Exo-geni have abandoned the outpost. I am sure that in exchange we can arrange a defence force of some kind…" For the first time, Spectre Shepard spoke up from next to her, a polite smile on her face even as she shook her head.

"Exo-geni didn't actually abandon the colony, though given how cheaply they sold the contract for, they certainly were in a rush to get out of there as fast as humanly possible. I will admit that running a colony is more paperwork than I'd like, but that's what I have Fai Dan for." Shepard's smile turned slightly hungry as she glanced around the room before focusing on the Ambassador and Executor Pallin.

"Given the Thorian and the Geth remains on Feros, not to mention what else we will find in the new areas that have been uncovered, I imagine not just the Alliance but the Council will be wanting to send teams to investigate. I'll waive the fees I could charge, in exchange for a decent defence system and a couple of combat trainers to teach the colonists how to shoot properly." Jv'kari got the feeling that if the Ambassador tried to push things or be difficult, anything that would have been 'interesting' would disappear from Feros long before anyone official could land to take stock.

"Of... course Shepard, the Alliance owes you a great deal of gratitude for saving Terra Nova. I will leave the logistics of such an exchange to you Captain." The Ambassador looked like he had just been forced to swallow Pyjak poodoo, but managed to maintain his composure enough to not provoke Spectre Shepard further.

"Of course Ambassador. Shepard, I'll be in touch with you separately to discuss scope and logistics." Captain Anderson was one of the few people from off the ship that Jv'kari recognised, the human having worked closely with both the Captain and Spectre Shepard in the aftermath of the Terra Nova attack.

"Thanks Anderson, work through Fai Dan for now, my work calendar is looking rather busy right now." Seemingly finished speaking on that remarkably vague point, Shepard leaned back in her seat once more.

"I'll take that as my cue to step in." The other human in working coveralls spoke up, stroking probably what once was close kept facial hair in a somewhat relaxed manner.

"For those who don't know, my name is Simon Atwell. And given the governor and most of her staff are missing, dead or currently in Alliance custody, I'm the closest thing to a civilian in charge right now. The situation on Terra Nova is not as dire as it could have been, given the potential for my X-57 to have wiped out 90% of the population, but large portions of Scott are still little better than disaster zones. Between the surviving engineers from X-57 and the Alliance crews of the fifth fleet, about 30% of the more minorly damaged habitation areas have been stabilised and are habitable again, even if some people are complaining about what Commander Wrex had referred to as 'aesthetic enhancing war decorations'." That comment brought a chuckle to most of the room, including a smug looking Wrex whose grin only grew as Nora waved excitedly at him for being mentioned.

"We will be able to house everyone for now, but the repairs to the commercial centres will effectively be from the ground up. And given that included both of Scott's main hospitals and the colony's central storage facilities, the main shortages we have are medical equipment, personnel and food supplies." The man nodded his head in the direction of the Alliance admiral, whose projection had barely shifted since the briefing began, his facing shifting to become somewhat apologetic.

"No offence to the Alliance's medical staff, they've been working round the clock and have saved more people than I want to guess at. But we need people who are going to stick around for more than three weeks, given I am told by Admiral Singh that the majority of his forces will be leaving by the end of this week." The Admiral nodded in confirmation of what was being said, though he didn't seem keen to elaborate on where his fleet would be going.

"With the confirmation that the last of the known Batarian Vessels managed to escape this morning, the Fifth fleet is being redeployed for other operations. I will be leaving one cruiser and 3 frigates until Alliance Command can send another Wolfpack to act as Terra Nova's defence fleet, in case anyone else gets ideas." The Captain didn't have an immediate answer for this particular issue it seemed, as several of the others gathered in the room joined the conversation in a somewhat chaotic manner.

This carried on for several minutes, with various ideas being raised, discussed and shelved, before Spectre Shepard spoke up from where her projection had been frozen, obviously some kind of pause feature that the Quarians had added.

"Enough. We aren't going to fix the issue today, everyone can think about it tonight and get back to us. We need to move the meeting onto Spectre matters, before the rest of the Normandy wake up and ask where we are going." As Spectre Shepard sat back to allow the other unclassified people speak, such as the Asari that the Captain had hired provisionally to run the Shipyard and his other Citadel holdings, Officer Yamanaka spoke across to them quietly.

"Jane-chan, I thought you were still stuck doing Spectre training? Or are you missing seeing us in person that much?" Spectre Shepard didn't respond to the questions verbally, the satisfaction in her smile the only indicator that she had heard her.

After the reports on the Shipyard; two salvage shops; some type of shop that sold something called Ramen and an armourer/weaponsmith on the upper wards, Naruto cut in before the Asari could continue further.

"Thank you for the detailed review, Nyxeris, but we don't need to cover the storage facilities and other assets. Given the new security rules on the Citadel, we will be moving our storage and weapons facilities off station, to prevent any future headaches that may arise." The second part of the Captain's statement didn't seem to be aimed at Nyxeris for some reason, but Jv'kari let it go as Nxyeris nodded and stepped back..

"Now, as Jane-chan mentioned, we will be moving onto the next part of the briefing now, so anyone who isn't cleared can take the chance to enjoy whatever time of day it is where they are." For once, everyone acted like Jv'kari expected, the various civilians and members of the crew either leaving the room or disconnecting from the communicator, though Nxyeris and a couple of others seemed to pause before leaving for a second.

This left The Captain, Spectre Shepard, Officer Yamanaka, Captain Anderson, Wrex and his brood, Executor Pallin and his 3 guards, the human Ambassador and Admiral and a couple of others sat up in the back rows that Jv'kari couldn't make out the features of for some reason. Even Ter'van had left with the other Quarians, causing a small feeling of pride to form in Jv'kari's stomach, which she quickly crushed before she got ahead of herself.

"Right, now that we have minimised the risk of leaks, we can get down to business. Gibbs, if you wouldn't mind running through the Batarian attack report, we can then move onto what plans we have for our 'Hegemony Problem'." One of the Turians that had been sat behind Executor Pallin nodded brusquely as the projections in front of everyone switched to him.

"Given the scale of the attack, as well as the amount of extremely accurate information passed on by our P.I network, we tasked ten separate teams to unearthing exactly how the Batarians knew where to attack and how they got onto and off the Citadel so easily. Despite closing four different smuggler groups down that were linked with the heavy weapons the attackers used, the answers to the latter question were unfortunately very simple." Gibbs didn't elaborate on the reason, but given how Spectre Shepard and the others seemed to nod their heads in understanding, it was just her that was missing the point.

"Now, before I continue, Commander Shepard." Gibbs leaned forward in his seat, his eyes fixed on the projection sat next to Jv'kari in a manner that spoke of severity and understanding in equal measure.

"At the moment, only the Executor and two members of my team are aware of the Person of Interest mentioned in this report, and they were only told verbally with no digital references. Given that there has already been one attack based on their identity, are you happy for me to reveal their name and identity?" For the first time since Jv'kari had met Spectre Shepard, her face showed a moment of turmoil and uncertainty rather than the confidence that she normally exuded, though having spent a week on The Will of Fire Jv'kari could quite easily guess who was being referred to.

"I would prefer if we could keep their identity a secret. No offence to your organisation Executor, but between Saren, the Shadow Broker and the other issues that keep cropping up…" Spectre Shepard cut off however, as the projectors on every occupied seat suddenly changed to show a cloaked figure, one of the ones that Jv'kari had noticed earlier and then dismissed.

Now that she thought about it, why had she ignored… Jv'kari's recriminations about her lack of awareness would be something she would think of later, as the figure spoke while standing from her seat.

"If… If I may…Command… Sister." There was an audible gasp from across the room as the hood was dropped, and given her clan's own reaction to a similar reveal a couple of days before Jv'kari couldn't blame them.

Despite the jagged and poorly treated scar that started in her hairline and followed her jaw line down her face, as well as gaunt features of someone who worked far too long with far too little food, it was almost impossible not to see the similarities between her and Spectre Shepard.

"I am, I was Slave 3721-34 of the Socconak Clan. I don't remember a life before that, but my progenat… my Mother told me my true name, though I could not speak of it until now. I am Sarah Luna of the Shepard Clan, in service of the Clan, word and deed." This clearly wasn't planned, as Spectre Shepard looked both furious and proud in equal measure, something that the newly revealed Sarah obviously caught as she bowed her head deferentially.

"Apologies Sister for my impertinence, but I refuse to hide in the shadows or try and cast off the shared blood between us. As Clan Leader Frigarsh said in 'The rise and fall of Clans', 'Trying to keep secrets not related to battlefield strategy is merely giving the enemy weapons they don't currently know they have.' I will try and find a human quote similar for use in future, but my time with the Uzumaki clan has not left a lot of time for such pursuits so far."

Sarah seemed to gain confidence as she spoke, every word sounding slightly more certain even as she quoted one of the most revered Batarian texts to have survived their exodus from their homeworld. Spectre Shepard didn't reply immediately, instead leaning forward to cast what Jv'kari could only assume was a baleful glare down towards The Captain.

"Don't look at me Jane-chan, I didn't put her up to this, she asked to be here. It seems that your ability to piss off authority figures is genetic, you're just upset that it is happening to you for a change…" The fact that Wrex nodded and grunted in a 'that sounds about right' way merely seemed to be another nail in the coffin.

Though even as Spectre Shepard sat back in her seat, and seemed to be building up for an argument of epic proportions, she seemed to deflate suddenly as Sarah was almost knocked from her feet by a Nora shaped missile.

"Sarah! You're here… Why didn't you tell me you were here? Were we playing a game of Hide and Seek again? I don't remember starting one… But I found you, so it's my turn to hide right?" As Sarah weathered 'Storm Nora' with a timid but heartfelt smile appearing on her face, Gibbs coughed somewhat loudly, in a clear attempt to get the meeting back on track.

"You done?" As Sarah nodded in a shy manner, all former confidence gone as she used the one hand free of holding Nora in her lap to cut off her projection to all the different screens, Gibbs started speaking once more.

"As you have now all been told, the use of Commander Shepard's sister was the bait in the trap intended to eliminate both of them at once. We haven't been able to ascertain who the attackers were or their association with the Hegemony beyond the Hegemony's original attempt to arrest the Commander after the attack. Three senior members of the Batarian embassy staff have been arrested by Batarian internal security, with the official line now being that the claim was not authorised by the Hegemony Government and these 3 have been touted as the ringleaders of this 'terrorist' action. " Gibbs shook his head at this point, showing his disbelief in the explanation somewhat more openly that Jv'kari would have expected.

"We have requested that the ringleaders be handed over to C-Sec, given we had jurisdiction in this case, but supposedly they all 'died resisting arrest' and their bodies sent back to the Hegemony. Given that the Batarians don't even have an official Embassy on the Citadel, I've already asked for permission to search the office section they have been using, but I get the feeling the place is being sterilised as we speak. They shouldn't have their own 'Internal Security' forces aboard the Citadel with the new security rules, so if nothing else C-Sec can do something on that front." Gibbs was clearly frustrated even as he sat back down and The Captain spoke once more.

"Told you they weren't stupid, though after the Citadel attack and the attack on Terra Nova they are struggling to keep from implicating themselves on something. I would offer to help dig some things up, but with us trying to track down Benezia through these Sisters of Reflection and their associates I'm busy enough I think. And given there should be Spectres running around the Hegemony, the Council can work on giving someone else a headache for a change." Gibbs snorted something that sounded like frustrated approval, though the Executor and the other C-Sec guards did not react in a manner that Jv'kari would consider as amused.

"Uzumaki… I mean Captain, I am sure that we don't need to keep dragging the Council's name down like this. I thought that things had been improving between you and them recently." Executor Pallin seemed very uneasy as he spoke up, though The Captain merely shrugged and gave the same grin he seemed to always give when he knew something other people didn't.

"Pallin-san, I am sure that the Council is above being concerned with any comments I might make. Besides, it isn't like they couldn't offer a rebuttal themselves, if they are finished playing pretend?" There was a pause for a moment, as not just Jv'kari but most of the room looked around in confusion, not quite sure what The Captain meant.

Then, with a sigh and a soft *hiss* of a vacuum seal disconnection, the Asari 'guard' for Pallin removed her helmet, revealing one of the few non-Batarian faces even Jv'kari could have picked out from a crowd.

"I would prefer in future if you could be a little more subtle in letting us know you know things, I thought you claimed to be an infiltrator of some type Operative Uzumaki…" Councillor Tevos cast a look down towards The Captain that seemed to be even parts annoyance and exasperation, though as Councillor Sparatus followed with removing his helmet he seemed far less angry and more resigned.

"Where would be the fun in that Councilor-san? Though, given the two of you have snuck aboard my vessel under the guise of guards that Executor Pallin has never had before, you should stop slinging double ended kunai around Councilors." The Captain shrugged off the displeasure being thrown his way with his usual broad grin, before moving the conversation on with considerable energy.

"Well, as the Councillors are here, we can move to whether there are any official orders for Jane-chan? I assume the disguises are because you looked into the details of the number of spying and listening devices I told Pallin-san were in your Council Rooms?" Councillor Sparatus nodded his head, though given how few Turians Jv'kari had interacted with before now, his face was quite difficult to read.

"At least a third of the devices were removed by the time a search was organised, which more helped prove your point about planted agents within C-Sec than the spying devices themselves. Councillor Dezoro is leading the response that is no doubt expected by those behind such items, but he has expressed the desire to 'shake the tree' as the human expression goes." Several of the humans in the room, as well as Executor Pallin reacted negatively to the last statement, even as The Captain and Spectre Shepard grinned and leaned forward in almost identical glee.

"Why didn't you open with that Sparatus-san… Tell us more." Jv'kari didn't know why, but the feeling in her lower spine nearly made her shiver and rear up defensively.

She got the feeling that there was going to be an addition to the original plan, of visiting a couple of out of the way Space Stations that just so happened to be known Batarian Pirate dens…

A/N: I wanted to continue this chapter further, but the next stopping point wasn't going to be for several thousand words.

Another filler chapter I suppose, sorry about that, but it does keep the wheels turning and introduces several new storylines that we will be pursuing in the future. Not only do we see the signs of indoctrination, and how it is used in a far more subtle manner than the 'hammer' type approach that seems more popular in most fics, we also get to see some of the 'behind the scenes' workings of 'Shepard & Uzumaki incorporated'.

Not only does this look into the aftermath of the places that you visit on missions, but it also is providing one of the largest drains on the teams finances. Imagine having to choose between that shiny new prototype rifle you want for your team, or buying and sending medical and food supplies to a settlement that you just about saved on a previous mission and are in dire straits.

And before people say 'this is the Alliance's/Council's job'... Sure, you can take that route, but as was given in ME3, Eden Prime had barely recovered it's agricultural capacity by the time the Reapers arrived. That to me shows that the Alliance were very unwilling/unable to provide resources and manpower to ensure a quick recovery, and that the Council don't seem very keen on recompensing an attack by one of their Spectres…

So we now have a lead towards Matriarch Benezia, though it will require considerably more legwork, and the Geth aren't just sitting there doing nothing!

Let me know what you think everyone!

Regards

Defias Out!