Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - MechWarrior/BattleTech - Mass Effect multicrossover. I am very happy with the reception that I got for the latest chapter of my Halo - Terminator crossover. It was a surprise to see so many people giving positive feedback on that chapter. Thank you so much, and I hope to see you in the next chapter. As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo, MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Electronic Arts, BioWare, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.


Olympus Station

Unity City

January 20th, 3081

Of all the vistas to see on the micro-Dyson Sphere that was known as Olympus Station, the urban skyline of Unity City's Section 20 was, by far, the most opulent and grand urban skyline that Shepard had seen in his life. Not even the cities on Terra, the homeworld of Humanity, could even come close to matching this beautiful sight, as Shepard had not only lived there, he had grown up there, even seeing the parts of Terra that most people wanted to ignore. Now that he was on Olympus Station, he could clearly see that where the Citadel was the Council's status tool, the Federated Commonwealth had chosen Olympus Station to be the status tool for not only the Federated Commonwealth, but the Star League as well, a means of showing the Star League's technological and economic might. In that regard, it succeeded magnanimously, as the space station was over three times the size of the Citadel.

Looking around, Shepard could see more of the micro-Dyson Sphere that he was inside, following the landscape as it curved upwards. According to an information terminal that he'd visited on his way to Section 20, Olympus Station was home to two megalopolises, with the first being called Unity City and the second being Harmony City. Both cities were massive, housing a good ten million people in each one, with most living in utilitarian, but well maintained and well stocked apartments that were reputed to have the highest standard of living in the Inner Sphere, with only the FedCom rivaling the station in that regard. Marking the border of each city were a series of parks and wildlife preserves that served as a divider between each cities, with creatures ranging from Terran Gorillas to the famed Dragons of Fuchida IVb, to the Vorcanth's of Palaven, the Turian homeworld. The cities were also beautiful in their own right, a place, as one architect put it, 'where the Notre Dame Cathedral meets the Sydney Opera House and where Dubai meets New York City,' a fitting description given how easily the architects had mixed angular, blocky apartment buildings with opulent, baroque style opera houses and convention centers. The entire sphere's interior was lit with a number of structures that generated light, which Shepard learned were inspired by the large, fan-like structure that bathed the Forerunner's Lesser Ark with sunlight as well, similar to a Solar Reflector Power Plant, only in reverse. These structures would dim or brighten in order to simulate a normal day/night cycle.

In Shepard's case, he was standing on the balcony of what was, arguably, the most opulent section of Unity City: Olympus Highlands. Olympus Highlands, known more colloquially as 'Mount Olympus', was where most of the political clout of the Inner Sphere came when they needed to settle disputes, discuss trade agreements or get to know each other better, either through a dance, regular sports, combat sports, or a glass of liquid courage. However, it was well known that many of the nobles would go into the less opulent sections of Unity City, in order to gauge what to do about various civil policies on the station itself. Shepard also knew that most nobles were restricted to spending a maximum of 3 months on the station, which was rumored to be used as a measure to prevent nobles from becoming disconnected from the realities of life in the Inner Sphere. Given the fact that he could count on his fingers how many nobles wanted to stay longer but were unable to do so, it was clear that regulation worked out well.

That brought him back to why he and the rest of the ground team, including 'MechWarrior Alex Wolverine, were here today. Once they'd docked at Olympus Station Shipyard Delta, more specifically Docking Bay Delta-2, they had disembarked for their trip to this section of Unity City, having gone through the more densely populated sections of the city to reach their destination. Once they'd arrived, they were told that they would soon be called to travel to Olympus Station Administration in order to meet with the House Lords of the Great Houses, the First Lord of the Star League, the Ilkhan of the Warden Clans as well as the Councilors from the Citadel Council. So far, no one had showed up yet, which was why he was out here, waiting for their escort to arrive.

It wasn't just him that was impressed with Olympus Station, however. Looking to his right, he could see that the others were also looking at the vista as well. Ashley, who had never seen Olympus Station before, was literally going squee at the sight of the Inner Sphere's greatest technological achievement. Kaidan, while not having seen Olympus Station before, was calmly looking out at the rest of the station, though it was clear that he was just as amazed and bedazzled by the sight as Ashley was. The only people that weren't completely dazzled were Alex, Saren and Garrus. Alex wasn't bedazzled as he'd actually seen Olympus Station while it was being constructed, having done some security contracts for the workers and other personnel at the station. Garrus wasn't bedazzled, as his father, Castis Vakarian, worked at Olympus Station as a member of Olympus Station Security, or OSS for short, and often sent back images of Olympus Station to Garrus after gaining the approval of the Chief Administrator of the space station. Saren wasn't bedazzled, as he'd seen the space station's interior shortly after he'd been recruited by the SLDF and SLIC.

As they looked around, Shepard looked at the apartment that he and the others were staying at. Given that Olympus Highlands was where the rich and famous in the Inner Sphere came to visit and/or stay at, it was obvious that their current place of residence would be just as opulent. They were currently staying in one of the two story houses that were at Olympus Highlands, which was one of just four places on Olympus Station that had large houses. The house they were in had two levels, with the upper level holding the bedrooms, a guest room, one of the three bathrooms in the building, as well as an exercise gym, while the bottom floor held the kitchen, a dining room, a large living room with a fireplace, an entertainment center, as well as an indoor pool. The basement held a firing range, a sporting center, as well as a maintenance room where most of the cleaning supplies were kept at.

As he looked around, he thought he saw a vehicle driving up the driveway, with the armored car coming to a stop before allowing an OSS Officer to step out. Taking that as the cue, he and the others walked off the balcony and towards the front door, where the Officer was patiently waiting for them to arrive. Spotting the male Turian, as well as his facial paint, Shepard said, "Castis Vakarian, I presume?"

"Yes," Castis replied, clearing his throat as he did so. Castis Vakarian was one of the older Turians that lived on Olympus Station, as he was roughly sixty nine years of age. However, thanks to the advanced nanotechnological augmentation and advanced genetic therapy processes like NanoGene, Castis only appeared to be thirty years old, and he was projected to have a life expectancy of about 590 years. "I've been ordered to bring you to Unity City Council Hall," he continued.

"We're ready to go," Shepard replied.

"Good," Castis nodded. As the others loaded in, his expression softened when he saw Garrus in the back of the group. Walking over to him, he said, "It's good to see you again, son."

"You too, dad," Garrus beamed, with both Turians hugging each other before stepping back. "How's mom doing?"

"She's the very picture of health," Castis beamed, his mandibles spread in the Turian equivalent of a human smile. "The doctors say that her illness has been completely eradicated and that she can continue serving in the military if she wants."

"That's good to hear," Garrus smiled, relief on his face. He said this as his mother, Silvora Vakarian, had contracted cancer, as well as the Turian equivalent of a human disease known as Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease. When Castis had learned of the Star League, Garrus' mother was not only near death, she couldn't remember her own name, with only the sound of music restoring her memory to it's former state. His wife's state had strained both Garrus' and Castis' personal relationship to the breaking point, with the two often getting into heated arguments with each other.

All of that changed, however, when a doctor from the Federated Commonwealth came to Palaven in order to offer advice for certain treatments. When he saw just how bad Silvora's situation was, he immediately recommended that Castis take her to the Inner Sphere for emergency medical treatment, as the Terrans had not only learned how to cure cancer, they could also cure the neurological illness that she was suffering from. Desperate, and with nothing to lose, Castis had done just that, as he had personally taken her to the NAIS for medical treatment. Given that the Terrans had learned how to modify their nanites to work with Turian at this point, Silvora had been put into nanite induced coma, with the nanites working furiously to not only destroy all of the cancerous cells, but also to remove the disease that was interfering with her neurological functions. It had been a hard several months, but in the end, the Inner Sphere's medical technology was victorious in the end, with Silvora quickly regaining her memories and her health. It had been a happy day when Silvora had looked at Garrus and recognized him for who he was: her son.

To hear that her neurological illness had finally been purged from his mother made Garrus happy. After a moment, he said, "We'll, I think we need to get to business. The House Lords aren't going to wait all day."

"True," Castis smiled. "It's been good talking with you, son."

"You too, dad," Garrus beamed, clasping his father's forearm in the traditional Turian greeting and farewell. Castis smiled as he returned the gesture, before getting inside of the armored car that would take them to their destination. Once everyone was inside, the convoy of armored vehicles took off, moving to reach Unity City's Council Hall. As they drove along, Shepard watched as other wheeled and tracked vehicles moved along, zipping by as the armored car accelerated to it's top velocity. He also spotted BattleMechs that were using overhead roadways to travel, in order to prevent any accidents involving foot actuators and vehicles. Overhead, he could see anti-gravity vehicles flying through the air, which was vaguely reminiscent of flocks of fish swimming through the water. Eventually, they rounded a corner and reached the Council Hall.

Unity City Council Hall was, by far, the most opulent structure in the entire Inner Sphere. Located at the center of Unity City, the Council Hall was where the House Lords, First Lord and Ilkhan would gather every ten months in order to discuss affairs that would affect the entire Inner Sphere as a whole. It was here that the Great Houses would discuss things such as funding for the Star League and it's many branches, while also serving as a place to mediate disputes, discuss trade deals and propositions, as well as create solutions to Inner Sphere spanning problems. Visually speaking, the building was an upscaled version of the historic Capitol Building, which was located in the defunct United States of America on Terra, where Washington D.C was located at. In each wing of the building were a number of administrative offices that worked to keep the Star League running as smoothly as possible, a fact of life in a multinational cooperative that the Great Houses could secede or join willingly at any time. In addition to the main chamber, where public proclamations could be made, there were a number of smaller chambers that were used when discussing things of a sensitive nature. One of those chambers was in use today by the most influential figures of the entire Inner Sphere.

Coming to a stop, Shepard watched as Castis motioned for them to exit the vehicle, with his team doing so as they got out. When it came to security, Shepard knew that any assassin would have an extremely hard time figuring out how to pull off a job like this; in addition to the SLDF squads that regularly patrolled the area, there were a number of sniper teams and plain clothes SLIC operatives that were present, ready to stop any attackers that attempted to get at the House Lords and anyone else that was here for the meeting today. "Follow me," Castis ordered, with the others doing so as soon as they got out. Following Castis, they quickly entered the building. Passing by orderlies as they walked down the hallways, they quickly reached Meeting Room 40D, which was currently occupied. Opening the door, Castis motioned for the others to get inside, closing the door once they did so.

The room they were in was well furnished, with red carpeting on the floor, as well as chairs made out of an exotic kind of wood that was pale white in color. The walls were a warm tan color, while the ceiling was a similar white to that of the chairs that were in the room. The table they were at was made out of marble, and was shaped like a C, with a small entry channel to where a holographic projector was installed at. Currently, the holoprojector was displaying an image of the Inner Sphere, more specifically Fuchida IVb.

It was the people that were sitting in the room that had Shepard's full attention, however. Sitting at the table were the House Lords of the Great Houses, with those people being Thomas Marik, Maximilian Liao and Theodore Kurita. Also present was the only President in the Inner Sphere, Victor Steiner-Davion, and his sister, First Lady Katrina Steiner-Davion. Sitting next to them was Hanse Steiner-Davion, who had a smile on his face as he discussed some of the more interesting events in his life to the others, who were chuckling at some of his more humorous exploits.

In the chair next to Hanse, however, was a large man with bright green eyes, ebony black skin, as well as a row of scars that ran down the left of his face, cutting long and ugly pink lines across his face. Despite this, he was a massive man, with a physique that would make a Krogan turn green with envy, and those green eyes held a cunning that few had any hope of getting around. He had a number of ribbons on his chest, as well as a few medals, though it was clear that he didn't care for them very much. When he saw the man, Shepard knew who that was: Jorgen Ebon, the Khan of Clan Wolf and the Ilkhan of the Warden Clans. This man here was the supreme authority to which all of the Clans answered to, from matters of honor, to military actions that needed to be done. Shepard had also heard that Jorgen was rare in that he could combine the short-term tactical thinking that most Clan Warriors had with the long-term strategic thinking that the Inner Sphere tended to employ. This had made him a deadly and effective warrior for Clan Wolf, and had allowed him to quickly prove both his skill in battle, as well as the fact that he was a kind, but firm leader, qualities that had earned him the supreme honor of being the Clan's Ilkhan.

It wasn't just the political leaders of the Inner Sphere that were present either. The military leaders of the factions beyond the Interuniversal Wormhole were present as well. Shepard quickly spotted Thel 'Vadam, the Arbiter of the Covenant, as well as Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Watrinee, both of whom were sitting at the table, decked out in armor that was so well made, it appeared to have been grown instead of being forged or manufactured. Sitting nearby was Admiral Hood, along with the new head of ONI: Vice Admiral Ian MacCullan, a tall, thin man that had a long, jagged scar running down his face, the result of a hunting trip gone horribly wrong. The Councilors were present, including Primarch Fedorian, one of the Turian Hierarchy's leaders. Providing security for the room were a few Spartans in Nighthawk-L Battle Armor, as well as Elementals that were wearing Elemental-IV Battle Armor.

As for why they were all here, Shepard knew why, and that it wasn't to share shits and giggles with each other. Seeing the number of high ranking officials that were inside of the room, Shepard immediately stood to attention, along with the rest of his crew. "At ease," Hanse said to him and the others, motioning for them to sit down. Once they had, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. As you all are aware, we are here to discuss a potential, existential threat to the entire Inner Sphere as well as the Star League, the Great Houses, the Covenant and the UEG and UNSC. We are going to be discussing the threat that Tarak Bhelmont, a rouge Batarian, has begun to pose to the Inner Sphere and our allies." Motioning to Saren, he said, "Saren Arterius, what can you tell us about Tarak?"

"Not much to go on yet," Saren replied, "thought we do know what his intentions are, as well as his motivation. According to records, Tarak Bhelmont, before Operation FRACTURED TERMINUS, was a highly successful mercenary that worked primarily in the Terminus Systems, no doubt attracted by the absence of Council enforced restrictions. After a few years, he went on to form the Blue Suns Mercenary Company, using shrewd financial decisions as well as assassination and blackmail to become the largest mercenary company in both Council Space as well as the Terminus Systems.

"During Operation FRACTURED TERMINUS, he was out of the Terminus Systems on a business trip where we believe he encountered one of the Reapers identified by the Prothean Memory Core as 'Sovereign.' Our agent inside of Tarak's personal guards reported that Tarak provided Sovereign with as much information on the Star League's military capabilities as he could, which isn't much given that very little information on our military technologies leaked out, if any at all. We believe that as a reward for his service, Sovereign recruited Tarak and extensively augmented him with Reaper cybernetics." A moment later, he pulled up a pair of images taken by the undercover SLIC agent, allowing Shepard and the others to see their new enemy.

By Batarian standards, Tarak was fairly handsome, though not very much so by the standards of other species. Before his augmentations, he was a fairly tall individual, roughly six feet and four inches in height, with dark brown eyes, dark brown skin, as well as an impressive physique. The other image showed his augmentations, which included synthetic digitigrade legs, cybernetic arms with claws, a torso that was heavily augmented, as well as augments to his neck and portions of his head. According to the image, roughly 75% of Tarak's original biology had been replaced by cybernetic enhancements. Even his organs had been replaced by synthetic versions.

"Ugly son of a bitch," Admiral Hood remarked.

"Indeed," Saren replied. "According to our Agent, who is still undercover, Tarak intends to use Sovereign to continue the genocidal cycle that the Reapers perpetuate on the galaxy every fifty thousand years. We believe the Reapers are capable of doing this using the Mass Relay network, which is used not only for travel, but to funnel any species into the same technological tree that the Reapers make use of. The only reason why we haven't is, due to preternatural events, no Mass Relays exist in the Orion-Cygnus Spur, which is where the Inner Sphere is located at."

"I see," Thomas Marik remarked. "So if we destroyed the Mass Relay leading to New Elysium…"

"It would cut off the Reapers from the Inner Sphere," Saren nodded. "I would not recommend that however. Not only would it cut off the Council from any assistance that we could provide in a timely manner, it would also prevent any refugees fleeing from the Reapers from finding safety in the Inner Sphere."

"What about their technology," Maximilian Liao asked.

"The Reapers are not nearly as advanced as the Inner Sphere is," Saren replied. "Their technology appears to have stagnated at the level they were at according to the Prothean Memory Core, and as such, are highly vulnerable to Star League weapons technology. However, this might change given recent events." Looking at Thel, he said, "Arbiter, you have the floor."

"Thank you," Thel replied, clearing his throat as he stood up. "As you all are fully aware, when the Covenant was reformed, many factions rose up to challenge the legitimacy of my reign, factions that were quickly defeated by the reformed Covenant, as well as the Star League Intelligence Command. However, not all of the factions were wiped out; one faction, led by the Sangheilian Jul 'Mdama, fled into deep space, but not before vowing to return and restore the Covenant that the Hierarchs led." A moment later, he used the holoprojector controls to display an image of Jul 'Mdama.

By Sangheilian standards, Jul 'Mdama was a fairly tall and, oddly handsome, Sangheilian. His physique was impressive, the result of training that all male Sangheilians underwent during their time in the Covenant, a tradition that was continued to this day for both traditional and health reasons. He wore armor that was blue-green in color, but he also had a helmet that had a hand print embossed in a glowing blue-white color. The look in his eyes was both that of cunning, as well as that of intense, but restricted, hate and anger. "This is Jul 'Mdama," Imperial Admiral 'Jar Watrinee explained to the others, "the self-proclaimed 'Didact's Hand', the leader of the Storm Covenant. They seek to use Forerunner artifacts in order to restore the Covenant to it's former glory, and to depose the rightful ruler of the Covenant: Arbiter Thel 'Vadam."

"I see," Theodore remarked. "So, these are the dishonorable bastards that attacked the Draconis Combine. Impressive, but they will have to try much harder than that to stop the Dragon." Looking at Saren, he said, "You said that you knew how they attacked the colony and disabled the defenses."

"That's correct," Saren replied. "Based on our own sources, as well as the information that the Arbiter and Imperial Admiral graciously supplied, we believe that the Storm Covenant have been supporting Tarak's insurrection, by supplying them with Storm Covenant technology, as well as scavenged Forerunner technology. The Agent embedded into Tarak's group identified what appears to be a Forerunner Void Signature System that allowed the Storm Covenant to bypass our defenses at Toland without triggering our detection networks. This allowed the Storm Covenant to supply Tarak and Sovereign with the necessary technology required to disable the defenses at Fuchida IVb in order to recover the Prothean Artifact that we would've transported to New Elysium, in order to allow Star League and Council scientists to study."

A moment later, Tevos spoke up. "I see," she remarked. "Still, to learn that the Protheans were wiped out by a sapient race of cyborgs. It's… it's a little hard to swallow."

"Indeed," Sparatus nodded. "To think that the Citadel is probably an enormous Mass Relay designed to allow the Reapers to come to the galaxy. It makes me sick to think that all this time, we were in, essentially, a giant Rotak trap, ready to be crushed by the spring and lever." Nearby, Valern was silent, though it was clear his mind was moving at a million miles per hour.

"Indeed," Jorgen Ebon remarked. "A clever trap, but thanks to the Protheans, we know how to avoid it."

A moment later, Hanse, speaking up for the first time since the meeting started, said, "Saren Arterius, would you categorize this as a first strike against the Star League and Council?"

"Yes," Saren replied. "According to the technology that our Agent has found, we believe that this Forerunner VSS would allow Sovereign and Tarak to strike at our colonies with little or no warning before the attack. As such, I recommend that we have the SLDF go to DEFCON One and to inform all colonies to activate their defense systems in accordance to the new Defense Condition. I also recommend that SLIC Agents be sent to each colony to root out any of Tarak's sleeper agents before they can cause any damage."

"A sound strategy," Theodore Kurita nodded. "I approve of this motion."

"Second," Thomas Marik nodded.

"Third," Victor Steiner-Davion added.

"Fourth," Maximilian nodded.

"That makes it unanimous," Hanse remarked as Ebon nodded in approval, with Hood, Thel and the others nodding as well. "However, while the fleets will help prevent an attack, we need someone that is willing to after Tarak and apprehend him." Looking at Saren, he said, "You mentioned in your report that Shepard was affected by the Prothean Artifact, yes?"

"That's correct," Saren replied. "Shepard?"

"That's correct," Shepard repeated. "During our mission on Fuchida IVb, the Prothean Artifact activated, dragging Staff Sergeant Ashley Williams towards it from over ten meters away, twice the recommended distance when studying Prothean artifacts. I was able to pull her away from it, but I was dragged in myself."

"Correct," Saren added. "According to Dr. Elizabeth Chakwas' report, she believes that the Prothean Artifact, due to it's nature, bypassed the Indoctrination Neutralization Buffer inside of Shepard's Neurohelmet, allowing it to send what we believe to be a telepathic message into his mind. According to her scans, it is not Indoctrination, as that would cause permanent quantum and electrochemical alterations in Shepard's neural chemistry. Given this, I firmly believe that Shepard is not Indoctrinated, and that he might be our best means of finding out how Sovereign and the rest of the Reapers intend to come back."

"I see," Hanse remarked. "Is there a way to confirm this?"

"Yes," Thel replied. "One of my friends, Bero 'Kusovai, is on his way right now. Given the telepathic abilities that the Precursor known as the Primordial gifted him, I have reason to believe he can determine if this is true." As soon as he said this, the very same Sangheilian Thel was talking about walked inside.

Looking around, Bero could tell that he was expected. He was currently wearing highly ornate armor that allowed for the changes in his biology from standard Sangheilian norms, though it was clear that his physical abilities would've sufficed as well. Looking around, he asked, "Am I late?"

"Nope," Hanse replied. "You're just in time."

"I see," Bero remarked. It was well known that, thanks to his biological and psychological alterations, Bero was one of the most powerful beings in the entire galaxy, bar none. As a result, thanks to his biological immortality, as well as his other abilities, Bero tended to find amusement in even the smallest things, with his wife Riala, and his daughter Vorana finding similar amusement in similar hobbies. It was one reason why Bero had agreed to infiltrate Aria's organization, as he found the thought of seeing an Asari freak out when he shape-shifted to be amusing. What was comforting, however, was that despite his immense powers, Bero was still the young, idealistic Sangheilian that Thel had come to call a close friend; in fact, it was well known that Bero tended to do things the mundane way, using his powers only if he couldn't do things the normal way. To paraphrase a quote from a film, he had said that great power required great responsibility. Looking at Hanse, he said, "I take it you wish for me to examine Shepard's mind for any taint of Indoctrination."

"That's correct," Hanse replied.

"Very well," Bero nodded. Walking over to Shepard, he placed his right hand over Shepard's face and said, "Hold still." Shepard, knowing how important this was, did exactly that. He could feel a slight pressure in his mind as Bero gently, but firmly, pushed through Shepard's memories, examining them for any sign of the Reaper's tampering. After a moment, Bero stepped back and said, "He's not Indoctrinated."

"That's a relief," Hanse remarked.

Saren, who had sighed with the same emotion, said, "As you can tell, Shepard's mind is his own still." Looking at Bero, he asked, "Is there anything you could glean from what happened to him?"

"Yes," Bero replied. "I could see the telepathic message that has been burned into his mind. From what I can tell, the Prothean Artifact that you found was damaged in some way. Some of the images were incomplete, though it's clear that what Shepard saw confirms that the Protheans were destroyed by the Reapers. Does that satisfy you?"

"Yes," Saren replied. "You may take a seat if you wish." With a quiet nod, Bero sat down next to 'Jar Watrinee, his gaze firmly fixed on Shepard. "Now that we know what's going on, I say we should give Hanse's proposal some serious thought. While the Terminus Systems are no longer a threat to the safety of the galaxy, we know for certain that Tarak and Sovereign are searching for something. That's also the reason why another witness is coming inside." Keying his COM, he said, "Tali'Zorah, you may enter."

Moments later, a Quarian wearing an Defiance Industries environmental suit walked inside, closing the door as she did so. She was young, with the lack of a cowl over her helmet indicating that she was still on her Pilgrimage, a Quarian tradition that continued even after they had reconciled with the Geth and returned home to Rannoch. While she wore an environmental suit, it was clear that she didn't need it to survive, thanks to the nanotechnological and genetic treatments that were available to the Quarians, courtesy of their membership in the Star League. It was also clear that she had been trained for combat, as her enviro-suit had ablative armor plates installed, courtesy of Defiance Industries. Clearing her throat, she said, "My name's Tali, Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya."

"Welcome," Hanse nodded. "Saren says that you have something to add to our conversation, yes?"

"That's true," Tali replied, wringing her hands as she said this, a result of her nervous energy. "I was on my Pilgrimage when I began hearing reports of Batarian clones," She stammered out, clearly nervous.

"Calm down," Hanse replied. "We won't laugh at you. It's OK to be nervous. Please, continue." Theodore would've said something snarky, but a look from Ebon ended that before it could happen.

"Over the past years, my people have learned that not all of the Geth support the Star League," Tali remarked. "When the Geth made First Contact with the Star League, some of them had been contacted by Sovereign, which they called 'The Old Machine,' and accepted it's offer. In addition to the clones, I also began to hear reports of Geth helping them. I was curious. I managed to track a Geth to an uncharted world, waited for it to become separated from it's squad, then I disabled it and removed it's memory core."

"That's an impressive feat," Ebon remarked. "Whenever the Geth are usually captured, they fry their memory cores as a failsafe." When a few people gave him a questioning look, he said, "I know this because the Geth were gracious enough to demonstrate this to me during a Trial of Combat with the newly reformed Clan Jade Falcon. They asked if I wanted a demonstration of their asset denial capabilities, which I agreed to."

"That's correct," Tali remarked. "My people created the Geth, Ebon. If you're quick and your lucky, small caches of data can be saved." Reaching into a storage compartment on her enviro-suit, she pulled out a small, cylindrical object before plugging it into the computers in the room, using her Omni-Tool to help speed things up. "Most of the data was wiped clean, but when I was checking for any viruses, I found this."

Pressing a few buttons on her Omni-Tool, she began a recording that she'd found. A moment later, like a voice from the Beyond, Tarak's voice drifted up from the speakers. "Fuchida IVb was a victory! The Artifact has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit." Moments later, a deep, feminine voice said, "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers. We have also found the Shell of the Ur-Didact. Once we find a way inside, we will begin to purge the heretics, and begin a new empire of our own." Moments later, the recording ended.

"That settles it," Theodore Kurita growled. "That proves Tarak is responsible. He's now a little black bird that seeks to outwit and outdo the Dragon, and I will not stand for it!" When he said this, he clenched his knuckles, which Shepard imagined were white underneath the leather gloves.

"He'll pay for his crimes," Hanse said reassuringly to Theodore. "That much I do know for certain. I don't recognize the second voice in the recording, though. It sounded like a Sangheilian, from what I can tell."

"Because it is," Bero confirmed. "That is Voria 'Ortamee, one of Jul 'Mdama's most fanatical supporters. She's is one of 'Mdama's right hand people, along with two other members of his Storm Covenant. She is a powerful Sangheilian and was able to influence many to her side before she left with 'Mdama for deep space."

"That's bad news," Maximilian remarked. "If that's the case, then we really are looking at an existential threat. What gets me is that they're looking for the 'Shell of the Ur-Didact, whatever the hell that means."

"That's a Forerunner name," Bero again remarked. "The Precursor that gave me my abilities, the Primoridal, briefly melded his mind with my own when my body was being unwillingly controlled by the Gravemind. During that time, I saw his memories, and one of them mentioned a powerful Forerunner known as the 'Didact.' Given what I know, since I'm still reassembling those memories as we speak, I believe that the Ur-Didact was a powerful Forerunner military leader. The reference to a 'Shell' is a Sangheilian reference to what you would call a micro-Dyson Sphere. It could be they're looking for a Shield World that the Ur-Didact either lived at or owned."

"Either way, we can't let that happen," Thomas Marik stated adamantly. "Given what we know, I think that Hanse Steiner-Davion's proposal of sending a highly trained team to hunt down Tarak and Sovereign is an excellent idea. I support the motion."

"I second the motion," Ebon added.

"Thirded."

"Fourthed."

"Fifthed."

"Sixthed"

"Seventhed"

"Then it's decided," Hanse added. Looking at the Councilors, he said, "Do you accept this proposal?"

"I do," Tevos added, "with one stipulation: that one of our own Spectres be allowed to join your team."

"That we can do," Saren nodded. "Nihlus Kyrik is currently recovering from his injuries, and will be combat able within a few days. He'll serve as the Council's eyes and ears on this missions."

"Then it's decided," Hanse nodded. "It is the decision of the Star League, the Warden Clans and the Citadel Council that Tarak Bhelmont and Sovereign will be hunted down and brought to answer for their crimes." Looking at Shepard, he said, "As of now, Shepard, you and Captain David Anderson are in charge of hunting down Tarak, Sovereign and Jul 'Mdama. Do whatever is necessary to bring them to justice for their crimes. In the meantime, we will support you by any means necessary."

"I agree," Theodore added. "You can expect the ISF to assist you in any capacity possible. Should you succeed, and you will, then the Dragon will be forever grateful for the service you have done."

"I agree," Thomas Marik nodded. "SAFE will do whatever is necessary to assist your efforts."

"You can count on MIIO to assist as well," Victor added.

"The Clan Watch will assist your efforts as well," Ebon added. "We might be as experienced as the SLIC, but we have our own methods as well."

The Councilors were silent for a moment, then Sparatus said, "With Spectre Kryik on your team, we'll assist by any means necessary as well." Moments later, Tevos and Valern both nodded, though Valern was more hesitant than the others.

"ONI will assist in any capacity possible," MacCallum said simply.

"We will do what we can to assist your efforts, Shepard," Thel replied, with Bero and 'Jar Watrinee nodding as well.

That's a relief, Shepard thought, thankful that the Star League and it's allies were going to give him their full backing. "Any leads that Anderson and I should follow," Shepard asked.

"We have a few," Saren replied. "We've gotten reports that one of our archaeological dig sites was attacked by unidentified forces. They got away safely, but they've gone to ground in order to avoid detection. The last reports indicated they were possibly going to ground on Knossos, a volcanic planet that's the site of a Star League Geological Survey facility. That team was led by Adrian Spears, an agent working for Interstellar Expeditions; he's responsible for helping a mercenary company led by Commander Mason in retrieving a LosTech Memory Core."

"That's not all," Victor added. "MIIO will begin by investigating the research planet known as Noveria. It's a corporate owned world that's used by many corporations in the Inner Sphere for classified military research. If anything else comes up, we'll inform you, as will our allies." There were nods as the others nodded in agreement.

"Anyone that I need to recruit," Shepard asked, now that his first question had been asked.

"We'll be sending you Dr. Liara T'Soni," Hanse replied. "She's our foremost expert on the Protheans, and she's been analyzing Prothean ruins that are present in the Inner Sphere, particularly in the Galactic Southwest and Southeast sections of the Inner Sphere. We've also gotten word that Urdnot Wrex, a Krogan Mercenary that's worked with the SLIC in the past, has volunteered to come along, says his brother, Wreav, has the leadership of his Clan worked out."

"I'd like to come along to," Tali added.

"I thought you were on your pilgrimage," Hanse remarked.

"I am, but the Pilgrimage determines if we are willing to give of ourselves for the greater good," Tali replied. "What would it say about me if I turned my back on this?! Tarak and Sovereign are the greatest threats to the galaxy yet, thanks to their theft of Forerunner technology. My Pilgrimage can wait."

There was a moment of silence, then Hanse said, "You remind me of my son here, Victor, which is why I will say yes."

"Thanks," Tali beamed. "You won't regret this."

"I'm certain we won't," Hanse nodded. Looking at Shepard, he said, "We'll also be sending aboard Sierra-117, with Admiral Hood's approval."

"You have it," Hood nodded.

"Good," Hanse remarked. "You have your marching orders, Shepard. Dismissed!" With that, Shepard got up, saluted the gathered political and military leaders of the Star League and it's allies and walked out the door with his team. Tarak was in trouble now, and the Star League was not going to be denied it's chance at getting justice.