Unlikely Alliance
A small cruiser glided through space towards the damaged Odyssey. Because Ashley, Liara, and Tali had to steal the Odyssey there was no way for them to return to the Citadel without being arrested and neither the Council nor C-Sec will believe the story about Sovereign. This is why Mindor loaned Garrus, Wrex, and Sidonis a cruiser to see their friends.
Garrus sat at one of the cruiser's computers, staring at the screen. He heard Wrex's footsteps as he boarded the Odyssey to check on his friends. Garrus did not move. He just sat there, staring at his reflection. He heard more footsteps and looked up. Sidonis was walking by to board the Odyssey but stopped when he saw Garrus.
"Aren't you coming?" Sidonis asked. Garrus was silent for a moment.
"He got away," Garrus growled angrily. He clenched his fists at the memory of Bane slipping through his fingers again.
"You can't keep obsessing over that."
"I know," Garrus simply said. "I'll catch up you. Go and check on the others." Sidonis nodded then walked off. Garrus stood up and looked at the desk which was covered in files. Files about every crime Bane had committed, files about every time Bane had just slipped through Garrus's fingers.
"I'll get you one day," Garrus said.
"In time, Garrus," a familiar voice said. "All in good time." Garrus stiffened. The voice came from behind him. Garrus jumped up, grabbed his gun, turned around, and aimed the pistol at Bane's face but Bane already had his own gun pointing at Garrus's head. Bane had somehow found a way onto the cruiser. The two of them just stood there, staring at each other. Neither of them made a move.
"How'd you get here?" Garrus demanded to know.
"I have my ways," Bane said calmly. He seemed unusually calm in almost every situation. "I'm surprised you didn't expect me. You have me enough trouble back at the Destiny Ascension."
"You got away then," Garrus growled. "You won't get away this time."
"Of course!" Bane scoffed. "We could just start shooting each other and see who survives their wounds or, you can hear what I have to say." Garrus was completely stunned when he heard this. Bane came here to talk? "If I talk to you, however, my words will fall on deaf ears. Why not you call your friends?" Garrus quickly glanced at his radio that was on the table. "Go ahead," Bane said calmly. Garrus cautiously reached over and grabbed the radio.
"Ashley," Garrus said through it.
"Garrus," Ashley said back. "Where've you been?" Garrus glared suspiciously at Bane. Was this a trap? He's going to have to take that risk.
"I think you better get up here," Garrus said. He turned his radio off and continued to glare at Bane. Neither of their handguns had moved from the other's head. It only took Ashley, Wrex, and Sidonis a few moments to reach Garrus, but it felt like an eternity for him. As soon as they saw Bane they all drew their guns.
"Sidonis!" Bane said slyly. "I'm glad to see you've recovered from our brawl." Sidonis flinched at the memory. He was standing in front of the very person that tried to kidnap him and hand him over to a band of psychopaths for a sick and twisted science experiment.
"What's going on, Garrus?" Ashley asked.
"He claims he has something to say," Garrus explained. "I don't trust him."
"I came here to deliver a warning of utmost urgency," Bane said. Wrex exchanged uncertain glances with Sidonis. "Your friend Sovereign is still alive."
"Yeah, we know this," Garrus said flatly. "He got a new body and we've killed him a few hours ago." Bane shook his head.
"You're mistaken," he said. "Sovereign has survived your attempt to kill him. He is still alive."
"How do you know this?" Ashley asked suspiciously. Bane chuckled hollowly.
"Let's just say I make it a policy to know my clients in depth. I hacked into their computers and took the information I need."
"Sovereign was on a cruiser that blew up," Ashley said. "He can't be alive, unless he can survive the explosion from an overloaded Mass Effect core."
"Mark my words, he found a way to escape before the explosion," Bane said darkly.
"If he's still alive, we'll find him and kill him," Wrex growled.
"No, you won't. I know something that you don't, something that you need to know to defeat Sovereign."
"You're lying," Garrus scoffed. Ashley glanced at Garrus.
"What do you know?" Ashley asked, slightly lowering her gun. Garrus, however, kept his gun pointed at Bane. Bane loosened his grip on his handgun.
"Tell me, what is to stop you from killing me once you know what I know?" Bane asked.
"We don't need this, Ashley," Garrus protested. "Let me just shoot him."
"I took the risk of boarding this cruiser and meeting you face to face to deliver this information. We need each other. I have the information you need to stop Sovereign and you have the skills and tech to do it. The seven of us will finally end this abomination's existence."
"Seven of us?" Sidonis exclaimed in disbelief.
"I will be joining you," Bane said. "I need to ensure the success of this mission personally."
"Why are you doing this?" Ashley asked. "You don't seem like the caring type."
"I'm not," Bane chuckled. "I am doing this for personal reasons and personal reasons alone. If those Reapers show up, I'll be put out of business." Ashley looked at Wrex. "But, I ask again, what is to stop you from shooting me once you know the necessary information?"
"And, what's to stop you from shooting us once Sovereign is dead?" Ashley asked. Ashley could not see it but Bane smiled under his helmet. "We'll work together…for now."
"Ashley," Garrus protested.
"BUT…after this, everything is off."
"I expect nothing less," Bane said smoothly. Ashley glanced at Wrex and Sidonis and they three of them put their guns down. Seeing that they had lowered their weapons Bane holstered his handgun.
"Garrus," Ashley said.
"You might trust him, Ashley, but I don't," Garrus grumbled, holstering his gun.
"You said that Sovereign found a way to escape," Ashley said to Bane. "How?"
"First, I need to know the last time any of you saw Sovereign," Bane said.
"While we were in the escape shuttle," Ashley explained. She gasped when she remembered what Liara said. "Liara said Sovereign somehow disappeared."
"Now we know how he escaped. Did you dock with the science station for repairs?" Ashley nodded. "Now we know where he is."
"And, what is it that we need to know?" Garrus asked. Bane turned on one of the computers.
"Before you assaulted the ship he ordered the creation of seven more bodies of similar design."
"The bodies are useless without a mind to control them," Wrex grumbled.
"Fortunately for him, he has seven minds that are willing to have those bodies."
"The indoctrinated slaves?" Ashley asked. "We killed them."
"Sovereign will bring them back," Bane said.
"From a ship that exploded in space?"
"He has ways. With their new bodies they will protect Sovereign as he awakens the Reapers and reactivates the Citadel Relay."
On the science station, a black cloaked, hooded figure strolled through the halls. He looked at the bodies that littered the halls. Sovereign had indeed survived and had everything he needed on the station to bring his indoctrinated slaves' minds into their new bodies. Sovereign had to gather other DNA, such as a Varren's and a Thresher Maw's, to create these bodies. Doing so was easy. He was evolving and with his slaves in more advanced bodies he will be unstoppable. The creature strolled up a seven experiment tanks, each one had a different body. The new bodies did not look like Sovereign's but they had some similarities. They also had sleek, black skin but this is where the similarities ended. Some had grotesque beaks while others had human-like heads. All of these bodies were unique in their own way. A gang of hideous creatures stood in front of Sovereign. These bodies will not be as strong as Sovereign's but they will be incredibly powerful. Sovereign turned and looked at a control panel at the side. He did not even have to move. He telekinetically ordered the panel to release the bodies. The glass panel slid away and the water that suspended the bodies splashed onto the floors. The seven bodies fell to their knees. They looked around, confused about where they were. When they saw their master Sovereign, they immediately bowed. Sovereign looked at his indoctrinated slaves.
"Rise, Gore" Sovereign hissed softly.
"I live to serve you, my lord Sovereign," Gore said, slowly rising to his feet. Sovereign chuckled quietly.
"You have served the Reapers well and you have been granted another chance. Continue to serve and you shall be greatly rewarded. Together, we shall have the Reapers rise once again! We will wipe out anything that stands in our way. A new era dawns upon this galaxy."