— Do we have a plan? - Liara asked. After that, we all looked at Saren together. After all, he had spent the most time inside the Citadel and knew all its defenses, including how the security services operated. This was important in case we were accused of all mortal sins and labeled not as saviors of the galaxy, but as criminals of intergalactic scale.
— It's better if we don't have a plan. Then we won't be disappointed by unmet expectations, - he muttered thoughtfully. — First, we'll try to convince the Council of the Reaper threat and ask for support. The Council will listen to us, and then relegate our report to the category of conjecture. It's precisely then, when we've exhausted all evidence and methods of persuasion, receiving only judgmental looks in return...
— We start improvising? - I suggested.
— We'll play it by ear. Staging a coup with our forces is no easy task, considering we can't afford to lose a single fighter. Neither on the enemy's side nor on the allies' side. We have a more serious opponent who is just waiting for us to kill each other. Listen, can you try to influence all three Councilors at once? - the turian asked me in a low voice.
— Subjugating their bodies isn't a problem, but their minds, all three of them, and for a long time...
— Correct, it's difficult, - Samara intervened. — It would require more strength than Starkiller has right now. He's not strong enough for that yet.
I stopped abruptly halfway to the Council chambers, turning her words over in my mind.
No, now I'm definitely motivated!
— But if you think about it, nothing is impossible, - I affirmed, squaring my shoulders, charged with enthusiasm to do everything as well as possible.
Confidently walking the rest of the way, I met some old acquaintances.
Wrex – a krogan, a fairly well-known mercenary, famous for his reckless fighting style. I remember one time he grabbed a huge boulder and rushed with it at a group of armed enemies. They were so surprised that they missed their chance and soon turned into not-so-clean puddles.
I didn't recognize the turian, but judging by his uniform, he's from Citadel Security.
As for Jane Shepard and her two subordinates from our home planet, we had already met before leaving the Citadel.
Our meeting could have been a happy one, if they hadn't pointed their weapons at us...
Saren reacted instantly, the others – with a slight delay.
It looked like an armed shootout could break out right near the council chambers.
Everything had gone off-plan far too early.
— What are you doing with Saren? - Shepard asked restrainedly, keeping me in her sights. I would have returned the favor, but unlike stormtroopers, Sith aren't used to carrying firearms.
— We are going with a report on the activities of enemy structures, hoping to mobilize all Citadel forces to prepare for war, - I replied calmly.
— Saren is cooperating with the geth.
— Is there proof? - I smiled under my mask, because there really was proof, and a lot of it, only it was in our hands.
— Foolish girl, - Saren lowered his pistol and raised his hand, waving it down slightly, urging everyone to calm down. My allies followed this advice immediately, as did Wrex from her team. But Shepard, the turian from security, and the two Alliance soldiers – did not.
— There is proof. I've been watching Saren for a long time, and his actions seemed... suspicious to me, - the turian began to speak. — Eliminating witnesses, planting spies in the Citadel security network, kidnapping sentient races. Too much to not pay attention to the one who's been pulling the strings all this time.
— I'll be honest, - Saren approached them. — You only know a small part of the whole picture, which is why you interpret my actions as hostile. You lack the sense to understand that everything I've done up to this second... was aimed at protecting the galaxy from a threat that is beyond us.
What does he mean, beyond us?!
Ah, right... For now, the enemy is indeed poorly understood. All we know about them is that they're pretty good at exterminating all life. And they've been doing it for many cycles, which means they're prepared for any defense.
Shepard nodded, after which the other fighters on her side lowered their weapons. Although, C-Sec officers were already giving us sideways glances. Let's hope we don't end up in the local prison...
— Then explain, - Shepard demanded.
— What's the point? - Saren walked away from them, and half-turned to address the turian. — Garrus, continue to do your duty and don't bother us if you can't help in any way. Or do you have connections capable of forcing the Council to accept everything we plan to show or tell them? - receiving no answer, he turned to face Shepard. — You see, Captain? Neither your C-Sec allies, nor you yourself, are capable of helping us. And besides the krogan and a couple of deadbeats from the Alliance, you have nothing else.
— Can I smash his head in? - Wrex asked, adding fuel to the fire.
— What the hell are you doing here?! - the angry Earth ambassador burst in, clearly having already heard about what was happening. — Shepard, have you completely lost your mind? Pointing a weapon at Spectres?! Wasn't your suspension enough, now you continue to create new problems for me! I was prepared to overlook many things, but this... this is crossing all the lines!
— Calm down, Ambassador, - I raised my hand, trying to placate him. — No laws...
— Three laws, - Saren reminded me dryly.
— Almost no laws were broken, - I continued. — And, by the way, as an apology for the actions of your person from the Alliance, could you do us a favor? Help us convince the Council that a war of extermination is already on the doorstep, and we need to prepare for it by mobilizing all forces. We have proof, and it is more than convincing.
— Dammit, - he clicked his tongue, but then became thoughtful, as if sensing an opportunity to curry favor with the Council. — War? Are you saying the geth are planning to invade our controlled Systems? Then, esteemed Spectre Saren, while investigating this case, fell under suspicion of complicity? That explains a lot.
— It's all a bit more global and complicated, - I replied.
— As soon as I received the unfounded accusations from Captain Shepard, I began to investigate the geth's actions on Eden Prime and discovered who they work for, - Saren decided to go along with Udina's assumptions.
— Wait for me, I'll organize everything in the best possible way, - he hurried off to negotiate with the Council, helping us avoid the bureaucratic red tape. If we're lucky, he'll put the Council in a more serious mood. How do they see the current situation? The geth attacked Eden Prime. They probably just decided to drop by the human colony "for kicks." And that means, no need to interfere – it'll sort itself out somehow. That's roughly the Council's logic.
— Starkiller, can I have a minute? You're just standing around anyway, - Shepard suggested stepping aside, and I agreed, thereby turning our whispering into a tradition. — Tell me straight, what's going on?
— The Beacon visions... I figured out what they mean.
— I'm listening, - she narrowed her eyes, clearly interested.
— A harbinger of genocide, - I decided not to go into detail.
Shepard paced back and forth a bit, clearly thinking, and then turned to me with an unexpected request:
— While I was investigating Saren's involvement, I managed to assemble a decent squad. Kaidan Alenko, Wrex, Garrus Vakarian...
— Assembling a reverse harem? - I couldn't help myself.
— What? - she raised an eyebrow in surprise.
— Did I say that out loud? - I shrugged. — Oh well, it doesn't matter. No need to list everyone, just tell me what you want. To join our team?
— To join forces. I'm suspended, and my hands are tied. I need to regain the Council's favor and clear my name. And who better to do that with than you? In the galaxy, nothing is impossible for you, and things are always heated around you.
— Heated around me? - I smirked. — Looks like the joke about the reverse harem stopped being a joke.
— I mean the explosions, bullets, and zero chances of survival, - she crossed her arms. — And don't forget, I went through N7 training. For me, nothing is more important than helping the Alliance prove its worth. Relationships, entertainment – none of that interests me. Only the goal.
— Is that why you can't dance? - I jabbed.
— Shut up.
— Looks like you still haven't learned, - I chuckled. — Alright, if the negotiations go well, I'll ask the Council to assign you to our squad. Soon, a certain concerned investor will donate a not-half-bad ship to the cause; there'll be room for everyone.
— A concerned investor? - she became wary.
The Alliance's main enemy is Cerberus.
Shepard is the Alliance's main supporter.
I'm getting a ship from Cerberus and taking Shepard on board.
Hmm... I miscalculated, but where?
Pondering this dilemma, I returned to the others. Just then, Ambassador Udina had bustled in, having arranged an emergency meeting for us. Now everything depended on luck and the councilors' mood. And judging by what I'd heard about them...
They are staunch supporters of complete inaction: they prefer to ignore a problem until the last minute, which is why space piracy, the slave trade, and the sale of red sand have never been defeated throughout the galaxy.
Entering the Council chambers, I raised my head and met the gazes of the three Councilors. First, we'll try to resolve everything peacefully; if that doesn't work – with brainwashing; and if even that fails... Eh, we'll have to improvise.
— Councilors! - Saren greeted them, walking up to the lower podium with his report. Using his omni-tool, he transferred all the collected evidence to them: informational data, video recordings, and other intelligence materials. As it turned out, he had even recorded Sovereign, although he'd hidden this from us. — I have returned from my mission investigating geth activities. The situation has escalated beyond what the Spectres or any single sentient race can resolve. I ask you to carefully study the information provided and make the right choice. The fate of the galaxy depends on your decision.
— Spectre, are you claiming, - Valern began cautiously. — That the geth were reprogrammed by the Reapers? That they were given technology to cure the krogan genophage... This... We must stop this immediately! There is data here on a cure for the genophage! This cannot be a mistake!
The salarian quickly lost his temper, which came as a big surprise to us. He was wearing robes, but if he'd been wearing pants, one could have made a pun. Although, if you think about it, his reaction is quite expected. Valern is terrified of krogan revenge for the genophage. It was his race that created the disgusting virus, spread it, and condemned an entire species to a slow extinction. If the krogan are cured, what will they do first? Start exterminating the salarians.
Well, we have one vote.
— Saren, we've known each other for many years, - Sparatus addressed him seriously. — There is no mistake in your intelligence data. Geth recordings, detailed schematics of an unknown ship from some corporation...
— My apologies, Councilor, - Matriarch Benezia interrupted him, having been silent until then. — But this is not the ship of some corporation. I was inside Sovereign – a Reaper ship. It was able to brainwash me from a distance, to subjugate my will. Because of it, I lost control of my body. I couldn't even think straight; I just followed all its commands. Its voice echoed in my head, and it was impossible to resist, - from her words, it became clear that Saren had prepped her story during the flight. — And I wasn't the only victim. My subordinates, hundreds of other representatives of different races... No ship from any corporation possesses the power to subjugate consciousness. This is a different form of life and synthetic.
— Are you aware of Cerberus's secret developments? Personally, I am not. And I suspect that it was Cerberus that created this disgusting ship. Reapers? Mere conjecture. Nowhere does it explicitly state a Reaper invasion. It's a tall tale, a legend, passed down from generation to generation, like the stories of heroes from various races and peoples.
— Correct... My apologies, Councilor Sparatus, - judging by his tone, Valern had decided to take back his vote of support. — Cerberus created the cure for the genophage! They also reprogrammed the geth. This despicable organization is to blame for everything.
Are you fucking kidding me!
It's all right here in plain sight: technologies unknown to humanity, and indeed to the entire galaxy. If Cerberus possessed this, they would have tried to conquer all life on Earth and beyond long ago. But for now, they are forced to defend themselves from attacks by the Citadel and the Alliance.
— I am prepared to believe you, Matriarch, - Tevos spoke respectfully. — But you may simply not know the whole truth. Cerberus is deliberately using the Reapers as a cover, creating amazing technologies that are ahead of their time. What do you call the Reaper ship? Sovereign? This is just a smokescreen for our enemies, behind which they are hiding, - the asari exchanged glances with the councilors. — We are prepared to allocate one fleet to immediately attack all known Cerberus bases, as well as destroy the geth they have assembled.
— Councilors, - Saren snarled, leaning against the podium and lowering his gaze. — I have been the instrument of your will for many years, carried out all your orders, became the shield and sword of the Citadel. Please, face the truth! And listen to my final argument: Shepard wasn't the only one who found a Beacon; I also discovered several Beacons thanks to Starkiller, - even here, the turian didn't lose his sense of self-preservation, trying to avoid all accusations. If he had said something about the Beacon from Eden Prime, he would have immediately given grounds for counter-accusations. — And I was able to activate them.
— Captain Shepard said she dreamed something after that. Do you also have dreams, Spectre?
— Shepard is human. Her physiology is weaker than a turian's. I did not lose consciousness. I did not have dreams. And these were not visions. The Beacons connect directly to the brain, transmitting a recording of events from the distant past.
— Can we take a look at this?
— To decipher the Protheans' message, one must think like them. An organism that survived the last Reaper Harvest – the Thorian – helped me with this. Take a look at the files related to its nature. We were able to determine its age in laboratory conditions, which exceeds the supposed date of the Protheans' demise. It encountered them, was able to study how they think.
— What are you trying to say? - when Valern confirmed Saren's words, he asked him to finish the story.
— I made a deal with the Thorian, and also used the help of an asari who acted as an intermediary. When she transmitted the Prothean language to me, the Beacon's visions became clear and obvious: our predecessors were exterminated by the Reapers. And now they are preparing to invade the galaxy, complete another cycle, and start a new one. To do this, they need the Citadel. It is a large Relay, - Saren gestured around the room. — I have also provided proof of this. Open the file labeled "Conduit." It says everything, not only about how one can secretly infiltrate here, but also about what the invaders must do to activate the Relay and bring an entire army into our galaxy.
The Councilors fell silent, opened the corresponding file on their omni-tools, and began to carefully study the whole truth about this place. One can only hope they aren't complete idiots.
— A serious security threat, - Sparatus began nervously. — The Citadel can be infiltrated, bypassing our defense systems. We will try to strengthen security. However, what was the point of the Reapers leaving?
— Their goal is to give an undeveloped life form a chance to evolve on its own. If they are discovered prematurely, it will damage their plan and give the victims a better chance to prepare a defense, - I replied, finishing my concentration on the Force suggestion. Invisible threads had already entwined their heads; all that remained was to penetrate deeper and subjugate.
— Nonsense, there's no sense in that, - the turian denied the obvious. — You've fallen into a trap. Cerberus deliberately fed you disinformation so that we would concentrate on a non-existent threat that left the galaxy long ago.
— I have reconsidered your words about the Beacon, - Valern added. — There is no doubt. The Protheans were exterminated by the Reapers. But now, they are likely already gone. Ships without maintenance in deep space? Please, that's impossible.
Saren began to boil.
If you think about it, with bosses like these, it's no wonder he decided to try his luck with the Reapers. Succeed? Excellent. Fail? At least he tried. After all, doing anything with the Council is useless. They have seven Fridays in a week and thirteen months in a year, as if they live in a separate universe with their own rules and laws.
Consequently, they care little about what's happening right under their noses.
— I propose we vote: on the destruction of Cerberus, on the defense of the Citadel from their invasion through the Conduit, on the organization of a fleet against the geth.
And we're not going to vote on the Reapers?
Saren stepped away from the podium and came over to me to whisper:
— Plan B.
I nodded, finally closing my eyes and concentrating fully.
Carefully penetrating the Councilors' minds, I began to restructure their thinking. More precisely, I was imposing my will: I transferred my desires and worldview to them, to make the hypnosis process look as inconspicuous as possible. There are cameras everywhere – if security suspects my interference with the Councilors' minds, an armed squad will burst in here, and a massacre will begin.
— No, - Tevos frowned, swaying slightly. — What if we're making a mistake?
— We've been monitoring Cerberus, but they couldn't have hidden this much from us. A hidden threat is definitely involved here, - Valern supported, his huge dark eyes beginning to tremble.
— I propose we mobilize all Citadel forces. We must launch an investigation, and also prepare for war. As soon as we capture Sovereign, we will have a reason to expand the Citadel's influence into uncontrolled territories. This will compensate for all our military losses and make us stronger.
The three councilors voiced their thoughts, after which they changed the order and items of the vote. They spoke almost... naturally, holding up relatively well. You couldn't tell right away that their minds were broken. If they had fainted or become puppets, well, good thing that didn't happen.
Whew...
Looks like I'll have to meditate again.
It feels like worms are crawling on my face from this kind of Dark Side influence on living beings' minds. Usually, a different will is imposed: death, slavery, chaos. I, however, imposed order, but paid the same price as for darkness.
Damn, I'm even starting to feel sick, as if my body is rotting from the inside.
When the vote was over, I decided to grant Captain Shepard's request.
— Councilors, our reconnaissance squad is short on fighters. To continue successfully carrying out the Citadel's will, we need more talented people.
— These are reasonable demands. You have obtained strategically important information and have the right to enlist whomever you require, - Tevos spoke, proposing another vote. Unanimous, but what was it? I was curious. — Spectre Saren. Spectre Starkiller. You are vested with special authority. All your decisions until the end of the crisis are comparable in power and significance to the Council. Within a few hours, all structures and organizations will receive the appropriate notifications. You have the right to take whatever and whomever you wish, and also to give any orders for the good of preserving the Citadel. You also receive access to the intergalactic account, level-zero classified information, and full access to Citadel territory.
— You... - Udina was surprised, realizing we had become something like the fourth and fifth Councilors. Or slightly higher – three votes from Valern, Tevos, and Sparatus are automatically added to our decisions. The only difference is that as soon as the crisis is resolved, they will try to take this power away from us. However, judging by Saren's look, he's already thinking about how to prevent that. Or maybe I'm just projecting my thoughts onto others. — A wise decision on your part, esteemed Council.
Hm... How to describe the benefit gained?
Absolute power!
Yes, roughly on that level.
Once we capture the ship Sovereign, the opportunity will arise to start building the first Death Star. And to make it easier, I continued to brainwash the Council with the Force, so that all our decisions regarding the spending of state funds would seem like "brilliant moves" to them.
They're not kicking me out? Then I'll seize the moment.