-=ME:E=-
Looking out on the stars, Garrus couldn't help but reflect on how space was where it all started to go downhill for him. He was a part of the team that defeated Saren and stopped the reaper threat, a member of Shepard's team. Then one day, patrolling for geth their ship was destroyed and Shepard killed. It wasn't enough that he had lost a good friend and mentor, the Council downplayed everything that they had fought for. They were pushed to the side by political maneuvers like pieces on the board of some larger game. Then all of his friends were either reassigned or went back to their homes, they hadn't kept in contact. It wasn't like he could blame them, he hadn't tried to keep up with any of them since the attack either, he was too caught up in his own grief.
He had gone back to C-Sec, walked his old beat for a time, and applied for Spectre training just as he had talked about with Shepard. He was eventually promoted to the Investigation division and even worked with Detective Chellick, one of their top officers, on a handful of cases. Things had gone well, and he played it by the book for that first year, but the bureaucracy began to wear on him. There was a brief respite when he was accepted for Spectre training, which turned out to be an evaluation by a Council Spectre.
The Spectre was an asari in her matron stage who took Garrus on several combat missions against pirates and slavers. They didn't talk much, he couldn't even remember her name now, but she allowed him to make the plans and decisions in their operations. The missions took him back to the days with Shepard and his team, and many of the strategies he took from then worked perfectly. His years in the turian military and C-Sec combined with the months he spent at Shepard's side ensured that the operations went by flawlessly. After the evaluation he returned to his investigations on the Citadel and back to all of the red tape that prevented him from outright apprehending his suspects.
That taste of freedom from the regulations and protocols of C-Sec made him reckless and it made watching suspects go about their business when he knew they were guilty even harder. During one interrogation he had gotten especially rough with the suspect, even broke his arm, and he was suspended from duty. In the end the suspect, a salarian accused of murder, got away while he was on suspension and it was, according to that human phrase, "the straw that broke the camel's back." He didn't know what a camel was, but the metaphor sounded right.
He had left the Citadel to track the murderer and eventually found him on Omega, trying to join up with the Eclipse mercenaries. Garrus had killed the mercenaries, knowing that to wear their uniforms they had to commit a murder. Then he interrogated the salarian, who confessed rather quickly, but he had only wanted it for his conscience. After he mete out his own justice upon the criminal he spent a few days on the station. Those days showed him the terrible amounts of crime and corruption on the station, the strong preying on the weak. To him his career in C-Sec was over, and any possible nominations for Spectre candidacy died when he was suspended. He had nowhere to go and the injustices that cried at him from every corner of Omega needed to be righted.
At first he started small, breaking up robberies and fights, protecting the innocent from the corrupt. Then he moved on to larger targets, small gangs and racketeering operations, cleaning up the streets of Omega. He sustained himself on the supplies he took from the gangs and destroyed any contraband. He had been going at it alone for a month before he was approached by a younger turian named Sidonis who had called him Archangel. Apparently he was very popular with some of the locals.
Sidonis wanted to join him, to take the fight back to the criminals of Omega. At first Garrus was ready to turn him away, but when he considered how careful he was to cover his tracks after each job he had to admit that the kid had skills if he was able to track him down. He accepted Sidonis's help reluctantly, he wasn't sure if the kid had what it took for the job Garrus did. That reluctance disappeared after they completed several jobs together. Soon they were approached by people from all ages, walks, and races that wanted to make a difference. Garrus had a team of his own, and he made sure to talk with each one of them on a regular basis, just as Shepard had. "Making his rounds," one of the humans had called it.
For a few months they caused hell for the mercenary groups and gangs of Omega, their latest job was a direct attempt on the life of Tarak, leader of the Blue Suns mercenaries on the station. After he and his crew had returned to their base of operations a ghost from his old life decided to pay him a visit.
-=ME:E=-
There, standing by the window of his room was an armored figure leaning on the railing, no helmet, looked to be human. He drew his pistol and silently approached as his mind raced with possibilities. Had they been found out? Was it already too late to evacuate his team? He was only a few steps from the intruder, and was broken from his thoughts when they spoke, turning to face him. As the figure walked into the light of his room, it said,"Garrus Vakarian."
As the figure came into the light he could identify it as human, and the black armor with the N7 logo on it was hauntingly familiar. The voice however, was off. The man was now fully in the light, and his darker complexion and full head of hair didn't identify him as Shepard. Garrus was shocked that this man was here and especially now. He lowered his weapon, his mandibles twitching in surprise, saying,"Kaidan Alenko."
Kaidan offered his hand, which Garrus took, and he said,"It's been awhile."
Garrus sighed, stowing his pistol, and said,"It certainly has."
There were no chairs in his room, only a few crates and a cot, but he gestured to one of the crates anyways, saying,"Have a seat?"
Kaidan nodded, sitting on one of the crates while Garrus began removing his weapons from the hard points on his armor. As he stowed them onto the shelves in front of him, he said,"I don't suppose you tracked me down just so we could talk about the good old days. Who sent you?"
He couldn't see the man, but he could hear Kaidan shift slightly before saying,"Councilor Anderson still has a lot of pull in the Alliance military, and he wanted me to track you down so I could deliver a message."
Mention of the Councilor made him think of his Spectre candidacy, and he had a good idea what the message was. He finished storing his weapons and turned back to his old teammate, saying,"I figured that I would be taken out of consideration for the Spectres with my suspension."
He allowed his attention to drift towards the ceiling as he thought back to his days in C-Sec, but Kaidan's next words snapped him back to the marine. He said,"Actually, I was sent to tell you that you've been accepted. The Council had tried to contact you through the regular channels, but it seemed like you had just vanished."
Garrus could feel unease begin to settle into his gut, he was going to be forced to make a decision. He just knew it, and said,"There's a deadline."
Kaidan grimaced at him, and said,"Yeah. You either leave with me today, or you lose the chance."
Garrus sighed, his hands rubbing at his mandibles, which were clenched tightly to his face. He knew this day was almost over, and that he would only have a few hours to decide, so he said,"Where are you docked?"
Kaidan seemed to understand, as he stood and said,"My ship is at the upper docks, just outside of that club, Afterlife. I have some business in the club, so you'll find me there."
Garrus continued to sit and contemplate his choices after Kaidan had left until another voice entered the room. He looked up to see Sidonis leaning on the door frame, saying,"I overheard what you talked about. Who was he?"
Garrus stood, walking back to the balcony where Kaidan had stood only a few moments ago, and leaned on the railing. He could hear Sidonis following behind him, and he said,"That was an old friend from before I came to Omega. I'm still not sure if I should leave with him. I don't want to abandon the team."
"I think you should. You've taught me, the team, well. We can take care of ourselves. We can still work to make a difference."
He turned to look at the younger turian, his student in much the same way he saw himself as Shepard's student. It was true that Sidonis and the team as a whole had developed into a well-made unit, but he still felt uncomfortable with the idea of leaving. Sidonis was out of his armor now, but he still stood tall and defiant, as though he were expecting Garrus to argue against the idea. Looking at him now, Garrus was sure that he was ready.
Sidonis continued, as if arguing for the defense in court , and said,"But you can go and make a bigger difference out there. You won't be abandoning us."
He stepped up to and placed his hand on the younger turian's shoulder, saying,"I think you're right."
Sidonis's mandibles and brow plates both tensed as he said,"I know the others will agree with... Oh. Good."
Garrus chuckled as he walked to the shelves where he had stored his gear before, and said,"I just wish the team could come with me. But I know that isn't possible, most of you have family here."
He turned to look at Sidonis, who hadn't said anything else, and said,"You have to lead them now, I know they'll follow you, but there is one last thing."
He walked with Sidonis to his door, the younger turian following his every word raptly, saying,"Almost two years ago I served with a Spectre, the greatest leader I've ever seen. One thing I learned from him is that you need to know your people. Talk to them, understand where they come from, how they feel about the situation."
The younger turian nodded as he stepped out into the hall, saying,"I understand. I'll take care of them."
Garrus nodded as well, turning back into his room, and said,"When I leave, there will be something in here for you. Once I'm gone you'll be Archangel."
Neither of them said anything further as Garrus began packing his belongings and Sidonis left.
-=ME:E=-
Now that he had spoken to Garrus, Kaidan had one more stop to make before he would wait for Garrus in the Afterlife lounge. He disembarked from the skycar he had ridden back to the upper levels and began walking to the large club. He walked confidently past the line of waiting people and straight to the batarian standing at the door. All four of the alien's eyes focused on him for a moment before they scanned the data pad in his hands. He looked up, saying,"Go on in."
Kaidan nodded, briskly walking through the large doors and down the lounge, towards the main club. As he entered the club proper an armored batarian approached him, saying,"Aria wants to talk with you. This way."
He followed the large batarian wordlessly around the asari dancers and up a small flight of stairs, the alien stopped but gestured that he should go onwards. He finished climbing the few remaining stairs and stopped at their apex, a lone asari sitting on an expansive couch. He nodded to her, and she said,"What brings Alliance special forces here, to Omega?"
Before he could answer she gestured to a seat on her left, and he walked to it as he said,"I was delivering a message to an old friend. I'm also here hoping you might have some information for me."
She cocked one of her painted on eyebrows, saying,"I'm unaware of any Alliance operatives aboard my station, but I have been unable to pin down who Archangel is, exactly. Do you know of him?
He obviously knew more than he was going to let on and said,"I might have heard of him."
She snorted quietly, the noise almost drowned out by the loud music of the club, and said,"I know what information you seek and I will give it to you, but I'm curious. Is Archangel an Alliance operative?"
Kaidan didn't hesitate in his response, saying,"If he was, I wouldn't be able to tell you. However, since he isn't, I can. The Alliance has no major interest in Omega, Miss T'Loak."
She didn't move from her relaxed position, but she did examine him with more scrutiny as he said this. After a tense moment of inspection, she seemed satisfied enough and said,"The two you seek are on the lower level of Afterlife, at the bar. Usually the batarian bartender down there likes to poison his human customers."
His entire body tensed at those words, and he briefly contemplated why she would mention that little tidbit. She continued, falsely oblivious to his discomfort, saying,"But I had some of my men politely tell him that tonight would be a poor night to attempt any of his usual games."
With quiet sigh Kaidan relaxed and stood, saying,"Thank you, Miss T'Loak. Good evening."
Aria said nothing as he stood and walked away, and Kaidan was already thinking about the encounter ahead of him. What will they say to him? What will he say to them? Anderson had wanted them found, as well as Garrus, but it had yet to be seen if they would come back with him.
It hadn't taken him long to maneuver his way through the crowds that filled the lower level of Afterlife and to the bar. It took even less time to find the two people he was looking for with the batarian bartender sending them both murderous looks. He could even hear what sounded like conversation, though one of them was obviously drunk. He was only a few steps away now, and he could clearly make out what one of them was saying,"I'll show him a fucking genetic defect! I don't care if it'll break my leg! Next time I see him I'm going to shove one of my boots so far up his ass that he'll be the genetically defective one!"
The other, an older woman with gray hair and an english accent said,"That doesn't even make sense. You need to calm down – you're in no condition to be drunkenly stumbling through the streets of Omega, much less fight!"
Kaidan stopped a few feet from them and listened to their interactions, a wry smile tugging at his lips. The first one calmed a bit, scratching at his beard, and said,"Hey Doc, you ever miss the old days?"
"All the time."
"I miss the old crew. Well, except maybe Garrus or Kaidan, they both had some major sticks up their asses."
Kaidan chuckled and closed the few feet remaining as he said,"I miss you too, Joker."
Joker looked back and forth between the marine and his half-empty drink, he regarded them with disbelief and suspicion respectively. The older woman whirled to face him, evidently shocked, saying,"Lieutenant Alenko?"
Kaidan smiled at her, saying,"Staff Commander Alenko now, Doctor Chakwas. How have you been?"
Joker stared dumbly at him and whispered,"I must be seeing things..."
Chakwas smiled at him, saying,"Things have been pretty rough lately, but it is good to see you. How have your headaches -"
"You put something in my drink! I'm seeing things now!"
Kaidan and Chakwas both looked to Joker, who had drunkenly blurted out after he had interrupted their conversation. The batarian bartender bared his fangs at Joker hatefully while Chakwas placed a hand on Joker's shoulder, saying,"I'm sure your drink wasn't tampered with. Now will you please calm down? I don't have the equipment to help if you hurt yourself right now."
He leaned in close to both of them, quietly saying,"Actually, the club's owner told me that this bartender has a history of poisoning people's drinks. I have her assurances that he didn't do anything tonight, but..."
Chakwas glanced at the bartender before looking back to Kaidan, but before she could comment a turian leaned on the bar next to her, saying,"Poisoning what now?"
Kaidan had tried to say that as quietly as possible, how did he even hear? Joker suddenly found his voice again as he pointed emphatically at the batarian bartender, saying,"He put something in my drink! He's trying to poison me!"
Chakwas tried to soothe Joker again, but the bartender pulled a pistol on him with a roar, saying,"You want a piece of me? I'll leave your corpse for the vorcha!"
Joker stood from his stool abruptly, which would have amazed Kaidan if he wasn't trying to draw his own weapon at the crowded bar, and said,"Hell yeah I want a piece of you! Medium rare with lots of sauce!"
Feeling himself enter panic mode as the batarian took aim with an evil sneer, Kaidan watched helplessly as the bartender's head exploded. It took him a second to catch up, but he checked the turian to their right, who had fired the shot. He gave up on trying to draw his pistol as the turian stowed his own, saying,"Not taking any chances..."
Kaidan looked to Chakwas as she said,"I'm glad that's over. I can scarcely believe it even happened!"
He shook his head, saying,"I know what you mean."
Joker appeared to have fallen asleep on the bar, his hat at an odd angle, and Chakwas performed a subtle check on his vitals before turning back to Kaidan. Wasn't he just up and shouting, ready to pick a fight? She said,"My apologies, what were we talking about before?"
"You were asking me about my headaches. They're fine, by the way."
She smiled, his headaches were always a topic of discussion with them aboard the Normandy, she said,"That's good to hear. I hope you don't mind my asking, but what are you doing here on Omega?"
"Getting in contact with you two and Garrus, actually."He smiled back at her as he said this, but it felt tense on his face.
Chakwas's smile brightened a little and she said,"Garrus is here on the station? I always do love to see familiar faces."
He could feel his smile slip as he said,"Councilor Anderson asked me to track you down."
Her smile faltered and she turned back to the glass of untouched liquor in front of her on the bar. She sighed, saying,"I would imagine people would be curious as to what happened to us, being AWOL."
Kaidan already knew what they had done, and he understood their reasons for what they did. He let her have a moment before he said,"I know what you two have been up to."
At her alarmed look he raised a hand, saying,"But I'm not here to judge you. I understand why you went to Cerberus. I'm just glad you're not working with them anymore. I'm here to bring you back with me."
She sighed in resignation, looking at the collapsed Joker, before turning back to him, saying,"Do we have a choice?"
He nodded at her, saying,"Yes."
Chakwas stared at her drink again before stood from her stool at the bar and, her melancholy tone gone, said,"Help me get him up."
-=ME:E=-
Garrus was a little surprised that Kaidan wasn't there when he arrived in the lounge, but he settled into one of the many seats along its length to wait. There was a group of batarians that gave him dirty looks as he sat there, but he ignored them. He was uncomfortable enough just being out of his armor. One of the batarians near the center of the group, the leader he supposed, was giving him a particularly nasty stare while fiddling with a pistol. Another human phrase came to mind; that he "ate punks like them for breakfast" sounded fitting.
He scratched a spot between his brow plates and looked at the talon he used to scratch it with. He had spent so long wearing armor or heavy clothing that going without gloves to cover the points of his claws felt strange to him. It was even customary for turians to cover them, but he wasn't exactly your average turian either. The only thing traditional about him, it seemed, was the colonial face paint he still applied every morning. He scratched the spot again while leaning back into his seat and turning his head to look at his bag.
He had packed all of his personal belongings and most of his weapons into the bag, but he left his armor behind for Sidonis. He couldn't fit that into his bag and the insignia on it would make him a walking target. Plus it seemed fitting that Archangel continue to wear that armor. One of the first pieces of gear he'd have to requisition as a Spectre would be some armor.
The doors on the interior side of the lounge opened and he glanced over to see Kaidan walk through them with a man over his shoulder and a familiar doctor at his side. He stood and hefted the bag over his shoulder as they walked towards him before he moved to intercept them. Kaidan nodded to him, shifting the man over his shoulders, and said,"I'm glad you decided to come with us, Garrus."
Garrus nodded back at him, saying,"I haven't decided if I'm too glad about this yet, but it feels like the right decision."
He never got on too well with Joker, but Doctor Chakwas was almost a mothering figure to the crew of the Normandy, so he got along with her pretty well. When he wasn't injured. Usually she insisted on bed rest if he got shot. She smiled at him as he turned to her, and she said,"It's good to see you, Garrus."
He could feel his brow plates relax and his mandibles tilt inward in the turian equivalent of a smile, a barely noticeable change, as he said,"It's good to see you too, Doc."
Kaidan shifted the man over his shoulders again and said,"Joker would say hello too, but he drank too much at the bar. And he's heavy."
Garrus was suddenly worried as he thought of the lower level's insidious reputation and quickly said,"You mean the bar on the lower level?"
The marine continued to shift, but said,"Yeah."
He turned to Chakwas, urgency entering his voice, and said,"Have you checked his vitals recently? The bartender down there has a bad reputation."
Chakwas seemed eager to put his fears to rest as she said,"I have, and he's merely intoxicated. As to the bartender, well..."
Kaidan broke in, saying,"He was shot."
The turian laughed, saying,"'Bout time!"
The encumbered marine continued through Garrus's exclamation, saying,"Would you two mind if we made our way to the ship? We can talk more on board, but Joker is getting seriously heavy."
Garrus's mandibles twitched slightly in amusement as he stepped aside, gestured with one arm, and said,"Lead on."
-=ME:E=-
Following that, Garrus now found himself staring out the view port of the small, unmarked shuttle and contemplating the past couple of years. They were approaching the final mass relay on their journey to the Citadel and the trip had been relatively silent so far. He looked away from the haunting void outside of the window and at the others inside the passenger cabin. Joker was still sleeping off the alcohol from Afterlife and Chakwas was seated opposite him, looking out her own view port. It seemed he wasn't the only one contemplating things. He hadn't thought about it earlier, too caught up in his own thoughts and being happy to see them, but just what were Chakwas and Joker doing on Omega?
He was uncomfortable with the silence and thoughts of those he left behind on Omega kept plaguing him, so conversation was sounding good right now. He shifted so he was facing Chakwas, and said,"So I never asked before; why were you on Omega?"
She started, jerking back in her seat slightly, and pulled away from the view port. She must have been really out of it. She shifted slightly in her seat before saying,"Omega? Well it was just our first stop after our employers decided we weren't going to be needed. I honestly had no idea where to go, but sticking with Jeff seemed like the best idea."
Garrus could recall that both she and Joker had spent a long time in the Alliance military, were they discharged? He leaned back in his seat and said,"I thought you two were still with the Alliance, what happened?"
Chakwas shifted in her seat again and turned her head back to the view port, she looked uncomfortable. She said,"After the Normandy's destruction and, you know, the old crew was reassigned. I was sent to the Mars Medical Institute, a very respectable position, but it wasn't my kind of work. They had me doing research when I'd rather be on a starship treating soldiers. It was alright for a time.
Joker had it worse off, however. The Alliance brass grounded him and gave him no assignment, he was pretty much discharged without the formalities. He left much earlier than I."
She paused, shifting in her seat again and clasped her hands together in her lap to avoid fidgeting. She seemed even more agitated than before and glanced at Garrus once before returning her gaze to the stars. She continued,"When he left, Joker was approached by Cerberus and they offered him a chance to fly again. I don't know too much about all this, but it seemed natural that he would accept. Flying was his life. They even offered to help treat his disease."
Garrus kept the outburst he felt when she mentioned Cerberus in check, not wanting to interrupt her, but he wasn't quite sure if he felt betrayed or not. Her story certainly was worrying to listen to.
"A few months ago I too was contacted by Cerberus, and I wasn't so desperate to serve aboard a starship that I would join them just for that chance. There was something else, but I feel like a fool now. I..." She paused again, seeming to drift off into thought.
Garrus leaned forward in his seat as she quieted, and when it seemed she wasn't going to continue, he said,"Cerberus, Doc? You mean those people who were doing experiments on the rachni, thorian creepers, killed one of your admirals, and even turned an entire colony of humans into husks? Why would you leave the Alliance to serve with monsters like that?"
Chakwas seemed to sink into her seat, as though she were deflating, and said,"The very same. As for why... It's just... Would you mind if we discussed that later?"
He could feel his mandibles tense against his face, the tough scales on grinding together as he stared at the doctor. Garrus sighed as he leaned back, looking back out of the view port, and said,"Fine, later."
All set to wait out the rest of the trip in silence, Garrus was surprised when Chakwas said,"How about you? Were you on Omega for a C-Sec investigation?"
With a small start he turned back to her, thinking about C-Sec again, about his dereliction of duty. He definitely wasn't a good turian anymore. Hopefully he could still change that. He kept his relaxed posture, but said,"No. I was suspended a few months back for getting rough with a suspect. Before that I had applied for Spectre training and worked in the investigations unit of C-Sec. I was on Omega because I couldn't let the suspect get away like doctor Saleon did. After I dealt with him, I did what I could to clean up Omega's streets."
There, he kept it short and clean, no direct mention of murder or vigilantism. She could probably infer it anyways. He studied her for the brief moment after he finished speaking in which she processed it, and she almost seemed disappointed. He thought back to his words with Shepard, how he should take the right path, not just the easiest one. Something he had preached to his own team, but hardly practiced. He felt disappointed in himself now that he thought about it. Hadn't he taken the easy path by going vigilante?
Neither of them said anything further, both choosing to stare out of their respective view ports and contemplate their decisions. Soon the mass relay came into view, it's shining core washing out the pinpricks of light from the stars. It took only a few moments for them to come alongside the relay, an arc of energy lancing out to encompass their ship, and make the jump to the citadel. Now all that could be seen outside of the window was a rush of blue light with minute variations throughout.
Kaidan stepped into the shuttle cabin from the cockpit and both of its conscious passengers turned to him. He nodded to them both, saying,"We're a few minutes out from the Citadel now and I've sent word ahead that we'll be arriving soon. The Council will want to see you all as soon as we arrive."
Garrus sat up in his seat and said,"I can understand why the Council will want to speak with me, but why Doctor Chakwas and Joker?"
Kaidan was fairly impassive at this question, and said,"It's not my place to say, Garrus. You'll find out more when we arrive. Doctor Chakwas, is there any way to get Joker up and sober before we meet with the Council?"
Chakwas nodded as she stood and said,"If you can get me a medkit I should be able to put something together."
Kaidan disappeared back into the cockpit again only to reemerge a few seconds later with a small case which he promptly handed off to Chakwas.
-=ME:E=-
This visit to the Citadel was certainly different than any of Garrus's previous visits, especially when he considered the purpose. Moments after disembarking they were loaded into a sleek skycar with a stoic C-Sec officer at the wheel and taken directly to the Presidium. They were told to leave their bags at the car, and while Garrus was reluctant he obeyed; it wasn't like he was going to get into a firefight while in a meeting with the Council. After a long elevator ride that made him think of some old, rather snarky conversations with other members of the old team, they emerged into the Council chamber.
Kaidan set off up the stairs immediately, the others following, but rather than go all the way to the top he led them to a door set far to the side. As they approached the door, he said,"The Council would like this meeting to be private, so we're meeting them in one of the conference chambers."
Chakwas and Garrus were silent, Joker grumbled about a headache, and they walked into the room. It was empty save for a large, round table and sparse decorations. There was a window that spanned the entire far wall and the five wards of the Citadel could be seen in the distance, their ends obscured by dust from the Serpent Nebula. Kaidan gestured at the chairs on their side of the table and said,"The Council will be here in a moment. I have some other business to take care of, I'll see you all later."
Garrus nodded, Joker waved a hand, and Chakwas said,"Until then."
Kaidan had only been gone a few moments when Garrus could hear the soft murmur of conversation through the door behind them. The door opened and Councilor Anderson's rich, deep voice suddenly filled the room while Ambassador Udina's harsh, higher voice carried behind it. Anderson stopped at the doorway and said,"We can talk about this later, right now I have a meeting with the other councilors to attend."
He could hear Udina walk away while Anderson's sharp footsteps carried him into view, he looked older and the human formal wear he donned was vaguely similar to his old military uniform. As he reached one of the chairs on the opposite side of the table from them, he looked ready to speak and gave each of them a look over, but was interrupted by a door Garrus hadn't noticed opening behind him. The other three councilors all stepped into the room and took their seats, Tevos, the asari, and Armin, the salarian, between Anderson and Valern, the turian.
Anderson nodded to Garrus, Chakwas, and Joker while Armin studied them all with his quickly darting eyes and Valern steadily gazed at Garrus as though measuring him. Tevos looked around at her companions and said,"Now that we're all here, this meeting of the Council is now in session. Our first order of business is the induction of the C-Sec Officer Garrus Vakarian into the Spectres. Any objections?"
Tevos turned to Armin first, who said,"I do not object to his induction, though I do worry about his recent suspension and time away without leave."
Valern spoke up next, still keenly studying Garrus and saying,"I do not object either, though I do question his dedication to duty and the public good considering the aforementioned."
Anderson took this moment to come to Garrus's defense, saying,"I believe he is well qualified for the job, and given the information surrounding the incident I would say that this proves his willingness to go above the law to get the job done. We can't have a Spectre who fails in his investigations because he is unwilling to make the tough choices."
Tevos turned from her compatriots back to Garrus and said,"Garrus Vakarian, do you accept the invitation?"
Garrus inclined his head and said,"I would be honored, Councilors."
Inside Garrus was worried about his team, worried about how well he would measure against the Council's expectations, and worried about whether or not he was making the right choice. It would have been easy to stay with his team and continue his work on Omega, but leaving to become a Spectre felt like the right choice. Spectres were defenders of the galaxy, finding threats and eliminating them – usually before they became threats. No, he wasn't worried anymore, he had made the right choice instead of the easy choice this time.
Tevos spoke again, breaking him from his thoughts,"Good, now as to a ship, crew, and supplies, I do believe the other councilor's can answer that."
Anderson and Valern exchanged a look while Armin tapped away at an omni-tool. Valern leaned forward, his elbows on the table and his hands folded in front of his face, and said,"Considering the Normandy's success as a joint turian-human venture both our governments agreed upon the development of a new and improved vessel, but this time the salarian government offered their assistance."
Anderson leaned forwards as well, but kept his hands on the table as he said,"As for crew and supplies: you will be receiving supplies from the Council itself, rather than any independent government. The regular crew will be chosen from both the human and turian militaries."
Armin looked up from his omni-tool, and said,"Since Saren's defection we analyzed the model for the Spectres and concluded that it was in need of change. Saren worked independently with little contact and oversight. With the late Commander Shepard we attempted to rectify this, requesting periodic progress reports.
We found that this worked quite well, but the Commander's success also gave us a new model to base the Spectres upon. He worked with a team of trusted specialists and soldiers to accomplish his mission instead of working as a solo agent. We will alert you to any possible candidates for your team, but the ultimate choice is up to you. I have forwarded a dossier of the first and the location of your ship."
Anderson gestured to Joker and Chakwas, saying,"I also believe you already have a good doctor and pilot with you."
Joker, it appeared, could barely contain his excitement and Chakwas likewise looked elated, but was much more subdued. Garrus himself was having a hard time believing it. Following the destruction of the Normandy he had thought the Council ready to sweep them all under the rug, but it was nice to see. He also understood the Council well enough to know that aside from Anderson they probably weren't doing this in preparation for threats like the reapers, but as a general safety precaution. He looked to Anderson, who seemed to think along the same lines as he nodded to him.
Anderson looked away suddenly and activated his omni-tool, rapidly tapping away at it, his expressions rapidly varying as he did so. The other councilors ignored this, and Tevos said,"As for your first assignment -"
Suddenly, Anderson looked up from his omni-tool and, with urgency, said,"Excuse me, councilor, but I have just received some intel that may affect our decision. May I?"
If she was at all perturbed by his interruption she did not show it as she nodded to him. Anderson swiftly tapped a few keys on his omni-tool again and the lights in the room dimmed. A screen fell over the large window until the room was darkened while a holographic projection plumed above the table. It was of a planet, rather unremarkable and just like any other planet, but considering Anderson's urgency it almost seemed to have an ominous presence. The group waited the moment patiently for Anderson to speak, he said,"Freedom's Progress, a human colony within the Traverse. It's gone silent, a total communications blackout. Alliance intelligence believes it to be the fourth colony in a series of colonies that have just vanished.
The previous colonies were found with the structures intact, no signs of struggle, and no colonists whatsoever. Usually the Alliance would send their own team to investigate, but there is something special about this that might warrant the attention of a Spectre. Before communications were lost a human veteran of the Skyllian Blitz placed a request for pickup, not for himself, but for someone he had found during his trading run. The soldier he found identified himself as Lieutenant Commander John Shepard."
Garrus could hear Chakwas gasp beside him, but he continued to stare at the planet above them. Anderson continued, saying,"This isn't the first time we've received transmissions like this, but usually they're false – people looking to exploit the situation. The man who sent in the call is trusted and he has no angle when it comes to this. He already receives generous payments from the Alliance for his injuries. Alliance intelligence believes this to be genuine, especially when previous investigations are taken into account."
Tevos looked to Anderson, she appeared skeptical, but curious, and said,"What other information has the Alliance uncovered?"
"After the First-Contact War a group splintered off of the Alliance that called themselves Cerberus. They are considered to be a pro-human terrorist organization with immense funding. The Alliance has been keeping a closer eye on them since they murdered one of our admirals two years ago.
Intelligence uncovered a project, named Lazarus, that sapped much of the organization's funding. They weren't able to penetrate too deeply, but from what they could find it was being personally directed by the Illusive Man, Cerberus's leader. The name of the project is significant, and comes from a human religious text. I won't bore you with the details, but the gist of it is that a powerful man was able to bring another back from the dead."
The other councilors looked skeptical, concerned, or accepting of the theory, and Tevos turned to Joker and Doctor Chakwas, saying,"We have been informed of your previous association with Cerberus, do either of you know anything about this?"
Joker shook his head, looking sheepish, but Chakwas leaned on the table much as Anderson had and said,"When Cerberus approached me they knew that while I was unhappy with my new posting I wasn't as desperate as Mister Moreau. Instead of merely offering me the chance to serve aboard a starship they told me that I would instead be given the chance to serve under Commander Shepard again.
They even provided me with details regarding the process they were using and the scary thing was, the science behind the process was sound. With the proper resources and people they could bring a man back from the dead."
At first Garrus was unsure, to bring a man back from the dead? After looking back over his career, though, he realized that he had seen weirder things. Killed weirder things. Looking around at the others he could see some, like Anderson, ready to believe that it could be true. Valern looked skeptical while Armin looked to be considering the possibility, and Tevos seemed to be considering something different altogether. Garrus felt it was at least worth checking out.
The holographic projection diffused while the screen raised from the window and the lights slowly returned to their previous brightness. Tevos looked to the various councilors, each nodding, reluctantly in Valern's case, to her in turn. She turned back to Garrus and said,"Taking all of this into consideration, we have decided that your first assignment is to investigate the status of John Shepard. If he is alive, he should be brought in for questioning. I also propose a second assignment: to investigate the abduction of these human colonies."
Anderson left his agreement unspoken, while Armin nodded, and Valern said,"I agree. Whatever or whoever is perpetrating these abductions could become a threat to colonies within Citadel space."
The group stood and Tevos said,"You have your orders now, Vakarian. Good luck."
Tevos and Armin both left through the door they entered the room from, but Valern made his way around the table towards Garrus. As the councilor stood in front of him he inclined his head slightly and said,"Councilor, what can I do for you?"
Valern didn't answer the question, instead he said,"Since you will be commanding members of the turian military, the Hierarchy has deemed it fit that your military commission be reinstated and you be granted the rank of captain."
Garrus was still trying to get over his new Spectre status and the possibility that Shepard could be alive, so this hardly rattled him, but he inclined his head farther, saying,"It is an honor to serve the people."
Valern seemed satisfied with his response, but still went on to say,"Your history with C-Sec is both a boon and a curse. Your undisciplined actions will make many doubt your commitment to the job. Don't disappoint us."
The councilor nodded to Garrus once before he too left through the rear door and Anderson approached them. Anderson held out his hand, which Garrus took, and said,"It's good to see you Garrus."
Garrus shook the offered hand and said,"It's good to see you too, Councilor."
"Ah, it's just Anderson."Anderson chuckled as he said this, and he turned towards Joker and Chakwas, saying,"It's good to see you as well, Doctor. Joker."
Joker stood from his seat without assistance, which surprised Anderson, who said,"Joker, you get new legs?"
Garrus chuckled and said," I was wondering the same thing."
The bearded man raised one leg, saying,"No, these are still the old ones, they just got an upgrade."
Anderson turned to Chakwas and said,"I thought his condition was incurable?"
The doctor nodded to Anderson while she said,"His condition isn't curable, but there are treatments to strengthen the bones. He was only half-finished with the treatments when Cerberus decided they didn't need us."
Joker waved a hand dismissively, saying,"Enough about my legs, what was up with Udina earlier?"
Anderson sighed and leaned against the table as Garrus said,"Yeah, I'm curious as well, he didn't sound too happy."
Anderson looked across the table and out the large window as he said,"I'm finalizing a proposal to the Council to allow membership to some of the other Citadel races, like the Elcor and Volus. Another part of the proposal is re-opening diplomatic relations with the Quarians. Not quite giving them an embassy again, but we need to start mending fences if we want to be ready for the Reapers."
Garrus thought the idea had its merits, but said,"That's a pretty big step, I'm not so sure if it's a great idea to just throw something like that out there."
Anderson laughed softly before he said,"I already figured that I would meet resistance on something like this, so I've been subtly working issues that will help build upon this into the regular meetings of the Council. Udina's actually been surprisingly helpful in that regard, even if he is an ass."
Joker grinned at this while Chakwas tried to cover her smile and Garrus chuckled. Anderson pushed off of the table and said,"Enough about politics, my days are filled with politics. Let's go see your new ship, Captain."
-=ME:E=-
After a handful of long elevator rides and a short skycar ride Garrus found himself walking down a long corridor with Anderson, Chakwas, and Joker. As they approached the doors set into the end of the hall, Anderson said,"I'm not sure what you're expecting, but I think you'll be surprised nonetheless. I know I was when I first saw it."
None of them said anything further as the doors opened onto a dock similar to the Normandy's old one above C-Sec headquarters, but it was surprisingly empty. A quick glance at Anderson assured him that nothing was wrong, so Garrus looked out towards the Wards in hopes of catching a glimpse of it as it pulled into port. Anderson continued to walk towards the docking cradle and he followed, still glancing out towards the open bay entrance periodically. As they neared the cradle, he could see Kaidan and what appeared to be Engineering Officer Adams.
Both of them stood at attention and saluted them, Kaidan saying,"Councilor, Captain."
Anderson saluted back, saying,"At ease, Commander." He turned to Garrus, who was shaking hands with Adams, and said,"Staff Commander Alenko will be your XO and Adams will be chief of engineering, barring any objections of course."
Garrus shook his head, saying,"No objections here, Councilor."
Anderson laughed and said,"As I thought."
Kaidan nodded to Garrus and said,"Ready to see the ship, sir?"
Garrus raised his hands, saying,"Please Kaidan, it's just Garrus. Also, I'm definitely ready."
He looked towards the bay doors as Kaidan sent a message through his omni-tool, but Joker's cry drew his attention away. He could see Joker gaping at something and he followed his gaze until it landed on the empty space of the hangar. The air distorted and shimmered before him as the silhouette of a large frigate appeared with a bright flash. The light dimmed and faded as the cloaking field dissipated and revealed the ship, its hull almost twice as large as the original Normandy. The small fin that usually rested near the end of the ship was moved forwards and ran almost from the tip to the rear of the vessel. Aside from those changes, it looked just like the original Normandy.
Anderson straightened his posture proudly beside him and said,"I give you the Citadel Council Space Vehicle Normandy, Stealth Reconnaissance Two."
Garrus and Joker leaned on the railing as they both examined the ship while Chakwas stood close by and said,"She's beautiful."
Joker scoffed and said,"Are you kidding me? This thing isn't just beautiful! It's like a goddess given form!"
Garrus felt that Joker was exaggerating, but he couldn't help but admire the main guns, both free of their chambers and slung low on the hull. Thanix cannons. Apparently the Hierarchy wasn't kidding around if they decided to let those out of their hands. He pushed himself off of the railing as he took one last look at the ship, he was eager to see the interior. He turned to Anderson, who offered his hand again and said,"A fine ship, Captain. Good luck on your mission."
Garrus shook his hand firmly and said,"Thank you, Councilor. Until my next, er first report."
Anderson chuckled and said,"Until then."
Garrus walked the short distance to the Normandy's docking port and found the others waiting for him. As he entered the docking chamber the hatch closed behind him and a familiar VI said,"Beginning decontamination sequence."
-=ME:E=-
