Disclaimer: Bioware owns the Mass Effect series and its characters. All I own is my own characters and any changes to canon.

Citadel, One Week Later

POV: Marcus Garvil

I stood in front of the Citadel Council in the Citadel Tower one week after Shepard's departure. Tali had found a way off the station within hours. She bought a small worn down fighter with my assistance, one on a cruiser that would be passing through the system the Migrant Fleet was in. Wrex stayed for a while, but left yesterday to return to his homeworld. I had a feeling that the Council would only be too happy to send a Krogan Battlemaster back to his home planet. Kaidan had left immediately with the Alliance fleets back to Sol, where he would get his new orders. Liara and Garrus had left with Shepard, their loyalties not having to be shared.

As for me, I had been sitting here waiting for orders.

I accepted the Council's offer of spectrehood soon after my final conversation with Shepard, and I was put on standby while the communication arrays were functioning normally. They still were having issues, but it was cleared up enough that they found a job for me.

I walked the last few steps to reach their raised platform, the temporary section for Council meetings until the tower could be completely repaired.

Tevos spoke up first. I was told their first names when I became a spectre, although I still called them 'Councilor'.

"Commander Garvil, we have an urgent job for you."

I had been promoted to Commander given my actions with Shepard, as well as because they believed I should never have been demoted anyway. I nodded to her and waited patiently.

Valern spoke next, in his usual calm voice. "We've gotten notice that one of the terrorist groups in the galaxy has become more active in the past several days. We're sending you to figure out what they're up to and stop it, if possible."

I nodded again, planting my hands on the railing. "What is the name and location of the group?"

"The terrorist group is called the 'Gray Rose,' a group that has been around for several decades," Sparatus responded in his usual cold tone.

"The Gray Rose operates on Thessia, and is an all-Asari group," Tevos continued. I raised an eyebrow. I figured I would be sent on an important mission, but I never thought I'd be going to the Asari homeworld. Very few people ever entered Asari space itself, much less Thessia.

It must be important if they're sending a non-Asari there.

Tevos nodded. "You will meet up with one of our other spectres planetside. She has been investigating them for several years, but hasn't uncovered anything. With their new activity, we're worried they might have a plan to disrupt our efforts to rebuild after the battle with Saren."

I nodded and stood up from where I was leaning on the rails. "I'll leave immediately, Councilors. You can count on me," I told them confidently. Tevos and Valern nodded, while Sparatus just stared at me blankly.

"We'll arrange transport immediately," Tevos finalized. "Keep us updated, Commander. Good luck. Dismissed."

I turned and walked down the stairs to the entrance of the tower.

Thessia? I thought to myself in confusion. They must be incredibly worried if they're sending me there. They must know something

I shook my head as I took the elevator down to the Presidium. I was approached by an Asari in a long thin robe, a fairly common site in the Presidium.

She smiled when we shook hands. "My name is Reyna. I was asked to bring you to Thessia, Spectre."

I nodded and motioned behind her. "Lead the way, Reyna."

We walked to the nearest public transport, which brought us to the docking bay where Reyna's frigate was waiting. We boarded and I looked around, marveling at the ship's design.

I already knew Asari Ships were build more flat than any other race, but I shook my head at how different the entire design was. The interior was more colorful than any Alliance ship I had ever been on. I had heard that Asari could be part of the crew on a ship for most of their lives in some cases, although I had never really put into thought how that would change the design of ships.

Reyna caught me looking around and laughed. "This ship is called Thenda Ral. In your language, it roughly translates to 'The All-Seeing One'. Follow me, I'll show you your room for the voyage."

I nodded and followed her as we passed through the various sections of the ship. I recognized most of them, as they appeared to have similar functions of an Alliance ship, although some had innovations I didn't recognize.

We had entered between the cockpit and the CIC, which was slightly larger than the Normandy's. There wasn't a raised section where the Commander gave orders, but instead a single console with a large screen showing the galaxy's various systems on the far wall. There were two entrances outside of the CIC, one on each of the left and right walls between the various crew terminals. I couldn't breathe at the sight of the decorations across the various walls. While the Normandy had a plain blue wall, there were various paintings, patterns, and colors plastered across the walls seemingly at random. I shook my head in disbelief, wondering how I'd ever be able to get used to Alliance ships after this.

I followed Reyna again as she went through the right door, which was a simple hallway that led around the far edge of the CIC to where it met with the other hallway in the middle. There was a small indent at the end with a door. The asari didn't even stop and opened the door without hesitation, which led to what appeared to be a mess hall. There were small tables throughout the room, some with various crew members eating and laughing with each other. Every asari we passed saluted at Reyna, which she responded by nodding back to them. I got strange looks soon after we entered the room, with every asari in the room shortly after stopping to stare at me. I ignored them and continued to the other side of the room, following my guide.

The last section we passed through was a hallway with various rooms. One opened near the end with a stretching Asari exiting it. She stepped to the side and saluted as we passed, then gave me the same strange look as the others in the mess hall. I nodded to her and continued. The hallway ended with a small intersection to two more hallways. I assumed at this point that this was where the crew stayed, which surprised me. The Alliance had sleeping pods for the various crew and non-commanding ground team, but it appeared everyone had a room on this ship.

We went to the right side and stopped when we reached the last room in this hallway. I assumed the turn we would have taken would have met with the other hallway and led to the drive core or the medical bay. Reyna stopped and turned at me, opening the door.

"This is your room for the duration of the voyage. Since you're a guest, you won't have any roomates. You'll be here for around eight days if we aren't stopped or delayed, so make yourself at home. The path beyond the one we've already taken leads to the medical bay if you need it, and you already know where the mess hall is." She smiled at me as I looked around the room in wonder.

Breaking my gaze away from what the room entailed, I shook my head at her. "All we get in the Alliance is a sleeping pod and a locker. I never would have thought any other race would have the crew get their own rooms."

She laughed. "It's not uncommon for Asari to be on these ships for hundreds of years. It's best we allow the crew to be as comfortable as possible the entire time they're here."

I looked around again, in disbelief as to what was in the room.

The room was fairly big. On the far right corner stood my bed, going along the right wall. A desk with a chair in front of it was in the nearest right hand corner. On the opposite side of the desk, another desk stood, this time with a terminal attached. A large screen was on the far left side wall, next to the bathroom door, which was in the middle of the farside wall. The screen had a small terminal in front of it, which I assumed extended the larger teminal on the desk relating to calls and various video options. The walls had the same type of decorations as the rest of the ship, although much less varied. A cylinder-shaped dresser was directly in the middle of the room, rising from floor to ceiling with various drawers attached.

Reyna stepped into the room and folded her arms, grinning at me. "I see you like the accomodations. The screen links to two hundred separate channels as well as doubling as a video display for calls. The terminal does about everything you can imagine a regular terminal on a ship doing. It also has a direct link to the one in my private quarters, so we can get in contact easily in an emergency."

I shook my head in disbelief again. I couldn't imagine how the asari could afford all this.

She stepped towards me again. "I must ask you to stay away from anywhere on the ship that isn't your room, the medical bay, or the mess hall. If you need anything, contact me or put a request through the terminal. Do you have any questions?"

I nodded. "I assume you're the captain of the ship?"

She smiled, nodding. "I've been the Commander of the Thenda Ral for 76 years. She's a fine ship. Although she fights less than most other frigates, she's also one of the best in the fourth fleet for escort, inspection, and investigation jobs. Since we're often the ones asked for the most important people, namely high ranking officials, admirals, presidents..." She winked at me. "Spectres, we go pretty far to make sure our accomodation is the best we can make it."

I grinned and sat down on the bed. "Do you know anything about why I'm going to Thessia?"

She placed a hand on her hip and leaned on the dresser. "The Gray Rose. All I know is that you're being sent to help one of our other agents there to take them down. The Council has already sent a message to her, so we'll probably be contacted within a few days." She gave me a strange look and crossed her arms. "The second human spectre being sent to Thessia. The Council must be confident in you for such a high risk job. I'm not sure what they told you about the Gray Rose, but they're the single most notorious terrorist group in Asari Space."

I shook my head. "I wasn't told much by the Council. Only that I was to figure out what they were planning and put a stop to it, as well as helping the agent already on the surface."

She nodded. "You'll either need luck or an ace's skills to be able to pull that off. Any other questions?"

"No," I responded, distracted. "I'll let you know when the agent contacts me. Other than that, I'll probably stay here most of the time if you need me for anything."

She nodded and opened the door. "Enjoy your stay, spectre."

The door shut, leaving me alone in this large room. The bathroom had what you'd expect: A toilet, a sink with a mirror over it, a cupboard, a bath, and a shower. I took a long bath, savoring the relaxation time. I knew before long that this would be a lost luxury.

I stretched my muscles and walked out of the room, back towards where the mess hall was located. The asari in charge of providing food for the rest of the crew sized me up before leaning on the counter.

"So you're the spectre?" She asked me in a curious voice. I nodded and placed my arms on the countertop.

She straightened and turned around, lifting the lid off one of the pots laying on the stove behind her. "You're the first non-asari Spectre ever to go to Thessia on business," she told me almost off-handedly, as if it wasn't a big deal. I raised an eyebrow.

She laid down a plate filled with various asari cuisine, none of which I recognized. As I reached for it, she continued, "Watch yourself when you're doing your business down there. You might be a Council Spectre, but some matriarchs are not readily going to accept that if you get into trouble, since you're not one of them."

I nodded, but I wasn't worried. "I'm going to be working jointly with an asari spectre. If we need help, they'll likely listen to her regardless."

The asari's returning look was one of surprise. "Two spectres on the same mission? It has to be serious." She shook her head and turned back to the pots. "If you're going after one of the big organizations on Thessia, be careful. Last thing you want is for your fight to become public. Trust me." Her voice carried finality, as if she didn't want to talk anymore. I shrugged, even though she couldn't see it, and sat down at one of the outermost tables in the room. With all my time on the Normandy, I couldn't get used to not being able to look forward to talking with Shepard or Garrus.

One of the off-duty asari sat next to me before too long, obviously interested in what I was going to Thessia for. I learned that this ship was very rarely used to escort non-asari, which instantly made me uncomfortable.

Does assisting Shepard in the Battle of the Citadel really carry that much weight? I thought to myself, still in disbelief. I was an emotional wreck for a significant amount of the mission against Saren, and I have nerve damage from my biotics. Was any of this ever mentioned to the Council?

The past few months had completely changed me. I had spent most of my life being expected to be the best until I lost my entire team in that damn Cerberus facility. I had been traumatized by the experience, which was only compounded when I relived it on Therum, causing my strong biotics to permanently damage my nerves. I lost feeling in my last three fingers on my left hand, as well as several of my toes. If I used my biotics too often or too intensely, the throbbing would return, furthering the damage.

I sighed and suddenly realized the asari sitting at my table had stopped speaking and was staring at me worriedly. I shook my head and stood up, leaving my half-eaten meal at the table. I began walking back to my room, exhausted by my thoughts. I felt a throb pass through all the nerves in my body, which caught me by surprise. Up to this point, only my biotics had caused this to happen. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind as I walked into my room.

I had already sat down on the bed when I realized that my terminal was beeping. I listened to it for a few seconds before finally standing up and walking the short distance to the desk it stood on. I sat down in the chair and opened up the message prompt. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was from another spectre.

Commander Marcus Garvil,

I've been notified that you are to help me on my investigation into the Gray Rose terrorist group. Go to the city of Relthyn, Docking bay S5-3B. It is a private docking bay reserved for spectres. I will be there when you arrive. There is a lot we have to talk about when you're here, but we'll get to that when you arrive. The Gray Rose has agents all over the planet, and they will be interested in you specifically. I can't risk saying any more for fear of an outside source reading this.

Stay wary, as some asari don't like aliens on Thessia.

Sriphina.

I scratched my chin as I read. I forwarded the docking information to Reyna, then turned the terminal off. I was liking the Gray Rose less and less the more I found out about it. I was expected to thwart whatever they had in mind, but I was to operate alone with one other spectre. I wasn't sure what the council was thinking, but this sounded incredibly suicidal to me.

I laughed to myself. Going after Saren was considered suicidal by some as well, but we pulled it off. This was different. Our job in Saren required us to go around and shoot everything metal with a lightbulb for a head. This time, it would be entirely suicide simply attacking them guns blazing.

I slipped into bed, wanting to take my mind off of the plague in my head.

It's my last time to relax for probably a long time, I told myself sternly. Spending it complaining to myself about what I have to do is only making it worse.

I struggled to tame my thoughts enough for sleep, but soon enough I had drifted off.

Thessia, One Week Later

POV: Marcus Garvil

The next week passed without serious incident. Various crew members showed an interest in finding out what my mission on Thessia entailed, but I didn't reveal anything about the Gray Rose. I was relieved when we finally docked in Relthyn, since I was starting to get annoyed with how the crew obsessed over me due to being a human spectre.

Reyna walked with me out of the docking station, her presence being the only thing needed to get past all the checkpoints. As we left the building, I noticed an Asari dressed in light armor sitting on a bench nearby. When she saw us exit, she stood up.

"You must be Marcus. My name's Sriphina, your partner for this mission." Her voice carried respect, but also a hint of disbelief.

I smiled and shook her hand. "Indeed. Nice to meet you, Sriphina. I understand we have a lot to discuss."

She nodded and turned to Reyna, who nodded at me.

"If the Thenda Ral is on Thessia when you're ready to leave, we'll be happy to bring you back to the Citadel." With that, she turned back into the docking station without a final turn back.

Sriphina motioned for me to follow and began walking briskly along the pathway. I looked around while we walked, amazed at the sight. London was a beautiful city in its own right, but nothing like this. Fountains and monuments to various prominent figures dotted the landscape, large skyscrapers blocking the view of the horizon. I shook my head in wonder. I had heard that asari engineers were among the best in the galaxy, but I had never truly seen the reasons until that point.

I was broken out of my thoughts when Sriphina began speaking. "We're going to my apartment. Are you a biotic?"

"Yes," I responded, not wanting to go into further detail about my weakness.

She nodded approval. "Good. The only way in and out of there is with a biotic pulse sent in a specific way. I'll teach you how when we get there."

I stepped into the shuttle and took a seat next to the door. The asari spectre sat across from me as the shuttle door closed. I felt the shuttle rock slightly as it rose from the ground. We stood in silence for the several minutes it took for the shuttle to reach its destination. The door opened and Sriphina exited first. I followed and kept up her brisk pace.

"We're close. Stay close, we might be watched." Her voice was strictly professional, allowing no room for compromise. I nodded and stayed only a single pace behind her, priming my ears in case someone was following us. We entered a dark alleyway, which didn't even faze the asari spectre. She biotically lit up her hand and raised it above her head without missing a single step. Obviously she was used to going this direction.

I memorized the pathway, which was easy since there were few intersection. Sriphina suddenly stopped, nearly causing me to run directly into her. I noticed immediately why she stopped, as there was a stone door accented by several holes in a square.

She nodded to me. "The locking mechanism is in a very precise place on this door, but can only be accessed by moving it around through these various holes. The way you open it is with this specific order." She sent a pulse through five seperate holes in the door, then pressed the middle of the square. The door immediately receded into the left wall, allowing the two of us to enter. The door returned to its closed state after we passed through, ensuring no one else could interrupt us as we talked.

The living area had a couch and two chairs, as well as a huge screen taking up the majority of the opposite wall. A hallway next to one of the chairs led to two doors, which I assumed was the bedroom and bathroom. Two more doors led to other rooms on the opposite wall. Common sense stated that one was the kitchen, as it had a table and various appliances from what I could see at the door. The other door was closed.

Sriphina strolled to the couch and collapsed on it, motioning for me to sit as well. I sat down in one of the chairs, nearly sinking into the softness.

We sat for a moment just collecting our thought.

"There's a lot we need to discuss," Sriphina started, staring at me from the edge of the couch. She had stretched out on it, upper body elevated by the edge. I nodded, which prompted her to continue.

"The Gray Rose has been increasing their activity since Thessia recieved word of Saren's attack on the Citadel. Most of what I've been able to track is supplied being moved around, heavily encrypted transmissions, the like." She sighed and shook her head. "I've been tracking them for decades, and they haven't given me a lead on their leaders, plans, or what they want to change."

I cocked my head in confusion. "Wait a minute. You're telling me that there's a good chance they're simply doing this for fun?"

She nodded sadly. "The Gray Rose are as secretive as they are ruthless. They leave no clear pattern of their activities. If you knew only of their cargo movements, you'd think they were a freelance transport company. They move things around seemingly at random."

I scratched my chin. "Is there any leads we can follow?"

She shook her head. "I haven't found anything that could alert us to what they might be up to. I've been trying to find a way into their system since I began investigating them, but they update their security system before I can ever get anything useful. The only thing I found that could be still valid is the existence of a secret entrance into one of their bases."

I raised an eyebrow. "Will this help us find anything?"

She shrugged. "I haven't been willing to infiltrate them with that entrance up to this point because I know they keep track of any information that might have been leaked. They will be guarding that entrance possibly even more thoroughly than the usual entrances. The advantage is that I found this information several years ago. Since they're so paranoid with possible security breaches, it's possible they will assume that information either didn't leak or won't be acted on. If this is true, we might be able to infiltrate the facility and see what we can find in its databanks."

I sighed in response. "This sounds like a big assumption. How do we know they're even still there?"

She chuckled in amusement. "I've been keeping a special eye on that building. It's a warehouse, and there hasn't been any drop in their activities there since I found out about it. If they're not there anymore, they are trying incredibly hard to keep it a secret."

I nodded and stood up. "I'm ready when you are, Sriphina."

She grinned mischeviously and stood up with me. Her smile turned into a frown shortly after, her gaze turning to a distrustful one.

"I hope you're able to live up to your title, Marcus. Despite what the Council says, I'm not willing to work with someone who will only be a burdon on me."

I waved her distrust away. "I wouldn't be here if the Council didn't think I could pull this off."

She walked up and put her hand on my shoulder before walking back to the door.

"The Council has been wrong before." She pressed the center of the front door, which slid open to reveal the dark alleyway. "Come, we shouldn't waste time. Don't want to keep them waiting." I nodded and exited alongside her.

I miss Shepard already.