The fallout of the slave raid on Mindoir, Aethyta's resultant 'un-retirement', and what amount to the armed invasion and conquest of an independent world by her private army of a mercenary organization was significant, to say the least. Significant enough to change the face of galactic politics and cause an upheaval to Citadel space that hadn't been seen since The Morning War three centuries prior.
The Alliance, furious at the invasion of their planet and the slaughter and enslavement of their citizens, (not to mention the kidnapping of the only child of a family that had, in many ways, become the mascots of Earth and her colonies), had poured from the relays into the Terminus systems. With directions provided by Alliance Intelligence and Matriarch Aethyta, and a Citadel Council that was intent on helping humanity get its rage out of it's system as soon as possible so things could go back to normal, a dozen slaver and pirate strongholds had been attacked and razed, with every pirate killed and every slave -living or dead- rescued for repatriation. Thousands, tens of thousands, of the worst scum that the Terminus had to offer were wiped from the face of the galaxy without pity, remorse, or much in the way of mercy. Indeed, in accordance with rather more archaic and satisfyingly vengeful ideas of how best to handle slavers, more than a few had found themselves suffering summary execution by firing squad before having their bodies spaced.
The Batarians had screamed, of course, about the 'brutal war crimes' committed by the 'blood-crazed invaders', demanding reparations and for the commanding officers of the Alliance fleets involved to be turned over to them for prosecution. When they weren't demanding that, they were screaming about 'the illegal invasion and occupation of a sovereign world by a renegade Asari' and her 'murderous rampage and wholesale slaughter of innocent civilians and militiamen'. Very few people were sympathetic to their plights, either finding it to be delicious, well-deserved and perfectly-delivered karma or, at best -from the batarian perspective- an understandable over-reaction from passionate people who had suffered loss. They had also, quite foolishly, tried to launch their own attack against Anhur in order to 'restore order' and 'defend the populace from the unchecked aggression of mercenaries and rebels'. Unfortunately for them, they had severely underestimated just how devoted the Eclipse were to their founder, and just how determined the people of Anhur were to keep their newly-won independence. It had been a brutal fight, but it had been a brief one, with the overwhelming majority of the casualties being batarian. Humiliated in every front, having suffered significant casualties and financial losses, and receiving no support whatsoever, they had bitterly and wrathfully announced their withdrawal from the Citadel and closed their embassy. A feat that was greeted with amusement, mockery, and much rejoicing on the part of the galactic community.
The Eclipse had found themselves invited, without hesitation or reservation, to make Anhur their 'homeworld'. Their corporate headquarters, their main fleet anchorage, and their most successful recruiting office. An offer that they had been more than happy to accept, especially when their beloved Founder had been so supportive of the idea. Of course, Jona Sederis had been less than thrilled to have a good eighty percent of her organization abandon her at the call of a single woman, and had promptly split off her 'True Eclipse' into their own organization. The irony of the name was not lost on anyone, and there was much snide commentary from the galactic community.
The Asari, as a whole, were rather divided on the whole issue. Well, that wasn't quite true. Asari were the most popular targets of slavers, after all, so there was a very distinct sense of satisfaction at such widespread comeuppance. Especially for the younger Asari, those most vulnerable and most likely to be taken. Indeed, the younger generations were quite celebratory about the entire affair, and the number of maidens applying to join Eclipse skyrocketed. As, for that matter, did the number of maidens looking for visas to visit Alliance space. The Matriarchy, however, were quietly furious. One of their own, even if she was an ostracized outsider by any measure at this point, had kicked off a small war for the sake of the loud, aggressive child-race of humanity. Decades, centuries, of carefully cultivating the ebb and flow of Citadel space diplomacy, disrupted for personal attachments. Even worse, from their perspective, was the fact that the deeply respected Benezia -whose immense popularity and political power had been balanced only by the fact that she rarely involved herself in most affairs of the Republics- was staunchly on the side of the troublemakers in this instance. And given how closely, even intimately, involved in the situation she was, the likelihood of that fact changing was quite literally non-existent.
The Turians were thrilled. As far as they were concerned, another race wiping out pirates and slavers wholesale, with ruthless professionalism at that, couldn't be anything but a net positive. Even those of them concerned with the possibility of a genuine war breaking out, either with the Hegemony or the Terminus systems, or perhaps both, believed that now might finally be the time to break the most problematic elements of the galaxy once and for all. That now might be the time to restore proper order to the Milky Way, and to do it without being the aggressors at that. Perhaps ironically, the Shadow Broker's falsehoods about helping humanity and the Hierarchy put the past behind themselves seem to be beginning, as Turian squadrons begin to 'happen across' anti-pirate operations and lend their aid with increasing frequency.
The Salarians…well, it was hard to tell, really. They weren't the most talkative of races to begin with, at least when it came to things like this, and reticence was their favorite word when it came to armed conflict. Of course, sometimes a very deliberate silence can be a very, very loud and speaking thing indeed, and this circumstance seemed to be one such time. That was certainly how the public seemed to be taking it, and if the Alliance had questions about serendipitous intelligence that happened across their agents leading to desirable targets, they quite deliberately kept them to themselves.
As for the Council itself, well…
"Absolutely not!" Sparatus growled, jabbing a taloned finger at Valern, who was looking very much like he would be pouting if his species was capable of it. Beside the Turian, Tevos nodded in equally emphatic, if more polite, agreement. "You do not get to retire and leave cleaning up this shit-show to me, Tevos, and whoever replaces you!"
"I'm not a young man anymore, Sparatus. I want to go home, spend time with my grandchildren…" the Salarian Councilor intoned morosely, only to be cut of by twin snorts from his colleagues.
"You're barely twenty, Valern! You can serve for another decade at least before 'old age' becomes any sort of consideration for you!" Sparatus retorted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, before subsiding slightly. "Not that I don't understand wanting to have this be someone else's problem, because I assure you that I do. But it's our problem right now, and you're going to help us figure out the best way to handle it. When the galaxy isn't on fire, we can revist your sudden onrush of decrepitude."
Valern's wide, reflective eyes narrowed slightly, the faintest hint of irritation flickering across his typically inscrutable expression. "The galaxy has been 'on fire' for centuries, Sparatus," he said evenly. "That excuse has carried us through uncountable crises. Yet I notice no appreciable decrease in the flames."
Tevos raised a calming hand before Sparatus could launch into yet another tirade—her diplomatic training an automatic reflex at this point. "Enough," she said coolly. "If we allow ourselves to bicker like this, we only reinforce the appearance of dysfunction that so many already accuse us of. The important issue remains Mindoir and its aftermath. We must determine what steps are necessary to stabilize the situation—for the Citadel and the galaxy as a whole."
Sparatus blew out a sharp breath and tapped impatient talons against the edge of his desk. His mandibles twitched as though he wanted nothing more than to continue arguing, but after a moment he relented with a nod. Satisfied, Tevos continued, leaning forward slightly and resting her hands on the smooth surface of the conference table.
"That being said, we must tread carefully here. Humanity is ascendant in both public opinion and military power, and Aethyta's actions have placed our Republics under uncomfortable scrutiny. If we're not decisive and measured, this could spiral into a full-blown galactic crisis."
The Turian snorted but didn't argue, something that she was quietly grateful for. She would rather finish saying her piece and start moving towards a solution than get caught in the kelp.
"Humanity's retaliation was… predictably brutal. And while I'm sure many here would privately agree that it was justified—" she shot an arched brow at Sparatus and Valern "—it was also reckless. Unchecked. If we do not find a way to re-establish some modicum of control, this chaos will set dangerous precedents."
"Precedents?" Sparatus interrupted, his mandibles flaring slightly. "Humans are already stomping through the Terminus Systems with one hand on their warships and the other in their pockets for intelligence favors, with the biggest and most organized mercenary army in the galaxy eagerly assisting them. I think the time for 'establishing control' is past us. It's time for us to pull humanity closer into our orbit, make them more intimately involved in the Citadel. At least that way they might exercise some modicum of restraint for the sake of politeness, if nothing else."
Valern steepled his fingers, his expression unreadable. "An interesting proposition," he mused. "Although the question remains—how? Humanity's recent actions indicate a growing disregard for established diplomatic channels. Their aggression, while effective in eliminating slaver strongholds, undermines traditional Council authority."
Sparatus scoffed. "Traditional Council authority has never extended far into the Terminus Systems, Valern. If anything, humanity's actions have highlighted a long-standing failure of Citadel policy. We have let the Hegemony fester for too long, and now they are paying the price." He leaned forward, his voice lowering. "You can feel it, can't you? The tides shifting? This is something more than simple retaliation—it's a turning point."
Tevos exhaled softly and glanced at the display hovering above the table—a tactical map of recent Alliance, Citadel, Eclipse, and Batarian movements in Terminus space. "I agree that we cannot afford to alienate humanity further, but we also can't let them kick off a widespread war. We need to offer them concessions," she regally ignored Sparatus cough, which sounded remarkably like the word 'bribes'. "and use that to, as Sparatus said, draw them deeper into the fold. For all their willingness to use overwhelming force when they deem it necessary, they aren't unreasonable. We learned that after 314. Given the right soothing and incentives, I'm positive that they will back down."
"Such as what? A seat on the Council?" Sparatus scoffed, and she shook her head sharply.
"No, not remotely. It's far too soon, and they're still too separate from us for that to be wise diplomatically. Valern, any ideas?"
"Turians have been developing jump-jet and aerial drop technology of their own. Recommend they offer to make it a joint project with the Alliance, in honor of the Shepard patriarch and his comrades. Likewise, Alliance attempting to establish safe training environment and regimen for human biotics, including Cassandra Shepard. Asari the best biotics in the galaxy. Recommend that assistance establishing location and training staff be offered by the Republics." he responded promptly, inhaling sharply to silently contemplate what his own people could offer for a long moment, before giving up somewhat grumpily. "Not sure what salarians can offer to this effort. Assistance in establishing intelligence networks would likely be rejected as a major security concern for both sides."
Sparatus tapped his talons against the table, his mandibles twitching in thought as Valern's comments hung in the air. "The Alliance wouldn't reject a gesture of cooperation outright," he muttered, though his tone carried skepticism. "But intelligence-sharing is… delicate. They're paranoid enough as it is, especially after the slaver raids and what happened to Mindoir. If they perceive even a hint of subterfuge—"
"They'll retaliate," Tevos finished smoothly, her voice firm. "And we cannot afford that right now. No, Valern is correct—intelligence-sharing is far too volatile to suggest openly. But the training programs… that is promising. A joint effort to refine biotic techniques could serve multiple purposes: placating humanity, securing their trust, and perhaps most importantly, keeping them closer to us rather than letting them drift further into isolationist militarism."
"Flattering them with mentorship, eh?" Sparatus grunted in reluctant agreement, eyes somewhat distant as he thought. "Perhaps some joint training between the fleets, as well. Nothing builds comradery amongst the soldiery like wargaming. The bets, the boasts, the successes and failures as a team, the mutual griping about one's superior officers…it's the same across all species, and it tends to help people bond. If our soldiers bond with one another, they and their families will be swayed more towards deepening diplomatic ties."
"It will also show that we take them seriously, while aligning with humanity's current needs and ambitions. Practical gestures that have function and value, rather than empty words, will likely resonate quite nicely at the moment. However, we must be cautious. If this looks too concerted or calculated, they might see it as posturing—or worse, manipulation." Tevos agreed, running a hand over her crest as she thoughtfully nibbled on her bottom lip.
Sparatus leaned back in his chair, folding his arms and waving one set of talons in a somewhat dismissive gesture. "We don't need to manipulate them. Humanity wants acknowledgment—validation of their place in galactic society. They don't want pity; they want respect." He gestured toward the glowing map. "We'll give them that respect—honestly and publicly. They've certainly earned plenty of it. But we also make sure they understand that respect comes with responsibility and an expectation of community and restraint. That they are part of a larger world now, and are expected to behave like it."
Tevos nodded, her expression carefully neutral, though the faintest shimmer of relief flickered in her eyes. Sparatus's pragmatism, however gruff, was what she had been hoping to coax out of him. "Then we are agreed on this course," she said, drawing the conversation back to center. "Structured cooperation—alliances forged through shared goals rather than forced dependence. It will speak to their pride while also serving the Citadel's greater interests."
Valern tilted his head slightly, his large black eyes narrowing as if he were weighing the Councilor's statement against a thousand unseen possibilities. "And what of Aethyta and her Eclipse? Their actions on Anhur have resulted in many whispers across Terminus and Hegemony space about imitation. Not to mention their de facto conquest of an independent world, no matter what the locals had to say about it once the dust settled."
Tevos hesitated before speaking, knowing the precarious tightrope this particular issue required them to walk. "Aethyta presents an unusual challenge," she admitted, tapping her fingers lightly against the table. "She is a rogue element—an Asari Matriarch no longer bound by the Republics' traditions or oversight, commanding a private army with no loyalty to anyone beyond themselves and their leader."
"A mercenary queen, one that isn't satisfied with sitting in a nightclub on an old, hollowed-out asteroid." Sparatus muttered, his mandibles twitching in distaste, ignoring the look Tevos shot him at his brief allusion to Aria T'loak. "And worse, one with enough influence to pull what amounts to the entirety of Eclipse away from Sederis without anything more than a handful of words. That sort of pull, that sort of devotion, is dangerous."
"Dangerous, but not uncontrollable." Valern interjected, his voice quick and clipped. "Aethyta values stability. Values family. Her entire reason for getting involved was due to personal connections. Familial ties often produce irrational decisions, but also predictable ones. Expect she will leave Eclipse to their own devices under her nominal leadership and return to her wife and child and the Shepards. Unless she is crossed again, I don't believe she will stay active for long. Certainly not until the children have left the nest."
His fellows considered that logic for a long moment, before nodding together with distinct airs of relief and satisfaction, murmuring their agreement, and the subject of the matriarch was put aside as they focused on more immediate and sensitive issues, such as hammering out the details of their upcoming offers to mankind.
After all, Valern was right. Aethyta had been content to keep an eye on the Shepards, her bondmate, and her daughter for years now. Even her recent actions were really only an extension of that. With the threat gone and the crisis passed, she was sure to settle back into her previous relaxed lifestyle. After all, it wasn't as if there was some greater matter afoot. A simple pirate raid gone badly wrong, that was all, an issue that had been quickly handled. Nothing more or less than that.
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The sound of gasping and the struggle of someone desperately trying to draw breath filled the private quarters for Silence's beloved captain, buried deep in the heart of the ship as it floated -surrounded by a small fleet of escorts- in the middle of a no-name system to the galactic south of Anhur.
Aethyta's fingers tightened around Tela Vasir's throat, her grip like iron as she lifted the SPECTRE off her feet. The asari matriarch's face was a mask of cold fury, her eyes burning with a rage that belied her outwardly calm demeanor.
"You know," Aethyta said conversationally, as if discussing the weather rather than slowly choking the life out of a trusted and respected Council agent. "I've lived a long time. Seen a lot of shit. But this? This takes the fucking cake."
Tela clawed desperately at Aethyta's arm, her legs kicking uselessly in the air. The SPECTRE's eyes bulged, panic evident in her features as she struggled for breath, making pleading sounds with what little air she could spare.
Aethyta continued, her voice steady and almost contemplative. "A SPECTRE. One of the Council's best and brightest, a girl I've watched go from wet-behind-the-ears rookie to breaker of slave rings and terrorist cells, stalwart beacon of duty…is the one that stole my baby girl's best friend from her murdered grandparents and intended to sell her off. Someone I love as dearly as if she was my own daughter. For what? Money? Influence? Connections? Bigotry? Why don't you give me one…good…reason, just one, not to kill you right here?"
Tela Vasir's vision blurred, her body instinctively fighting against the suffocating grip that held her suspended. Her biotics flared weakly, shimmering blue light flickering over her body, but the energy sputtered out almost immediately—Aethyta had always been stronger. Always more experienced. Tela's fingers scraped against the matriarch's unyielding arm, her gritted teeth framing words that barely escaped as hoarse whispers.
"Listen… to me…" she gasped, her voice fractured and raw. "It wasn't… like that…"
Aethyta's eyes narrowed, the orange hue of her irises seeming to glow faintly with fury. She tilted her head slightly, as though deciding whether to crush Tela's throat completely or let her speak. For a tense moment, silence reigned save for Tela's labored attempts to draw air into her lungs. Then, with a snarl of disgust, Aethyta released her.
Tela crumpled to the floor, gasping and coughing as she desperately sucked in air. Her hand went to her throat, rubbing the bruised flesh as she looked up at Aethyta with a mixture of fear and defiance.
"You have thirty seconds," Aethyta growled, her voice low and dangerous. "Make them count."
Tela struggled to her feet, swaying slightly as she faced the matriarch. "I didn't... I wasn't going to sell her, not the way you think." she rasped, her voice hoarse. "It was a cover. Deep cover operation. The Shadow Broker—"
"The Shadow Broker?" Aethyta's eyes flashed dangerously as biotics flickered across her skin. "You expect me to believe that pile of varren shit?"
"It's true," Tela insisted, her voice growing stronger as she massaged her throat. "I've been working with him for decades. I help him on occasion, and he gives me intel, good intel, as payment. Intel that I would never be able to get otherwise. The last three assassination attempts on a Councilor that got stopped? I got the intel from him."
Aethyta's eyes narrowed, her posture tense as she considered Tela's words. "So you're telling me you've been in bed with the Shadow Broker all this time? That doesn't exactly improve your position here, kid. No matter what the intel is used for."
Tela straightened, her voice steadier now. "It's not like that. I use his resources, yes, but I'm not his puppet. This operation... it was meant to deal with the lingering tensions between The Alliance and the Hierarchy. End the cold war, help the Alliance loosen up and integrate with the Citadel. Batarian pirates steal the kid, turian veterans of the 314 Incident rescue her and get her back to her family. In return, I get a handful of blank cheques to his intel. Problem is, he lied to me. If it wasn't for the kid doing…whatever it is she does, we'd probably both be dead."
Aethyta's eyes swung over to where the fire-haired human was standing, to the side and looking anxious. A single arch of her eye-ridge had the kid nodding in agreement.
"It's true. They had a whole speech and everything, to keep Tela from figuring it out, but I realized that they wanted revenge on my mom for Shanxi and called them out on it." she confirmed, looking at the younger asari and smiling slightly. "She believed me right away, started shooting a few seconds later. That's why the Broker put out the bounty on us, because Tela refused to play along once she realized what he really planned."
Aethyta's eyes narrowed as she processed this new information. Her posture remained tense, but some of the murderous rage seemed to drain from her expression. She turned her gaze back to Tela, studying the SPECTRE with a mix of suspicion and grudging consideration.
"So you're telling me you got played," Aethyta said flatly. "That the great Tela Vasir, Council SPECTRE and galaxy-class operative, got duped by the Shadow Broker into nearly handing over an innocent kid for revenge?"
Tela winced, but nodded. "I... yes. I was overconfident. Thought I knew what game was being played." She met Aethyta's gaze, a flicker of shame crossing her features. "I was wrong. And I nearly paid for that mistake with my life - and worse, with hers."
"You know that doesn't change much, right? You willingly participated in a plot to kidnap a child, all for some intel." She shook her head, disgust evident in her features. "Even if what you say is true, that doesn't absolve you of guilt, Vasir. You still made the choice to go along with this scheme."
Tela frowned slightly, a flicker of defiance returning to her eyes despite the bruises forming on her throat. "I made a judgment call. One that I believed would ultimately benefit galactic stability. Was it risky? Absolutely. But sometimes, as a Spectre, we have to make difficult decisions for the greater good. That's why we exist, to save the galaxy from itself when no one else is willing or able to do what needs to be done."
"And it never occurred to you that the Broker would betray you?" Aethyta's skepticism -and slightly mockery- was palpable.
"Not like this! What could he possibly gain from stabbing me in the back for a sake of a bunch of disgraced Turian grunts?! It doesn't make any sense, it doesn't have any tangible benefit! His arguments, his lies, when he convinced me to do it? Those made sense! This doesn't!" Tela shot back, throwing her hands in the air and wincing again, this time from the feeling of being loud with a damage throat. "He must have some bigger game, something more lucrative or important than Haliat and his group, but I can't imagine what it was!"
Aethyta's eyes narrowed as she considered Tela's words. The younger asari's frustration and confusion seemed genuine, but that didn't necessarily mean she was telling the whole truth. And, quite frankly, it didn't really matter all that much one way or the other how genuine she was or wasn't being. At least not on the purely non-emotional level.
"Maybe the Broker's playing a longer game than you realize," Aethyta mused, her tone still cold but no longer murderous. "Or maybe you're not as valuable to him as you thought. Either way, you've put yourself in one hell of a mess, kid."
Tela's shoulders slumped slightly, the fight seeming to drain out of her. "I know. Goddess, I know. I've been replaying it all in my head since we escaped, trying to figure out where I went wrong, what I missed..."
"You missed the part where kidnapping kids is wrong, period," Aethyta snapped, growling softly at the girl. "No matter what greater good you think you're serving." Then she sighed and subsided, running a hand over her crest. "But you're right. It doesn't make sense. The Broker doesn't make moves without good reason, and risking a valuable asset like you for some petty revenge plot? That's not his style."
Tela nodded eagerly, relief evident in her posture. "Exactly! I mean, when the kid didn't show back up, I would have started asking questions and poking around, and any story he fed me would have had to be flawless for me to buy it for long. There has to be more to this, something we're not seeing."
Aethyta paced the room, her brow furrowed in thought. "The question is, what? What could be worth potentially burning a Spectre, one that has worked with him for decades and knows as much about his system and networks as you apparently do, and risk incurring the wrath of both the Alliance and the Council? Not to mention kicking off a war?"
Tela frowned, her analytical mind racing despite her exhaustion. "It has to be something big. Something that would make all of this chaos worthwhile to him." She paused, a sudden realization dawning. "Or... what if that's exactly the point? Creating chaos?"
Aethyta's eyes narrowed. "Explain."
"Think about it," Tela continued, her voice gaining strength as she worked through the logic. "The Broker thrives on information. On secrets. What better way to generate a wealth of new intelligence, not to mention credits, than by destabilizing the entire galactic political landscape?"
Aethyta nodded slowly, her expression darkening rapidly. "A galaxy in turmoil means more clandestine meetings, more backroom deals, more secret designs and technology..."
"More desperate and greedy people willing to buy and sell information, including governments." Tela finished, grimly sure that they were on the right track. "People would pay a lot of money to know where enemy fleets and armies are moving or what units they have attached. What planets have lighter garrisons than others, or where new weapons are being developed."
"…well, my desire to kill him has gone from simple vengeance to fucking patriotic charity." Aethyta ground out, folding her arms beneath her breasts, looking rather like she had bitten into something particularly sour. "I don't suppose you know how to find him?"
"No, not even I have that kind of information, though you had better believe I tried. The closest I got was an order for a pretty unique type of ship. Big, not very mobile, covered in giant lightning rods and capacitors. It was passed off as an exploration and mining vessel, but it's never popped up anywhere as far as I know." Tela shook her head in annoyance, and Aethyta frowned faintly.
"Sounds like it was built for a specific environment, but…" she started, but she was cut off by a sudden feeling. A tremor in the air, a static crawling over her skin, and she instinctively looked over at Cassandra, somehow sensing that the kid was the source of the feeling. Absently noting that Tela was doing the same, which meant this feeling wasn't unique to herself, she saw that Cassandra's eyes had changed. They were distant now, seeing without seeing, and she heard Tela curse softly in what almost sounded like recognition. "Kid…?"
"Hagalaz. The Shadow Broker is on Hagalaz, his ship hides in the storms between day and night." she murmured, tilting her head just like she had all those years ago in the Shepard's living room, and both asari swallowed heavily as she continued in a disturbingly matter-of-fact tone. "He won't let this go. Orders are being prepared to assassinate Tela Vasir, Matriarch Aethyta, Matriarch Benezia, Hannah Shepard, Liara T'soni…" she trailed off and blinked, suddenly and quite visibly coming back to herself and frowning, putting a hand to her stomach. "Do you think we could get something to eat? I'm starving…"
"…yeah, kid, no problem. Little Wing would never let me hear the end of it if I dropped you off with her and Benny without feeding you first." Aethyta shot Vasir a look that very clearly told the younger asari to keep her mouth shut about whatever it was that had just happened, though from the look on the SPECTRE's face, she wasn't going to say anything about it anytime soon. "I think the canteen has some of your favorite asari dishes, actually. You know how I like to keep my girls well fed."
Off they went, Cassandra excitedly chattering away about seeing Liara again, the two aliens listening and commenting when seemed most appropriate, but their minds were elsewhere. On the strangeness that was Cassandra Shepard, on the way that she just knew things, on the way that she didn't seem to remember knowing or telling, on the way she seemed to oscillate between being a teenager and being something more. On the fact that they now had a target to strike, one that didn't know they knew his location, and the fact that they had a rapidly-shortening, if unknown, amount of time to deal with him before things went terribly, terrible wrong.
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Legends would not be told of the not-very-epic battle between Aethyta, Tela Vasir, and Urdnot Wrex against the creature known as the Shadow Broker. As disappointing as that information might be, if it were ever discovered at some point in the far-off future, it was true. As it turned out, when three very powerful, very old, very experienced biotic warriors achieve total surprise against their enemies, things tend to go rather smoothly and rather painlessly for them. When one of them is a SPECTRE desperately trying to make up for her sins and another is a very, very angry wife and mother, it tends to go rather quickly as well. Adding in a living tank who thinks that the crazy, chaos-causing little human he's recently met is the greatest thing since shotguns were invented, and you have a recipe for an absurdly short, not particularly difficult 'exchange of hats'.
Which is to say, the three of them stormed the Shadow Broker's hidden base, slaughtered his guards, and turned the hulking yahg inside out in a matter of an hour or so, with the end result being Matriarch Aethyta crowning herself as the new Shadow Broker and remaining not only un-retired, but arguably even less retired than she had been when she was still privateering to begin with.
The beauty of familial bonds, it seems, and the loyalty amongst family being a currency to change the face of the galaxy…and it's fate.