Chapter 5:
The Citadel
"We'll admit the attack of Eden Prime is of some concern," Patrick stared at the Asari Councilor, not being able to get an image of a squid out of his mind. The Asari's figure looked completely human, but every time she- Patrick knew there were no genders among the Asari, but it was easier to just call them girls- turned her head, he could see her tentacle "hair."
The other two councilors were a Turian and a Salarian. The Turian looked a lot like Nihlus- Patrick hadn't seen any Turians other then the two of them so he couldn't compare really. The Salarian had his cloak up the whole time, but reminded Patrick a lot of a salamander. After silently pondering it, Patrick wondered if that was how the Salarians got their names.
"Some concern?" Patrick felt Shepard move beside him. Patrick, Shepard, Ashley, Kaidan, and Anderson had met up with Ambassador Udina- who looked a lot like he did in the game except with more wrinkles- and he had patched them through to the Council and so far the whole conversation was just wasting time. "Do you know how many civilians died on Eden Prime? Not to mention Nihlus, one of your Spectres, who was killed by Saren, another Spectre?"
"Settle down, Shepard," Udina snapped and annoyance flared in Patrick's chest. By the way Shepard tensed up; he wagered that the Commander was feeling the same thing. "I'll handle this."
"The Commander's right," Kaidan said, walking over to stand next to Udina, "Saren is a danger to the galaxy."
"Alenko," Udina snapped.
"Humans," The Turian growled and was about to add something else, but the Asari Councilor raised her hand to silence him.
"A C-sec officer is running an investigation on Saren," She said, "We will discuss his findings at the trial."
Udina nodded and severed the communication before rounding on Anderson, "You brought your whole crew, Anderson? It would have been more productive had it just been me and you."
"I thought you might want to talk to them," Anderson explained. "They were the ground team on Eden Prime."
"What about this kid?" Patrick felt his face darken as everyone turned to look at him.
"Hey, Hamilton helped us-" Kaidan grabbed Ashley's arm as she made her way to Udina, her amber eyes narrowed.
"Hamilton may not be apart of the Alliance, but I'm willing to take him along on the Normandy," Shepard said.
"With all due respect, Shepard," Udina snapped at the Commander, his voice completely disrespectful, "It's not your decision to make. It's Anderson's."
"I agree with the Commander, Ambassador," Anderson said.
"You want to take a farmer with you?" Udina asked, glancing at Patrick who looked away quickly. "Why?"
"You saw our reports," Anderson said, "We talked about Hamilton's vision."
"It could have just been a dream," Udina snapped. "Or a hallucination. Who knows what people eat on Eden Prime?"
"I was on Eden Prime-" Again Ashley was hushed, but this time was Patrick.
"It's okay, Chief," Patrick said, "I don't want to complicate things. I can stay on the Citadel and get a job or something."
At that moment there was nothing Patrick wanted more than traveling on the Normandy, but he couldn't ruin the game and the life of these people who had risked their lives to help him, even if they were merely pixels on a screen.
"Good," Udina smirked, "I need a secretary."
"No," Shepard snapped, "Captain-"
Anderson nodded, "Ambassador, Hamilton will stay with us. He will become a member of a crew and anything that happens in the future, I take responsibility for."
Udina nodded although it looked like he wasn't pleased, "Very well. Anderson, I want to talk to you before the trial. Shepard, we'll see you and the others there. Be on time."
The two of them walked out and Ashley shook her head, "And that's why I hate politics."
Patrick turned to face Shepard, "Commander, I appreciate you and Anderson sticking your necks out for me, but really I don't want to cause trouble for anyone. If it makes more sense for me to stay on the Citadel, I'll be fine."
"Hamilton," Shepard said, "As much as I enjoy fighting with Udina, we need you on the Normandy. You are a valuable member of the crew and with training you could become a good soldier. Also that vision is important. Udina might not believe it, but that beacon did something to your brain."
"Great I'm brain damaged," Patrick rolled his eyes and Shepard stared at him, "Kidding."
"So what are we going to do, Commander?" Kaidan asked.
"Prepare to see the Council," Shepard answered calmly.
"Think it's going to help?" Kaidan asked.
This time Patrick answered. "Probably not. Humans still don't have the respect we need. At least not compared to the Turians. Especially Spectre Turians."
"Hamilton's probably right," Shepard said, "In that case we need to figure out what to do about Saren in case the Council doesn't believe us. We need to find some way to warn everyone. About Saren. About the Geth."
"We'll know nothing until the trial," Kaidan said, "Who knows? Maybe the Council will believe us."
"And maybe pigs will fly," Ashley sighed.
The four of them walked out of Udina's office and hailed a cab. Shepard sat down behind the wheel while Kaidan sat down beside him, leaving Patrick and Ashley to squeeze in the back.
"These things always look bigger on the television," Patrick mumbled without thinking.
"Television?" Kaidan asked.
"I meant the vids," Patrick said, placing his head in his hands. He was going to have to be a lot more careful.
"You okay, farmer?" Patrick felt Ashley place a hand on his back.
"You'll feel better once we are on the ground," Shepard said, setting the cab outside the tall, white building where even Patrick knew the Council was. "And here we are."
"So any idea on what you are going to say to the Council, Commander?" Kaidan asked as the four of them climbed out of the cab.
"I'll probably just wing it," Shepard grinned, "After all, there's like a ninety-nine percent chance they won't even believe us."
"Who knows," Kaidan said, "Maybe the C-Sec investigation will turn up some interesting facts about Saren. After all, according to Captain Anderson said Saren hates humans. Maybe there is some proof of it."
"We'll not doing anything standing here," Ashley said, "Let's go get shot down by the Council."
"Exactly how I wanted to spend my day," Shepard grinned as the four of them headed up to the Council chambers.
"Just give me more time!" A voice shouted as the elevator doors slid open. "Stall them!"
"Who's that?" Kaidan asked.
Garrus.
"Stall the Council?" Garrus's companion snapped, "Are you completely mad? The trial just started! Your investigation is over, Garrus!" Patrick watched the Turian storm away while Garrus headed towards them.
Garrus's features were much paler than Nihlus or the Turian Councilor and his blue armor showed signs of a tough career, but he carried himself with such a powerful air that Patrick couldn't help, but be impressed.
"Commander Shepard?" Garrus asked in a rough voice, giving Shepard a small nod. "I'm Garrus, the C-Sec officer who was in charge of the investigation of Saren."
Shepard nodded, "I heard you fighting."
"That was my boss," Garrus said, "I was trying to get more time for my investigation."
"Commander, the Council is waiting for us," Kaidan said.
"Good luck, Commander," Garrus said, "Maybe they'll listen to you."
The four of them walked towards the Council's chamber.
"What's that?" Kaidan nodded towards a keeper.
"A keeper," Patrick said, again without thinking.
He felt Kaidan's eyes on him, but before the lieutenant could say anything, Captain Anderson waved them over, "Come on, you four. The trial just started."
"Saren," The Asari Councilor said as Shepard led them to stand beside Udina, a giant holographic Saren hovering over everyone, "You have been charged on the attack of the human colony, Eden Prime, and the death of a Turian Spectre, Nihlus."
"I resent these charges," Saren growled, "Nihlus was a fellow Spectre and a friend."
"That just let you catch him off guard!" Anderson shouted up at Saren.
"Captain Anderson," Saren sneered at the Captain, "Why is it that whenever humanity makes false accusations against me you are always present?"
"These accusations aren't false!" Shepard shouted, taking a step towards the Council, but Kaidan grabbed his arm.
"And this must be your protégée, Commander Shepard," Saren growled, "The one who let the beacon get destroyed."
"That was you, not me," Shepard shouted, "Then you tried to cover it up!"
"Shifting the blame to cover up your own failures," Saren growled, "Just like Captain Anderson."
"See he hates us!" Shepard shouted.
"Your species needs to learn its place, Commander," Saren growled, "You aren't ready to join the Council! You aren't even ready to join the Spectres."
"He can't say that," Udina shouted, "That's not his decision."
"Shepard's purpose in the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting, Saren," The Asari Councilor said.
"This meeting has no purpose," Saren sneered, "The humans are wasting my time and yours, Councilors."
"You can't hide behind the Council forever!" Shepard shouted.
Captain Anderson nodded, "An eye-witness saw Saren kill Nihlus in cold blood."
"A traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling evidence," The Salarian Councilor said.
The Asari Councilor nodded, "And the C-Sec investigation turned up no evidence to suggest that Saren was even on Eden Prime."
"There is one more matter that needs to be discussed," Patrick froze as Anderson pushed him forward to stand beside Shepard, "Patrick Hamilton's vision. It may have been caused by the beacon."
"Are we allowing dreams to be evidence now?" Saren sneered, "How can I defend myself against this kind of testimony? Especially since it is a farmer who had the dream."
"Saren is right," The Turian Councilor said.
The Salarian Councilor nodded, "Have you anything to say, Commander?"
"You made your decision," Shepard said coolly, "I won't waste my breath."
"Then Saren is found innocent," The Asari Councilor declared, "Ambassador, your petition to have him taken out of the Spectres has been denied."
"I'm glad to see justice was served," Saren said and Patrick clenched his fists at the Turian's tone.
Anderson led everyone out and as soon as they stopped walking, Udina rounded on him.
"It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain," Udina snapped, "You and Saren have too much history together. The Council wouldn't take us seriously. I'm removing you from this investigation."
"You can't just cut Captain Anderson out of everything," Shepard said.
"No, its okay, Commander," Anderson said, "The Ambassador is right."
"So what should we do now?" Ashley asked.
"Well there is no doubt that Saren was behind Eden Prime," Patrick said, "We just have to find a way for the Council to believe us."
Kaidan nodded, "What about Garrus? That C-Sec officer?"
"That's right," Ashley said with a nod, "He seemed like he had found something big on Saren."
"It couldn't hurt to see him," Shepard said. "Now we just have to find him."
"I have a contact in C-Sec," Udina said, "Harkin might be able to help you."
"Forget it," Anderson said, "Harkin's a drunk. I wouldn't waste my time with him."
"I was merely giving Shepard a suggestion," Udina said, "Now if you excuse me I have some calls to make."
And with that Udina walked off without a second glance backwards.
Anderson shook his head, "Harkin's probably getting drunk in Chora's Den."
Shepard shared a glance with Patrick, "You want us to go see him?"
"As you said, Shepard," Anderson answered, "It couldn't hurt. Now is there anything else I can help you with?"
"You and Saren have a history," Shepard said, "What happened?"
Anderson shook his head, "It's a long story, Commander. Find me at a later time."
Shepard nodded, "Come on, you three. Let's head over to Chora's Den."