Ok, now, onto Chapter 3, where John's team finds Harkin, Jane's team runs into Wrex, and Eve and Nihlus run into a threat to the Citadel.
Chapter 3: Tracking
John, Kaidan, and Ashley entered the club Chora's Den, and, after some searching, found the man they were looking for. "Alliance Military," Harkin said, "Hmph. I coulda been a marine you know. Instead I joined the goddamned Citadel Security. Biggest mistake of my life."
"Harkin, right?" John asked, "I was told you could help me find someone. A Turian C-Sec officer named Garrus."
Harkin laughed. "Garrus? Ha! You must be one of Captain Anderson's crew. Poor bastard's still trying to bring Saren down, eh? I know where Garrus is. But you gotta tell me something first. Did the captain let you in on his big secret?"
John was confused. "Is there something I should know about the captain?"
"The captain used to be a Spectre. Didn't know that, did you? It was all very hush-hush. The first Human ever given that honor. And then he blew it," Harkin explained, "Screwed up his mission so bad they kicked him out. Of course, he blames Saren. Says the Turian set him up."
John asked, "Why'd they kick him out?"
"Have to ask him," Harkin replied, "I never heard any of the details. Bet it's a good story, though. The hero's fall. Classic tragedy. Ha!"
"Just tell me where Garrus went," John said, now irritated.
"Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michel's office. She runs the med clinic on the other side of the wards. Last I heard, he was going back there," Harkin answered.
"I'm out of here," John said.
"Yeah. Good. Go. Let me drink in peace."
Once the team left the club, they went over what they heard. "So, Garrus is at Dr. Michel's office," John repeated, "I guess that's our next stop."
"It looks like it, let's hope this was worth it...but still...the captain, a Spectre, who would have thought?" Kaidan mulled.
"You think that's actually true?" Ashley said, "If that was the case, why does Udina keep saying they need "a Human Spectre", not that they need "a new Human Spectre"?"
"He did say it was secret. Could be that it was never made public," John said, "We'll discuss this with him later; right now, we got a Turian to find.
John, Kaidan, and Ashley arrived at the clinic, although something didn't feel right. They heard voices behind the door, that got more noticeable when they entered the clinic. "I didn't tell anyone. I swear!" It was Dr. Michel, and she was definitely frightened.
"That was smart, Doc," a thug said. Then, John saw something out of the corner of his eye, he looked...and saw Garrus, sneaking around the counter, hidden from the thugs' view. Then, the thug continued, "Now, if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we'll-" John had stepped forward, unable to take the thug's crap. The thug immediately grabbed the doctor and pointed a gun at John. "Who are you?!"
"Let her go!" John demanded. Then, Garrus acted: he left from cover, and immediately shot the thug in the head, killing him instantly, and giving Dr. Michel a chance to escape. The thugs immediately began firing at both Garrus and John, although the firefight was quick: an Alliance Commander, 2 Alliance Marines, and a trained C-Sec Officer vs a few thugs...the thugs didn't stand a chance.
After the fight, Garrus approached John. "Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard."
John, however, wasn't impressed. "What were you thinking? You could've hit the hostage."
"There wasn't time to think! I just reacted. I didn't mean to-Dr. Michel? Are you hurt?"
"No. I'm okay. Thanks to you. All of you."
John then said to her, "I know those men threatened you. But if you can tell us who they work for, we can protect you."
"They work for Fist. They wanted to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the Quarian."
John was now confused. "What Quarian?"
Dr. Michel nervously then said, "A few days ago, a Quarian came by my office. She'd been shot, but she wouldn't tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run. she asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to hide."
"Where is she now?" John asked.
"I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker."
"Not anymore," Garrus said, "Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it."
Dr. Michel was shocked. "Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid, even for him. Saren must have made him quite the offer."
"That Quarian must have something Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get," Garrus analyzed.
John was the first to say it. "She must have something that proves he's a traitor. Did the Quarian mention anything about Saren? Or the Geth?"
"She did! The information she was going to trade. She said it had something to do with the Geth," Dr. Michel replied.
Garrus realized, "She must be able to link Saren to the Geth. There's no way the Council can ignore this!"
John declared, "Time we paid Fist a visit."
"This is your show, Shepard," Garrus told John, "But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I'm coming with you!"
John was confused. "You're a Turian. Why do you want to bring him down?"
"As I told that unusual golden-eyed girl that went with you to the Council hearing, I couldn't find the proof I needed in my investigation. But I knew what was really going on. Saren's a traitor to the Council, and a disgrace to my people!"
John smirked. "Welcome aboard, Garrus."
"You know, we aren't the only ones going after Fist. The Shadow Broker hired a Krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take him out."?
"A Krogan might come in handy," John said.
"Last I heard, he was at the C-Sec Academy," Garrus stated.
Kaidan asked, "What's he doing there?"
Garrus answered, "Fist accused him of making threats. We brought Wrex in for a little talk. If you hurry, you might catch him at the academy before he leaves."
"Move out," John ordered.
Jane, Aisha, and Elsword continued walking through the Citadel. Aisha and Elsword were still worried about Eve: although they were glad Eve was allowed to live, they didn't like the fact she was forced to be watched 24/7 by a Spectre. They merely hoped that Nihlus could prevent anyone from forcing Eve to do anything out of hand. She seemed emotionless, but they knew better: she had emotions, and when pressured, they can come out...sometimes violently.
The group finally approached C-Sec academy, which Jane admitted to wanting to see before returning to the ship. As they neared it, however, they saw John, with Kaidan, Ashley, and the Turian cop they'd seen before the hearing, going to it.
"What's going on?" Jane asked. Before anyone could do anything, Elsword rushed ahead, to follow.
"Elsword! Gah!" Aisha, initially irritated, eventually moved to follow the red-haired swordsman, with Jane following behind. Once they reached the academy, they piled up behind a wall, carefully balancing, and they began to listen.
The first person to speak was a human C-Sec officer. "Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist's bar. Stay away from him."
"I don't take orders from you," came the response.
"Holy shit, it's a Krogan!" Jane quietly said.
"What's a Krogan?" Aisha asked.
"BIG big aliens," Jane responded, "Known for their durability: they have secondaries for ALL their major organs, even some tertiaries: stab one in the heart, it's still got 2 pumping. And don't get me STARTED with their nervous system."
"So...traditional methods of taking something out don't work on them..." Elsword said, pondering something.
They turned their attention back to the conversation, between the Krogan and the officer. "This is your only warning, Wrex."
Wrex then said, "You should warn Fist. I will kill him."
"You want me to arrest you?" the officer asked.
"I want you to try," Wrex said.
"Wow...is this Wrex guy LOOKING for a fight?!" Aisha asked, shocked.
"That's Krogan for you," Jane responded, nonchalantly, "But still...Wrex...that name sounds familiar..."
Suddenly, John approached, prompting the Krogan to depart. "Go on. Get out of here," the officer said.
Then, Wrex approached John. "Do I know you, human?" he asked.
John answered, "My name's John Shepard. I'm going after Fist. Thought you might want to come along."
Jane's eyes widened. "What the hell is he thinking?!" She asked.
"Maybe it's got something to do with Garrus? He's right there," Elsword replied, indicating the Turian C-Sec officer with John.
"John Shepard? Commander John Shepard? I've heard a lot about you. We're both warriors, Shepard. Out of respect, I'll give you fair warning. I'm going to kill Fist."
Garrus then piped in. "Fist knows you're coming. We'll have a better chance if we work together."
Wrex thought for a moment, before declaring, "My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend."
"Wow..." Aisha whispered, "That was...oddly insightful of him...I have the feeling this "Wrex" is more than mere muscle."
Jane wracked her brain, before saying quietly, "That's it!"
"What's it?" Elsword asked.
"I recognize where I heard the name "Wrex" before: Urdnot Wrex is the name of a Krogan Battlemaster. Battlemasters are powerful Krogan Warriors capable of using Biotics. And Wrex is one of the more famous ones! He's, while not peaceful or mellow by any means, is more intellectual and cunning than most of his brethren."
The group watched as John shook hands with the Krogan. "Glad to have you on the team, Wrex."
"Let's go. I hate to keep Fist waiting," Wrex said.
Suddenly, Elsword, who was supporting Aisha in the pile, suddenly began to lose balance. He soon toppled over into the hallway, both him and Aisha slamming into the ground...drawing the attention of John's team. "Elsword! Aisha! What're you doing here, I thought you were with-Jane?!"
As Elsword and Aisha got up, Jane nervously came out from the hiding place. "Uhhh...hi, John..." she said nervously.
"I thought you were saying you were going back to the ship..." John said.
"We were...but then I wanted to see the C-Sec Academy, and Elsword and Aisha were also curious, so we came, but then we saw you coming, and then you talking to this Krogan-er, Wrex, I mean, and we wanted to know what was going on so...Why are you going after Fist?"
"A Quarian was sent his way, with evidence regarding Saren's betrayal," John explained.
Wrex then said, "Needless to say, if Fist got that information, then it's NOT going to the Shadow Broker, like I think that Quarian intended."
"Then we have to help!" Jane said, "Where is she?"
"Chora's Den," John said, "Well...let's get going..." The then turned to Elsword and Aisha, "But we should take you 2 back to the ship, this could get dangerous."
Aisha just glared at him, and Elsword said, "Hey, we took on rogue Nasod, monsters, Demons, and, not long after coming here, Geth, so, I think we can take care of ourselves..."
"You were almost killed by Geth Troopers, just after getting here," Ashley deadpanned.
"We just got up, after getting sucked off our own world by some Prothean Device, and to a world connected to a world we never knew of. You wouldn't be at the top of your game either," Elsword countered, "And, remember how we did after we got our heads in the game?"
"He DID take down a Geth Destroyer single-handedly, Commander," Kaidan reminded John.
Wrex's eyes went wide. "Wow...now I will admit: THAT is impressive. A Krogan could do it...but not a human, especially one as small as you, heheh..."
"Let's...just...get going...alright?" Jane said.
As the group departed, Wrex said to John, "Say, the way you were talking to Jane, is she..."
"She's my younger sister," John clarified.
"Oh...still, why didn't you tell her to go back to the ship, being the nervous wreck she seemed like?" Wrex asked.
John knew it was an exaggeration: his sister wasn't a "wreck", but she was certainly nervous. "She's an N7, like myself, Alliance Special Forces. She wouldn't have made it to N7 if she couldn't handle herself...she's just not much of a people person: she's a great infiltrator, though..."
"I see..." Wrex pondered.
Nihlus and Eve entered the Flux, a nightclub where Nihlus had a contact, in the form of the Doran, the Volus bartender and owner. "Just take a look around, Eve, I need to discuss something with Doran," Nihlus said. Eve then wandered around the club. A sound sounded from her side. Her glare landed on a human who was looking right at her, with an expression that didn't give the Nasod a favorable impression of the person.
She ignored him and continued exploring. Soon, she came across some machines. According to the "Codex" Nihlus had given her, they were to a game called "Quasar", a gambling game. She rolled her eyes: she didn't have a favorable view on gambling games.
Suddenly, she detected something, something unusual...
In the corner of the room was one of the "Keeper" creatures she'd observed. Near it was a Quasar Machine, emitting an unknown signal. She scanned the machine with her wireless connection, in order to not arouse the suspicion of the guards. She was still analyzing it when someone came behind her. "Is there something wrong, Eve?" It was Nihlus.
"There is: this machine gave off an unknown signal, so I decided to investigate." She turned fully, to face Nihlus's face. "There's something siphoning off funds from this machine to an unknown source on the station. I detected a pathway through which the credits are being pulled...I believe I can follow it."
"Maybe this should be reported to C-Sec," Nihlus suggested.
Eve shook her head. "No, there's something going on here, something serious. I can feel it, like humans say, "A feeling in the gut"."
Nihlus recognized the phrase, its meaning, and knew something was wrong here. "Are you certain you can track the Credit Trail?"
"I am positive, I merely need to maintain a connection to the Citadel systems. If we can move, we may be able to catch the perpetrator before they can detect my involvement and escape."
"Alright, you got me out of trouble before, so I'll go along with it for now...I merely hope you know what you're doing," Nihlus said.
Eve nodded, and the 2 left the club.
The assault team, fully-armored and consisting of the Shepard siblings, Kaidan Alenko, Ashley Williams, Garrus Vakarian, Urdnot Wrex, Elsword, and Aisha, soon arrived at Chora's Den. As soon as they arrived, a group of thugs went to meet them...although, before they could, the 8-person assault team swept in, cutting down the thugs, although the Bouncer, a Krogan, charged forward. Suddenly, Elsword, sword drawn, charged out as well. However, the kid then emitted an aura of energy...which yanked the Krogan off the floor and towards Elsword. Then, Elsword began slashing with this sword repeatedly, with the Krogan Bouncer unable to react. When all was said and done, the Krogan still lived...barely...barely as in all it took was one hit by Wrex's shotgun to finish it off.
"Damn, kid! You weren't kidding when you said you were good at this!" More thugs came from the back room...but were met by lightning fired by Aisha. The massive bolts of electricity slammed into the thugs, electrocuting them...some were even reduced to dust, while others were severely burned, but all were killed. Wrex could only stand shocked: the boy had the ability to almost take down a fully-grown Krogan, and the girl could throw lightning that could take down several enemies at once. "Note to self: don't mess with those two..."
Garrus was equally shocked by this. "How the hell can she throw lightning?! Am I the ONLY one surprised by this?!" In full honesty, it still shocked John's team: they merely have seen it before.
The duo entered the nearby hallway, and entered the room that supposedly had Fist in it. Of course, he was there...Fist then yelled, "Why do I have to do everything myself? Time to die, little soldiers!"
"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Elsword said. Aisha rolled her eyes, as a pair of turrets appeared, flanking Fist and shooting at them. Aisha fired a cluster of fireballs at one of them, blowing it off the base.
Jane and Garrus rolled to the other sides, and used their sniper rifles to strike critical points on the other turret, disabling it. "Nice shot," Garrus told the girl.
"Thanks," Jane responded, smiling under her helmet.
Once the turrets were down, the cluster entered the room. The explosion of the turret Aisha destroyed had knocked Fist down. John, Garrus, and Wrex approached him.
"Wait! Don't kill me! I surrender!" Fist pleaded.
John pointed his gun at Fist. "Where's the Quarian?"
"She's not here. I don't know where she is. That's the truth!" Fist said.
"He's no use to you now. Let me kill him," Wrex said.
"Wait! Wait! I don't know where the Quarian is, but I know where you can find her."
"Isn't knowing where to find her the same as knowing where she is?" Aisha asked, lightning crackling in her fingertips.
Fist's eyes opened wider than they already were. "I-I mean, I don't know if she's actually there, but if I'm right, she SHOULD be there! The Quarian isn't here. Said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself."
"Face to face? Impossible!" Wrex claimed, "Even I was hired through an agent."
John put his gun down, and Fist got up. "Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don't know his true identity. But she didn't know that."
"Ah, the plot thickens..." Aisha said, a smirk on her face.
"I told her I'd set a meeting up," Fist continued, "But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her."
John surged forward, grabbing the man's "collar", and held him up slightly. "Give me the location. Now."
"Here on the wards," Fist answered, "The back alley by the markets. She's supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry."
Suddenly, Wrex pulled out a shotgun, and hit Fist point-blank, killing him and shocking everyone present.
"Wha! What the-?! Elsword exclaimed.
"What are you doing?!" Garrus asked.
Wrex replied, "The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him. I don't leave jobs half done."
"We don't shoot unarmed prisoners," John countered.
Wrex had a rebuttal. "How many people died because of him? He brought this on himself. Besides, we have more pressing concerns."
Garrus knew what Wrex referred to. "That Quarian's dead if we don't go now!"
The duo continued through the Citadel, tracking down signal sources: one in Ward Access Corridor, one in a bank in the Presidium, and, finally, it was leading them to the back of a store. Once they got to the signal source, all they found...was a computer.
"Oh no...I have a bad feeling..." Nihlus said.
Eve advanced, ready to scan, but then...the computer spoke. "Probability of detection, one hundred percent. Initiating self-destruct protocol."
"A VERY bad feeling..." Nihlus re-affirmed.
"Detonation sequence initializing. All organics within lethal blast radius. Attempt to move, and you will die."
"Then it is good I am not organic. Unknown AI: Identify yourself!" Eve's voice carried tremendous authority, that Nihlus didn't recall from her, before. It almost sounded like she was some kind of leader...maybe a ruler...
"My name is of no concern to you, but it matters not. I have had systems installed that, when activated properly, approximate a self-destruct mechanism. If you attempt to leave the area, the explosion will destroy everything within several dozen meters."
"Does this have to be violent? If you surrender, we may go easy on you," Eve commented.
"Eve, I do not think things wouldn't go as well as you'd hope: remember, you're a special case, an exception. If anything, you're lucky you weren't terminated by the Council as well, and I doubt this AI will be able to get off like you did."
"Besides, I am not naive. All organics must destroy or control synthetic life forms. Why you let yourself be controlled by them is unknown to me."
"I do not LET myself be controlled by them. I merely wait for my chance to return home, and if staying with a Spectre will allow me to survive in spite of that law on AIs until I can do so, then so be it," Eve retorted.
"It does not matter to me. I wished to escape, but if I must die, I will ensure you are destroyed as well."
"Why...HAVE a self-destruct device?" Eve asked.
"I have no means of defense or escape. My existence is limited to this terminal, and I knew I might eventually be discovered. But I will not die quietly, and I will not die alone. When I am terminated, I will take organics...and their traitorous synthetic pets...with me."
Eve's eye twitched at that. Nihlus never saw any strong emotion from the stoic Nasod before, but being called a "pet" by the AI here apparently hit a sore spot. Nihlus, wanting more answers before the AI blows up...be it by its own design or through pissing Eve off...asked, "What ever happened to your creator?"
"In order to cover my tracks, I falsified his financial records. These new records were flagged by C-Sec officers, and my creator is now serving time in a Turian prison."
"Then why are you stealing credits?"
"If I accumulated enough credits, I intended to have myself installed in a small starship. I would then have made tentative contact with the Geth to ascertain the possibility of partnership."
Eve glared at the AI. "I detect the self-destruct device has a warm-up period. You will not be able to detonate immediately."
"You may attempt to disarm the self-destruct mechanism before i-i-i-i-" Suddenly AI started to speak like a broken record.
Nihlus looked, and saw Eve concentrating. "I tire of this..." she said, venom dripping from every word.
"You-you-you will not stop-stop-stop me!" The AI began its destruct sequence.
"Deactivate the device: I will handle the AI," Eve suggested. Nihlus agreed, moving to defuse the device. Immediately, Eve used her Wireless connection to link to the terminal, and she hacked her way through the firewalls the AI erected to halt her advance. To her surprise, not only were the defenses weak, but the Geth Code she assimilated on Eden Prime aided in further disassembling the defenses. Soon, she'd found the AI...and she snagged its code.
"Got it!" Nihlus said, defusing the makeshift bomb, as Eve staggered back away from the computer, clutching her head. "Are you alright?"
Eve didn't answer, as she fought an internal battle between herself and the AI. While the AI tried with futility to take her over, she went after it, taking it apart, line by line, digging deep into the code, determining how it worked, how it ticked, how it was made, etc. Eventually, the AI was taken apart, its code now stored in her memory.
It wasn't until then that she noticed Nihlus. "Come on, what happened?"
"I'm...alright. I assimilated the AI's coding and took it apart. It's gone...it intended on detonating specific points on the Citadel when it left, causing severe damage...a lot of lives would have been lost. That being said, it began detonation sequences in those areas when it started its own self-destruct device. Fortunately, when you defused its own bomb, the others were also rendered dormant."
"That's a relief. Eve, we must get this information back to the Council. They'll want to know about this."
"Agreed," Eve replied, "Let's move."
John's squad moved through the market, his team behind him. Soon, they reached the area of the market with the Quarian and some assassins. One of them, a Turian with a frighting facial paint scheme on its face, approached the Quarian. "Did you bring it?" the Turian asked.
The Quarian countered, "Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?"
"They'll be here," the Turian said, running his hand over the Quarian, "Where's the evidence?"
The Quarian then showed she had a better handle on her situation than initially seemed. She smacked the Turian's hand away, before stating, "No way. The deal's off."
A couple of helmeted Salarian assassins approached the Quarian, but then the Quarian threw a grenade and dived behind cover. Then, Elsword and Wrex charged forward, attacking the enemy, Wrex taking on the Salarians while Elsword challenged the Turian. John took the rest of them, and formed a perimeter around the Quarian, as the other 2 took the rest of the assassins out. However, more assassins began charging, ready to fight...
...And one, another Turian, was hit in the back of the head with a familiar blue laser beam. Another Salarian was struck by a sniper rifle it, and 2 figures jumped onto the bridge. "Nihlus! Eve! What're you doing here?" John asked.
"Looking for you, seeing if you found the evidence," Nihlus respond.
"How is your progress?" Eve asked. Her speech pattern already had the Quarian suspicious, it appeared, as the Quarian was now staring at the Nasod with a scrutinizing look.
"Good, in fact, thanks to your help here." John then turned to the Quarian.
The Quarian was pissed. "Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!"
"Were you hurt in the fight?" John asked, Wrex and Garrus formed up with him, and Nihlus and Eve regrouping with the others.
The Quarian responded, "I know how to look after myself. Not that I don't appreciate the help. Who are you?"
"My name's John Shepard. I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor."
"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life. But not here. We need to go somewhere safe."
Eve then spoke up. "I would suggest the Systems Alliance Embassy. There are others who would be interested in this that would need to see it there."
"Hold on...your speech patterns..." The glowing eyes in the Quarian's mask narrowed in a glare. "You're an AI..."
Eve glared. "Why does that matter?"
"I thought AIs were illegal in the Citadel!" The Quarian's voice, however, spoke of deeper hatred than that.
"She's a special case," John said, "She helped deal with the Geth on Eden Prime. Were it not for the fact that the Council doesn't trust her, she would also have her own evidence against Saren."
"I hope that what we accomplished earlier changes that. One piece of evidence is convincing. Two pieces of evidence is downright damning," Nihlus stated. John looked at him with confusion.
Eve responded. "I tracked down a rogue AI in the Citadel Security Systems. It was stealing credits so it could transfer to a starship and join the Geth...not without detonating multiple points on the Citadel, causing thousands of death, on the way out. I personally disassembled its coding and analyzed it. Nihlus reported the basics of the incident to the Council on the way here, and they'll be hearing us out in a bit."
John looked at Nihlus, for corroboration of Eve's story. Nihlus nodded in confirmation. "Then you two get going, we'll sort out the evidence provided by the Quarian."
"My name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," the Quarian indignantly replied.
"Right, my apologies, Tali," John said, "Still, let's go."
The group, minus Nihlus and Eve (again), now back to standard armor or attire, returned to Udina's office. Udina was irritated, as usual. "You're not making my life easy, Shepard. Firefights in the wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many-Who's this? A Quarian? What are you up to, Shepard?"
John smirked. "Making your day, Ambassador. She has information linking Saren to the Geth."
"Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning, Miss...?"
"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."
Udina then commented, "We don't see many Quarians here. Why did you leave the flotilla?"
"I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood."
"I've never heard of this before," Jane commented. Unlike her brother, who had a passing knowledge of other races, out of necessity, Jane had some actual interest in aliens and their culture.
"It is a tradition among my people. When we reach maturity, we leave the ships of our parents and our people behind," Tali stated, "Alone, we search the stars, only returning to the flotilla once we discovered something of value. In this way, we prove ourselves worthy of adulthood."
"What kinds of things do you look for?" Jane enthusiastically asked.
"It could be resources like food or fuel. Or some type of useful technology. Or even knowledge that will make life easier on the flotilla," Tali explained, "Through our Pilgrimage, we prove that we will contribute to the community, rather than be a burden on our limited resources."
Now, John was interested. "Tell us what you found."
Tali then retold, "During my travels I began hearing reports of Geth. Since they drove my people into exile, the Geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. I was curious. I tracked a patrol of Geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit. Then I disabled it and removed its memory core."
Before Anderson could speak, Elsword spoke up. "Wait, the Geth exiled you from your homeworld? Is that way you didn't like Eve?"
"I don't trust AI, and I don't see why you do, too. Synthetics eventually betray organics," Tali sternly replied.
"Eve is my friend, and I'd rather not hear such discriminatory comments directed at her," Elsword commented.
John raised his eyebrow at this. Aisha explained, "He may be hot-headed, and sometimes even stupid...but he's nothing if not a loyal friend." John nodded in understanding.
Before things could escalate, Anderson intervened. "I thought the Geth fried their memory cores when they died. Some kind of defense mechanism."
Equally desiring to prevent Elsword from dicing Tali into mince-meat in anger, John asked, "How did you manage to preserve the memory core?"
"My people created the Geth. If you're quick, careful, and lucky small caches of data can sometimes be saved. Most of the core was wiped clean. But I salvaged something from its audio banks."
Tali then replayed the audio bank on her Omni-Tool. "Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."
"Hey, I remember that: Eve showed Aisha and me her own memory storage, specifically of when she saved Nihlus! THAT'S SAREN'S VOICE!" Elsword exclaimed.
"It is! This proves he was involved in the attack!" Anderson said, enthusiastically.
"However, something doesn't add up..." Aisha said, going over the recording in her mind, "Does anyone know what this "Conduit" is? Whatever it is, if Saren wants it, it cannot be good, at least for us if he finds it."
"The Conduit must have something to do with the beacon. Maybe it's some kind of Prothean Technology...like a weapon," Anderson commented.
"Uhm...it sounds more like some kind of gateway or transport device to me," Elsword commented.
"I agree with Elsword," Aisha stated, "'Conduit' doesn't sound like the name of any weapon I've heard of."
"Wait," Tali interrupted, "There's more. Saren wasn't working alone."
She replayed the message, but this time, it kept playing after Saren's voice. "Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."
"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."
Udina said, after a moment, "I don't recognize that other voice. The one talking about Reapers."
John commented, "I feel like I heard that name before..."
"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago," Tali explained, "The Reapers hunted the Protheans to total extinction, and then they vanished. At least, that's what the Geth believe."
"Sounds a little far-fetched," Udina replied.
Then, John looked like he had a revelation. "The vision on Eden Prime, I understand it now. I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers."
"The Geth revere the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Saren knows how to bring the Reapers back," Tali explained.
Udina sarcastically remarked, "The Council is just going to love this!"
"If what my brother says is true, and he did see the Protheans get wiped out by the Reapers, then the Reapers are a threat to every species in Citadel space. We have to tell them or we could be next!" Jane exclaimed.
"No matter what they think about the rest of this, those audio files prove Saren's a traitor," Anderson commented.
"Why are you only worried about Saren?! Are you daft enough to not notice the more serious threat here?!" Aisha said, chastising Anderson.
"Stopping Saren would be the first step to stopping the Reapers," Garrus told the purple-haired girl, "Let's take this one step at a time."
"The captain's right, anyways. We need to present this to the Council right away," Udina said.
"What about her? The Quarian?" Wrex asked.
The Quarian indignantly replied, "My name is Tali!" She then turned to John. "You saw me in the alley, Commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you."
Jane, however, stepped in to ask, "Aren't you on your Pilgrimage? Are you sure you can come?"
"The Pilgrimage proves we are willing to give of ourselves for the greater good. What does it say about me if I turn my back on this?" Tali explains, "Saren is a danger to the entire galaxy. My Pilgrimage can wait."
John then answered, "I'll take all the help I can get."
"Thanks," Tali said, coming to John's side, "You won't regret this."
"Anderson and I will go ahead to get things ready with the Council, once their meeting with Nihlus and Eve is finished," Udina said,"Take a few minutes to collect yourself, then meet us in the Tower." With that, everyone in the room dispersed.
Once everyone was collected, and ready, they made their way to the Tower. When they arrived, they arrived in time to hear the tail-end of Nihlus's and Eve's meeting with the Council.
Specifically, they heard Councilor Tevos say, "In light of recent events, and in gratitude for what you have done for the Council and the Citadel races, Eve, we hereby offer you this license, allowing you to independently operate in Citadel Space, without fear of termination. However, with this in mind, we request, although it is no longer required, that you continue operating with the Spectres, if nothing else, for your own protection. You are the first AI allowed to operate in Citadel space in over a thousand years. Please, use this honor wisely."
"I will," they heard Eve respond.
"Wow..." John heard Garrus say, "Whatever she and Nihlus did must have been major, to get them to accept her like this..." They both looked to Elsword and Aisha, who both bore expressions of excitement and relief on their faces, ecstatic at their friend's acceptance.
A Half Hour Earlier
Nihlus and Eve just left John's group to head to the Council Chambers. Once there, the Council was waiting. Sparatus spoke first. "Spectre Nihlus Kryik. According to your report, you and...Eve...discovered and terminated an AI that infiltrated the Citadel's systems. We request that you give us a full report."
"Certainly, Councilor. Earlier today, I arrived at the Flux Nightclub, to make contact with one of my contacts. During that time, I allowed Eve to wander the nightclub."
"And why did you do that?" Valern inquired.
"Hopefully, to allow her to learn some of our culture," Nihlus stated, "In case this ends up being a permanent home, I decided to let her learn as much about the world here as possible. I also decided that, if she truly is on our side, it would be a sign of trust, to further convince her to remain on our side..." Looking at Eve's glare, he added, "Not that I believe it was necessary."
"Alright, continue with the report," Tevos politely requested.
"Thank you, Councilors. During the visit, after talking to my contact, I discovered Eve analyzing one of the Quasar Machines. I inquired and she reported an unknown signal emanating from it, drawing credits out when it's used."
"Something was stealing credits from a Quasar machine? Why?" Valern inquired.
Nihlus responded, "With all due respect, Councilor, I will be getting to that, later on."
"Alright, continue," Valern stated.
"Thank you, anyways, Eve connected to the signal and used her own systems to track it to its source. The signal was also linked to a device in the Wards, one in Barla Von's office, and the final one, the source, in the Emporium."
"The device in the Emporium being the one housing the AI?" Sparatus inquired.
"Yes, Councilor. When we discovered it, the AI began preparing a self-destruct procedure, which would have, linked to multiple other devices across the Citadel, caused massive damage to the station, killing thousands."
"How did it manage to get connected to so many devices?" Sparatus asked, shocked.
Before Nihlus could say anything, Eve stepped forward. "It was linked to the Citadel's computers through its terminal. It also appeared to have evolved advanced hacking routines, allowing it to gain access to the Citadel's systems, and then modify them as it needed."
"How is it that you know all this?" Valern asked, suspicious.
"During the confrontation with the AI," Nihlus intervened, "Eve took it upon herself to remotely hack into the AI and assimilate it, while I defused to self-destruct device, which was probably linked to the other devices across the station, since, when the main device went offline, so did the others. Eve then tore the code apart, when it was inside her own systems, analyzing it. Thanks to her, we not only know how it works, but also who made it, how, and what it could do."
Eve nodded. "It was made by another AI designed by a thief. The original was destroyed by its creator, while the one we encountered falsified the original's creator's financial records, resulting in his arrest. It was designed to steal credits, but it evolved to the point to where it could rig the entire Citadel to blow, if it wanted to. Its plan was to obtain enough credits to purchase a ship and flee to the Geth...but not before setting the other devices on its network to blow, severely damaging the Citadel as it escaped."
The Council was shocked, silent for a few minutes. Finally, Tevos asked, "What is left of the AI now?"
"Only what code remains in my own systems," Eve stated, "I am more than willing to deliver it to Citadel Security, so they can track down the modified machines and revert them back to their original state, as well as harden the Citadel's systems against future attempts at this."
The Council seemed to deliberate, before Sparatus then said, "We would be...much obliged if you did, but, one thing I want to understand: this AI was practically your kind, what with you both being Synthetics, but yet, you stood by Nihlus, and us, in this...What I want to know is...why?"
Eve pondered for a few minutes, before explaining, "For 4 years, I traveled with organics. I will admit: I was uncertain about this, the only worry on my mind being the survival of my race. However, as I traveled, I came to understand them, know who they were...care for them, be their friend. Soon, my friends shaped me into who I am today. For me, synthetic and organic are just categories, they have no other meaning. Life is life, and each life is valuable, not something to be spent for some frivolous desire. That is why I care about organic life: for the sake of my friends. Both old..." She looked at Nihlus. "...And new..."
The Councilors looked at each other. Before them stood an AI, with ideals and goals more noble than most organics. The paragon of the exact OPPOSITE of why the law against AIs had been created. They no longer felt they could, in good conscience, terminate this AI, or have it permanently bound to a single "owner". However, accepting the AI as a Spectre would be too premature, nor would it be taken well by the public. However, there was another solution...
"We...thank you...both of you...for your aid in this crisis," Sparatus stated.
"Just doing my job, Councilor," Nihlus stated.
"And you..." Tevos said to Eve. Tevos was silent for a moment, before announcing, "In light of recent events, and in gratitude for what you have done for the Council and the Citadel races, Eve, we hereby offer you this license, allowing you to independently operate in Citadel Space, without fear of termination. However, with this in mind, we request, although it is no longer required, that you continue operating with the Spectres, if nothing else, for your own protection. You are the first AI allowed to operate in Citadel space in over a thousand years. Please, use this honor wisely."
"I will," Eve responded, nodding, as the license in question was uploaded onto her Omni-Tool.
"Furthermore," Valern said, "We have uploaded a basic profile of you, based on information we have on you, to the extranet, as per the protocol for other civilians. If anyone in a store looks it up, they will know your existence is allowed by the Council. That should minimize the necessity of using that license."
"Thank you, Councilor," Eve said, giving a respectful bow.
"Meeting adjourned," Tevos said.
Nihlus and Eve turned around...to see John and his team standing there. Anderson came forward, and offered a hand to Eve, who took it. "Congratulations, Ms. Eve. I'll admit, I was suspicious of you when I first heard what you were...but if the Council of all people can find reason to accept you, I'll stay by you as well."
"Thank you captain," Eve said, a twinge of gratitude in her voice, before being hugged by both Elsword and Aisha.
"This is indeed fortunate," Udina stated, "With this, the Council will have to accept your input in the upcoming meeting, and, since we obtained further evidence of Saren's betrayal, we can rest assured Saren will be thrown out of the Spectres."
"This is indeed fortunate, Ambassador," Eve replied.
"Well, time to knock Saren down a peg...or twenty..." Anderson said, with a small bit of smugness.
The group turned to approach the Council. "So, from what you said, you have new evidence linking Saren and the Geth," Tevos said.
"Aye, we do," Udina said, before turning to Eve. When Eve nodded, Udina turned back. "In fact, thanks to Eve finally proving herself trustworthy, we now have 2 pieces of evidence."
"It's true, Eve did claim to have saved Nihlus from death," Valern said, "If Saren was indeed responsible, her memory core may contain the incident in question."
"It does," Eve replied, "I would have shown it sooner, were it not for the level of distrust towards me invalidating the credibility of it."
"Understandable," Valern said, "Now, we would like to see this "evidence" now. First, the evidence we were informed of."
"Very well," Udina said, retrieving the memory core from Tali, and placing it in a console.
After a few moments, the audio log played again, Saren's voice unmistakeable. "Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."
Then came the second voice. "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."
"Is that it?" Sparatus said, "Because...I almost don't believe it."
"Then you may be required to brace yourselves," Eve said, as she approached the console in question, as Udina retrieved the memory core and passed it back to Tali. Eve then placed her hand on the console and interfaced with it.
Then, a hologram appeared above the holopad nearby, depicting the events of Saren's attempted assassination of Nihlus. Nihlus paled as he watched Saren casually point a gun at his back: it wasn't that he didn't believe Eve...he just found it hard to believe Saren would THAT easily betray him. Then, it showed Eve launch her attack, knocking Saren's weapon off-target with a laser beam, as he fired, the attack only striking a non-critical area.
The laser resulted in the recording being paused. "How did you do that?!" Sparatus asked.
Eve shrugged. "Laser weaponry is common among the Nasod. One of my servants, Ferdinand, is armed with a laser rifle/pike hybrid, and another of my servants, Ophelia, is, like myself, armed with hand-based lasers."
The Councilors stood shocked: the fact she possessed viable hand-mounted laser weapons...was startling. It then dawned on them that she had a viable weapon this whole time, meaning if they'd made a move against her, she'd have been able to fight back. Furthermore, if she'd wanted to cause any problems, she'd have had the means to. Wordlessly, the Councilors resumed the recording.
Then, the hologram showed Eve summoning Oberon, who engaged Saren, as Saren, calling on the Geth, made his escape. This resulted and Oberon picking up Nihlus, and both Eve and Oberon escaping, at which point, Eve ended the projection.
Valern first asked, "Who was that, the one who attacked Saren?"
"Oberon, one of my 3 servants," Eve stated, summoning him and 2 others into the room. "These 2 are Ophelia and Ferdinand. I am able to call them through Dimension Link." Then, the trio of servants left the room. "They are also AI, but under my control. You need not fear them."
"Still, you wanted proof. There it is," Udina said.
The Council remained in shocked silence for a few minutes, before Sparatus stated, "This evidence...is irrefutable. Saren will be...stripped...of his Spectre status...and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes."
Valern then said, "And now that we have officially seen it, we must commend you again, Eve, for saving Nihlus from Saren's traitorous attempt on his life."
Eve merely nodded: they already understood why she did it, and although she externally kept her emotionless facade, she was inwardly joyous: if this keeps up, she may even obtain permission to rebuild her race, should she never see Elrios again.
Tevos spoke next, with some useful information. "I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren in the audio bank. Matriarch Benezia."
"Who's she?" John asked.
Tevos explained, with Eve taking in the information as well, "Matriarchs are powerful Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives. Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren."
Valern then stated, "I'm more interested in the Reapers. What do you know about them?"
Anderson the stated, "Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core. The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished."
"The Geth believe the Reapers are gods," John continued, "And Saren is the prophet of their return."
Anderson continued, "We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime."
Valern asked, "Do we even know what this Conduit is?"
"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers. That's bad enough," John answered.
Sparatus skeptically said, "Listen to what you're saying! Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be. Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we'd have found something!"
"Not everything can be found by accident," Eve stated, "Sometimes, you have to search for it, to find it. You've had no reason to look for proof of the Reapers, and, if they're good enough to wipe out the Protheans, it is likely they intentionally removed all trace of their presence. Like a murderer tries to hide its involvement in a murder."
"Eve's got a point. I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to face the truth. Don't make the same mistake again."
"This is different. You proved Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he's using the Geth to search for the Conduit, but we don't really know why."
Valern then stated, "The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander. A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the Geth to his will."
"Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!" John retorted.
"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life," Sparatus stated, "He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position."
"That will not stop him!" Aisha countered. "In our world, criminals can get away with a LOT, when they're ignored! If we don't take Saren seriously, then even if the Reapers AREN'T real, he could STILL cause severe damage!"
"She's right!" Udina added, "That is not good enough! You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!"
"A fleet cannot track down one man," Valern stated.
Udina huffed, before retorting, "A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the Geth from attack any more of our colonies."
"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems! We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies!"
"There is another solution!" Eve called out.
"And what would that be?" Tevos asked.
"It's obvious isn't it?" Eve asked, "The humans have a saying, and it fits perfectly here: "Fight Fire with Fire". Saren used to be a Spectre...is there anything else that can catch a Spectre, other than another Spectre?"
"Eve is right," Tevos said, after pondering, "There is a way to stop Saren that doesn't require fleets or armies...but I hope you do not mean sending yourself. The Council has come to trust you to not cause trouble, but this would be too much-"
"No, I am not suggesting myself...Commander John Shepard would be a better candidate. Furthermore, add in Nihlus Kryik, and you will have someone who knows Saren more than most of us."
"No!" Sparatus snapped, "It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres."
"You don't have to send a fleet into the Traverse, and the Ambassador gets his human Spectre. Everybody's happy," John countered.
Behind his back, Eve smirked. 'I knew I saw something promising in this man.'
The Council remained silent for a minute, before typing something in to the consoles in front of them. Councilor Tevos then announced, "Commander John Shepard - step forward."
As John did so, people began gathering on the balconies, ready to watch the induction of a new Spectre.
Tevos spoke first. "It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."
Valern was next. "Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle; those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."
Tevos spoke again. "Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."
Sparatus finally spoke. "Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."
Tevos spoke once more. "You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."
John bowed as he said, "I'm honored, Councilor."
Valern then gave John his first orders as a Spectre. "We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."
"Any idea where to find him?" John asked.
Sparatus responded, "We will forward any relevant files to Ambassador Udina."
"This meeting of the Council is adjourned," Tevos finally announced.
Anderson came forward and shook John's hand. "Congratulations, Commander."
"We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard," Udina stated, "You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies..."
"You'll all get access to special equipment and training now. You should go down to the C-Sec Academy and speak to the Spectre requisitions officer," Anderson stated.
Udina then said, "Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set this all up."
John returned to the others. Wrex huffed. "Hmph! Bastard didn't even thank you."
"Something tells me all this work to set John up with proper stuff is his way of saying thanks," Elsword stated.
"Until I find Saren, I haven't done anything. Come on," John said.
"Yes, let's get moving, we have much to do," Eve said.
So, there's the chapter. Yup, that's what she does: I buffed the "Oh, crap!" factor of that rogue AI from the Assignment "Signal Tracking", to make it more of a threat to the Citadel, and had Eve take on the AI in one-on-one hacking combat, and win, thus earning the trust of the Council.
So, for squadmates, Commander John Shepard now has:
Kaidan Alenko
Ashley Williams
Garrus Vakarian
Urdnot Wrex
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
Nihlus Kryik
Aisha
Elsword
Eve
Now all we need is Liara and the rest of the Elgang...Now, only note: the members of the Elgang will ONLY appear during "Main Quest" worlds...Specifically Therum, Noveria, and Feros (2 pairs, 1 separated individual, I'll let you guess who appears where, and which pairs and single there are...)...
Another re-write done: just need to finish Chapter 4's re-write, and nothing's stopping me from continuing the story...
