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Mass Effect: The Requiem Saga: Genesis	By : Weskron Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 11033 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or any of it's characters. I only own the characters I have created specially for this story. I do not receive profit from this at all, this is purely for the fan's enjoyment.

Chapter List
- 15
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- 17
Mass Effect: The Requiem Saga: Genesis.

Volume 3.

Chapter 16.
Udina: This is an outrage! The Council would step in if the geth attacked a turian colony.
Kaidan, Ashley, Nihlus, and I were standing in Ambassador Donnel Udina’s office, humanity’s ambassador on The Citadel, as Udina himself was speaking with The Council via vidcomm.
Salarian Councilor: The turians don’t found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador.
Asari Councilor: Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse.
Udina: What about Saren? You can’t just ignore a rogue Spectre. I demand action!
Turian Councilor: You don’t get to make demands of The Council, Ambassador.
Asari Councilor: Citadel security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before.
The vidcomm fizzled out and Udina angrily found his way to us.
Udina: Captain Anderson. I see you brought half your crew with you.
Anderson: Just the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions.
Udina: I have the mission reports. I assume they’re accurate?

Anderson: They are. Sounds like you convinced The Council to give us an audience.
Udina: They were not happy about it. Saren’s their top agent. They don’t like him being accused of treason.
“Well, I’m sorry to break their bubble, but The Council better get on board or we’ll be seeing Eden Prime: The Sequel soon enough.”
Udina: Settle down, Commander. You’ve already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for The Spectres.
Nihlus turned to the conversation at this point.
Nihlus: According to who?
Udina almost nervously turned away from Nihlus, trying not to meet his eyes. I should make a note that Nihlus scares people like Udina.
Udina: The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up with a concussion and the beacon was destroyed!
Anderson: That’s Saren’s fault, not his!
Nihlus: Someone’s, at least. Definitely not Shepard’s.
Udina: 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. Come with me, Nihlus and Anderson. I want to go over a few things before the hearing.
Udina looked to me, scowling.
Udina: Shepard – you and the others can meet us at The Citadel Tower. Top level. I’ll make sure you have clearance to get in.
Udina, Nihlus, and Anderson walked out of the room, grumbling about something.
Ashley: And that’s why I hate politicians.
~X~
After having a particularly odd conversation with an Elcor and Volus ambassador on the way to the taxi station, we were all a bit reeling from it. The volus got offended because I kept almost laughing at the both of them and the Elcor was confused for a while, but very courteous nonetheless.
Kaidan didn’t really do much and Ashley kept giving me dirty looks like I was being rude.
But come on… it’s an Elcor. They’re like the most hilarious things in the galaxy followed close behind by a successful whoopee cushion prank and me dancing.
Ashley: You know, I can’t believe you actually laughed at the elcor in there.
“I’ve never seen one before, you can’t blame me…”
Ashley: I can! And I will.
“Oh whatever.”
Kaidan: Hey, you see that?
“Huh?”
We turned to a black shadow running behind some garbage receptacles and quickly moved to it, pulling our heavy pistols out.
“Cover me.”
I took the lead, grabbing one of the receptacles and moving it out of the way, holding my gun at the ready-
“Uh…”
Ashley: What is it?
In front of me, I saw a large but young varren of some sort cowering before me. He looked absolutely terrified of us. He didn’t look aggressive… just sad.
“A Varren…”
I got down to my knees, looking at it closely as it pushed itself farther into the wall. It looked skinny, like it hadn’t eaten in a long time. It didn’t have a collar and not many people on the Citadel own varrens anyway… what is it doing here?
The only thing I noticed was a brand of some sort on its shoulder. 54V463. It looked like he was… part of something. Maybe a dog fighting arena or something… Jeez. No wonder it’s scared.
The varren began to whimper so I backed away slightly to give it a bit more room. Then I followed its eye to see two men wearing scruffy attire looking around, making their way towards us.
Its owners, I presume.
I stood up and the pair came toward me.
Thug: ‘Ey, that’s our dog. He ran away, could you get outta the way for a minute, yeah?
“I don’t know about that, man. The varren doesn’t seem to like you.”
I turned to the varren and saw it back away, almost hiding behind me.
Thug: It don’t matter what he thinks, he’s ours, get outta the way, man.
Kaidan: I don’t think we’re going to go anywhere. We think you should probably walk away. Now.
Thug: Hah, very funny. Get the hell outta here, man.
The thug who wasn’t speaking pulled his pistol out of his holster, gesturing to me with it.
“Is that pea-shooter supposed to impress me?”
Thug: Pea-shooter… what-
I made a move, grabbing the gun quickly and throwing a fist out with the other hand, knocking the gun-toting thug out with one punch.
Thug: Shit! ‘Ey, ‘ey, we didn’t mean nothing by it. I’m just gonna take my friend and-
Before he could finish, Ashley punched him in the temple, knocking him out as well.
“Get C-Sec down here to clean this shit up.”
Ashley: Right, will do.
I felt something on my leg and saw the varren looking up at me. He didn’t look like he was in a good mood, but he looked a bit more relaxed. His relaxed stance reminded me of my dog.
I had to smile back, taking another glance at his shoulder-brand. 54V463. If you switched some of the numbers around, the brand sort of looked like it spelled out ‘Savage’.
Savage. That’s a good name.
“Hey Kaidan?”
Kaidan: Yeah?
“Call Joker. We have a new resident coming in. And uh… we’ll probably need some food and water. Maybe some dog bowls. Yeah. All that stuff.”
~X~
We were sitting in the flying taxi, waiting for it to come into the top level of The Citadel Tower.
Ashley: So we’re really going to be taking care of some mutt now?
“I will be. And he’s not a mutt. You don’t have to do anything, he’ll be staying in my quarters and I’ll take him for a walk around the ship.”
Ashley: Jeez. You must like dogs. Did you ever have one?
I sighed.
“Once in my life, yes.”
The taxi came in and dropped us off in front of an elevator. We waved goodbye and paid before heading up the staircase in front of us.
????: Saren’s hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them.
And immediately, we came to two turians arguing. One of them seemed to be wearing formal wear with brown plates and white markings. But the other one, with tanned plates and blue markings, wearing blue armor? Instantly recognizable.
Motherfuckin’ Garrus Vakarian.
Executor Pallin: Stall the Council? Don’t be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus.
The executor stormed off, annoyed, while Garrus shook his head and walked over upon spotting us.
Garrus: Commander Shepard? Gar-
“Garrus, yes, I know. Hey.”
Garrus: What?
Fuck. I did it again. I did this same thing with Ashley too.
“Uh… I heard your name from your boss just now.”
Garrus: Oh yeah. Well, I was the C-Sec officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren.
“Who was that yelling at you?”
Garrus: That was Executor Pallin, head of Citadel Security. My boss. He’ll be presenting my findings on Saren to the Council.
“Well. From what I heard, it seems like you’re not Saren’s biggest fan.”
Garrus crossed his arms and sighed in thought.
Garrus: I don’t trust him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he’s a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can’t find any hard evidence.
Kaidan: I think the Council’s ready for us, Commander.
I heard Kaidan interject and nodded.
Garrus: Ah, well, you don’t want to keep the council waiting. Good luck, Shepard. Maybe they’ll listen to you.
“Hopefully.”
We began to walk up to a place that was similar to me. I received my Star of Terra here. The Petitioner’s Stage in The Council Chambers.
Kaidan: You sure have to climb a lot of stairs to reach The Council. Think that’s supposed to be symbolic of their importance?
Ashley: I don’t know. I bet all these staircases aren’t just for show. They make for good defensive positions if this place is ever attacked. Ooo, what are those? Cherry trees?
Kaidan: I like that fountain. Very soothing.
I smiled at their train of thought, continuing to walk up the various staircases until we met up with Anderson.
Anderson: The hearing’s already started. Come on.
After one final staircase, we walked into a discussion in progress. Up above us, Saren stood in holographic form, watching us keenly. It was… eerie.
Asari Councilor: The geth attack is a matter of some concern. But there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in any way.
Turian Councilor: The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason.
Ambassador Udina: An eyewitness saw him attack Nihlus in cold blood! Attempt to murder him!
Salarian Councilor: We’ve read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador. The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling proof.
Nihlus: I would support the Council’s ruling on this. I don’t believe it could have been him to do all this.
“But… why would he see someone with the exact description as Saren? Saren doesn’t exactly look… like a typical Turian. And he has a huge Geth-like arm. Plus there are more reports of him being on Eden Prime from other survivors. It seems like you’re just being a bunch of–”
Anderson: Shepard…
I shut my mouth, but crossed my arms in frustration.
Saren: I resent these accusations. Nihlus is a fellow Spectre. And a friend.
Anderson: That just let you catch him off guard!
Saren: Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me.
“But he was there on the mission, of course he’d be here making these accusations…”
Udina: Shepard, please.
I groaned softly. This was ridiculous.
Saren: And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed.
“You know, that’s another thing that’s bothering me. The mission was top secret, only on a need-to-know basis. The only way you could have known about the beacon was if you were there.”
Saren: When Nihlus was knocked unconscious by the geth, I made a copy of his files to get a grasp on the situation. I read the Eden Prime report. I was unimpressed.
“Hrn… that doesn’t seem…”
Saren: But what can you expect from a human?
“Oh shut up.”
Udina: Shepard!
Anderson: Shepard, please keep yourself in line.
“Look at him! He obviously hates humans. It makes sense why he’d attack Eden Prime.”
Saren: Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard. You’re not ready to join The Council. You’re not even ready to join the Spectres!
Nihlus: Saren, with respect, that’s my call to make. Not yours.
Saren turned to Nihlus with a flash of anger, but calmed down.
Udina: Exactly. He has no right to say any of that! That’s not his decision!
Asari Councilor: Shepard’s admission into The Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting.
Saren: This meeting has no purpose. The humans are wasting your time, Councilor. And mine.
“Right. Go back hiding behind The Council. That’ll show us.”
Anderson: There’s still one outstanding issue. Commander Shepard’s vision. It may have been triggered by the beacon.
Saren: Are we allowing dreams into evidence now? How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?
Turian Councilor: I agree. Our judgment must be based on facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation.
Salarian Councilor: Do you have anything else to add, Commander Shepard?
“What’s the point? Just because you don’t want to let go of one man, you’re letting the thousands of people who died on Eden Prime’s deaths go in vain now. But oh, I’m sorry, they’re not Salarians or Turians or Asari now are they? So they don’t matter. Ugh.”
The Turian Councilor turned to The Asari Councilor and shook his head, she nodding in turn.
Asari Councilor: The Council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from The Spectres is denied.
“Of course it is.”
Saren: I’m glad to see justice was served.
Asari Councilor: This meeting is adjourned.
The four of us walked away, defeated by bureaucracy.
~X~
Kaidan and Ashley met up with the three of us, standing behind me as we talked.
Udina: It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain. You and Saren have too much history. It made The Council question our motives.
“Bullshit. They didn’t care if he did it, as long as we don’t have evidence, even if he did do it, they will keep him working for them.”
Udina: And you. Your petty outbursts didn’t help either.
“It didn’t seem to hurt our testimony any more.”
Anderson: I know Saren. He’s working with the geth for one reason: to exterminate the entire human race.
And as he said that, I felt something. Something that told me he was wrong about that. His reasoning is far more dark.
But Nihlus said nothing. He obviously didn’t agree, but he knew this was not the time to air out his views. Good. I didn’t want to hear them anyway.
Anderson: Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth isn’t safe.
“How do you know Saren, anyway? Your history?”
Anderson: I worked with him on a mission a long time ago. Things went bad. Real bad. We shouldn’t talk about this here. But I know what he’s like. And he has to be stopped.
“So… it’s up to us, isn’t it? It always seems to be.”
Udina: As a Spectre, he’s virtually untouchable. We need to find some way to expose him.
Kaidan: What about Garrus, that C-Sec investigator? We saw him arguing with the executor.
Ashley: That’s right! He was asking for more time to finish his report. Seems like he was close to finding something on Saren.
“That sounds good, actually. Where should we go to find him?”
Udina: I have a contact in C-Sec who can help us track Garrus down. His name is Harkin.
Anderson: Forget it. They suspended Harkin last month for drinking on the job. I won’t waste my time with that loser.
Udina: You won’t have to. I don’t want The Council using your past history with Saren as an excuse to ignore anything we turn up. Shepard will handle this.
Nihlus: You’ll stay with us. I’ll keep a watch on Anderson in case anything happens. Contact me if you need anything.
“You’re cutting him out? You can’t do that!”
Anderson: The ambassador’s right. I need to step aside.
My shoulders slumped. Right. It’s not up to us, I forgot. It’s always up to me.
Nihlus: Shall we really go down this path? Going after drunks and insubordinate employees to get some dirt that probably doesn’t exist on Saren?
“Yes. We will.”
Nihlus shook his head.
Nihlus: Very well.
Udina: I need to take care of some business. Captain, meet me in my office later. You too, Nihlus.
Udina walked off, grumbling.
Anderson: Harkin’s probably getting drunk at Chora’s Den. It’s a dingy little club in the lower section of the wards.
“Anyone else I can talk to?”
Anderson: There is. You should talk to Barla Von. Over in the financial district. Rumor has it he’s an agent for The Shadow Broker.
Ashley: The Shadow Broker?
“What she said.”
Captain Anderson: An information dealer. Buys and sells secrets to the highest bidder. I’ve heard Barla Von’s one of the top representatives.
“Well, you’re another lead I need to follow.”
Anderson: Uh… sorry?
“Um… I didn’t phrase that the way I wanted to. But uh… you and Saren have a history that I need to know about.”
Anderson: About twenty years ago, I was part of a mission in the Skyllian Verge. I was working with Saren to find and remove a known terrorist threat. Saren eliminated his target. But a lot of people died along the way. Innocent people. And the official records just covered it all up. But I saw how he operates. No conscience. No hesitation. He’d kill a thousand innocent civilians to end a war without a second thought.
“Well, if there is one thing I know about war, usually people get pissy and start wars when innocent people get shot. Or stabbed. Or whatever.”
Anderson: I know how the world works, Shepard. Sometimes you’re forced to make unpleasant decisions. But only if there’s no other way. Saren doesn’t even look for another option. He’s twisted, broken. He likes the violence, the killing. And he knows how to cover his tracks.
Nihlus shook his head.
Nihlus: I don’t know about all that.
Anderson: Hm?
Nihlus: I know Saren very well. Better than you, Captain. He took me under his wing in a time when the world had turned its back on me. He taught me a better way. I learned from him and he guided me. He wants the galaxy to be safe, and yeah, maybe he’s not the best hero we’ve got, but he’s done more for the people of the galaxy than any of us ever have.
Nihlus crossed his arms.
Nihlus: I’ve seen his softer side. He’s a good turian, but he can be troubled. What you’re seeing, Captain, is a desperate person. Maybe even a confused one. Maybe he is broken, but he’s not twisted. He always has a plan and he rarely makes mistakes. It’s… none of this adds up to me. I said this to Shepard, but if he wanted to kill me, he would have done it. He’s killed many men more dangerous than me. If he missed somehow… he has to be off his game. But he’s never off his game. I don’t get it.
Anderson: I guess we’ll find out what really happened soon.
“All right… I should go.”
Anderson: Good luck, Shepard. Nihlus and I’ll be over in the Ambassador’s office if you need anything else.
As Anderson walked away, Nihlus placed a hand on my shoulder.
Nihlus: Shepard… I know how it looks. I do. I’m not stupid or confused. If you do find something that puts him dead to rights, I won’t go against you. But… keep your mind open to other perspectives. He may not be the one behind all this. Keep an eye out for anything that could try to be framing him as well as evidence against him. I won’t be biased. I’ve learned not to be.
“Okay, I will. Thank you, Nihlus.”
Nihlus: You’re a good man, Shepard. I know you’ll do the right thing, whether it’s getting Saren dead to rights or proving his innocence. Remember, I’m on your communicator if you need anything.
“Of course.”
And then Nihlus caught up to Anderson. I turned to Kaidan and Ashley.
“Well… the next thing on our agenda is to talk to a little wheezy rat person and a drunk.”
I cracked my knuckles.
“Let’s get to it, then.”
To Be Continued…
- 15
- 16
- 17
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Mass Effect: The Requiem Saga: Genesis