[Book Four] Chapter 6: Interview

Chapter 6: Interview

On the floor above the Afterlife, Aria was making her way to her apartment. Reaching the entrance door she lifted her hand and put it on the scanner on the wall to get clearance and open it. It was a decoy however as the locking mechanism was done through the small bracelet she was wearing on her wrist. A safety measure put in place by Rick when they had taken Omega back from Cerberus. Any idiots that would use Aria’s handprint would open the door but get shot immediately once they entered her home. It was a security measure put in place so anyone having nefarious thoughts would have to work hard to get something that would lead them to their death without them even knowing it. When Rick had explained that to her, she had just loved the idea. Not even Anto was aware of that. Just her and her son were.

Walking inside, she let out a long tired sigh. Her absence on Omega for nearly a year had been felt and some gangs had taken some liberties. Thankfully Nyreen and her talons were keeping the peace and limiting the gangs’ growth. To her surprise, the population supported their queen even with her absence, making her realize that Rick may have been a bit right about her methods of ruling. Still, she had a lot of work to do to get everything back to normal. She went to her living room and served herself a drink. As she was satiating her thirst she heard a sound that made her stop on the spot. A soft giggle that had no place in her apartment. Believing that she just imagined things because she was tired she resumed drinking and stopped again when she heard another giggling sound. This time she located its provenance. The couch.
Drawing her gun she walked slowly towards it, a strong feeling of déjà-vu assaulting her. Looking over the couch’s back she saw a redheaded, blue-eyed little baby on its back, its tiny hands against its chest and its little legs up in the air, kicking. Putting back her gun at her waist, she leaned forward and picked the baby up from under its small armpit.

“What the fuck…” she whispered looking at the smiling baby.

She knew those blue eyes very well and if they had not been enough to understand who that baby was, the ‘Hi, Grandma!’ printed on her cloth certainly did the trick. So did the barely concealed laughter that came from the side of the room.

“Surprise!” Rick shouted as he exited her bedroom with Jane in tow.
“I thought you were dead.” Aria answered nonchalantly as she walked around the couch, still looking at the baby in her hands and sat down.

Her face may have been stone cold, but inside, the pirate queen was happy as can be. War had not taken everything from her after all and may have given her more instead.
Walking behind her, Rick embraced her lovingly and gave her a very big kiss on her cheek.

“I’m home.”

Was all he said before he took Jane's hand and sat with her on the coffee table in front of Aria.

“And yes, I was dead. For real. But I was brought back the same way Jane was, I was just in a coma. I woke up a couple months ago.”
“And you didn’t warn me because?” Aria asked the redhead, the adult one.
“Lots of things were happening and I didn’t want you to give you false hope.”
“How did you get on Omega without me knowing? No wait… Nyreen?”
“Yes, Auntie was really helpful, especially when I said I wanted to prank you.”
“Too bad you both failed.”
“Did we? Does that look like failure to you, Jane?” Rick said as he used his omni-tool and displayed a picture of Aria’s face discovering Arianna.
“Nope. It looks like success.”

She ignored them both and focused on what was in her arms.

“It’s yours… Both of you.” she stated.
“Yeah. Do you have a problem with that?” Rick challenged.
“No. Not the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.”
“One of these days, I’d like to know what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen.” said Jane.
“Her name is Arianna.” Rick divulged.
“You named her after me?”
“And our… My mother.”
“So?”
“So what?” Aria asked.
“As she wormed her way to your heart yet or is she just taking her time?”
“... she’s taking her time.” Aria lied, completely in love with her granddaughter.
“Just so you know, there is another grandchild on the way.”
“Already going for more?” she exclaimed looking at Jane.
“Not me.” the redhead answered, making Aria surprised.
“It’s Ashley.”
“Your wife's best friend?”
“Yes. We’re engaged. There is no set date for the wedding but I’d like you to be there.”
“He has a harem.” Jane explained, knowing what Aria was thinking.
“I didn’t think you would be the type.”
“I’m not! It's just… It’s not like I went for it in the first place, it simply turned out that way.”
“As long as you’re happy with your choice. Anyway, what really happened after the evacuation of the Citadel?”
“A lot of things.”

____________________________________________________________

Aria’s tiredness went away as she listened to Rick’s tale, while they were eating at the dining table. The way he had manipulated everyone in the galaxy, Reapers included was so entertaining and hilarious to her that she couldn’t help but laugh. The cherry on the cake was how he had dealt with TIM; she knew that if she was in a bad mood, simply remembering the story would lift her spirit up.

“Speaking of TIM…” he said as he stood up and went to her bedroom, coming back with a rather big box. “Another cup for the collection.”
“You died and had the time to…”
“Anderson did. Mom and I… We were too out of it to think about it, it was a trivial thing after all but Anderson knew what Rick wanted to do with it and picked it up and put it in storage.”
“When he learned we were visiting you he gave it to me and I worked on it.”
“I will enjoy using it.” she said opening the box and looking at the silver plated skull inside. “What’s next for you?”
“Galactic conquest.”
“You? Mister I-don’t-want-responsibilities, conquering the Galaxy?” the asari scoffed at the idea.
“I fought hard and even died to unite the Galaxy and make it a more or less peaceful place. I want it to stay that way.”
“And how are you going to do that?”

Rick began to explain his plan to his mother, outlining at first the big picture and providing details and further explanation when she asked questions about something. By the end of the talk, Aria was impressed with how he was going about it and thought that he might actually succeed. There were many factors though and that would not be easy.

“What’s your time table?”

“Ten years.”
“That’s rather short, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but I’m pressed for time. The greedy assholes won’t take a break and miss on the power vacuum that the war created.”
“Well… Good luck.”

Afterward Rick and Jane, asked about her time on Ilos, something that she was very happy to rant about as she considered the experience worse than her time in the Purgatory on the Citadel. When the topic of Jennifer's kids came up, it’s with a small smile that Aria talked about it.

“They were amusing. A bunch of virgins in the afterlife that didn’t know where to look or what to look at. I’ll never get tired of it.”
“Come on, you took a liking to them.”
“Maybe.”
“Young goodie two shoes like them on Omega? Look me in the eye and tell me that wasn’t refreshing.”
“Alright, fine. I admit it, they were. They’re not sycophants kissing my ass or terrified of me. They’re more like… admirers but not the annoying kind. And they’re rather good biotics for humans. They reminded me a bit of you, so I gave them a tip or two on it.”
“I’m amazed how you soften up a bit while still being a badass bitch.” Jane said.
“Careful, Shepard.”
“Your unspoken threat would be effective if not for Arianna in your arms getting rocked gently.”  teased Rick with a grin.
“Want me to show your daughter how badass I can be by tanning your ass?”
“She’s too young to remember anything and no violence in front of her.”
“Fine, have it your way.” Turning to address Jane she revealed a very embarrassing story. “Did he ever tell you that I caught him trying to catch his pet fish in this very room with a makeshift fishing pole?”
“MOM!”
“Seriously?” Janed asked, laughing her ass off picturing her brother doing that.
“Yeah.”
“I was trying to enter a brain dead like state!”
“Sure. There was also the time where he tried my…”
“Alright! You win! Stop talking!”
“Please don’t. I want to know!” said Jane, still laughing but unfortunately Aria stopped there.
“Seems like death made you forget the first rule of Omega.”
“It doesn’t apply to me!”
“That’s what you…”

The pirate queen was interrupted by Arianna who began to cry loudly out of the blue. Taking a sniff of the air Aria’s air went backward a bit because of the awful smell and she handed her granddaughter to her parents.

“That’s my girl! Protecting her daddy from mean Grandma.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, now go change her.”
“You have her in your arms…” smiled Jane.
“No. I stopped changing diapers centuries ago and I’m not about to go back to it. Now take her.”
“Come here, baby girl, Daddy’s going to take care of you. Don’t pay attention to grandma, she just has a sensitive nose.” he said as he took his daughter and went to Aria’s bedroom to change her.

“That’s a sight I never thought I would ever see.” commented the Pirate Queen.
“Really? Even back then?”
“Yes. I believed his wife would be the one doing it.”
“So far he’s the one taking care of this kind of thing the most. Always volunteering and Arianna is all the better for it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Before he woke up and came into her life she was crying all the time for nothing. Not because she was angry, needed a new diaper or something. She was just crying. She laughed a lot less too. Now? She’s always giggling and smiling most of the time.”
“Maybe she missed her dad.”
“I wonder.”

Rick came back with a clean butt and a new teddy. This time ‘Next Pirate Queen’ was written on it making Jane laugh as she didn’t know anything about that. Even Aria was amused.
They talked a bit more and when Arianna began to fall asleep everyone decided to make it a night. The human family left the Pirate queen to rest but not before giving her photographs of her granddaughter. Getting back on the Normandy they went to sleep, ready to go Back to Earth in the morning.

____________________________________________________________

Once on Earth they still had a few days before the victory celebration and Rick was preparing for it. It was supposed to be a simple homage to the people lost followed by an interview of the Normandy’s crew. It was a publicity stunt from all the governments to show the species’ unity and the crew with members from different races fit the bill perfectly. Not only that but with the propaganda Rick worked on the whole ground team was more or less known by everyone. They were a symbol of victory and a face that people could relate to.
The interview was supposed to be about what they did to get to where they were today. Some information was unclassified for that while some, like the fall of Dalatrass Linron, were securely under wrapped and swiped under the rug. However Rick didn’t see the interview that way. It was a golden opportunity to make things go his way and he will not miss it. The politicians only saw a political stunt and their agenda and of course didn’t see beyond it.

Working with Miranda, he had her check the details of his plan, just in case. He didn’t need to but she was the organized one and she would point out any tiny details that he would have missed. Fortunately there were none. Afterward he contacted Tevos and presented her his plan. She liked it but gave him some advice to make it better, most notably to put down the governments before the invasion and put forward the good that the new ones were doing despite the slow progress. The advice was free as she understood his point to break free of the usual methods and stunt used for interviews marking a clean break between the old and new.
She also confirmed her support for his school project. They had been discussing back and forth ever since they returned from waking the people of Project Safeguard and they finally agreed on the latest version he presented her. With everything in order and everyone in agreement the only thing left to do was for Tevos to contact the news station and negotiate a deal to change things from the interviewer side.

On D-day a minute of silence was observed all across the galaxy followed by a military parade where each species, in equal measure, showed the different troops that fought. That was propaganda at its best and nobody batted an eye because it was really impressive. Once the parade was over, the councilors and other ambassadors left the scene that presided over it and the camera focused on the Normandy’s crew. Wrex replaced James who was still at N school.

“If you’re just turning in, I’m Illiana Lorat and I have the pleasure of hosting the most famous crew in the Galaxy during the war, which made the impossible possible wherever they went. I'm of course talking about the crew of the Normandy, captained by Commander Jane Shepard!” announced an asari.

Jane, sitting in a comfortable seat, smiled and waved at the camera and received an ovation from the public.

“I’m supposed to list your achievements aloud but I don’t know if I should, there are so many that I’m afraid we’ll still be there tomorrow.” Illiana joked.
“That’s alright. I think by now, people are aware of who I am and what I did.”

The asari nodded and presented every known member of the crew present, including Joker and Dorothea. Each saluted the public when their name was called and got a warm welcome.

“I’m surprised to see you here, Urdnot Wrex. I didn’t know you were part of the Normandy’s crew.”
“I fought with Shepard when she was chasing Saren in 83.”
“He was in my team when we put an end to him and Sovereign at the battle of the Citadel.”
“I understand that the composition of the crew changed over time and yet there are so few of you today.”
“This is actually the original ground team of the SSV Normandy that is present today with the addition of Dorothea. The other members had either obligations that they couldn’t get out of or simply wanted to stay anonymous.”
“What about the composition of the crew during the war?”
“Pretty much the same. Only James Vega is absent but he’s currently at N School so it can’t be helped.” Jane replied omitting Javik as the existence of the living prothean was still classified which was fine with him which prompted Illiana to change topics.
“The war against the Reapers began in 86 but what many people don’t know is that for you and your team it began earlier than that.”
“Yes. It began the day Saren attacked Eden Prime in 83. He was after a prothean beacon that archeologists found on the planet. The beacon contained a warning against the Reapers and that’s what started the fight for me and my team.”
“That beg to ask, if the Reapers' existence was known that early, why didn’t we prepare ourselves?”
“In one word? Politicians. They thought it was just a myth or the raving of a mad woman despite the many proofs we presented to different governments. Fortunately some people believed me, most notably the council who was very helpful and did help discreetly to prepare for our survival.”
“Are you talking about Project Safeguard that people started to talk about on the extranet a few months ago?”
“Yes.”
“What was the purpose of this project?”
“I think Rick is more suited to answer that question.”
“Wow. Not nice to hand over the grenade when it’s about to explode.” the man replied.

“It’s your project to begin with!”
“So?”
“So you’re talking about it!”
“Ugh… As bossy as ever…”
“It seems like the crew is not united as people were led to believe.” Illiana noticed.
“Oh, it is.” said Kaidan
“It’s just those two.” added Ashley, chuckling.
“That’s why they teamed up at the Arena, to not fight each other.” Garrus said, making everyone laugh.
“Anyway! Rick…”
“Fine, fine. Project Safeguard’s purpose was to safekeep each space faring civilizations in the Galaxy. In case of defeat against the Reapers which was the most likely outcome back in 83, four millions people were selected to be put in stasis until the Reapers left. From there those four million people would have had fifty thousand years to proliferate and ready themselves to end the old machines once and for all in the next cycle.”
“Four millions, people?! That’s a lot.”
“It is, that’s why they were separated in eight different secret bunkers across the Galaxy. Fortunately we won the war and with the Mass Relays being repaired it was time to bring these people home.”
“How did you gather so many people?”
“That’s currently classified but you can look forward to an answer in a year or two, more or less.”
“Oh? Why?”
“You’ll see it soon.”
“Alright, the Commander said that it was your project?”
“Yes. I got the idea and funded almost its entirety.”
“Now, you’re just teasing by revealing some crucial information but no detail. People want to know.” Illiana protested, playing her role. After all she knew what was going to happen.
“I think people are more interested in what kind of people we are or anecdotes about time on the Normandy and me being tight lipped is my way to entertain myself because I’m bored.”
“Dorothea, time!” Liara shouted.
“8 minutes, 48 secondes. Kaidan wins.”
“YES!!” shouted the man pumping his fist in the air. “Now make the credits flow guys.”
“What?” exclaimed Illiana, feigning confusion.
“Can’t believe you couldn’t hold for ten minutes.” Wrex grunted and used his omni-tool to make a transfer of credits.
“Did you seriously bet on the time for him to get bored?!” exclaimed Jane.
“““Yeah.”””
“Even you?” Jane said, shocked to see Rick using his omni-tool too.
“... No?”
“Then why are you making a transfer of credits?! Wait, how could you bet on your own time?! That’s cheating!”
“I bet Joker would win the bet with Dorothea. Didn’t know any time anyone chose.”
“Dear viewers, I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”
“What’s going on is that I’m bored as hell, so I’m taking control of this interview.” Rick said.
“Rick, NO!” Jane protested.
“Rick, YES!”

____________________________________________________________

“What’s going on is that I’m bored as hell, so I’m taking control of this interview.”
“Rick, NO!”
“Rick, YES!”

A loud thud resonated in an office not far from the interview. It was followed by two mad cackles.

“What did I ever do to God to hate me so much?” Steven asked, his forehead against the table while his niece and Hannah were laughing like mad.
“I don’t think God has anything to do with it.” Anderson said and pulled a drink for the depressed man.
“See the bright side of it, it probably won’t be boring anymore.” Kahlee said as she held Arianna in her arms.

The small group were watching the interview, like most people in the galaxy. Hackett, Anderson, Kahlee and Helena were seated around a table and were enjoying a nice time. Hannah joined them the moment she left the scene in favor of the Normandy’s crew. The plan was to further the species cooperation by presenting a united front with prepared questions and prepared answers. Except that Rick Wald never followed the script.

“I’d rather see a boring interview than Wald unmaking what we’ve been working for for a year. What he’s been working for even longer.”
“He may seem like a chaotic person but you know he always has a plan and acts with purpose. If anything, I’m sure he’s going to give us better results than what we planned for.” Anderson said.
“Do you know something about that?” Hackett asked.
“Not in the least but I have faith.”
“Kahlee?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Don’t ask me, we’re barely on speaking terms.” Hannah said as she had stopped laughing and saw Steven was about to ask her.
“Oh, that’s an improvement.” congratulated Anderson.
“Thank you. It’s taking time but bit by bit… So far he agreed to try.”
“Good luck.” Kahlee said and Hannah nodded.
“Look! There is a chat available to ask questions to the crew.” Helena pointed out as a chat address was displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Connecting to the chat and displaying it on a second screen on the wall, the group could see every message that the viewers posted. So far two hundred million people have been connected and the number kept getting bigger dramatically by the second.

____________________________________________________________

Back on site, the public was very enthusiastic with the new development. Illiana that had access to the chat had a whole team working on it to both moderate and pick up relevant and interesting questions. She kept playing her role though but let events play out a bit.

“Stop it!” ordered Jane.
“No.”
“Sit back down and let the interview go on!”
“Nope. It’s too late, anyway. Already three hundred million people are connected to the chat I opened and they are already asking questions. Their numbers keep increasing faster than the Krogans reproduce.”
“Wow, that’s fast!” noted Wrex.
“Give back control to the nice lady!” insisted Jane.
“Okay.”
“Good, now…”
“Blueberry, you have absolute control of the chat on your data-pad. Enjoy.” Rick said, addressing Illiana.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it!”
“Don’t care.” he answered nonchalantly and sat back down. For two seconds as Jane tackled him to the ground.

As the two began to fight like children Illiana intervened.

“Does that happen often?”
“Rick doing what he wants or Shepard trying to kill him?” Liara asked back.
“Both?”
“Yes to both.” Tali replied.
“I feel nostalgic. I miss spending time with you guys.” Wrex said, looking amused at the show.
“Didn’t that… make doing your work problematic?”
“Not really.” Ashley replied.
“On the field they are the most focused soldiers you will ever see. Any problem is left behind on the ship.” added Garrus.
“If you want proof of that, just watch the fight against the Reapers on Rannoch.”
“I have to admit and I don’t think I’m the only one, the Commander is not like I imagined her to be.”
“The Commander is every bit the leader and hero everyone portrays her as.” Dorothea said.
“Be it the Reapers, the Geths, the Collectors, or slavers… She never  lost her cool, no matter the situation.” added Liara.
“Except with Rick.” Joker spoke.
“So far he’s the only one that can get under her skin.” explained Kaidan.
“Pissing people off is a gift he has.” Ashley explained further.
“And he made it an art. As a result, the Commander, who is rather very patient, has a very short fuse with him.” Tali took her turn.
“At first she was just taking it on herself and in the worst moments, just handed me her gun so she wouldn’t shoot him but after years of it… Well, you can see.”  Kaidan revealed waving his hand towards the two siblings fighting.
“It’s not as bad as it looks honestly, it’s just their way to get on the same page when they disagree.” said Liara.
“Okay…”

As biotics began to flare. Dorothea stood up and with her enhanced strength separated the siblings, putting an end to their quarrel.

“Enough. The world is watching you.”
“I don’t mind showing them how I kicked Carrot Top’s ass.”
“I swear, one of those days I’m going to shoot you, you menace. Now stop everything and...”
“There is no need, Commander. The number of people interested in the change of the interview is almost one billion now and my superiors asked me to go along with it.”
“Oh.” Jane exclaimed, a bit embarrassed.
“I do thank you for fighting for my job and more importantly freedom of speech.” said Illiana with a beautiful smile.
“Well… You’re welcome.” the redhead said as she sat back down. “ I apologize for my outburst.”
“That’s alright, the members of your crew filled everyone in about the situation. Believe me, we… understand.”
“Oh. Okay… That’s… great.”
“Let’s start with the first question from the viewers. It’s a question from Shchmilblik_08 for… Garrus Vakarian…”
“Please call me Garrus.”
“Alright. Garrus, here’s the question. ‘How did you get that scar on the side of your face? It’s so manly.’ ”
“That’s the question?” the turian asked bewildered.
“Yes.”
“Well… I took a rocket to the face while fighting the Blood Pack, Eclipse and the Blue Suns on Omega when I was cleaning the place under the name Archangel. It was touch and go for me for a while but I had an excellent doctor taking care of me. She did wonderful work; in fact the scarring tissue is far less than what it should have been normally. I do not recommend going through the same method to have a similar scar, especially if you are around people making you laugh a lot, the pain in my jaw was atrocious.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“Question number two and three are from NormandyNumber1Fan destined for everyone : ‘What was your job on the Normandy? On the field, what was your role in the team?’ Ah! Excellent question! We saw footage of the team in action but what special skills do you each possess that made you indispensable or the right person for the job?”

The cream looked at each other for a moment, not really knowing what to say. After a moment Joker was the one who spoke first.

“I’m the best pilot in the alliance, that’s why I was in the crew. I help with morale by joking during downtime.” he said and that began a reaction chain.
“James and I take care of the gear. Armor, weapons, mods… We make sure everything is clean and works as it should. On the ground, I’m just kicking ass all around.” stated Ashley.
“My skills with a sniper rifle are unmatched and I’m the best at calibrating. Be it the Normandy’s main cannon, or the Mako and Hammerhead’s weapon.”
“I’m an archeologist specializing in the Protheans’ civilization, most notably their extinction.”
“Liara’s knowledge has been crucial and invaluable in stopping Saren and later the Reapers. From finding Ilos to finding the blueprints of the crucible.” Jane added to make people realize the importance of Liara’s presence on the team beyond ‘I just study ruins’.
“I’m the ship’s mechanic, tech expert and geth expert.”
“She’s also really mean with a shotgun.” Garrus joked and Tali hit him with her elbow from the side. “Ouch.”
“Don’t you have some calibrations to do?” she asked in a fake sweet voice.

Knowing not to push further, Garrus piped down and Kaidan went next.

“I’m the Normandy’s XO. My job is to deal with the paperwork, the crew's well being. On the field I’m the leader of the second team and a rather good biotic.” then turned to Dorothea on his left to indicate he was done and that it was his turn.
“I’m the team’s vanguard and also a tech expert.” was the simple answer she gave instead of saying that she was an AI downloaded into an organic body. Her statement downplayed her capability by a lot but it was expected.
“I’m…” Rick began and stopped, taking a moment to think about it. Turning to Jane he asked her. “What am I?”
“A pain in my ass.” she replied with the biggest fake smile she could muster.

That made everyone laugh. Not only in the crew, but the public as well.

“Yeah but that’s not part of the job. It’s just me fighting boredom.”
“True… You’re doing so many jobs that putting a label is difficult.”
“I guess… I’m the handyman.” he said looking at Illiana and made everyone in the crew snort.
“Somehow, I have the feeling that it is not the case. Especially with how good you are at fighting.”
“I’m not on the team because I’m good at fighting.”
“You’re not?”
“No. Despite his look and prowess in battle. Rick is the thinker of the group.”
“I bet no one saw that coming.”
“I certainly did not and I don’t think I’m alone in this case. Thinker is a really vague description of what you do. Can we have more details?” Illiana asked and Rick turned his head to look at Jane who looked back at him.
“That’s not classified so… Why not? Alright… I’m a Tech expert and the brain behind most of the useful technology the Alliance came up during the war. Being actual tech or just ideas.”
“Oh?! That’s interesting news, do you have an example?”
“The Aegis shield, GR-Cannon, the TR models, designed by Tali over there, the AR helmets and most notably the thermal clip system, among other things.”
“That’s all you?!” Illiana exclaimed and got a nod of affirmation from Rick in return.
“More importantly, he’s the strategist. The Normandy’s crew would not have been that successful without him in it. That’s why despite his… attitude I can’t get rid of him.”
“It’s her backhanded way to say she likes having me around.”
“Shut. Up.” Jane said glaring at him murderously.
“Do you have an example to share?” inquired Illiana.
“At the top of my head, not really.” Rick replied.
“You outsmarted the Reapers allowing us to survive and yet nothing came to your mind?” Jane replied in shock.
“I’ve been doing it since 83, it’s not really noteworthy anymore. Besides they were very flawed AI, not that difficult to outsmart them.” he answered with a shrug.
“Wait! Wait! Wait! Please develop on that! “ Illiana quickly interjected. “You are the reason we survived? What do you mean, Commander?”
“The reason why the invasion started in late 86 and not in 83 when Sovereign attacked the Citadel was because Rick understood that the station was a gigantic Mass Relay and that the conduit was a prothean made Relay leading directly to the inside of the Citadel. Gathering a small army and planning with Admiral Anderson, when the attack began the Citadel was not defenseless as Saren expected it to be. The Alliance fifth fleet was on standby ready to act and most sectors of the station were covered. Saren and Sovereign were delayed a lot, leading to their failure. The death toll was also minimal thanks to that and the Council who reacted immediately and did an outstanding work leading and organizing the defense. That gave us three more years to secretly prepare for our survival.”
“That’s… Why wasn’t that made public?”
“I asked the council to keep quiet about it. I don’t like much being under the spotlight.” replied Rick.
“I… see.”
“I think everyone got a turn to speak so… Next question?” asked Jane.

“Yes, yes. Here it is, our fourth question is from xXxBaddassPoetryxXx for the Commander: ‘Commander your speech before the battle of Earth ‘No Fate but what we make ourselves’ is the most inspiring thing that I have ever heard; was it rehearsed or did you come with it on the spot? If it was rehearsed, were you the one that wrote it?’. That’s a question that I ask myself often too when I think about that time. It’s a very powerful and uplifting speech and will probably be in future History books.”
“It was rehearsed, yes and no, I did not write it.”
“It’s not your speech then? Who wrote it?”
“Rick.”
“To be fair. You did write it in a way. I’ve been hanging with you for years and heard quite a few of your inspirational speeches. All I did was put myself in your boots and imagine what you would say and just imitated your way with words along your line of thoughts. That was for a good half of the speech, the other half… old human movies aficionados would know. The truth about that speech is… No matter the words used to motivate the troops, what really made it work is that Red was the one to deliver it. The tone of voice, the passion… I believe that’s what was really important. I don’t think anyone else would have gotten as good a result as you did. That’s why I consider it your speech and not mine.”
“That’s what I thought when I read it the first time. ‘When did I write this?’ it felt so like me that after one rehearsal I just knew the way to say it.”
“Now a question from BattleToesOfKarnak to the crew : ‘How did you spend the time on the ship between missions?’. I admit, I’m curious too.”
“Outside of working hours, I just train my biotics or just keep in shape at the gym.” replied Jane.
“The Normandy as a Gym?” Illiana asked, surprised.
“Not originally, we made one to deal with the stress of the job and as I said to keep in shape. It proved to be useful as it improved the mood of the crew and their efficiency at work by a lot.”
“I see.”
“Dr. T’Soni, what about you?”

Each had their turn to talk about their hobby during their day off and afterwards questions kept coming. Some were rather personnel oriented like where Tali bought her poncho and why she was wearing it in the first place to questions about the missions the team took. In that case each was giving their point of view of certain moments completing what one was saying.

____________________________________________________________

“See? It’s not so bad.” Helena said to her uncle.
“They looked more like friends than just coworkers with the answers they’re giving.” Anderson added.
“That feels more real, people will like that.” commented Kahlee.
“Less matter of factly and more emotionally involved. People can relate more easily and are actually interested. It’s not just a cold report, they shared what they went through. You worried for nothing.” Hannah explained aloud.
“Gah!”
“Even Arianna agrees! Right, sweetie?” cooed the redhead as she swung around gently her granddaughter in the air making her laugh.
“Alright, I admit it’s going better than what we expected, but with your son my worries are not unfounded.”
“Here, you need to relax and have some joy in your life, Steven.” said Hannah as she put Arianna right onto the old man’s face.
“She is a little cutie. One wonders how she could be your granddau….” he began to say, stroking one of the baby’s cheeks but stopped when she farted right onto his nose.
“Ha! That’s what you get for dissing me! Good job defending your grandmother’s character, sweetie!” Hannah said, swinging around again a laughing Arianna and kissing her head, while everyone else but Hackett was laughing their ass off at his misery.

____________________________________________________________

“Here’s another one from Sss_Hu_ssS : ‘Who in the crew is the most likely to get arrested?’ ”
“““““““Rick”””””””” / “Wald.”
“Wooooow. That was such an immediate and unanimous answer.” Illiana replied, chuckling.
“Now, that’s not true.” Rick protested.
“Puh-lease. With all the shit you did or do it’s a miracle you’re not behind the bars yet.” said Tali.
“Oh, yeah? Give me one time!”
“One time? I have half a dozen in mind!” scoffed Jane.
“Prove it."
“There was the time when you hacked the secured Alliance database.”
“You can’t prove that.”
“The time you also hacked almost everyone's personal terminal on the Normandy, a military vessel when you’re a civilian.” Kaidan added.
“Can’t prove that either.”
“The time when you stole a ship on Thessia to go back on Omega, killing every slaver on your way.” chimed in Liara.
“Speculations.”
“Storming a vessel of the migrant fleet, defeating all the guards and running away with a suspect on trial."

"Tali, you were the suspect, you were also innocent and I didn’t run, I walked away with you on my shoulders."

"You also killed Admiral Han’Gerrel of the migrant fleet." Stated Garrus.

"He was supposed to be executed and I was just the executioner."

"You killed the turian councilor back in 83.” Wrex released the bomb.

"Wait, what?!" Exclaimed Illiana that so far was amused by the crew antics.
“Outrageous accusation. It was the geths, Wrex. The Geths. And I mean the heretics, not the good ones on Rannoch. Honestly, you’re just piling things on my shoulders, I’m whiter than snow.”
“Until someone pees on you.” commented Joker from the side.

____________________________________________________________

“You still think it was a good idea?” Hackett said to Anderson, nursing a fourth drink in his hand.
“Well…”
“It is if the messages on the chat are any indication.” Helena replied as she looked at the second screen.
“Holy shit, it’s true.” Steven exclaimed, completely dumbfounded as he read the chat. “They think that if he really did those things it was to fight the reapers! What the hell?!”
“Some even congratulate him for getting rid of Sparatus.” remarked an unbelieving Anderson. “I know he wasn’t well liked but still…”
“You should never doubt my son, Steven.”

____________________________________________________________

“I… I don't know what to think anymore.” said Illiana.
“Asking the next question perhaps?” Rick ventured.
“I… Yes. *ahem*. It’s a question for the entire crew from GodEmperor420: ‘What’s the scariest situation you have encountered?’ Now, that’s interesting…”
“That’s a difficult question.” Jane said pensively.
“For me it was the first time I encountered a Banshee. We were in… an abandoned building, completely in the dark and suddenly I heard this blood curdling scream. It sent shivers down my spine.” confessed Kaidan.
“The Collector’s base. We were making a huge diversion for a small team to infiltrate the base and we had all the Collectors on our asses. I don't know how many they were or how many I killed but there was just no end to them. They just kept coming and coming. Honestly, you killed one and three more took its place. I thought that it was it for me.” said Garrus.
“Speaking of Collectors, when they boarded the Normandy. I really thought we were toasted.” Joker shared.
“The mad rachnis on Noveria.” Tali confessed to which Ashley nodded in agreement. “They had been separated forcefully from the queen and they went mad. When one burst through a vent, I got scared out of my life. Then there were hundreds of them!”
“Charging on foot the Reaper on Tunchanka… I was really scared then, it was shooting its laser at us and we only had thick stone for cover. Then there were the hordes of brutes and the Reaper’s legs we had to doge to activate the hammers. That’s an experience I do not want to repeat.” This time it was Liara’s turn.

No more people talked so Illiana called out to Wrex.

“I wasn’t really scared for me but for my people. When we were assaulting Saren’s base, he was working on a cure for the genophage among other things. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to get it. It was a bust though so in the end it didn’t really matter.”

“Commander?”
“Leaving Earth. I wanted to stay and fight but I was ordered to leave and find allies. That was the right thing to do of course but… I was scared that if I left there wouldn’t be an Earth to save on my return.”
“Dorothea?”
“Hmm… Being stuck on Illos forever and watching the Commander and Rick fight that Reaper on Rannoch. So many things could have gone wrong.”
“Wald?”
“... Fuck everything up because I was wrong. Councilor Shepard and I survived for a week on the Citadel when the Reapers took it. We witnessed everyone that stupidly chose to stay get slaughtered and could only hide, never staying too long at the same location for fear of being caught. We were supposed to lay low for when the time was right to use the crucible, we would ambush the Reapers by already being inside the Citadel and taking control of it but that was possible only if I was right about the Reapers taking the Citadel to Earth. The more time passed the bigger the psychological toIl I felt. I was scared that they didn’t take the Citadel to Earth and that all the preparation we did was for naught, dooming everyone.” Rick said with a pained voice.
“Thankfully, you were right.” Jane said in support.
“Of course I was.”
“And he’s back being an ass.” joked Joker.
“He’s good then. Another question? Hopefully it will bring up the mood.” said Jane.

Illiana nodded, and looked at her datapad, reading question after questions and selected an uplifting one.

“It’s from JokerLover69…”
“What?!” exclaimed the pilot but was ignored.
“And it’s a group answer that is asked : ‘After watching you this past hour I understand that life on the Normandy wasn’t just work but also sometimes games. What’s the most hilarious thing that has happened on board?’. ”
“““““Guys Night.””””” The ladies answered immediately to the protest of the men.
“Oh! Dear viewers, I think we have some juicy story waiting for us! What happened?”

“After brokering the peace between Geths and Quarian, we left Rannoch. Exceptionally I gave everyone the evening and night off. Come morning and… Dorothea, could you please put up the pictures?” The woman nodded in answered

Soon the pictures of everyone wasted in the Cargo Deck, or in Rick’s case the servers room, were displayed on the giant holo screen above the scene so the public present could see. Everyone had a good laugh at the men's expense for a bit before Jane spoke again.

“And that’s why Guys Night only ever happened once.”
“Shepard, that’s low.”
“Don’t worry, Garrus, I got us covered. People, this is the most hilarious thing that happened on the Normandy.” Rick said.

He used his omni-tool for a bit and the pictures of the result of the drunken night was replaced by a looping clip of Jane training her biotics for the first time. When she hit the ceiling of the deck and fell back to the floor with a loud thud, people could hold their laughter.

“You jerk! I was training my biotics for the first time!” Jane shouted as she stood up and pointed her finger at him.
“I know! I was there!” Rick replied laughing.

She hit him lightly repeatedly, ordering him to remove the clip while blushing so red her face was the color of her hair. After a dozen hits he did as instructed and Jane sat back down glaring at him. People calmed down and Illiana asked another question.

“Okay, that was fun but here is the next question. It’s for Rick from _–_TheHack_–_ : ‘Why do you torment Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett of the Alliance?’ ”
“...”

____________________________________________________________


“What?”

Everyone in the room, including Arianna somehow, looked at Hackett in silence.

“It’s a valid question.”
““““““...”””””””

____________________________________________________________

“I do not torment, the Fleet Admiral. I did, however, teased him a bit. He’s a good man with a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders, more than anyone should have to carry alone so I teased to give him a small break from his duties and help him relax a bit. Especially during the war when he had to supervise the entirety of humanity and the war from the deployment of troops to every project of the R&D.”
“That’s… very thoughtful.” admitted Illiana.

““““““Bullshit!”””””””

____________________________________________________________

““““““Bullshit!”””””””
“Yeah! I call bullshit too!” Steven shouted clearly, a bit inebriated.
“No more alcohol for you, uncle” said Helena, taking the glass from his hands.

____________________________________________________________

“Believe what you want.”
“Oookay… We’ve been at it for some time now, so one last question before saying goodbye. It’s from StupidityAt_ItsFinest : ‘What’s in the future for the crew of the Normandy?’ That’s a really good question. Is the crew going to stay together?”

“I think… That everyone will go their separate way but stay in contact and gather once in a while. We all have our duties and objectives in life after all.” said Jane.
“I have my people to lead and my civilization to rebuild so I can’t play with the crew.” Wrex replied.
“Keep serving in the military. Kaidan, James and Joker too, I believe.” Ashley said and both men present nodded.
“I’m currently writing a book on the true nature of the Protheans. So far everything we knew about them had been wrong.”
“Really?” Illiana asked.
“They didn’t create the Mass Relays, they didn’t create the Citadel either. They weren’t a pacifist race… There is plenty for multiple books actually.”
“I’m sure people we’ll wait with impatience for your book Dr.”
“I currently don’t have a long term goal but the short term one is to go back to my family.” said Garrus.
“Exploring the world for me.” Dorothea stated.
“Making sure that every Quarian gets back to Rannoch. Afterward working at my company.”
“Your company?” inquired Illiana.
“Yes. Rick and I created a tech company providing most of the new technology developed during the war and even before. Some examples were given earlier in the interview. Anyway, that’s our work and there is so much more.”
“Wow, I wouldn’t be surprised if your company became the leader in tech in the whole galaxy. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
“Commander, what about you?”
“I think it’s time for me to retire from active duty. I recently became a mother and I’d like to spend my time with my daughter for a few years.”
“Congratulations!” Illiana announced as the public cheered at the news. “Are you willing to show us a picture?”
“Sure, why not?” replied the redhead and shared a picture of Arianna to Dorothea who put it up on the screen.
“By the goddess! She’s adorable.” mooned the asari and considering the ‘aww’ sound of the public, they did too. “What’s her name?”
“Arianna.”
“Well… We wished nothing but the best to you and little Arianna. After everything you’ve done for the Galaxy you deserved it. Gosh, she’s such a cutie.”
“Thank you.”
“And thank you for coming here today to talk. This is Illiana…”
“Wow, wow, wow! Stop right there! I didn’t have my turn.” interrupted Rick.
“I… That’s true but… aren’t you going to work with Miss Zorah in your company?”
“Nope. In the long term yes but in the short term, I intend to open the biggest school in the Galaxy welcoming students from every species without distinction. The war against the reapers brought everyone together and it’s important to maintain that unity. That’s the purpose of the school, to help everyone reach their potential and consolidate the bonds we have with each other. It shouldn’t be X species on one side and Y species on another. We’re all inhabiting this Galaxy and it’s important to work together so everyone can live a good life and in peace.”
“That’s a very altruistic project. I kind of like the sound of that. When will this school open and what will it teach?”
“The school will open in two to five years and will teach every field possible. Science, literature, history, medicine, military arts. If you think of it? It would probably be taught there.”
“That’s… That’s not a simple school.”
“Yes, that’s why I intend to present the project to the council before the end of the year so each species could participate in its construction by funding it in equal measure.”
“Then let’s hope for this project to be successful! Good luck! This was Illiana Lorat with the Normandy’s crew! See you next time! Bye!”

____________________________________________________________

“Did anyone know about this?” Hackett asked, the man having sobering up a bit.
“Yes. He talked to me about it a bit, but it was just at the idea stage at the time.” Kahlee said.
“That’s this way of conquering the Galaxy, making sure we don’t go back to the way things were pre-war.” clarified Hannah.
“Conquering the Galaxy?” asked Anderson.
“By being the leader of any technological advancement, he would control the tech of course but of course the economy by making it indispensable. Through education he wished to raise the students into people who would blur the difference between species to the point that not working together would be seen as anormal.” Hannah clarified further.
“And by being in control of the education he can offer jobs to the students once they graduate, furthering his control on technology and creating a network that spans the whole galaxy. Putting people in key positions. It’s a beneficial circle.” Helena finished.
“... I don’t know what to do with your son, Hannah. He’s too smart, we can’t handle him.”
“Support him. While he says he will conquer the Galaxy he’s working hard to make it a better place for everyone because it’s the most beneficial. I’d rather have him in charge than any politicians, that’s for sure.”
“It’s not like he’s the kind of person interested in ruling in the first place. I think that by ‘conquer’ he means ideology wise more than anything. If the next generations think all like him then the Galaxy would indeed be a better place.” noted Anderson.
“It’s a big decision. Many would think of the interests of humanity first.” said Hackett.
“And that’s the problem. Humanity is not first, neither is it last. It just is among the other species and should work towards symbiosis. That’s the kind of thinking that creates conflict in the first place.” explained Kahlee.
“It’s a big risk and the question is: Is it worth taking?”

No one had an answer to give to Helena.