The knock on Arthur's barracks door came at 1400 hours, precise and professional. Scarlet, lounging on Arthur's bed in casual clothes, exchanged glances with Nyx, who sat at the small desk cleaning her sidearm. Lyra, perched on the room's single chair with a datapad, looked up with mild curiosity.
"Expecting someone?" Nyx asked, setting down her cleaning cloth.
"No," Scarlet said, standing and moving to the door. Her hand instinctively went to the pistol she'd placed on the nightstand, then stopped. They were in the Ark proper, not on the surface. She opened the door.
Four Nikkes stood in the corridor. Scarlet recognized Ash immediately—the brown-haired Cerberus operative who'd guided them through Sector Eighteen. The others were new.
The woman at the front commanded attention immediately. Short red hair framed a face that managed to project both authority and uncertainty. Her eyes—mechanical irises marking her as Nikke—held an intensity that reminded Scarlet of veteran commanders, not converted soldiers. She wore standard Cerberus combat fatigues, but something in her posture screamed *leader*.
"Commander Cousland's quarters?" the woman asked, then caught herself. "Sorry. Force of habit. I'm looking for Arthur Cousland."
"He's not here," Scarlet said, studying the group. Behind Ash stood two more Nikkes. One had distinctive brown hair with shaved sides, tattoos across her body, her arms crackling with faint biotic energy even at rest—Zero, based on Ash's descriptions. The other was smaller, with dark hair and an almost supernatural stillness—Kasumi, the infiltrator.
"Shepard," Lyra said from behind Scarlet, recognition in her voice. "You're Jane Shepard."
The red-haired woman's expression shifted, something vulnerable crossing her features. "Just Shepard now. Not Commander. Not anymore." She gestured to herself. "Different circumstances."
"Come in," Nyx said, standing and holstering her sidearm. "Arthur's on leave. Outer Rim business. But we're his squad."
Shepard hesitated, then nodded. "If you don't mind. I wanted to thank him personally."
The four visitors entered, and Scarlet closed the door. Arthur's quarters were modest—regulation size for a commander, which meant cramped with seven Nikkes crowded inside. Shepard's gaze swept the room, taking in the sparse furnishings, the weapons carefully maintained and racked, the few personal items.
"Spartans lived with more luxury," Shepard observed.
"He doesn't spend credits on comfort," Lyra said. "Outer Rim habits."
Ash moved to stand beside Shepard, her posture protective. Zero prowled the perimeter like a caged predator, her biotic energy making the air shimmer slightly. Kasumi simply... appeared near the wall, her presence somehow less noticeable despite being in plain sight.
"You wanted to thank Arthur?" Scarlet asked, crossing her arms. "For what?"
Shepard's laugh was short and brittle. "For leading the mission that recovered my body. For making sure I got back within the conversion window. For..." She paused, struggling with the words. "For making it possible for me to be standing here, even like this."
"You were a commander," Nyx said bluntly. "Human. Now you're Nikke. That's not usually something people thank others for."
"No," Shepard agreed, her expression complex. "It's not. But the alternative was being dead and staying that way. This..." She gestured to herself. "This is a second chance. Strange, backwards, and completely disorienting, but still a chance."
Zero stopped prowling, her brown hair catching the light as she turned to study Scarlet, Lyra, and Nyx with predatory interest. "So you're the Monarks. Ash talked about you. Said you killed a Tyrant-class with your commander. That true?"
"It's true," Scarlet confirmed.
"How?" Zero's biotic energy flared slightly. "Tyrants are supposed to need full tactical teams, air support, heavy ordinance."
"Coordination," Lyra said quietly. "Trust. And a commander who fought with us, not from behind us."
Shepard's attention sharpened. "Arthur Cousland. I read the mission reports—what wasn't classified anyway. Former Outer Rim mercenary, prosthetic augmentation with Nikke-grade components, graduated Commander Academy despite having no traditional qualifications." She looked at each of them in turn. "The reports don't explain how he earned this kind of loyalty. Mass-produced Nikkes aren't supposed to bond this strongly with commanders. Rotation protocols prevent it."
"Rotation protocols are designed to keep us expendable," Nyx said flatly. "Arthur doesn't see us that way."
"What does he see?" Shepard asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"People," Scarlet said simply. "Soldiers. Squad members. Not equipment."
Kasumi spoke for the first time, her voice soft but clear. "That's rare."
"Very rare," Ash confirmed. "I served under multiple commanders before Shepard. Most treated us as assets to be managed. Shepard was different. She saw us as her team."
"And now you're on the other side," Lyra observed, looking at Shepard with something like sympathy. "You were the commander. Now you're the commanded."
Shepard's jaw tightened. "The irony isn't lost on me. I spent years leading Nikkes into combat, making tactical decisions about their deployment, their risk exposure. Now I'm the one waiting for orders, subject to commander authority." She laughed bitterly. "Cerberus assigned me to Commander Rael. Nice enough guy, but he looks at me like I'm a museum piece. Legendary Commander Shepard, now a Nikke curiosity."
"Arthur wouldn't do that," Scarlet said with certainty.
"No?" Zero moved closer to Scarlet, her predatory energy focused. "What *would* he do? Ash says he's got prosthetics that let him fight like Nikke. Says he led the infiltration personally, made the call to extract early when things went bad. But what's he actually like?"
Scarlet met Zero's aggressive curiosity without flinching. "He's honest. Blunt. Doesn't pretend to be something he's not."
"He's careful," Lyra added. "Strategic. But not cautious. He takes risks when they matter."
"He's Outer Rim," Nyx said. "Understands survival. Understands that you don't waste assets, but you also don't sacrifice people for bureaucratic bullshit."
Zero's smile turned sharp. "And he's sleeping with you. All three of you, probably."
The room's temperature seemed to drop. Scarlet's eyes narrowed. Lyra's expression went carefully neutral. Nyx actually grinned.
"Ash warned us about you," Nyx said. "Said you'd probably have Arthur pinned to a bed within five minutes of meeting him."
Ash coughed. "I said you were... enthusiastic. And direct."
"Same thing," Zero said, unrepentant. "So? Am I wrong?"
Scarlet considered lying, then dismissed it. Arthur valued honesty. So did she. "No. You're not wrong."
Shepard's eyebrows rose. "Command allows that?"
"Command doesn't know," Lyra said. "And wouldn't approve if they did. Fraternization policies exist to prevent emotional attachment."
"Because attached commanders make tactical errors," Shepard said, nodding. "I wrote reports on that exact issue. Recommended maintaining professional distance." She paused. "Did it work? For you?"
"We killed a Tyrant," Scarlet said. "We've had zero casualties across multiple high-risk missions. Arthur called early extraction on one mission, when Nyx was damaged. Command reprimanded him. We told him to trust our judgment next time, that we can handle more damage than he thinks."
"So attachment made him *more* protective," Shepard observed. "Not less effective, just... different priorities."
"He's learning," Nyx said. "Balancing care with tactical necessity. It's not easy."
Kasumi moved from the wall, her approach silent until she was suddenly standing before Lyra. "You were fragmented. Memory issues. Ash mentioned it."
Lyra nodded. "Conversion trauma. Common in mass-produced models."
"The Harmony Cube," Kasumi said. "The one Arthur's squad recovered. Do you know if they'll use it to help Nikkes like you?"
"Doubtful," Lyra said bitterly. "Priority goes to custom models, strategic assets. Mass-produced units are too numerous and too expendable to warrant rare resources."
"That's wrong," Shepard said sharply, then looked surprised at her own vehemence. "Sorry. Still adjusting to... everything. But that's wrong. If we have technology to help, it should be distributed based on need, not production designation."
"Spoken like a commander," Scarlet said. "No offense."
"None taken." Shepard smiled tiredly. "Old habits. I spent so long making policy decisions, advocating for my people. Now I'm one of the people who needs advocating."
"Arthur advocates," Nyx said. "Got into official reprimands fighting medical staff to get us proper repairs instead of minimum maintenance. He doesn't just talk about treating us better. He acts."
Zero's biotic energy flared again, excitement crackling through her frame. "I like him already. When's he back?"
"Ten days," Scarlet said. "And you can keep your biotics to yourself."
Zero laughed. "Possessive. Good. Means you actually care, not just following orders."
"We care," Lyra confirmed quietly. "He gave us something we thought we'd lost. Purpose. Recognition. Choice."
Shepard absorbed this, her expression thoughtful. "I came here to thank him for saving my life. Sounds like he's been doing that for a lot of people."
"He has," Scarlet agreed. "And he's making enemies in Central Command because of it. Commander General Hawthorne hates him. Others are watching, waiting for him to fail."
"Then he needs allies," Shepard said decisively. "People who understand what he's trying to do."
"You offering?" Nyx asked.
"Maybe." Shepard glanced at her squad—Ash nodded, Kasumi tilted her head in agreement, Zero grinned. "We're not much. A converted commander trying to figure out her new existence, and three Nikkes who just got their leader back. But we understand loyalty. And we know what it's like to be discarded by the system."
"Arthur could use more squads who think like that," Scarlet admitted. "Things are going to get worse before they get better. Deputy Chief Andersen supports him, but there are others who want him gone."
"Then we'll make sure that doesn't happen," Shepard said. "When he gets back, tell him Shepard wants to meet. Properly. Not as Commander and subordinate, but as... what? Colleagues? Allies?"
"Friends," Lyra suggested.
"Friends," Shepard agreed. "I like that."
Zero stretched, her biotics crackling. "And after the formal meeting, maybe something less formal. If he's as interesting as you three make him sound."
Scarlet sighed. "Ash, you need to control your squad member."
Ash smiled slightly. "Zero doesn't get controlled. She gets aimed. Usually at enemies."
"I'm very versatile," Zero said cheerfully.
Kasumi spoke again, her quiet voice cutting through Zero's energy. "Thank you. For bringing Shepard back. For giving us our commander again."
The gratitude in her voice was profound, genuine. Scarlet felt something shift—understanding, recognition. These weren't just any Nikkes. They were a squad who'd lost their leader and gotten her back, transformed but alive.
"Arthur would say we were just doing the job," Scarlet said. "But we're glad it worked. Glad you have her back."
Shepard moved to the door, her squad following. "Ten days. We'll come back. And Arthur better be ready for questions, because I have about a thousand."
"He'll be ready," Nyx promised. "Fair warning though—he's direct. Sarcastic. And he doesn't care about rank or protocol."
"Good," Shepard said. "I'm tired of protocol." She paused at the door. "One more thing. The rumors about reform, about changing how Central Command treats Nikkes. Is Arthur really part of that?"
"He's leading it," Lyra said. "Whether he knows it or not."
Shepard nodded slowly. "Then he's going to need all the allies he can get. See you in ten days, Monarks."
The door closed behind them. Scarlet, Lyra, and Nyx looked at each other.
"Well," Nyx said. "That was interesting."
"Arthur's going to have his hands full," Lyra observed.
"With Zero?" Scarlet asked. "Probably."
"With all of it," Lyra corrected. "A legendary commander turned Nikke asking questions about his methods. More squads potentially joining whatever movement he's accidentally creating. The political pressure mounting."
Scarlet sat back on the bed. "He can handle it. He's Arthur."
"He's going to need to," Nyx said quietly. "Because things are about to get much more complicated."