MASS EFFECT: CHASMS
Prologue
Low murmurs of perplexity and resentment flowed around the spectator balconies on the upper floors of the council chambers as humanity's first Spectre was becoming initiated by the tribunal. The moments that led up to the acknowledgment were tiresome to many. Rumors soared through the diplomatic offices like wildfire when Captain David Anderson and his ground team sought an audience with the council following the raid on Eden Prime. The scorned outsider along with the human ambassador: Udina petitioned that the council arrest the Turian Spectre, Saren Arterius, with no concrete evidence besides post-traumatic colonists' baffling testimonies and some type of "vision" that Commander Zalena Shepard had, following her supposed interaction with a Prothean beacon. The turian councilor, Sparatus, was unmoved by what they brought forth and neither was Saren himself, who attended via holo-conference.
When that day's docket listed another meeting with the failed Spectre candidate, Anderson and his protégé, Commander Shepard, many rolled their eyes and felt like the timeslot was a waste when many argued that their own unheard petitions were not based on pure nonsense. The diplomats were seated for the day's events while many casually leaned over the rails to partake in a few sessions before scurrying off to their own meetings. Lyetese T'Zemi, an asari diplomat from Ilium as part of their trade partnership, remained silent and poised. Unlike many of her comrades, Shepard's story interested her greatly. Though her neutral face expressions would not let that on.
After each councilor gave their part of the public speech, they further enticed the show by giving the new found Spectre her first mission: To hunt down the now sought out rogue Spectre, Saren, and bring him to justice. Evidence was produced by Zalena this time. A recording that even Sparatus could not dispute; since after all, this was his own kind. The diplomats in her section scoffed at the dismissal and the news before returning to their idle chatter. Lyetese immediately stood up and hurried her way down the steps to the main floor to where Shepard and her team were previously. Her heels clapped along the porcelain floors. Not making a scene, she refrained from calling out the commander's name and just moved along, zigzagging around those that stopped to discuss their own cases amongst one another or who were simply shooting the breeze. Fortunately for her, despite losing track of Shepard briefly, the commander was still on the main floor and just a few meters past the staircase, heading in the direction of the tower's elevator. This time, she called her name to grab her attention, "Spectre Shepard." Using the new title purposefully to attract her attention quicker.
Hearing this, Zalena paused and turned to where the shout came from. The title stuck out since she was not accustomed to it. Her dark eyes immediately fell upon a blue skinned asari in a white gown with a purple wide line down the middle that was walking towards her. T'Zemi slowed her steps so she wouldn't appear to be desperate or a fan-crazed type. "Spectre," She said again to hold the attention. Beside the brown-tone human female was a male in his early thirties with charcoal black hair, most likely Alliance, and a burly krogan who brandished a merc outfit. The non-human companion confused her. A merc? Was he protection? Surely, the Alliance had the funds for their own security detail? This made her lift an eye-ridge reflexively towards him. The krogan caught onto this and curled up his upper lip to bare his razor-sharp incisors.
"Yes, can I help you-," Zalena stumbled for her words on how to approach the asari. She knew that the species was monogender so there was no male or female for them. Her human automatic reaction was to finish the question up with "Miss" or "Mrs." The awkwardness just made her halt at that.
"Congratulations on your achievement, Commander Shepard," Lyetese nodded her head respectfully. "We will be keeping a close watch on your progress. Good day." With the simplest of greetings, she turned and walked away leaving the trio standing there in stout confusion.
Kaidan scratched his head as he watched the asari walk off. "Um, that was different," He chuckled at his team. "At least, it wasn't 'go to hell', right?"
"What did she mean by we?" Zalena repeated the ominous statement. Was it a warning of some type? The tiny hairs on the back of her neck rose slightly by it. The woman was alone when she greeted them. Was she part of some group or was she saying it in meaning of the diplomats in general? After all, her name would be the highlight of the extranet reports for the weeks to months to come. Everyone would be observing her, praising or chastising her. Her methods were be ridiculed by not only the council species, but with the Alliance. She was still a representative of humanity and progressed further than her CO.
"Asari," Wrex huffed. "What do you expect?"
Shrugging her shoulders to dismiss the short mysterious meeting, Zalena started her walk towards the elevators once more. "Come on, let's head out of here."
Lyetese approached her apartment corridor later on that day. A green salarian exited his own that was adjacently across from hers and noticed her coming towards him. "Hello, T'Zemi." She ignored him as she was purposefully driven on course. A quick scan of her thumb at her doorway pad and she slipped inside, leaving the friendly neighbor standing out in the hallway, dumbfounded. Robotically, she maneuvered deeper inside the luxurious apartment to the living room area. A large filmed widespan window provided exterior light from the Presidium's artificial lighting while giving occupants a breathtaking view of the station's landscape. The film prevented those outside to see inside her home while she could look out and just enrich herself in the tranquil scenery. The apartment type she was in was for the rich and hers was paid for entirely by her employers back on Ilium. Thousands that lived in the lower wards would give up their entire savings or even their lives to just bask in her surroundings for an hour. The eye-grabbing imagery didn't capture her attention as she sat down on her couch with her ocean blue eyes transfixed upon something else in her apartment. It wasn't the flat wall mount monitor to watch vids. In fact, there was no sound at all in her apartment, but just the gentle hum of the room's VI.
She sat frozen on the couch as her eyes submerged herself in the rare art piece that highlighted her apartment décor. The finding was so rare that only three of the artworks were found on the Citadel. She had one and the remaining two's locations were unknown. The bottom portion was an orchid purple curved pedestal. An asari design. On top was a sphere that glowed with a mixture of sea green and turquoise blue hue. Lyetese sat there and stared deeply into the orb. It was silent and still and yet it moved her and almost communicated to her. It aroused her senses. She was beckoned to it. It captivated her like pure beauty. It rocked her like gentle waves back and forth. Peaceful like a private beach. Chaos was coming. The new found Spectre proclaimed it. Others denied this prophecy and yet, she believed her. She believed Zalena Shepard. If only Shepard truly knew how doomed the world was around them. Their future was blight. The day of reckoning would come. It was written in stone. Its truths preached throughout many extinct species and seem only like folklore for the ones that remained. Nonbelievers.
The hellfire could burn around her. Lyetese didn't care. She had this orb and the orb had her. She would do whatever it took to protect it. The darkness could not be breached.
5
