CHAPTER TEN
Come Together
The walls of Huerta Memorial Hospital were a deep blue, calming and soothing to the eye, a pleasant sterile scent filling your nostrils as you made your way inside. Enormous windows displayed beautiful, large views of the Presidium outside, bringing in soft light into its many rooms as patients sat on comfy chairs in the therapeutic wing, others lying back on smooth, dark medical beds, looking out over the view. Soft, instrumental alien music played on the intercom system that lilted over your head as you strode past the cheery secretary and made your way to the room you sought, helpfully displayed in big, black letters on the side of smooth sliding doors. This was where the military hero Lucas McKay was…where Grey's "great uncle" was, even if Lucas had been his father's cousin, not brother.
Lucas was doing much better than he'd been on Earth. His hair was still balding and grey, now hidden underneath a blue Alliance cap, and he had wrinkles on his wrinkles, yet the proper antibotics and rejuvenation therapy had added years to his gait and physique. He no longer looked frail, as if a simple tap on the shoulder would send him crashing into a broken pile on the ground, and Grey heartily clasped him tightly, Lucas patting him atop the head.
"I heard about Nihlus."
"I'm gonna…pay for the funeral arrangements." Grey murmured. "I had to see you."
"You'd like me to come on board the Normandy, wouldn't you?" Lucas inquired, the two walking out of the patient room, up to a nearby window in the waiting area, staring out at the expanse before them. "I admit, I've got plenty of contacts in the Alliance and…outside sources. All of whom could help get the Normandy some much-needed extra bang for their buck. But this is really because you need someone you can fully trust, right? Have you not told the others?"
"What am I supposed to tell them? I mean…I HATE lying. I really hate it." Grey grumbled as he slightly kicked at the ground. "Honesty was ALWAYS the best policy for me. Now I'm keeping secrets so THEY don't find me and dissect me and God-Knows-What-Else…or worse, somehow actually find a way to use me as a weapon. I'm afraid they might really do that."
"They're not ready. Not yet." Lucas insisted as he sighed, shaking his head back and forth. "Give them time. I'll speak to Anderson. See if he'll allow me to board the Normandy as requisitions officer."
"It'll be good to have someone I can talk to." Grey said softly, turning back to look at Lucas, his hazel eyes smiling. "You're family. And that means you don't get forgotten. You don't get left behind."
Watching from afar, the Machinist glanced away from his notepad, finishing his analysis of the human. Yes, definitely. Exactly the readings he'd surmised would be there.
Saren would find this most interesting.
…
…
…
…entering Dr. Chloe Michel's clinic made it clear she was in SERIOUS trouble. Red and grey-clothed thugs with ugly-looking assault rifles were threatening her, their leader holding a pistol up in the air with a dark glint on his face as Garrus Vakarian snuck around the small dividing wall separating the group from Dr. Michel. Her clinic was small…just a few tables and a few foldable medical beds to the side with a Medi-Gel dispensary station to the far right of the room, a pretty little view of cherry blossom trees outside on the Council Hall floors. The French-accented woman held her hands up, gulping nervously in fear, neat red hair flopping about. "I didn't tell anyone, I swear!"
"That was smart, doc." The leader growled. "Now if Garrus comes around, you STAY smart and keep your mouth shut or we'll-"
"Hey!" Shepherd growled out.
"Who're YOU?!" The thug hissed, snatching hold of the doctor, putting the pistol to her head and growling, he and his thugs still focused on her and the newcomers into the clinc…not seeing Garrus aligning his pistol, getting a shot ready. "Don't make a move!"
"Let her go and I let you live." Shepherd growled out.
Then a swift and sudden blast from Garrus's pistol had the thug leader's visored head EXPLODE, his body slumping away as Kaiden and Ashley pulled their weapons, firing on the remaining thugs, blowing them apart as Shepherd leapt over the divider and knelt by Chloe Michel, lifting her up.
"You've got perfect timing, Shepherd. You gave me a clear shot at that bast-" Garrus began to say before Shepherd cut him off.
"You could have hit Dr. Michel!" He snapped. "You don't put innocent lives at risk like that! You could have hit your hostage, what were you THINKING?"
"There wasn't time to THINK, I just reacted, I…I didn't mean to…" Garrus murmured, head bowed in shame as he gently turned to look at Dr. Michel. "Are you alright, doctor?" He shamefully inquired.
"I'll be alright." The good doctor admitted, rubbing her head. "Thanks to all of you. They were Fist's men. They wished to shut me up, keep them from telling Garrus about the Quarian."
"Who?" Garrus wanted to know, scratching his head.
"Does this have anything to do with the investigation into Saren?" Shepherd inquired as Dr. Chloe Michel nodded, nervously turning over her hands, rubbing them and biting into her lip.
"Not too long ago a young quarian came into my office. She'd been shot, wouldn't tell me who, and she was scared. On the run. She asked about the Shadow Broker, wanted to trade information in exchange for a safe place to hide. I put her in contact with Fist since he's an agent OF the Broker, but…"
"Not anymore. Now he works for Saren, and the Broker ISN'T happy about it." Garrus spoke up. "Fist was always scum. He shook stores down, he's got a reputation for…making very unruly customers to his bar disappear and then there's the blackmail…" He growled.
"How do you know all that?"
"I talked to one of Fist's men to get him to tell me. EVERYONE talks eventually." Garrus remarked.
"Fist BETRAYED the Shadow Broker? That's stupid…even for him. Saren must have made quite the offer." Dr. Chloe admitted with a roll of her aquamarine eyes.
"That Quarian must have something special if Saren wants her rubbed out. Something worth betraying the Shadow Broker…" Garrus mused. "Evidence that must prove he's a traitor. Evidence I could use!"
"Yes, she said the information she wanted to trade had something to do with the Geth. She said it was immensely important, it proved a spectre agent was a traitor." Dr. Chloe admitted with a nod of her head.
"There's no way the Council can ignore this." Garrus said with a grin.
"Time we paid Fist a visit, then." Shepherd remarked as Garrus pointed at him.
"I know this is your show, Shepherd. But I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I'm coming with you. I couldn't find the proof I needed for my investigation, but Saren is a traitor to the Council and my people. I've always HATED injustice, hated people who…slip away because of some technicality, get away with murder because the system failed. I joined C-Sec to try and make sure it didn't…now I've got a way to make sure ONE criminal gets his just desserts at least." Garrus said with a dark, but subdued edge in his voice.
"Fine by me." Shepherd said, clasping Garrus's hand, shaking it and giving him a nod. "You've definitely got good AIM…welcome aboard!"
"We're not the only ones after Fist. A Krogan bounty hunter named Wrex was looking for him as well." Garrus added. "He might be able to give us a little assistance…especially since Fist has a small ARMY working for him."
"Is Wrex a hulking, red-armored Krogan with piercing red eyes and a guttural, authoritative voice?" Ashley Williams wanted to know.
"Yes. Why?"
Why indeed. For meanwhile, at C-Sec, Wrex the Krogan was having an altercation with security as Grey waved goodbye to Lucas as he stepped into the elevator and headed for the Normandy. He was flanked by several Turians, a human frowning as he shook his shaved head back and forth. "Wrex, Wrex, Wrex, what are we going to do with you? Witnesses saw you making threats at Fist's bar of Chora's Den."
"I don't take orders from YOU." Wrex grunted.
"This is your only warning." The human remarked.
"You should warn Fist. I WILL kill him."
"Hey, is everything alright over here?" Grey asked, heading over to them, Wrex looking the young human over.
"Get going, pup. This isn't your concern."
"I'm not about to let you commit cold-blooded murder, sir. Any more than THEY are." Grey said. "And frankly, I think I could take you."
That got Wrex to LAUGH, he held his sides and guffawed loud and long, wiping a tear from his eye before finally speaking up. "Y-you? YOU?! You think YOU…could take ME?!" He laughed…
The medic HEADBUTTING him just as Shepherd and the others stepped up onto the top portion of the stairs, seeing both actually reeling from the sudden display of violence, the C-Sec crew WISELY stepping far, far away as Grey held his head, moaning, a little blood actually dribbling down over his tie-dyed headband as Wrex held HIS head. "OHHH. Nobody wins with a headbutt…" The medic moaned.
"Your skull hurt MY skull. MY skull." Wrex remarked. "…that's the stupidest thing anybody's ever done in front of me. And the bravest." He admitted, seeing Garrus standing by Shepherd as they walked over to him, Kaiden helping to steady Grey's wobbly form. "Well, well, I remember you, Vakarian. What're you up to?" He asked as the C-Sec officers took off.
"We need to find a Quarian that Fist is trying to have killed. She has evidence that proves Saren Arterius is a traitor. Commander Shepherd wants to take Fist down and save her." Garrus explained.
"We'd like you to come with us." Shepherd offered. "You up for it?"
"COMMANDER Shepherd? Hero of the Blitz? Ohhh, I've heard of you." Wrex said with a throaty, impressed growl as he folded his arms over his chest. "You're supposed to be good. Damn good. Since we're both warriors, I give you fair warning. I'M going to kill Fist."
"Fist knows you're coming. We'll have a better chance at this if we work together." Garrus reasoned.
"My people have a saying." Wrex remarked. "Seek the enemy of your enemy and you'll find a friend."
"Funny, for us it's "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"." Grey reasoned, rubbing his head.
"Glad to have you on the team then, Wrex." Shepherd said as he took Wrex's hand, shaking it and giving him a small smile.
"Let's not keep Fist waiting. It'd be so…impolite." Wrex said with a dark chuckle.
…
…
…
… "So he's in the back offices of Chora's Den?" Shepherd whispered as they peeked over the wall at the small bridge section that led right to the bar…which, unfortunately, was full of patrons at the moment. "…damn it. How are we going to get in there without hurting the innocent staff or patr-"
"I've got an idea." Grey reasoned, cringing as he took in a breath. "…I'll have to go in there, though. Alone." He admitted, not currently in his armored medical outfit, no…he'd taken that off when he'd gotten to the Citadel. Now he was wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans, gripping the wall tightly as he bit into his lip. "…do you trust me, Shepherd?"
"Hurry. We need Fist to tell us where the Quarian is." Shepherd said. "If he won't talk…we'll have to kill him and search his office to find out."
"I'll get them out of there in a hurry, trust me." Grey said, slinking away from them and entering the bar, waiting for the ugly club music to die down, a new song about to be played over the sound system. Grey grinned, rubbing his hands together. Oh boy, this would be fun.
In a few minutes, the faint sounds of soft piano music filled the air and the patrons began to leave, talking amongst themselves as Shepherd tilted his head slightly to the side, frowning a bit. Did…did he know this song-
"Closing Time." Kaiden realized aloud. "This is "Closing Time" he's playing."
"You don't have to go home but you can't…stay…heeeeeere!" Grey's passionate voice sang out from the bar, the last of the patrons now passing by the group before a loud, angry yell filled the air.
"The HELL!? Where's all the bouncers!? The customers!? What the-who're you?!"
"YOU'RE Fist? You look like a shoddy version of Duke Nukem."
"Want we should waste him, Fist?"
"NOW." Shepherd growled out, all of them barreling towards Chora's Den, Shepherd diving in as the crew-cutted Fist "eeped", seeing Wrex standing there with a dark, sadistic grin by the others, Grey having his hands up, backing slowly away to join the rest of the group. "Hello, Fist. We need to have a talk about this Quarian…"
"G-Get them!" Fist yelled out, racing to his office as his hired guards held up this pistols and assault rifles, everyone diving behind the bar and upturning tables nearby to act as cover, Grey crawling ATOP the bar and hiding above, ducking his head as Wrex cocked a large shotgun.
"Time for them to say hello to my…how you humans say…BOOM STICK?" He inquired, popping his head over the table he was lying behind, shooting the shotgun he had, a concentrated blast making the first guard's chest explode like a Watermelon being assaulted by a ball peen hammer, Kaiden's body aglow with biotic energy as he forcibly ripped a dancer/stripper pole from out of the ceiling, launching it forcefully through the air. It sailed across the room, SLAMMING several guards into the wall, crushing their bodies like tissue paper with a sickening THRUCKA-CHAK.
Ashley held up her assault rifle, eyes narrowed as she fired at HER targets, ripping through their flimsy shields as he shook her head. "It's funny your boss pays you enough to make you risk your life, but not enough to get decent SHIELDS!" She roared as Shepherd's pistol hand twirled, firing a shot that tore through the neck of one guard as he slumped to the floor, unable to take his shot at Ashley. "Thanks." She said, giving Shepherd a nod.
He smiled back. "Any time."
Garrus's sniper rifle swiftly unfolded as loud KRAK-KRAK's filled the air, the heads of guard after guard snapping back, Wrex's shotgun unloading in almost perfect synchronization with him in a macabre orchestra of violence, Garrus swiftly firing again and again. He didn't even need to move, he simply blasted, none of the guards able to react fast enough to dodge his shots nor get a bead on him, and within a few minutes…
It was over. The bar was stained with blood, Grey sliding off the top as he dusted himself off and cringed, looking down at the massacred guards as Garrus nonchalantly took out a single credit and tossed it at the bar, whacking the face of a dead guard and flopping right into his outstretched hand. "Sorry about the mess." He wisecracked, everyone heading for the dimliy-lit rooms of the Chora's Den offices, a few guys in grey outfits holding…pistols up.
Pistols…and they weren't wearing armor.
"Don't you move!" The first said.
"You're just…two guys." Shepherd muttered.
"Those are warehouse worker uniforms. Guess all the REAL guards are dead." Ashley reasoned with a shrug.
"Stay back or we shoot!" The second quivered.
Shepherd folded his arms across his chest. "You're making a mistake. Fist isn't worth dying for. Just leave."
"…good point. He doesn't pay us enough for THIS." The first admitted with a gulp, the second wiping his brow as they quickly raced past our protagonists, taking off like a bat out of hell, Shepherd smiling a bit as Wrex scratched his head.
"Woulda been quicker to just kill 'em."
"Shooting people isn't always the answer." Grey insisted firmly as they entered the office region, Fist hiding behind the desk as Wrex grinned darkly, ripping the desk away, a disc flying through the air, Grey catching it. "OOH. This looks important!"
"Don't touch-" Fist began to say before Shepherd put his pistol at his chest, frowning darkly. "AAA! Don't kill me, don't kill me! I surrender!"
"Start talking, Fist. I'm not unreasonable, but I wanna know where the Quarian is!" Shepherd demanded to know with a firm nod.
First's scarred lip quivered. "I don't know where she is, that's the truth! But I know where you can find her. The Quarian left, said she'd only talk to the Broker himself!" He said, taking a few steps back.
"The Broker doesn't ever speak to anyone PERSONALLY except his agents…if at all." Wrex said with a snort.
Shepherd lowered his pistol as Fist dusted himself off. "NOBODY but NOBODY ever meets the Broker…but she didn't know that, so I set up a meeting. Only the meeting's with Saren's agents."
"We don't have any time to waste. We need to go save her, then." Shepherd reasoned. "So where is she meeting them? Gimme the location, you son of a bitch! NOW!" He growled, grabbing hold of Fist's collar.
"Relax, relax! The meeting place is at the wards, back alley by the markets!" Fist protested, waving his hands in the air, Shepherd letting him go. "She's supposed to meet with them right now. You hurry, you can probably catch them."
"Thanks." Wrex remarked…before he pulled his shotgun, Fist gasping in horror...a single shot sending him collapsing to the ground, a gaping hole in his chest, eyes now staring sightlessly as Wrex nonchalantly put his shotgun away. "It's been a BLAST, Fist."
"Drop the GUN, Krogan!" Ashley growled, shoving an assault rifle in his face as Wrex gave her an annoyed look.
"…yeesh." Kaiden muttered, looking at Fist's body. "That's a lot of guts." The human remarked, Garrus nonchalantly shrugging, evidently looking somewhat satisfied with this result.
"At least you know he's the same species." Wrex wryly intoned.
"What the?! Good GOD!" Grey screamed out, clutching his head. "What the heck were you…GEEZ!"
"The Shadow Broker told me to kill him. I don't leave jobs half-finished." Wrex muttered with a shrug.
"I don't care if he deserved it, you don't kill a helpless prisoner who can't fight back!" Shepherd snarled angrily, wheeling on Wrex, eyes blazing.
"Do you know how many have died because of him? You think Ms. Michel's the ONLY woman they ever shook down?" Garrus asked.
"He brought this on himself…and you have more pressing concerns. Do you want to help that quarian or not?" Wrex inquired.
"…don't you ever do that again, Wrex. If they can't fight back, it's not honorable. It's just murder." Shepherd reasoned. "I won't ever do murder."
"That quarian is dead if we don't go NOW." Ashley said, all of them taking off out the door…save for Grey, who sighed, kneeling by Fist's body.
"Oh, Fist…what am I going to do with you?"
…
…
…
… "Did you bring it?" The dark-armored Turian asked as he looked Tali'Zorah Nar'Rayya over, his white and black-painted face looking amused as he looked her over, Tali gulping slightly. Something about this Turian and the white-armored Salarian friends he had with him was…unsettling. Unnatural. His tone was…slick and dangerous and soft. The Salarian's faces hidden behind big, black-visored helmets that didn't reveal any of their faces.
"Where's the Shadow Broker? Or FIST for that matter?" Tali wanted to know, the Turian reaching up, caressing the side of her head, his hand moving smoothly down her shoulder…down her arm.
"They'll be here." He crooned. "Where's the evidence?"
Tali slapped his hand away. "Back off." She snapped. "I don't like you. The deal's off."
"How…unfortunate you feel that way…" He remarked, his friends stepping away from the cargo crate they were leaning by, moving past the Keeper that momentarily glanced in their direction before continuing its work at a control panel. "I might be going deaf, or maybe I'm just high…but "no" means "yes" in my mind." He chuckled as his friends readied their pistols…
Only for Shepherd's throwing arm to launch a grenade through the air. It whacked off the side of one of their heads, bouncing into the other as it plopped against the wall just to their right, the explosion sending them FLYING through the air as the Turian assassin wheeled around, Grey's body soaring as he SLAMMED into the Turian, a fist to the face striking hard, knocking him out with ANOTHER headbutt as he rose up, dusting himself off, the other two assassins struggling to get to THEIR feet as Grey positioned himself behind them…
And then slammed both their heads together. BONK! Like coconuts. And down they went, collapsing in a heap as he dusted his hands off and smiled at Wrex. "And you will notice, Wrex, the death count is exactly ZERO. Thanks, Shepherd."
Wrex grunted, putting his shotgun away as Tali cringed, rubbing her sore head, slightly caught-off-guard by the explosion. "That bosh'tet, Fist! He set me up! I KNEW I couldn't trust him!"
"Are you alright?" Shepherd asked, gently holding her hand, Tali nodding as he shook it. "You're not hurt?"
"No, no, I DO know how to look after myself, though I appreciate your help. My name is Tali…and you are?" She asked.
"Commander Shepherd. This is Kaiden, Ashley, Wrex, Garrus and Grey." Shepherd said, motioning to everyone else as each of them shook Tali's hand, Grey giving her a small bow of his head.
"Good day to you, milady." He complimented. "I've got to go take out this trash, if you don't mind." He said, gesturing at the knocked-out assassins. "I'll meet you at the Council's main hall, drop these guys off at C-Sec and make sure they're put under arrest." He told Shepherd, who nodded back.
"Go to Chellick, tell him I sent you. He and I might not always agree, but he knows I'm usually right when I say someone committed a crime." Garrus insisted, Tali grunting a bit.
"HIM? He insisted me and my friend leave the station, I've half a mind to…oooh, when they find out what I've got…" Tali muttered darkly.
"Evidence that proves Saren Arterius is a traitor?" Shepherd asked.
"We should go to Ambassador Udina's office. It'll be safe there and Anderson and Udina will DEFINITELY want to hear this." Ashley reasoned.
"I imagine seeing that smug, condescending look wiped off the Council's faces will feel like Christmas." Kaiden mused.
…
…
…
… "What AM I going to do with you, Shepherd?!" Udina moaned as he pinched the space between his eyes, shaking his head back and forth as Shepherd and his crew entered his office half an hour later. "I just heard Chora's Den is in SHAMBLES thanks to a firefight you started, what were you…who's the Quarian?" He asked, looking her over with obvious…distrust.
"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker to sell this quarian out to Saren because she had evidence that proved he was a traitor." Shepherd explained as he gestured at Tali.
"My name is Tali'Zorah Nar'Rayya. I was on my pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood, and doing an examination of a planet with unexpected Geth activity when I retrieved something from their memory core. Since they'd never ventured beyond the Veil, I was curious."
"But don't Geth FRY their memory cores upon death?" Anderson wished to know, thoughtfully rubbing his chin as he stood by Udina, looking intrigued.
"It's difficult to get anything, yes… but if you're quick, careful and LUCKY…" An unmistakable grin had entered Tali's voice. "You'd be amazed at what you can get hold of."
"And what did you find in the Geth's memory core?" Anderson asked, eyes widening in interest as Tali tapped into her omni-tool.
"Listen. I salvaged this from the audio banks." She said quietly.
"Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."
"That's SAREN'S voice…" Anderson whispered darkly, everyone else looking around at each other, growling or murmuring under their breath as Tali held a hand up.
"There's more."
"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." A rather imposing, almost subdued, yet…powerful feminine voice intoned.
"Asari." Wrex realized aloud.
"Asari?" Shepherd asked.
"I know that tone of voice. It's unmistakable. That kind of "holier than thou", almost faux-dramatic tone is Asari through and through." Wrex chuckled.
"So Saren's got a partner?" Shepherd reasoned before he thought back to what had been said. "And he's looking for something called "The Conduit" to bring back…" He trailed off. Reaper. Why did that name…
"Reapers were on the memory core as well. Supposedly they were hyper-advanced machine life that supposedly were why the Protheans all vanished 50,000 years ago. It wouldn't be surprising the Geth would want to bring them back. They worship them as Gods." Tali admitted.
"I KNOW I've heard that name before." Shepherd murmured, holding his head. "I…wait. The vision I got from the Beacon. A word, a…"
It felt like it was ripping him apart molecule by molecule-Burning fire rising through his veins, rising up as if a puppet on strings-he could see a mouth gaping wide,-being tugged apart, screams, SCREAMS searing into his skull, fanged maws slowly opening as bloody gums hissed, claws grasping out, an unholy insectoid THING's body obscuring all hope as it descended and blotted out the sun- a cacophony of screams and howls, pleas of terrified victims- he was being overwhelmed by the screeching of the innocentsthey were in so much pain, so horrified, so scared, , howling, HOWLING, MAKE IT STOP-
"The Reapers are coming."
"The Reapers are coming…" Shepherd mumbled out, eyes widening slightly. "That's what the vision was about! I was SEEING the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers…it was trying to warn others of what befell them."
"The Geth feel Saren can bring them back." Tali went on. "So they're more than happy to help."
"The Council is going to loooove this." Udina groaned, shaking his head and sighing.
"They need to know. This is bigger than we thought it was." Shepherd admitted as he folded his arms over his chest, nodding at Udina and Anderson.
"Regardless of whatever they might think about the rest of it, those audio files definitely prove Saren is a traitor." Anderson proclaimed.
"Anderson is right." Udina admitted before blinking in susprise. "THAT'S a sentence I never thought I'd say. We need to get the Council to take a look right away. I'll arrange an immediate meeting. Meet us at the main hall posthaste." He informed the crew.
"What about her? The quarian?" Wrex wanted to know, gesturing at Tali as she turned to glare at him.
"My NAME…is TALI." She snapped.
"She can come with us. I'll take all the help I can get." Shepherd said, shaking Tali's hand and smiling at her. "This is turning into QUITE the interesting crew…"
…
…
…
… "You're lucky I'm so darn nice." Grey said to the assassin and his compatriots as he handed over to C-Sec security, nodding at Chellick who gave him a firm nod back. "The others would given you new NOSTRILS in the middle of your foreheads."
"Don't you TOUCH US." The Turian hissed, flinching as he backed away from Grey, looking him over. "We know all about you. You and your line, you're…unnatural. The Machinist told us everything."
"The WHO?" Grey asked, the Turian shutting up as Grey just frowned. "…fine. If this Machinist wants to talk to me, he'll know where to find me. I'm not scared." He muttered, turning away and heading for the elevator to the main hall of the council. As he reached the top floor where they lay, he took notice of something…odd. A Salarian with dark brown skin was kneeling by a Keeper, scanning it with some kind of strange white device that faintly resembled a "Tri-corder" from Star Trek, a simple display screen at the top, an intake input slot to boot with a little keypad and some buttons below, a soft whirring noise coming from the device as Grey approached, the Salarian quickly shooting up.
"GAH! Uh, please don't tell anyone I was…I mean…you're not supposed to go near the Keepers, but…"
"Are you…studying them?" Grey inquired, looking very intrigued.
"Oh, absolutely! Think about it…we know very little of this species but they're EVERYWHERE on the Citadel. Think of the data we could acquire from them if we understood them more!" The Salarian insisted, gesturing at the Keeper as it momentarily glanced back at them before continuing to type away at the console.
"Do they even talk?" Grey asked. "I've always wondered how they talk." He admitted as he walked over to the Keeper, looking at its enormous, slick black eyes, bulbous and huge as the Salarian nodded.
"My name is Chorban. I'm seeking to get Keeper data." He admitted as he put a long-fingered, three-digited hand on his chest, slightly bowing his head. "Do you believe you could assist me with this?"
"I'm with the Normandy Crew. We'll probably have time to scan some Keepers around the Citadel."
"Wonderful! I'll need data from about 25 or so." Chorban admitted as he handed the device to Grey, cheerily smiling. "Thank you SO much for this, human. Think of the wonders we can learn from these creatures!" He went on as Grey pocketed the scanner, taking notice of Shepherd and the crew as they made their way up the stairs from the elevator, walking towards him. They stopped, Udina moving past them as Grey showed off the scanner, Chorban smiling at Shepherd.
"What's that for?" Shepherd asked.
"Mr. Chorban here would like some help scanning Keepers to learn more about the species." The medic admitted.
"They're freaking creepy." Ashley admitted as the Keeper glanced back over in her direction and seemed to visibly "Harrumph", even though it didn't speak.
"They also smell like…overly dry plants." Garrus added, everyone glancing over in his direction in confusion. "I was once stuck in an air duct with a Keeper working overhead, waiting for a criminal during a sting operation. I noticed the smell." He muttered, shaking his head back and forth.
Saren and the unknown Asari's voice rang through the Council Hall, the Councilor's faces pale and horrified at the revelation as Udina played the feed for them, smirking triumphantly as the group approached from behind a few moments later. "You wanted proof…there it is."
"The evidence is shocking, but irrefutable beyond a shadow of a doubt. This goes beyond "circumstantial"." The Turian councilor admitted with a firm nod. "Saren shall be immediately stripped of his Spectre status and we'll bring him in posthaste to answer for what he's done."
"One step closer…" The Asari councilor murmured quietly. "…wait. I KNOW that voice." She whispered. "That woman speaking. It's Matriarch Benezia."
"Who's she?" Shepherd inquired, scratching his head in confusion.
"Matriarchs are very, very powerful Asari who've entered the final stage of their lives. They're revered for their wisdom and experience and serve as guides and mentors to my people." The Asari councilor explained as she put a hand upon her chest. "She's a powerful biotic with many followers. She's a formidable ally for Saren, to hear she's turned traitor is…discomforting."
"Tell me about it." The Turian Councilor mumbled.
"I do not suppose there's a third voice of some Salarian on there?" The Salarian councilor nervously asked as Tali shook her head.
"No, no." She insisted. "Nothing about that."
"Though there was someone called "The Machinist" that the assassins that were targeting Ms. Tali spoke of." Grey added as they turned to look at him. "He's supposedly studying me from how it came across. They think I'm "unnatural"."
"I don't suppose you inherited any of your father's unique…powers?" The Salarian councilor inquired.
"I can't do squat without the omni-tool." Grey said, holding it up. "It was really nice of the Council to provide specs for that through Mr. Nihlus." He added, Shepherd immediately narrowing his eyes. Wait. The Council had…
So, they were using the medic. They probably couldn't control his father…but this way they could control the son. They'd stuck him on THEIR ship to do what THEY wanted without him even knowing. Probably even had a tracking device in the omni-tool. Devious.
"I'm more interested in the "Reapers". What do you know of them?" The Salarian Councilor wished to know, an intrigued expression on his face.
"They Geth's memory core says they were an ancient race of machines, the cause of the Prothean extinction that vanished after their…work…was done." Anderson said with clear disgust. "We don't have much in the way of Prothean remains…it's as decent an explanation as any for what befell them."
"The Geth believe that since they're the pinnacle of non-organic life, they're as Gods. And Saren is their Prophet." Shepherd added. "My vision from Eden Prime showed the Protheans being wiped out by them…it even mentioned their name."
"This "Conduit" they speak of must be the key to bringing them back, which is why Saren seeks it." Anderson added.
"But you don't even know what it IS, do you?" The Salarian Councilor remarked.
"No. But if Saren wants it…that's bad enough."
"You HONESTLY believe they're real?" The Turian councilor asked, sounding astounded. "I mean LISTEN to what you're saying. Saren wants to bring back the genocidal machines that wiped out ALL LIFE in the galaxy 50,000 years ago? That's impossible! It has to be! It makes no sense! Not to mention the Reapers THEMSELVES make no sense. Why did they just vanish? Where did they go? Why have we found no evidence of them? Surely they would have left SOMETHING behind."
"They did. It was called "extinction"." Grey muttered. "There's barely any Prothean remains, and you never detected any viruses or diseases in them, did you? And their buildings are ruins, all of them, ravaged from a great war. Is it really so hard to believe that machines could have wiped them out?"
"This isn't one of your Earthling books. There's no Lovecraftian horrors waiting in the deep abyss. That's asinine." The Turian councilor snorted. "And if they WERE interested in wiping out all organic life…that CLEARLY didn't happen. We're all here. Why not go after other races? Why JUST the Protheans?"
"Look, I tried to warn you about Saren and you wouldn't listen. DON'T make the same mistake again!" Shepherd snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at the Council. "As the saying goes, "better safe than sorry"."
"How are we supposed to prepare for a race of hyper-advanced machines that even the PROTHEANS supposedly couldn't fight off?" The Turian councilor inquired.
"Please, please. Order." The Asari councilor insisted. "Shepherd, this is different. We've proof positive Saren is real. But as far as WE know, the Reapers only exist in that vision YOU saw. If the Beacon was salvageable, we'd be more likely to believe you, but…we need more concrete proof."
"What about the Geth? They're machines. Aren't machines not capable of lying?" Grey wanted to know, looking confused. "If they're telling the truth about the Reapers…and they're not capable of self-delusion…"
"Unfortunately the Quarians didn't see fit to install THEIR machines with the Three Laws of Robotics YOUR race popularized." The Salarian remarked. "…perhaps if they HAD…the Reapers are most likely just a lie."
"Fifty thousand years ago the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it WILL happen again. I've seen it, felt them dying in the vision, I can feel it in my gut!"
"Saren's a rogue agent on the run for his life with no position of authority. What do you expect him to do?" The Turian councilor remarked with a shrug.
"That's not GOOD enough." Udina snapped, shaking his fist. "You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse, send your fleet in!"
"Can't believe I'M saying this, but Councilor Udina is absolutely right." Anderson spoke up. "We need to do more."
"A fleet can't track down ONE man. He'd slip through like a minnow through a giant net made to catch larger fish." The Salarian councilor intoned.
"Besides, sending in an enormous fleet could trigger war with the Terminus systems! We're not risking that over a few dozen human colonies." The Turian councilor added with a wave of his hand.
"Why am I NOT surprised?! EVERY time humanity asks for help, you just say "Yeah, uh, good luck with that"!" Shepherd muttered angrily.
"Shepherd's right, I'm sick of the Council and all your anti-human bull-" Udina began to say, Ashley visibly GRINNING, now noticeably more tolerant towards the good ambassador before, thankfully, a wiser head prevailed as the Asari councilor held a hand up.
"I think I have an answer. A compromise that could stop Saren and give you what you want."
"You're not suggesting…it's too SOON!" The Turian Councilor gasped as Shepherd realized what the Asari was suggesting. "They're not ready-"
"I would say it's a win-win. YOU don't send in any big fleet that could endanger lots of lives, we take care of Saren for you, and Ambassador Udina and humanity gets their human Spectre. Everybody's happy." Shepherd interrupted him with a big, almost cocky grin.
"…alright." The Turian Councilor said with a sigh, pressing a few buttons on the console before him along with the Salarian and Asari Councilor, hanging his head as the Asari smiled slightly.
"Commander Shepherd…step forward." She asked as Shepherd walked past the others, the entire hall now silent. People had begun to file in, hearing of Saren's betrayal, but now…now even more history was being made. The first TRUE human Spectre being established. And the hero of the infamous Skylian Blitz, no less…murmurs and whispers filled the room before silence finally fell, Shepherd standing tall and proud as the Asari councilor continued, her voice ringing through the hall as Anderson beamed with unmistakable pride.
"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactices and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."
"Spectres are not trained…but CHOSEN." The Salarian councilor informed Shepherd, arms folded across his chest. "Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those who's actions elevate them above the rank and file."
"Spectres are an ideal. A symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination and are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will." The Asari councilor added.
"Spectres bear a great burden. They're protectors of Galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is THEIRS to uphold."
"You're the first human Spectre, Shepherd. This is a great accomplishment for your entire species." The Asari councilor finished as Shepherd took in a deep breath, grinning a bit.
"Wow, I…wow. I guess…it's one small step for a man…and one giant leap for mankind." He admitted. "Just…thank you."
"We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren. Use ANY MEANS necessary to apprehend and find him. With that…the meeting of the Council is adjourned." The Asari councilor remarked. "…and…good luck." She added quietly with a gentle nod, the Councilors leaving the room, the onlookers reusming their whispering, speaking to each other, pointing at Shepherd as he strode back to Udina and Anderson, his crewmates looking about at each other.
"Congratulations, Shepherd." Anderson admitted as he shook Shepherd's hand, smiling happily. "This is truly an honor."
"We've got a lot of work to do. You'll need a ship, crew, supplies…" Udina muttered, raising his fist over his mouth, thinking thoughtfully.
"You'll get Spectre access to special equipment and training now at the C-Sec academy. I recommend you go down there and talk to their requisitions officer." Anderson added.
"Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set all this up." Udina ordered, motioning for Anderson to follow him as they walked off, Kaiden visibly snorting.
"That's IT?"
"Bastard didn't even thank you." Wrex muttered.
"What ingratitude." Garrus admitted. "POLITICIANS."
"I'm the FIRST HUMAN SPECTRE." Shepherd said softly, looking down at his hands, clenching them and unclenching them. "…I…I mean…I just…growing up on the streets of Earth, joining the army was my only way to get hold of a decent future. But now I'm not just a war hero…I'm the first human spectre. I've just made history. I…" He blinked a bit. "Sorry, just…got something in my eye…" He murmured, wiping his eyes. "…it woulda been something for my friends back home to see this…" He murmured. "Probably woulda flipped their lid."
"Lucas is waiting on the ship." Grey spoke up. "He'll be overjoyed, I know." The medic complimented. "Let's head to the academy first, stock up on supplies."
…
…
…
… "Did you come by to rub my face in your new position?" Executor Pallin remarked as he looked Shepherd over, raising a nonexistent eyebrow.
"No, there's a momentary glitch in the system down at C-Sec academy, I was told you could fix it so I could get what I need?" Shepherd asked.
"Good. Glad to see you're doing things the way they're SUPPOSED to be done. OTHERS might have just threatened the officer." Pallin said firmly. "…others like that I would throw in the clink."
"You really ARE by-the-book, huh?" Ashley remarked. "You know, laws are like cobwebs, they shall catch small flies, but let the wasps and hornets break through. The philosopher Johnathan Swift said that."
"I believe one of your species president's said it was not the LAW that failed, but nations that did by not trusting the law. The law can't save those who deny it, nor can it serve those who don't use it. We have these rules and regulations in place for a reason. To ignore them is to invite anarchy…and to become just like the people we're meant to put away." Pallin insisted.
"I've seen enough people abuse their power to know that's an ideal not everyone wants to live up to…and I have the scars to prove it." Kaiden mumbled.
"I understand. Government's built on the idea liberty can't depend on good intentions alone, even from those in power. It's up to the law to constrain those in power." Grey insisted.
"Hence why I hate Spectres…and my disliking of humans." Pallin muttered as he waved at them. "Frankly, it's too easy for Spectres to go above those restraints we put in for damn good reason. And your species's introduction to the galaxy was violating one of our biggest rules of DON'T TOUCH THE GIANT FREAKY GLOWING THING." He added with a small smirk. "You would THINK people would know not to try and go near the giant glowing metal monstrosity in the middle of space."
"Look, we humans have to fight for everything we get because the Council treats us like second-class citizens." Shepherd protested.
"Then FIGHT for it. Earn it. Because nothing worth having is ever truly given to you for free." Pallin informed them.
"Y'know, Pallin, sometimes the galaxy needs people to do the dirty jobs." Shepherd added quietly. "To do the things others aren't willing to."
"I've never once had to do my job by breaking the law. But even if that doesn't always apply elsewhere, Spectres are loose cannons with no oversight." Pallin said, looking Shepherd over as he typed away into his computer. "I've granted you the access you need…spectre."
"Not all Spectres are like Saren, Pallin." Garrus spoke up.
"No…and I hope you don't prove to be like him either." Pallin added, his tone becoming more…kindly…as he looked over at Shepherd. "I do hope you prove yourself worthy of the status, human. I enjoy being pleasantly surprised." He said as he glanced at Garrus. "And perhaps I should start trusting your instincts more…your "gut" seems to be smarter than I thought." The Executor informed Garrus as they left the room, Shepherd suddenly overhearing a noise down the hall. The unmistakable monotone of an Elcor, the faintly elephantine, give-away-their-mood-at-the-beginning-of-every-sentence alien race with thick, grey skin, legs and arms like tree trunks, and beady black eyes with scrunched-up, almost gill-like "mouths".
"Sad and furious: that bitch. I am going to punch her in the face."
"An ELCOR getting VIOLENT?" Tali remarked, sounding astounded as they peeked into the room. "Guess there's a first time for everything."
"Is everything alright?" Shepherd inquired, a sense of concern rising in him.
"Saddened and tentatively hopeful. I have been wronged. Grievously. I would seek assistance." The elcor said as he turned to Shepherd and his crew, bowing his giant head. A nearby Volus snorted, turning to another Elcor behind a desk in the embassy.
"Like they're interested…in help." He hissed out. "Humans only ever do things they can get something in exchange for."
"Furious. It is the Consort. Sha'ira has wronged me. I will harm her bodily. She has given away precious secrets most dear to me." The elcor grunted darkly.
"Sha…ira?" Shepherd inquired, scratching his head.
"Annoyed. The Consort across the Presidium." The elcor diplomat remarked as Shepherd headed down the steps, overhearing a man angrily speaking on his phone. He stopped for a moment, glancing in the man's direction.
"I just want my wife's body back, damn it!" The man shouted, Shepherd rubbing his chin before glancing off in another direction, seeing a Hanar off in the distance arguing with a Turian C-Sec officer.
"I seek only to praise the Enkindlers. Why do you wish to stop me?"
"You're creating a nuisance. Shut UP already!"
"Is it me, or…are there a lot of people on the Citadel who seem to need help with something?" Kaiden admitted with a look of surprise.
"Is it really our problem…" Shepherd murmured. "…maybe we should just leave."
"We should help them." Grey insisted firmly. "I've got a simple philosophy, Shepherd. Don't do anything Superman wouldn't do. A real hero always helps anyone who's in need."
"…we've got some time to kill." Shepherd decided with a nod. "The ship isn't quite ready for takeoff. We can afford to help out a few people around the Citadel." He reasoned. "First, let's talk to the Consort."
Crossing the bridge over to where the Consort's quarters were wasn't that hard, nor was it hard to find her building. It was the most beautifully-scented place in the entire Presidium, bringing forth sweet, comforting aromas to your nostrils that flitted through the air, even Wrex looking peaceful as they approached the pink and red-dressed secretary as she cheerily smiled at them. "You must be Commander Shepherd. The first human Spectre. The whole Citadel is ABUZZ with what happened…being able to see you's quite the honor. Am I to take it you'd like to see the Consort? Normally the wait is months at a time, but…well, she actually wanted to see you. She said you'd come around."
Shepherd blinked in surprise. "Really?" He murmured, the secretary nodding, allowing them to walk alongside her as they made their way past clients sitting down in plushy, comfy white pillow-esque chairs and benches, assistants to the Consort speaking comfortingly to them as they made their way towards the Consort's office. "So, ah…what do you do here?"
"We are all "acolytes". We tend to those here however best we can when the Consort can't see them. Some soothe with song, others with a gentle word. It's all about matching our unique talents to the right clients. My specialty is touch. I've got…how would you say…magic fingers." The secetary acolyte admitted, waggling her fingers in the air and giggling a bit. "I can relieve every point of stress in your body."
"Yeah, I'll BET-" Ashley began to laugh out before clasping a hand over her mouth, shutting herself up.
"ASSSH." Kaiden groaned with a chuckle as they walked inside the office, heading up the stairs.
And my, my, my. She was very, very lovely indeed. She sat in a soft brown couch, an enormous purple curved bed over to the side as slitted windows lay behind her. Soft classical music played on a nearby music device, Sha'ira had soft purple lips and deep blue eyes, wearing the same faintly exposing red undershirt as her acolytes, her eyes piercing as she held a hand up. "Close enough, Shepherd. I need to ask a favor of you." She said, slowly turning around, nervously turning her hands over.
"What sort of problem? Would it…persay…involve an angry elcor?"
"Oh, quite. An old friend of mine, a retired Turian General named Septimus, has been spreading ugly, hateful rumors about me. He wanted me to be…more than I could be. We had a falling out. Now he spends his days in Chora's Den, drinking himself to death and saying awful things to anyone within earshot. Worse still, he got me in trouble with that Elcor ambassador by giving away the Elcor's personal information and saying I'M the one who did it." Sha'ira murmured, gently taking Shepherd's hands. "Could you, as a fellow soldier…speak to him? Appeal to his sense of honor?"
"I don't suppose you could tell me why he's so mad?" Shepherd asked.
"It's really HIS business, I…don't wish to betray his confidence, even after how he has betrayed mine" Sha'ira murmured. "You never truly...stop loving someone. Even when they've hurt you."
"I can understand THAT." Grey murmured as Sha'ira looked over in his direction, eyes widening.
"Might I…speak to you, medic, when your friends have left?" She asked as Shepherd nodded at Grey, who nodded back, the others leaving as she held HIS hands, looking them over as an intrigued, almost horrified look came to her face. "…you've endured much death. So…so much death. Seen so much suffering." She whispered, holding his face by his cheek. "…you hide behind a borrowed life to atone for what you see as a great failure. Yet you will bring Shepherd incredible success. You will be able to bring out the righteousness bubbling within."
"Are you…can you see the future?" Grey asked, Sha'ira simply smiling a little Mona Lisa smile.
"You and I, we are Wonders, are we not?" She asked. "There's not too many of us in this galaxy. We walk in the dark, illuminating candles that light the path for others to follow, guiding lights. Together, we will pierce through the velvet cloak of eternal darkness."
Grey took her hand, bowing his head. "Milady." He offered, leaving the room as she smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. Yes…she would be seeing him again.
…
…
…
… "Sheesh, if that's him…HE'S seen better days." Garrus admitted as the dark grey-skinned Turian took another huge swig from his glass, the white face paint over his face faded and almost cracked, piercing golden eyes glancing down at the swill in his mug. He wore a black headscarf atop his head similar, eerily, to what Shepherd noticed Saren wore, and had clear signs of wrinkles under his eyes as they approached the old general, Chora's Den having returned to normal as a few of the patrons glanced over in Shepherd's direction, whispering in awe and amazement.
"The first human Spectre graces me with his presence." Septimus intoned.
"You're former Genral Septimus?" Shepherd inquired nervously. "I can see you're still wearing a military uniform."
"Good eye. Yes. Septimus Oraka at your service." Septimus remarked, waving his hand in the air. "What do you want?"
"You're obviously bothered by something. You've got…FIVE mugs here. And you're going through your sixth." Shepherd said, gesturing at the table.
"Nonsense, if you can still stand up straight, you're not drinking enough." Wrex remarked wryly.
"I've seen many, many horrible things in my life. Only one woman makes me forget it all…"
"Then why are you creating rumors and lies about this woman?" Tali asked nervously as Septimus "harrumphed".
"She rejected ME! The great General Septimus Oraka! I was fighting Krogan before YOU were in diapers, boy." He said, gesturing at Garrus as Wrex snorted a bit. "There's only one of her…she's a damn miracle. Nobody else can compare…"
"You've gotta start acting like a real general SHOULD." Shepherd said with a growl, clenching his fist and holding it up. "Hold your head high! Be a MAN! Quit WHINING!"
"You sure got balls, kid." Septimus chuckled with a smirk. "Only five people ever talked like that to me…and now you make six."
"It sure would be less pitiful than sitting here, poisoning your liver." Kaiden reasoned.
"You know…" Septimus smiled softly. "You're right. Perhaps it IS just that easy. And Heaven knows Sha'ira is worth the effort. Even if she won't have me back."
"This is NO place for someone of your stature, General." Garrus added with a nod. "You go get her."
"Oh, I SHALL…after a long, cold shower." The General admitted with a slight chuckle and a nod of his head. "…maybe two. But there's something else I'd like to ask of you. There's an elcor diplomat, Xeltan, who thinks Sha'ira gave up his secrets…THESE secrets." He said, reaching into a his coat, pulling out a datapad and briefly typing away onto it before handing it over. "Give it to him, explain she's not behind it. I feel terrible dragging her name through the mud. It shows where I got the info."
"We were hoping you'd hand that over, we overheard his plight." Shepherd admitted, looking the datapad over. "Glad to see you're acting like a general again."
"You're quite the man. You'd make a hell of a general yourself one day." Septimus said, giving him a salute before he stood up, turning around and heading for the exit…bumping into the wall and hiccupping before continuing out the doorway.
"Theeeere we go." Wrex chuckled, all of them heading back in the direction of the Presidium as Shepherd looked the datapad over, a smile coming to his face as they entered an elevator, muzak playing in the background. "What?"
"Just…feels good to make a small difference to someone else." Shepherd murmured as they headed across the smooth Presidium floors, making their way towards the embassy offices. But, of course, Shepherd took notice of something he'd seen before. The Hanar diplomat, the odd, jellyfish-esque aquatic creature that was speaking to the Turian C-sec officer, was now chatting with Grey, the medic sitting on the wall next to the Hanar, the pinkish blob's tentacles, thin and whispy, holding its body up as its stubby psychic "head" glowed as it spoke.
"They were truly fascinating. Such a shame the Council government has only ever found such small remains. A hand…a heart…an eye. The Enkindlers were taken from us far, FAR too soon." The Hanar's ethereal, echoey voice murmured as the Turian C-Sec officer groaned.
"They do sound fascinating from all I've read about them." Grey admitted.
"Don't encourage it! Why can't it act in an orderly and lawful manner?!" The officer grunted, Tali frowning darkly at the officer before looking over at Shepherd.
"What's going on?" Shepherd asked.
"The Hanar just wants to preach about the Protheans since they supposedly taught the Hanar EVERYTHING. This guy says he can't without a license." Grey admitted, gesturing at the Hanar.
"At this rate I'll never convince this big, stupid Hanar to leave, let alone my boss that I deserve a promotion." The C-Sec officer groaned. "He's free to spew any nonsense he wants once he gets an Evangelical permit. There's only certain areas where he can preach even if he GETS the license. This way it keeps a holy war from breaking out. It weeds out undesirables."
"Sheesh. Look, Hanar, I think you might be really annoying this guy." Shepherd admitted, gesturing at the C-Sec officer as the Hanar sighed.
"This one is too humble to suggest the honorable C-Sec officer is personally biased."
"HEY!" The officer snapped. "Stupid jelly!"
"This one wishes only to spread the truth to any who'd listen." The Hanar insisted gently.
"Is this truly how you wish to represent the Prothea-I mean…the Enkindlers?" Shepherd sighed as he folded his arms over his chest. "How the Enkindlers would want their message spread? Look. How about I pay for your license?"
"I can do it." Grey said, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a small wad of bills as the hanar held up a tentacle, taking the credits, looking them over, stammering.
"This one can scarcely believe he is so lucky, this one…this one MUST thank you." It said, bowing its head at them all. "This one will immediately buy a license!"
"Great, and you can spend the remaining 2000 he stuffed in your tentacle on psychological therapy, you deluded…" The C-Sec officer muttered balefully as he rolled his eyes, the Hanar moving away as Shepherd gaped at Grey.
"How the…I mean…3000 credits just in your pocket?"
"My dad had a reaaaaaaally nice life insurance policy." Grey said proudly. "How about I make it rain?" He said, holding up another wad of credits and waving them in the air.
"Don't tempt me, kid." Wrex said, hungrily eying them.
"I'LL take it." Garrus laughed. "I've been living off of Citadel noodles for three straight days because my paycheck hasn't come in yet!" The Turian smiled broadly as Grey handed out a few thousand credits to each of them, smiling cheerily.
"Drinks are on me!...course, I don't drink, but…still." Grey mused as they headed across the Presidium. "Now perhaps you can all buy some better armor. We're probably going to need it…"
"It and some high-quality Tungsten rounds." Ashley reasoned. "They're perfect for synthetic targets." She said, Tali nodding in agreement.
"They can rip through Geth like TISSUE PAPER." The Quarian admitted as they ascended the stairs to the embassies, heading for the Elcor embassy in particular as they approached the blue-jacketed Xeltan, Shepherd holding a hand up as Tali cringed. "Am I the only one who thinks Elcor smell…odd?"
"You're not. Trust me." Wrex grunted, wrinkling his nostrils. "UGH."
"Depressed and annoyed. This is really not a good time…and I HEARD that." Xeltan the Elcor muttered at Wrex, glaring as best it could as Shepherd smiled a little.
"I think I might be able to help you, Xeltan. The Consort didn't betray your information. This proves it." He said, handing the datapad to the surprised-looking Elcor. Well, they ASSUMED he was surpsied. Their faces were nigh-unreadable as the Elctor's enormous hand looked the datapad over.
"Shocked and surprised. How in…is this possible? The Turian named Septimus gave it away? This is difficult to fathom. If HE could learn this on his own…dismayed. Anyone could."
"Hey, look, the man was a retired Turian general and even then it was hard for him to find. Not anyone could find your secrets." Garrus offered, the Elcor sighing.
"Relieved. I thank you. This is most comforting. I should speak to the Consort…apologize." Xeltan admitted as the Volus diplomat and the other Elcor standing there looked at each other.
"What the…why did you help him?" The Volus asked.
"Because he needed help." Shepherd said. "Does there have to be a reason?" He remarked.
"Not really." Grey remarked with a shrug. "Spectres are the knights to the Citadel's King Arthur's Court. Paladins of goodness and righteousness…and being good feels pretty damn good, doesn't it?"
"You're SO melodramatic. But you know…it really does." Shepherd admitted with a big grin. "I believe there's a man downstairs who wants his wife's body back?"
"Something tells me this is going to be the start of something incredible." Ashley admitted as they headed down the stairs, Kaiden nodding in agreement.
"The Commander's got a damn good head on his shoudlers."
"And a damn good heart." Grey added.
"You're a bleeding heart, but you're alright, Shepherd." Wrex admitted.
"It'll be good to see someone else caring so much for the people on the Citadel." Garrus mused.
"It'll be better to stop Saren and the Geth." Tali added.
"We've got miles to go before we sleep…" Shepherd spoke up, seeing the middle-eastern man in the lobby. "It's a big galaxy…there's a lot of people to help. But that's what we do, isn't it?"
"Yes, my friend…" Grey said, a broad smile coming to his features. "That's a paladin."