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A Matter of Time and Space: Chapter 49

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A Matter of Time and Space

ENDGAME

Imperium Crash Site, Dilinaga Concert Hall, Citadel – 01:10 GST – 25th June 2185 CE

Zaalia passed through the Imperium's airlock into a scene of devastation.

The wreckage of destroyed mechs and bodies of Haliat Armory guards lined the deck; some of them dead, others groaning from their injuries. Fires still burned in places, the fire suppression system either unable to cope or offline, while acrid smoke billowing from broken crates and destroyed sensor conduits made visibility tricky.

Behind her, Timoleon and Erata entered the ruined deck with weapons drawn.

"Valni!" Zaalia yelled, peering through the smoke. "Where are you?"

Erata joined in the chorus, calling out Valni's name as C-Sec officers and medics started to swarm in from the airlock on the opposite side.

"Over here," a voice answered.

The team followed the sound of her voice and made for the CIC.

The smoke thinned as they got closer to the command centre. When suddenly a figure emerged through the haze.

Valni walked through the doors, dishevelled, and her jacket torn revealing her bloodied shirt beneath, but very much alive, and looking furious. She was holding a rifle in her right hand, and dragging an asari in Eclipse armour by the scruff of the neck in her left.

"Thank the Spirits you're safe," Zaalia began, but then the asari prisoner lifted her head, and the team stopped and stared at her in shock.

"Dereiss?" Zaalia exclaimed.

C-Sec Officer Dereiss gave the team a condescending smile.

"That's not her name," Valni said. "Her real name is Jela Sederis. She's Jona Sederis' sister."

Jela Sederis grinned, her teeth glistening with purple blood.

"She's the mole?" Erata asked in astonishment.

Valni nodded grimly. "She was quick enough to admit it."

"Oh, you should see the looks on your faces," Jela Sederis laughed.

"She's been sending regular reports to Eclipse," Valni added. "Said she was proud to spy for her family."

"And you can be sure my sister will want to thank you personally for this," Jela taunted. Valni threw her down at the feet of the C-Sec officers.

"Dereiss… Sederis," Zaalia muttered with a shake of her head. "It's been under our nose the whole time. She literally spelled it out for us!" Zaalia turned to Jela. "What? Was that supposed to be funny?" she accused.

Jela Sederis laughed again as the C-Sec officer cuffed her wrists.

"She's been monitoring our comms," Valni said. "Every call we've made was backed up on a datafile. And that's not all. I found a recording on her omni-tool of a call between Lia'Vael and Sekat. T'Rani isn't who she says she is. She's a fraud! Her whole identity is fake."

"Then who is she?" Zaalia asked.

"That one won't tell me," Valni said, pointing at the grinning asari.

"But… we spoke to T'Rani on the link," Erata said, her eyes growing wide. "She said she'd sent Lia'Vael down to the Lower Wards. We haven't been able to contact her since."

Valni's expression darkened. "Where is T'Rani now?"

"She's with the Council," one of the C-Sec officers said. "They convened a hearing in the Citadel Tower. The councillors are demanding to know who's responsible for the bombing and the crash."

Zaalia turned to Valni. "Well, let's ask T'Rani who she really is," she said.

Valni nodded. "Search the hold. This ship was transporting captives. And lock that one up!" she told the officers restraining Jela. "I want a squad to meet us at the Citadel Tower. Do not let T'Rani leave those chambers! Where's Chaill?"

"They arrested him. Your sister, too," Erata explained. "She was helping us track the Imperium."

Valni pointed at the C-Sec officer. "Have Chaill and Vereen released immediately! And tell Chaill to meet us in the Citadel Tower." Valni stormed towards the airlock with her team hot on her tail. "We're going to end this!"


The elevator announced its arrival with a small ping. The doors opened and Valni's team swept into the Citadel Tower like the Spirit of Vengeance.

Inquisitor Passcal was waiting for them. Chaill stood some distance behind him, guarded by a squad of C-Sec officers who were all sporting bruises and blackeyes. Evidently Chaill had put up quite a struggle.

The Inquisitor moved to intercept Valni.

"Severan! What do you mean by…?" he began, but was quickly silenced by a large hand grabbing him around the throat.

Timoleon lifted the Inquisitor off his feet. "Threateningly: You're in our way, little man!"

Valni glanced at the officers surrounding Chaill. "Release him!" she ordered. Her expression suggested she wasn't about to take no for an answer. She gestured at Chaill. "Follow me."

Timoleon dropped Passcal at the feet of his guards, the Inquisitor coughing fitfully.

Chaill fell into step beside Valni as the group powered towards the Council Chambers. They marched up the steps. Valni offered a gun to Chaill, but the krogan shook his head.

"I'm not gonna need it!" he growled, flexing his fingers.

On the uppermost level was the Council Chambers. Fashioned in a circular arena, it's distinguishing feature was a magnificent sunken garden covered by a glass roof. On the far side of the garden stood the four councillors representing the humans, turians, asari and salarians. While directly opposite was the audience chamber, a platform sometimes called the Petitioner's Stage.

Surrounding the Chambers was the spectator gallery. Despite the lateness of the hour, a large group of people were watching the proceedings, including the unmistakable shape of Timoleon's elcor partner, Theano.

T'Rani was on the stage addressing the Council; Valni caught the tail end of her address, "… catch the perpetrators responsible," she was telling the assembly. Behind her stood Executor Pallin. Valni sincerely hoped that the Executor was still on her side. At this point, she had no idea who to trust.

She moved forward, ignoring Executor Pallin and T'Rani, and strode up to the front of the platform to address the Councillors directly.

"I have urgent news for the Council. You have been deceived! I have the confession of a captured Eclipse spy, and the recording of a call made to a member of my own team. Do not believe the testimony of this woman. She is not Amélia T'Rani!"

The revelation drew murmured gasps from the gallery. Chaill growled loudly at T'Rani. Executor Pallin draw his pistol and point it at the false Maven, Zaalia and Erata followed suit, levelling their weapons at her head. An expectant hum spread through the chambers. Behind the team, the C-Sec officers closed ranks, hemming them in. The murmur died down as the people on the gallery watched with renewed interest.

The reaction from the Council was far less emotive. They stared impassively at Valni and 'T'Rani', their faces schooled by years of experience not to give away a hint of emotion.

As for T'Rani, her only reaction was a small smile spreading across her face.

The moment lingered until it was broken by the asari councillor.

"We're aware of that," she said.

Valni looked sharply at the Councillor. "You are?!"

"You are?!" Pallin repeated with a frown. He didn't lower his weapon.

Valni stared between the imposter and the Council. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't this.

Then, 'T'Rani', or whatever her name was, chuckled softly and looked at the asari councillor.

"I told you she was good."

The imposter turned back, gazing at the weapons being trained on her. "Perhaps, to help calm matters as tempers seem to be a little frayed, I should reintroduce myself?" She raised her right hand to her breast. "Major Aisa T'Moirai – Spectre Selection Committee."

Valni didn't try to hide her surprise. She felt her mouth drop open but she didn't care; she was past caring how many people saw her confusion.

Her team weren't so restrained.

"What?" Executor Pallin thundered.

"Excuse me?" Zaalia exclaimed.

"You hid that secret well!" Erata told her.

"Genuine surprise: Well, grease me up and call me Souzie!"

"Seductively: Maybe later!" a monotone voice called from the gallery.

Chaill was far from convinced. He glowered at the asari Major. "If that's true, then where is Lia'Vael?" he demanded.

Just then, another voice called out behind them. "I'm coming!"

Valni turned. Somebody was trying to push their way through the crowd of C-Sec officers. The guards moved aside one-by-one as an unseen figure threaded through them accompanied by polite requests to make room, until, finally, the guards parted and the figure emerged.

Carrying a computer tablet in one hand, and clad in her distinctive Goddess Essentials enviro-suit, was Lia'Vael.

The quarian strode up the steps, pausing very briefly to caress Chaill's shoulder as she passed by. Then she moved behind the woman formally known as T'Rani and handed her the tablet. Lia'Vael turned to Valni and gave her a cheerful wave, her luminous eyes shining brightly behind her mask.

"Lia'Vael graciously agreed to act as my official representative for the SSC to the Citadel Archives," Major T'Moirai explained. "She may have been out of contact for a while."

"Is that your official report?" the asari councillor asked.

"It is." Aisa T'Moirai referred to the tablet Lia'Vael had given her. "Officer Severan has demonstrated outstanding resilience in the face of overwhelming odds and leadership skills above and beyond the call of duty. Her achievements over the past two months include infiltrating a human ceremony and conducting delicate negotiations with a businessman who was threatening violence against her – a situation she expertly defused.

"Her bravery in orbit around the planet Eingana saved not only the lives of her crew but bought valuable time allowing the repair and safe re-entry of her ship.

"She led a mission to infiltrate a Blood Pack base, defeating multiple vorcha shock troops, and by extension, helping to save the lives of elcor marines, to say nothing of the rescue of hanar, volus, and krogan captives.

"Based on my assessment, her actions on Tuchanka not only saved the life of a krogan newborn of the dominant clan but also strengthened ties with the clan leader, and helped open a dialogue between the krogan and Council representatives…"

"Wait," Zaalia interrupted, "these missions… they were all tests?" she asked incredulously.

"They began as live field exercises," Major T'Moirai replied, "but as the investigation into the abductions advanced, the mission took priority, and Severan proved to be highly adaptable. You all were."

"Is there more?" The turian councillor asked.

T'Moirai nodded. "An infiltration mission on Illium, the details of which have to remain classified for security reasons, was completely successful, though not without problems. Releasing more information would put certain individuals at risk of exposure…" T'Moirai cleared her throat. "Severan and her team came under fire during a rescue of several captives who had been taken as slaves on Omega. Despite being severely outnumbered, her actions rallied the team. The enemy were routed and the mission succeeded with zero casualties.

"As you are aware, there was a bomb on the Presidium. The conspirators have been identified. As of this moment I can reveal the arrest of several high-ranking members of Armali Council and Haliat Armory, as well as the successful rescue of more captives found on a ship that crashed on Teysari Ward that were due to be sold as slaves. Severan brought down the ship from the inside and killed or captured the criminals responsible, and she completed all this while herself under investigation by a Hierarchy Inquisitor. A matter that will be concluded in a moment.

"She is a warrior, a leader, a diplomat, and a peace-maker. I can think of no finer representative to join the Spectre ranks."

The asari councillor gave Valni a searching look. "Then the only question that remains is: Will officer Severan take on the responsibilities that a Spectre rank demands? No-one has bade you give your opinion on the matter. What say you?" **

Valni hesitated. This was all happening so quickly. She'd barely had time to process the last few minutes; her mind was still playing catch-up. She glanced back, silently seeking advice from her teammates.

Zaalia looked shocked by these revelations, but gave a firm nod of encouragement.

Erata's expression was sad rather than confused, but she too smiled faintly, and then winked.

Lia'Vael's reaction was the most enthusiastic: she was almost bouncing and flashed a quick thumbs-up and a nod.

Chaill's response was a shrug and a toothy grin, though most of his attention seemed to be focused on Lia'Vael.

Valni turned to face the Council. "I… I serve at pleasure of the Hierarchy, and if serving the Council will serve the Hierarchy, then you will not find me wanting. My arm is yours."

The Council looked at each other, silently deliberating and reaching their own conclusions. Then they inputted their decision into the computer consoles in front of them.

The asari Councillor looked up. "Officer Severan – step forward."

As if in a daze, Valni took a few tentative step towards the Council, acutely aware of the multitude of eyes watching her with interest. She suddenly felt naked, as if stripped of all defences, and as she caught a glimpse of herself projected on the huge display clad in her ripped and blood-splattered 'Hello Krogi' shirt, she realised that wasn't far from the truth. The breath caught in her throat. Her heart was thumping so loudly she thought the whole auditorium would hear.

The asari Councillor spoke again, formally, carefully, as if reciting a mantra. "It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

The salarian Councillor spoke. "Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."

Then the human Councillor took up the mantle, "Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."

The turian Councillor swept his hands behind his back and stood straighter at his podium. Valni thought she saw a look of pride flash across his face. "Spectres bear a great burden. The protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defence. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are a credit to your people," the asari Councillor said, her voice softening. "Few who are passed over by the SSC are ever considered again, let alone for a third time. Your actions have proved you are more than worthy to join the Spectre ranks."

Somehow, Valni managed to find her voice. "I am honoured. I promise to uphold the precepts of the Council and the Hierarchy. I won't let you down."

"This hearing is concluded," the asari Councillor announced.

Then the councillors turned and retreated from the chambers.

Major T'Moirai sidled up to Valni. "I imagine you have plenty of questions?"

"To put it mildly!"

T'Moirai smiled. She opened her omni-tool and synced it with Valni's. "Come see me later at this address. I'll explain everything."

Before Valni could reply, T'Moirai slipped away into the growing crowd of admirers surrounded Valni.

"Spectre Severan," Zaalia said approvingly. "It has a nice ring to it."

"So, T'Rani was SSC all this time, eh?" Erata mused with a wry smile. "Who'd have thought asari could be so sneaky?"

"I know!" Lia'Vael agreed. "I only found out because Sekat discovered her identity was fake. I think he was trying to show off or something."

"And she took you into her confidence?" Zaalia asked.

"Yeah. Sorry, I was out of contact. The Citadel Archives have very good shielding. I understand I missed some exciting fights?"

In reply, Chaill pulled her into a tight hug.

Lia'Vael eagerly returned the embrace, burying her mask in his neck.

It didn't look like Chaill was going to let go anytime soon.


The doctors at Huerta Memorial were all busy. The night shift had been supplemented by a few doctors from the day shift working extra hours.

Valni moved into the Wards, glancing at the captives rescued from the hold of the Imperium. It was a relief to know they were safe, but Valni was looking for a one person in particular. It didn't take her long to find her.

Vereen was talking to one of the doctors who had operated on Ethan.

"… He should be out of danger now, "Valni heard as she approached. "The bullet perforated his stomach and lower intestine. We repaired the damage and he should make a full recovery."

"Thank you, doctor," Vereen said. "If he needs a blood transfusion, then I'm sure the other dock workers will…"

"You don't need to worry," the doctor assured her, "we have an ample blood supply, but thank you for the offer. You should be able to see him in a moment."

The doctor hurried away. Valni approached her sister.

"Reen."

"Valni!" Vereen turned and hugged her sister. "Oh, thank the Spirits!" she said, sobbing. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine. How's Ethan?"

"They say he's recovering, but I haven't seen him."

"Why don't you go in?"

"I'm not sure he'd want to see me…" Vereen fretted. "I feel like this is my fault."

Valni pulled away from her sister's hug. "You won't know until you go in there."

Vereen nodded. "I'm just afraid of what he might think. I mean, look at what's happened to him since we met."

"Don't let that stop you," Valni insisted. "You'll regret it if you didn't try."

Vereen wiped her eyes. "Yeah… Anyway, what's this I hear about your new job title? We have a Spectre in the family?"

Valni grinned. "Yeah. I keep thinking there's been a big mistake and my name has got mixed up with someone else's."

Vereen returned the grin. "Yeah, someone's going to get the sack for this!" They laughed, the tension easing, if not entirely fading. Vereen stroked Valni's mandible. "I'm so proud of you. Dad would be too…"

Valni nodded. She glanced over at Ethan's ward room. "You should go in."

Vereen swallowed nervously, but nodded. She walked over to his room. The doors slid open and she tentatively approached his bed.

Ethan was propped up on the bed, his chest bare, with a square bandage stuck to his abdomen.

His eyes fluttered opened as she approached and he smiled.

"Hey, there…"

"Hi," she said.

"I was just having the weirdest dream…" Ethan said, his voice drowsy.

"What was it about?"

"I met a stunning girl… and she kept getting me into these crazy situations."

Vereen nodded.

"We'd go out on dates, and she'd… have me massage her feet, and… get naked in strange places, and then go swimming, even though she hated it…" Vereen smiled hesitantly. "But these men kept showing up. They would try to tear us apart… They'd… attack me. One of them even tried to shoot me. That was a strange dream. Strange… I didn't like that part."

Vereen's head slumped forward, her heart sinking.

"But you know what?" Ethan asked in a sleepy voice. Slowly, he reached for her hand, and slipped his fingers between hers. "I wouldn't let them do it… I wouldn't let them win. I wanted to fight for this girl… To beat those men… I would fight for her."

A grin spread across Vereen's face. She sank down on the bed and leaned in to touch her forehead against Ethan's. He reached up and cupped her mandible in his hand.

Valni watched Vereen embrace Ethan.

Without a sound, she backed out of the room and left the couple alone…


Valni retreated to her apartment to shower and change into a fresh set of civvies before taking a skycar to the address T'Moirai had given her. The address led Valni to a nondescript, but well-appointed, apartment building on Tayseri's mid-Ward.

The building seemed to be half empty when she arrived. Valni hardly met another soul as she climbed the stairs to the uppermost floor.

At the end of a long corridor were two asari guards wearing commando leathers standing outside an apartment.

"Go right through, Spectre," one of the asari told her before she'd said a word.

Valni obediently stood between them and pressed the door buzzer.

The door opened, but the person who answered prompted Valni to think she had the wrong address.

It was an elcor. And not one she recognised.

"Friendly welcome: Please, come in," the elcor said in a deep but distinctly feminine voice.

Valni followed her inside.

It was a studio apartment, with open plan rooms, very large and comfortable looking sofas and chairs, and an observation window taking up one side of the room.

"Graciously: Please, make yourself at home. Aisa will be out shortly."

Valni thanked the elcor and watched her move into one of the back rooms.

Valni took the opportunity to look around.

Hanging on the walls Valni spotted several pictures of Aisa T'Moirai with the elcor Valni had just met. Most of the them depicted what Valni assumed to be vacation shots taken on various planets.

But one image caught her eye. On the wall above a recessed fireplace was a picture of Aisa with her head resting on the shoulder of an asari with light-blue skin. A few seconds later, the image was replaced by another showing the asari couple wrapped in an intimate embrace. It was obvious they were pair-bonded and Valni thought it strange that such an intimate memento of Aisa's previous relationship would take pride of place in the apartment.

As she watched, the image changed again to show Aisa standing by her partner's bedside. Her asari partner was lying in what Valni assumed was a hospital bed, cradling a blue-skinned asari new-born in her arms. Valni looked again at the image of Aisa with her asari partner. The image spoke of happier times, maybe of simpler times. The couple looked so content, so happy as they cradled they new-born child…

Valni wasn't at all surprised when a high-pitched voice called out behind her.

"Vally!"

She turned and a young child dashed into the room – an asari Valni hadn't seen in almost two months.

"You came back," the blue-skinned child cried as she ran into Valni's waiting arms. "I knew you would."

Valni gathered the child up and hugged her tight. She looked much healthier than when she'd rescued her from Ker.

Behind her, Aisa emerged from the back room, wearing a simple white top, loose white leggings, and an Emotion Emulator translator. The asari took the Emulator off her head.

Valni smiled at Aisa, understanding settling on her.

"You're her father."

Aisa nodded.

"You could have told me. Why the cloak and dagger routine?"

"To protect Triana," Aisa explained, nodding at the giggling bundle of joy in Valni's arms. "After you rescued her I wanted to send her back to Tessa's family on Thessia. I thought she'd be safe there. Unfortunately, her immediate family… refused to have anything to do with her…"

Aisa stroked the young asari's crest.

"We were estranged, Tessa and I; driven apart by her family's disapproval and my own selfishness. They didn't accept me. Or us. They didn't want her to be with another asari. I couldn't bear the constant criticism. Things started to fall apart after Triana was born. We started to notice something was different about her in the third year. The doctors told us she wasn't like other children. Weak Biotic Potential, they told us. She'd never be able to do any of the things other asari can. Naturally, her family blamed me for that. And their attitude wasn't helped by the fact she's a Pureblood like me."

Triana huffed and scowled at Aisa. "Daddy said a swear."

"Yes, naughty daddy," Aisa said with a grin. "Hey, why don't you help Morran in the kitchen? Then we can talk over breakfast."

"Okay," Triana happily agreed. Valni set her down and she ran towards the kitchen.

"Don't forget your Emulator," Aisa reminded her.

"I won't!" Triana yelled.

They watched her dance away into the kitchen.

"Those bastard mercs targeted her," Aisa said when she'd gone. "Because of what she was. And they killed Tessa to do it. I wasn't going to let anyone hurt her again. But I wanted to meet the woman who'd brought Triana back to me. I did some digging, looked into your background. Then I found out you'd been rejected for Spectre candidacy… twice." Aisa smiled.

"That's why you posed as T'Rani?"

"Partly. I also wanted to see your skills in action. Situational Judgment Tests are not uncommon in Spectre selection. Most candidates give the best results when they don't know they're being assessed. I had to gauge how you'd cope under different conditions and scenarios. And after you killed the krogan at the opera house, it confirmed my faith in you."

"But that's not the only reason you did it," Valni said.

Aisa shook her head. "I had to remain hidden for Triana's sake. The mercs might come back for her if they knew where she was. Plus, Executor Pallin does not look favourably on Spectres. He doesn't think anyone should be above the law. The assessment needed to be impartial and I didn't need his interference affecting the results."

"What about Lia'Vael?"

"Taking Lia'Vael into my confidence complicated matters. Sekat discovered T'Rani was an alias and he just had to show off to her. He's a smart salarian – arrogant and egotistical, certainly, but a talented specialist. Though if he's not careful, his ego may catch up with him.

"When he blurted it out to Lia'Vael, I knew I had to come clean. She agreed to keep my secret and acted as my representative to the Citadel Archives to retrieve your records for official approval by the Council." She chuckled. "Sending a quarian into the Archives stirred up a real hornet's nest, let me tell you."

"Did anyone try to stop her?"

"Not when she had the authority of the SSC," Aisa laughed. "Oh, what I would have given to have seen the looks on the archivist's faces!"

Just then, Triana – with an Emotion Emulator covering her head – and the elcor, Morran, appeared in the kitchen door and announced breakfast was ready.

Valni politely accepted Aisa's offer to stay for a meal (the smell of cooking made Valni realise just how hungry she was) and together they sat down to eat.

Triana asked about Valni's work and she was happy to regale the young asari with (family-friendly) tales of her adventures. Triana was especially taken with stories of Zaalia riding Timoleon into battle.

Much later, under orders from Aisa, Valni demonstrated how Zaalia had charged the enemy, with Valni acting as the steed.

And her first Spectre assignment was to carry Triana on her back as she listened to the young asari squeal with unbridled delight.


Author's Note: ** There is, of course, only one piece of music that could accompany this chapter; Jack Wall & Sam Hulick composed a suitably dramatic soundtrack: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk8gVW…

For best results, play the track after the Asari Councillor asks Valni: "What say you?"

This chapter is the culmination of many different story threads. Feedback and reviews are always appreciated and greatly encouraged, but could I ask that if you do comment you please try to avoid spoilers to preserve the secret for the pleasure of other readers.

There are a couple of surprises left to come.

Thank you for reading. You're all stars.

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poppy201's avatar
Poor Ethan's really gone through a trial by fire. Scott Pilgrim's got nothing on him.