Chapter 7

"So the attack on the Citadel is due to someone named Ultimate, a human weapon created by Cerberus to combat the reapers. He is immensely powerful and wants to rule over the galaxy. Is that what you are telling me Commander Shepard?" The Asari councilor, Irissa, asked coldly, crossing her arms in disbelief. Irissa and the Turian councilor, Quentius, had escaped before the Citadel had been taken by the Reapers and survived. Shepard wasn't too fond of Irissa, but she wasn't a bad councilor, just skeptical. Quentius had helped him greatly during the war, and Shepard was glad he had survived.

Shepard nodded. "Yes, that is what I am telling you. If you have doubts, contact General Hackett and he will confirm. We deducted that he would make an attempt on the Citadel, and had come here to personally tell you, but the attack commenced when we were on our way-"

Irissa cut him off. "Why didn't you tell us before you came here? You didn't have to tell us in person, commander. You could have saved a lot of lives by letting us know through a message or-"

"Why?" Shepard responded, losing his patience and temper. "He has literally already attacked you, I'm here telling you who did it, and you doubt me. Do you really think a message would have been more effective when there is proof before your eyes and you still are having trouble believing me?"

That silenced the Asari councilor, though she continued to glare at him. Quentius spoke up. "I believe you commander. We have successfully prevented his attack with minimum casualties, thanks to you once again. Now we have an idea who we are up against, something at least to tell the people of the Citadel to comfort them about what happened."

Shepard shook his head. "He isn't done, if that is what you were thinking. This seemed like a trial run in my opinion. These weren't regular soldiers; these soldiers were here either against there will or with his influence. While we were fighting, the soldiers' eyes were purple, just like Ultimate's. Yet afterward, their eyes had gone back to their original colors. This leads me to believe that this was a test run. He somehow got soldiers under his control, and sent them here, most likely testing their capabilities and your defenses. The soldiers also felt no pain and seemed to feel no fear."

No one spoke for a bit, letting what he said sink in. They didn't seem to like what they were hearing, and he didn't like saying it, but it was the truth; the Citadel was in trouble.

"So, you're not only saying that they were made to be painless and fearless, but that this could happen again?"

"It will happen again, and Ultimate will have fixed any problems he saw, so next time the soldiers will be tougher, smarter, and even more aggressive."

The Turian councilor looked very troubled by this, but the Asari councilor scoffed at him. "If this guy is real, then it seems you have no idea what he is capable of. You are guessing Commander Shepard, and I don't like guesses without any merit. How do you know these soldiers didn't feel pain? Did you ask them personally, or-"

"Watch you words councilor." Tali snapped, surprising Shepard and probably everyone there. "We were actually out there fighting them while you hid behind closed doors. I shot one of them in the face, tearing half of it off, and he didn't even flinch. I don't care if you do not believe Commander Shepard, but at least try to show some respect to the man who has saved your ass on multiple occasions."

Irissa gasped, astounded, and even Shepard was amazed. Tali wasn't a confrontational person, and it was rare to see her get pissed. He was speechless, though he kinda liked this side of her.

"How dare you Quarian! Learn your place." Irissa said, looking just as pissed. "Did you really threaten me?"

"Threaten? I have no need to threaten you, councilor. I don't care who you are, this man saved the galaxy, and you will show some respect. If Commander Shepard was to leave you to your own devices and you got attacked, I expect you would change your tune very quickly. You're lucky he is a forgiving person, because if it was up to me I would leave and offer no help. So think about that before you disrespect him again." And with that, Tali turned and walked off. No one said anything, stunned into silence, until Shepard heard Davin chuckle.

"I should have brought popcorn."

Shepard entered the large hotel room they were staying in about an hour later, searching for Tali. The rest of the meeting with the council had been awkward, but he got his point across for them to call all of their forces into the Citadel. Councilor Irissa had even offered to call in a couple squads of Asari commandos to add more security. She didn't accuse him of anything else throughout the rest of the meeting.

Shepard heard Garrus and James talking and walked to them. "I was kinda hoping the Asari councilor would try to fight Tali. I always love a good catfight, and it would be fun to watch Tali pound her face into the floor." Garrus was saying when Shepard got to them. They both simply pointed into the other room, and Shepard nodded his thanks, going in that direction.

He saw Tali sitting on the couch with Liara, talking. Ashley caught him before he went over to her. "She has calmed down quite a bit." Ashley said. "I think she feels bad for what she said. She feels that she made things harder on you."

Shepard smiled. "Then she is in for a surprise." And walked over to the couch. He noticed she had her helmet on, mask and all as he sat next to her. Liara nodded to him and got up, walking away to give them a little privacy.

Shepard put his arm around her, pulling her against him and holding her hand with his other arm. She leaned her head against him, sighing in relief and saying "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "You have no reason to be sorry Tal. You approached it a little roughly, but you spoke the truth, and had every right to get upset. If someone talked to you like that, you can best believe I'm going to react the same way. You defended me." He lowered his voice. "And I honestly found it kinda hot."

This made her giggle. "So they didn't give you a hard time because of me?"

He shook his head again. "Actually, even though it was a little awkward, things went even smoother. Irissa didn't question me again after you left."

She scoffed at him. "She better not have, bitch." Shepard laughed and squeezed her. He heard a cough and turned to see Davin standing there waiting. "I'm sorry Davin; I thought you were looking for popcorn. Is there something you wanted?"

Davin smirked at his remark. "Clever commander. You'll be knocking them dead in no time, with laughter instead of with bullets. I came over because Tali's system has cleared enough for her to take her second dose of the crystals, which I am officially naming Varathin, in honor of my late wife who discovered its properties."

Tali started playing with Shepard's hand. "H-here? In front of everyone? What about…the side effect…" She looked at the ground, probably blushing as she remembered her actions from last time.

"Yes here. Just pretend they are not there. Since you have already taken it once, your body has become more used to it. You will still get high, but it won't be as bad as last time. This dose will be a little bit bigger though, and it'll be almost 2 weeks before you can take your last 1. After this 1, you will be able to walk around with no suit at all for long periods of time. I still suggest being cautious, but you should be fine. Also, I have found a way to separate the chemical that has the immune boosting properties from the crystal itself. It's not very stable as of yet, but I can actually produce an airborne version of Varathin, and pump it through the ventilation in the Normandy. Simply put, you will always be safe aboard the ship, and everyone else will benefit as well, lowering sickness aboard the Normandy by a lot."

Shepard whistled, impressed. "You're pretty smart for a soldier Davin."

Davin blushed a little, scratching his head. "Well let's just say I taught my wife how to shoot a gun, and she taught me a lot about science. I kinda became fascinated with it, and when she passed away I learned more to take over for her. Just seemed horrible to waste all of her research." He pulled out a small bag from his pocket, containing the green crystals called Varathin. "Take your mask off now Tali. I promise not to throw it into your mouth like last time."

Tali hesitated, and then nodded, slowly undoing the latches and pulling her mask off. Davin lifter her hand up and placed the crystals in her palm. He backed away, smiling, and then looking behind them. "Do you guys have to gawk?"

Shepard turned and saw almost everyone crowding behind them, He glared at all of them, but he couldn't make all of them go away. Tali was going to have to put up with it. He turned to Tali, smiling. She nodded, took a deep breath, and popped them into her mouth.

"Have you had any word on Ultimate general?" Shepard asked the hologram of General Hackett. Hackett shook his head. "Nothing. If he is collecting people, he is doing it across many places, never taking too many people from one area as to not raise awareness. He is smart, I'll give him that. But he will slip up sooner or later. When he does, we will hit him hard."

Shepard nodded, not knowing what else to do. "Alright general, contact me if you get any information. Shepard out." Hackett nodded and ended the hologram. Shepard let out a long sigh, frustrated. It had been over a month, and there had been no word or trace from Ultimate. It did not bode well. If Shepard was correct, the longer they took to find him, the more of fight they were going to get. And who knows what else Ultimate was up to. They still did not fully comprehend his powers, and had no idea what he could do. It only stressed him out that they could do nothing but wait until he either slips up, or attacks again. As a result of Ultimate's last attack, Shepard and his team were allowed to carry weapons at all times in the Citadel, and the forces were never far, half of them posted inside the Citadel itself. He thought the civilians would voice complaints against the extra soldiers, but the attack had scared them, and they actually welcomed it instead, making everyone's life a little easier.

Shepard walked through the ship, into the main room with the galaxy map. He had come to contact General Hackett, and wondered what he was going to do now. He had already checked up on the Citadels defenses, as well as their own. He shrugged, deciding to go and relax for once, exiting the Normandy. When he got outside, he found Tali walking up. "John, I was just looking for you." She said, flashing him a brilliant smile. The Varathin had lived up to its name, making Tali no longer need her body suit. She hasn't worn it at all in 2 weeks and no sickness so far. Davin still checks up on her daily, and says he will for a few years, making sure her immune system didn't fail. Finding clothes for Tali was a problem, as none of the females legs were like Tali's. Ashley offered to lend Tali some clothes, and Tali had been forced to wear them for now. She couldn't wear any human pants, so Ashley gave her some t-shirts and shorts. Even though they were roughly the same height, their bodies were not. Ashley's breasts were a bit bigger Than Tali's, so the t-shirts hung a little loosely on her, while Tali had bigger hips and a bigger butt, so the shorts were super tight. It had distracted Shepard on more than one occasion, and to make it worse Tali noticed, so she teased him as much as she possibly could.

Shepard noticed that the longer she went without her suit, the less shy she became. She also tended to get hit on a lot, which annoyed Shepard to no end. One guy, who had been drunk, tried to get touchy with her, and received not only a foot to the nuts from Tali, but Shepard picking him up and throwing him hard out of the hotel.

Tali took his hand, forcing him away from his thoughts. "2 things John." She started. He grunted, nodding. "Liara said she had something important to talk to you about, and Garrus was talking about us all going to the Purgatory to relax a bit, and I agree with him. We need a small vacation."

Shepard nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. Some time off wouldn't hurt. I'll go and see what Liara wants first though." He held out his hand. "Mind joining me, beautiful?"

Tali giggled and took his hand. "Not at all handsome."

They walked through the Citadel, towards the hotel they were staying at. There were soldiers everywhere and from everywhere, ranging from Turians, to Asari, and even a few Salarians. They were patrolling regularly, and had set up cover in strategic areas, so that they would be ready anytime, anywhere. Shepard had helped out as much as he could, giving them advice and even helping them move the small walls into place. They placed them so that they could have cover in any direction, but also so that the civilians could still traverse the area and not have to go around barriers. The civilians didn't seem to mind, and Shepard was proud of them. It only took the threat of extinction to bring people together, but at least they are finally trying to understand each other.

They finally reached the hotel, and Tali bid him farewell, giving him a quick kiss and walking off towards the Purgatory. Shepard smiled and walked into the hotel. Now that Tali wasn't restricted by her body suit, Tali tried to do everything she couldn't do before. She tried multiple different types of food, even eating some spicy food too fast and upchucking. She kissed him every chance she got and more than kissing a few times. She was just so much happier now without her suit that, even with their current situation, he couldn't be down around her.

He had his head in the clouds when he entered the room, and he almost walked straight into Liara. He stopped suddenly, and Liara smiled. "Hello commander. Try to keep your thoughts off of Tali for a little while, as I think I have discovered something very important.

Shepard grinned. "I will if you keep your thoughts off of Davin. What did you find out Liara?"

Liara blushed and walked over to the little computer set up she had, pretending not to hear him, and Shepard laughed, following her. Over the month, Liara and Davin had been talking a lot, and were almost always seen with each other. Shepard hasn't seen them do anything yet, but it was obvious they liked each other, so he gave them as much crap as he possibly could.

Shepard looked at the screens, seeing data that he couldn't comprehend. Liara recovered. "I was analyzing your report on Ultimate and the videos the Alliance sent me, and I have more understanding of Ultimate's barrier. I think it is a form of biotic powers, just altered and boosted immensely. It is just like my biotic powers, but with a few differences. One thing I noticed is that the radius of it is a lot smaller than mine. His barrier only expands about a foot away from him, condensing it and increasing its power in my opinion." She typed a few keys and brought up a picture of him taken from one of the cameras in the room. It showed his barrier clearly, and Shepard saw that she was right. It did not expand very far, not even a spherical shape like most biotic barriers are. It seemed more like an oval shape instead.

She continued. "Also, when you said the Barrier seemed to 'bend' when Davin struck it, I watched the video, and I saw what you were talking about. You are right; it did bend, which is very unusual. I have never seen a biotic barrier bend; it either stops what hits it, or breaks. This makes me think that it is flexible. As to the bullets trajectory changed, I think he is using small magnetized fields to simply move the bullets, as none of them actually even hit the barrier. With Davin's sword, I think it was simply too large for him to move out of the way, so he could not stop it. Which means his control of magnetic fields is small, and anything to large is beyond his control. The most important thing I noticed is that his barrier seems to have electric properties."

Shepard was impressed. Leave it to Liara to find out exactly what he needed to know. "Very good Liara. Now why is the fact that his barrier may be electric important?"

Liara smiled. "Thank you Shepard. It is important because, as anything electrical, it can be overloaded. I think that, if enough of an electric current was to run through the barrier, I think it would be disabled. In simple terms, his barrier will disappear, making him vulnerable."

Shepard grinned and hugged her tightly. "This is exactly what we needed! You're a genius Liara!"

He let her go, and she was smiling as well. "Thank you again Shepard. This guy isn't invincible, and we will take him down."

Shepard nodded. "This helps a lot Liara. We will take him down." He pointed to the door. "Everyone else is at the Purgatory. Are you going to come?"

Liara nodded. "I will, but I have to change. I'll meet you there Shepard."

Shepard nodded again, and headed out, happy to finally receive some good news for once.

"What is taking the girls so long?" James said, leaning against the bar, sipping on a shot. Shepard shrugged, and Garrus said "Probably coming up with a diabolical plan to make us let our guard down and take advantage of us."

Davin laughed. "I don't know about you Garrus, but the rest of us wouldn't mind that."

They all laughed. Joker had joined them this time, taking a few shots already but showing no signs of being drunk. "I don't think you should say us, Garrus, as there isn't a girl coming here for you as far as I know." Joker pointed out

James said "Dammmnnn." Garrus smiled. "I would throw a comeback, but I don't want to break your bones and have you sic your cyborg on me."

"Very original, throw my brittle bones into this." Joker said, and they all chuckled. Davin looked over and almost had his jaw drop. He nudged Shepard and pointed where he was looking. "Guys, our beauties have arrived."

They all turned and were stunned into silence. The ladies sure had arrived, and looked amazing. All of them were wearing dresses, explaining what had taken them so long. Shepard saw Tali, who had a red dress that hugged her body, a tear shape color showing just enough of her breast to make Shepard grin. All of the girls were dressed similar, tight dressed in bright colors. They walked over to the guys; Tali, Liara, Ashley, and Edi all looking amazing.

Shepard easily walked forward to meet them, seeing Davin follow his lead and hoping the other guys would as well. "You all look beautiful tonight." Shepard said as they reached them, making all of them smile. Shepard reached out and took hold of Tali's hand, pulling her over to him. "But you, beautiful, have taken my breath away. Want to dance?"

Tali giggled, leaning in and kissing him. "I would love to dance, though I'm not so sure about you.

Shepard laughed, knowing he can't dance very well. "By myself, you would be right. But even I know how to dance with a woman, and even if I didn't, I would learn to be able to dance with you."

She smiled and held his hand up, leading him to the dance floor. Davin walked up to Liara, saying something that made her laugh and taking her hand, also going to the dance floor. He saw James talking to Ashley, Edi walk over to Joker, and Garrus glare at all of them. Tali reached back, pulling his head around. "How about you focus on me right now?" She said in a soft voice, pulling him closer and dancing against him. He didn't argue with her, grinning and dancing back, losing all thought.

They danced for awhile, everyone having a good time. Shepard even saw Garrus dancing with a girl, though he never got a good look at her. After over an hour of dancing, they all got a table and sat down, drinking and chatting. Shepard was having a good time, but he had a nagging feeling that someone was watching him. He looked around every now and then, but never caught anyone, so he let it slip from his mind.

About 3 hours in Shepard had to relieve his bladder. He got up and excused himself, hearing Garrus and Joker give him crap as he walked away. He walked into the bathroom and saw 1 guy in there, seemingly falling asleep against the wall. Shepard did his business, and was washing his hands when the drunken guy walked up to him.

"Hey sir, are you by chance Commander Shepard?"

Shepard turned towards him. "Yes? Why do you-"He never got to finish, because he felt something hit him over the head, and everything went black.