Chapter 3: Citadels and Councilors
It didn't take long for the Normandy to arrive at the soldiers' location after Kaidan called them on his communicator. Once the ship got within boarding distance, he and Ben lifted the unconscious form of Commander Shepard onboard while Ashley covered the rear with her pistol, making sure that nothing was trying to catch them in a surprise attack. After everyone was on board the ship, the Normandy lifted off and took flight, breaching the atmosphere and then breaking off into space. Once the ship was off of Eden Prime, Ashley and Kaidan removed their helmets as a pair of soldiers came and placed Shepard's body on a stretcher before carrying him out of the room. Once the commander was taken to the medical ward, Kaidan turned and looked Ben in the eye.
"Alright, now that we don't have anything trying to kill us anymore," The lieutenant said, "Would you mind telling us exactly who the hell you are?"
"Like I said back on the planet, my name is Ben Tennyson," Ben answered, "I'm a shape-shifting superhero from a different dimension."
"Bullshit," Ashley retorted, "For all we know, he could be some kind of Geth experiment. Maybe an attempt to test some kind of disguising technology."
Kaidan looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on, Chief. If he really was a Geth experiment, there's no way he'd be acting so much like a real human," Kaidan reasoned. Ashley let out a sigh.
"Okay, so maybe he's not an experiment, but how do we know we can trust this kid?" Before either Kaidan or Ben could give an answer, everyone heard a voice over the loudspeaker.
"Uh, Lieutenant? The captain is requesting you in his office," The voice said. Kaidan sighed and shook his head.
"Tell him we're on our way, Joker," Kaidan replied before looking back at Ben and Ashley, "Sounds like Captain Anderson wants a personal report. I'm sure he'll also want to meet you both in person." With that, the three left the shuttle bay and entered the elevator. Kaidan pushed a few buttons, the doors closed, and the elevator started going up.
After a short elevator ride in awkward silence, Kaidan stepped out and led Ben and Ashley to the captain's office/quarters, where he knocked three times on the door. After a second or two, the door slid open, where the three stepped inside. Ben saw a middle-aged, dark-skinned man sitting at the desk in front of them and immediately felt respect for him, his natural empathic abilities allowing him to see that this man was a soldier and a veteran like him. Kaidan raised his right hand and saluted him, a gesture the captain returned.
"What happened down on Eden Prime, Lieutenant?" Captain Anderson inquired, "I looked at the mission report, and I saw a few things that were rather discouraging. First, Corporal Jenkins was killed, then the main colony nearly gets blown to hell, and then the beacon got destroyed. I would like you and Chief Williams to explain these events in person." Kaidan took a deep breath and spoke.
"When we landed on Eden Prime, our team saw smoke rising from over a hill in front of us," Kaidan explained, "However, when we rounded a corner, we were ambushed by a group of Geth combat drones. They ripped clean through Jenkins' shields. The corporal never had a chance to fight back." Hearing this, Ben looked down at the ground and clenched his fist. He hated hearing that someone had been injured, captured, or killed and that he wasn't there to stop it. Ben looked back at Kaidan as the lieutenant continued his report.
"After Shepard and I fought off the rest of the drones, we made our way to the outskirts of the dig site, where we saw Chief Williams and an alien life-form we had never seen before. The alien saw us and looked prepared for a fight, but then the chief stepped in front of it."
"I can take it from here, Lieutenant," Ashley said before continuing, "My platoon and I were pinned down by a Geth squadron earlier that morning. We fought as hard as we could, but the Geth just kept coming. I had lost five of my soldiers to the metal freaks before the same alien Lieutenant Alenko was talking about came out of nowhere and hauled us out of the fire." Anderson raised an eyebrow in interest.
"Can the two of you describe this alien?" The captain asked.
"He stood about seven feet tall, had a humanoid shape, with a black black and a green underbelly," Kaidan replied, "He also had a series of stripes going all across his body and a single cyclopean eye in the middle of his face. The alien revealed himself to be sentient, capable of both thought and speech, as he introduced himself as 'Upgrade' and asked what the Protheans were."
"But that's not the weird part," Ashley continued, "This alien looked like he was made of some kind of metal, but he was just as fluid and flexible as organic tissue. He could change shape at will, going from a humanlike form to a liquid form in less than a second. His real power, however, was astonishing. He could fire a plasma beam from his eye and could merge with any form of technology. He did this to a Geth to save my unit, and I saw him do the same to a pair of Geth rifles. He even turned his own hands into weapons."
"And where is this alien?" Anderson asked, "Why didn't he come onto the ship with you?"
"In a way, sir, he did," Kaidan replied before he gestured behind him, "This is Ben Tennyson, the extra member of our team on Eden Prime. He can explain the situation better than Williams or I could." With that, Ben stepped forward and looked Anderson in the eye.
"The alien 'Upgrade' that Kaidan and Ashley were talking about was one of my different alien forms," Ben explained as he lifted up the Omnitrix and showed Anderson a holographic image of Upgrade. Kaidan spoke up as well.
"I believe the report also says 'Unknown alien reveals to be a teenage shape-shifter,' sir," The lieutenant added. Anderson raised a skeptical eyebrow in response.
Sensing that this would happen, Ben decided the best way to convince the captain was to simply show him. Looking down at the Omnitrix, which was still showing the image of Upgrade, Ben raised his right hand and pressed it down onto the device. The other three people shielded their eyes from the resulting flash of green light.
"That's going to take some getting used to," Ashley said as the light faded. Everyone looked at where Ben used to be, only to see the very alien that Ben had shown to Anderson a few moments ago. If Anderson didn't have such rigid self-control, the man's jaw would've touched the floor at this point. He did show his surprise, however, by raising both eyebrows.
"Well, now I'm convinced," Anderson conceded, "But the matter of the bombs and the beacon being destroyed still stands. At one point during the mission, Joker contacted me and told me that his scanners were detecting unusual magnetic anomalies coming from the planet."
"That was also my doing, sir," Ben answered, "I came up with a plan to dispose of the bombs by using a different alien to chuck the bombs into orbit, where they would explode harmlessly. But I did that with a different alien." With that, Ben pressed the symbol on Upgrade's chest and transformed again, this time becoming Lodestar.
"What can this alien do?" Anderson inquired. After seeing Ben transform into "Upgrade," the captain's interest on the mission suddenly became peaked.
"Lodestar has magnetic properties," Ben explained, "In this form, I can do things like create force fields, control metallic objects, disrupt machinery and even fly." To demonstrate, Ben began hovering off the floor. After he touched back down, Ben continued his explanation.
"When I was in this form back on Eden Prime, I used this alien's abilities to throw the bombs into space while Shepard and the others drew the Geth's fire. After the Geth were defeated and the bombs were disposed of, we secured the beacon and radioed the Normandy for pickup."
"But then I began to get curious about the beacon, so I stepped forward to get a closer look when suddenly the beacon began pulling me toward it," Ashley said, "Shepard threw me out of the way, but he got caught in the beacon's pull instead. Then the beacon did something to him before Shepard passed out. Afterwards it proceeded to overload and blow up." Anderson thought this over for a moment. After a period of thinking, the captain spoke up.
"The council is not going to be pleased about this," He said, "But we'll talk more about that later. For now, I'd like to speak with our guest in private." Kaidan nodded as he and Ashley both saluted and walked out of the room. Once the door closed, Anderson looked at Ben and cleared his throat.
"So Tennyson, why don't you explain how exactly you got these powers?" Anderson asked, gesturing for Ben to take a seat. Ben reverted to normal, sat down in the chair in front of the desk and looked down at the Omnitrix.
"Well, it all started when I was ten, and my grandpa took me and my cousin out on a road trip for summer vacation," Ben began as Anderson sat down in his own chair. As Ben went on with his story, he told Anderson about his many adventures with the device, including his first battle against one of his archenemy Vilgax's robots, his battle against Dr. Animo in Washington DC, and the time when he was chased down by three alien bounty hunters. While Ben told his story, Anderson listened very intentionally, taking in every word. By the time Ben finished, the captain looked at the teen hero with a glint in his aged brown eyes.
"Sounds like you're a pretty capable young man, Tennyson," Anderson said as he and Ben stood back up, "You'd make a fine addition to the crew, especially with the loss of Corporal Jenkins. A new member would help to boost their morale."
"Thanks, but I actually just remembered something that I think you won't like," Ben said as he got a slightly nervous look on his face, "The one who attacked the colony was some guy named Saren." Hearing that name suddenly caused Anderson to tense up. Sensing that he may have struck a nerve, Ben cautiously looked Anderson in the eye and asked, "I take it you know him?"
"We have a bit of history together," Anderson replied, "Saren is a SpecTRe, one of the council's best; a living legend, in fact. But his methods of completing missions are unnecessarily brutal. He bombs entire buildings, kills informants and will even injure a hostage to get the job done. He'd kill a thousand innocent civilians to end a war without a second thought." Upon hearing this, Ben's face contorted into one of anger. This "Saren" character reminded him too much of Vilgax.
"Sounds like this guy needs to be kept on a really tight leash," Ben spat. He hated the idea of seeing this guy being able to walk around freely in spite of killing dozens, if not hundreds of people.
"He's a dangerous son of a bitch, and he hates humans with a passion," Anderson added. This caught Ben's attention.
"Why does he hate humans?" He asked.
"He thinks we're growing too fast, taking over the galaxy," Anderson said, "A lot of aliens think that way, but most of them don't do anything about it."
"I can actually understand what that's like," Ben said, "In my dimension, some aliens actually saw humans as nothing more than a delicacy, and I've had to fight several invasions to stop it from becoming a reality." Anderson widened his eyes at this. Sounded like humanity was probably better off here if people back in Ben's home dimension were actually eaten by aliens. A few more minutes went by and the conversation came to a close. After hearing everything that this teenager had gone through, Anderson made his choice.
"Welcome to the crew, Tennyson," Anderson said as he and Ben shook hands, "Tell Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams to report back here immediately."
"Yes, sir," Ben replied as he walked to the door and opened it, seeing the two soldiers in question sitting at the table in the mess hall. Kaidan saw Ben and stood up.
"What is it?" Kaidan asked.
"Anderson wants to see you both back in his office," Ben replied. With that, the three walked back into Anderson's office, where the captain looked Kaidan and Ashley in the eye.
"Lieutenant, I've decided to make Mr. Tennyson and Chief Williams a part of the Normandy's crew," The captain said confidently, "Given his history, Tennyson is an excellent soldier and a good man. Williams shows great potential as well. I want you to make sure they get settled in." Kaidan saluted in response.
"Will do, sir," Kaidan said before the three walked out of Anderson's office. After the door closed, Kaidan looked over at his two new crewmates with a small grin.
"Alright, now that you're both part of the crew of the Normandy, you'll both need to know your way around the ship," Kaidan instructed, "Normally, that would be reserved for someone like Shepard or Anderson, but since they're both unavailable, I'll do it instead." With that, the lieutenant began showing them around the ship, starting with the main crew area. When they reached the medical wing, Ben remembered that Shepard was still in the room, still unconscious from the beacon. Kaidan saw this and put a hand on Ben's shoulder.
"I'm sure the commander's going to be fine," He said reassuringly, "Dr. Chakwas is a professional." With that, Kaidan continued his tour. After showing them around the crew deck, Kaidan led the two up to the CIC, where saw Navigator Presley standing near the galaxy map.
"Good to see you're still in one piece, Lieutenant," Presley said as the two men saluted each other.
"Mission got a little rough, but we still made it out, Presley," Kaidan replied. He then gestured to Ben and Ashley.
"We also got two new crew members in the process. This is Ben Tennyson and Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams." Presley shook hands with both of them in that order.
"Welcome to the Normandy," Presley greeted before shifting his attention back to the data pad he was holding in his hands. Taking that as their cue to move on, Kaidan continued his tour. He went to the door behind them and opened it, revealing a circular room lined with chairs and a communications booth in the back.
"This is the Normandy's conference room, where we discuss important matters and mission details," Kaidan said as Ben and Ashley looked around the room. Once they saw everything the room had to offer, Kaidan then took them up to the bridge, where the pilot Jeff "Joker" Moreau was at the helm. The pilot heard them coming and turned around in his seat.
"That was some crazy shit down on Eden Prime, Kaidan," Joker said in a wisecracking tone, "I picked up some magnetic readings that were off the damn charts. Was Magneto down on the planet or something?" Ben stepped over.
"Actually, that was my doing," He said. Joker only raised an eyebrow in response.
"Yeah, and I'm the strongest man in the universe," Joker sarcastically replied. Ben then pulled out the Omnitrix and showed the pilot the picture of Lodestar before pressing his hand on the device. The resulting transformation nearly caused the color to drain from Joker's face. Kaidan then stepped up.
"Joker, these are our two new crewmates," Kaidan said as Ben turned back to normal, "You've obviously met Ben Tennyson, and this is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams." Joker shook hands with both of them before turning back to Ben.
"How the hell did you do that?" the pilot inquired, still not over the fact that the kid in front of him just turned into some kind of weird creature and back. Ben held up the Omnitrix again.
"This little baby is called the 'Omnitrix' and it allows me to transform into all kinds of different aliens," Ben explained, "The one you just saw was one I named 'Lodestar' because of his magnetic powers." Ben tried not to laugh as he saw the pilot at a loss for words.
"If you want, I can tell you some of my 'war stories'," The shape-shifting teen said.
"Sure thing, kid," Joker said, a grin now forming on his bearded face, "Now I have a ship to fly. Without me, we might crash into the relay rather than jump through it." With that, the three left the cockpit. As the approached the stairs, however, Ben couldn't help but wonder something. The whole time they were with Joker, Ben had not seen the pilot stand up or even shift in his seat once. Deciding to save that for later, Ben followed Ashley and Kaidan back to the elevator, where they descended back to the shuttle bay they were in earlier, though Ben now had the time to properly look around it.
The most noticeable feature was a large six-wheeled tank at the far end of the room. Having faced similar vehicles in the past, Ben knew that thing could do some major damage in battle. To the left of the tank was a weapons bench accompanied by a series of lockers. To the right of the elevator was a man who was busy counting the various stocks on the ship. Looking to his left, Ben saw Kaidan and Ashley walking over to a door. Walking over behind them, Ben followed them into a large room with a massive power core inside it, while various staff typed away at the consoles in front of it. Kaidan led him and Ashley over to one of the crewmembers, who was also busy working on a data-pad.
"Lieutenant Adams, how's everything going with the engine?" Kaidan asked as he and Adams shook hands.
"Nothing to report, Lieutenant," Adams replied, "All systems are optimal and the power core is humming like an angel."
"Good to hear, Adams," Kaidan replied before he gestured to Ben and Ashley behind him, "This is Ben Tennyson and Chief Ashley Williams, our newest crew members." Adams gladly shook hands with both of them.
"Welcome to the Normandy," The engineer greeted, "I'm sure you two will fit in just fine." Ben looked over and saw the other engineers going about their duties, as well as getting a good look at their drive core.
"You know, if you ever need an extra set of hands in here, I'll be more than happy to help out," Ben suggested.
"Are you good with tech?" Adams inquired.
"Tennyson is quite a surprising guy," Kaidan replied, "I'm sure he'd be more than able to provide assistance." With a final handshake, the three left the engine room and went back into the elevator, going back up to the crew deck. After stepping out of the elevator, Kaidan led Ben and Ashley to the door of the medical bay. Once the door opened, the lieutenant walked over to a middle-aged woman with graying hair, which Ben assumed was Dr. Chakwas. Ben also looked over and saw Ashley focus her gaze on Shepard, who was lying unconscious on an operating table.
"How's the commander holding up, doc?" Kaidan asked as he too looked at Shepard. Chakwas opened a strange holographic device on her arm and entered a few commands into it before responding.
"Physically, the commander is fine, but it's his brain activity that concerns me," The doctor replied, "I've been detecting some unusual brain wave readings, like he's experiencing a great deal of fear or stress." Ashley looked down at the floor.
"And it's my fault he's on there in the first place," The chief muttered. Ben put a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, Ashley, you had no idea what would've happened," Ben reassured her, "None of us did. And when Shepard saw that you were in trouble, he did what anyone else would've done and got you out of there."
"Ben's right, Chief," Kaidan said, "We can't change what happened."
"Well, since you're all here, this provides a good chance to do a quick check-up on any injuries the three of you may have received back on Eden Prime," Chakwas said as everyone looked over at her. Ben groaned internally. He was never a fan of doctors, even in his home dimension, but he knew that it was best to go with it.
"Let's just get this over with," Ben said as he sat down on one of the empty operating tables. The doctor rose up the holographic device and shined a light from it, letting the device perform a full scan of his body. After a few seconds of scanning, the doctor looked at the readings she received and lowered the device.
"Well young man, I must say that you are incredibly lucky," Chakwas said, "No injuries detected and everything seems to be in order. You're the picture of health." Glad that his checkup was now over, Ben stood up and proceeded to walk out the door, but not before he took one last look at Shepard. After walking outside, Ben went over to the table in the mess hall and sat down. As he waited for Ashley and Kaidan to be finished with their own checkups, the shape-shifter lifted the Omnitrix and began to fiddle around with it. This was a habit he developed back when he was a kid, and now it was something he did whenever he got bored. His boredom was short-lived, however, when Ashley and Kaidan exited the medical bay ten minutes later and sat down across from him.
"So, since the chief and I now know our way around the ship, is there anything else we need to know?" Ben inquired.
"Not really," Kaidan replied, "When the commander wakes up, he'll obviously want to see you both. But that's probably going to be a while from now." The lieutenant then turned his eyes to the kitchen area for a moment before turning back to the others.
"Why don't we take a few minutes for a break?" The lieutenant suggested, "I'm pretty sure that all that fighting we did on Eden Prime and that long tour must've worked up a bit of an appetite." Upon hearing this, Ben suddenly realized that he hadn't eaten before he went to this dimension, and he had completely overlooked how hungry he was getting.
"I'm with Lieutenant Alenko on that one," Ben replied as he and Kaidan stood up.
"You can just call me 'Kaidan,' kid," Kaidan said, "'Lieutenant Alenko' makes me sound old." The two men shared a laugh as they and Ashley went into the kitchen and got out the materials to make a quick lunch. Ben went first and got out some bread, ham, cheese, mustard and mayo before getting out a spreading knife and making himself a sandwich. While Ben went back to the table and began eating, the others got their own things and joined him. After they were finished with their lunch, Kaidan stood up.
"Alright, since everything else has already been covered, why don't I show you where the crew quarters are?" Kaidan said as Ben and Ashley also stood up.
"Sure," Ben replied. With that, Kaidan led the two out of the mess hall and into the elevator, where the lieutenant pushed the button that led to a level directly under the one they were currently on. One short ride later, the three walked off and into an entrance to a series of hallways.
"The women's barracks are down the hall on the left, while the men's are on the right," Kaidan explained, "If you see a door with a green light next to the entrance that means it's vacant." With a nod, Ben and Ashley separated and walked down their respective halls. After looking around for a minute, Ben finally found an unoccupied room and walked inside. The room was small, but at the same time spacious enough for a bed, a desk and a dresser to be held inside. Deciding to take some time to get some sleep, Ben removed his shoes and jacket before proceeding to crash onto the bed and close his eyes.
…
A voice rang over the intercom on the ceiling, which abruptly woke Ben from his sleep. Annoyed at having his rest disturbed, Ben looked up at the intercom, and immediately stood up when he heard Captain Anderson's voice.
"Tennyson, report to the medical bay immediately," The captain instructed, "Dr. Chakwas has told me that the commander is waking up. Lieutenant Alenko and Chief Williams are already there." Ben immediately put on his jacket and made his way toward his shoes.
"On my way," Ben responded. After slipping his shoes on and tying them, Ben made his way to the elevator and pushed the button to the crew deck. After a short ride, he saw Anderson standing outside the medical bay. With a nod, both men entered the med bay, where they both saw Shepard sitting up on his cot with Ashley, Kaidan and Dr. Chakwas standing around him and filling him in on what had happened.
"Hmm, I'd better add this to my report," the doctor said, "It may…" She suddenly saw Ben and Anderson entering. "Oh, Captain Anderson."
"How's our XO holding up, doctor?" Anderson asked.
"All the readings look normal, so I believe that the commander is going to be fine," Chakwas replied.
"Glad to hear it," Anderson said with a nod, "Shepard, Mr. Tennyson and I need to speak with you – in private." Ashley and Kaidan both saluted the captain in response.
"Aye, sir, I'll be in the mess if you need me," Ashley said as she and the others walked out of the room. Once everyone was gone, Anderson spoke up.
"Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Commander," Anderson said, "How are you holding up?"
"I don't like soldiers dying under my command," Shepard said, remembering Jenkins. Anderson put a hand on the commander's shoulder.
"What happened to Jenkins wasn't your fault. You did a good job, Shepard." Shepard then looked over at Ben and remembered that he and Ashley both met him on Eden Prime.
"Ben and Ashley aren't part of the Normandy crew," Shepard said.
"I figured we could use a soldier like Williams," Anderson replied, "She's been reassigned to the Normandy. I also added Mr. Tennyson to the crew. Despite his young age, he told me all of his past endeavors. With his past experience, he'll be a priceless addition to the Normandy."
"Williams is a good soldier, she deserves it," Shepard agreed.
"Mr. Tennyson and Lieutenant Alenko both agree with you," Anderson said, "That's why I added them to the crew." Then Shepard remembered the Geth attack.
"Intel dropped the ball, sir," Shepard said as he began to sneer at the memory, "We had no idea what we were walking into. That's why things went to hell."
"The Geth haven't been outside the Veil in almost three centuries, Commander," Anderson calmly replied, "Nobody could've predicted this."
"You said you wanted to see me and Ben in private, sir?" Shepard asked.
"I won't lie to you, Shepard," Anderson answered as he put his hands behind his back, "Things look bad. Nihlus is dead, the beacon was destroyed, and the Geth are invading. The Council is going to want answers."
"We didn't do anything wrong, Captain," Shepard stated, "Hopefully the Council will see that." Anderson turned to look at the wall.
"I'll stand behind you and your report, Shepard," Anderson said, "You're a damned hero in my books. But that's not why I'm here. It's about Saren, that other Turian. Saren's a SpecTRe, one of the best. But if he's working with the Geth, it means he's gone rogue." With that, Anderson told Shepard all the exact same things about Saren that he told Ben. When the captain mentioned the beacon, Ben spoke up.
"Shepard, we were both there right before the beacon blew," Ben said, "Did that thing show you anything we could use as evidence against this guy?" Shepard thought deeply for a moment before he spoke up.
"Just before I lost consciousness, I had some kind of vision," The commander replied.
"A vision? A vision of what?" Anderson asked.
"I saw synthetics. Geth, maybe," Shepard answered, "They were slaughtering people. Butchering them."
"We need to report this to the Council, Shepard," Anderson stated. Ben looked at the captain with a raised eyebrow.
"What exactly are we going to tell them, Captain? That the commander had a bad dream or something?" Ben asked.
"We don't know what information was stored in that beacon, Tennyson," Anderson replied as he looked at the teen, "Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some kind of ancient weapon of mass destruction, perhaps? Whatever it was, Saren took it. But I know Saren. I know his methods, his reputation, and his politics. He believes that humans are blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war! He's got the secrets from the beacon. He has an army of Geth under his command. And he won't stop until he's wiped humanity off the face of the galaxy!" Hearing this made Ben think of his archenemy, Vilgax again. The similarities between the two were now practically there in his face. Ben couldn't wait to see this guy in person so he could personally introduce him to Rath or Humungousaur.
"I'll find some way to take him down," A determined Shepard responded.
"It's not going to be that easy, Shepard," Anderson replied, "As a SpecTRe, Saren can go almost anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the Council on our side."
"But if we can find a way to prove he's gone rogue, the Council will revoke his SpecTRe status," Shepard hopefully suggested. Anderson nodded in agreement.
"I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council," the captain replied, "He'll want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel. We should be getting close. Head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us in to dock." Ben raised an eyebrow at this.
"What's the Citadel?" Ben asked. Anderson looked at him before he remembered Ben's story.
"Oh, that's right. You're not from around here," Anderson said, "The Citadel is a massive space station that serves as the heart of Council Space, believed to have been originally built long ago by the Protheans." Ben nodded at this new information and decided it would be better that he'd know it when he saw it. With a final nod, Anderson turned and walked out of the room. Once the captain was out of the room, Shepard turned to Ben with an inquisitive look on his face. Ben saw this and sighed internally.
"Let me guess, you want to know more about who I am and where I came from?" Ben jokingly asked. Shepard chuckled lightly in response.
"You guessed right, but it looks like we'll have to save that for another time," Shepard replied as they walked out of the medical bay. Upon exiting, they saw Ashley standing over by the mess area.
"Hey guys," The chief greeted in a tone that Ben knew sounded friendly, but was still guilt-stricken. Ben and Shepard both walked over to her.
"I'm glad you're okay, Commander," Ashley continued, "The crew could use some good news right now after what happened to Jenkins."
"Jenkins was a valuable part of this crew," Shepard agreed.
"Part of me feels guilty over what happened," Ashley said, "If he was still alive, I might not be here right now."
"You're a good soldier, Williams. You belong on the Normandy," Shepard reassured. Ben looked at Ashley and could've sworn that the chief was starting to blush.
"Thanks, Commander. That means a lot from you. I've never met anyone who was awarded the Star of Terra." While Shepard and Ashley continued their chat, Ben saw the doctor standing over by the entrance to the medical wing and walked over to her. Chakwas looked up from her data pad and saw him approaching.
"Yes, Mr. Tennyson, is there something you need?" The doctor asked.
"How did you end up serving on a ship like this?" Ben asked.
"I enlisted right out of medical school," Chakwas replied, "Earth always seemed boring to me, too safe, too secure. I figured the colonies were teeming with exotic adventures. I wanted to travel the stars, tending to the wounds of tough soldiers with piercing eyes and sensitive souls. Turns out military life isn't as romantic as I expected." Ben let out a chuckle at this.
"You know, I used to be the same way when I first got the Omnitrix as a kid," Ben replied as he showed the doctor the aforementioned device, "I just thought about all the noble heroics I could do with it, but then after a while, I learned that being a hero was not all about beating up bad guys and signing autographs." Chakwas raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like you learned quite a bit growing up, Mr. Tennyson," The doctor replied, "But humanity needs the Alliance to keep expanding through the Traverse, and the Alliance needs good doctors. So I stayed on to do my part."
"Did you ever feel like you made the wrong choice?" Ben couldn't help but ask.
"I have entertained the idea of opening a private practice on Earth on a few occasions," Chakwas answered, "Or maybe taking a position at one of the new med stations out in the colonies. But there's something special about working on soldiers. If I'd left the Alliance now, I'd feel like I was abandoning them." Ben nodded in understanding. His grandfather had just re-founded the Plumbers, and he had shown undying dedication to his recruits. The teen then grinned at the idea of Max and Dr. Chakwas sitting down and exchanging stories together.
"What do you think about Captain Anderson?" Ben asked, deciding to change the subject.
"I've served a few tours with him now," Chakwas replied, "He knows when to let things slide and when to crack the whip. The crew knows that he's seen pretty much anything they'll ever run into. And he cares about the people under his command."
"And what about Lieutenant Alenko?" Ben inquired.
"I'd never worked with him until now, but he has an impressive service record," Chakwas replied, "Over a dozen special commendations. But he tends to keep to himself, though. It's probably because of all his headaches. It's not easy being an L2." This raised Ben's curiosity.
"What's an L2?" Ben asked.
"Lieutenant Alenko is wired with one of the old L2 biotic implants, whereas soldiers nowadays have the upgraded L3," Chakwas explained, "The L2 is powerful, but there are some complications."
"What kind of complications? Ben inquired.
"Severe mental disabilities, insanity, crippling physical pain. There's a long list of horrific side effects. Kaidan's lucky, though. He just gets migraines." Ben looked over at Kaidan, who was now talking with Shepard, though it looked like their conversation was drawing to a close. The commander then left Kaidan and approached Ben and Chakwas.
"Hey Ben, come on, let's head up to the bridge," Shepard said as he gestured to the stairs. Ben nodded and bid the doctor farewell before they went up the stairs and to the CIC. After a quick word with Pressley, the two made their way up to the bridge, where they saw Joker entering a series of commands into the control console.
"Good timing, Commander. I was about to bring us into the Citadel," The pilot greeted, not looking away from his work for a second, "See all that taxpayer money at work." With that, Ben saw the ship closing in on what he assumed was a Mass Relay.
It was a strange-looking construct, almost looking like a floating key with two gyros surrounding a mass of blue energy inside it. Once Joker got the ship close enough, he steered it slightly to the right. What happened next astonished Ben, as the ship sailed next to the machine; the Relay coated it with sizzling blue energy and shot it forward in an azure flash. A short while later; the Normandy exited its jump, entering a violet cloud-like nebula. Once the ship exited the cloud, Ben saw something he'd know he would never forget: the Citadel itself. Anderson was right in saying that the station was massive. Not even the Plumber space stations back home were this big! The Citadel had five enormous rotating arms extending from a central ring, and Ben saw dozens, if not hundreds of ships flying to and from the station. The shape-shifting teen also saw what appeared to be lights all over the station, making it look more like a floating city rather than a space station. As they drew closer, Ben, along with Shepard, Ashley and Kaidan all went to the window for a better look.
"Look at the size of that ship!" Ashley said as she pointed over to a gigantic cross-shaped ship. Ben snickered a little. The chief looked like a kid in a museum right now.
"The Destiny Ascension, flagship of the Citadel fleet," Kaidan explained as they looked at the massive cruiser in front of them.
"Well, size isn't everything," Joker deadpanned from the cockpit.
"Why so touchy, Joker?" Ashley quipped.
"I'm just saying, you need firepower, too," The pilot replied.
"Look at that monster! Its main gun could tear through any barriers in the Alliance fleet!" Ashley retorted as she pointed at the Ascension's weapons.
"Good thing it's on our side, then," Kaidan said. A moment later, Joker flew within communications range of the station.
"Citadel control, this is SSV Normandy, requesting permission to land," Joker said, having done these procedures numerable times before.
"Stand by for clearance, Normandy," The docking agent said over the intercom, "Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator."
"Roger, Alliance tower. Normandy out," Joker responded. With that, Joker flew the ship right to one of the many docking stations on the Citadel. Once the ship was near, a voice went over the intercom.
"Normandy, this is Alliance tower. Please proceed to Dock 422." Upon command, the Normandy pulled up into the assigned dock, where magnetic docking clamps held it in place. Once the ship was docked, Shepard and the others, sans Ben, went back to the shuttle bay to change into their gear, while Anderson himself walked over to the bridge. Ben looked over and approached the captain.
"Looks like you weren't kidding about the Citadel being massive," Ben said. Anderson chuckled in response.
"I remember seeing it for the first time myself," Anderson replied, "To say I was in awe would be a huge understatement." A couple minutes later, Shepard and the others reported back up to the bridge in full combat gear. Once everyone was ready, Anderson led them through the airlock and onto the station before taking them to a skycar taxi that would take them to the Presidium.
…
After a ride through the Wards and into the Presidium, the five left the cab and walked over to the embassies. Upon entering, they saw a middle-aged man with graying hair shouting angrily at three holographic projections of different aliens.
"This is an outrage!" The man fumed, "The Council would step in if the Geth attacked a Turian colony!"
"The Turians don't set up colonies out on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador," The Salarian Councilor retorted.
"Humanity was well aware of the risks when they entered the Traverse," The Asari Councilor added, her voice sounding like a scolding mother. Ben watched the whole scene in front of him and sneered.
And this is exactly why I can't stand politicians, Ben thought as the argument continued.
"What about Saren? You can't just ignore a rogue SpecTRe! I demand action!" The ambassador argued.
"You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador," The Turian Councilor spat, his tone sounding almost contemptuous.
"Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren," The Asari Councilor said, "We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing, not before." With that, the holograms faded away, and Udina walked over to Anderson and the others.
"Captain Anderson, I see you brought half your crew with you," The ambassador said in an annoyed tone before he saw Ben, "And why the hell do you have a civilian with you? This young man has no business in militaristic or political affairs!" That sent Ben over the edge.
"For your information, Ambassador, I was part of the team on Eden Prime. If it weren't for me, the colony would've been destroyed, or worse, Shepard and his team might've been killed, so I've got every right to be here," Ben snapped. Before things could escalate further, Anderson stepped in between them.
"Tennyson was part of the ground team, Ambassador," The captain agreed, "I brought them with me in case you had any questions."
"I have the mission reports," Udina replied, his tone still irritated from Ben telling him off, "I assume they're accurate?"
"They are. Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience," Anderson said.
"They were not happy about it," Udina answered, "Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason."
"Saren's a threat to every human colony out there," Shepard said, "He needs to be stopped. The Council has to listen to us!"
"Settle down, Commander," Udina replied, "You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the SpecTRes. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove that you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!"
"That's Saren's fault, not his!" Anderson interjected.
"Then let's hope that the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations," Udina replied, "Otherwise, the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the SpecTRes. Come with me, Captain. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard, you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top Level. I'll make sure you and the others have clearance to get in." With that, Anderson and Udina left the office. Ashley looked on with an annoyed look on her face.
"And that's why I hate politicians," Ashley remarked.
"No argument there, Chief," Ben replied. With that, the four walked out of the office and back into the main lobby for the embassies.
"Alright, before we head over to the tower, I want to take Ben to a tech shop," Shepard said.
"Why?" Kaidan asked.
"So we can get Ben an Omni-tool," Shepard explained, "That way he can not only get used to the tech we have here, but so he can read up on our history as well." With that, they set off.
As they walked, Ben looked around the Presidium and saw quite a few different species of alien. This puzzled him, as there were only a small handful of species, whereas a space station in his home dimension would have dozens of different species, from Pyronites, to Tetramands, to Methanosians and even a Galvan or two. Eventually, they reached a shop that was run by an alien that almost looked like a pink floating jellyfish. The alien looked up (or Ben assumed it did since it didn't have visible eyes) and greeted them with a wave of its tentacle.
"Greetings, humans," The jellyfish said warmly, its body pulsing with some kind of light as it spoke, "This one welcomes you to its shop. Can it interest you in any supplies?" Shepard walked over to the counter and gestured over to Ben.
"We're here to purchase my friend here an Omni-tool," Shepard said. The jellyfish looked over at Ben, who also stepped up to the counter.
"You will be most pleased, human," It said as it gestured over to one of its supply shelves, "This one has an excellent variety of Omni-tool models to choose from." Ben looked at the shelf for a bit as he looked at the different types of Omni-tool.
This is even harder than getting a cell phone back home, Ben thought. After another minute of looking over the models, he pointed to one of them.
"I'll take that one," Ben said. The jellyfish reached over with its tentacle and expertly picked the item off of the shelf before it placed it on the counter.
"Excellent choice, human," The jellyfish said sincerely, "The Ariake model is one of the best Omni-tools for both maintaining shields and accessing computer databases. That will be 3000 credits." Shepard nodded and handed the jellyfish what looked like a credit card. The jellyfish swiped the card over a counting machine and gave it back to Shepard.
"Thank you," The jellyfish said, "Can this one interest you in anything else?"
"No thanks, that's all we needed," Shepard replied.
"Of course," The jellyfish responded, "This one wishes you a pleasant day and hopes you will return soon." With that, Shepard led them out of the shop and they sat down on a nearby bench.
"Well, that guy was really nice," Ben said as he began taking his new Omni-tool out of the box.
"Yeah, that's the trademark of the Hanar," Kaidan replied, "They're known for their excessive politeness." With that, Shepard and Kaidan both began teaching Ben how to use the new device, showing him things like how to activate it, how to access the "Extranet" and several other functions. After the lessons were done, Shepard led the others to the base of the Citadel Tower and into the access elevator. Once the elevator started going up, Ashley turned to Ben.
"So Ben, you have space stations like this back home?" The chief asked.
"Yeah, we have space stations, but none of them are this big," Ben replied, "But I am curious about something else."
"What is it?" Shepard asked.
"Back in my dimension, we have dozens of alien species coexisting with each other," Ben described, "But here, I've only seen half a dozen."
"Maybe evolution works differently in your dimension," Kaidan theorized, "I mean that 'Upgrade' thing looked like it was made of some kind of metal, so it could've been based on different amino acids."
"Actually, Upgrade is made of living metal," Ben replied, "His entire species, the Galvanic Mechamorphs, were all artificially created by Azmuth, who also made the Omnitrix." He then showed the three a hologram of Azmuth's species, the Galvans. However, Ben's explanation had thrown Ashley for a loop. Her entire unit was saved from a horde of relentless synthetics by an alien who was also a synthetic?! That was too much for her to wrap her head around. Before they could ask Ben another question, the elevator arrived at the top level. They exited the elevator and saw two Turians arguing at the top of the stairwell. Their conversation became clearer as they reached the top.
"Saren's hiding something," One Turian, this one in blue armor and with blue facial markings, insisted, "Give me more time. Stall them."
"Stall the Council?" The other Turian, this one wearing a dark blue uniform and with white facial markings, retorted in a deep voice, "Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus." With that, the Turian turned around and walked away, while the Turian known as "Garrus" turned and saw Shepard and his crew.
"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren," Garrus said.
"Who were you just talking to?" Shepard asked.
"That was Executor Pallin, head of C-Sec and my boss," Garrus replied, holding a bit of venom on that last part, "He'll be presenting my findings on Saren to the Council."
"Sounds like you really want to take this guy down," said Ben.
"I don't trust him," Garrus replied, "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a SpecTRe; every damn thing he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence."
"I think the Council is ready for us, Commander," Kaidan said. With a nod, Shepard and the others prepared to enter the Council's main audience chamber.
"Good luck, Shepard," Garrus said, "Maybe they'll listen to you." With that, Garrus headed toward the elevator while Shepard and the others headed up to the chamber. After walking through what appeared to be a courtyard inside the building (which Ben found a bit weird), they saw Anderson standing at the bottom of a staircase.
"The hearing has already started, come on," Anderson said as he led the others to a balcony where the hearing was taking place.
"The Geth attack on Eden Prime is a matter of some concern, but there is nothing to confirm that Saren was involved in any way," The Asari Councilor stated. Ben saw the Councilors standing on a platform above them with three consoles in front of them, and a huge hologram of Saren standing to his left. It took one look at the Turian to give Ben a bad vibe.
Just looking at the guy is making me think of Vilgax, Ben thought.
"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason," The Turian Councilor added.
"An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood," Udina growled.
"We've read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador," The Salarian Councilor countered, "The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling proof."
"I resent these accusations," Saren said over the hologram, "Nihlus was a fellow SpecTRe, and a friend."
"That just let you catch him off guard," Anderson shot back.
"Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false accusations against me," Saren said as he glowered at the humans before him, "And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed."
"You were the one who destroyed the beacon, then you tried to cover it up," Shepard retorted. Saren only chuckled.
"Shifting the blame to cover your own failures, just like Captain Anderson," Saren jeered, "He's taught you well. But what can you expect… from a human?"
"Saren despises humanity. That's why he attacked Eden Prime!" Shepard fired back.
"Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard," Saren contemptuously argued, "You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the SpecTRes."
"He has no right to say that! That's not his decision!" Udina shouted.
"Shepard's admission into the SpecTRes is not the purpose of this meeting," The Asari Councilor agreed.
"This meetinghas no purpose," Saren said, "The humans are wasting your time, Councilor. And mine."
"And what is this we also read about a 'teenage shape-shifter'?" The Turian Councilor barked.
"Surely the humans must be trying to bring me down with their fantasies, Councilor," Saren said. This gave Ben his opportunity to prove them all wrong. Brushing past Shepard and the others, Ben determinedly raised up the Omnitrix.
"Let's see what you think about these 'fantasies' now," Ben snapped as he turned the alien dial and slammed it down, blinding the Councilors in a flash of green light. Even Saren flinched. A second later, a voice rang out.
"CHROMASTONE!" When the light faded, everyone saw a 7-foot-tall alien whose body was made of violet rock-like crystals, with magenta crystals making up its face, shoulder spikes, hands, and horn on its head. It also had a single green eye in the middle of its face. Words could not adequately describe the looks of shock and surprise on both the Council and Saren's faces. Then, to drive the point even further, Ben pressed the symbol on Chromastone's chest and reverted back to his human form.
"Does that prove anything to support those claims?" Ben said as he folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. The Asari Councilor was the first to regain her composure.
"We can discuss that topic at a later time," She said, shock still present on her face.
"Saren's just hiding behind his position as a SpecTRe," Shepard stated, "You need to open your eyes!"
"What we need is evidence, but so far we've seen nothing," retorted the Salarian Councilor.
"There is still one outstanding issue: Commander Shepard's vision," Anderson stated, "It may have been triggered by the beacon."
"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now?" Saren asked, "How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?"
"I agree," The Turian Councilor said, "Our judgment must be based on facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation."
"Do you have anything else to add, Commander Shepard?" The Salarian Councilor asked. Shepard looked the Councilor in the eye, and knew that he was defeated.
"You've made your decision," Shepard conceded, "I won't waste my breath." The Councilors looked over at each other and came to a decision.
"The Council has found no evidence to support the connection between Saren and the Geth," The Asari Councilor stated, "Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the SpecTRes is denied."
"I'm glad to see that justice was served," Saren said triumphantly as his hologram faded out.
"This meeting is adjourned," The Asari Councilor said. Everyone turned and left the podium and headed back down the staircase. Anderson led them to the courtyard in the middle of the room.
"It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain," Udina said, "You and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives."
"I know Saren," Anderson stated, "He's working with the Geth for one reason: to exterminate the entire human race. Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth isn't safe." Just then, Udina's Omni-tool began blinking, and when the ambassador opened it, he was quite surprised.
"It seems that the council wishes to have a private audience with our shape-shifting friend here," Udina said as he read the message. Ben raised an eyebrow and looked over at Shepard's team.
"Go on, Ben," Shepard said, "We'll take care of this." With a nod, Ben proceeded up the stairs to where they just had their meeting. There, he found the Salarian Councilor standing in front of the balcony with his arms folded.
"Follow me," The aged Salarian said, "We wish to talk with you in our private chamber." With that, the Councilor led Ben down a series of corridors before reaching a door with special security measures on it, which Ben immediately assumed was the Council's private meeting room. After the Salarian Councilor performed the security procedures, the two entered the room to find the Turian and Asari Councilors inside. The Asari Councilor approached them first.
"Welcome," She said warmly as she and Ben shook hands, "That was quite the spectacle you showed us at the hearing, and I do apologize for my colleague's rash behavior. I am Councilor Tevos of the Asari, and these are Councilors Sparatus of the Turians and Valern of the Salarians. But before we begin our discussion, we'd like to know your name, and where you come from." Ben's face remained stoic, but in his eyes, he knew that while the Councilor was being friendly to him, it was only so she could try and get him to spill any dark secrets he might be hiding. However, Ben couldn't turn down an opportunity to learn more about this dimension, so he decided to play along.
"I guess that's fair," Ben replied, "My name is Ben Tennyson, and I was born in Bellwood. It's a small city on Earth." Just then, Sparatus spoke up.
"And what exactly was that creature you transformed into?" He inquired. He saw how Ben used that little device on his wrist to change, and thanks to his military background, the Councilor knew a potentially dangerous weapon when he saw one.
"That was Chromastone, one of several dozen different aliens that I can change into using the Omnitrix," Ben replied as he showed them the device. Valern spoke up next.
"I don't recall seeing a species like that before, not even in the records in the archives," He said, "And how do you know its name?"
"Chromastone is a Crystalsapien," Ben explained, "In fact, his DNA sample came from the only Crystalsapien in existence. His name is Sugilite, guardian of the planet Petropia. As for the name, it's something I came up with myself. I've named every one of my alien forms." Tevos stared at him with a puzzled look on her face.
"Forgive my confusion, Mr. Tennyson, but I don't think I've ever heard of such a planet before in my life," She said.
"That's because Petropia, and every other one of my aliens' home worlds, aren't even in this dimension," Ben replied, "And neither am I for that matter." It was at this revelation that Valern's jaw practically scraped the floor. Sparatus, however, laughed at the notion.
"That's absurd," the Turian scoffed, "There's no such thing as inter-dimensional travel." Ben then got a smug grin on his face.
"How about I prove it?" the teenager offered, "Do you have a map of the galaxy around here?" Valern nodded and pulled up the galaxy map on their private terminal. Ben walked over to it, held up the Omnitrix and spoke into it.
"Omnitrix, pull up the Tetramand home world Khoros," he demanded. The device did so, and once the planet and its galactic coordinates were displayed, Ben typed them into the galaxy map to see if it was there, and after a five-second search, the terminal came back with negative results. Ben did the same procedure with Petropia; the Highbreed home world Augstaka; and the Conductoid home world Teslavorr, but again found no match results for any of them. Ben turned back to the Councilors with a triumphant grin.
"I think I've made my point," The shape-shifter stated. If Turians could blush, then Sparatus would be beet-red by now.
"You expect us to believe you simply because of a few maps?" He retorted. "Those could easily have been falsified in some attempt to fool us." Ben shrugged his shoulders. Sparatus' argument was reasonable but Ben had told them nothing but the truth and he was sticking to it. While Sparatus was convinced Ben was trying to deceive the Council, his experience in the court let him know that he was fighting a losing battle in getting the human to confess.
"Aside from these outlandish claims," He went on, "One question still stands: how did you come to obtain this device?" Ben groaned inwardly. He knew that this question was inevitably going to be asked.
"I got the first model of the Omnitrix when I was ten years old," Ben explained, "I was out on a camping trip with my grandpa and my cousin, and I was out on a walk in the woods when I saw a weird meteor heading in my direction. After seeing it fly overhead and crash, I decided to investigate it. When I got to the spot where it crashed, I saw some kind of pod in the middle of the crater. It opened up, and the Omnitrix sat inside it. When I bent down to pick it up and get a closer look at it, the device just leapt up on its own and clamped down on my wrist. And since then, my life had been completely turned upside down." The Council was completely baffled by this explanation. This young man was only a child when he received this kind of power? Sparatus was about to say something that Ben only guessed was going to be about how a human should not be able to use that much power at such a young age, because Ben promptly cut him off with narrowed eyes.
"And before you start anything, Councilor," Ben said, "I'm not giving this thing up for two reasons. One: the Omnitrix is completely bonded to my DNA, and only responds to my commands. Two: I get what you're trying to do. You want me to surrender the Omnitrix just because I'm a human, don't you? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but that's not going to happen any time soon." By the time Ben finished his little rant, the Councilor's jaw was hanging so wide open that it almost looked dislocated.
This kid can read people like a data-pad, Valern thought, Then again, I'm also getting tired of Councilor Sparatus' attitude toward humans myself. Just then, Tevos approached Ben.
"I think I can settle this before any more intensity rises," She said before looking Ben in the eye, "Have you ever experienced a mind-melding before?"
"If you mean telepathically joining our minds together so we can exchange memories, then yeah, I've had an experience like that before," Ben thoroughly answered. With a nod, Tevos placed a hand on each of Ben's shoulders and took a deep breath.
"Relax, Mr. Tennyson," She softly muttered, "Embrace eternity." With that, the Councilor's eyes turned black as her pupils dilated, and Ben found himself and Tevos both standing in a black void. A light shined to Ben's left, and the teenager saw a white form engulf them both. A few minutes later, the two separated, and Tevos began breathing heavily, as though she just completed a strenuous exercise. After regaining her composure, she turned to the others and gave a nod.
"Mr. Tennyson is indeed telling the truth," She said matter-of-factly, "He has not only proven himself a very capable warrior with that device, but also a selfless young man who knows the responsibilities of that device and puts the lives and needs of others before his own. His people in his dimension even declare him as a hero." Ben approached them.
"Is it also possible that I can get a copy of this galaxy's history?" asked Ben, "Since I'm going to be here helping out Commander Shepard, I need to know my way around here. Otherwise I'll be just dead weight." The Council then quietly debated amongst themselves for a moment before making a decision and turning back to Ben.
"Very well," Tevos said, "We will transfer data on all unclassified significant events and people throughout our history. Once you're done looking it over, we will continue our discussion." With that, Sparatus and Valern typed a series of commands into their Omni-tools before Ben's own Omni-tool started blinking. Nodding appreciatively, Ben turned and walked over to a private section of the room and turned on the Omni-tool.
As he read, Ben learned the names of the different species in the galaxy. Apart from humans, there were also the Asari, Turians and Salarians, all of which he had met. Among them were also the Hanar (that jellyfish alien that sold him the Omni-tool), the Volus (short, rotund aliens that lived in specialized suits), the Drell (a humanoid reptilian species that the Hanar saved from extinction), the Elcor (large, four-legged aliens that spoke in monotone voices), the Quarians (a nomadic race that lived on a "Migrant Fleet" and were the ones responsible for the creation of the Geth), the Krogan (a large dinosaur-like species that defeated a race called the Rachni), the Batarians (a race of four-eyed aliens that despised humans with a passion) and the Vorcha (a semi-primitive species that were extremely adaptable). Then Ben started reading about the history of the galaxy, but while he was scanning through the many events that took place, he got a feeling that something was missing. Raising the Omnitrix, Ben pressed the dial down and selected Upgrade, merging with a nearby terminal and scanning through it.
…
It had been almost a half an hour since Ben had left to read the information the Council had sent him. As the seconds ticked by, Tevos had to pinch the bridge of her nose as she listened to Sparatus and Valern argue over how unstable Ben could possibly be with the Omnitrix. Sparatus argued that Ben was dangerous and could potentially destroy them all with the device, while Valern countered by saying that he was benevolent and responsible with it, based on the memories that Tevos witnessed when she and Ben melded minds. The argument would've intensified had the three not heard a door opening and saw Ben leaving the private area of the room, his face looking absolutely livid.
"I trust you are now familiar with our galactic history, Mr. Tennyson?" Valern inquired, though his left eye slightly twitching hinted that the aged Salarian knew what Ben really did.
"Yeah, I am, and I don't like being lied to," Ben replied, his voice almost seething anger, "I noticed that something was off about the data you gave me, so I did a little digging, and I did not like what I found. Unleashing a sterility plague on the Krogan? Denying the Quarians the right to an embassy and a colony world just for creating the Geth, even though anyone involved in the incident is now long dead? Sitting by and doing nothing while thousands of humans were either murdered or abducted by Batarians after saying that they "knew the risk?!" Tell me something, do you always keep new arrivals in the dark like this, or am I just one of the lucky ones?" The Council stared at the teenager in awe, the color practically draining from their faces. Before any of them could even try to give an answer, Tevos' Omni-tool began beeping. Releasing a held sigh of relief, she activated the device and saw that she had a message from Udina.
"Seems like Shepard has managed to find something relating to his case against Saren," She said as the other Councilors looked at her, "We should head back up to the briefing room." With that, the four left the private room, with Ben giving them steely glares the whole time, and walked back to the main audience room, where Ben saw Udina entering. Breaking off from the Council, Ben walked over to the ambassador with a hopeful look on his face.
"So what did Shepard find out there?" Ben asked as the ambassador opened up his Omni-tool.
"A recording that proves Saren is indeed working with the Geth," Udina replied, "I'm about to present the evidence now." With a nod, the teenager followed him to the same room that they had the hearing in earlier. Once everyone was in his or her places, Udina looked the Council in the eye and spoke.
"Thank you for coming to this, Councilors," The ambassador said, "Hopefully this new piece of evidence will change your minds." With that, Udina opened his Omni-tool and played the recording, the sounds echoing throughout the room.
"Eden Prime was a major victory!" The recording of Saren's voice said, "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."
"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," A second voice, this one female, added. Ben looked behind him and saw Anderson leading Shepard and his team, which the teen saw had gained three new members, up to the balcony.
"You wanted proof, there it is," proclaimed a triumphant Udina.
"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador," Sparatus said, "Saren will be stripped of his SpecTRe status, and all efforts will be made to bring him in for his crimes." Tevos looked over at him.
"I recognize that other voice, the one speaking with Saren," She said, "It's Matriarch Benezia."
"Who's she?" Shepard inquired. Ben was also interested. If Saren had an ally, then this would spell trouble for Shepard and the others.
"Matriarchs are powerful Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives," Tevos explained, "Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she has many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren."
"I'm more interested in the Reapers," Valern said, "What do you know about them?"
"Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core," answered Anderson, "The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans, and then they vanished."
"The Geth believe the Reapers are gods, and Saren is the prophet for their return," Shepard added.
"We think the Conduit is the key to bringing them back," Anderson said, "Saren is looking for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime."
"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" Valern asked."
"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers," Shepard replied, "That's bad enough."
"Listen to what you're saying!" Sparatus interjected, "Saren wants to bring back ancient machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible! It has to be."
"That's what you said earlier about my abilities, Councilor," Ben countered, smirking at the way the Turian tensed at the remark.
"That's not the same as before," Sparatus argued, "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." Shepard narrowed his eyes at the Councilor.
"I tried to warn you about Saren before and you didn't believe me," The commander snapped, "Don't make the same mistake again."
"This is different," Tevos calmly countered, "You proved Saren is a traitor and is working with the Geth to find the Conduit, but we don't know why."
"The reapers are obviously just a myth," Valern added, "A convenient lie to cover up Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bend the Geth to his will." By this point, Shepard was beginning to lose patience.
"Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers destroyed all galactic civilization," Shepard argued, "If Saren finds the Conduit, it'll happen again!"
"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life," Sparatus retorted, "He no longer has the rights and resources of a SpecTRe. The Council has stripped him of his position."
"That is not good enough!" Udina said, "You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!"
"A fleet cannot track down one man," Valern replied.
"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region," Udina reasoned, "Keep the Geth from attacking more of our colonies."
"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems!" Sparatus argued, "We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies."
"Every time humanity asks for help, you just sit by and ignore us!" Shepard retorted. Ben joined in on this.
"Like when the Batarians attacked Elysium," Ben said, remembering what he read earlier, "Thousands were slaughtered or kidnapped by pirates and slavers. The Alliance begged you for help, but you stood by and watched."
"Shepard and Tennyson are right," Udina said, "I'm sick of this Council and its anti-human bull-"
"Ambassador!" Tevos said, cutting off Udina's rant, "There is another solution. A way to stop Saren without a way to stop Saren that does not require fleets or armies."
"No, it's too soon!" Sparatus argued, "Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the SpecTRes." Shepard, however, saw reason Tevos' case.
"You don't have to send in a fleet and the ambassador gets his human SpecTRe," Shepard argued, "Everyone wins." After a moment of contemplation and a nod of approval, the Council typed something into their consoles.
"Commander Shepard, step forward," Tevos instructed. The commander did so and stood before the Council. The room suddenly seemed to grow silent as everyone inside, not just the people with Shepard, came in to watch. After a moment, Tevos spoke up again.
"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."
"SpecTRes are not trained, but chosen," Valern added, reciting his part of the induction creed, "Individuals forged in the fires of service and battle. Those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file."
"SpecTRes are an ideal, a symbol," Tevos said as she recited her piece, "The embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, the instruments of our will."
"SpecTRes bear a great burden," Sparatus added his piece, "They are the protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."
"You are the first human SpecTRe, Commander," Tevos said, "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species." Shepard bowed his head in gratitude.
"I'm honored, Councilor," He said.
"We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren," Valern instructed, "He's a fugitive of justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."
"I'll find him, Councilor," Shepard said with newfound determination.
"This meeting with the Council is adjourned," Tevos said. As the Council walked away and the room cleared out, Anderson approached Shepard and shook his hand.
"Congratulations, Commander," The captain said. Ben also shook his hand.
"Nice going," He said, "Now our race is one step up from what we used to be."
"We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard," Udina said as he placed a hand on his chin in contemplation, "You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies…"
"You'll get access to special equipment and training now," Anderson said, "You should go down to the C-Sec academy and talk to the SpecTRe requisitions officer."
"Anderson, come with me," Udina said as he looked at the captain, "I'll need all your help to set all this up." With that, the two left the room, while Shepard and Ben looked at their team.
"Humph, the bastard didn't even congratulate you," The large alien, which Ben remembered as a Krogan, said in a deep gruff voice.
"What do you expect from a politician?" Shepard rhetorically asked, "Come on." With that, the seven left the briefing room and met at the bottom of the stairs. When they were there, Shepard looked over at Ben.
"We got a few new members in our pursuit for the evidence," Shepard explained as he introduced Ben to each of the new alien crew members, "You obviously remember Garrus." Ben nodded as he and the aforementioned Turian shook hands.
"Good to be working with you guys," Garrus said, "Shepard told me a bit about your abilities." Shepard then introduced Ben to the Quarian.
"This is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Shepard introduced, "She's the one who was able to give us that evidence against Saren."
"Is it true that you turned into some kind of creature in front of the Council?" Tali asked in a voice that was synthesized by her suit's mouthpiece.
"Yeah, that was me," Ben said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "They thought it wasn't true, so I proved them wrong." Shepard then showed the teen to the Krogan.
"This is Urdnot Wrex, a Krogan bounty hunter who helped us save Tali."
"Sounds like this job just got a lot more interesting," Wrex said as he looked into Ben's eyes, "Shepard told me about your little mission on Eden Prime. If he's right, then we'll take Saren down in no time." After the introductions were made, Shepard spoke up.
"Alright, here's the plan," Shepard said, "We're about to head out on a dangerous mission and won't likely be seeing any sign of civilization for a while. So go out, get what you need, then meet back up at C-Sec Academy." With that, everyone branched off to go get the items they needed. Garrus went with Kaidan and Tali, while Wrex went off on his own, leaving Shepard with Ben and Ashley. As the three prepared to go to the elevators, Ashley saw an Alliance officer at a terminal, and judging from his body language, it looked like he wasn't simply talking with his family back home. Shepard saw it too, as the three went over to the officer.
"No, I'm waiting to speak with one of the Councilor's assistants," The officer said before he turned and saw Shepard and his crewmates, "Congratulations on becoming the first human SpecTRe, Commander. I'm sure you'll be up to the challenge." Shepard and the officer shook hands.
"I appreciate that," The commander replied.
"My name is Admiral Kahoku," The officer said, "It's about time the Alliance got one of our own in with the SpecTRes. We need people like you to deal with our… problems."
"Is something wrong, sir?" Ben asked.
"I'm just getting stonewalled by bureaucratic assholes," Kahoku replied, "Nothing new. Maybe you can help me, Shepard. One of my recon teams was investigating some strange activity out in the Traverse. We lost contact yesterday. Now I can't get clearance to check it out. It's suddenly become a restricted area. But that doesn't apply to you, Shepard. SpecTRes can go anywhere they want. You could find out why my team dropped out of contact." Shepard nodded without hesitation.
"We'll find them, Admiral," Shepard said.
"I appreciate that, Commander," Kahoku replied, "I was running out of options. I'm going to stay here and see if I can find anything out through official channels. Won't hold my breath, though. I'll upload the info on where my team was last seen to your ship. Maybe you can get some answers." After Kahoku uploaded the data to Shepard's Omni-tool, the commander shook hands with him one final time before leading his team back toward the lift. On the way, Shepard looked back to Ashley.
"Is there something you need while we're getting our equipment, Chief?" Shepard asked.
"Nothing big, just some new mods for my weapons," Ashley replied, "Mine are already worn out from Eden Prime. What about you, Shepard?"
"I'll look and see what I need at the C-Sec academy," Shepard answered, "In the meantime, do you remember that shop we passed by in the lower wards while looking for Tali? The one owned by a Salarian? I'm taking Ben there so we can get him some armor." This left Ashley confused.
"Aren't Ben's aliens bulletproof or something?" She asked.
"That's only when he changes," Shepard replied before explaining, "But when we were on Eden Prime, I noticed that Ben always had to hide behind something before transforming. For example, when he turned into the fire alien, he was hiding behind Kaidan to do it because of the shielding in his armor. In his human form, Ben has no armor, no biotics, not even shielding. When we get him a suit of combat armor, at least he can be protected while he selects a form." Ben was quite impressed at Shepard's insight. Did he really make it that obvious on Eden Prime?
"I guess that would make sense in combat," Ben said, "Back home, I didn't have to go against a lot of guys with guns, since most of my opponents were either monsters or alien warmongers. At least here, I can adapt to a new style of combatting bullets." With that, the three walked to the elevator and stepped inside, taking the next ride down to the Presidium. After a long ride down, Shepard led the other two over to a transit platform, where he summoned a cab that would take them to the wards. One short ride later, Ben found himself looking at a bustling street lined with dozens of people, all of whom had somewhere they needed to go. It reminded Ben a lot of New York back home.
"The shop is down in the lower wards," Shepard said as he led Ben and Ashley in the direction he was pointing. As they walked, Ben saw a man with blond hair and a small beard that was looking in their general direction. The teen didn't even have to think about it to recognize a fan when he saw one.
"Hey Shepard, I think you've got someone who wants to see you," Ben said with a smirk. Shepard looked over where Ben was pointing and saw the same man. Figuring it wouldn't hurt to talk to him, Shepard walked over to him. Upon seeing him, the man beamed.
"You're Commander Shepard, the hero of Eden Prime!" the man said excitedly, "I am so honored to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you," Shepard replied as he shook hands with the man, "And you are…?"
"My name is Conrad. Conrad Verner," The man replied, "They say that you killed over a hundred Geth on Eden Prime!" Shepard couldn't help but feel a bit sheepish at this.
"I spent most of my time there just trying to stay alive and help the colonists," He said. Just then, Conrad took out a pen and notepad.
"Hey, I know you're probably busy, but do you have time for a quick autograph?" asked Conrad. Without a second thought, Shepard took the pad and signed his name on it before handing it back to Conrad. Conrad beamed with happiness.
"Thanks. I really appreciate it," He said as he put the pad in his pocket, "My wife is going to be so impressed. I'll let you get back to work, but next time you hit Earth, I'd love to buy you a drink. Thanks again!" With that, Conrad went on his merry way, leaving Shepard with a confused look on his face and Ben and Ashley trying not to laugh.
"Damn, Skipper, didn't know you had a soft spot for fanboys," Ashley teased as Shepard looked back over at them. Ben burst out laughing.
"Hey, he should consider himself lucky," Ben said between breaths when he finished laughing, "He's just got one of them. I have thousands of screaming fans back home."
"Seriously?" Ashley asked.
"Yeah, it was fun at first, what with all the recognition and attention, but then all the birthday party appearances and blind dates started getting annoying really fast," Ben replied as he started remembering the later days of his stardom back home, "It seemed like I didn't have any privacy anymore." Ashley then looked back at Shepard.
"So, Shepard, which way to the shop again?"
"Just down those stairs in the lower wards," Shepard answered, "Let's get going." With that, the three went on to a lower level of the ward they were at, where they saw even more shops, kiosks and even a few foods stands. Already knowing where he wanted to go, Shepard led the other two down to a small shop down at the end of the street next to another transit terminal. When entering, the Salarian shop owner greeted them with a wide smile.
"Hello there, and welcome to Morlan's famous shop," Morlan said, "You want many good supplies, yes?" Ben and Ashley stepped up to the counter.
"Show us what you have," Ashley said as she looked at some of the displayed items.
"Oh, you will be pleased, I think," Morlan said as he rubbed his hands together, "Many good things I have, you will see." Ashley went first and bought a cooling module for her assault rifle, a new scope for her sniper rifle and some modded rounds for her pistol and shotgun, paying a fee of 5000 credits. After she moved aside, Shepard walked up next to Ben and looked Morlan in the eye.
"Do you have any armors for humans?" Shepard asked.
"Of course, human," Morlan gleefully answered, "I have an excellent variety of combat armor in stock. Pick out whatever you like." Shepard and Ben looked throughout the different armor models on the search terminal before the two came to an agreement on a suit of light Onyx armor, the same model that Kaidan wore. Morlan went to the back and brought out a large box, which Ben presumed had the armor inside. Shepard paid for the armor, which was surprisingly cheap at 2500 credits, and requested it be delivered to the Normandy. Once the transaction was complete, the three walked out of the shop and headed for the transit station. But as they walked, Ashley thought of something.
"You know, I can't help but wonder, but how exactly is Ben going to be able to transform in combat if his armor is covering that device?" she asked.
"The same way I normally do," Ben answered as she and Shepard looked at him, "When Azmuth created the Omnitrix, he added a feature that allowed the device to phase through anything covering it so I could use it. So, for instance, if I was wearing a spacesuit and needed to change into an alien, I would still be able to do so." With that, they called a cab to the C-Sec academy. Upon arrival, Shepard already saw Wrex waiting for them.
"Alright guys, wait here with Wrex while I go to the SpecTRe requisitions office," Shepard said as he walked off, while Ben and Ashley walked over to the aforementioned Krogan. A few minutes later, Kaidan's group arrived to the academy and joined them.
"So, where'd Shepard go?" Tali asked.
"He went to the SpecTRe shop to see what they had," Ben replied. A short while later, Shepard returned to the group holding a box in his hands.
"What's in the box, Commander?" Kaidan asked.
"A SpecTRe-class Omni-tool," Shepard replied, "I looked at some of the other things they had, but most of them were rather expensive, so I made best with what I could actually afford." With that, the group went up the elevator leading to the docks. The ride was long and cramped, especially with Wrex inside it, but eventually, they made it to the top. Once they exited, they saw Anderson and Udina talking just outside the Normandy. When Shepard approached them, Udina saw him and spoke up.
"Shepard, I've got big news," The ambassador said, "Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now." Anderson looked at Shepard and nodded.
"She's quick and quiet, and you know the crew," The now-former captain explained, "Perfect ship for a SpecTRe. Treat her well, Commander." Shepard nodded.
"I'll take care of her, sir," The commander replied.
"I know you will, Commander," Anderson said. As the two exchanged words, Ben couldn't help but feel that something was off about Anderson.
"Why are you really stepping down, Captain?" Ben asked.
"As a SpecTRe, Shepard needed his own ship," Anderson explained, "SpecTRes answer to no one but the Council, and it's also time for me to step down." Shepard also wanted to know something.
"Come clean with me, Captain. You owe me that much."
"I was in your shoes 20 years ago, Shepard," Anderson said, "The Council had considered me for the SpecTRes."
"Why didn't you ever mention this?" Ben asked.
"What was I supposed to say?" Anderson retorted, "'I could've been a SpecTRe but I blew it?' I failed, Commander. It's something I'm not proud of. Ask me later and I'll tell you the whole story. But for now, all you need to know is that I was sent on a mission with Saren, and he made sure the Council rejected me. I had my shot, but it came and went. Now you and your crew have a chance to make up for my mistakes." Hearing this made anger swirl inside of Ben. Saren screwed up humanity's chance at finally being seen as equals in the galaxy?! That was just another thing he would make sure Saren paid for.
"Saren won't be getting away this time," Shepard said.
Practically read my mind, Ben thought.
"Saren is gone. Don't even try to find him," Anderson said, "But we know what he's after: the Conduit. He has his Geth searching all over the Traverse for it."
"We received reports that the Geth were spotted in the Feros system shortly before our colony there went dark," Udina said, "And there have been reported sightings on Noveria as well."
"Find out what Saren was after in those systems, Shepard," Anderson instructed, "Maybe you can figure out where the conduit is before he does."
"The Reapers are still the real threat, sir," Shepard said.
"I have to side the Council on that one, Shepard," Udina replied, "I'm not even sure they exist."
"But if they do exist, then the Conduit is the key to bringing them back," Anderson said, "Stop Saren from getting the Conduit and we stop the Reapers from returning."
"We'll stop him," Shepard said with newfound determination. Anderson nodded in response.
"We have one more lead, Shepard," Udina added, "Matriarch Benezia, the other voice from the recording? She has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the Protheans. We don't know if she's involved, but it would be a good idea to find her. See what she knows. Her name is Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. We have reports that she was exploring a dig site on one of the uncharted worlds in the Artemis Tau cluster." Shepard thought over the ambassador's words, then looked over at Ben, who also had a contemplative look on his face, before the two nodded, as if knowing the other was thinking.
"Sounds like we should head for the Artemis Tau cluster," Shepard said.
"It's your decision, Shepard," Anderson said, "You're a SpecTRe now. You don't answer to us."
"But your actions reflect on humanity as a whole," Udina reminded, "You make a mess and I get stuck cleaning it up."
"We'll take care of Saren, you just worry about the political fallout," Shepard argued.
"Not quite the answer I was looking for, Shepard," Udina replied, "Remember, you were a human long before you were a SpecTRe. Now I have a meeting to get to. Captain Anderson can answer any questions you might have." With that, Udina turned and walked toward the elevator and left.
After spending a few more minutes talking with Anderson, Shepard and his crew walked onto the Normandy. Once the standard decontamination process was completed, everyone entered the CIC, where the team split up and headed to different areas. Garrus went down to the shuttle bay, Tali went to the engineering room, Kaidan went to the medical bay and Wrex and Ashley went to the galaxy map. Shepard and Ben, meanwhile, went up to the cockpit with Joker.
"I heard what happened to Captain Anderson," The pilot said, "Survives a hundred battles, and then he gets taken down by backroom politics. Just watch your back, Shepard. Things go south, you'll be next on the chopping block." Shepard looked down at Joker.
"Captain Anderson should be the one in charge of this," He said, "It feels like I'm stealing the ship from him."
"Yeah, the captain got screwed," Joker replied, "But it's not you could've stopped it. Besides, no one's blaming you. Everyone on this ship is behind you, Commander, one hundred percent. Anyway, the intercom is open. If you want to say a few words to the crew, now is your chance." Shepard leaned over and pressed the intercom button.
"This is Commander Shepard speaking," Shepard said, his voice radiating confidence, "We have our orders: find Saren before he finds the Conduit and stop him. I won't lie to you, crew. This mission isn't going to be easy. This began with an attack on a human settlement in the Traverse. But we know that Saren won't stop there. His Geth armies aren't going to stay out in the far fringes of Citadel space. For too long our species has stood apart from the rest, but now it's time for us to step up and do our part for the rest of the galaxy! It's time to show them what humans are made of! Our enemy knows we're coming. When we go into the traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them, too. Humanity needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you… we will stop him!" With that, Shepard released the intercom button and stood up.
"Well said, Commander," Joker said, "The captain would be proud." Shepard turned around and started walking away.
"The captain gave up everything so I could have this chance," He said, "We can't fail!"
"Yes, sir!" Joker confidently replied. Ben smiled as his new XO left the area. This mission was certainly going to be an interesting one.
…
It's done! It's finally done! Chapter 3 is finally completed! I'm sorry for keeping everyone waiting, but there were a lot of things I had to work with while I was writing. But now that that's all out of the way, I have something depressing to share with you all. Maggie, my dog and best friend for 13 ½ years, had to be put down a few days ago due to liver failure and protein deficiency. It was a sad day for all of us. It's something I'm going to need time to cope with. I just can't believe she's gone. But on the bright side, now I have someone to actually write for.
RIP, Maggie (2002-2015).
As always, read, enjoy and review!
