MASS EFFECT: WARNING CALL
CHAPTER 1
"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Sara Shepard stood solidly with her shoulders squared and her hands clasped behind her back in a militaristic posture. One of the first things they taught recruits at boot camp. Anyone who broke formation until dismissed was disciplined with fifty push-ups or a five-mile jog. It all depended upon who the Staff Sergeant was at the time over the cadets. It only took Shepard one mess up to learn that. She was one of the unfortunate ones that faced the jog.
Anderson looked grimly up from the datapad that he was reading over before her entrance. "Things are not looking good right now, Shepard." He stood up from his desk to walk over to her. "A turian cruiser in the same sector went to Eden Prime two hours after we left with orders by the Council. They were tasked to retrieve data for your inquiry about Saren."
"Or to cover his tracks…" Sara murmured under her breath.
He slanted his eyes at her witty remark. "This is serious, Commander. Nihlus' body could not be recovered. The turians claim it was not there."
"Sir, that is bullshit!" Shepard snapped as she was unable to control her reaction to his words. "I saw Nihlus there at the dock. He was dead."
"Are you certain?" The captain questioned skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "A serious accusation has been made against one of their Spectres. If what we say is false, then this could spell serious reprimands against humanity's embassy." As the mixture of anger and frustration jostled inside of him, his voice elevated, "Your position as a Spectre candidate will be erased and humanity may not get another chance like this for decades."
"Screw them!" Shepard growled through clenched teeth. "They don't want us, sir. Why should we be their pets?"
"I know you don't like the Council's ways of handling things, Shepard. I get that," Anderson's voice softened. "At ease."
Sara sighed heavily in aggravation and threw up her hands. "Nihlus was dead, sir. I'm positive. What are you suggesting? That he is some kind of zombie?"
"Did you do a vital scan on your omni?"
"No. I wanted to be at the ready due to the colony was still hot with geth." She finally composed herself to a calmer state. "Maybe Saren double-backed to retrieve Nihlus' body to cover the evidence? Or maybe he had geth still there to discard it?"
"The turian cruiser would have picked up Saren's flagship when they entered orbit. Saren wouldn't have that kind of time. The turians didn't find any more active geth. Just traumatized colonists and the casualties."
"What about the dockworker?" Shepard pointed out the disturbed man that she questioned on Eden Prime. He was the one who told her about seeing Saren shoot Nihlus.
"I read your report, Commander. Without Nihlus' body to verify his death or his cause of death…" The captain shook his head in despair. "I just don't know how we are going to beat Saren on this one."