27/5/2059

DKM Normandy

The first thing that hit John was the beam of light shining right on through his eyelids. Effectively ending his sleeping. Not that he minded. The vision, or dream, was not something he enjoyed. The images of death still flashed through his mind, a constant reminder of what was to come. He was sure it was more than a dream just by the way it stuck to his mind. Forcing his eyes open, he quickly shut them again when the light became too much. He was in the medbay of the Normandy, that much was clear. He wondered what had happened, the last thing he remembered was floating in the air, and then boom.

He felt no pain save for a killer headache, so whatever explosion had occured didn't seem to do any damage, unless he was on some heavy medication. He felt well rested, all things considered. Which made him wonder just how long he had been out. He really hoped he hadn't been in a coma for a prolonged period of time. John began to sit up, and kept his eyes away from the bright light.

"Oh, the Oberleutant is up!" He recognized the voice in an instant. It was Jenkins, and he sounded happy to see his commanding officer to be alive and well. John quickly noticed that the Corporal had his arm in a sling, probably to avoid putting tension on his shoulder. "Sir! How are you?" Jenkins asked as he all but rushed over to John.

"I feel fine. Minor headache. What about you Corporal?" John asked back as he sat on the bed with his feet hanging off.

"Still getting used to not being able to move my right arm. Doc said I should be cleared for field duty within a week, no need for a hospital visit. But I'm good, and I'm ready for whatever task you have for me." Jenkins answered proudly. John could see just how much the young corporal admired him, and he wasn't sure if it was flattering or not.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Jenkins. Give the Oberleutant some time to adjust." Doctor Chakwas intervened as she went over to John. "Please remain still, just checking you." Chakwas explained as she shined a light in his eyes, and checking him over. "Alright, nothing appears out of the ordinary."

"How long was I out?" John asked as he rubbed his temples.

"Just about 48 hours. As far as I can gather, the force of the explosion was enough to knock you unconscious. You don't seem to have any injuries besides that. What do you remember?" Chakwas asked as she gathered her data pad to note down whatever he was about to say.

"I don't remember much… The beacon… It was lighting up like a christmas tree… I approached it, and it felt like-... I don't know, like it grabbed a hold of me. I couldn't move. Then I began to float in the air, and… I had a vision-"

"A vision?"

"Yes, I saw-... I saw death and destruction. Synthetic machines butchering organics. And that ship at the colony, it flew over burning worlds. I'm not sure what to make of it doc." John clarified.

"Hmm, interesting. Prothean technology is still very much an unknown to everyone in the galaxy. I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this vision. It could be a warning of some sort." Chakwas said as she noted it down on her data pad.

"What happened to the beacon?" John asked, probably hoping that some else could test it and see if they saw the same thing.

"No good, sir. It was destroyed after it exploded. Completely useless. I believe it was shipped back to the Reich for further testing though." Jenkins informed him.

"Damn…" John muttered. He suddenly remembered everything else that happened. Geth… And Saren. Before he knew it, his mind fell on Nihlus. "Where is Nihlus?" John asked, hoping that the medigel did its magic and kept the Turian spectre alive.

"Right here." Chakwas gestured to the other side of the room, where an unconscious Nihlus was resting on another bed. "Sergeant Thévenet did a good job applying the medi-gel, but we still had to operate to fix up internal bleeding. We're waiting for him to regain consciousness."

"Well, we need him. So don't let him die, Doctor." John almost pleaded. Nihlus was their best bet to show the council that Saren was the one behind the attack. They would never believe a word John, or any other human said for that matter.

"I make no promises. I have never done surgery on a Turian before. Luckily some doctors on the Citadel instructed me virtually. I believe he will make a full recovery." It was the best he was going to get.

"By the way Sir. The Captain wanted to see you in his office once you had regained consciousness." Jenkins relayed.

"Alright. I guess I better not keep the old bastard waiting then. I bet he will be pissed." John remarked as he got off the bed.

"Sir, if I may?" Jenkins requested.

"Go ahead."

"Thank you for saving my life."

"No worries. Just try not to pull something stupid like that again." John said, once again padded the young corporal on his uninjured shoulder.

"Of course sir. I won't let you down." Jenkins promised. It was most likely a promise he wouldn't be able to keep, but John felt there was still potential in him. Kaidan hadn't been wrong about him. With that said, it was time to find the Captain and probably take a verbal beating.

John gave a final thanks to Doctor Chakwas, and left the medbay. The crew were busily operating as normal, but most of the people on the second deck still stopped to salute him as he made his way across the room to the Captain's quarters. He met Kaiden on the way there, who expressed his worry over John's condition. John assured him that he was fine, and that he could tell the same to the crew. With that over with, he spent a minute outside the door to the Captain's quarters, considering the possibilities.

Realistically it hadn't been his fault. There was no way to know the Geth would show up, and there was no way to know how the Beacon would react. Yet he still felt responsible. First mission where he was given command, and he fucked it up. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

It took but a second before the door opened up, and he could see the captain sitting behind his desk, puffing away at a cigar. A glass of, what John presumed to be, whiskey beside Otto. John walked forward. First impressions of the Captain did not bode well, he didn't exactly look pleased.

"Heil Germania!" John greeted, putting on his toughest voice. There was no response.

"Sit down Shepard." He ordered with his stern voice as he placed his cigar in the ashtray. John promptly did as ordered. "Do you know how deep shit we are in?" Otto asked, John contemplated if this was a rhetorical question.

"No Sir." John replied, trying his hardest to keep his back straight and keep eye contact.

"The Führer is shitting bricks all over Großadmiral Schultz, which rains down on Admiral Dreher, and ends up on me. This is an unprovoked attack, almost as grand in scale as the Batarian raid on Küsgarten all those years ago." Otto looked tired, in the time since John had been knocked out, the captain probably hadn't gotten any sleep what-so-ever. "I need you to understand the gravity of this situation, Shepard. The Beacon has been destroyed, which makes your Spectre chances look not so good at the moment. That's not to mention the man who's supposed to evaluate you is lying in the medbay fighting for his life."

"I understand, sir."

"To be frank, none of that shit really matters right now. Because right now-" Otto took a moment to breathe. "Right now, I'm more concerned about not being sacrificed as a scapegoat on the altar by the party."

"You'd think they would do that, Sir?" John asked.

"Wouldn't be the first time. The latest intel I have says that all of Germany is calling for blood right now, and we just have to hope the Reichstag settles for the Geth instead of us." Otto replied.

"I'm sorr-"

"Don't apologize Shepard. Won't mean shit to them." Otto gave him a stern look, and he was right. Personal guilt didn't matter. "I ordered Nygaard to take us to the Citadel."

"Why, Sir?"

"The Ambassador is following the lead of Saren. He needs us there to help testify before the council."

"When I mentioned it was Saren, you sounded like you knew him, Sir." John was curious, and this was probably a dangerous time to be curious.

"Saren is a menace. He hates humans with a passion, and he just so happens to be the best Spectre the council's got. I have no doubt the council will shield him as long as they can.. So it sure would be nice if Nihlus would get back on his feet soon." Otto explained.

"Why does Saren hate humans?"

"Why does any Turian hate humans? I think he served in the Reich-Hierarchy war, he probably picked it up there." Otto rubbed his temples. "We need to nail the fucker to the floorboards. That's our only chance."

"Will the Reich go to war with the Geth?" John was honestly nervous. The Batarian war was still fresh in everyone's mind, and there was no telling the size of the Geth.

"Probably. But hey, if they do, the Quarians will probably join in." The Geth were still unknown in the Galaxy, sometimes used as a boogeyman in the Terminus and Traverse. John wasn't even sure if there were war plans for an invasion, though the OKW would probably cook it up in no time if need be. "Go on up. I think Nygaard will take us in anytime now." Otto ordered.

"Yes Sir."

"Just in time Oberleutant. We're coming into the Citadel now." Rasmus remarked from his chair, still typing away at the virtual keyboard in front of him. "Ever been there?" He asked casually.

"Once, long ago. With the LSL." John answered as he tried to recall the memory. Must have been three years ago or something akin to that. It was only for two days, while their ship refueled and restocked. Got a little shore leave, but he never really left the embassy.

"Is it like they say? Filled with degeneracy and politics?" Rasmus asked with a cheeky tone.

"At least one of those is true." John remarked with a smile of his own. All of a sudden Rasmus took a further look out the window.

"Well well well, will you look at that." He said as John tried to get a better look. "The Destiny Ascension. The Flagship of the Asari republics." John took a moment to have a better look. "Such an ugly design, right? Didn't know the Asari based their ships on sunfish." John had to agree, he prefered the sight of the German vessels.

"She's huge." John commented as they got closer.

"True enough, but our Super Dreadnoughts proved that size doesn't matter. Turians took them out all the same" Rasmus explained.

"Do you think the Admiralty accepts that theory?" John asked cheekily.

"Heaven forbid they ever ask the Danish guy for advice." And with that, they both chuckled.

Rasmus straightened himself out in his seat and cleared his throat. "Citadel Control. This is the DKM Normandy, requesting permission to dock. Over."

A few seconds went by before they got an answer. "Understood DKM Normandy. You're cleared to dock in the German military section on D Deck. Slot D27. We have prepared a medical team to take the patient off your hands. Over" The voice was female, so they both suspected it was probably an Asari.

"Understood. Docking now. Over and out." And with that, Rasmus began to approach the dock. It was amazing how he was able to control such a massive vessel so eloquently. Then again, apparently he was one of the best. At least that's the story his medals told. Just as they docked, Captain Otto and several team members appeared, ready to hand over Nihlus to the citadel medical team.

They were quick about it too. Clearly those Asari and Salarian nurses didn't feel like sticking around, and they quickly got Nihlus out of there and towards a hospital. John took a deep breath. He knew what would happen next wouldn't be nice, for any of them. Time to face the music.

Outside, there was a man waiting for them with a posse of armed guards. He was dressed as a Major in the Wehrmacht. Captain Otto promptly went to greet the man. They shook hands. It seemed like they knew each other. Otto turned around to face the rest of the crew that had been summoned to the Embassy. "This is Major Thomas Wiedel. He is the main link to C-Sec." Otto introduced him. They all greeted the man with a Heil Germania.

"While you are the Citadel, it's important that you follow a set of rules. Stick to the Embassy, don't get in trouble and at least try to act respectfully." Thomas instructed. "Now, please follow me to the Embassy."

John jogged to catch up with Captain Otto, who walked besides Thomas. "How is the situation looking back home?" Otto asked.

"Bad. Last I heard, the Führer is contemplating if we should start a war. Take the fight to Rannoch." Thomas answered, but his voice didn't showcase the worrying case.

"Shit… You think they'll do it?" Otto was honestly concerned. Mostly about his own neck, as well as the neck of the crew.

"Yes. Unless there is a very good reason not to. I think the Führer is being cornered by the SS and the militarists, as well as his own faction: The conservatives. They're all calling for blood. The Ambassador is feeling the heat as well." Thomas didn't show too much concern, but maybe he was used to a big crisis.

"And the OKW?"

"I haven't heard. I'm not even sure we have a war plan for the Geth and Rannoch. Generalfeldmarshal Kürger has always worked quickly though."

They took a long elevator ride down, and had to make their way to the embassy. There were hardly any words spoken as they went along. Everyone was worried about what the outcome would be of this. Shepard especially. He had been given a golden opportunity, and it seemed like it was knocked out of his hands before he was even ready to be evaluated by Nihlus. He really hoped Nihlus would pull through. If he did, then they might just have a shot at this.

They approached the Embassy, and John could hear his fellow team members speak of the building in awe. It truly was a splendid place, glamorous and mighty. Enough to make a statement that the Germans were a power to be reckoned with. It was heavily guarded, and if Shepard remembered correctly, it seemed like they had doubled the security. No wonder after what had happened.

They began to be checked over by the security guards, and had to show IDs. It went relatively quickly, probably due to the Major vouching for them. "One thing to remember. You're about to meet the Ambassador of the German Reich to the Council. Behave as if you are speaking to a king." Thomas advised.

"I thought that was how we should treat the Führer?" It was a joking remark on Kaiden's behalf.

"If your sorry Canadian ass ever meets the Führer, you better treat him like a God." Otto bluntly replied, which caused a few of them to let out a slight chuckle. They were let through with relative ease. Even the lobby was grand, clearly Roman inspired. Their boots gave off a distinctive sound as they moved across the marble floor. They went up the stairs, still following Thomas as closely as they could, escorted by armed guards.

The door to the ambassador's office was huge, probably to make a statement of some sort. The honor guards stationed on either side of the door opened it. They went into the huge office, and John saw the anger on the ambassador's face right away. Alexander Jäger was well known in most circles, mostly because of how much his face was in the papers all the time.

"You fucking clown, Otto, you absolute baboon of a man! What the fuck happened?" Alexander demanded to know. The Ambassador was clearly riding on something like 2 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours, he looked like a mess. The Crew remained silent as Otto stepped forward.

"Saren and the fucking Geth happened." He replied. Stonic, like a true soldier.

"Do you know the absolute shitstorm that is currently raging in Germania? Everyone wants war, and the council is denying that their Spectre is behind the attack. I tried to convince them, but they want hard evidence." The Ambassador explained. "And I see you brought half your goddamn crew along."

"Only the most important ones. We were all on site when the attack happened, Sir." Otto tried to reason.

"Sir, If I may-" John tried to argue.

"Shut the hell up Oberleutant." Alexander demanded, and John gave pause. "I suspect right now, the SS is making a really good case as to why their man should be Spectre, and not you."

"I fought Saren, Sir. Nihlus confirmed it was him." John mustered up and said.

"Nihlus? The Spectre sent to evaluate you? Is he still alive?" Alexander asked while stroking his chin.

"He hasn't woken up yet. We haven't heard from the hospital if he is going to pull through or not." Otto clarified.

"Well, that certainly changes things." he scratched his chin in contemplation. "Nihlus might be a good asset. If he is willing to confirm Saren's presence in front of the council, we'll have a chance that they might side with us. Otherwise, they'll probably ignore our requests without hard evidence to back it up." Alexander was clearly thinking out loud. "And it might be possible to get you back in the process of becoming a Spectre. Oberleutnant." He turned to John and said.

"So what's the plan?" Otto asked as he leaned back a bit.

"Germania is going to declare war, I'm almost sure of it. Question is just when. Until then, we need to make sure that Saren is ousted from his Spectre position, and get the council to side with us. I have scheduled a meeting with them later today. Let us hope Nihlus wakes up before then."

"And what if he doesn't, Sir?"

"Then we'll take our chances… and Pray."

John had never been to the council chamber. But it was sort of like how he imagined it to be. Stunning and grand, much like the embassy, only larger. They had been escorted there with about a dozen guards from the embassy, and currently what seemed like half of c-sec was here to ensure things went smoothly. They were led up to the podium, where the council members were standing, awaiting them.

John observed them for a moment. An Asari, A Turian and a Salarian. All looked to be dressed in their Sunday best, or at least their respective species' version of them. Everyone could feel the tension and seriousness that clung to the air like a nasty smell. What would be decided at this meeting would without a doubt have far lasting consequences for years to come, for better or worse.

Given that Nihlus hadn't woken up yet, they were going into this meeting pretty much blind. Saren had been smart enough to hack the security system at the military base, so there was no evidence of him ever being there. All they really had was the good word of Shepard and his crew, and John wasn't sure how much their word counted for here.

"We welcome the representatives of the German Reich to this hearing. The Ambassador of the German Reich has raised allegations against our Spectre Saren Arterius after the attack on Lion's gate. The allegations included organizing and leading an unprovoked attack, killing German soldiers and civilians. Given that these are serious allegations and that is against one of the Specters, we of course have invited Saren Arterius to the meeting." The Asari councilor stopped, and within seconds, a giant hologram of Saren popped up. John recognized him easily. It was Saren, the very same who he had been fighting on Lion's Gate. John felt anger begin to boil in him.

"Now, would you like to give an opening statement, Mr. Ambassador?" Tevos asked.

"Yes, thank you councilor." Alexander replied as he stepped forward. "As you all know, a German Wehrmacht fort was attacked on the colony of Lion's gate two days ago. The Geth presence has been confirmed, and several eyewitnesses saw the Spectre Saren Arterius leading the charge against our fortications. This attack was unprovoked, and caused the death of several military personnel, as well as civilian casualties. We seek justice, mostly in the form of the removal of Saren from the Spectre, and a harsh lengthy sentence. We also seek official insight into the Council, to see if this was a sanctioned hit. I have brought the crew of the DKM Normandy to this meeting, to provide testimonies" Alexander knew that the council would always deny involvement, just as the Reich did. But it sounded good as a demand, and maybe something would come of it. The councilors looked at each other for a moment, as if to determine if there was any weight to the accusations. The crew then, one by one, gave a short account of what they had seen. But the council did not look impressed with any of their stories.

"The Council understands the pain of the attack, but can assure the Reich that no such thing was sanctioned by the Council. Saren Arterius has been a Spectre for many years, as is a valuable asset to the Council." Tevos said in return, keeping her diplomatic composure. "Saren, would you like to offer your defense?" Tevos turned to the hologram and asked. Saren did a brief nod.

"Thank you, councilor. I am not surprised by the baseless allegations by the German Reich. A race of people so deep into xenophobia they will do everything to bring us down, including lying. I was never anywhere near this planet or system. Listen to their arguments: Me leading an army of Geth? Can this get any more absurd? The council would do well to dismiss these claims and beware of further nonsense coming from the Reich." As the words left Saren's mouth, Shepard could feel his anger rising. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Saren was standing there, and smugly lying to everyone. He had seen Saren, he had even fought him, and yet here Saren was… Calmly telling everyone that none of it was true.

"Saren, do you have an alibi for your presence at the time of the attack?" Tevos inquired.

"Yes, I would like to call upon my witness: Matriarch Benezia T'Soni." Saren replied, and the councilors all agreed. Within a minute, the Matriarch appeared as a hologram beside Saren. John studied her for a minute. He had no idea who she was, but by her title, she seemed important.

"Who the fuck is that?" John could hear Otto silently whisper to Jäger.

"An important Matriarch in the Asari Republics. Her advice is highly sought after." Alexander replied, equally as silent and still keeping his gaze on the matters at hand.

"Matriarch Benezia. Would you like to give your witness testimony?" Tevos turned her attention to the hologram of the Matriarch.

"Yes, Thank you councilor." Benezia took a second to scan the room and give a small nod to the council. "Saren has been in my presence for the last month, where he was been helping my establish surveillance against terror groups in the Traverse. I can confirm that he was with me on the day of the attack, and was nowhere near the system in question."

The council looked at each other, and exchanged a small nod to each other. "Thank you Matriarch Benezia." Tevos smiled. "Taking into account Saren's alibi, Service history and the lack of evidence turned up at our own investigation by C-sec, this council hereby finds Saren Arterius not guilty of all charges pressed against him."

"What a bunch of horseshit." Otto muttered.

"This meeting is adjourned."

"All of you, return to the ship and await further orders. Shepard, you stay here." Otto commanded. All the others did as required. John remained back as Otto lit up his cigar. "Why am I not surprised?" Otto then asked as he exhaled the smoke.

"That's what happens when you go and accuse someone without a foolproof plan or evidence to back you up." Jäger remarked as he rubbed his temples. "The Führer is not gonna be happy about this."

"Nevermind him. I'm fucking pissed. We have to nail that son-of-a-bitch somehow." Otto said while taking another drag.

"Your history with Saren might come into conflict, Captain. For now, you stay with me." Jäger replied with a sigh.

"I wasn't aware C-sec had an investigation going on? How come they didn't find anything?" John then asked.

"Because it's probably buried in red tape. It's not like C-sec can just gain access to Spectre files. But it's possible to persuade that angle, see what C-sec has dug up and use it to our advantage. It's better than going to the Shadow Broker."

"Who's the Shadow Broker?" John asked curiously. Alexander and Otto smiled.

"You have a lot to learn, kid. Next time we'll introduce you to the consort" Otto laughed as he patted John on his shoulder.

"The shadow broker deals in information. He Sells it to the highest bidder on the market. He's neutral, takes no sides. We have brought information from him over the years, but his prices can be steep." Alexander explained. John nodded. "Go talk to Major Wiedel. He can point you in the right direction." Alexander advised.

"Yes sir." John saluted him.

"And you Otto… I guess you'll be drinking in the Embassy bar again."

"I hope they've gotten better beers since last." Otto remarked, once again taking a drag of his cigar.