DISCLAIMER – I do not own Mass Effect franchise, the story, or any of its characters. All rights go to Bioware.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Thanks go to all helpful reviews!
I've had a few awesome conversations with a few of the review posters, and their input was very valuable.
Due to that, I've gone back and made a few edits and cleanups to the dialogue for the sake of making things clearer, but there were essentially no changes when it comes to the overall story and its direction.
Chapter posted on 18.12.2016.
Tags: Action, Sci-fi, Adventure, Friendship building, Love.
Rated M – for mature and adult themes.
Enjoy…
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Chapter 9 – The Beacon
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The private Council conference chamber was silent but for the sound of Saren's voice that echoed from the recording. The three Councilors sat at a round table and listened to the extent of Saren's plan grimly.
"I recognize that other voice," Councilor Tevos said. "I think it's… Matriarch Benezia."
"You're not sure?" Valern asked.
Tevos shook her head. "It's her voice, but… she speaks strangely. Robotic."
"Like she's hypnotized," Sparatus added, frowning at the direction of the omni-tool that had been reproducing the recording. "Like an interrogation truth serum. I too, know Benezia, and it does sound like her voice, but it's just strange."
"True," Tevos agreed. "But it is her. Benezia T'Soni."
Marcus frowned. "T'Soni?" he repeated. "Wait a minute; isn't the chief scientist that is in charge of the Prothean beacon named Liara T'Soni?"
"Indeed she is," Tevos said. "Liara is Benezia's daughter. I know what you're thinking, Commander, but I don't think Liara is a security risk. I've known T'Sonis for a very long time, and I know about the… unpleasant occurrence that happened in their household. You see, there was a big fallout between Liara and her mother about ten years back when…" She paused as if she realized something, then continued, "when Benezia began associating with Saren. Liara and Benezia haven't spoken since."
"I'd feel better if this was verified," Marcus said. "As we humans say: 'better safe than sorry'. If she has no ties to Benezia, then she'd be a major boon. But if other is true…" he left it hanging.
"Done!" Councilor Valern raised his hand and the others realized that he had been typing away at his omni-tool. "The Commander is right. I've already tasked my STG agents to track down all correspondences. It'll be done by VI, so we'll have results in less than an hour."
The others nodded, filing that info away.
"I, however, am more concerned about these Reapers that Saren speaks about in this recording," Sparatus said. "Do we know who they are?"
"Only what geth memory core states," Marcus spoke. "The intel it holds states is that the Reapers are synthetic species that wiped out the Protheans."
"Synthetics that wiped out the Protheans?" Valern parroted, wanting to make sure.
"Impossible," Sparatus said. "If someone like this wiped out the Protheans, then where did they go after that? How come there's no trace of them anywhere?"
"If I do recall correctly," Marcus started," there are over four hundred known dormant relays, some of which are known to lead to entire sectors of our Galaxy which are unexplored – where it is estimated that another three-to-four hundred relays lie – and that's just based on statistics. The Reapers might have hidden somewhere in there."
"That's assuming they'd know how to shut down the relay," Sparatus pointed out challengingly.
"Councilor, if someone really has destroyed the Protheans – and you cannot deny that that scenario isn't very much plausible in the academic circles – then it's only logical that someone would be, at the very least, as advanced as Protheans. If so, then they would have known how to exert control of the Relays far beyond anything we have."
"Alright," Sparatus acquiesced, growing even more challenging. "But assuming that's the case, and a synthetic AI species really did destroy the Protheans and then hid behind one of the dormant relay sectors, then why didn't they come out to destroy us by now? That's what AI do."
"Why didn't the Geth?" Marcus pointed out, then pointed toward the galactic distance with his upturned palm. "They never left the Perseus Veil in three hundred years."
"One would think that if they'd nearly destroyed quarians in only a few months, then they'd be more than able to sufficiently expand their military might in these three hundred years to attack all of the species," Jaina spoke up. "It's not like they need to train soldiers and worry about public opinion. They can just build and upload copies into battle platforms."
"Exactly," Marcus continued, turning toward the Councilors. "And yet, the geth have been sitting still all this time. This sudden resurgence might be only a testing ground for an invasion – to see how well we fare so they can adapt."
"And if that's the case, then it only stands to reason that these Reapers could have done the same," Jaina picked up, drawing their attention in turn. "If it is the case, then they might be surging out from those dark sectors any moment, and we'd have no warning."
"The point is that we don't know why the Reapers have stayed hidden for fifty thousand years," Marcus finished, "but the scenario obviously bears a resemblance."
Sparatus frowned at that, turning his gaze to the side and working his mandibles in thought, while Tevos shared a significant and grave look with Valern.
"Makes sense when you say it like that, Commanders," the salarian said with importance. "But the fact is that we do not have proof of any of it. We cannot base our actions on this alone. If these Reapers are really out there and want to destroy organics, then we need to talk about facts rather than speculation."
Sparatus shook his head, chuckling ruefully. "I'll say! Just listen to us what we're saying! A race of sentient machines about to destroy all organics? I can't believe it."
"Can you honestly stake the lives of trillions merely on your own beliefs?" Jaina asked calmly.
Sparatus clenched his mandibles tightly against his cheeks; he knew the answer to that question was 'no'.
"All the more reason that we need to find more proof," Tevos said. "Maybe the Reapers are real, but maybe Saren just might have invented this as nothing more than an elaborate means to trick the Geth into believing him and serving him."
"That is actually more plausible – assuming he has somehow, beyond all possibility, found the means to convince them," Valern said. "But I won't put all my runma in the same jar. The bottom line is that you must investigate these Reaper claims as well, Spectre, as it directly ties to Saren."
"That, I will do with pleasure," Marcus said.
"But what about the other things that were mentioned in the recording?" Tevos asked. "There's the mention of some kind of Cipher, the mention of another apparently functional Prothean beacon, and some kind of Conduit. How do they fit into the picture?"
"It seems very simple to me," Jaina shrugged and shared an understanding look with Marcus.
"What do you mean?" Sparatus asked as all three Councilors looked at the two.
"Well, it's pretty obvious that Saren thinks that the Conduit – whatever it is – can enable the Reapers to return," Jaina started. "The Protheans must have known about it since Saren is obviously using their beacons to extract the data by it being imprinted directly into his mind by the beacons themselves. However, it is also obvious that whatever the beacons have transferred is not meant for non-Prothean cerebral structure, which is why he claims in the recording that the images are garbled. And he obviously believes that this Cipher, which is located on Feros can solve his problem with that."
There was a pause as the Councilors contemplated all of this.
"You really think that the beacon could help with this?" Tevos asked.
"We must try, Councilors," Marcus said.
"Very well," Tevos nodded. "We will arrange for the… venture with the Prothean beacon."
"The results are here," Valern announced as he looked at his omni-tool, throwing everyone off track.
"What results?" Tevos asked in bewilderment.
"Of Dr. Liara T'Soni's correspondence," he clarified as he scanned the data with his eyes. "It would appear that none other than Saren had recently attempted to contact her, several times in fact, but he never succeeded. She always deleted his mail without reading it; our parsing VI would have detected if the mail content was extracted by some other means, but that's not the case either… Huh, now this is interesting!"
"What is?" Marcus asked.
"Apparently, there was an abduction attempt of Liara T'Soni a month back when she was returning from the concert in Dilinaga Hall in Tayseri Ward. Look at this."
He transferred the view to the larger holo projector built into the table they sat at, and it showed a video from a security camera.
Several men could be seen waiting in shadows, until an asari figure – Liara T'Soni, apparently – passed with her back turned to the camera. The thugs surrounded her, all of them carrying weapons. They seemed exceptionally well armed and equipped, so a mere mugging was obviously not the reason for the attack. The lead thug seemed to speak something, obviously putting effort into looking all tough and demanding.
Suddenly, Liara was enveloped in a biotic glow and began tearing into the six men that were trying to capture her. After she absolutely thrashed them in an impressive display of biotic skill and synergy, she just turned and ran.
"Impressive!" Jaina noted as the video blinked out.
"Why is this recording so important?" Sparatus asked.
"Because these two turians on the video have raised red flags when the STG checked Dr. T'Soni," Valern said, then raised images of the two men in question. "Both of these men were captured earlier today by Commander Shepard when he procured the evidence of Saren's actions. They are confirmed to be Saren's men!"
"That irrefutably proves that Liara is not with Saren," Tevos said. "Why else would he try to kidnap her?"
"I'm glad to hear that," Marcus replied. "Now, when can I go to the beacon and see if I can get some data from it?"
"We will all go immediately," Tevos said. "This beacon is of utmost importance, and we are all very interested to see what we can find from it."
"Councilors," the asari receptionist greeted them as they entered the research department's reception. "This way, please. The beacon is undergoing the finishing stages of the preparation."
Marcus and Jaina followed along with the Councilors after the asari. Neither one of them had ever been here, but they had seen similar places during their N7 assignments. The few offices gave way to numerous lab chambers filled with various equipment, and the locked and secure doors behind which vaults filled with numerous Prothean artifacts were hidden. All around, many researchers and technicians could be seen going to and fro, seemingly busy in work or examining the datapads with barely taking notice on whether they were going to bump into something.
The asari led them into a large hall with a high ceiling, and Marcus finally saw the beacon dead at its center, surrounded by numerous equipment positioned at a safe distance away from it, and scientists dotting around.
It was active again. Not in the way he had seen it on Eden Prime, though; the beacon only had its lights lit, but the luminous waves that were radiating up and away from it on Eden Prime were not present.
He removed a slim visor frame from his pocket, flicked it to unfold like glasses, and placed it over his head, a holographic interface projecting in front of his eyes. He approached the beacon as the interface loaded up and began displaying energy, thermal and radiation readings in front of him. All the readings seemed normal, and there were no indications of a runaway energy buildup that he had to deal with at Eden Prime. As he walked toward it and raised his omni-tool to further check its internal scans, he heard a female voice next to him.
"If you would be so kind as to not target the beacon with active scans," the woman said. Her voice was soft and youthful, but husky and stern at the same time.
He turned to look at the woman and was met with a pair of the most striking byzantine-blue eyes that he has ever seen. He removed his visor and replaced it back in his inner pocket, appraising the young asari that stood before him. She elaborated further:
"The beacon might still react to active scans in the way we don't know. I would appreciate it if you were to refrain?" she asked pointedly.
"I'm well aware; that's why I was using only passive scans," he said, turning his full attention to her, giving her a full once-over.
As she stood there in a form-fitting researcher's uniform with a datapad clutched to the side of her chest, he noticed she gave an air of cool professionalism in control of her surroundings, and those blue eyes of hers exuded discerning intelligence that did not come just from reading books.
And she was downright beautiful.
His husband sense began tingling, and he looked to his side to see Jaina smirking up at him knowingly. She glanced briefly toward the young asari, and then looked up at him with another one of their silent exchanges, this one laden with mischievousness, and winked at him in a way that nobody could see.
"Commander Marcus Shepard," Councilor Tevos spoke as she approached them, while Sparatus and Valern went to oversee some of the work being done. "May I present Doctor Liara T'Soni. She's in charge of this project. Doctor, these are Commanders Marcus Shepard, and Jaina Shepard, who have rescued the beacon from the Eden Prime attack."
"Ah, I see! So, you're the human Spectre everyone's been talking about?" Liara said with a smile on her face as she offered her hand for a handshake. "Thank you, Commanders, for retrieving this beacon. The functioning Prothean technology is so rare that this is like a gift from the Goddess."
"Any time," Marcus said, then pointed toward the beacon. "I see you have managed to turn it back on. Have you been able to isolate the problem concerning the regulator in the beacon's power transformer?"
"Yes," Liara said as she looked searchingly up at him. "I understand that you're the one who shut down the beacon?"
"I am," he said. "The thing wanted to overload because of a faulty regulator equivalent. I detected the readings being normal now; what have you done to solve it?"
"We replaced the part," she said with a small smile of victory.
"With what?" Jaina asked incredulously.
Liara smiled mysteriously as if she had some big secret, and then spread her arms pointing in general direction.
"This facility's is not a mere museum of mundane Prothean artifacts, Commander. Its specialty is researching salvaged Prothean technology. Huge amounts of their tech are guarded inside its vaults. Most of it is scrap metal, but fortunately for us, the Protheans tended to standardize their parts as well, and we have managed to find a functioning part that the beacon needed." She then nodded at the beacon. "As you can see, it works, and we have rigged the beacon to our power supply. It has been working stably – no oscillations or runaway energy buildup."
"What about the mass effect field the beacon projects?" Jaina asked. "It wanted to pull people toward the beacon."
"Yes, we're aware of it," Liara nodded. "We're keeping it offline; we have managed to establish a great level of control over beacon's systems, as you can imagine."
"That's good to know," Marcus said. "One of our people was caught in the field, but luckily, I'm a biotic and I've managed to pull her out; no telling what might have happened otherwise."
Liara nodded. "Based on what we were told, we are pretty sure that there would have been an explosive overload, and the beacon would have been irreparably damaged," she said, then turned to them with a smile. "Your quick and rational thinking may have helped us more than anyone might imagine, Commanders."
"That is our hope, as well," Jaina said somberly, joining gazes with her. "Saren betrayed the Citadel and killed a lot of people in order to get what's inside. Whatever it is, it must be worth the Galaxy."
"Here's hoping," Liara agreed. "So much knowledge was lost. Preserving and propagating it is my life's ambition. Even learning the bad news from this beacon would be better than no news at all."
"True, that," Marcus agreed as he looked down at her, and then looked around the vast chamber. "Do you think we will have success today?"
"I am very optimistic," Liara said empathically. "We have known a lot about the beacons already – it's just that we hadn't had a functioning one. I'm certain that we will succeed."
"So, what procedures are you performing now?" he asked.
"We're preparing for the full beacon activation, actually. All of the simulations have been performed, and we have prepared for any possible contingency." She turned towards the beacon, and called out, "Redlan, how are we looking?"
A salarian turned away from the computer and called back:
"We need a few more minutes to work through some checkups of the beacon's systems. Won't be much longer, but you might as well just sit back and relax, Doctor."
Liara nodded, then turned back toward Marcus and Jaina, the three of them forming a small group.
"Sounds like you've managed to find out how the beacon works," Jaina commented as she glanced toward what the technicians were doing.
Liara looked sideways, tilting her head. "That depends on how you look at it," she said. "We still do not have the full picture behind beacon's technology, but we do know what it is supposed to do. We're like kids that were given an omni-tool; we know how to use it, but we have no idea how it works. In this particular case, we do know for sure that these beacons work by imprinting data directly into the user's mind."
"It correlates with the info we have," Jaina said as she shared a look with Marcus.
"But we got that info from data captured from Saren," Marcus said with a frown, and crossing his arms in front of him. "We know he has at least one more beacon, so he may have stumbled onto how to activate and use it, but that begs the question how did you manage to find out what the beacons are supposed to do, Doctor? I mean – correct me if I'm wrong – but the majority of the Prothean technology that had been uncovered was little more than defunct scrap metal."
Liara's eyes flashed in great excitement.
"What you say is true, Commander," she said calmly and collectedly, even though a big smile was spreading across her lisp, "but that is the beauty of archaeology that had drawn me to it all those years ago. You see, most researchers make a mistake of focusing on Prothean engineering, but they forget the shear wealth of information that can be found in what were ordinary, everyday objects, places, and structures that can be found in numerous Prothean dig sites. I know it might seem mundane and pointless to dig up and study the remnant pieces of clothing, furniture or building layout, but it is these objects that provide the insight into the Protheans' thought processes. If one digs deep enough and correlates the numerous fragments of data with one another, a bigger picture is bound to emerge, and from that big picture, a wealth of new information will suddenly be revealed. It is this new information that will point you to those places that you never considered examining, and you'd suddenly start to reveal all sorts of things at an unprecedented rate."
Jaina smiled discerningly. "Sounds like it's more than interest in just Protheans that drives you," she noticed.
Liara smiled, trailing her eyes to the ground for a brief moment. "Mysteries and getting to the bottom of them is a… passion of mine," she said. "And Protheans are the greatest mystery of our time. An entire species – just gone. People tend to disregard the scope of it. When dealing with a mystery of that magnitude, you must take a step back and look beyond the established notions and theories. Sometimes you need to look at things outside the box, as I believe you humans like to put it."
"Yes," Marcus agreed with a nod as he cast a sweeping gaze across the huge chamber. "Thinking outside the box is the only thing that can lead to success. Nobody ever became great or achieved a groundbreaking discovery if all they ever did was to follow everyone else." He turned his gaze back at Liara, scrutinizing her for a moment. "Something tells me you know exactly what I'm talking about; you wouldn't be here otherwise, Doctor, isn't it?"
"That is true," Liara said somberly. "Majority of the most prominent Prothean researchers in the Galaxy are asari matriarchs and the reason they are considered the best is because of the centuries of experience they have in the field. But I believe that looking at it that way is wrong. Centuries of experience mean nothing if the method by which the experience was gained never managed to account for everything."
"You say that everyone else's methods are wrong?" Jaina asked.
"Everyone else's methods of uncovering what happened to the Protheans are like using a ruler placed against the ground to prove that the planet is flat," Liara said dryly. "The methods they had used were insufficiently profound. Things change. Technology advances and new things are being discovered every day, yet they refuse to open their eyes to new things. It is almost as if they are… afraid to uncover the truth. This is why I had managed to achieve in fifty years more than what they had in five centuries."
"That's still a lifetime!" Jaina noted with a chuckle. "I wish I could pursue a career for so long and still look as good as you do."
Liara laughed at the compliment, trailing her eyes down bashfully for a brief moment.
"Well, it might seem that way to you, but I am only a hundred and six," she said lightheartedly. "To a lot of people, I am barely more than a child."
"A child that has obviously been causing serious ripples in the Prothean researching community," Jaina pointed out, crossing her arms across her chest. "From where I'm standing, you must be doing something right."
"Try pointing that out to scientists that are five times your age," she said dryly.
"So, how did you fight someone like that?" Jaina asked, narrowing her eyes with a smile. "It must not have been easy to avoid being buried, figuratively speaking."
Liara harrumphed. "No, it most certainly was not," she said. "Obviously, you can't bludgeon your way through millennia-old and firmly rooted beliefs of others; they would, as you so put it, bury your reputation and career just out of spite. No; you need to be careful, to be highly tactical in your approach. You need to plan your strategy around your goals, observe and gather information, and then to subtly give that information out so that it seems things would go their way when they, in fact, go to yours. You need to subtly cajole and threaten without them realizing they are the recipient, so that when they do things, they will avoid doing them to your detriment."
"Wow," Jaina muttered in amazement.
"I'll say," Marcus agreed with a chuckle. "That's how the best military leaders approach victory: through subtlety."
Liara shrugged, a small smile tugging the corners of her lips.
"I had to adapt," she said. "I've learned early on that child-like enthusiasm can cost you a lot when it comes to working with the big sharks in archaeology. I nearly lost everything when I pushed for too much too bluntly after I graduated from university because of it. But, I had learned how to defend my cause. The other eminent experts have done their best to dismiss my theories to the cause of Prothean extinction just because they don't like being wrong, but I will not let them win."
What she said last drew an immediate attention from Marcus and Jaina.
"So, you're telling us you have theories that differ from general opinion?" he asked, not hiding his interest. "How so?"
"Suffice it to say they are radical," Liara replied apologetically. "It might be a bit tedious to listen to the explanation if one's not an enthusiast, and I wouldn't want to bore you."
"No, please, go ahead," Jaina said empathically, reaching out to touch Liara's bicep. "Both Marcus and I would really be interested to hear what you have to say."
"It is true," he confirmed.
"Besides, the technicians are yet to calibrate that thing," Jaina said amusedly as she nodded toward the beacon.
Marcus smirked. "You're really outvoted here, Doctor," he pointed out.
Liara laughed out loud.
"Oh, fine!" she declared in amused exasperation. "Well, since you asked for it…" she took a deep breath and began speaking: "The ruling theory today is that the Protheans suffered a degradation of their civilization, including civil wars, genetic disease, and technology degradation. " She turned serious then. "But my theory postulates something radically different. I believe that someone, or something, had deliberately and quite violently removed Protheans from the face of the Galaxy, and then purposefully removed as many traces of them that they could."
Marcus and Jaina's faces suddenly turned serious, and the two humans shared a grave look. Liara didn't fail to notice this. Marcus turned to her then.
"Why do you think that someone has erased the traces?" Marcus asked, narrowing his eyes contemplatively.
"Because, if you are an empire that spanned an entire galaxy for the duration of several thousand years, you are going to build things to withstand the rigors of time to a great extent," Liara said. "Yet, wherever we find Prothean ruins, it's only bits and pieces, with everything of any relevance gone. Feros, with its cities, is the only anomaly, but even those huge cities hold no clues or data what happened. The cities might stand, but it's still as if someone erased all the clues as to what happened." She paused for a moment, giving emphasis to her following words: "And, there is one other thing in the whole matter… you see, the Protheans were not the first galactic species to mysteriously vanish in an all-too-similar manner."
"I wasn't aware that there were any others before Protheans," Jaina said.
"Oh, but there were," Liara said. "In my searches, I have found and documented numerous other cases that match the Prothean disappearance in their form: The Zeioph on the planet Armeni, the ruins of an unknown civilization on Junthor, the battle debris on Eingana, the remains on planet Etamis, and many more – all of which hold traces of different civilizations separated by hundreds of thousands of years from each other, all of which had risen to dominate the Galaxy at one point in time, and were suddenly and violently cast down. Many of the worlds these relics are found on show signs of extensive bombardment by dreadnought-grade kinetic weaponry."
"Are you saying that this has happened over and over again?" Marcus asked in wonder.
"Indeed," Liara nodded. "The Cycle – as I call it – keeps repeating itself at seemingly regular intervals about every fifty thousand years. And the fact that our civilization is so close to that deadline is all the more concerning."
"That is a very frightening idea," Jaina said, and Marcus and Liara looked at her questioningly. "Imagine if there was someone who comes around every fifty thousand years and wipes out everyone who happens to be around… almost as if they are being… reaped."
Marcus couldn't miss the connotation, and neither could the Councilor Tevos who had approached them, and had overheard a part of their conversation.
"Commander," the Councilor spoke up, "I can understand this may be the clue you were looking for in your efforts to stop Saren, and though Doctor T'Soni's theory does seem plausible, there is not enough hard data to confirm it."
"Oh? So you've known of Liara's theory already?" Marcus asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes," Tevos stated simply. "Though it is true that many other ancient species have existed, there is nothing to indicate that they have been destroyed by the same agent, Commander. The theory was not relevant to Saren and the geth at the time."
"That's why we're here, Councilor," Marcus said pointedly. "To see if there is a connection. Are we going to allow the threat of Saren to continue because we haven't tried every venue of approach? It's not magic and fairy tales we're basing our search into Saren's intentions, but in hard, cold, scientific facts; and this beacon holds them."
There was a pregnant moment of silence before Tevos spoke once again:
"Very well, Commander," she said, inclining her head. "We can spare a little bit of effort into examining this much. If you'll excuse me."
She then glided away to join her fellow Councilors. Liara waited until the Councilor was out of earshot before she made her query:
"Commander, is there something going on?"
Marcus and Jaina shared a look, then he spoke up:
"There might be indications that the Protheans were wiped out by a race of sentient machines, called the Reapers."
"The… the Reapers?" she repeated in bewilderment. "I've never heard of that term. Where did you get it from?"
"It comes from a conversation recording we have obtained," Marcus said. "One in which Saren discusses his plans with… one of his associates, during which they mention that they want to ensure the return of the Reapers."
There was a silence as Liara's face gained an artificial neutral expression.
"That associate of his… it was my mother, wasn't it?" she stated more than asked in a voice that quivered just under the surface. "Commander, I assure you, I had nothing to do with this. I…"
She was suddenly interrupted by Jaina stepping out and placing her hands on Liara's biceps.
"Liara, it's alright," she said soothingly. "We know. We have already confirmed that you had nothing to do with Saren or Benezia."
Liara dipped her head and closed her eyes as she composed herself.
"Thank you, Commanders," she said gratefully. "You have no idea how painful it is knowing my mother is working with him. That man wants to pervert all that is Prothean in his quest for power. I am glad he was finally shown for what he is."
"That's what we're here for, Miss T'Soni," Marcus said compassionately. "And we're sorry to have worried you like this. Do you think you'll be alright to continue with the beacon's activation?"
Liara smirked good-naturedly as she looked up at him.
"Please, Commander, I've been doing this before you even left your cradle."
"Good," he smiled back. "Because I'll be putting my life in your hands with all of this."
Liara was about to reply when one of the technicians then called out to her:
"Doctor T'Soni, we're ready to activate the beacon at any moment you're ready!"
Liara nodded, then motioned for Marcus and Jaina to follow her. They joined the Councilors who stood near the main console.
"How do you want to do this, Commander?" Councilor Tevos asked when they joined them.
"We know Saren used it himself," Marcus said. "If I am to conduct my search for him, then I must be the one to see what this beacon will give me for myself."
"I must warn you, Commander," Liara spoke up. "We have no way of knowing whether the interaction with the beacon will have any long-term ill effects."
"I know," he said easily. "But this is how it needs to be done – by braving the rapids. Tiptoeing around it will only make us lose precious time while Saren does god-knows-what!"
"Very well, Commander," Tevos acquiesced, then walked with the rest of the Councilors into a nearby observation room that had a bullet-proof glass and kinetic barrier protection.
"So, what do you think," Jaina prompted, looking at both Liara and Marcus with a smile. "You think this beacon might have answers that might prove any of our theories?"
Liara smirked, then looked at Jaina pointedly as she spoke:
"If it did, I'd. Be. Overjoyed. In fact, I'd be overjoyed with anything it gave us," she turned and nodded at the beacon as she kept speaking. "Electronics are the most sensitive things to the passage of time. The data is nothing but small electro-magnetic charge; it would simply evaporate after years of sitting. This is the first complete functioning piece of Prothean computer hardware we had ever found. I'd be grateful for even a glimpse of its data." She then became somber, and looked up at Marcus, a look of profound gratefulness and respect etched on her face and in her blue eyes. "Thank you, Commander, for doing this. I know you're risking your life for a much greater cause, but… this means a world to me, as a scientist, as well."
Marcus smiled. "Think nothing of it, Doctor," he said and nodded that he was ready.
Liara gave the mark, and the announcement was made for the beginning of the beacon activation. Everybody cleared the area around the beacon, and the technician broadcasted the countdown over the intercom.
When he reached zero, a light hum could be heard from the beacon as it began radiating wispy light that seemed to slowly emanate up and away from it.
"All readings stable," came the announcement on the speakers. "No fluctuations in the beacon's power grid. Mass effect field holding at minus three percent."
Liara looked to Marcus and spoke:
"We will be monitoring your neural and physical activity with numerous devices, and we have a doctor onboard. If something goes wrong, we'll have the best chance of helping you."
He nodded, and then removed his leather jacket and shut down his omni-tool.
He stepped out into the area and started walking toward the beacon with a sure step. He stopped about two paces away, and looked up at the humming, reverberating obelisk, fully expecting a stampede of rampaging klinx to charge out.
The beacon's mass effect field pulsed with a dull, reverberating thud, and Marcus felt the pull. He didn't fight it. He didn't fight the tingling sensation that suddenly sprawled through the inside of his head either, nor the induced pulsating that followed it. The beacon's field raised and suspended him in the air in front of it.
And then the dams burst.
He was flooded with thousands upon thousands of images, moving images, shifting images, images that flashed like a collage, an utter chaos of speed and slowness, and shattering pain in his skull.
"By the Goddess, it's sending micro-phasic currents into his brain!" he heard someone shouting.
But it was a distant shout. All he could see and hear were the images and the sounds that accompanied them. Language. Alien language. Voices panicked, repeating phrases, just like a distress call. "Cannot" – the word hung in the air, the only one he could understand in the sentence. "The Counduit" – the term came like an impression. Images of explosions, impressions of giant red beams that destroyed structures, alien figures caught in the explosions it caused. Static interspersed the images.
"I can pull him out with biotics –"
He felt as if the images were trying to overwhelm him, drown him, and he knew that if he allowed it to happen it would be the end of him. So he focused all of his willpower, forced his eyes to remain open, and braced; filed and sorted every image that came to him, adjusting, adapting the utter chaos of incoherence he was receiving.
Alien figures were fighting something, shooting at something – something he couldn't see; something above them. "Through the Conduit" – came the alien words again. Sounds of unnatural screams as images of cybernetic enhancements invaded somebody's body forcefully. Many such bodies. Many such people, their eyes glowing unnaturally blue. Four eyes on a single head. More static.
"No, the field interlaced with his brain, it will kill him for sure! Cut the power!"
The battle in space. Green beams against red beams. White cylindrical structure with spikes protruding on the sides being destroyed. The image of the Galaxy being consumed by the increasingly expanding red zones. "Cannot stop" – echoed through the screams and noise. Fewer green beams against red beams. Again – static.
"We can't! The beacon is using its own power supply!"
A mass effect relay, but this one was not in space but protruding from the ground and pointing up. Cybernetic implants being violently implanted into bodies; digging in violently, spreading through the bloodstream. The Conduit. Explosions and the people caught in them. Three-fingered people. Four eyes. Faces in agony. A feeling of desperation. Static.
A tomb. Hundreds of thousands of bodies in metal cylindrical caskets, like a mausoleum, but with different feel… on a planet. Dark planet in front of an orange backdrop.
The last image lingered in his eyes as he felt himself descending back down. He stumbled when his feet touched the floor, but managed to stay on his feet.
"Quickly, help him!" he heard someone shout, and a padding of running feet that approached him.
"Ugh, I'm alright," he growled as he squeezed his eyes shut from the pain that laced through his head. "I've just got a headache."
He opened his eyes just as he felt someone's hands on both of his biceps, prepared to hold him in a supportive manner unnecessarily. He saw Jaina at his left, Liara on his right, and the salarian physician was running scans on him with his omni-tool.
"I'm alright, people, really," he said as he straightened out.
"You've got a nosebleed, Commander," Liara said with concern marring both her face and voice.
Marcus swiped his thumb under his nose and saw crimson fluid on it.
"Well, I'm not a hemophiliac, I won't die from a nosebleed," he said, then nodded at the doctor with his chin. "What's the verdict, doctor?"
The Salarian viewed the scan results on his omni-tool, then spoke:
"Physically, you're fine," he said. "Your heart rate and blood pressure had spiked greatly while you were at the beacon, but they're returning to normal. The nasal capillary rupture has already sealed itself. However, I'm detecting an increased activity in your brain."
Marcus thought about it for a moment.
"I feel like I've been crunching numbers for hours," he commented. "It's like my brain is itching."
"Must be placebo," the Salarian commented. "The brain has no physical sensory nerves. Though, I wouldn't be surprised at anything, considering the amount of micro-phasic current that passed through your head. You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive; what happened to you could have killed a krogan!"
"Thanks for the compliment," he replied evenly, then glanced down at a pair of small blue hands still clutching firmly onto his right forearm, as if afraid that he was going to break apart.
"It's alright, you don't have to hold me, Liara – I assure you I won't fall," he said with a chuckle.
Liara glanced down, and realizing she was still holding him, she removed her hands as quickly as if she was burnt.
"I'm sorry, Commander," she exclaimed abashedly. "I – I didn't realize…"
"It's alright," he assured her calmly. "I appreciate your concern."
He turned and walked back toward the edge of the chamber, where the Councilors were now waiting, the excitement obvious in their body language, even though they were keeping a lid on it.
"Commander," Councilor Tevos spoke up. "That was a unique sight to behold. Are you feeling alright?"
"For all intents and purposes," he replied.
"And now to the important question," Sparatus spoke up. "Did the beacon actually imprint any information into your mind as the recording of Saren has led to believe, or was it just a fluke?"
"It did; and a lot of it," Marcus said gravely, then turned to look at the beacon sideways. He then posed a question as he looked down at Liara: "I trust that the beacon is still functional?"
"It is," she replied with a smile of victory. "I am confident that we would be able to repeat the process." Her expression turned somber then before she continued. "I'm, however, not sure that repeating the process would be wise. Not a lot of people would have been able to endure what you've gone through, Commander," she said, looking up at him with something that bordered on reverence, then added, "You must be a person of exceptional mental fortitude."
"That's why we have chosen him to become a Spectre, Doctor," Sparatus replied dismissively.
"No, you don't understand," she said gravely, turning her head to the Councilor. "We have detected a huge amount of data being streamed into his brain in the form of microphasic currents. That is how the beacon transfers data. That, also, happens to be the quickest method to completely unravel your very nervous structure and leave you in a vegetative state. Not even an experienced asari matriarch would be safe from it. We mustn't play games with this beacon."
"She is right," Councilor Tevos spoke up. "I too feel that we should not approach lightly to interacting with the beacon again. Measures must be taken for us to find a way to interact with it safely first."
"Agreed," Valern spoke. "It will mean nothing if people die trying to access the beacon's information. Now, I suggest we continue the further conversation in the observation chamber, to keep a more 'need-to-know' status. You are invited as well, Doctor T'Soni; your input on the matter is important."
"Of course, Councilor," Liara said gratefully.
Marcus turned and glanced at the beacon once more, seeing the scientists dotting at it with scanners and other equipment, then turned and walked into the room with the Councilors.
They all sat at chairs that were present there, and then Tevos spoke:
"Now, Commander, do you feel able to tell us what you've seen through the beacon?"
"Hard to say," he responded. "Frankly, I'm not sure what I saw. I was assaulted with a jumble of images and sounds, like a corrupted video recording that kept jumping incoherently from one segment of the recording to the other, and numerous other recordings were there as well. There are also holes in the recordings, like holes in the memory one gets if he drinks too much alcohol – you know something did happen there, but it's just gone."
"I'm not surprised you describe it like that, Commander," Liara spoke up. "The beacons were made by the Protheans, and were thus designed to interact with a Prothean mind, not any of ours. They may have had a much more resilient neurological structure to even think of using such method of information transfer, not to mention that their cerebral structure was different. To a non-Prothean, these images would be jumbled at best! At worst, you might not have even been able to see anything, since your mind would not know how to process it."
"Well, is there anything that you did manage to see, Commander?" Sparatus asked.
Marcus tried sorting out the images and sounds that were floating in his head.
"I caught glimpses of how the Protheans looked," he said.
All of the people in the room leaned forward expectantly, in full attention.
"They had four eyes, like this," he showed the supposed position on his face. "And elongated skulls with broad fringes. They were being slaughtered in the images I've seen."
"Slaughtered?!" Tevos exclaimed.
"I saw images of war, Councilor," he said. "There were clear impressions of space battles, ground warfare, explosions, of people fighting and dying…"
"War?" Sparatus asked intently as he leaned forward. "Against whom?"
"Nothing specific in that regard," he replied. "All I saw of the enemy were red beams of destruction, like energy weapons. But it sure as hell was a war, and one thing is unmistakable: the Protheans were losing."
There was a short pause as everyone was silently processing this. Marcus used this to continue.
"I saw Protheans being killed and converted into synthetic husks, like the human ones we fought against on Eden Prime that were made by the geth. I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like they were waging war against synthetics. What I saw makes me believe that they indeed were destroyed by the ones they called Reapers."
"Doctor T'Soni," Valern ventured. "Have you ever heard any theories or found any evidence that the Protheans were destroyed by a race of sentient synthetics?"
"Well, it is true that there are a lot of theories throughout the recognized scientific community that the Protheans could have been wiped out in the war," Liara provided. "But I have never heard anything about the Reapers."
"And I'd tend to agree with you," Sparatus said. "What happened to these invaders? Why are they gone while we are here, finding only Prothean artifacts instead of the invaders' ones?"
"Because once you defeat your enemy, you will salvage anything you can, Councilor," Marcus countered. "You know that as well as I. If it was synthetics that destroyed the Protheans, they would have had no need to stay on Prothean planets. Why would they? They don't need air, water or soil to harvest crops – they're machines!"
"That may sound very logical, but that's all hypothetical thinking, Commander," Sparatus replied. "We need facts."
"He is right," Valern nodded. "Please, Commander, tell us anything else you might have seen."
Marcus clenched his teeth in irritation but kept it to himself. He exhaled slowly through his nostrils and spoke up:
"There were alien-sounding words, as well," he said. "I couldn't understand it, but it was panicked – that kind of thing crosses the species barrier – and it held all the trademarks of a distress call. Some words I could understand, though; it came down to: 'Cannot stop'."
Liara spoke up then:
"Your mind must have been able to adapt the word you've been transferred. It would be consistent with how this method of communication would work: the meaning of the word would be transferred directly, thus crossing the language barrier."
"And what about the Conduit?" Sparatus asked.
"It was repeated several times," Marcus said. "Words like: 'Through the Conduit' were there, but not much more. There was, however, an imprint of a planet – the second one from an orange star. A dead world. There was something like a great tomb there, with hundreds of thousands of people buried in some kind of crypts. It was a disconcerting image, but all pointed out that the Conduit was there."
"It will be next to impossible to find it based on just that," Valern said.
"True, and this matter of the supposed sentient machines that destroyed the Protheans doesn't really help at all," Sparatus said. "I am extremely skeptical about it. We need to focus on what's real, here, and not some hypothetical fairy tales. We have nothing to corroborate the existence of these so-called Reapers. What's more, we cannot even be sure that this Conduit is real.
"Doesn't matter," Marcus stated with surprising firmness that brooked no argument, making others turn their heads to look at him questioningly. "You don't want to believe the Reapers are real – fine. They did not believe Columbus that the world was round, either. But Saren is looking for the Conduit, and he's seen the images of this beacon as well. It means he'll try to find this planet. Therefore, my job is to find it before him, and ambush him there. It's as simple as that. Anyone having a problem with that?"
There was silence as the Councilors looked at each other before Sparatus spoke:
"Makes sense, when you put it that way," he said with a nod. "What will your actions be?"
Marcus stood up abruptly and turned to look at the Prothean beacon. He spoke in a no-nonsense manner:
"Saren's next target is Feros – we all know that. If I'm not mistaken, it's an old Prothean world, and there is every indication that he's searching for something Prothean. He has Geth on his side, mercenaries, and judging by the fact that Benezia is with him, I wouldn't put it past it that she might have provided asari commandos as well."
He turned back toward them and leveled his penetrating blue gaze at them.
"If I am to take him on, I will need a team – a small group of strong and capable men and women of various expertise that would be needed for this mission."
He then turned to Liara, and spoke with a calming voice:
"Doctor, your help would be of utmost value on this mission," he said to the wide-eyed asari. "Where we are going, we will be dealing with unknown Prothean technology, and I need the best. However, if you feel that you would be unable to do this because we might face your mother, or that you simply feel it's too dangerous for you – I'd understand."
"No, I will go," she said somberly and without any doubt in her voice. "I do not know why my mother chose to go with Saren, but I feel that a confrontation between us was long in the making. It makes me overjoyed at the prospect of working on this Prothean mystery with you, Commander, and do not worry about me; I can handle myself in a dangerous situation. During my expeditions, I have often been beset by various hostile gangs that I had to fight off. As a result, my biotics and light weapons training do not fall short, I assure you."
Councilor Tevos stepped forward.
"Having a Prothean expert on sight is actually a very wise idea," she said as she looked in turn to both Sparatus and Valern. "You have obviously had some thoughts on this. Did you have anyone else specific in mind?"
"I need a person who knows all that can be known about the Geth we will be fighting," he said without ado. "Their weaknesses, their coding, technology – someone that has the expertise to conduct EWAR attacks against them… Only a quarian fits that description, and I know just where to find one. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya has already brought us evidence against Saren; I think little convincing will be needed.
"I'll also need someone who is skilled in tracking and finding clues if I am to venture into this mystery of Saren's actions – someone who can help me sniff out a trail, put the pieces of the puzzle together, and can also pull his weight, and more, in combat scenarios. I need Garrus Vakarian of the C-Sec. He is former turian Special Forces, is vested in bringing Saren to justice, and he would know how a turian thinks, which is more than I can say for myself.
"And finally, taking into consideration that Saren operates from the Attican Traverse, I need someone who knows the layout and players who operate on the unlawful frontier better than I do. I need someone like Urdnot Wrex. He's a krogan battlemaster, a biotic, and seems to have had centuries of experience. I've worked with him already, and he has already shown great tactical thinking and has expressed interest in continued ventures."
He turned back toward the Councilors as he finished:
"I have the ship, and I have the crew. I have already been named commanding officer of the SSV Normandy, and I will be assuming that position in full capacity as of tomorrow morning. The thing I do not have, however, is funding. We need these experts, and they deserve to be properly equipped and compensated for their services on this very hazardous and life-threatening endeavor. I need you to provide it."
The Councilors looked at each other in silent understanding, and then Tevos spoke:
"Your reasoning is undisputed, Commander. We understand and support your decision to hire these individuals – if they would be so inclined, of course – and we will provide funding accordingly. We do, however, trust that you will be fully accountable for their actions in their service as Spectre Associates."
"Thank you, Councilors," he replied. "That is most appreciated."
"Is there anything else that you need to do? Something to add?" Valern asked.
"Nothing."
"Then we will return to the Citadel Tower to make the necessary arrangements. Have a good evening, Commander."
The Councilors then walked out of the chamber, leaving Marcus, Jaina, and Liara in it. Liara spoke up:
"Commander, if I may ask – what am I allowed to bring on your ship with me?"
Marcus shared a glance with Jaina, and then she spoke up:
"If you're asking about clothing, then it's usually one locker – if you're familiar with one."
"Indeed, I am, and don't worry – I am very compact when it comes to clothing. But what I was actually referring to was archaeological equipment. I'd need several field scanners and some other devices. Nothing cumbersome, but it'd need to be placed somewhere where it can be actively used."
"Well, we have a lab right in the extention of our medical bay," Jaina offered, sharing a look with Marcus. "Doctor Chakwas is not using it for anything, but we can settle you there, Doctor. We'd have to provide you a cot, though; I'm afraid that this won't be so luxurious."
"I have spent years on field expeditions, Commander," Liara said with that wispy smile of hers and a glint in her eye. "A cot is the only thing available to sleep on when on such journeys. I assure you, I am more rugged than I look."
"Well then, report to the Normandy at 0700 hours, tomorrow, Doctor," Jaina said with a smile.
"Of course, Commander," she replied and shook hands with the two of them for goodbye.
Marcus and Jaina left the research center and realized that it was well into the evening time.
"Want to take a stroll for a bit?" Marcus offered.
"Sure," she said and slithered her hand through the crook of his arm.
"We've made a lot of progress, today," Marcus said as he placed his hands into his pant pockets and started walking.
"Are you sure you are alright?" Jaina asked worriedly as she looked up at him. "That beacon experience seemed to be really intense."
"I feel fine," he shrugged. "I can have Doctor Chakwas do a follow-up once we get to the Normandy; maybe one in the morning, too. But I have to say, it was worth it."
"Well, I can't argue that we've built the great foundation for our future efforts against Saren," Jaina admitted. "Imagine what it might have been like if we never recovered the beacon, if it has exploded as it almost did happen. Or if we haven't had all those recordings from Eden Prime."
"We would have had a lot more trouble with all of this, that's for sure, but still, we know so little," he said grimly, then shook his head as his voice dropped. "What the hell is he after? I can't see why anyone would want to bring back a race of sentient killing machines. Saren did not strike me as that crazy during the hearing."
"Marcus… do you really believe these Reapers are real?" she asked him softly.
He looked down at her with honesty, and spoke:
"I do. If you've seen what I've seen, then as a soldier, you would have had no doubt about it. I've seen the destruction that was being wrought upon the Protheans. I mean, it doesn't even have to be sentient machines! The Protheans are gone, and look at all these people around us: they're strolling around idly as if the Protheans have just decided to disappear and leave nothing but mass relays just for the sake of us poking around them like ignorant children. It just doesn't work that way! And it's pissing me off. They don't want to believe that anything bad is over the horizon; they want to live in blissful ignorance. Yet the Protheans were far more advanced than any of us, and somebody wiped them all out so thoroughly, that we don't even have skeletons. It just. Doesn't. Happen. That. Way."
Marcus suddenly saw her hand reach out and cup his cheek and turn his face toward her. He looked at her serious eyes, and then she spoke:
"I already believe you, Marc," she said. "I believe everything you said."
He turned fully toward her and hugged her tightly, with her responding by hugging him back and molding against him.
"I never asked you to believe me," he whispered softly.
"Yeah, well, I didn't marry an idiot," she declared, smirking as she looked up at him.
He chuckled as they separated, hugging her around her shoulders as they continued their stroll, and pulled her in, planting a kiss on her temple.
"By the way," Jaina spoke up, a coy smile on her lips. "What do you think of our young Dr. T'Soni?"
That brought a smile to his lips.
"Are you going somewhere with this, wife?" he asked, smirking. "What are you tryin' to get to?"
"Nuthin'," she evaded, coyly smirking back, then leaned in and spoke like a little devil on his shoulder. "My, but she is a sweet girl, don't you think? Both pretty and smart like a little bee. And did you see those big beautiful blue eyes of hers? They practically radiate intelligence!"
He laughed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to set me up with a date," he said.
"Well, I do have to tease you every now and again," she said coyly. "It works to my benefit."
He laughed out loud. "You're incorrigible," he said.
"Yes, but you love me like that," she declared victoriously, before nudging him with her shoulder encouragingly. "But really, let me hear your thoughts about Liara. I really liked her! I feel like I could hit it off with her real nicely as a friend at the very least. Don't tell me you feel otherwise!"
"No, I agree with you," he admitted, then stayed silent for a couple moments. "If you want to look at it like that, she really is both smart and capable if she has managed to find the evidence of the Reapers' existence on her own, as well as to fend her theories off from the naysayers at such a young age for an asari. It was… easy for me to talk to her."
"Well, there you go," Jaina said, looking smug. "I think it says quite a bit about her character."
Marcus laughed. "Yeah, well according to the security recording, she absolutely thrashed those mercs Saren sent, and she was in a dress! So, yeah, I'm sure she sports some character, alright." He paused for a moment. "There's a lot one could appreciate there, I think."
"And that's why I think getting to know her better wouldn't be a waste of time," Jaina pointed out patiently. "Who knows – maybe the three of us will become really close friends."
"Close, or close?" Marcus pointed out with a smirk.
"Well, I wouldn't want to rush that," Jaina said somberly. "But, if we really hit it off as true friends, then… maybe on the long run – yeah! She's already amazed by you, you know."
"Oh?"
"Marcus, she looks at you like a god," she said in a knowing tone.
He chuckled. "Professional curiosity, no doubt. I was touched by something Prothean, remember?"
"Hmm… maybe a little bit, true, but trust me when I say there was more to it than that," she spoke sagely. "A woman just knows. It's like you always say – we'll see," she chirped.
Marcus shook his head with a smile, then spoke:
"Well, if you're analyzing people, then tell me what do you think of the quarian girl, Tali, and Garrus Vakarian."
"Oh, Tali's adorable," she spoke with the 'awww' tone. "That accent of hers is just so exotic. And she's brave as hell, you can tell that from a mile away, even though she's nervous and frightened around us. She's all cutely fidgety, and then despite that she projects a brave stance. Oh, I just want to… " she trailed off, scrunching up her face and squeezing her fists in front of her chest as if she wanted to grab and cuddle something.
He chuckled loudly. "You actually sound protective of her," he noticed.
"I can't help it," Jaina whined. "She reminds me of what I've always wanted in a baby sister."
Marcus chuckled once more, shaking his head. "So, what about Garrus Vakarian then?"
"I can't really say, Marc; he didn't speak so much at the Embassy. I'm gonna have to ask you that question right back."
"Fair enough," he said easily, then repeated what he'd heard from Executor Palin himself. "Garrus is former turian Special Forces, a sniper, weapons and ordnance expert, and technician. He was considered for a Spectre Candidacy. He's also pegged as rash and headstrong. We might want to spend a bit of time getting to know him, see if he has any potential weaknesses that might be a liability that we must find a way to neutralize."
"Every soldier has such liabilities in one way or the other," Jaina agreed. "Knowing our people is an important thing, and Garrus is not the only one who we'd need to spend some time with."
"Ashley and Kaidan?" Marcus asked rhetorically.
Jaina smirked as she spoke:
"You've seen it yourself. Both of them need some… "corrective" actions applied by us. Ashley may be a capable soldier, but she's too emotional in an impulsive sort of way. She has a cheerful demeanor about her, but she has a lot of impatience about her as well. She's quick to judge and quicker to anger. Battle situations are not the problem here – she'll obey orders like any good soldier – but working with people might be another thing entirely. We'll need a lot of work with her."
"I've noticed," Marcus said. "Kaidan, on the other hand, is a total opposite of her, at least from what I got so far."
"Yeah," Jaina agreed. "Whereas Ash is impulsive and loud, Kaidan is reserved and quiet; more down to earth. While she will argue with people, he, in turn, will not communicate enough. And I think he's too afraid of hurting people with his biotics. He is much more powerful than he lets on; I believe he actually held himself back at Eden Prime."
"Yeah, I think I've noticed that, too," Marcus said. "While Ash is too sure of herself and her ways, and will lose her life by rushing heedlessly into combat, Kaidan will do it by being too careful and waiting to examine the situation. He, in turn, is not sure of himself, and I feel he has low initiative. So, how do you suggest we proceed with them?"
Jaina took a deep contemplating breath as she considered it.
"I think we should just lead by example," she replied at last. "Other than that, we need to divert those hindering thoughts and emotions of theirs away. They need to spend it somehow. All that should be left is the other side, more positive side."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"But, let's put Ashley and Kaidan aside for a moment. Tell me about that krogan mercenary you've picked up along the way. What was his name again?"
"Urdnot Wrex," Marcus intoned slowly for her to memorize it.
"Wrecks," she intoned with a smirk. "What can you tell me of his personality?"
Marcus took a deep breath as he looked far ahead with a concentrated frown. "He's everything you'd expect from a krogan mercenary: a walking tank of impressive combat capabilities who loves his job. But there's something about him that makes him seem like an odd cookie in the bunch."
"What do you mean?"
"There is this air about him that makes him totally different than what you'd expect from a krogan. For one, he's not young; he has seen a lot of things and looks like he has a lot of experience. When I talked to him, I could see it in his eyes, face and body language that the man was careful and calculated. There are few things that one misses, and he thinks carefully on his actions. Like a tactician. Oddly enough, though, I have a gut feeling that he might be the most stabilizing factor on our ship – if he decides to come along, that is."
"Stabilizing factor?" Jaina parroted in wonder. "Wow. That's something. Well, will you contact him?"
"Definitely," Marcus said. "I've seen what he can do in combat; I'm not letting him slide through my fingers if I can help it. But I'm pretty sure he won't be needing much convincing."
"So, then," Jaina started musing out loud. "We have a powerful ship, and we will have a strong and capable crew." She then looked up at him and spoke in a cheerful tone: "I think Saren's as good as toast!"
..