Shepard sighed as he left the medbay, his attempts at stopping a sparring match between a Krogan Battlemaster and a Tankborn Krogan hadn't exactly been good to his health though (with help from Sdres) the situation was now dissolved and Shepard was finally ready to return to his Captain's Quarters and call it a night when.....
"Shepard, the council wants a word with you." Joker's voice rang out.
"Patch them through to the Conference Room." Shepard said entering the large room, soon the four councillors appeared.
"Commander, we have just finished analyzing that ship's logs from the SSV Dorodia, they reveal some....troubling information." The Asari councillor said.
"I didn't think you'd be able to get much out of the logs given the fact that the crew was indoctrinated." Shepard said.
"That was what we thought at first Commander but as it turns out we did find something." Anderson said.
"What did you find?" Shepard asked.
"In between the insane ramblings we discovered that the ship's crew where being indoctrinated before they reached the Far Rim cluster." The Salarian councillor stated.
"How far back are we talking?" Shepard asked.
"Five weeks ago, around the same time you recruited Drakus, the ship's logs reported that they had found a strange device on an uncharted world in the Hawking ETA cluster, after that the ship's logs turn to insane ramblings." The Turian councillor stated.
"That's not all, when the recovery team recovered the remains of the ship they found something quite disturbing in the cargo hold, the one place not affected by the Krylkock's presence, they found six Dragon's Teeth with fresh Husks at the top, luckily they were able to destroy the teeth before they could bring the Husks to life, but the records showed that there was ten Dragon's Teeth on board originally and that the records also showed that they had been dropped off on Earth." Anderson said and Shepard's eyes widened.
"Where abouts on Earth did they drop them off?" Shepard asked.
"A small spaceport in New York City, ever since then there has been an alarming increase in Husk activity on the planet." Anderson said bitterly.
"We're on our way to the Citadel now with the information regarding the Krylkock's indoctrination, after that and some business on Palaven I'll take a team to New York and deal with the problem." Shepard said.
"Why don't you just forward the information to us and save yourself the trouble Shepard?" Anderson asked.
"It's in the Krylkock's native language and I'm bringing along a translator and on top of that it's only accusable through a recording device that the Krylkock created." Shepard explained simply. "We'll be at the Citadel in a day or so anyway."
"We'll see you then." Anderson said as they cut off.
"Joker, once we're done on Palaven plot a course for Earth." Shepard ordered.
"Got it Commander though I'm guessing that we're still going to the Citadel first?" Joker asked.
"That's right." Shepard said.
"That's good, because we've just entered the Mass Relay that leads to the Serpent Nebula." Joker said.
"Thought you said that we'd be on the Citadel after one day?" Shepard asked.
"Well ETA does stand for Estimated Time of Arrival so yeah it wasn't exactly accurate, besides by my clock it was close to a day." Joker said.
"Fine, have Sdres meet me outside the Citadel Tower." Shepard said walking out of the conference room and entering the elevator, knowing that there was no time for him to rest now he settled for getting the meeting over and done with and resting on the way to Palaven when realisation hit him. "Joker, do you have the coordinates for Palaven?"
"You mean the Turian's home planet? Err; yeah Tidoses just forwarded them to me!" Joker replied.
"At least someone realised that Joker didn't have the coordinates." Shepard thought as he pressed the button for the CIC, an hour later Shepard was outside the Citadel Tower and was waiting for Sdres to show up.
"Sorry for the wait Shepard." Sdres said teleporting alongside him. "So this is the famous Citadel Tower? I must say this is quite impressive." Sdres admitted.
"You teleport ahead, I'll take the elevator and meet you inside." Shepard said and Sdres nodded before disappearing, he entered the elevator and 30 minutes later he was in the tower, he walked up the steps with Sdres and the council greeted Shepard.
"We weren't expecting you so soon Shepard." The Asari councillor commented.
"Turns out I underestimated how quickly a day can go by." Shepard admitted.
"Anyway I believe you have information for us and a translator." Anderson said and Shepard nodded.
"Yes I do, Sdres?" The Krylkock stepped forward to shocked murmurs from the crowd, Anderson and the other councillor's eyes widened,
"Is that a Krylkock? I thought that they where extinct?" The Turian councillor said.
"We are mostly extinct." Sdres said activating a primitive looking Onmi-Tool. "I am Sdres of the Krylkock race, I am the last of my species not indoctrinated by the Reapers and I have the proof that the Krylkock are servants of the Reapers." Sdres said playing the video of Wrung and translating what he said, almost two hours later the video finished and the councillor's eyes narrowed.
"Did you know this Krylkock?" The Salarian councillor asked.
"He was Wrung, the eldest of the Krylkock elders which is the Krylkock's equivalent to the Citadel Council." Sdres explained.
"Sounds like a respectable position." The Turian councillor observed. "Yet he was indoctrinated like the rest of you."
"Sad but true." The Krylkock admitted. "But this also shows just how powerful the Reapers are."
"Indeed, we'll increase patrols around the Far Rim cluster just in case and if one of your indoctrinated friends shows up we'll be ready for him." The Asari councillor said.
"How can you be sure?" Shepard asked.
"The Destiny Ascension will lead the team." The Asari councillor said and Shepard had to admit that it made sense.
"Good idea, the Ascension has some serious firepower and they shouldn't have any problems with the Krylkock, the Reapers on the other hand...." Shepard trailed off.
"If the Reapers are encountered Commander we'll have the Ascension contact you immediately as the Normandy is best equipped to deal with them." The Asari councillor said.
"Good, I've got a favour to do for a crewmember before I leave the Citadel then I'll head to Palaven and then Earth to investigate the Husks attacks.
"Very well Shepard, we'll be in touch." The Salarian councillor and Shepard turned to leave, Sdres teleported away, presumably back to the Normandy, and once he was in the elevator Shepard put a hand to his earpiece. "Joker, have Sidonis meet me outside the C-Sec checkpoint near where the Normandy is docked."
"I've got it Commander." Joker said and Shepard went to the Rapid Transit taking him back to the Wards where Sidonis was waiting.
"So, you're here." Sidonis said, his mandibles indicating a grin. "Fade's trying to start his network up again but since all of his agents are in Witness Protection due to the fact that they testified against him at his trial he has to do the business himself." Sidonis explained.
"How do you know that?" Shepard asked.
"I believe the human expression is friend of a friend." Sidonis explained. "He's operating out of the warehouse his agents used before."
"You mean the one near the Dark Star Lounge?" Shepard asked and he nodded. "Come on, we'll get there quicker using the Rapid Transit." Shepard added as he walked towards the Rapid Transit with Shepard, a few minutes later they were in the Warehouse and were greeted by two Krogan bodyguards armed with Shotguns.
"What do you want?" The Krogan to the left asked.
"We're here to see Fade; we want to make someone disappear." Shepard said and the Krogan exchanged suspicious looks.
"Hold on." The other Krogan said putting a hand to an earpiece. "Fade, it's Kruchia, some guys want to disappear, a Turian and a human, both male." The Krogan waited a few minutes before nodding. "He'll be here in ten minutes."
"Make that ten seconds." Shepard said drawing his handgun. The Krogan laughed.
"You're not serious? You're outgunned and outmatched." The other Krogan pointed out.
"I eat thugs like you for breakfast." Shepard said. "Or don't you recognise the first human SPECTER." Shepard added and the Krogan's eyes widened.
"You're Commander Shepard? Hold on a second." The Krogan said putting a hand to his earpiece. "Fade, the human male is someone who requires you're immediate attention; I suggest you get down here now!" The Krogan said and Fade appeared almost immediately.
"What the hell is going on? I thought I told you that I was busy.....SHEPARD? What the hell do you want?" Harkin stammered but Sidonis drew his gun and fired putting a bullet hole in his head; Shepard proceeded to make quick work of the Krogan bodyguards.
"Thanks Commander, now with that last lose end tied up I can focus on enjoying the rest of my life, provided I live past the Reaper mission." Sidonis said.
"No problem, let's get back to the Normandy before someone finds the bodies." Shepard said and he and Sidonis left the warehouse and returned to the Normandy via the Rapid Transit. "Joker, plot a course for Palaven." Shepard ordered the pilot.
"Got it Commander, ETA is five days." Joker said taking off from the Citadel and heading towards the Mass Relay,
"Good, maybe now I can finally relax....." Shepard thought until.
"Paul wants a word with you Commander." Kelly said almost as if she was reading his mind.
"Thanks Kelly, I'll get on it." Shepard sighed before going down to the crew's quarters, saying hi to the McKansa siblings as he passed them he found Paul speaking with Rupert in the mess hall. "Kelly said you wanted to speak to me Paul?"
"Sure, you mind if we talk somewhere private?" Paul asked.
"If you want I'll stick my fingers in my ears." Rupert joked.
"Whilst I appreciate the joke this is a serious matter Rupert." Paul said.
"Ignoring Rupert, come on we'll talk over here." Shepard lead him to a secluded spot. "So, what is it?"
"I want to put Gillian up for adoption, when I wanted to bring her aboard at first I realised that this ship doesn't exactly have that many good influences, not including you, Marcus and Tali."
"What's wrong with the McKansas, they have experience with Autistic children through they're sister?" Shepard asked.
"That's certainly true and whilst I like them Jenny makes no secret of her criminal past nor does Zach, that and the fact that they swear a combined 150 times a day." Paul said.
"That's a fair point, but why can't you raise her yourself though?" Shepard asked.
"I'm worried that I'll relapse and start using Red Sand again and I don't want her to see me like that, I have already contacted an Orphanage on Earth and they are willing to take her in and I have let Gillian know about it so it won't be to jarring for her." Shepard winced.
"That's going to be a problem, there's been a rapid increase in Husk attacks on Earth recently so that'll have to wait until after I sort that out." Shepard said and he nodded.
"The sooner you get that done the better, not just for my benefit but for the people of Earth's benefit." Shepard nodded in agreement before leaving the Crew's quarters and heading up to his quarters so he could finally relax.