Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Gears of War/Mass Effect crossover.
Thank you for the wonderful feedback I received in the previous chapter. I greatly appreciate it. I made some changes too, mostly to the fight scenes, so you can check those out if you want.
This is probably the only chapter that I'll post on the weekend. I'll be busy writing a new chapter for another crossover, so I'll be taking the rest of the weekend off to do that. Still, I'm very happy to see that all of you are enjoying this chapter so far.
As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Gears of War or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of BioWare, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Studios, The Coalition, Epic Games, etc. 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.
Citadel
Chora's Den
January 16th, 2183
There was a concerted rush towards the exit from the late Fist's office as Shepard and the others left, but not before he snagged a few OSD's from Fist's computer, which had survived the firefight intact. As they moved through the warehouse, Marcus said, "I'm no strategist, but I'll bet your ass that Fist called for more thugs to come and rescue him. We'd better deal with them fast."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded. "We'll take them out, quick and fast. No theatrics."
There was a silent nod of acknowledgment from the others, with Marcus making sure his Lancer was fully loaded. Only 320 rounds left, he noted to himself as he checked the number of 50 round mags that he had on his person. Hhmmm… we'll need to find someone that can manufacture ammo for us. None of these guns use the same ammo, if they even use conventional ammo that is. Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he proceeded to the door, where they quickly opened it up once more.
True enough, around eight more of Fist's thugs had come into the bar, though like their deceased comrades, they were poorly equipped for the job of neutralizing Shepard and his team as a threat. This time, there were no theatrics, with Shepard and the others killing each of the thugs with shots to the torso and chest region. Any that did take cover quickly discovered that the tables were poor cover for stopping armor piercing rounds from the weapons Marcus and his friends used.
Roadie rushing out of the bar, he quickly followed Shepard, who was sprinting as they made their way towards the meeting area in question. Rounding the corner to the door they had come from, he turned hard to the left, towards a flight of stairs that had a door waiting at the very top. Fortunately, the door was open, allowing him and the others to get inside.
Moving inside, they found themselves entering the Citadel equivalent of an alley. The lighting here was an orange-red color, though there was enough white light to make certain that it couldn't drown out any other colors. Down a descending flight of stairs was a large cubbyhole, where some cargo containers were at. Near a curved extension into the wall was a Keeper that was working steadily away at whatever task it was assigned to. Beyond was another door, presumably leading to another part of the Wards.
It was here that they found four individuals. Two of them were Salairans in body armor, with each of them armed with submachine guns and handguns, perfect for close quarters work. A Turian was present as well, and he was the only one wearing heavy grade body armor, and a rifle. The final individual was an alien wearing an environmental suit. Not much detail could be seen, because of the suit, but Marcus could tell that she, as the bulge in her chest region clearly marked her out as a female, stood on digitigrade legs, and had a pair of arms that ended in three fingered hands. Her face was hidden by a helmet, though he thought he could see silver eyes the glowed softly.
That's the Quarian, he noted, and those other individuals are Saren's men. Well, I've got a special surprise waiting for them. Acting subconsciously, he flicked the Lancer into semi-automatic mode to preserve ammo. In that mode, he could repeatedly hit a target at the Lancer's effective range of 600 meters.
As they arrived, the Turian approached the Quarian, weapon holstered, but unfolded. "Did you bring it?" he asked, his deep voice leaving no room for ambiguity.
The Quarian was nervous, as she looked around a bit. "Where's the Shadow Broker?" she asked, her voice distorted slightly by the helmet speakers. "Where's Fist?"
"They'll be here," the Turian reassured her. "Where's the evidence?" As he asked, he ran a hand down the side of the Quarian's waist.
When he did that, she angrily slapped the talon away. "No way," She growled. "Deal's off." Frowning the Turian backed up, while motioning to the Salarians to move in. Before they could, the Quarian pulled out a grenade and, throwing it towards them, threw herself behind the crates. An explosion rang out, with the Salarians being tossed backwards, though their armor wasn't damaged.
The Turian, though, had his weapon out, and was about to fire at the Quarian, except for the fact that he was also being targeted. Before he could fire, Marcus fired his Lancer four times, with the armor-piercing rounds tearing through the Turian's back. Blood erupted from the alien's chest as the bullets, tumbling inside the target, ripped out a good chunk of his chest, as well as a few organs. The alien slumped to the ground, dead as a door nail.
His Salarian counterparts didn't fare well either. One pulled out a handgun and aimed towards Marcus, only for it's chest to explode when Cole, having drawn a bead on the alien with his Retro Lancer, fired a pair of rounds. Baird, who'd drawn his Snub Pistol, fired a pair of shots as well. Despite being a weak handgun, the AP rounds for the Snub Pistol proved to be more than sufficient to kill the alien.
The firefight lasted only five seconds, with the Turian and Salarians having died within the span of those five seconds. Moving down the stairs, Marcus put an extra bullet into each alien to make sure they were dead. While he did this, Shepard walked towards the Quarian. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I-I am," the Quarian nodded. A moment later, anger erupted in her voice as she said, "Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!" A moment later, she asked suspiciously, "Why did you help me?"
"We're looking for evidence to convict Saren Arterius of murder and conspiracy," Shepard explained. "We heard that you had evidence connecting Saren to the attack on Eden Prime."
At that, the Quarian relaxed. "Then I thank you for saving my life, but we shouldn't talk here. It's not safe."
"I say we head to our Embassy on the Citadel and avoid getting shot in the ass by assassins for a change," Baird suggested.
"Oh, yeah, I second that," Cole beamed.
"Thirded," Kaidan added.
"Same here," Ashly nodded, with Garrus and Wrex nodded.
"Agreed," Shepard nodded.
"Carried, unanimously," Marcus finished.
. . .
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. Walking back inside, they found Udina standing near the overlook to the gardens, though it was clear that 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?" Baird asked, though his usual sarcasm was replaced by genuine curiosity. "What's that, no offense intended."
"None taken, Mr…?"
"Baird. Damon Baird."
"Baird. I didn't take any offense at all. In fact, talking about the ways of my people is something I like, though there are parts I'd rather not tell." Clearing her throat, Tali continued speaking, "It is a rite of passage among my people. 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."
Now Marcus was intrigued as well. "What counts as valuable?" he 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," Baird nodded, genuinely impressed. "You come back with gifts and toys to play with. How come we didn't have something like that back at home?"
"Why come here?" Shepard asked Tali.
"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?"
"They can do that?" Baird 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?"
"My people made the Geth, Baird. If you're fast and lucky, small caches of data can be saved. Most of the core was wiped clean, but I found something in it's audio banks." Moments later, Tali activated her omni-tool, the device flashing into existence. Typing in a few commands, she played the 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."
"Son of a bitch," Marcus frowned. "But what's this whole thing about a 'Conduit?'"
"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'm not so sure," Baird frowned. "I think of electrical or water pipping when I hear that word. My guess: the Conduit is some kind of mass transportation system. Still, I could be talking out my ass for all I know."
"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. More than that, when he heard the name, his head felt like someone had stabbed it with a knife, cause him to wince and rub his forehead with the gauntlet on his left arm. "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."
"The Council is going to love this," Udina muttered.
"We need to get this to the Council immediately!" Anderson decided.
"What about Nihlus? 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 explain," Baird remarked. "From what we've learned, Saren and his Geth didn't attack the colony for shits and giggles. They needed that Prothean Beacon, or what have you, in order to find out more about where something called the 'Conduit' is. To these Geth, the 'Reapers' are their gods, deities or some bullshit like that, and they're trying to bring them back. Apparently, they come back every fifty thousand years to do genocide throughout the galaxy as though it's an all-you-can-eat buffet. Fucking bastards." Even his expression betrayed his disgust at the mere existence of beings like that.
For a few seconds, Nihlus was dead silent as he processed the information. Marcus 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."
"There's something else too," Shepard told Nihlus. "When I heard the word 'Reapers', my head felt like someone stabbed it."
"You did?" Anderson asked. "Why?"
"Let's see if we can find out," Nihlus decided. Activating his own omni-tool, he did a neural scan. A moment later, he said, "Reapers." The moment he did, he noticed that Shepard flinched, but more importantly, he saw a large spike in Shepard's neural activity, specifically in his hippocampus and brain stem.
"Find out what was causing it?" Baird, who'd overheard the two, asked.
"Yes," Nihlus informed the others. "I installed a few medical scanners onto my omni-tool, including a neural scanner. The moment I said that word to Shepard, there was a spike in activity, centered around his hippocampus and brain stem. My guess is that the Prothean Beacon has, somehow, implanted a verbal trigger in his mind. Whenever I say the word 'Reaper', it causes parts of his hippocampus and brain stem to surge in activity. This also causes a spike in blood pressure, hence the headache."
"Is that normal?" Udina asked, genuinely curious, and a little concerned for Shepard.
"Not typically," Nihlus frowned. "Until now, no one has successfully interfaced with a Prothean Beacon in the manner Shepard has. This, however, indicates that there's more to these 'Reapers' than mere myth. The Protheans would've have had the knowledge their Beacons trigger this kind of physiological response unless they intended them to do so. If there's one thing we know for certain about the Protheans, it is that they never did things whimsically. Every action had a purpose and a place. Still, we have to get this evidence to the Council."
"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 replied.
"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."
As Shepard heard Tali's reasoning for putting her Pilgrimage on hold, Marcus found himself nodding at her. The kid's got spirit, he observed. Only time will tell if that's going to kill her, or make her into a real badass like me, like Cole, Baird and Carmine.
"Welcome aboard," Shepard nodded, having made the same observation himself.
"Thanks," Tali beamed, relieved that she wasn't being turned down, and at the fact that she was getting a chance to do some good for the galaxy. "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."
As they left, Nihlus turned to Marcus and said, "While Tali was talking with Shepard, Wrex showed me the footage he shot of you and the others in combat. Quite impressive. Is that how you fought back in your world?"
"Yeah," Marcus nodded. "Got a problem with that?"
"Not at all. In fact, I think it is a very sensible way to fight. Just don't go overboard with the finishing touches. That's my only advice there."
"Hhmmm… sensible. Come on, we've got a date with your Councilors."
. . .
Getting to the Citadel Tower was fairly easy, as there was an elevator that led directly to the Council Chambers. The elevator was quite large, though it was barely large enough to handle the veritable crowd that had pushed into there. Marcus felt a little cramped as the elevator quickly moved up the tower and towards the Council Chambers.
Damn place is too noisy for my liking, Marcus frowned as he heard various newscasters talking about various events in the galaxy at large. Can't they have a mute button, or at the least a volume control? Apparently, Baird was irritated as well, as he had a frown on his face.
Thankfully, the source of the irritation didn't last too long, as moments later, they arrived at the Council Chambers. Looking around, Marcus found that the Council Chambers reminded him somewhat of the House of Sovereigns back in the ruins of Old Ephyra. A moment later, his minded drifted back to that day.
. . .
Moving through the hallway ahead of them, Marcus came inside of a large, domed room that had a large round table in the center. The room was shaped like an round amphitheater, with rows of benches ascending up and back, while statues of various people that were notable for their political achievements were present. Those benches and statues, however, were chipped and damaged from war and the passage of time. The only thing that was relatively intact was a round table in the center, with the edges inscribed with the values that the COG swore to uphold.
As they came in, Lieutenant Mihn, the CO of Delta Squad, looked around. "This was a beautiful place once," he noted, his dark green eyes scanning the area with both caution, and awe. "There's a lot of history here."
Marcus frowned when he heard that. It had been more than a few years, and he had seen the COG compromise on every value. Now, some part of him wondered if it was all based on a lie. That part was the strongest, as a moment later, he said, "A lot of lies too."
That offended Minh, as he turned and gave Marcus a disgruntled look. "You've got some nerve, soldier. I know about your trial."
That was when Dom spoke up. "His trail was a sham, sir."
. . .
Just then, Marcus was jolted out from his reverie when a talon patted the armor over his left shoulder. "Marcus?" Garrus asked, a hint of concern in his eyes. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Marcus nodded, the memory of that day leaving the forefront of his mind and going back to the dusty library in the back of his mind. "I'm fine." Motioning to the Council Chambers, he said, "This place reminded me of a place I once saw, back home."
"Really?" Garrus asked. "I can probably see why." Smiling as he walked along, he said, "This place is beautiful, and it has a lot of history. This is the very chamber were the Citadel Council was formed by the Salarians and Asari. Us Turians were inducted a while later."
"A lot of lies too," Marcus added, quoting what he said that day verbatim.
Instead of being offended, like Mihn had been, Garrus actually nodded. "Yeah, I agree. That's about the only thing wrong with this place." Shaking his head, he said, "Come on. Udina and Anderson are likely presenting the evidence to the Council already."
True enough, Udina and Anderson were already presenting the evidence they had collected. While the recording was playing, Marcus took a moment to examine the Councilors themselves. There were three of them, each one standing at podiums that were elevated over where Udina was standing at. He snorted, knowing that politicians loved to use such an architectural design to make themselves feel superior.
Thanks to an omni-tool that had been provided to them, courtesy of Anderson, Marcus knew who each of the Councilors were. Of them all, he found that, while Sparatus was abrasive and direct, he was the one that was honest, for the most part. Tevos had the air of a wise and loving mother, but he knew from experience that such an aura could hide a very ugly person quite well. As for Valern, he didn't trust the Salarian, mostly because he couldn't read him very well.
"You wanted proof?" Udina said to the Councilors. "There it is."
Sparatus replied immediately, his green eyes flashing with anger, though that anger wasn't directed at Udina at all. "This evidence, combined with the evidence C-SEC has retrieved, is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status, and all efforts made to bring him to answer for his crimes."
"I recognize the other voice in the recording," Tevos added. "Matriarch Benezia."
"Who's she?" Shepard asked, though it was clear that Baird, who was just behind him, was just as curious as well."
"Matriarchs are Asari that have entered the final stages 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 had many allies, and a considerable amount of influence. 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.
"No, but Baird here has an idea," Shepard suggested. Turning to Baird, he said, "Go ahead."
Clearing his throat, Baird stepped up and did his best to be polite. "My guess, Councilors, is that the Conduit is some kind of mass transportation device, like one of your Mass Relays. If that's the case, though I could be blowing smoke up everyone's asses here, then there's an exit for the Conduit, and the Reapers are on the other side. Either way, if they're exactly what Shepard and Anderson say they are, then we're fucked unless we do something about it."
True to form, there was some hushed muttering and whispering from people that were watching the meeting. Marcus smiled, though; Baird was notorious for being brutally honest, and insensitive. He knew from personal experience, however, that underneath the hardened and gruff exterior was a good man that had pulled him and the other's asses out of the fire more than a few times.
Even the Councilors noticed this, as Tevos asked, "Are you usually this blunt, Baird?"
"Yes," Baird deadpanned. "Nothing wrong with being blunt, is there? Or do I need to be extra sensitive for you and the other Councilors?" The muttering and whispering increased in pitch and volume, but only slightly so.
"So long as you are not offensive, no," Valern finished.
Sparatus, while he appreciated Baird's blunt honesty, was still skeptical about what he'd heard. Listen to yourselves," he 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."
"You're a military man," Marcus cut in, surprising the others. "If you had to eliminate an enemy base, but quietly and without anyone else knowing it, what would you do?"
Sparatus, unaware of Marcus' military history, mulled over the question in his head. A moment later, he said, "I would cut off communications to the enemy base, then I would kill the personnel inside, then dispose of the bodies and repair what damage had been done before enemy reinforcements arrived, and lay a trap for any that came." Looking at Marcus, he asked, "Why do you ask?"
"So that you could answer your own question," Marcus replied, irritated that he was having to hold the Councilor's hand. "Obviously, these Reapers didn't want anyone else finding out how they destroyed the Protheans. It's the approach that makes the most sense, and it explains why the Protheans mysteriously vanished."
Sparatus had to admit it; Marcus had a very good point. Already, the cogs and gears inside of his mind were turning with the new information that he had. Already, he had decided that he wanted to ask Marcus a question, though what question that was remained to be seen.
Despite Marcus' exemplary use of deductive reasoning, Tevos seemed unconvinced. "This is different. 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 Marcus and Baird's case. "Fifty thousand years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the Conduit, it will happen again!"
"I agree," Baird added. "Don't bullshit us because it doesn't seem like the Reapers exist."
"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!"
"You really think that's the case," Baird asked, sarcasm coming into his voice once again. "From what I can tell, the Terminus Systems are so busy fighting each other, and so overrun with crime, that they could barely tie their own bootlaces, or take a piss and shit. Why worry about them when you can do what Udina suggested. Besides, it sounds like you ignore Humanity at every turn? Why?"
The moment he said that, it was like a fire had lit in Udina's mind. "Baird is 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, Marcus has shown a strong level of deductive reasoning. He'd probably make a good leader.
"Are you certain, Nihlus?" Tevos asked.
"Yes," Nihlus agreed. "I am also willing to assist Shepard whenever possible. I will be hunting down any other leads for Saren's location, if you are willing to send us out to find him. There's something else I must add as well, something that, I think, proves that the Reapers are more than mere myth."
"Do tell?" Valern asked.
"The Prothean Beacon also altered Shepard's psychology and physiology. Whenever I said the word 'Reaper' to him, he looked like someone had stabbed him. When I did a scan with my omni-tool, I found that when that word was spoken, there was a sharp increase in blood pressure, and a sharp increase in neural activity, specifically in the parts of the human brain associated with memory and sensory perception. My guess is that the Protheans altered the information to plant a psychological trigger inside of a recipient so that they wouldn't forget the information pertaining to the Reapers."
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, though they had to admit, Baird's blunt, but honest, assessment of the Terminus Systems was likely correct. In the end, the decision was a logical one, and each Councilor knew they would be foolish not to make the right one.
In addition, this new information on Shepard, as well as what the Prothean Beacon had done to him gave them pause. Even Valern, who was the most skeptical of the validity of the Reaper's existence, knew that this was something big. If they knew one thing about the Protheans, as Nihlus had put it to Shepard, it was that everything they did had a purpose and a place; nothing was accidental when it came to them. That was the other major influence in their vote.
Inputting their votes, the Councilors made their choice. With that choice being made, 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.
"You will also report to Huerta Memorial Hospital so that some non-invasive tests, and a mind meld, can be performed. That way, we can confirm if the information that the Prothean Beacon implanted in your mind has done what Spectre Nihlus says it might have done. Aside from that, 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."
"Until I find Saren, I haven't done anything," Shepard shrugged. "Come on. We've got some work to do, and a hospital to go to."
"Right behind you, Shepard," Garrus nodded.
"I'm comin' too," Wrex added. "You'll need some Krogan muscle to help take Saren down."
"What about Marcus and the others?" Tali asked.
That's a pretty good question, Shepard admitted. Looking towards the four men, he considered if he should take them along. They've all got combat experience, and a lot from the way they used their weapons to lethal effect. Plus, they've shown that they can think for themselves, and Marcus seems to be the unofficial leader of the group. Walking over, he asked, "Marcus, you want to come along? We could use the extra manpower. Plus, I don't think that you'd be happy being left here to gather rust. What do you say?"
Marcus mulled over Shepard's offer for a moment, weighing Shepard to the other officers that he'd served under, both as an private and as a Sergeant. Judging by the deeds associated with Shepard, he seems to be a pretty good Commander, he thought to himself. Stopped an invasion of Elysium single handedly, if the media can be believed, and survived an attack by giant worms on Akuze. That sounds like someone that really knows how to fight. Shaking his head for a moment, he said, "Alright. Count me in." Turning to the others, he asked, "What about you three?"
"Where you go, we go," Carmine agreed. "You've gotten us through hell and back alive and well."
"Same here," Cole beamed. "Besides, I'm gonna show Saren why he made a big fucking mistake. The Cole Train's gonna run his ass over! WHOOO!"
"Well, staying here would be boring as fuck," Baird prefaced. "Plus, there's a whole fucking galaxy out there to explore, and new and exciting places to see. And I really hate that fucking bastard of a Turian; I wanna shove my boot up so far up his ass that he sees it coming out of his mouth. Count me abso-fucking-lutely in."
Shepard smiled at the fact that the Gears had joined, and at the cuss word filled reply that Baird had given. "Alright," he smiled. "Let's got shoot us some Geth." With that they walked off. The cogs and gears of war had begun to turn, and the galaxy would never be the same again.
(Author's Notes & Q&A)
Given some information that a reviewer has shared with me, I'll be editing some of the fighting scenes in the previous chapters. That way, the damage each round the Gears weaponry makes makes more sense. They are from a world that's been in near-constant war, after all.
Guest: Yes. I've heard of that story, even read it. It's a good one too.
RandomReader: Very interesting. Thanks for that info. Also, I figured out that COG armor is composed of osmium alloy plating (osmium being the densest element in the universe) and Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is used for body armor. In addition, COG armor is designed to encourage rounds to ricochet. So, given all of that, which speed, do you think, would be the most realistic out of the bunch?
hellion117: Don't know about that, but we'll see what happens.
Heart of Shepard: Definitely going to be more characters from the other universe coming over. I won't spoil who, though.
Guest: Say, that's not a bad idea. I'll definitely think about that. A Gears of War/Star Wars crossover? If I know one thing, those Droids are going to be sorry that they ran into the Gears.
edboy4926: Thank you.
MarauderPrime12: Thank you.
Reikson: Interesting. I was thinking more of an Armor-Piercing/Incendiary round. The incendiary tip would be composed of a thermite mixture designed to melt the osmium plating, allowing the hardened penetrator to punch through. Still, your idea on what it is intrigues me. I'm thinking about doing something like that in his crossover.