"This is worse than I thought," Garrus grumbles. "And I thought it was pretty goddamn bad."

"This just got interesting."

"Glad you think so. Still not sure why the geth are involved." Terentin is unwinding by inches.

"The geth have always been confusing," Sal says. "Joining these Reapers isn't much stranger than them driving us off our home planet and then sitting there for the next three centuries doing nothing. They're AI; they don't think like us."

"Yeah, but even AI have fitness calculations," Mort says. "It's not like they're basing tactical decisions on a rand seed."

"Well, their fitness calculations apparently want them to exterminate organic life now."

"Well that was clarifying." Terentin's legs spread as she sits back. "Are we gonna hit up the Council again? See how many veiled insults they have for the new kid?"

"Yes, I think audio evidence of Saren betraying them plus mercenaries in custody qualifies as a reason to bring this to the Council's attention."

---

     Councillor Tevos looks grim. Councillor Sparatus looks enraged. Councillor Valern looks... oddly satisfied.

"You wanted proof?" Udina asks caustically. "Here it is. Or perhaps you would like a signed confession?"

     "No," Sparatus says. "Spectre Arterius is a traitor, and must be dealt with. He will be stripped of his Spectre status immediately, and all efforts will be made to bring him to justice."

          "I recognized the other voice in the recording," Tevos says. "Matriarch Belara... one of my former confederates among the asari government, such as it is. She's a powerful biotic, and her followers are numerous. She'll make a potent ally to Saren."

               Valern nods. "These 'reapers' Saren mentions," he says, blinking rapidly. "I don't suppose you have any further information on them?"

"Yes. We left it out of our initial report because, frankly, without corroboration directly from Saren it wasn't exactly convincing." Anderson forwards the unredacted report to the Councilmembers.

               Valern scans through it and blinks very slowly. "I see. Vast machine intelligences inimical to sapient life... yes, I can see why you would think so. But if Saren backs it up -"

     "Saren is clearly a madman," Sparatus scoffs. "If he thinks the Reapers are coming to destroy us all, why help them?"

"Probably doesn't think that at all. I assume he's been misled somehow. Securing an imaginary place in the new galactic order, or something. First Reaper Spectre. But whatever his plan is, he's frantic. Even when he had everything how he wanted it, he couldn't help complaining about what a waste of time everything was. It was the same when we were harrying him during the geth attack. Whatever the Conduit is, he's desperate to find it."

     Sparatus chews on this for a while. "Whether or not these Reapers exist," he concludes eventually, "Saren won't remain a threat for long. He's one man on the run from the Council - even if he does have support from some washed-up Matriarch. We can find him. Thank you for your-"

"Not good enough," Udina snarls. It's shocking how much vitriol the scrawny old bastard can pack into his voice. "Arterius razed a human colony, you denied it until we flung the proof in your faces, and you still expect us to trust that the Council will look out for human interests? Earth will want blood. I already want blood. If you think we'll roll over and show our bellies in exchange for a tossed bone-"

     "Are you threatening us, Ambassador?" Sparatus asks coldly.

"Do I need to?" Udina roars. "If I seem a bully, Councillor Sparatus, it is because at every turn, you have tried to quell humanity! You have pushed back and ground in and battened down against every request, every motion, and every reasonable attempt to get what we want and what we need. And so we demand. We demand that you acknowledge Saren and his geth as the threat they are, to humanity and the galaxy. We demand that you take serious measures, with human interests considered as a genuine priority. And we demand representation. Otherwise, you can expect us to take matters into our own hands."

      Sparatus clenches his talons into fists. "Humanity cannot make -"

           Tevos shakes her head sharply. "Enough, Sparatus. Ambassador, we hear you. We will reconvene, following a brief recess for private discussion."

"Very well." Udina turns and stalks back over to Anderson and Teddy.

Fist bump?

Udina almost chokes on a laugh. "Goddammit, Terentin, I have to carefully maintain my rage. If they see me break they'll rip me apart."

She whispers, "Not if humanity demands that they don't!" This guy rocks actually? But she schools her face into a mild and appropriate scowl. "I dunno how much I buy them finding Saren at this point. Unless he's secretly terrible at his job."

"I agree, and I can assure you he isn't. Udina's jockeying for them to hand us the reins... among other things. With the Normandy's stealth drive and Spectre authority - ideally they'll assign a Spectre to assist - we can fit through the cracks they can't. Saren knows he can hide from the Council, maybe even the Spectres. He can't hide from us."

"Permission to say fuck yeah, Captain."

She sends Zanna a rotating holo-image of Saren with a laser dot sight on his forehead. And a fake mustache.

"Denied for the moment. Looks like they're reconvening."

Mercenary Suzanna Shi: fuck yeah

Alright, levity over.

Grim-faced once again, Commander Terentin marches into what is, incredibly, the third Council meeting she's been to today with Anderson and Udina. She's beginning to feel like she should dye her hair grey.

"Commander Terentin," Councillor Tevos says, "please step forward."

Her favorite thing to do.

"It is the decision of the Citadel Council," Tevos says, "that you, Commander Theodora Ndikima Terentin, be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel government."

     "Spectres are not trained, but chosen," Valern recites. "Individuals whose service to the galaxy has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that they are worthy of the position given to them."

Tevos clasps her hands behind her back. "Spectres are an ideal. A symbol. They embody wisdom, cunning, courage, and determination. They are the right hand of the Council: the instrument of our will."

          "Spectres bear a heavy burden," Sparatus says, clearly not enjoying himself. "They keep the galactic peace. They are our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first human to be granted this honor, Commander. This is an accomplishment not just for you, but for your entire species." Tevos is not quite smirking. "Your first mission will be to apprehend ex-Spectre Saren Arterius."

She salutes smoothly. "Thank you for your recognition. I won't fail." Inside Terentin is cascading, overflowing, breaking banks. There's external validation and then there's this. Is she even in the military anymore? The Citadel swoops out from under her, she's base-jumping like she used to on leave back in school. "Shall I begin immediately?"

     Valern nods. "We'll forward you the dossier on Saren. And we'll contact you with any further developments. This meeting of the Council is adjourned."

Udina follows Teddy out. "Fuck," he says explosively once they've reached the viewing gallery.