Fire on the Horizon

Chapter 3: Gilded Cages

The last five and a half months had not been exactly what Shepard had expected. To be honest, she didn't really know what she had expected to happen. She turned herself in and it took over three weeks to just process her through the various levels of red tape. Anderson had come to her when she arrived in Canada to debrief her.

Once they were left alone, he told her what was going on. She would be held in an apartment. She was being kept there for her safety, psych evaluations, and to answer any questions the Alliance brass had for her. She would be decommissioned with no hearing pending. Her commission was not on the table for negotiation. She was a very well kept prisoner that the Alliance was labeling as everything from a traitor to an informant, depending on who you talked to.

She could come and go as she pleased, with her guard. She had to be back in her apartment by 2200. She had freedom to roam, with her guard. She could read correspondence and send correspondence, as long as it had been scanned and approved. In other words, there was no privacy and she was under 24 hours surveillance. She kept telling herself it could be worse.

Anderson finished his debriefing and asked her where the bathroom was. She thought it was an odd question since all the apartments were set up the same, but she nodded her head to the far left of the room. He stood, walked to the door, and that's when she noticed it. There was no camera. No way for him to be monitored once he was inside the door. He pulled out a small data drive from his jacket and placed it on the sink before shutting the door. A few minutes later she heard a flush, the sink turning on then off, then he emerged.

"Nice bathroom. Make sure you keep it that way for my next visit." He winked at her and took a glance at the cameras all around the room. He shook his head. She knew he felt like this whole thing was a setup where she was playing the fall guy. She also knew he had to play along until he could actually do something.

"Before I go, there's something else. Your guard. Vega get in here!" Anderson turned his head to shout towards the door. The door slid open and a few seconds later this well built soldier stepped in. he wasn't totally regulation, she noticed. He had a tattoo that crept up his neck. It appeared to be tribal of some sort.

He stepped in, stopped, saluted her, and went to an at ease position. "Commander. James Vega. I'm your guard for the next few months." Just behind him was a duffle bag and a small foot locker.

Shepard raised a brow to Anderson who shrugged.

"He's living here?" Shepard asked a bit shocked and more than a bit annoyed.

Anderson nodded. 'Vega is a god guy, great soldier, and best of all not a hardass. He will keep you guarded, safe, and meets the Alliance needs. He'll also have a beer with you, let you retreat to the bathroom, and he can cook a mean Huevos Rancheros."

Shepard laughed a bit and nodded. "Okay, fine. Welcome to the cell Vega."

Anderson nodded and left the two alone. They spent the next hour chatting a bit. Vega went to the empty room in the apartment and began putting his stuff down. Shepard took the moment to go to the bathroom and get the drive that Anderson had left for her. She turned on the bath water and popped the drive into her datapad.

The first thing that popped up was a note from Anderson. He quickly told her how to access the messages on the file, what to do with them when she was done, and how to navigate everything. It was apparently some sort of mail system set up by Liara. He didn't know that of course. All he knew was that it came from one of the shadow brokers people.

He did tell her that he couldn't do this often so she had to take what she could get when she could get it. She went to the next message and smiled. It was a short one from Palaven.

"Shepard, not sure if this will make it to you. Talked to Dad. I'll fill you in later. This line isn't as secure as I would like. I have to meet with Palaven High Command in a few hours. It's the first time I've worn my dress uniform since I left the military for C-Sec. It still fits. I feel like i've been stuffed into a dextro food tube. Have I mentioned I hate talking to Palaven High Command? I hope you're well. I miss you, so do what they tell you and be a good little soldier so I don't have to keep missing you. G."

Shepard smiled at the note. She took a moment to imagine him in his dress uniform before pushing the thought away and going to the next few messages. Kasumi was cryptic but stated that she had acquired some artwork for Shepard should she ever finally decide to settle down. Liara had a quick note. Something about a dig site on Mars. There were a few notes here and there from Joker and one from Jack. There was even one from her mother. Finally, toward the end of the messages was one from Garrus again. It was simple, but powerful. At least to her.

"I'm just going to start sending you the things that pop in my head since anything personal could be used against either of us and anything war related could be as well. So, here goes. Have you ever wondered what a Turian/Human baby would look like? Yeah, me neither. G"

She laughed a bit. She knew that side of him. It was the get her to laugh with something that is serious, but that you can easily say was just a joke. A few minutes later, Shepard answered back to everyone, saving her final response for Garrus.

"Hey Big Guy. They have me in a very nice gilded cage. All the food I can want. The freedom to come and go. Meetings. A soft bed. Hot food. And oh yeah, a brick shithouse build guard named Vega. Did I mention he is with me all the time and even lives here? Yeah, this is fun. So a dress uniform? Vids or it didn't happen. A turian human baby. I've wondered on occasion, but then I wake up and go about my day. You too? Please be careful. I need someone to spar with and go to the range with. Liara is too skittish. Besides, I like the looks we get. Shepard. "

She hit send and left the bathroom. Vega was sitting on the sofa watching a game. He said nothing. He just held his hand out. She put the drive in it silently. He pocketed it and looked at the game. "Hey, you like sports?"

"More of a poker player myself." Shepard answered with a smirk.

"Oh really? I think we are gonna get along just fine Commander." Vega smiled and leaned back.