[Normandy; Med-Bay]
Shepard slowly opened his eyes, and rubbed his head, having a slight headache. 'What happened? How did I… Oh, yeah.' Now he remembered; the beacon. Something happened when he pushed Ashley out of the way, some type of vision. But what of? The past, future?
"Dr. Chakwas, I think he's awake." Ashley said.
"Ah, Commander. I'm glad to see you're up," Dr. Chakwas said with a smile, "You had us a bit worried for a minute. You always did recover rather quickly. How are you feeling?".
"Like shit." Shepard said plainly, "How long was I out for?".
"About fifteen hours. Something down there happened with the beacon, I think." Chakwas said.
"Yeah, I remember." Shepard said.
"It's my fault. I must have triggered something, some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way." Ashley said, while looking down in shame.
"Don't blame yourself. You had no way to know what would happen," Shepard said to her, to which Ashley gave him a small smile.
"Actually, we don't know if that's what set it off. Unfortunately we'll never get the chance to find out." The Doctor said.
"The beacon exploded. A system overload, maybe. It knocked you out cold; Alenko and I had to carry you back to the Normandy," Ashley said.
Shepard gave her a smile and a nod, "I appreciate it. Was I injured?".
"Physically you're just fine. But I did detect some unusual brainwave activity, abnormal beta waves. I also detected an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming." Dr. Chakwas informed Shepard.
"More like a nightmare." The Commander said grimly, "I saw- Death. Destruction. War.. Nothing's really clear.".
Chakwas remained quiet for a couple seconds, "Hmm. I better add this to my report. It may- Oh, Captain Anderson." She was saying, until Anderson walked in.
Anderson took a quick glance at Shepard, "How's our XO holding up Doctor?" He asked.
"All the readings are normal. I'd say Shepard's going to be just fine." She said with a smile.
"That's good to hear. Shepard, I need to speak with you. In private." Anderson said.
Ashley saluted the two of them, "Aye aye sir. I'll be in the mess hall if you need me,".
Chakwas simply nodded, and stepped outside the room. Anderson turned his attention back to Shepard, "Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Shepard. You sure you're okay?" He asked his old friend.
"I'm fine, thanks… I feel bad about Jenkins though." Shepard looked down.
"Don't. Jenkins wasn't your fault; you did good down there Shepard," He reassured him.
"I see you brought Williams along," Shepard said, changing the subject.
Anderson nodded, "Yeah. I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy.".
"Good. She seems like a good soldier," Shepard said.
"Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you. That's why I added her to the crew." Captain Anderson replied.
"You wanted to speak to me in private, Captain?".
"*sigh* I won't lie to you Shepard. This looks bad; real bad. Nihlus is dead. The beacon is destroyed and geth are invading. The council's going to want answers." Anderson said.
"We did everything we could; what happened to the beacon isn't our fault." Shepard said, before getting up off the bed.
"I'll stand behind you and your reports Shepard. You're a damned hero in my books. That's not why I'm here though. It's that other Turian, Saren." Anderson said, saying the other Turians name with a hint of anger, "Saren's a Spectre; one of the best there is. A living legend. But if he's working with the geth, it means he's gone rogue. A rogue Spectre's trouble. Saren's very dangerous. And, he hates humans." Anderson informed him.
Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Why?".
"He thinks humanity is growing too fast, taking over the galaxy. A lot of aliens think that way, but most of them don't do anything about it. But Saren has allied himself with the geth. I don't know how and I don't know why. I only know it has something to do with the beacon." He replied. Anderson thought for a moment, then looked back at Shepard, "You were there just before the beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?" He asked the commander.
Shepard leaned back onto the bed, "Just before I lost consciousness I had some kind of…. vision.".
"A vision? Vision of what?" Anderson asked.
"I don't know.. A warning, I think. I saw synthetics. Geth, maybe. Slaughtering people. Butchering them." Shepard said. Saying it out loud just makes him more uneasy.
"We need to report this to the council, Shepard." Captain Anderson said.
Shepard let out a breathless chuckle, "And say what? I had a bad dream?".
"We don't know what was stored on that beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it. But I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are the blight of the galaxy. This attack was an act of war!" Anderson said, turning to face Shepard, "He has the secrets from the beacon. He has an army of geth at his command. And he won't stop until he's wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy.".
"I'll find a way to stop him, sir." Shepard said with a nod.
"It's not that easy. Saren's a Spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the council on our side." Anderson said.
"..Alright, then we prove that Saren's gone rogue and get the Council to revoke his Spectre status." Shepard said, standing up straight again, and got ready to leave the med bay.
Anderson nodded, and smiled a bit. It was these spurts of determination that reminded him of Shepard's father, "I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us as soon once we get to the Citadel. We should be getting close; head to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us in to dock," He said, to which Shepard nodded and made his way to Joker.
On his way, Shepard exchanged a few words with Ashley, welcoming her to the Normandy and what not, then proceeded to the bridge, where he informed Joker to dock soon. Just as he did so, they arrived at the Serpent Nebula, and approached the Citadel. As Kaidan and Ash admired the Destiny Ascension, the Citadel's flagship, and the Citadel itself, he couldn't help but be impressed by it too. Shepard had only been to the Citadel and handful of times, and the only other species he'd encountered there were Asari and Turians. Maybe if he was lucky he'll get to meet some of the other different species on the Citadel.
[Human Embassies; Ambassador Udina's office]
Soon after they landed, they headed towards the Human Embassy, and arrived at Ambassador Udina's office.
"This is an outrage!" Udina yelled "The Council would step in if the geth attacked a Turian colony!".
"The Turians don't create colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador." The Salarian Councilor, Councilor Valern said.
"Humanity was well aware of the risks when they entered the Traverse." Counselor Tevos, the Asari Counselor said.
"What about Saren? You can't just ignore a rogue Spectre. I demand action!" Udina yelled at the Councilors. Shepard had to hand it to the old guy, he doesn't give up until he has his way.
"You don't get to make commands of the Council, Ambassador." The Turian Councilor, Sparatas, growled.
"Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss C-Sec findings at the hearing, not before," Councilor Tevos said, ending the conversation.
Udina sighed, and turned around to face Anderson and the others, "Captain Anderson. I see you brought half your crew with you,".
"Just the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions." Anderson said, as Shepard turned to look at Udina.
"I have the mission reports," Udina crossed his arms, "I assume they're accurate?".
"They are. I see you managed to get an audience with the Council." Anderson replied.
"They were not happy about it. Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason." Udina said.
Shepard raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms, a bit irritated, "Saren's a threat to every human colony out there. He needs to be stopped. The council has to listen to us!".
"Settle down, Commander. You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres." Udina retorted, "Eden Prime was a chance to to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!".
"That's Saren's fault, not his!" Anderson said in defense.
"Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise, the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres," The Ambassador looked over at Anderson, "Captain, come with me. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard – you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in.".
As Udina and Anderson left the office, Ashley shook her head, "And that's why I hate politicians.".
[Citadel Tower]
Shepard, Kaidan and Ashley arrived at the Council Tower, and, to say the meeting didn't go well would be an understatement. In short, the Council said that they didn't have nearly enough evidence to prove Saren guilty, and dismissed the charges against Saren.
After some discussion between the group of them, they decided it was a good idea to pay Garrus Vakarian, a C-Sec officer who was assigned to the case against Saren; a visit.
Udina informed Shepard that a C-Sec officer by the name of Harkin could tell them where Garrus was. Shepard nodded and thanked the Ambassador, before him, Ash and Kaidan headed to the Citadel Wards in search of him.
When they arrived at the Wards, they asked a near by C-Sec officer if he knew where Harkin was, to which the officer said that he was in his favorite hang-out place, Chora's Den. Shepard thanked him, and they made their way to Chora's Den.
Minutes later, they arrived at the famous bar, and walked over to Harkin. Just like Shepard thought, Harkin was a pain in the ass; often rambling about things off topic. It took Ashley threatening to beat his ass for him to finally spill the beans. Harkin said with a slightly drunk tone that Garrus was at some clinic in the Upper Wards. It wasn't exactly what Shepard was hoping for, but it'll have to do.
[Citadel Wards; Approaching the clinics, shops and bathroom's]
After asking the locals about where the nearest clinic was, they made their way north to a clinic run by a Dr. Michel. As they got closer, Shepard heard yelling beyond the door, so they cautiously made their way to the entrance.
"I didn't tell anyone. I swear!" He hears a woman with a thick accent say. As she said this, Shepard opens the door, and brings his gun out. He see's Garrus, who's in cover, slowly making his way to the armed men, who are in the back of the clinic.
"That was smart, doc." The thug said, "Now if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we'll-" He says until he notices Shepard out of the corner of his eye, and as he turns to face Shepard, he grabs Dr. Michel, and points his gun at the commander, "Who are you?"
"Let her go." Shepard says in a serious tone while glaring at the man. After he says this, Garrus get's out of cover and points his gun at the man who's holding Dr. Michel hostage, and shoots him in the head, not even hesitating. Afterwords, Shepard, Ash and Kaidan took out the other thugs, who went down quite easily, due to their lack of combat experience.
Shepard walks over to where Garrus and Dr. Michel are, and Garrus gives him the closest thing to a smile a Turian can give, "Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a perfect shot at that bastard.".
"That was impressive, especially for a pistol." Shepard gives Garrus a smile, "You're pretty good.".
"Thank you Commander," Garrus turns to look at the red headed Doctor, "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?".
"No, I'm okay. Thank you, all of you." Dr. Michel said.
"Who were those men?" Shepard asked, crossing his arms.
"They work for Fist. They wanted to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the quarian," She said, glancing at Garrus when she mentioned him.
Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Quarian?" he said, sounding a bit surprised. During the few times he'd been at the Citadel he'd never seen a quarian here.
"A few days ago, a quarian came by my office. She'd been shot, but she wouldn't tell me who did it. I could tell she was scared, probably on the run." She said, "She asked me about the Shadow Broker. She wanted to trade information for a safe place to hide.".
Shepard nodded, "Okay, then what?".
"I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker." Dr. Michel informed them.
"Not anymore. He works for Saren now. And the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it." Garrus said.
"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid even for him!" She said, shocked at the statement, "Saren must have made him quite he offer,".
"That Quarian must have something Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get." Garrus said.
"She must have evidence that proves Saren guilty.." Shepard said, before turning to face Dr. Michel, "Did the quarian mention anything about Saren or the Geth?".
After thinking for a few seconds, Dr. Michel nodded, "She did! The information she was going to trade. She said it had something to do with the Geth.".
"She must have something to link Saren to the Geth! There's noway the Council can ignore this!" Garrus said, excited that they might finally be able to find some solid evidence against the Spectre veteran.
"Then I guess it's time we pay Fist a visit," Shepard said.
"This is your show, Shepard. But I want to take Saren down as much as you do. Let me come with you." He said, almost asking the Commander.
Shepard smiled, before offering his hand for Garrus to shake, "Sounds good to me. Welcome aboard Garrus.".
Garrus gladly accepted the handshake, "Thank you Commander. I won't let you down.".
"You know we aren't the only ones going after Fist; the Shadow Broker hired a Krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to take him out." Garrus stated, "It might be worth paying him a visit, see if we can work together.".
Shepard nodded, "Good idea. Any idea where he is?".
"He should be down by the C-Sec Academy. Fist had accused him of making threats. We brought him in earlier to have a little talk about what happened at Chora's Den. If you hurry we should be able to catch him" Garrus said.
"Alright, we'll head to the Academy then." Shepard said, before leaving the clinic.
[C-Sec Academy]
The walk to the academy didn't take long, apart from a long elevator ride. When they got there, they saw Wrex and some C-Sec officer arguing, which ended in Wrex laughing in the officer's face, daring him to try and stop him. As the officer walked off, clearly agitated, Shepard approached the battle worn Krogan, who gave Shepard an unreadable look, "Do I know you, human?".
"The name's Shepard. I'm going after Fist. Heard you were going after him two and thought you might want to tag along." Shepard said, replicating Wrex's tone.
Wrex gave an acknowledging look at the human, "Shepard? Commander Shepard? I've heard a lot about you." Wrex took a step closer to Shepard, "We're both warriors Shepard. Out of respect, I'll give you a fair warning. I'm going to kill Fist.".
Garrus stepped closer to the two, "Fist knows you're coming. We'll have a better shot if we work together.".
After taking this into consideration for a little while, Wrex looked at Shepard, "My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend.".
The two shook hands, "Glad to have you on the team, Wrex." Shepard said.
[Citadel Wards; Approaching Chora's Den]
The group of five made their way to Chora's Den, with Wrex having his shotgun out the whole time, despite Shepard's wishes. But as they entered the hallway to get to the infamous bar, they were attacked by a couple of Salarians in all black armor. They took them out quite easily, with Wrex knocking one over the railing, muttering something about it being a Pyjack, whatever that was.
"They must work for Saren," Shepard said, "Fist knows we're coming. There's no point in going in quietly now.".
Wrex grinned, "Whoever said we were going in quietly to begin with?" the Krogan said before shoulder charging the door, busting it down, and entered the circle shaped bar. When he entered, he was met by at least over a dozen men, mostly human, but some turian, salarian and krogans, ready for him.
The other four ran in shortly after, killing Fist's men right and left, with Wrex tackling another Krogan into a wall, before shooting the downed Krogan with his shotgun. Once all the enemies were taken care of, they entered the door opposite of the entrance, which led to a small hallway that connected the main bar to Fist's office. When the door opened, they saw two guards point a gun at them. Shepard noticed that their guns were wavering slightly, indicating they most likely weren't used to holding guns. 'They probably never held a gun in their life.' Shepard thought.
As Wrex was about to step forward and shoot them, Shepard put his hand in front of Wrex, wordlessly tell him to stay there, and looked at the men, "It might be best if you leave." Shepard said with a slight smile, as they quickly ran out the door and out of the bar.
"It would've been easier to just kill them," Wrex muttered to himself, a bit disappointed.
"Sometimes killing isn't always the answer," Shepard said.
Wrex just rolled his eyes, as they entered Fist's office. But just as they entered, they were greeted by two automated turrets firing at them from the left. Shepard, Garrus and Wrex got into cover, while Ashley and Kaidan stayed outside, making sure the others wouldn't get flanked.
"Don't make this anymore difficult for yourself, Fist. Turn off the turrets and stand down," Shepard tried to reason to the former agent.
"Go to hell!" Fist yelled, as he hid behind one of the turrets.
"Suit yourself," Shepard said quietly, as he threw a grenade at the left turret, while Wrex did a biotic shockwave to the one Fist was hiding behind, which launched him against the back wall.
Shepard approached Fist, and pointed his pistol at the man, "Tell me where the quarian is." He demanded.
"She's not here. I don't know where she is. That's the truth!" Fist said.
Wrex snorted, "He's lying. Let me rough him up a bit, then he'll be willing to talk." the Krogan said as he cracked his knuckles.
Shepard gave Fist a stern look, "You have three seconds until I let Wrex have his way.".
Fist paused for a moment, "The quarian isn't here. Said she'd only only deal with the Shadow Broker himself.".
Wrex let out a chuckle,"Hah! Impossible. The Shadow Broker only works through his agents. Not even I've met the Shadow Broker.".
Fist hesitantly got up, "Y-You're right; nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Nobody knows his true identity. But she didn't know that. I told her I'd set a meeting up," Fist smiled, "But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her.".
Shepard got up right in Fist's face and pointed his gun at Fist's head, "Tell me where the meeting is before I blow your lying head off!".
"H-Here on the wards. The back alley behind the markets. She's supposed to meet them right now. You can still make it if you hurry." Fist said, looking at Shepard's gun the whole time.
Shepard took a deep breath, then put his gun down, "Alright, let's go.".
"Wait," Wrex said, before shooting Fist with his shotgun pointblank in the chest, "Now we can leave.".
"What the hell are you doing?!" Garrus said, pointing his gun at the krogan.
"The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him." Wrex said, putting his shotgun away, "I don't leave my jobs half done."
Shepard turned to face Wrex, "We don't kill unarmed prisoners," The Commander said.
"How many people died because of him? He had it coming." Wrex said, "Besides, we have more pressing concerns.".
Shepard sighed quietly, then nodded, "Fair enough. Just remember who's in charge here," He said, before leading the team to where Fist said she was.
[Citadel Wards; Alleyway behind the markets]
"Did you bring it?" A Turian with face paint said with annoyance in his voice.
"W-Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?" the quarian said, looking around the alley.
The Turian put his hand on the side of her face, before moving down her arm, "They'll be here. Where's the evidence?" He asked again.
The quarian pushed his hand off of her, "No way. The deal's off." She said, trying to sound stern.
This made the Turian visibly angry, and two Salarian assassin's came from behind a crate, and pointed their guns at her. Realizing her situation, she quickly threw a grenade she made during her travels, and ran behind cover. Just as she got out her gun, a group of five people came through the door, three humans, a krogan and a turian. Within twenty seconds of arriving, they took out the assassin's. She noticed one of the humans, presumably the leader, walk over to her. 'Keelah, I hope he took a shower, because my filters need changing, and humans carry a lot of germs...' She thought to herself.
"Are you okay?" The man asked her.
"Fist set me up!" She said, as if just coming to that realization, "I knew I couldn't trust him!".
"You don't have to worry about him, he's been dealt with." He said said with a nod.
Tali smiled under her mask, "Then I guess there are two things I need to thank you for." She said, but realized she didn't know his name, "Ehm, w-who are you?".
"Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy." He said with a smile, "Over there is Kaidan, Ashley, Garrus and Wrex." He looked back at the quarian, "We're looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor.".
"Oh? T-Then I might have a chance to repay you for saving my life. Not here though. We need to find someplace safe." She said to Shepard.
Kaidan took a step forward, "The ambassador's office. He'll want to see this anyway.".
"Sounds like a plan," Shepard said with a little smile.
[Human Embassies; Ambassador Udina's office]
Udina rested his head in his hand and sighed, "You aren't making my life easy, Shepard. Firefights in the wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den?" Udina turned to face the commander, "Do you know how many-" The Ambassador paused when he saw the Quarian beside Shepard, "Who's this? A Quarian? What are you up to, Shepard?".
"Making your day easier, Ambassador. She has information linking Saren to the geth," Shepard said to Udina.
Udina raised an eyebrow, "Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning, miss…?".
"M-My name is Tali. Tali' Zorah nar Rayya," The quarian girl said in a soft voice.
"We don't see many quarians here. Why did you leave the flotilla?" Udina asked, trying to sound polite.
"I was on my pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood." Tali said, before explaining further, "It is a tradition among my people. When we reach maturity, we leave the ships of our parents and our people behind. Alone, we search the stars, only returning to the flotilla when we have discovered something of value. In this way, we prove ourselves worthy of adulthood. Through our pilgrimage, we prove that we will contribute to our community, rather than be a burden on our limited resources.".
"And you found something related to Saren and the Geth?" Shepard asked.
Tali nodded, and explained that when she heard rumors of Geth, she got curious and investigated. She described that she was able to get one of it's memory core's after waiting for it to get separated from the group it was in. While she was telling everyone her story, Shepard couldn't help but be impressed. She didn't seem any younger than 18, and the fact that she was able to track down and take out a Geth while going unnoticed, is quite the accomplishment. Tali went on to say that when she examined the memory core, she found a recording on it, one with Saren's voice. She brought up her Omni-Tool, and played the tape.
"Eden Prime was a major victory! The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the conduit."
"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers."
"I don't recognize the other voice. The one talking about 'Reapers'." Udina said after thinking about it for a few seconds.
"What are the Reapers, though? Some kind of new species?" Shepard asked.
"According to the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed over 50,000 years ago." Tali said, "The Reapers hunted the Protheans to complete extinction, and then they vanished.. A-At least that's what the geth believed.".
"Sounds a bit far-fetched, don't you think?" Udina said, crossing his arms.
"...The vision on Eden Prime – I think I understand it now." Shepard said while he concentrated, "I saw the Protheans being wiped out by the Reapers."
"The geth revere the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of non-organic life. And they believe Saren knows how to bring them back." Tali added.
Udina shook his head, "The council is just going to love this." He said.
Shepard sighed lightly, "I'm gonna have to agree with Udina on this one. I mean, a race of synthetic gods that completely wiped out one of the most advanced races ever known? If I wasn't given that vision I'd have a hard time believing it too." Shepard said, then looked back at Udina, "But the Reapers are a threat to every species in Citadel space. We have to tell the council.".
"Well, no matter what they think of the rest of this, those audio files prove that Saren's a traitor!" Anderson spoke up.
"The Captain's right. We need to bring this to the council right away." Udina said with a nod.
"What about her?" Wrex said, referring to Tali, "The quarian?".
"My name is Tali!" She said, slightly irritated, "You saw me in the alley, Commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you." Tali asked.
Shepard raised his eyebrow, "What about your pilgrimage?".
"The pilgrimage proves we are willing to give of ourselves for the greater good. What does it say about me if I turn my back on this?" Tali said, "Saren is a danger to the entire galaxy. My pilgrimage can wait.".
After considering it for a second, Shepard smiled, "I don't see why not." He said, "Welcome aboard Tali.".
"Thank you Commander. You won't regret this." Tali said with gratitude.
Udina nodded at Anderson, then turning to face the group of six, "Anderson and I will go ahead to get things ready for the council. Take a few minutes to collect yourself, then meet us at the Citadel Tower." The ambassador said.
After a few minutes of discussing, Shepard decided it was best to send Kaidan and Ashley back to the Normandy, while Garrus, Wrex and Tali came with him to see the Council. Kaidan agreed, and Ashley nodded, saluting Shepard, before the two of them left.
[Normandy; Mess hall]
After getting out of their armor and back into their Alliance uniforms, Ash and Kaidan took a seat at the dining table, Kaidan bringing a glass of water with him to help with his L2 induced headache.
After a minute or so, Ashley shook her head, "I can't believe the Commander's working with aliens."
Kaidan put his water down, and raised an eyebrow at the gunnery chief, "Why's that?"
Ashley paused for a bit, then sighed, "I don't know. It just.. doesn't feel right. That SOB Saren attacked our colony. This is our fight, not theirs." She said.
"I can see where you're coming from," Kaidan said, "But if Shepard's right, which I'm positive he is, humanity can't do this alone. We'll need all the help we can get.".
"You're right. I know you are." Ashley said, looking down at her hands, "Maybe it's how I was raised, but I was taught that if someone picks a fight with you, you have to finish it. No help.".
"I can respect that. But I just don't think that train of thought applies to something of this scale." Kaidan said, to which Ashley nodded. "Well I'm gonna lay down for a bit, before this headache of mine get's too bad." Kaidan got up to go to the crew's quarters, then turned around to face Ashley and smiled, "Try not to burn the place down.".
Ashley chuckled a bit, "I'll try my best. I'm gonna go down to the armory, check out our weapon supplies if you need me."
[Citadel Tower]
Within a couple of minutes, Shepard, Wrex, Garrus and Tali reached Citadel Tower. Shepard spotted Anderson, so he told the other three to wait there while him, Anderson and Udina talked to the Council. Shepard prayed that this would be just the evidence that they needed, otherwise, they'd hit a dead end. And after hearing what Saren was like from Anderson, Shepard knew that the veteran Spectre had to be stopped.
"Come on. Udina's presenting the quarian's evidence to the Council." Anderson said, leading Shepard to the Council.
Just as Shepard and Anderson walked onto the platform, the recording of Saren and the other female played. When the recording finished, Udina smirked and pointed at the Council, who were quite surprised, "You wanted proof? There it is.".
After a few moments of silence, the Turian Councilor spoke up, "This evidence is irrefutable, ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to bring him in for his crimes.".
The Asari Councilor spoke up, "I recognize the other voice, the one speaking to Saren. Matriarch Benezia." She said, sounding slightly surprised.
"Who's she?" Shepard asked.
"Matriarchs are powerful Asari who have entered the final stage of their lives. Revered for their wisdom and experience, they serve as guides and mentors to my people." the Asari Councilor stated, "Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic, and she had many followers. She will make a formidable ally for Saren.".
"I'm more interested in the Reapers." The Salarian Councilor finally spoke up, "What do you know about them?".
"Only what was extracted from the Geth's memory core." Captain Anderson stated, "The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the Protheans. Then they vanished.".
"The Geth believe them to be gods. And that Saren is the prophet for their return." Shepard said.
Anderson nodded, "We think the conduit is the key to bringing them back. Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime.".
"Do we even know what this 'conduit' is?" the Salarian Councilor asked.
"Saren thinks it can bring the Reapers back. That's bad enough." Shepard said.
The Turian Councilor scoffed, "Listen to what you're saying. Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy? Impossible. It has to be." Councilor Sparatas said, "Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real we'd have found something!".
"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander. A convenient lie to cover Saren's true purpose. A legend he is using to bed the Geth to his will." Councilor Valern said.
Starting to loose his temper a bit, Shepard took a step forward, "50,000 years ago, the Reapers wiped out all galactic civilization. If Saren finds the conduit, it will happen again!".
"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The council have stripped him of his position." The Turian Councilor said.
Udina took a step forward, "That is not good enough! You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!".
The Salarian Councilor almost chuckled at that, "An entire fleet cannot track down one man.".
"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region. Keep the geth from attacking anymore of our colonies." Udina said to the council, though he had a feeling he was fighting a loosing battle.
"Or it could trigger an all out war with the Terminus Systems! We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few Human colonies." The Turian Councilor said.
Right as Udina was about to reply to the Councilor's statement, Shepard stepped forward, "It won't start a war if you only send one man into the Traverse." He said, "I can take Saren down.".
"The Commander's right," the Asari Councilor said to the other two councilors, "There is a way we can stop Saren without sending fleets or armies.".
The Turian Councilor's eyes widened a bit, "You can't be serious!" He said, before shaking his head, "It's too soon. Humanity isn't ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres!".
"With all due respect, Councilor, it's the best solution for everybody." Shepard stated, "The council doesn't have to send a fleet into the Traverse, and the Ambassador get's his Human Spectre. Everyone's happy." Shepard argued.
The council members looked at each other for a moment, pressed a few buttons, then looked back at Shepard, "Commander Shepard – Step forward." Shepard glanced at Anderson, who smiled and nodded, then obeyed the councilor's command, "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."
"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle; those whose actions elevate them above rank and file."
"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."
"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."
"You are the first Human Spectre, Commander. This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species." The Asari Councilor finished.
"I'm honored." Shepard said with a slight nod.
"We're sending you to 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 said.
"Yes sir." Shepard replied, "Any leads on where to find him?".
"We will forward any relevant files to Ambassador Udina." the Turian councilor said.
"This meeting of the council is adjourned." the Asari councilor said, dismissing everyone at the meeting, which also lead the crowd of people, who Shepard had just noticed, to leave also.
Anderson smiled at Shepard, and shook his hand, "Congratulations, Commander.".
"We've got a lot of work to do, Shepard. You're going to need a ship, a crew, supplies..." Udina said, "Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set all this up.".
As the two left the tower, Wrex scoffed, and looked at Shepard, "Hmph.. Bastard didn't even say thank you.".
Author's Notes
Hey guys :D Once again, sorry that this chapter is basically a novelization of the game. But once they pickup Liara, then I can start to get into the stuff I want to, rather than rely heavily on in-game stuff. But either way, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and hopefully you'll stick around to read the whole story! I also add more of [these] just to clarify where that scene takes place. So for example, a scene in the captains cabin would be like this [Normandy; Captains cabin] I did a little bit of that in the first chapter, but I feel like it has more of a purpose now. But yeah, hope you guys enjoy!