Chapter 18: A shock

23/5/2059

DKM Normandy.

John couldn't believe it. This had to be the first time this had happened in ages. John was currently staring at not just a Turian, but a Turian spectre. One of the biggest enemies of the Reich, yet somehow there was one standing right here, in the Officer meeting room of the DKM Normandy. He was tall, like all Turians were. His armor was advanced, clearly high quality and was black with red outlines, made to scare the enemy.

"Shepard, this is Nilhus. Turian Spectre, one of the best." Otto casually introduced him to the Turian like it was no big deal. The Turian made a small nod in return to acknowledge Shepherd's presence.

"Permission to speak freely, sir." John requested impatiently as Otto lighted a new cigar.

"Granted." Otto said as he let out a cloud of smoke. Otto showed no emotion, but Shepard just knew that Otto was aware of what he was going to say.

"What is he doing here?" Shepard dragged out the word like he was saying a curse word. Though it was hard to read the reaction of these aliens, John could see the small twitch Nihlus did with his eyes. Otto didn't respond right away, too busy taking an extra long drag of his cigar as John and Nihlus stared each other down.

"There are many reasons for Nihlus' presence. I will highlight two." Otto replied as he exhaled some smoke. "First off, it has to do with Prothean technology."

"Prothean Technology?" John was puzzled as he looked at the old Captain. Otto continued puffing away at his cigar.

"Correctly. To be exact: A Beacon. Supposedly, it contains valuable information, or at least that's the idea. Anything Prothean is of high value." Otto explained.

"And as you know, Shepard. By Citadel Law, all Prothean technology must be shared with the council." Nihlus finally spoke. His voice commanded authority. He was a hardened veteran of the Spectres. John could at least respect that.

John knew about the law, he just didn't expect the Reich would follow it. Prothean technology was easy to hide, and any new discoveries could easily be passed on as their own. Then again, the Führer was known to make compromises with the council if needed.

"Are we making friends with the council now?" John inquired with a small hint of sarcasm.

"We have been making friends with the council for the better part of 20 years, son." Otto lectured him with a stern voice. John knew it was true, but nodded away to avoid further trouble. "So the plan is we pick up this artifact, and transport it to the Citadel, where a team of researchers will take it off our hands." Otto instructed John.

"Being that Prothean technology is worth a lot, some might attempt to take it by force." Nihlus added. "Hence why the DKM Normandy is performing the pick up. By utilizing stealth, we can be in and out without anyone knowing too much. This operation has been kept a secret as such, and is on a need-to-know basis." Nihlus clarified. "You will respect this decision in front of your crew." John noticed the choice of words. It was an order. Too bad Nihlus wasn't his commanding officer. But then again, when John looked at his captain, he saw that he was in agreement with the Turian.

"I understand. Precaution seems smart in this situation." John never thought he would find himself agreeing with a Turian, but it was true. Prothean technology was known to be worth its weight in gold. Plenty of undesirables would die or kill for it. "Where are we picking up this… Beacon?" John turned to Otto and asked. Otto was already seated, with his feet kicked up on the table.

"One of our newer colonies. 'Lion's gate', as it is called." Otto answered while he ashed his cigar in the ashtray. John knew about the colony, located right on the edge of the Terminus system. Another reason for caution.

"A rather successful colony if I recall." Nihlus added. "A showcase of the Reich's colonial program, and a symbol of humanity in space. It would be a shame if anything happened to it."

John shot the Turian a stern stare. "You know something I don't?" John asked.

Nihlus did something that almost looked like a smile. John couldn't be sure, Turians weren't known for showing any expression, or at least having emotions that humans could read. "I am concerned something might happen. But I suppose that would only benefit you."

John's intense eyes were replaced with a confused look. "Benefit me?" John asked, also with a confused voice.

"That leads us to the second reason." Otto interrupted the conversation. "You remember the last three weeks?"

How could he forget? These last three weeks have been tough. Nonstop training, for pretty much anything one could imagine. Endurance, sharpshooting, decision making and a sea of scenarios played out in a training room with an enemy VI. He knew back that this was something larger than a normal routine training. John muttered a 'yes' to the question.

"As you probably suspected, it wasn't anything ordinary. The OKW wasn't just testing you, they were testing an entire host of soldiers, one from each branch of the military… Including the Waffen SS. We were looking for a candidate." Otto laid it out in basic terms. The picture was becoming clearer by the second.

"Humanity wants to join the esteemed ranks of the Spectres. I am here to evaluate you, Shepard." Nihlus added.

"Wait… Are you saying that the Reich wants to make me a Spectre?" John asked, Otto nodded in response. "But-... But why are we even trying to get a human into the Spectres?"

"It's called politics, Shepard. This is above the moon for us mere mortals. But as far as I know, this is a stepping stone in building closer ties with the Citadel, and hopefully perhaps get a seat one day. Why are the Reich concerned about this? I have no fucking idea, but apperently they are."

"Spectre represents the law of Citadel Space, Shepard. By having a Spectre, the Reich will be showing that it is willing to serve alongside the council, and uphold the law." Nihlus was quick to add. At least it was his take, or at least the official council take.

It didn't quite make sense to John, but very few things in the grand vision of the Reich did. The Führer was probably playing politics to get something in the end. Getting a seat on the council had never been a concern of the Reich, but perhaps it was a play to get closer to the enemy, or perhaps it was to bury the hatchet. Who knows? But it still left one question unanswered.

"Why me?" It didn't make sense that they would pick John. Sure, he was a German citizen, had been declared Aryan by the NSDAP and was serving in the most elite special forces unit. The LSL.

"That's what the training was for. Each branch of the Wehrmacht and the SS put forward a candidate. The LSL chose you, it's not hard to see why. You're a good soldier, one of the-... No, I think this earns you the right as being the best soldier. A good team leader, good tactical thinking, excellent marksmanship, good endurance and above all else: A sensible head on your shoulders." Otto paused to stand up again. "Your training was being watched by forces so far above your paygrade, they might as well be Gods. The OKW was impressed, and the Führer probably personally greenlighted you. It was between you and a Waffen SS officer." Otto explained.

John couldn't believe it. His file had been on the Führer's desk? Just the thought of something like that was enough to make any man go crazy. The fact that the Führer had deemed him fit to become a Spectre was beyond imagination. John felt like the luckiest man in the world. He wanted to call his parents and brag about it so badly… But he chose to remain grounded. He was a soldier after all.

"Your actions during the Blitz earned you the respect of your people. I watched you train as well, and I must admit Shepard, you make a good candidate. We'll do some missions together, and we shall see if you are truly Spectre material." Nihlus said.

John wasn't sure how to feel about this. Having someone watch over his movements, and judging if he was good enough, but then again, someone had done the very same thing during his training, and the OKW and Führer both wanted him to do this. So in the end, he would follow that order.

"Then I shall do my very best, sir." John said to Otto.

"Good." Otto said it like it was expected. It probably was.

24/5/2059

DKM Normandy.

On route to Lion's gate.

The news was still hard to accept the day afterwards. As John fetched his morning coffee, he thought about what he had been told the day before. It had been a big day for him, and it was hard not being able to walk around and tell it to every single crewmember he met. He was lost in thought as the machine sprayed out coffee into his cup.

"Goodmorning Shepard." Dr. Chakwas greeted as she stood to wait for John to finish brewing his coffee. John almost jumped, he hadn't expected her.

"Good morning to you as well, Doctor." His words were calm despite the scare.

"You seem to be in a chipper mood this morning. Any special occasion?" Chakwas asked. John had to stop himself before he told her the entire story.

"Oh, Nothing. Just settling in, Ma'am." John answered, it was half true at least. She smiled, and John knew she didn't buy that.

"That's good to hear. Remember to stop by the medbay today. I want to do a small checkup on you, if you don't mind." Chakwas requested.

"Of course. I'll be there by-" John checked the clock on his omni-tool. "Should we say around noon?" John asked.

Chakwas likewise checked her omni-tool. "Yes, 12 o'clock should work nicely. I'll book you for that time then. Don't be late."

"Ah, you must not know me. Ordnung muss sein."

Once again, Chakwas smiled. "Good to know. Don't worry, it won't take long."

"Oberleutnant?" John turned to see who had asked for him, and found Kaidan waiting patiently for him.

"Excuse me Doctor. I'll see at 1200 hours then." John assured her. She nodded with a smile. "How can I help you Kaidan?" John asked as he joined his fellow American.

"I figured we would go down and meet the team properly. Just so you can get a feel for them. Are you up for that?"

"Sure, lead the way." John said as he gestured to the elevator. He took a sip of his still steaming hot coffee as he followed Kaidan along. They both got in the elevator, and Kaidan hit the button for the cargo hold. "So… Where are you from, Lieutenant?" John tried to make small talk.

"Vancouver, sir." Kaidan replied.

"Really? That's where I grew up. Small world." John let out a laugh. "What do your parents do?" John then asked, curious if perhaps Kaidan's parents were well known in Vancouver, or if perhaps they knew the Shepard clan.

"My dad runs an apple orchard just outside the city. He used to be in the marines when he was younger, was discharged as a senior sergeant. Mom usually helps out with the business, but she also does some accounting work around other companies in the city. What about yours?" Kaidan turned and asked. Shepard tried to remember if any apples he had eaten during his childhood had a label that read 'Alenko apples' or something like that, but nothing came to mind.

"You ever heard of Degate?" Shepard asked. He looked over to see Kaidan standing in thought for a moment, probably trying to recall what it was.

"Isn't that a toothpaste company?" Kaidan then asked, a bit puzzled at the connection.

"Correct. It's been in my family for generations. Once my grandfather kicked the bucket, my uncle took over as owner of the business. My dad never quite liked that… But he runs the American branch of the company." John explained with a slight smile. John's father had always been adamant that he should help with the company, or at least take over the American branch once his dad retired. John wasn't so sure however.

Kaidan also smiled. "Well, suffice to say, I know the company." The elevator came to a halt and both men walked out into the cargo hold. There was plenty of life down here, different crewmembers performing different tasks; Upkeep, cleaning and preparing. John had to get used to being on a ship again, it had been a little over six months since last time he had been stationed on one.

"Jean, come over here for a second!" Kaidan called out. An older looking man stopped working on the armor of the team and walked over to them. John was confused, this man looked middle aged, how in the hell could he be on the response team? "Shepard, this is Sergeant Jean."

"Sergeant Jean-Philippe Thévenet. At your service, Oberleutnant." Jean introduced himself and gave a salute.

"Pleasure to meet you." John replied. They shook hands. "French?" He asked.

"Yes sir." When John thought about it, his accent didn't really read as French. And besides, he noticed the Italian patch on his uniform. Which must mean he was from one of the from one of the Italian occupied parts of France. He tried to remember which place that might be, but cursed his lack of geography knowledge of mainland Europe.

"Interesting." John thought it was weird that a Frenchman had managed to get himself a position on the Normandy. "What role do you serve in the unit?" John then asked, trying to mentally picture how to use the man.

"Despite my rank as Sergeant, I have never commanded a unit before. Always been a regular rifleman."

"Understood, we'll continue that tradition then. We're headed to a mission right now, nothing major."

"Understood sir."

John looked over at Kaiden, who nodded. "That will be all Sergeant." John dismissed him.

"Yes sir. Heil Germania."

John returned the greeting, and began walking with Kaiden towards a different part of the cargo hold. "What's his story then?"

"He's been in the Italian army for some odd 40 years. As far as I know, he got drafted because he committed some petty crime at age 16." It made sense then. No one would normally serve in the army that low tier at age 56. "He's a good soldier though, Shepard. I trained with him before you came onboard. Not sure if he is leadership material, but he knows how to hold his own in a fight." Kaidan informed him. John nodded. He would have to see the man in combat to evaluate what was going to happen to him. They walked over to a pair of men chatting.

"This is Sergeant Sten Emret and Lieutenant Emil Spielmann." Kaidan introduced the pair of men. The one called Sten caught Shepard's eye, he looked like a viking berserker from ancient times. Huge muscles, long beard and hair, and John noticed the tattoos that littered the man's arms. Clearly a mixture of Nordic mythology and Nazism.

"Good morning." John greeted them. They returned the greeting. "Tell me a bit about your roles in the response team." John requested. The big viking feller went first.

"Breacher role and heavy weapons. I trained with the shotgun and LMGs." He gestured to the table behind him, John turned a bit to get a better look, and sure enough, there was a big heavy duty automatic shotgun on the table. John also noticed the hint of a Scandinavian accent in his speech. He reckoned this man was Swedish. Although there is no such thing as 'Swedish' nowadays. Sweden had been a part of the German Reich proper since 1946, they were viewed as Germans.

"Good to know. Still handy with a rifle though?" John inquired. Sten nodded. It was good to know. John had to mentally picture how to piece together the unit in certain scenarios. He suspected the Captain probably had some bedtime reading material for him in the form of the service records and dossiers of the crew. "And what about you?" He turned to the other guy. Given the name 'Emil Spielmann' and the Aryan look of the man, he was clearly German.

"I'm the marksman of the team." He replied. "Best sniper in all of the Reich." He clarified, if there was any doubt. So, he was arrogant, or at least bold. Sometimes there was little difference between the two. But perhaps he was a good enough sniper to justify it.

"That so? Confirmed kill count?"

"28." He answered with a small hint of pride. John had killed more when he defended the point on Küsgarten, but most of them were never confirmed. Besides, 28 confirmed kills was a high number all things considered.

"Where did you serve?"

"Khar'Shan." Must have been a while ago then. Khar'Shan had been occupied by the SS for the past three years, ever since the slave rebellion. No one knew what happened there anymore. Auf Khar'Shan, nicht neues.

"I see. Marksmanship still holding up after the end of service? I imagine the SS didn't allow you to stick around after they took over."

"Of course. I can hit a target 2 and a half miles away. My aim is true, Oberleutant." It felt like he was trying to puff himself up, to show off how good he was. John couldn't miss the sense of pride. He wondered if he would live up to his claims.

"Good. I'll keep your role in mind for further assignments." John replied. "Dismissed, both of you." John said, and they went back to their duties. John and Kaiden walked away from the pair of soldiers. "He seems like a nice fellow." John remarked sarcastically.

"Both of them are like that. Emil is just more obvious than Sten. They're a proud bunch, but they are skilled." Kaiden made sure to clarify. John decided to let the matter rest, he would be able to get to know them better in the following weeks. "A couple of more you need to meet. Here is one." Kaiden stopped and yelled out to a young man hauling some cargo boxes around. "Jenkins. Come say hello!" Kaiden ordered, and the young man came as quick as the wind.

"Corporal Richard Jenkins, Sir." The young man looked eager. Itched for a fight.

"Nice to meet you, Corporal."

"It's such an honor to meet you, Sir. I heard all about you. I am really hoping for a chance to see you in combat and learn from you." Jenkins had real excitement in his voice, like this was the opportunity of a lifetime. To be fair, it was.

"There will be room for that, no worries Corporal." John assured the kid. He didn't look old, maybe 20, 21? Which made it weird that he was part of the response team. In the terms Captain Otto had laid out, it was the best of the best here, yet the kid didn't seem like he had engaged in any action before. "Is this your first assignment?" John asked.

"No Sir. Been assigned to two ships so far. We served around the traverse. Though I haven't seen any ground action yet." Jenkins replied with a rather annoyed tone in his voice. Clearly he wanted to experience it first hand. Be a hero and all that.

"Good. I look forward to seeing you in action then, Corporal."

"Likewise Sir."

"Have you seen Mathias around, Corporal?" Kaiden then asked.

"I believe he is in the medbay with Dr. Chakwas, sir." Jenkins replied.

"Good. That will be all." Kaiden then dismissed him. Jenkins nodded and returned to help with the boxes. John looked over at Kaiden.

"What's his story?"

"I asked to have him transferred with me."

"Can I ask why?"

"The kid has potential. I watched him during our training, helped his teammates and performed well on the range. He has a good head on his shoulders, but maybe a bit too eager. I'm hoping by experiencing the real thing, he'll see how things really work. It's not like the movies." Kaiden explained, he looked proud of the kid. John wondered if it was the right call. Sure, they would experience the real thing. The Normandy was the vessel most likely to see action, but from that short conversation John wasn't sure if bringing the kid with them was a good thing. But only time would tell, he was here and they had to make the most of it. At least he was willing to give a hand with the loading.

"Any more team members I need to meet?" John asked. He figured the team was rather small right now, but they were all experienced, and their objective was always to get in and out as fast as possible.

"Only Mathias is left. He is our resident combat medic. When he isn't on the field, he spends a good amount of time studying or observing Dr. Chakwas. He is gunning to become a doctor at some point. I figure you can meet him when you go to Dr. Chakwas for a check up." Kaiden said. John nodded.

"Good. I'll go meet the people in engineering then…. I'll catch up to you later."

"No worries. See you later Sir." With that Kaiden walked off to do some other work in the cargo hold. As John looked around, he once again realized just how much they were storing in the cargo hold. Plenty of supplies for just about any situation.

"Oberleutnant! Can I borrow you for just a moment?" John looked over to see who had called him out. It was Horst Dietrich, the procurement specialist.

"Of course." John replied as he made his way over there. He noticed that his armor was on the table, as well as several guns.

"This is your equipment." Horst gestured to the table. He noticed that his armor was on the table, as well as several guns. "We received your LSL armor just before you arrived. Let me walk you through your guns." John looked as Horst picked up the rifle on the table. He recognized the make and model. "STG N-54. You know the deal, 8mm Kurz. Holds 30 rounds in a magazine. Good medium range."

John liked the rifle. It wasn't standard issue, the STG2023 took that honor, and that was a mighty fine rifle by its own right. He took the STG N-54 in his hands and weighed it around. It felt right. He aimed down the sights and reloaded the magazine a couple of times. Seemed to be in working order. WIth a satisfied look, he put the rifle down again.

"What else?" John asked, curious as to what other weapons he had to offer.

"Mauser P2028. Pistol, 9mm. Good sidearm. Packs quite a punch. Bound to get you out of a hairy situation." The pistol was heavy in John's hand,but to John heavy meant it was reliable. "This pistol and the rifle are your standard issue. I have sniper rifles and shotguns ready if you need them for missions. Otherwise, feel free to let me know if you need further equipment." Horst finished off.

"Thanks Horst. I'll let you know if we need anything." John replied. Horst gave a small nod and went back to some business he had on a data pad.

With that out of the way, John began to make his way towards engineering. It was connected to the cargo bay, so it wasn't far. When he stepped inside the chamber, the first thing that caught his eye was the giant drive core. It looked so out of place in a frigate, but this piece of technology was supposed to be worth its weight in gold, something that would give the Reich the edge it needed in space. He noticed several engineers doing their routine tasks, some were busy on consoles, others were earning their nickname as 'grease monkeys' by fiddling with parts and the like.

"Excuse me, where is the chief engineer?" John asked one of the crew members working on a console. The man stopped what he was doing and looked around.

"That must be him over there." The man pointed to a pair of legs sticking out from underneath a console. John raised an eyebrow, but thanked the man none-the-less.

He walked over to the pair of legs sticking out. "Are you the chief engineer?"

"Depends who's asking." The gruff voice replied.

"Oberleutnant John Shepard. Second-in-command."

The pair of legs rolled out on one of those little boards and looked up at John. He could now see the man's features. A bald man probably in his late 40'ties, pretty fit, wearing a tank top with the Reich's eagle on it, covered in oil and the likes."So you're the new second, eh? Well, it's nice to meet you. Chief Engineer Peter Holstein at your service."

"You weren't at the officer meeting this morning?" John inquired. But he knew it was typical for engineers to run late to that kind of stuff.

"You can thank the drive core for that. Needed some quick repairs… Oh, and I have a habit of forgetting the time." Peter answered as he stood up.

"I see. I could imagine. Captain let it slip that this drive core is top-of-the-line and one-of-a-kind. Seems to me it would require a great deal of work."

"It does, but it's the most effective drive core around. Revolutionary technology and all that. Not to worry though, as long as we perform regular maintenance on her, she should do her job." Peter reassured John, though he never had any doubts to begin with.

"Heard rumors you had a woman working down here?" John then asked, suddenly remembering what Otto said the day before.

"Oh, you must mean Ashley Williams. One sec-" Peter turned around. "HEY ASHLEY! COME OVER HERE!" he yelled. John watched as the woman approached him. She wasn't tall, but neither short. He couldn't tell if she had a well developed tan line, or if her skin tone was just a little bit darker. Dark eyes and hair. Not bad looking by any means.

"Yes? What is it?" She asked as she looked at Peter.

"This is Shepard. Second in command of the vessel. He is just making his rounds and wants to know everyone." Peter spoke for him. It was at least semi-true.

Ashley saluted him. "Sir?" She asked, a bit confused as to why he was coming to see her.

"How many ships have you served on?"

"Three, sir." She still stood at attention.

"It's not usual for women to work on a ship, even less so when it comes to engineering." John inquired as he leaned against the railing with an raised eyebrow. "You must be special then."

"I know engines, and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, Sir." She replied with discipline. The line was planned, and John suspected she knew it was only a matter of time before someone asked her such a question.

"And your grandfather?" John then asked. He could see her eyes make a small twitch. Clearly a touchy subject.

"My grandfather is a senator. So what?"

John caught the lapse in discipline. She got defensive, a rather poor choice when answering questions of a German officer. But then again, John wasn't fully German. He could see passion in her eyes. "Just answer me this, Williams: Can you do your job?" He asked. Her eyes never left his, she would have won any staring contest.

"Yes." The answer was strong, left without doubt. John looked over at Peter, who gave a small nod. He turned back to Ashley.

"Good. That will be all." She nodded and returned to her work.

"You think she'll do well?" John then asked Peter as they both observed her getting back into her work.

"I do. She seems like she has a sensible head on her shoulders."

A few hours later…

Medbay, DKM Normandy

John walked into the medbay, making sure to be exactly on time so as to not ruin his own promise. He walked in, and once again took note of the advanced medical equipment, and just how clean the room was. He noticed Chakwas pointed something out on the computer to a younger man. From what Kaiden had told him, this had to be Mathias.

"Ah, Oberleutnant. Nice to see you could make it. Please have a seat, I'll be with you in a moment." Dr. Chakwas gestured to the chair in the corner of the room, which John promptly sat down in. The chair wasn't comfortable by any means, perhaps a way to make the checkup seem a superior option as to be seated.

John tried to follow their conversation, but quickly dropped out. It was full of medical terms and latin words. Enough that he couldn't quite understand it. But he could see that they were both very fascinated by the subject, and it told John that this Mathias feller had to be at least a half decent medic.

It took maybe 5 minutes before they were done. Dr. Chakwas finally called him over. John went over and prepared himself. "I checked your medical record. All looks good, you only sustained small injuries during the blitz. There is a small fragment in your abdomen?" She asked.

"Yes, but it does not bother me. I hardly feel it." John replied. And it was true, he often forgot about it, until the nasty scar reminded him in the mirror.

"It's your call, but I would assume it is possible to surgically remove it if you ever want to get rid of it." Chakwas remarked, and it was probably true, but the small amount of pain it caused him in certain situations simply wasn't worth the hassle. "Small allergic reaction to Ibuprofen. No broken bones…." She went off on the list, and as far as John could determine, it was all good. "Now, I just need a small blood sample." John offered his arm as Chakwas took a sample. "That will be all, Shepard."

John gave her a nod as he rolled down his sleeve. He turned to the other crew member also present. "Are you Mathias?" He asked. The man didn't look that old. No older than 25.

"Yes sir. Corporal Mathias Ehlers." Mathias replied, keeping the military stance.

"Combat medic?"

"Yes sir. Trained with the 6th marine division. I have been in a few skirmishes over the years, mostly on the colonial frontier. I have plenty of experience." John could see that Mathias looked like someone who had seen some action, and was familiar with the practice of patching up fellow soldiers. It was good to know Otto had cheapened out on his choice of medic in the response team.

"Good to have you onboard then, Corporal." The men exchanged a nod and a handshake. With that, John had at least a baseline understanding of who was on his crew, and how he would use them in certain situations.

25/5/2059

Cargo hold of the DKM Normandy.

John was adjusting his armor. It was snug, but felt good. The LSL armor provided real protection against just about anything thrown at it. He looked over at his crew, who were doing the same thing with their armor. Normally John wouldn't have expected anything unusual for a pick up mission like this, but the more he thought about it, the more it rubbed him wrong.

Though he didn't have time to further think about it, as Captain Otto and Nihlus showed up in the cargo hold as well. John looked around and saw the disgust his fellow crew members showcased for the Turian, he couldn't blame them.

"Listen up!" Otto ordered, and all of them quickly stood at attention. "Today's mission should be simple: Pick up a valuable package from Fort Wintertern on Lion's gate. The Fort houses the 3rd Brigade of the KGU division, so it should be easy. We'll dock at the port constructed at the fort. I don't want this to drag out, understand?" Otto laid it out.

"Yes sir!" All replied.

"Good." Otto gave a small nod. "Shepard, the CO is Generalmajor Michael Keller, he'll authorize the release of the package. I'll transfer the documents to you." John gave a nod. "This is Nihlus. Turian Spectre. He will be joining you on the pickup to ensure it goes smoothly. So put your personal feelings aside, is that understood?" Otto's voice was stern as he asked the question.

"Yes sir!" All replied in union. Last thing they wanted was to piss off the Captain, he was known for his temper.

"Good. 15 minutes until we dock. Do your last prep work. Heil Germania!"

"HEIL GERMANIA!"

The Normandy was safely docked, and the response team had disembarked. The mission had 'simple' written all over it, but John suspected it was anything but. These routine missions were always the ones most likely to turn south, especially since this was about Prothean technology.

John spotted a man wearing a high ranking uniform. It was the KGU, or the Kampfeinheit für gefährliche Umgebungen, no doubt about it, they had their own armor and distinct uniform. They were renown for being a specialized unit within the Wehrmacht, tailored to Hazardous environments and dangerous assignments.

"You must be Oberleutant Shepard." The man in the high ranking uniform greeted him. "I'm Generalmajor Michael Keller. CO of this fort." They shared a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Generalmajor. I have the papers right here." John transferred the documents from his omni-tool to Michael. Michael took a moment to study them, make sure they were in the correct order and the likes.

"Can't say I'm real happy about letting a Turian into the base, much less giving the technology away. But orders are orders." Michael remarked as he signed off on the document for the release of the material. "Please, follow me."

"Just a sec, Generalmajor." John requested, and the Generalmajor entertained him. "Spielmann, assume overwatch position. Keep me posted if anything happens out here."

"Copy that."

"Sten, stand guard at the entrance. Same order as Spielmann."

"Understood."

"We're ready." John said to the Generalmajor.

"Certainly, follow me."

They walked through the fort. John observed as he trailed behind the CO. It was big, and well fortified. Anyone attacking this camp would be a fool, and would not last long. There were plenty of guards, and big AA guns on the roof. The colony itself wasn't all that big, maybe 8-12 thousand people living there. It was growing steadily. Good farmland and a relatively peaceful existence, even though it was right next to the Traverse. Good thing the major military base was here, it was warded off any would-be pirates.

They walked through corridor after corridor, and took an industrial elevator down to a few floors below the surface. There was an uneasy feeling in John's stomach as they entered the chamber where this Beacon was. When John laid eyes on it, it didn't seem all that special, literally looked like any other piece of ancient Prothean technology, nothing to behold. But this thing was special. There was an entire lab set up around it. John noticed how Nihlus studied the room around them. No doubt he was making theories about just how long the Reich had known about the Beacon.

"Overwatch, this is HAWK 2-3 actual. Give me a status. Over" John requested into his earpiece. It took but a second for there to be a reponse.

"This is Overwatch. All is calm. Over"

"Just the way I like it. Keep me posted. Over and out." John looked back at the artifact. "So this is what all the fuss is about?" He asked.

"Quite so. We haven't been able to get anything out of it yet, so I assume the egghead Salarians on the Citadel can crack it for us all to enjoy." The Generalmajor looked briefly at Nihlus.

"How long have you had this Beacon in your possession?" Nihlus asked as he looked around.

"About a week-" It was a fat lie, even John could see that. If he had to guess, they had probably known about it for at least a month, and now that they hadn't been able to crack it, they were willing to give it over to the Citadel. Or maybe they had cracked it, and just gave it over to look good. "They dug it up when they were building the new monorail."

"I see." Nihlus replied. "Well, let us get it back to the ship."

"Of course. I'll call over a forklift, just a sec-" Suddenly the Generalmajor's radio came to life. John couldn't make out what was being said, but it sounded serious.

"Overwatch to HAWK 2-3 actual. Come in. Over."

"Go ahead Overwatch."

"I'm seeing something in the sky. Looks like ships descending. Are we expecting visitors? Over."

"I don't think so. Keep your eyes peeled and feed me updates. Over." John requested.

"Understood. Over." Emil signed off.

"Gentlemen, there seems to be a slight problem." Michael said.

"What is it?"

"Well, our radar has picked up several unidentified spacecraft descending into the colony, I need to-" Just as Michael was speaking, the entire ground shook, like a big bomb had just gone off. It knocked everyone on their asses.

"What the fuck is going on?"