Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Escape from Tarkov/Mass Effect crossover. My apologies for not updating on Monday. I was tired and, as such, I wasn't really up for writing. As an apology, I've written this chapter, which should tie up the events of the previous chapter nicely. Things are starting to get good.

Also, the poll on my profile has officially closed. Thank you all for your input, and a new poll will be coming shortly. Thank you for your support.

As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect or Escape from Tarkov franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts and Battlestate Games. 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.

Geneburn - Solar Empire

Citadel

Embassies

2183

Fortunately, the trip back to the Embassies was much less eventful than their visit to Chora's Den, with no one firing at shot at them as they headed for safety. When they got back, Udina was inside, though, from the looks of things, he wasn't too happy. "You're not making my life easy, Shepard," he frowned. "Firefights in the Wards? An all out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many -"

The moment he saw their guest, he trailed off. "Who's this? A Quarian? What are you up to, Shepard?"

"Making your day, Ambassador," Shepard replied. "She has evidence linking Saren to the attack on Eden Prime."

"Really?" Udina asked. "Then we'd better get started, miss…?"

"My name's Tali," the Quarian replied. "Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"We don't usually see many Quarians around here. Why were you here?"

"I was on my Pilgrimate when I came here."

"Pilgrimage?" O'Connor asked. "The Codex I read about never mentioned anything like that."

"I'm curious as to what the Pilgrimage is myself," Shepard admitted.

"It is a rite of passage among my people," Tali explained. "When we come of age, we are sent out of the fleet to the rest of the galaxy. Alone, we travel the stars, searching for anything of value that we can bring back to the fleet."

"What would you find valuable?" O'Connor asked.

"It could be resources like minerals or fuel, a new ship, or knowledge that helps make life easier in the fleet. In this way, we show that we will be a contributor to the community, rather than a burden on our already limited resources."

"That's a useful way to show you're useful. You come back with gifts."

"Something like that."

"Why come here?" Shepard asked.

"During my travels, I began to hear rumors that the Geth had emerged from beyond the Veil. I was curious. I tracked a patrol to an uncharted world, waited for one to get separated from it's unit, then I disabled it and removed it's memory core."

"I thought the Geth wiped their memory cores," Anderson, who had just come in, remarked. "Some kind of failsafe?"

"The Geth can do that?" O'Connor asked.

"That they can," Anderson agreed.

"Damn, that's a pretty good way of denying the enemy information. Simply wipe the memory, and it's as though the info never existed." Looking at Tali, he asked, "Did you get lucky?"

"Partly," Tali replied. "My people made the Geth, Mr…?"

"O'Connor. William O'Connor."

"Thanks. As I was saying, O'Connor, my people made the Geth. If you're fast and lucky, small caches of data can be saved. Most of the core was wiped clean, but I found an audio recording." Moments later, Tali activated her omni-tool, the device flashing into existence. Typing in a few commands, she played an audio recording.

Like a voice from the beyond, Saren's voice drifted up from the speakers in the device. "Eden Prime was a major victory! The Beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

The moment everyone heard this, the room was silent. For Shepard and the others, it was definitive, irrefutable proof, that Saren was a traitor, though they already knew that. "That's Saren's voice," Anderson declared. "This proves what we already know: he was involved in the attack!"

"This will tip the Council's findings in our favor," Udina nodded. "Saren is all but guilty at this point."

"He mentioned that the Beacon had brought him one step closer to finding the 'Conduit,'" Shepard noted. "Any idea of what that means?"

"Not a clue," Anderson remarked. "Whatever it was, it's important enough that Saren wants it. Maybe it's an ancient piece of Prothean technology, like a weapon."

"I don't think so," O'Connor frowned. "Whenever I hear the word 'Conduit', I tend to think of a means of transportation or utilities, like water piping, electrical cable, things like that. I think the Conduit might be a means of transport."

"Maybe," Anderson admitted. "Why would Saren want it, though?"

"Beats me."

"Wait, there's more," Tali added. "Saren wasn't working alone." Moments later, she rewound the recording and played it again.

"Eden Prime was a major victory! The Beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit." Moments later, a second voice spoke up. "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

"I don't recognize that second voice, the one talking about Reapers," Udina remarked.

"Me neither," Anderson agreed.

"I feel like I've heard that name before," Shepard remarked. "Did you find anything on the Reapers?" he asked Tali.

"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed fifty thousand years ago," Tali explained. "The Reapers wiped out the Protheans, and then they vanished. At least, that's what the Geth believe."

The moment she said this, Shepard's eyes widened. "The vision on Eden Prime that I got from the Beacon! I understand it now! I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers!"

"The Geth revere the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of organic life. It's possible that they believe that Saren is a prophet that say's that they'll return."

"Great," O'Connor frowned. "Not only is Saren a genocidal asshole, he's also a religious nutcase. Reminds me of some assholes that I had to deal with at Tarkov."

"We need to get this to the Council immediately," Anderson decided.

"What about Nihlus?" Udina asked. "We haven't heard from him yet."

As soon as he said this, Nihlus walked inside, startling the ambassador. "Ambassador, Captain," he greeted. "I assume everything went well."

"More than well," Udina beamed. "Shepard and his friends found definitive proof that Saren is a traitor, as well as what his goals are. Saren is looking for something called the 'Conduit.' He's also attempting to bring back a machine race known as the 'Reapers.'"

"Reapers?" Nihlus asked, intrigued. "What do you know about them."

"I can tell you," O'Connor remarked. "According to our guest here, the Reapers were a group of advanced robots that wiped out the Protheans fifty thousand years ago before disappearing. Shepard here just told us that the Prothean Beacon zapped a vision showing the Reapers destroying the Protheans into his head."

For a few seconds, Nihlus was dead silent as he processed the information. O'Connor could almost see the cogs and gears in his head turning as he broke the information down. After a few seconds, he said, "Spirits, if that's what really happened to the Protheans…" He trailed off for a moment before saying, "We have to get this information to the Council."

"My thoughts exactly," Udina agreed. "Anderson, come with me. Shepard, meet us at the Citadel Tower when you're ready."

"What about her?" Wrex asked, pointing at Tali. "The Quarian?"

"My name's Tali," she replied somewhat indignantly. Looking at Shepard, she said, "Shepard, I would like to come with you. You'll need my expertise against the Geth if need be."

"I thought you were on your Pilgrimage," Shepard remarked.

"The Pilgrimage shows that we are willing to give ourselves up for the greater good. What would it say about me if I turned my back on this?! On top of this, Saren is a danger to everyone in Council space! My Pilgrimage can wait."

"Welcome aboard," Shepard nodded.

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

"I'm certain you won't." Looking at Nihlus, he asked, "Anything on your end?"

"Unfortunately, no," Nihlus replied. "My investigations turned up nothing, which is why I'm glad yours did. If this information is correct, it could rewrite galactic history as we know it. I'll meet you at the Citadel Tower."

. . .

Getting to the Citadel Tower was fairly easy, as there was an elevator that led directly to the Council Chambers. As they traveled upwards, news announcements were broadcast to them via speakers in the walls of the elevator. Most of the announcements were incomprehensible to O'Connor, since Shepard's omni-tool was currently off.

Funny, he thought. The Turian newscaster's voice sounds like a bunch of growls, grunts, clicks and trills strung together, while the Salarian sounds like a frog croaking. The Asari sound like someone singing in a breathy voice. I wonder what the Quarians sound like?

Moments later, the elevators came to a stop, with the doors opening to reveal the interior of the Council Chambers. Of all the places that he'd gone to, O'Connor found that the Council Chambers reminded him of the interior of a fancy hotel he'd found in Tarkov. The ceiling was tall, so tall that he noted how much space had been used. The place was divided up into a series of floors, each one accessible via stairs and elevators.

The ground floor was where some of the prettier stuff was at. As they walked along, he noticed what looked like a water fountain. Pretty, he thought. Up ahead, there was a garden plot, with a tree growing in the center, as well as grass. He also noted a bug-like creature that was working at a console. Up ahead, he could see the podium they would be speaking at, with a series of stairs leading up each one.

Anderson was at the foot of one of those stairs, as he was leaning against the wall, waiting for them. "Come on," he told the others. "Udina's already presenting the evidence to the Council."

As they walked along, they could hear the recording once more. Walking towards Udina, O'Connor spotted the three Councilors, a Turian, Salarian and Asari respectively. The moment he saw the Turian, he immediately knew that the alien was former military, from the way he stood at parade rest, to the squared shoulders and piercing, intelligent gaze.

The Salarian and Asari were a little more difficult, though he could tell that they were expert statesmen. The Salarian had an inquisitive gaze, as though he was trying to pick something apart with his own eyes and brain. The Asari had a calm, maternal air around her, but her eyes showed she was intelligent.

Of all of them, O'Connor only liked the Turian. The others don't give me a lot of confidence, he thought. That one though… I might be going soft, or naive, but I like him for some reason. As they walked along, he asked, "Who are those people?"

"The Councilors," Nihlus replied. "The one on the left is Councilor Sparatus; he's a recent newcomer, but he's quickly adapted to the role he's in. Tevos is the one in the middle, while Valern is the one on the right. Together, they help ensure that the galaxy remains peaceful, and that no species is threatened."

As they got closer, they heard Udina speaking. "You wanted one last shred of proof, there it is," he told them.

"This evidence, combined with what was found during C-SEC's investigation, is irrefutable, Ambassador," Sparatus confirmed. "Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status, and all efforts will be made to bring him to answer for his crimes."

"I recognize the other voice in the recording," Tevos added. "Matriarch Benezia?"

"What's a Matriarch?" Shepard asked.

"Matriarchs are powerful Asari that have entered the last stage of their lives," Tevos explained. "Revered for their experience and wisdom, they serve as guides and teachers for my people. Matriarch Benezia was a powerful Asari that was highly influential. She will have recruited many followers to Saren's cause."

"I'm more interested in these Reapers," Valern added. "What do you know about them?"

"Only what was in the Geth memory core," Anderson replied. "The Reapers were a highly advanced machine species that attacked the Protheans fifty thousand years ago. They destroyed the Protheans, then left the galaxy for unknown reasons."

"The Geth revere the Reapers as gods," Shepard added, "and they believe that Saren is the prophet of their return."

"We believe that the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. That's why Saren wants it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime."

"Do we even know what this 'Conduit' is?" Valern asked.

"If Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers, then it's bad enough," Shepard replied.

"Listen to yourselves," Sparatus argued. "Your saying that Saren wants to bring back machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be. Where did they go? How come we found no evidence of their existence."

"Because they didn't want to be found," O'Connor added. This single remark caught the attention of every one of the Councilors, with Spartaus in particular paying close attention.

"Mind if you elaborate?" Tevos asked.

Looking at Sparatus, he said, "I can explain based on personal experience. Spartaus, since you're a military man, I have a question for you. If you were told to infiltrate a military base, and kill everyone, while making it appear as though they simply abandoned the place, what would you do?"

There was a long silence as Sparatus considered the question, which even he had to admit was a good one. After a good half minute, he said, "I would neutralize everyone at the base, then clean up the bodies and blood, while altering any surveillance feeds to make it appear as though they had abandoned the place. Then I would eliminate any evidence that proved otherwise."

"You just answered your own question," O'Connor remarked. "We can logically assume that the Reapers did the same thing. They wiped out the Protheans, then they made it look like they had simply disappeared, with no evidence that proved contrary to what other species would believe. It's an old, Special Forces trick, but it's very effective. As for you and Tevos, I have some good advice for you: one sure mark of a fool is dismissing anything that falls outside of his experience as impossible. Please don't make that error here."

As he finished, he noticed that Sparatus was looking at him intently, both emerald green eyes gazing directly at him. While unnerving, it was clear to O'Connor that he'd impressed the Turian Councilor with his inductive reasoning. He looks like he wants to talk to me later on, he guessed. We'll have to see the meeting through first, then we'll talk.

Despite his impressive reasoning skills, Tevos and Valern weren't as impressed. "This is different," Tevos replied, unconvinced. "You've proved, along with Nihlus, that Saren betrayed the Council. We all agree he's using the Geth to find the Conduit, but no one really knows why."

"The Reapers are obviously a myth," Valern concluded. "A convenient lie that Saren is using to cover his true purpose. A legend he's using to bend the Geth to his will."

Shepard, however, decided to support O'Connor's case. "Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!"

"Saren is a rouge agent on the run for his life," Sparatus argued, though even to him, it sounded weak and unconvincing. "He no longer has the freedoms or rights of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position."

"That's not good enough!" Udina protested. "You know he's hiding in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!"

"A fleet cannot find one man," Valern countered.

"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the Geth from attacking any more colonies!"

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems," Sparatus countered. "We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few Human colonies!"

"Really?" O'Connor asked dubiously. "The Terminus Systems could barely tie their own shoelaces if they tried. Besides, I've noticed a running theme here: every time the Alliance asks for help, you conveniently ignore them. Is that coincidental, or are you deliberately going against your own goals: the preservation of galactic peace, even through violent means like waging war?"

The moment he said that, it was like a fire had lit in Udina's mind. "O'Connor's right!" he decided. "I'm sick of this fucking Council and it's anti-Human bull -!"

He was promptly interrupted when Tevos raised a hand. "Ambassador! There is another way. One that does not involve fleets, or armies."

"Are you certain?" Sparatus asked. "We don't know yet if Shepard is suitable for the Spectres."

"I can vouch for him," another voice replied. Much to everyone's surprise, Nihlus walked up to where Udina was at. "He might've only done one mission, but right now, Shepard is your best choice. You don't have to send in a fleet, and the Human Ambassador gets his Spectre. Everyone wins."

Even Shepard had to admit, that logic was impeccable. Everyone gets what they want in the end, he thought. On top of that, O'Connor's shown a strong level of inductive reasoning. He'd probably make a good leader.

"Are you certain, Nihlus?" Tevos asked.

"Yes," Nihlus agreed. "All that I ask is that, once I've recovered from my injury, that I be allowed to accompany Shepard on his mission. During my convalescence, I will hunt down potential leads for him to follow."

The Council Chambers was silent as the Councilors considered this proposal. They had to admit, Nihlus had a very good point. Not only would Udina finally get the Spectre that he wanted, they wouldn't have to risk waging war against the Terminus Systems. In the end, the decision was a logical one.

Inputting their votes, Tevos said, "Commander Shepard, please step forward." As he did so, people gathered to see what was about to happen, some on the ground floor, while others gathered on the floors above. Then the announcement came. "It is the decision of the Citadel Council that you be granted the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel."

"Spectes are not trained, but chosen," Valern added. "Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle; those who's actions have elevated them above the rank and file."

"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol," Tevos added. "The embodiment of courage, determination and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."

"Spectres bear a great burden," Spartaus finished. "They are the protectors of galactic peace, both our first, and final, line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold."

"You are the first Human Spectre, Commander," Tevos announced. "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species."

"I'm honored, Councilors," Shepard replied, bowing as he did so.

"We're sending you into the Traverse after Saren," Valern informed him. "He's a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."

"I'll stop him," Shepard nodded.

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned," Tevos announced. With that, Shepard turned to Anderson and Udina.

"Congratulations, Commander," Anderson beamed.

"We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard," Udina added. "You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies…"

"You should go to the requisitions officer at C-SEC. They'll get you special equipment, and any training that you might need."

"Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help setting all of this up." With that, Udina and Anderson left.

As Shepard walked towards the stairs, Tali said, "I can't believe he didn't thank you. You'd think he'd be more grateful."

"He hasn't done anything yet," O'Connor replied. "Udina's probably very proud, but right now, he's a busy man. Besides, it's only after we stop Saren that we'll get any kind of thanks."

"O'Connor's right," Shepard nodded. "Until I've found Saren, I haven't done anything yet. Let's go."

As they made to leave, Garrus said, "Shepard, I would like to come with you."

"Why?"

"You'll need help taking down Saren. I know, I'm a Turian, but a good Turian knows when he has to stop a member of his own species from committing a crime. Besides, Saren is a traitor and a disgrace to my people!"

There were a few moments of silence, then, "You've made your case, Garrus. Welcome aboard. If Wrex is interested, he can come too."

"Oh, I'll come," Wrex agreed. "There's too much going on to let you little pyjacks have all the fun. Besides, it'll be good kicking Saren in the quad."

"Welcome aboard, Wrex. We won't be leaving right away. We'll need to gather supplies and other things before we go."

"Sounds good to me."

That was when Shepard looked at O'Connor. "What about you, O'Connor?"

For O'Connor, it was an easier choice, given that he was practically stuck in this universe without a means back. "I'll come along," he decided.

"Why is that? You're a mercenary."

"That's where you'd be wrong, Shepard. I am a former member of the US Marine Corp, as well as a man of duty. Duty before paycheck is my line of thinking. If Saren thinks he can run around willy nilly, killing people while he finds the Conduit, then he has another thing coming at him. Besides, even if I was a merc, I'd be doing this for free. Count me in, Shepard."

"That's good to hear," Shepard beamed. "It'll be nice having you along. I wonder how people fought in the 21st century."

"Very dirty, Shepard. Very dirty. Now let's go, I have ammunition to buy, as well as armor to upgrade."

. . .

The way it ended up going on was like this. Shepard and the others had agreed to check out Tayseri Ward, as well as the Presidium in order to find vendors to get supplies. Before that, O'Connor had visited C-SEC to have his ID done, as well as a file identifying who he was and what his occupation was. Given that he was working with a Spectre, and that he was former military, he had gotten new licenses for his weaponry, though it was noted that he might need retraining. Once that was done, he'd gone to Zakera Wards to find a means of occupying his time, since Shepard informed him that some people were asking for favors.

Here, though, walking around in the Wards, he found that it was a lot more like home, and his older jobs, than he thought. I guess that old saying is true, he thought as he moved past a pair of Turians and an Asari. The more things change, the more they stay the same. These aliens aren't that different from Humans. In fact, if you look past the skin, they're almost identical to human beings.

While some would wonder if this was bad, O'Connor felt that it was a good thing. Part of his reasoning was because it made the aliens more predictable. The Turians would act around their code of self-responsibility and honor, while the Salarians would act around their curiosity and inquisitive nature. He didn't like the Asari, though; they were too arrogant and puffed up for his liking.

As he walked along, he looked around the place to see if there were any vendors that he was interested in. He was about to round a corner when he spotted a potential store of interest. It was located at the corner of a street, with a neon blue sign that said, "Vorenus Gunworks." That might be something that I'm interested in, he thought.

With that, he turned to the right and walked inside. The interior of the store was well kept and cleaned, with nary a stain on the floor, walls or windows. The counter was large, spanning the width of the entire room, though the door told O'Connor that the store was larger than it appeared to be.

The man at the counter, though, was the person that caught his attention. The person was a male Turian with dark brown, almost black, eyes, dark green facial paint, and a long, jagged scar running down the right side of his face. The way he held himself indicated that he'd seen a lot of fighting, and when he walked, he had a noticeable limp on his left side.

As soon as O'Connor walked inside, the Turian's eyes promptly snapped towards him. "Nice outfit," he remarked, his voice deep and gritty.

Thank goodness for the Omni-tool Shepard lent me, O'Connor thought. "Thank you. It's fairly old, but it still works out well."

"I can tell," the Turian replied. Clearing his throat, he said, "Welcome to Vorenus Gunworks. I'm the owner of the store, and it's namesake, if you're getting formal that is."

"No need for that," O'Connor replied. "I'm interested in what you're selling, though I wouldn't mind a few stories as well."

"I've got spades of those to share," Vorenus nodded, "and I'm certain that you have some to share as well."

"True. So, what do you sell?"

"We sell working replicas of older forms of weaponry. You have to have a license to use them, but given that you have one, according to C-SEC. So, what can I do for you?"

When he heard that, O'Connor knew he'd found the right place for an upgrade. "I was wondering if you could make more advanced versions of these." Pulling out his M45 and M4A1, he unloaded both guns and placed them on the counter, as well as the ammunition they used.

Vorenus examined the weapons with interested, while twirling an M995 round in his hand. "Interesting," he noted. "Modified M4A1 with armor piercing ammunition. Made in the USA during the late 20th century to mid-late 21st century."

"You know old guns?" O'Connor asked, impressed.

"There's a large market for collectible weapons," Vorenus explained. "Pre-spaceflight Human weapons are the most popular when it comes to Turian firearm collectors, which is ironic given what happened thirty years ago."

"The First Contact War?"

"Yep, or as my government calls it, the 'Relay 314 Incident.'"?"

"That's interesting. Most Turians look at me kinda dirty. Is that related to that?"

"Yep. Some Turians think that your species was being impulsive, and nearly started a catastrophe. While our government paid reparations, some Turians still hold resentment towards Humanity as a result."

"What about you?"

"I'm a mutant in that regard. I think we Turians were being overzealous in enforcing our duty to protect the galaxy. I was there during the war, which is where I got this scaring and this limp, dodging artillery strikes from Alliance ground artillery. When I recovered, I went to visit your species' homeworld. It's a beautiful place."

"That's good to hear. I'm happy that we correct our first impressions."

"That your species has, to some degree. Either way, we're here to talk business. I can make more advanced, functioning replicas of your weapons, but it'll come at a cost."

"How much?"

"Around 1.4 million credits."

That left O'Connor breathless. "A million and a half credits?!" he half gasped, half shouted. "That's a problem, since I'm penniless."

"It is," Vorenus agreed. "I kinda figured that, so I'll cut you a deal. Your older guns will be the payment. I'll sell them to any interested Turian collectors that I find; that should cover the cost. In addition, I'll manufacture more advanced ammunition and, if necessary, I'll arrange to have an ammunition printer sent to any ship you're using. In the meantime, I'd advise that you sell that old armor and find a better set."

"Sounds good to me. You've got a deal."

"Good to hear."

Just like at Tarkov, O'Connor thought as made the deal.