Shepard ascended the steps in the court of the council chambers yet again, with Alenko and Williams at her side. She wished Tali had been allowed to come, if not just to dispel the déjà vu, but because she had earned the experience. I doubt any quarian's seen these chambers since they were exiled centuries ago…it would have been nice for Tali to set foot here. She deserves it. She also hoped that another visit to the council wouldn't give Alenko another headache, and hoped it was just a fluke. At least Williams is looking well rested…wish I'd gotten her sleep…
They met Anderson exactly where he'd been before, midway up the last staircase to the council chambers. "Come on. Udina's presenting the evidence to the Council." He stated, turning and marching up to the main chambers. Why is it that we always arrive after they've already started? It's not even 0800! She thought, sighing as she ascended the last steps and made her way to the platform.
The recording filled the air as Shepard caught up to Udina, stopping a step or two behind and to the side of the ambassador.
"You wanted proof? There it is." Udina stated calmly, stepping up to the ledge of the narrow platform. Shepard wondered why there weren't guard rails to prevent overzealous politicians from falling to their death. Maybe that's just a way to let nature take its course…
The turian councilor held his face in one of his talons, shaking his head in seeming disbelief. "This evidence…is irrefutable, Ambassador." The councilor noted, sounding both shocked and dismayed. "Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status, and all efforts will be made to bring him in to answer for his crimes."
Shepard scanned the rest of the council, noticing the salarian councilor looking shocked as well. The asari councilor was the only one whose expression she couldn't quite read. Is that…confusion? Or worry? Or…apprehension? So hard to tell with her facial markings…
"I'm more interested in the Reapers. What do you know about them?" the salarian councilor asked candidly.
"We do not have much information to work with at the moment, Councilors." Udina stated, sounding slightly apologetic. "We've been made aware that they are, or were, apparently an incredibly advanced race of synthetics that existed tens of thousands of years ago."
Shepard angled her head slightly, in thought over Udina's words. Well, he didn't spill the beans, but he said more than I would have. Still, he probably has an angle he's trying to work here.
The turian councilor dismissively waved a talon at Udina. "Listen to what you're saying, Ambassador. Do you expect us to believe that such a population existed when we have found no trace of anything resembling an advanced machine race? And that Saren wants to bring these back?" the turian councilor asked, more animated than before. "I have a hard time believing Saren Arterius would be so delusional. Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? Why haven't we found evidence of their existence before?"
Udina leaned up against the terminal in front of him. "All valid questions, Councilor. We do not know enough about these Reapers to form a conclusion. My own theory is that he is using whatever history the geth have on these Reapers against them as a means to control them. Whatever this Conduit is may have something to do with technology that the geth want access to. They are an army that rebuilds themselves, and if Saren has that army at his side, he's a danger to the galaxy."
"It is clear that Saren is using the geth to search for this Conduit, but we do not know why. Do you have any insight as to why the beacon on Eden Prime would be important in his search?" the asari councilor asked, once again calm and collected.
"We do not feel it is worth speculating over that at this point in time, Councilor. We do not know enough about what Saren is doing to make any assumptions." Udina replied, earning a nod from Shepard.
"I will agree with you Ambassador. The Reapers are obviously just a myth, a convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose, whatever it may be. He is using their legend to bend the geth to his will." The salarian councilor stated, raising an eyebrow from Shepard. For a councilor who seems to value facts and logic, he's jumping to conclusions awful quickly.
"What will be done about Saren, councilors?" Udina asked, nodding in agreement with the salarian.
"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position." The turian councilor said, his voice straining with each word. Probably hard for him to accept what Saren did, to throw him under the bus.
"That isn't good enough! He has an army out there, endangering colonies everywhere! He has likely had time to accumulate vast resources. He's hiding somewhere in the Traverse, you need to be active or Eden Prime could be one of many catastrophes. Go in full force!" Udina said passionately, pounding his fist on the sturdy terminal.
"If you are suggesting we send a fleet in, Ambassador, you would be foolish. A fleet cannot track down one man." The salarian councilor stated flatly, sounding unimpressed. "If we were to send in a singular fleet, it would expose the rest of citadel space to danger. We cannot risk such a tactic, even knowing human colonies are scattered through the Traverse. You knew the risks when you went in there."
"It could also trigger a war with the terminus systems. We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies." The turian councilor muttered openly.
"You agree that Saren is a danger, we made you aware of this danger, and you refuse to provide us with aid? How is this justice?" Udina asked, looking entirely baffled. Shepard was stunned at the lack of support the Council was willing to give. I wouldn't expect a fleet, but…hell, some bolstering of our own patrols would be nice. Even if it probably wouldn't accomplish much, knowing what happened on Eden Prime. "I am sick and tired of this anti-…"
The asari councilor's voice cut through Udina's, its volume raised yet still keeping its elegance. "There is another solution, Ambassador. A way to stop Saren that does not require fleets or armies." She finished, glancing over at her turian counterpart, who looked to her in disbelief.
"No! It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres!" he yelled, starting to lose his composure. Me? A Spectre?...Well, that escalated quickly. Maybe I should celebrate by watching 'Blasto 2: Bloodfist's Revengening' tonight… if I can find an open terminal, at least…
"I will agree with Councilor Tevos, Shepard had proven herself a worthy candidate prior to Eden Prime. Her actions deserve consideration." The salarian noted. The turian looked at him for a few moments and shook his head in surrender as the other two began tapping away at their terminals.
"Commander Shepard, please step forward." Tevos called out. Shepard did as she was asked and stepped up to the terminal that Udina was vacating. This should be…fun? Or not. Another title, more expectations, another narrative…yay. Should be fun seeing how the public responds to the Butcher being a Spectre.
She noticed people had gathered on the upper press boxes in the chamber, many leaning over the rails to get a better view. I guess they wanted to show they weren't going to support Saren…good thing we didn't bring up the reapers here in front of everyone…at least, what I think happened.
"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel." Tevos stated, for focus directed squarely on Shepard.
"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fires of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file." The salarian councilor said firmly.
"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will." The asari councilor continued. Shepard fought the urge to roll her eyes. Courage, determination, a symbol and an ideal? Well…the Alliance has already heaped that on my back, I suppose it won't hurt to have the Council do it too.
"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold." The turian councilor stated, each syllable sounding a tiny bit forced. I can agree with that. It's a burden. Oh hey, now you're responsible for the welfare of the galaxy, no pressure.
"You are the first human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your species." Tevos finished.
Shepard politely half bowed toward the trio. "Thank you, Councilors. It's an honour." She said, even if she wasn't the most thrilled. It's important. If I have to be the one to do it, I'll do it.
"We're sending you into the Traverse, after Saren. He's a fugitive from justice, so you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him." The salarian councilor noted, speaking more to the audience than her. "We will forward any relevant information on Saren to Ambassador Udina."
"This meeting of the Council is adjourned." The Asari councilor stated, before the trio shut down their terminals and walked off. Shepard turned around and was met with an excited group of Udina, Anderson, Williams and Alenko. Even Udina's actually…smiling…huh…
"Congratulations, Commander." Anderson said, offering his hand. Shepard gave him a standard handshake and turned to Udina.
"Good work dancing around the Reaper subject, Udina. I think you baited some of the councilors." Shepard noted with a grin.
"Hmm, yes. I thought it was worth the risk. Anyway, we've got a lot of work to do, Shepard. You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies…it will be a nightmare finding those. You may have to remain on the Citadel for a while longer." Udina stated, drawing a disappointed frown from Shepard. Welp…maybe I can take Tali with me…and Williams? Alenko…maybe. Maybe. He seems more like Anderson's guy, though. Same with Adams and Chakwas and there's no way Joker leaves the Normandy. This should be fun, flying around the galaxy in a tiny shuttle, probably.
"You'll get access to special equipment and training now. If you go down to the C-Sec Academy, go speak to the Spectre requisitions officer, he'll show you what's available." Anderson piped in.
"Anderson, come with me, I'll need your help to set this all up." Udina barked, practically dragging the Captain away toward the rapid transit. Elevator it is, then… she thought, holding back a sigh.
Williams and Alenko fell in beside Shepard as she slowly made her way down toward the elevator.
"I thought Udina would be a little more grateful. He didn't even thank you…have I told you how much I hate politicians?" Ash said, looking perturbed at Udina and Anderson, who were busy getting into the skycar.
"Yeah, can't really expect much from him, but he did alright with the Council. Still though, he took rapid transit, so I'll hate him forever for making us take the elevator again. Come on." Shepard scoffed, annoyed about the long elevator ride that awaited them as they stepped inside.
"Aye aye, Spectre." Alenko said seriously, seemingly unaffected by the trip ahead. I'll just let him go with that…I can't assume he knows where I stand on titles like that. She thought as she pressed the button to send the vessel to the ground level. He probably thought he was being respectful or something, so that's…a good thing, I guess.
Well, let's see what we can do to fill some time…she wondered, before an idea popped into her head. Or, more accurately, before her stomach grumbled audibly.
"Hey, anyone feel up for a late breakfast?" she asked, gaining two eager nods. Food. Real food! Excellent!
"So where are we going, exactly?" Shepard asked the two others who lead the way. They'd traveled past a number of restaurants already and the cumulative scents of food they passed were sending her stomach into rebellion.
"There's a place in the embassies. Kind of like a fancy pub…only restaurant in the embassies, but it's supposed to be pretty special. I hear they serve really good human food, and they have a good selection of beer." Alenko noted, weaving through the packed presidium.
"As long as you don't get hammered this early in the day, LT. Don't want you to get a hangover again." Williams joked, earning little more than a grimace from Alenko.
As the trio turned into the embassies, a man in a beige suit dashed in front of them, his focus on Shepard. "Excuse me, Commander Shepard? I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time." the man said, his voice strangely shaky, and his eyes betraying his nervousness. She signaled for Alenko and Williams to stop, and could almost smell food off in the distance, seductively urging her away from the stranger.
"I'm on the way to breakfast, but if this won't take long I don't see why not." She stated expectantly.
"My name is Samesh Bhatia. Forgive the intrusion, but I have nowhere else to turn." The man stated, his face displaying his worry clearly. "My wife was a marine. She…she was in the 212 on Eden Prime."
Williams stopped up beside Shepard and looked the man over. "Wait…the 212? Your wife was Serviceman Nirali Bhatia?" she asked, receiving a hasty nod from Samesh. "I'm Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams, I served in her unit."
Shepard watched Williams, sad that such pain was brought into an otherwise happy morning, but proud of her for keeping her composure the way she was.
"Chief Williams…it is a pleasure to meet you. Nirali spoke of you with great respect." Samesh stated, seeming to find some comfort in Williams' presence.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Mr. Bhatia. Nirali was a good, proud woman. What can we do for you?" the young marine asked, her softer side beginning to show.
Samesh began to pace near them, keeping his focus mainly on Williams. "I've requested my wife's body be returned to me for cremation, but…the Alliance has refused my request. They refuse to tell me why they will not!"
Williams looked over to Shepard and back to Samesh. "Why would they refuse your request? They must have…some reason."
"They declared it impossible for her to be returned to me, that is all I know. The Alliance coordinator assigned to my case, Mr. Bosker, is over in a nearby restaurant. If you could just talk to him…please." He stated, lowering his head. "I just want to give my wife the proper funeral and respect she deserves."
Shepard looked over to Williams and nodded. No way we turn this down. No reason to keep this guy's wife from him.
"Mr. Bhatia, we'll be glad to help. We'll do whatever we can." The young marine answered, before Alenko ushered them off toward the restaurant.
A minute into their trek and Shepard didn't need Alenko to guide her. She could smell the delicious food wafting through the area. How can people work here when this place smells so good? This is ridiculous…
A few minutes later, they found the restaurant, and even at this point of the day, it was packed. She set aside her mind's urges to find food immediately, and looked around for anyone in Alliance blues. Alenko pointed off toward a corner of the room, where a blonde alliance officer sat alone at a table.
The trio made their way quickly over to him, Shepard's resolve growing with each step.
"My goodness! You're…you're Commander Shepard!" the man said, scrambling backward in his seat. She found his response curious at first, then realized she was glaring at him. He paused briefly, slightly withering under her gaze. "You…uh…made for quite a briefing in the Diplomatic Corps…can I…help you?"
"I assume you're officer Bosker." She stated, coolly. He gave a nervous nod. "Then I hope you listen closely to what I say. The Alliance is holding the body of Nirali Bhatia hostage right now, and they need to release it."
"Commander, n…nothing would make me happier, but…it's not that simple." Bosker stammered, getting unimpressed looks from Shepard and Williams. "Her wounds aren't consistent with any type of damage we've seen before. So that's why the body is being held. Her body is extremely valuable to the Alliance, it might lead to better defenses against geth attacks. She may save more lives in death than she did in life."
Shepard cringed at his logic, recalling the similar mentality used to defend what she and her sister had gone through as children. She planted her hands on the table, leaning toward him aggressively. I won't explode on him. I won't explode on him. I won't…
"I understand what you're trying to do, but holding the body is wrong." She muttered through grit teeth.
"Commander, you of all people should understand how far we must go to protect humanity!" Bosker stated, surprised at her reaction.
Shepard, in turn, continued her steely glare. She felt the venom in her words as they poured out, but let it flow anyway. "Not if we lose our humanity in the process! What makes us better than human extremist groups like Cerberus if we decide to desecrate bodies like this? Geth weaponry was scattered all over Eden Prime. I can donate my armor from the mission, if you like, and with today's tech, you can run tests without relying on real people. We can't just lose our respect for people like Nirali Bhatia, we can't make these decisions without their consent! You can't just say that since she was an Alliance soldier, that you own her. It doesn't work that way, I'm out here fighting to stop crap like that!"
Bosker picked up his drink and stood, moving around the table, looking both afraid and disappointed at Shepard. "All right, I'm not going to risk an incident by refusing you. Tell Samesh her body will be released to him. I hope you're proud, Butcher." he spat, leaving the restaurant hastily.
Shepard's body coiled up, every muscle preparing for an onslaught of violence, but she kept herself in check, holding her gaze on him as he left the restaurant. Her body released the breath she didn't know she was holding as she sat down at the newly vacant table.
"I'm going to need some food before I can leave here. Fuck." She grumbled, flitting through the holo-menu on the table. Moments later she settled on a glass of chocolate milk, a small bowl of fresh raspberries, a side of bacon, and a huge plate of apple-cinnamon waffles with maple syrup. This should cheer me up a bit. Haven't had waffles or raspberries in years…she thought, glancing up from her menu to the two wary looking soldiers sitting at the table with her.
"What?" she asked, confused at their expressions.
"You okay, ma'am?" Alenko asked hesitantly, Williams looking at her with concern.
"Fine. I've had to deal with worse than him before. Just pisses me off sometimes that people lose focus on what the Alliance is about. Especially when those people are high up on the chain and make calls like this." Shepard said, her tone flat. "I didn't sign up for that. There's always a line you don't cross…can't cross, without turning into something horrific."
"You mentioned…what was it, Cerberus? Never heard of them." Wlliams said, looking more confused than anything.
"Human extremist group. They tend to follow that 'sacrifice the few for the good of many' mentality. They're bad news." Shepard stated, not wanting to get into the topic in detail, preferring to leave that conversation for a time when she wasn't running on an empty stomach.
"I can understand why some would feel it justified though, Commander. I mean, we join the military to protect humanity as a whole. It's along the same lines." Alenko noted.
"Not the same. We choose to do that, Alenko. We can join or get out when we want. We have a say in the matter. People like Cerberus…like what the Alliance was doing here…they're not letting us choose. They make the decisions, because the people they sacrifice are statistics, means to an end. We stop being people to them, and with that, we stop being respected." Shepard said, her voice soft but firm in an attempt to get her point across.
"But she chose to serve with the Alliance." Alenko stated, again. She glanced over at Williams who was focusing intensely on both of them.
"Nirali was married to Samesh. When she passed, her family should have the right to determine what's best for her. They know her better. They should at least be given the option. If she'd signed the disclaimer saying she agreed to submit her body as a medical resource upon death, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Samesh expected her to be returned to him when she died. There's no way they didn't discuss that possibility sometime in their relationship." She said, her tone getting a little firmer as her stomach growled.
"She was held ransom, her family wasn't given any option. That's disrespecting the decisions she's made in her life, it disrespects her as a human being. To demand she continue her service by letting researchers maul her body apart…that's not a demand the Alliance should make, especially if she didn't sign a disclaimer. They should ask themselves if they'd tear their daughter's body apart, their wife's body, their husband's body, their best friend's body…chances are they wouldn't. So why let it happen to Nirali? I joined the Alliance to protect people, Alenko. If I'm protecting people, then I'm protecting both their humanity and mine. That's how I see it."
Kaidan merely nodded, deep in thought. Williams gave her a quick smile and turned to the holo menu to order for herself.
The meal was fantastic. The waffles had been arranged into something of a mountain on the plate, maple syrup pooling in each of the small pockets in the wondrous breakfast food. A circle of raspberries surrounded it like a moat, and thankfully, the generous portion of bacon was held separately. Bacon doesn't need anything to taste good. And those waffles…
She wasn't sure how long it took her to finish her meal, but it wasn't a lengthy period. Normally, she'd take her time and savour the flavours, knowing she wouldn't get a meal like this for weeks, if not months. Instead, she merely slowed her ravenous rate, and enjoyed the tastes while they lasted. As she finished her last piece of bacon, she once again found her dynamic duo staring at her, baffled.
"What is it now?" she asked, frustrated at their strange reactions.
"You finished that whole plate like it was nothing." Williams said, in awe. "There's not even a crumb left on the plate."
Shepard shrugged and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Eh, waste not, want not." She said, holding back that she'd planned on getting another bowl of raspberries. Oh well, maybe some other time.
Afterward, Shepard and Alenko sat back by the rapid transport as Williams gave Samesh the good news. It warmed her heart to know she'd done some good, and hoped that the two would understand why she did what she did. A beeping from her omni-tool signaled her to a new message, directing her to visit the Normandy as soon as possible.
Shepard stepped out of the elevator grumbling about how the rapid transit system doesn't go up to the docks. She slowed her step upon seeing Udina and Anderson standing around outside the bridge to the Normandy's airlock. As she approached, the two men turned to her and she knew something was up. Udina looks annoyed, and…okay, maybe that's normal for Udina, but Anderson has a serious case of the frowns.
Udina straightened his posture and placed his hands behind his back, placing his focus directly on her. "I've got big news for you, Shepard. Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now."
Shepard's world slowed for a moment as her brain tried to wrap itself around what words had spewed out of Udina's mouth. Anderson is what? But this was his pet project, and he handpicked the crew and…he's been overseeing this for probably at least a year, if not much longer, and…we didn't fail on Eden Prime, he vouched for me to be here, so…he shouldn't be kicked off the Normandy, I should, and I should get something else, I…don't get it.
Anderson merely nodded and crossed his arms, not masking his disappointment well. "She's quick and quiet, and you know the crew. Perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, Commander."
She stood there with her mouth agape for a moment, in shock of what had unfurled. "What's going on? This is your ship, Anderson. It's your baby, this…this isn't right."
"You needed your own ship. A Spectre can't answer to anyone but the Council. They funded a lot of what went into this ship…and it's time for me to step down." Anderson noted, his voice a little firmer this time. Shepard still couldn't believe it.
"Come clean with me, Anderson. What the hell is happening here?" she asked, still baffled at the decision. It just doesn't make sense. The Alliance, the Council, I'm sure they have ships I could use that aren't the Normandy.
"I was in your shoes a number of years ago, Shepard. They were considering me for the Spectres." Anderson stated.
Shepard gave him a sideways look, unsure what to make of Anderson's statement. "Why didn't you mention this before? What happened?"
"It's not something I'm proud of, Shepard. What do you want from me, to say that I had a chance at the Spectres and blew it?" he said, exasperated. "In short, I was set on a mission with Saren, he…made sure the Council rejected me. In the end, I didn't see what he was doing, and I failed. I had my shot, it came and went. Now you have a chance to make up for my mistakes."
"If he sabotaged your mission, I'd hardly call that blowing it, especially when he's supposed to be helping out. This guy seems like a galactic jerk. He's not getting away this time, but you shouldn't have to give up the Normandy." Shepard insisted.
"The Normandy's the only ship that can sneak up on Saren. It's the only ship with stealth capabilities, you'll need that to catch him. It was a no-brainer." Anderson said, Shepard feeling he was starting to make some sense. "Saren's gone, anyways. No use trying to find him now, but we know what he's after. He has his geth scouring the Traverse looking for clues."
"We have scattered reports of geth sightings from system to system, but we haven't been able to find any staging area for them, or any base they may have set up. We have our best communications specialists on the job, but until you find a lead, there's no use going anywhere." Udina stated, the lack of leads growing the pit in Shepard's stomach. He's out there doing hell knows what, and we have no leads? Ugh. Great. Oh what's that? You're a Spectre and have the ability to go after Saren and have the responsibility to find him before he does something catastrophic? Oh hey, here's a big ol' mountain of fuck you. No leads. Christ.
"Well, I'll hang tight until then, I guess. Have you told the crew yet?" Shepard asked, wincing when Anderson shook his head. "Well, I guess I'll just have to let them know. That should go over well."
"Well, it's your decision to make, Commander. You're a Spectre now, you don't answer to us." Anderson noted.
"But when we do find a lead, remember this when you go out into the Traverse." Udina warned, brandishing a finger in her direction. "Your actions still reflect on humanity as a whole. You make a mess, and I get stuck cleaning it up."
"No pressure." Shepard sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, well, I'll promise to do my best when the time comes, Udina. I'll try to be a good girl for you, out there."
"Not exactly the answer I was looking for, but at least you will be making an effort. Remember, you were a human long before you were a Spectre." Udina ranted. "I have a meeting to get to, and Anderson needs to report this decision to the Admirals. We'll let you know when we dig up a lead, Shepard."
The two once again headed off into the sunset, or more accurately, the elevator. Shepard shook her head in disbelief, looked back at Williams and Alenko, and gestured toward the ship. They stood silently in the airlock and waited out the procedure. As the doors opened to the Normandy, Shepard hung left as the others headed toward the CIC.
Shepard slowly trudged to the cockpit and plopped down in the far co-pilot's seat. She sat there for a moment before joker turned his head to her, the orange glow of the ship's interface casting an awkward shadow on his face.
"I heard what happened to Captain Anderson. Survives a hundred battles, and then gets taken down by backroom politics." Joker noted, sounding disgusted. "Just watch your back, Shepard. Things go bad on this mission, you're next on the chopping block."
Shepard couldn't help but shake her head at her luck. Most people would be thrilled about this but…it all feels so wrong.
"Captain Anderson should be the one in charge. I feel like I'm stealing the ship from him." She muttered, reclining against the seat, her body slipping down slightly.
She heard joker scoff at her remark beside her. "Yeah, the captain got screwed, but it's not like you could have stopped it. Nobody's blaming you." He noted. She felt a little better knowing someone out there thought it wasn't her fault, but she still felt that weight on her shoulders. "Everyone on this ship is behind you, Commander. One hundred percent."
She couldn't help but laugh at his last statement. She knew some of the crew had accepted her with open arms, but she was still sure that others were there who weren't as supportive. I'm sure there's more like Jenkins, just terrified of me. I've seen their glances, how it just so happens that the mess slowly clears out when I arrive. No way a hundred percent of the people stay.
"Anyway, the intercom's ready. If you've got anything you want to say to the crew, now's the time. Or in an hour. Or two. We're docked until you want us to leave, Commander." Joker said playfully, resting back against his chair.
She nervously reached for the comm controls and opened a channel to the rest of the ship, trying to find the words she needed in her jumbled mess of a mind.
"This is Commander Shepard speaking." She noted, trying not to sound too formal, or too casual. "A few minutes ago, I succeeded Captain Anderson as the commanding officer of the Normandy. He put his heart and soul into this project, into all of you, and I promise if you allow me the privilege to work with you, I will do the same. I will not keep you here if you do not wish to be here, however. There will be no reprimanding from the Alliance if you leave your position. We will be docked for at least another day, so I can only hope you will provide me the opportunity to work with you." She started, taking a breath to collect herself before continuing.
"For those who remain, we have our orders…find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I won't lie to you, this mission won't be easy. This began with an attack on a human settlement in the Traverse, but we know Saren won't stop there. His geth armies aren't going to stay on the far fringes of Citadel space. But our enemy knows we're coming…when we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. What they won't expect is that we'll be ready for them too." She continued, feeling she was starting to ramble, and needed to finish off her little speech.
"We need to do this. Not just for humanity's sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all, we will stop him!" she finished, closing the channel and taking a deep breath.
"Well said, Commander. Captain would be proud." Joker noted, smiling.
"Yeah, well, it's the least I can do. We've…had a rocky history but I would never ask him to retire from active duty just so I could do this. I can't waste the opportunity he gave me. I can't fail." She stated, pushing herself up and out of the chair, strolling behind the pilot's seat.
"Yes ma'am." Joker asserted, Shepard able to hear the grin on his face. She couldn't help but feel in a slightly better mood with some of the weight off her chest as she headed out toward the CIC. As she entered, the crew stood up and saluted; it was visible that some people had left their posts, but a majority had remained. She smiled and saluted them in return before heading toward the stairwell.
Once down on the crew deck, she made a beeline for the med-bay, ignoring the group of people packing up their belongings in the mess hall. She found her feet moving her to one of the beds on the far end of the room, near where Tali's was, and where Chakwas sat at her terminal. She slumped down onto it, feeling like it was all she was capable of at the moment.
"Not planning to have me stitch you up again, are you, Shepard?" Chakwas asked playfully, spinning around in her chair.
"Nah, just a bit overwhelmed, really. Been a crazy day so far." Shepard stated dully, stretching out flat against the bed.
"You did fine, Commander. You're not Anderson, but we're with you. We trust you." Chakwas said, hoping to reassure Shepard.
"Well, I mean, it's kind of hard for all this to sink in. Anderson forced into retirement because of this…and people leaving the ship in droves…feels like it's on me." Shepard noted disdainfully.
"I…am curious as to why people are packing up. They're leaving? Why would they leave the Normandy? It's a great honour to serve on a ship like this… even if I've only seen the med-bay so far." Tali asked, sounding a little clearer than the day before, with a leg splint and a new patch over her arm.
"I have a bit of a reputation. " Shepard said, earning some reprisal from the doctor.
"A reputation that people would see through if they actually talked to you. You're no cold blooded murderer, Commander." Chakwas stated firmly. "Anderson chose you for a reason. You'll help find this Saren. I know you will."
Shepard gave a strained laugh and rested her head on the pillow. "Well, we don't have any leads right now, so I guess I'll just have to survive on blind hope." Shepard said, rolling to face Tali. "And until we find one, we've got free time. I need new armor, you need a new enviro-suit. We should do that today."
"Uh…I…my suit is fine. Really, please don't…it's not worth the trouble…" Tali stammered anxiously.
"And may I remind you that you brought her in early this morning for her to be treated, Shepard? She is being treated." Chawkwas gave her a stony look, sending Shepard into apologetics.
"Oh hey, look, I'm not going to force Tali out of bed-rest…whenever she's healthy, that's good enough for me." Shepard said to Chakwas, before turning back to Tali. "But you can't convince me that you don't need a new suit. It's patchwork right now. Seriously, I really need new armor and supplies, and I figure if we're going to be there anyway, I may as well check to see if you can get a new enviro-suit…but I don't know what to look for, so I'd appreciate it if you came with me."
"I'm not sure…we usually make do with what we have on the flotilla…it would be wasteful…" Tali mumbled, her voice trailing off as she began wringing her hands.
"How about this? We get you another suit in case your current one fails somewhere along the line, or your current one could be your new backup one. We're going after Saren, so you might need an extra, and I want you to be safe." Shepard reasoned, before a juicy idea came to mind. "And if you do, I'll throw in a bonus."
Tali cocked her head suspiciously at Shepard. "What kind of bonus? I'm not sure I understand."
"With all the people leaving the ship, there are bound to be vacant positions here and there. I'll give you first pick in any section available. You want to work as a co-pilot to Joker, that's cool. Want to work on the engine in Engineering? Sounds good to me. Your call." Shepard explained, grinning at Tali's visibly growing excitement.
"I…you would let me work in engineering?" she asked, hope spilling out of each word.
"Well, I mean, Adams will have to make sure you have an idea of what you're doing, but absolutely. We'll need people to fill jobs, and any way you can help would be a huge favor. And if you'd come pick out another suit, that would also really help." Shepard finished, sitting up on the edge of the bed.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have an extra on a dangerous mission, just in case…thank you, Shepard. You won't regret this." Tali gushed, her giddy anticipation having helped clear Shepard's head of the worries she faced. And maybe I should get a hold of Heather…see if she'd like to get posted here…
"It's the least I can do. You helped us get this far." Shepard noted thankfully at the young quarian. "So doc, when will she be up for a little walking?"
"At this rate, probably by early evening." Chakwas stated, shrugging her shoulders. "Though please don't hold me to that, I still have some tests to run."
"No worries, I'll make sure to give you some breathing room. I'm going to go get some fresh air, I'll catch up with you two later." Shep said, hopping off the bed and heading out the med-bay.
Time to go see Wrex…
Shepard decided she needed a game to play on her omni-tool, and made a note to pick one up when she visited the marketplace. Elevators are too long for this crap. She thought, stepping out into C-Sec's headquarters. She looked over to her left and noticed the C-Sec requisitions entrance, but decided against investigating it. Probably hellishly expensive stuff. I'll check it out later, though.
As she moved toward the exit leading to the presidium, she heard a familiar voice call out behind her. Turning around, she was met with a tired looking Garrus Vakarian.
"Garrus! From the looks of you, I'd say that you were raked over the coals for last night." Shepard noted, wincing at how exhausted he looked.
"Well, it could have gone a lot better. Apparently working with a known criminal gets you in hot water even if you end up taking down a wanted criminal and expose a corrupt Spectre in the process." Garrus said, his voice strained. "Was just on my way to offer congratulations. How's it feel to be the first human Spectre?"
"I can't really explain… a lot of change has happened in the past few hours. It's been really wild. I just feel bad that you've taken some heat from all this." She said, patting him on the shoulder.
"I…was actually wondering if I could ask a big favour of you. You don't have to say yes, but I'd like you to…" Garrus began before Shepard cut him off.
"You helped kick Saren out of the Spectres for me. Tell me what you want and I'll do my best." Shepard stated confidently.
"Let me join you." Garrus spilled out, raising Shepard's eyebrows. "I want to bring justice to Saren, for dishonouring turians everywhere, for being a disgrace to Palaven. I can't do that stuck here on the Citadel, and I'm probably going to be put on some kind of forced vacation anyway. I know it's a lot to ask, but…I know I can help you out."
The gears in Shepard's mind spun for a few moments before she nodded in agreement. "Okay. Yeah. Tell me, what can you do on a ship? We've got something of a skeleton crew, so I'd need to know what you're skilled at first."
"When I was in the military, I worked as a mechanic, calibrating vehicles and weapons. And I have experience in using firearms, obviously, and know standard military tactics…or, at least, turian military tactics." Garrus explained. Shepard couldn't help but like what she heard. We apparently didn't have many people working in the battery or on the Mako. Maybe he could work those positions?
"Sounds good. I kind of run the ship now, so luckily for you, I actually get to make these decisions. That said, I always hold the power to send you home if you're not working out. But you've seemed capable so far. I'll take the risk." She noted, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.
"Thank you, Shepard." He said, looking relieved.
"Well, don't thank me yet. We'll be heading into the Traverse soon, and we're only docked until tomorrow. You've got less than a day to pack up. A foot locker's worth, so not much. " Shepard stated, laughing at the panicked look on Garrus' face. She opened up her omni-tool. "Here's the contact info for my Omni, in case either one of us needs to get a hold of the other."
"Good idea, Shepard. I should…go get ready then." He stammered out, before turning and running off to the nearest rapid transit terminal. She would have grimaced at the notion of having to take another elevator had another skycar not arrived almost directly after Garrus' left. Cheering her luck, she hopped into the cab and left for Flux.
The skycar dropped her off at the bottom of a long entrance way and stairwell leading to the club. The music was overwhelmingly loud from that range, leaving her to dread what the levels would be like in the club itself. Her body was feeling a lot better than it was hours earlier, thanks to Chakwas' magic from earlier in the morning, and she didn't mind the long climb up to the main floor. Probably keeps drunks from getting into the club…smart…
As she entered Flux, she quickly spotted Wrex. Despite the horde of patrons on either level of the club, there was only one massive krogan in the pack; the blood red juggernaut sat over at the bar, being tended to by a small volus bartender. She quickly made her way through the crowd and sat beside him.
"And what may I get you, miss?" the volus asked, the sound of his breathing apparatus injecting itself between every few syllables.
"Anything non-alcoholic would be great." She replied, knowing Wrex was giving her a dirty look for her answer.
"We have an imported juice from Sanves that the asari find pleasant. Would that do?" the bartender asked. Shepard shrugged and nodded, prompting the Volus to leave into one of the back rooms.
"I hear you're a Spectre now, Shepard. Pray that you can live up to the title." Wrex grumbled, one hand clutching a tall, rancid looking bottle half filled with a yellowish-orange liquid.
"Well, I'll certainly take down Saren. Outside of that, I'm sure I'll prove my worth." Shepard said, figuring she needed to play herself up around Wrex in order to gain a sense of bravado, or some version of krogan respect. "Anyway, have you gotten a hold of the Broker?"
"Through one of his agents. The Shadow Broker was pleased with the outcome. A rival of his loses resources and influence, and Fist goes to jail." Wrex noted grumpily. Shepard wondered if he was ever in a good mood outside of when he was killing.
"The Shadow Broker's happy Fist's alive?" Shepard asked, skeptical.
Wrex chuckled at the statement. "In a way. The pyjak's powerless now, exposed, and when he gets out of prison, he'll go to the terminus where the broker can…play…with him. Make an example of him. He was satisfied." Wrex said, sounding a little amused. "But that doesn't mean our deal is squared. I got paid by the broker, but you still owe me, Shepard."
"When the volus gets back, I'll grab you a bottle of Ryncol." Shepard stated calmly, remembering their deal. "And you know, Wrex…you weren't half bad last night in Chora's Den."
Wrex grunted and downed the rest of his bottle. "I was better than 'half-bad', whelp. I've been killing for close to a millennium."
"True, true. You were definitely able to keep up." She said, noticing that she was getting a rise out of the huge krogan. "Look, how about we talk business for a bit?"
Wrex grumbled something to himself as the Volus arrived with a tall, oddly shaped glass filled with a rather violet liquid. She paid him with her omni-tool and thanked him as Wrex mulled over something.
Eventually Wrex snorted and turned to face Shepard. "What exactly are you asking for, Shepard? I'm a hired gun, but you can't afford me. "
"I get it. The Shadow Broker pays you well. Yet, I'm about to head off to find Saren. Along the way, I'm sure I'll come across some pretty interesting stuff, a lot of potentially valuable information that could help make the Broker more powerful, or wealthier." Shepard said off-handedly. "Maybe since Saren had the jump on the Shadow Broker earlier, perhaps he could use such information to see if any of his informants other than Fist have turned on him."
"You want to speak with the Shadow Broker, then. I'm just a hired gun. Go see Barla Von." Wrex grumbled, signaling the volus for another bottle. "This one's on her." The volus nodded and Shepard approved the transfer of funds, nearly gasping at the cost of it.
"No, I don't want to talk to the Broker. I'm merely offering some of what I come across for your services, and potentially some aid down the road if we wind up with no leads. You like battles, and I can give you as much as you could probably want." Shepard said confidently. "Besides, the broker can't buy or blackmail the geth away from Saren, and he definitely can't do that to the strange zombie-like creations the geth turn people into. I'm taking down his competitor. I'm requesting that the broker help this not be a one-sided affair, because otherwise, anything I find, he'll have to pay dearly for. This way, I just give him info. Seems fair to me." She finished, taking a sip of the purple drink, enjoying its smooth, somewhat thick texture as it coated her mouth. She knew that Wrex was a gamble to try and bring onboard with his likely very coloured history, but with the amount of people leaving the Normandy as there were, she'd need a handful of new recruits to fill out a second fire-team. And adding a krogan biotic could really give us one hell of a battering ram. Worth the risk, as far as I'm concerned. Especially knowing he's not entirely unleashed.
It was slightly sour, tasting like a strange mixture of cherries and lemon, her body warming and tingling slightly as it made its way down her throat. Wow, this…this is kind of…what's with asari and…ugh, this is almost annoyingly delicious.
"So you're saying I have to go to Barla Von to tell him this." Wrex said, audibly annoyed at Shepard's request. He grunted and nodded. "Fine. I'll see to it, but you had better give me plenty of those geth to kill."
Shepard nodded as Wrex got off his massive stool. "Just try and be fairly quick, as I might be leaving as early as tomorrow sometime." She stated, Wrex growling at her words as he tromped over to the exit.
She sat there and sipped away at her drink, wasting time until she'd be able to go shopping for much needed supplies. She wasn't sure how her drink wasn't alcoholic by the time she'd gotten down to the final third of it; her body felt incredibly warm and her skin felt like it was covered in pins and needles, though it was a more pleasant sensation than the one she usually experienced with her biotics. She took another sip as her omni-tool went off, her hand quickly reaching to open her new message.
From the consort? Huh…she's sending an acolyte over here to bring me to…whoever tipped me off about Tali. Shepard mulled over the possibilities of who it could be, unsure whether she wanted to know. She picked up the rest of her drink and downed it, not letting any of it go to waste.
And I have to be alone…Well, this should be an adventure…
A/N: Well, we're nearing the end of their stay on the Citadel, just one chapter left before they head off somewhere else. Made some changes to these events, hope you all find them enjoyable.
Took some influence from Bebus' "Azure's Kiss" (Parallel Lives, Ch16) with the drink Shepard gets in Flux, but it elicits a bit of a different response from the body. Just wanted to make note of that, give credit where it's due.
I wonder who the mystery informant is? Hrm…you'll have to wait to find out. By the time this chapter is posted, I'll probably be knee deep in research proposals and midterms, with no time to write anything. I'm hoping that I can fit a chapter in between the 29th of October and the 9th of November, but I'm just not sure if it will be possible. Still, I'll hope, and as of now (oct 21st) I'm about 3k into ch8, so it might happen. Hopefully. I don't want to leave you all hanging for a long time. I know how that can feel. :P
Anywho, thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, this has been one heck of a first month (or so) for Feathers. Seeing so many alerts in my gmail has been kind of baffling and overwhelming, so I thank you all for the amazing support you've given this fic. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I enjoy writing it :)
Have a good week!