PROLOGUE


Ark Natanus, the Shuttle Bay area

Occupancy: 20,000 Turian Colonists

1200 Hours EST

One week before departure…

Turian agent, Larius Tanition, disembarked from his shuttle carrying a gun case long enough to hold an M-97 Viper sniper rifle inside. Dea Praeton, the captain of Ark Natanus stood in between two security guards armed with M-8 Avengers ready if in the event of an unexpected attack. Larius approached and saluted the captain with no hesitation.

"Captain Praeton." Said Larius.

"Welcome to Ark Natanus, Tanition." The captain greeted. "I got word you were coming, and on such short notice."

"Not to board, unfortunately." He confessed. "I'm here to deliver this package to one of your passengers."

The captain and her two guards carefully observed the gun case, questioned why one of the passengers would want a weapon in their possession.

"My client said I can show you what's inside if it's alright with you, and your guards." Said Larius.

The captain nodded, and within seconds, the agent opened the gun case to show small and rectangular devices inside. These small devices were placed in no particular order, not even connected to one another. "What are they?" The captain asked.

"My client said they were memory drives and recording devices for the century's long voyage into dark space." Larius explained, but he couldn't say much in front of the two guards behind the captain.

"Yes," she replied. "Your mysterious client contacted me, with the assistance of Garson."

Both Captain Praeton and Agent Tanition stared at each other as if they could read each other's minds without saying a peep out of their mandibles.

The one thing that caught the captain's attention was a small memory drive with a handwritten signature on it. "I haven't seen one of these in a long time, a memory drive?"

"I've been told it's a small V.I. interface with a message." Larius explained. "And only that only the receiver's biometrics can fully open."

The captain asked the agent to follow.

A tram excelled through the tunnels traveling from the Shuttle Bay to the Habitation Deck. Both the captain and the agent exchanged words with one another.

"You know, you are cutting it real close." Said Dea. "The initiative sets off for Andromeda in a couple of days, and most of the passengers are in stasis. Those getting on board are going into stasis. "

"Tell that to my client." Larius replied. "I'm not sure why they want me to bring this package here. I'm just here to do a job, get paid, and the day is done."

"Your client sounds resourceful and powerful. Almost as if that was…" Dea paused.

"So why did you join up with this job?" Larius asked changing the subject. "I understand this is a one-way trip, no going back."

"Why not?" Dea asked. "This is a once in a lifetime chance. New galaxy, new worlds, new lives. And with the other species coming, krogan, quarian, human. We've all had rocky relationships, this way we can start over."

Larius shrugged at that idea, he wasn't too comfortable about the idea of leaving his home galaxy for good. But he wasn't the type to persuade others to change the minds of others.

The tram stopped and as the doors open a few initiative personnel was inspecting the ark's systems, making sure everything was in order before takeoff.

At the Habitation Deck, Captain Dea accessed a console to search for any particular part of the ship, information, reports, and even passenger list. Agent Larius was told to place the package under the name of, "Tarren".

"Ah yes." The captain sighed. "Metias' son, the Tarren's were famously known for clearing the air between us and the humans of Earth after the incident decades ago." She looked at the small memory drive she held between two of her three talons of her right hand. "I also heard about his kid was a prodigy in the turian military and as a security officer." Though she was aware that this particular passenger was recruited by one of Jien Garson's Initiative operatives to recruit particular candidates for special opportunities, why would he take the giant leap?

"I don't know." Said Larius. "The client's "sender" wants him to listen to the message when he wakes up."

The captain found Tarren's name, image, occupation in both prior and current within the initiative and pod number.

Captain Praeton led the agent to an elevator down to the storage bay. As Agent Larius opened the storage unit, he saw a similar rifle case with the same design and color and placed it next to it. Captain Dea neglected to realize the memory drive was still in her hand and accidentally pushed a small switch on its side and a degraded image of a turian showed his face with only a partial message, that turian's low and raspy flange gained Larius' attention.

Jacen,

If you are reading this -

I'm sorry for everything I had said and done. -

After the attacks in the Citadel -

I needed to do things my way -

This mission I am in, it's bigger than anything I've ever encountered, which is why I am recording this message to you. -

Please, please forgive me, and take care of yourself. -

After hearing it once, Dea pushed the switch again to turn it off and gave it to Larius. He gazed at the cases and grabbed one with an M-97 Viper inside of it, not wanting to care he shoved it under the barrel of the rifle and closed it. He approached the captain as she closed the doors of the Storage Bay.

"Sorry for everything he had said and done…" The captain repeated that message. "I wonder who he was and why he's apologizing to him."

"It's technically none of our business." Said Larius. "This is something only he can understand once he wakes up."

At the Shuttle Bay, Agent Larius shook hands with the Captain giving her a final goodbye and safe journeys to the Andromeda Galaxy.

"Goodbye, Larius." Said the captain. "Take care."

Larius boards the shuttle and he takes off to the Charon Relay of the Sol System. Within minutes he receives a call. The image on the holographic monitor shows a dark figure and the audio feedback was a low distorted voice.

"Is it done?" Said the figure.

"Yes." Larius answered. "Your receiver has your devices up and ready to record all news and broadcasts of all Citadel races during their travels."

"Excellent." Said the voice.

"Just out of curiosity." Larius asked. "What's so special about this client of yours that wanted to pass the message to this Tarren guy?"

"That's none of your business!" The voice exclaimed. "My client made it personal that only he would hear his message and no one else."

"I apologize and I won't keep you." Said Larius.

"Good, in the meantime, I have some "digging around" to do." Said the voice.

Larius disconnected the call as he approached the Charon Mass Relay. "Whatever you say, Shadow Broker."


Jacen: A Mass Effect Story


I DO NOT own the Mass Effect franchise or its content. I DO NOT make any money from the writing of this story. All rights belong to their rightful owners (EA Games and BioWare).