Shepard

Anderson had been clear in his debrief but still the order to seize Charles had come as a shock to her, she wanted to believe he wasn't what they were claiming he was she had always gone on instinct that was what had kept her alive when the Batarian's had arrived on Mindoir and when her whole squad was wiped out on Akuze and her instinct was telling her he was innocent of Nihlus's death.

The councillors had been quickly evacuated once the fight started and the call with Saren also ended. As Ashely and Kaidan dusted themselves off the floor Udina approached her.

"Commander, this isn't good enough. We just failed to apprehend one unarmed man with the three trained operatives. I am beginning to think perhaps putting you forward as a Spectre candidate was a mistake." Udina was as tactless as she had been warned about, but even she still didn't feel like she the right candidate for humanities first Spectre.

"Don't worry ambassador the commander will help find Charles or whatever his name is." Anderson stepped in seemingly to defend his XO from Udina's wrath. "They are my time and I will take responsibility for their mistakes here." Udina glared at Anderson fiercely.

"Very well Captain, you will come with me to my office while I try and get some answers, the Commander will take the Lieutenant and Gunnery Chief and find the murderer." With that said Udina began to leave while Anderson quickly nodded towards her and followed suit. Finally coming free from her state of self-doubt, she looked at her team.

"Are you both okay?"

"Yes Commander I knew he was a biotic but I didn't expect him to attack, the snipers on duty here must have been caught off guard." Ashley replied as she rotated her shoulder it was clearly annoying her while her armour would have absorbed most of the impact getting thrown down those stairs she must have landed on the shoulder directly.

"How do you know there were snipers here?" Kaidan asked as he made his way over.

"Well it makes sense Lieutenant with the councillors here even the room layout makes it a greatly defensible position. I would have snipers stationed here whenever the councillors are present." Ashley paused before turning back to Shepard. "But this is best discussed another time we should really get going after Charles, what should we do Commander?"

"I believe that chasing after him isn't going to do us any good, he seemed completely taken back by the evidence against him, I don't believe he was expecting to being suspected." She stopped to think, they needed a local securities help but they didn't really have time for the red tape.

"What about that C-Sec agent? Garrus?" Kaidan spoke up clearly still feeling the effects of the blow he had taken to the mid-section as he stretched his back.

"He was in charge of the investigation into Saren he has to be capable and if Saren has had run ins with Charles or Carolus or whatever his name is perhaps he has something on him." Ashley added.

"Then that is our plan, but how do we find Garrus?" She was determined to catch Charles first there she had to confront him herself, she had to confirm his guilt or innocence even if she didn't fully understand why.

Charles

I followed Sovereign's directions as I made my way further down into the bowels of the Citadel, as I made my way further down I noticed pictures of me were now being prominently displayed on the electronic billboards that lined many of the walls and advertising stations.

"Armed and dangerous." Sovereign muttered to himself as I felt him take residence in my mind.

"Are you feeling alright? I mean does taking over tire you?" I asked as I made my way past another group of C-sec agents, this cloak really was amazing.

"No." His reply was blunt which is what I had come to suspect from Sovereign. "Make a left here the cloak is about to wear off." I quickly ducked into the ally to my left and sure enough the cloak failed as I made it out of the main thoroughfare and into the shadows.

"Well now what, it's not like I have a spare change of clothes, and more important still I don't even know how this stuff comes off?" I said pointing at the armour that was highly visible with its colour strips. The two streaks of blue down my left side, the two streaks of red down my right and the light green down my mid-section.

"They represent the choice that will have to be made." Alexandra's presence quickly became known as I felt her enter my mind. "Control, Destroy or Synthesis." It made sense a constant reminder of what this universes possible futures could be and a reminder of what would be sacrificed for future.

"Well that's all well and good but that doesn't solve our current problem." I retorted deciding the purpose of my armour wasn't important right now we clearly had larger more urgent issues to discuss.

"Well that would be true if we couldn't just change it." Her voice was as annoying as ever as my armour faded out and in its stead a casual set of clothes appeared. I was now wearing a plain pair of dark blue trousers and wearing a black jacket with a hood over a white shirt.

"At this point I don't even want to know how this is possible right now. I mean am I even wearing anything?" My voice clearly reflected the puzzled thoughts running through my mind.

"No." Sovereign once again keeping to his quick responses.

"The third one of us is currently still repairing the damage caused from Eden Prime and the events prior but at least she has the armour projectors working. And thank god for that, I don't know if I could stand looking at you naked for very long." Alexandra added barely holding her laughter in as she spoke.

"Wait you have seen me naked? When did that happen?" I shouldn't have been surprised considering they exist within my body but the thought of other people seeing me nude without my knowledge was still embarrassing.

"Oh don't be so shy, we got you in excellent shape not quite a meat head like that James Vega but the scars from your implants kind of ruin the view." And with that said she retreated back into whatever hole she crawled out of her laughter fading as she went leaving me feeling slightly violated, and adding another reason to the growing list of reasons I dislike her.

"So when do I get to meet this other Shepard?" I asked Sovereign as he was now the only one loitering in my head.

"When the repairs are done I imagine, but they were always difficult to work with. They seem caring but deep down they are goal driven. A wolf in sheep's clothing." I reflected a moment on what he said, trying to place which of my play throughs of Mass Effect he could be referring to judging from what was said mostly paragon but more than willing to take the renegade actions or use people to get results. "We need to make sure Shepard is on the right track, she could still be hunting us along with C-Sec, good thing we have her Omni-Tool information. Let's send her a message."

"Why would she listen to us? As far as she knows I am a mass murdering criminal that lied to her face." I countered as I brought up my Omni-tool. "I mean did you see the way she was looking at me today? She knew something was going to happen, she was distant like she was scared of me." I trailed off as I ran through the day's events scanning everything I could in perfect detail people's faces and expressions even though I wasn't paying much attention at the time I seemed to be able to have a perfect recollection of my and everyone else's movements and actions. Kaidan's hostility during the mission on Eden Prime, Ashley reaction to meeting me after her squad had been killed, and Shepard's deep red eyes staring at me as I came around after Saren beat me. I shuddered at the thought of those eyes and what they had witnessed and how they would change after the weight of the galaxy is dropped on her shoulders.

The sound of heavy footsteps brought my attention back to my immediate situation deciding to keep moving I continued deeper into the lower levels of the wards making sure my face was covered by my hood as much as possible.

"Shepard hesitated to stop me. If she didn't believe in us to some extent we would be in custody already." Sovereign finally spoke up. "Do you even know which Shepard she is yet?"

"Tiger Shepard." I replied before evening thinking.

"Good seems your mind is still working, but I suppose that was an easy one you did create us all in a way." Sovereign replied seemingly pleased that I was able to make the connection. It was down to a fifty/fifty guess, I had tended to colour my Shepard's eyes differently as much as possible and Tiger was one of two FemSheps that had the silver hair red eye combination and it was also the latest combination I had created and as such hadn't finished the play through with her the other possibility being Felicia Shepard who was a bit more of a loose cannon that I got from this universes Shepard.

"Well we need to make sure she stays on track Saren must be exposed." Sovereign was right of course, but I had a feeling getting Shepard to do what we need was going to be an uphill challenge. As I passed a number of vendors taking in the various smells of food for across the galaxy it was a familiar smell of fish that gave me an idea.

"What if I used myself as bait?" I asked Sovereign.

"Explain?" Sovereign reply was once again short and to the point, I have got to work on opening him up I thought before elaborating further.

"What if we…"

Shepard

She had been leading Kaidan and Ashley around C-sec academy for what seemed like an eternity. The plan had been a simple one go to C-sec ask for Officer Vakarian and see what he knew. Simple really, alas she had not accounted for the brick wall of red tape that was C-sec. She kept being bounced around from office to office by various officers of various ranks all promising that the next stop would be the last but by now it was evident this plan wasn't going to cut it.

"How hard can it be to find one stone bird? How does anybody get anything done around here?" Ashley's impatience was beginning to show, but She herself was beginning to wonder how C-sec got around to doing anything.

"This isn't going to work." She finally conceded gesturing for Kaidan to come re-join herself and Ashley over by the elevator as he finished talking to another C-sec agent.

"Sorry commander." Kaidan was hiding his frustration a little better than herself and Ashley but the tone in his voice was enough to give away he was also feeling the sting of bureaucracy. Before she could reply her Omni-tool began flashing, a message without thinking she opened it.

"Hello, Shepard I am going to assume you have the LT and Gunny with you. Today has not gone as I had hoped and I don't really see a way for me to get off this station with all of C-Sec gunning for me."

"Mother Fucker." She muttered as Kaidan and Ashley looked on confused.

"Commander?" She looked up at her two squad members before finally replying to Ashley's confused look.

"It's Carolus."

"What? Kaidan replied looking even more confused now that he knew the reason for Shepard's profanity. She quickly forwarded the message to them both before continuing to read on.

"So I have come to the conclusion that I am a dead man. That being said I have no intention of committing death by cop, and if these are to be my last days alive I am going to get the most out of it, here is what I have in mind I am going to give you a set of tasks for each one you accomplish I will answer one question truthfully no tricks one question one answer. Once you have completed all of my requests you can claim your prize…...ME! and if Saren is to believed what a prize I would be I am a spectre hunting gun wielding mad man or so he says but I think your gut says otherwise so without further a due. Task number one! In the lower wards there is a medical clinic I will relay the exact location once you reply with your acceptance of my little game, talk to the doctor who runs it and once that is done send me a message and I will confirm if you have done as I asked!

Signed

Dead man walking

Carolus Rex AKA Charles King."

"Just what is he playing at?" She muttered to herself as she looked over at Kaidan and Ashley as they to finished reading Charles's message.

"That son of a bitch is playing with us." Ashley had gone from barely controlled rage against C-sec to outright fury. "He expects us to dance to his little tune and for what! So we can maybe get some answers? Who says he won't lie about whatever question we ask? Or that he will even let us capture him at the end!?" Kaidan was taking it a little better, a distinct look of disgust was apparent on his face but he wasn't ranting and raving like Ashley was doing.

"Get a hold of yourself Williams, if we can't find Garrus and C-sec won't help we might as well see what these request reveal. The longer we can keep him engaged with us the less time he is spending hiding or planning an escape, we have to keep him fixated on us." Without further discussion she opened her Omni-tool and send her reply.

"Alright I accept."

Before she could look away the reply came through giving the co-ordinates of a med clinic as he had said in the lower wards.

"Commander, we should be careful if what Saren said was true." Kaidan stopped as he saw her check her pistol and head towards the rapid transit terminal. She was going to get answers and if performing this little song and dance was going to get them she was more than willing, but she wasn't going to take any chances.

Charles

"Okay I have to ask why not just plead innocence like a child and point her in the right direction why the mind games?" Alexandra had returned clearly interested in where I was going with this, I figured they knew what I was doing even if I couldn't "feel" them present.

"If I am stuck here in this universe, I have to think of the long game I need a backstory that isn't rubbish and I need a reason as to why I know things before she and the Normandy crew do. So let's say I happen to have stumbled upon another beacon before Eden Prime, let's say I knew what Saren was up to and that I was trying to stop him, the finer points I can work out later I can't just come out with random bits of knowledge out of nowhere, so I invent a network of contacts say they have acquired the information about the good doctor and Tali already." As I laid out my thought process I could feel the two Shepard's in my head mulling it over.

"I mean, that's not a horrible explanation, but it works besides the one we had lined up doesn't really fit anymore considering what happened before Eden Prime…" Alexandra trailed off clearly not wanting to elaborate on what had happened and why the plan they had would no longer work.

"We can work out the details later, but it still doesn't say why you had to make a game out of this?" Sovereign spoke up as he re-joined the conversation.

"Carrot and a stick." I replied as I ducked around a corner to hide from a group of C-sec agents patrolling the wards. "They would just keep looking for me aimlessly or perhaps C-sec would catch me first. This way I give Shepard motivation and by motivation I mean I have probably pissed her off royally and she will come seeking answers and or my head, while also giving her directions to set her on the correct path." For a moment no one spoke I just kept walking through the wards not really heading anywhere just blending with the crowds as best I could while waiting for Shepard to finish up her first task.

"You know Carolus; it is such a shame you have forgotten everything we taught you. I thought we would have to try and do this without you, but it seems that there is some hope for you yet. I can't wait to see how spectacularly you will fuck this up." I allowed myself to feel a small sense of self-satisfaction as I figured this was as close as I was going to get to actual praise from Alexandra and I found a bench just beyond the main bodies of social traffic and took a seat making sure to keep my face as well hidden as possible.

The citadel was an amazing place, despite not being from this universe the sight of the various species of aliens didn't concern me the interrelationships of the council races was a sight to behold, people of all kinds living together in peace or at least as peaceful as sentient beings can be towards each other. There were the usual negative behaviours that characterised human nature but to me It felt like a triumph of life. I found myself for the first time since I had woken up on Eden Prime able to sit back and watch the world go on, I was sure it would only be a brief respite but it was one I was more than willing to enjoy.

My rest was brought to an abrupt end as Shepard send me a message saying she had completed my first request.

"Well let's see if she actually did it." I muttered to myself as I send her a message asking what had happened at the clinic and after a short wait the news I had hoped and expected to here had come through that she had saved the good doctor and met up with Garrus.

"Good job Shepard, I am glad you made it in time I would have gone and helped but I am... well you know why I couldn't. Ask your question and once I have answered I will send you on my next task."

I waited for her question patiently watching as people passed me by completely unaware of who was sitting on the bench just out of the way.

"Where are you?" That was not the message I was expecting, surely she didn't expect me to answer that it would have defeated the whole purpose of my plan.

"Now Shepard that's not how this works try again."

"You didn't specific I couldn't ask that but you can't blame me for not wanting to end this as quickly as possible. Are you guilty of what Saren says you are how does he know you?" That was the question I was expecting.

"That's the half a million credit question right there now isn't it wonder if your next one will be the million credit question. ANSWER: Maybe – I said I would answer truthfully and I am a man of my word or at least I think I am. I have gaps in my memory I found a beacon before like the one on Eden Prime I ran into Saren there the two of us fought I got a vision from that one too. When I came to Saren and the beacon were gone. Now that was really two questions but as a show of faith I answered both! Aren't I nice! Next task, you should have found out about a man called fist go follow that lead! Message me when your done I got to run."

With the message send and instructions given I allowed myself to return to my state of observation hoping to achieve another moment of wonder before resuming my hectic life once again however it was not to be as I looked up I noticed an Asari pointing me out to two heavily armed C-sec agents.

"Shit." I quickly arose from my seat and moved into the crowd with the two officers now tailing behind. I moved into the thickest section of the crowd hoping that the officers wouldn't dare attempt to confront me in such a densely populated area to many civilians.

"If they try and stop us take a hostage, they won't move on us if a civilian is in the way. C-sec has to many rules." I felt my stomach tightening is that the sort of man this path will turn me into? A low life willing to use innocents as a shield? I pushed the thoughts from my mind and pushed further into the crowd.

"If I find a new place to hide can you change my outfit again? They have surely seen my current gear." I asked as I carefully looked over my shoulder to see if they were still on my tail and much to my dismay they were joined by a few more to the sides of the crowd.

"That wouldn't be a problem." Sovereign replied as I made a move towards a back street. As I made my way into the less well-lit back streets I could hear the quickening of the footsteps behind me I could make out six different sets at least, that was not a good sign. I took as many turns as I could trying to lose some of my pursuers. After coming to a four-way intersection I activated my cloak and stood against the wall waiting as the officers approached the intersection.

"Damn it which way did he go?" One of the Turian's said as he looked at each pathway. The various paths were relatively deserted with only a few people smoking or walking down any given path. I was also able to finally get a good look at my hunters, there was four Turian's and human and a Salarian. One of the Turian's looked directly at me I felt my heart race as I prepared for what could possible end up being a close quarters fight, my mind racing a million miles an hour. Could I bring myself to kill them? How could I fight them without killing them? As I slowly reached for my pistol tucked away inside my jacket, as I readied myself to take a life my hand was shaking and I could feel Sovereign preparing to take over.

"Remember how many lives are at stake if we fail, you killed the Geth on Eden Prime, you can kill these guys to, it's no different." His words did not comfort me the Geth were different, they were synthetic not truly AI not yet anyway. Killing another breathing living being was another matter entirely. Finally, the Turian turned away and I let out a controlled sigh as they began moving away.

"Who knows let's split up, Teams of two for each passage way keep in radio contact." One of the other Turian's said as he gestured which people should take what passage way before turning to the Salarian. "You stay here in case he tries to back track if you even think you see him contact the rest of us." The Salarian nodded in reply as the others went their assigned routes. I waited for the other agents to move further down their paths before moving from the wall and heading back the way I had come.

As I made my way past the remaining C-sec agent however I knocked a lose piece of pipe on the floor not seeing it as it was hidden beneath some rubbish. The sound of the metal slamming into the wall and rolling down the corridor caused the Salarian to turn pistol drawn directly at me.

"Don't move!" He demanded. "I know you're there, deactivate the tactical cloak and place your weapons on the ground!" Again he demanded. I just stood there frozen how could I have made such a stupid mistake, I saw him raise his Omni-tool to his mouth clearly going to call for help, I couldn't allow him to do that, too much was at stake and without thinking I deactivated and cloak pistol drawn and pulled the trigger.

Hello all Lord Castor back again, I loved writing this Chapter It was so much fun to write and needless to say I am much happier with how this one turned out!

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Also Cliffhanger!