Rebirth The Mass Effect is old

“Welcome back to the world of the living, colleague!” I couldn't help but smile. Since Nylus has woken up, it means that his recovery is a matter of time and not too far away. “Where am I?” the Spectr asked a completely logical question and tried to get up, but immediately fell back on the bed, growling from the sharp pain. “In the Normandy infirmary. And, Nylus, you won't even move your fingers without our doctor's permission.” The green eyes grew heavy. “And don't argue, be kind. The wound is serious: You were standing with both feet in the grave.” Garrus cringed at my voice, but Nylus just grunted. “Haven't you forgotten? You still owe me an excuse for how you managed to get shot at point blank range.” Nylus shyly averted his eyes. “The Council...” “He already knows.” I cut him off. “We've found evidence of Saren's betrayal, and now he's our target. I'll tell you the details and news a little later, as I sort out the pressing matters and the Normandy departs from the Citadel. By the way, the Council left you on our ship under my responsibility. “What is the reason?” Specter asked, and then, grimacing, he answered himself.: “Saren's mercenaries?” “You know perfectly well that you would have lived in the Citadel hospital just as long as it took him to find out about such a gift from the gods.” Nielus nodded slowly and visibly relaxed. “You've already met our doctor.” Another nod. “Now I'll introduce you to those who helped me a LOT in my investigation. Garrus Vakarian. An officer of the SBC. He was conducting an official investigation into Saren's case. The best shooter I've ever seen. Garrus lowered his muzzle in embarrassment, but I could see that he was pleased with the praise. Tali"Zora nar Raya. It was she who brought the information, extracting it from the Geth memory module. A brilliant technician. And an extremely adventurous person. It was necessary... to hunt Geth alone. Successfully, moreover!” Now the Quarian lowered her muzzle, but a slight echo of emotion showed that the girl was pleased to hear when she was praised. And deservedly so. “Tali, Garrus. Get to know each other. The spectr of Nylus Kraik. It was he who nominated me as a candidate for the Spectr, for which I am infinitely grateful to him.” Nylus smiled faintly. “And now we're all going to get out of here together, so as not to interfere with the doctor's work and embarrass Nilus with our presence.” I grinned at him. It has only now dawned on the Spectr in what form it is. Nielus opened his mouth, but when he saw the expression on my insolent face, he closed it and nodded slowly. What else could he do? We have already seen everything that is necessary and unnecessary, and a small screen is not an obstacle, because it was practically removed so as not to interfere with the doctor's supervision of all his patients. “Get well, colleague!” I was about to rush out of the infirmary after Garrus and Tali when Karin's metallic voice pinned me to the floor.: “Are you going somewhere, Specter Shepard?” “But Karin!” “Irene! You've managed to drink Turian booze until you lose your sanity! Do you even understand what the consequences can be after taking SO much dextro-alcohol?” “Well, since I managed to sober up and oversleep, but there are still no consequences... So there are none?” quite reasonably, I remarked, looking ingratiatingly into the doctor's gray eyes. “Moreover, dextro-food is not as dangerous as everyone warns.” The reproach in the doctor's eyes and the crazy look in his green eyes were my reward. “Dextro-alcohol?” The low rumbling voice showed the depth of amazement. "And you survived?" “And she didn't even get a rash.” I grinned, silently thanking the gods and demons for my powerful regeneration and adaptable body. “Irene, people can consume dextro-foods without harm to the body. But - not everything! Alcohol is just one of the dangerous ones! He is quite capable of causing a strong reaction. Neutral products suitable for all types are marked with appropriate labels. They come in both types, but they're harmless and easy to digest. “But there was no allergy.” I shrugged my shoulders. In my previous incarnations, I've eaten everything... Even the lower demons got their teeth into it. And nothing. I got hurt a couple of times, of course, but I survived... “Dismissed, Captain.” The doctor graciously dismissed me. “This time. Pilot Moreau is waiting for you in the control room.” “Oh, come on, Karin! We're not going anywhere yet! We have some left... unfinished business at this beautiful station.” My predatory, anticipatory grin made Naylus choke, but his next words brought a knowing smile: “We were allowed into the arsenal of the Spectr. Bowing formally to the relaxed Turian, I asked: “Dear colleague. Do you need anything from the bins of these very arsenals?” Despite the way the question was posed and the humorous tone, Naylus realized that I had asked the question without a trace of irony and calmly answered: “New heavy armor. And if it's not too much trouble, Irene Spectrum, bring a full set of weapons.” “Oh, come on... It won't bother me.” I noticed, looking into the laughing green eyes. “Garrus will come with me for that.” “It may not be missed.” “Nothing. I'll take it out.” seeing the growing skepticism in the eyes of a fellow professional and remembering the weight of a full set of armor and weapons, she recovered: “Or drag her out, which is more likely.” Nielus laughed softly, and I stormed out of the infirmary before I got my neck slapped for making a seriously injured patient laugh. Nielus, on the other hand, grimaced at the sharp pain in his disturbed wound and continued to smile. The doors of the infirmary closed softly behind me. Sighing with relief, I ruffled my short hair, frowning at the funny faces of the soldiers of the landing group and into the guilty eyes of Garrus. Why does he blame himself? They seemed to drink together and on my initiative. “And why are we so happy?” The fighters laughed merrily. “Come on, mother do! It was necessary!” Corporal Atkins, giggling merrily, came up and slapped me on the back. Irene treated the guys from her own group well. After moving in, I quite easily transformed this relationship into a friendly one with a slight touch of subordination. Now, outside of missions, the guys are relaxed. To them, I was not Commander Shepard or Spectr, but the only woman in their company who was able to gain trust and gain some credibility. “Come on... Have you forgotten how terrified you were the other day, and we hid you from the watchful eyes of the captain?” Darg laughed even more merrily. “And here you stood out. You should have been so pumped up with dextro-swill! And even crawl to the ship on your own feet! Ah ha ha...! And even in the company of an officer of the C-Sec! Ashley almost lost her temper when she saw you!” “Not with booze, but with very expensive alcohol!” The fighters were having a lot of fun, teasing me without malice, and Garrus didn't know where to hide from shame and embarrassment. I didn't understand, does he think he framed me in front of his subordinates and undermined his authority? When I met the blue eyes full of remorse and guilt, I clearly understood: yes, he does. But that's not good. I'd forgotten how sensitive Turians are to subordination and insubordination. Garrus was an atypical representative of his people, but for him, what was happening was a bit wild. “Oh, come on. Unlike some, Officer Vakarian is the lucky owner of the same autopilot version as me. AND he didn't cause me ANY PROBLEMS. Unlike you in the same condition!” “Oh, how!” the fighters whistled, looking at the confused guy with a fraction of respect. “So that's a good laugh. Garrus, don't mind them. It's just a joke!” Darg and Dylan grinned. “Rir, there are rumors that you've become a Spectr.” “Are they walking already?” I blinked in surprise. The laughter is like a snap. The fighters exchanged glances. “So is it true?” “Truth. Garrus has been very helpful in my investigation, and Tali," I smiled at the Quarian woman huddled against the wall, “She provided the evidence we needed.” I raised my hand, interrupting his attempt to protest. Garrus, we agreed yesterday that we would no longer find out who helped whom how much, and who had whose back. The three of us worked well together and our joint actions brought results that I had not hoped for. The fighters listened to me very attentively, knowing full well that I was telling all this just for them. Garrus stood uncertainly against the wall. It's amazing where a tough and cold-blooded warrior goes when it comes to banal praise: in front of me was an insecure guy who didn't know where to put his hands or where to look. The fighters calmed down and got answers to their questions. Their attitude towards Garrus and Tali subtly changed: wariness and disdain evaporated, the tall Turian was looked at with interest and respect, the girl was somewhat patronizing and friendly. They respected me. Not just Irene, but ME too. The guys felt the changes in our relationship very quickly and they were there... We are grateful. Still, Irene behaved aloof and with a bit of coldness, although she stood up for her subordinates like a mountain, preferring to conduct the showdown without unnecessary witnesses. For which they were both appreciated and respected... However, they were not allowed into the inner circle, and Irene did not seek to get there. After encouraging the fighters that they had until the evening, Garrus, Tali, and I left the ship. Garrus was silent while we got to the Presidium, thinking about something, and I suppose he would have remained silent. Tali started an interesting conversation for everyone: “Irene. Our investigation is over. I…” the girl stopped, looking at me strangely with pale eyes, barely visible behind the lilac visor of her helmet. “Tali... It's just beginning.” I smiled. "Or have you changed your mind and don't want to come with me?" The girl jerked at this question, waving her arms frantically. “No, not at all!” “So are you staying?” “Of course! I just wanted to clarify. Maybe YOU've changed your mind...” The Quarian's soft murmuring voice faltered. “Tali, I don't go back on my words. And I'll be glad to see you and Garrus aboard the Normandy.” Garrus blinked in surprise, looking into my eyes with a strange expression. This Turian just amazes me sometimes! When it comes to work, he is collected, confident, cold-blooded, tough to the point of cruelty, ruthless and reasonable, but when it comes to personal matters... so all this disappears somewhere in an unknown way, leaving a shy and extremely polite tactful young guy. How is this possible? And so it is now. He stands there, hesitating, and doesn't know how to approach me and ask to join the team. Although I can see it in his eyes: he wants to! “Garrus, what are your plans?” The Turian shrugged, shifting uncertainly from one foot to the other, looking at me with surprisingly blue eyes. “I'm assembling my own squad to complete the Council's tasks. What do you say?” Come on, come on, propose your candidacy, or at least just agree, but don't look at me with the eyes of a kitten forgotten at the door! “I have a job in the Security Service... I was somewhat disappointed.” Garrus went out a little, absently tapping his clawed fingers on his forearm. “If you... If you don't mind, I'd like to join your squad.” The guy blinked, apparently just realizing what he had said. “You said I was... good at shooting.” It's just some kind of horror! Garrus causes an uncontrollable attack of emotion, coupled with the desire to punch him in the neck to knock out this wild insecurity and shyness. As far as I know, he's about twenty-seven years old now, and he's about a year younger than my body. I'm not sure exactly-I wasn't interested. I'll look at his file later. At the moment, Garrus is an employee of the investigative department of the C-Sec, to whom all the "hanging" and other not too convenient cases are being unloaded, which older colleagues do not want to take on. Vakarian's reputation in the C-Sec is quite specific. He's too honest, proud, and pushy. Do I need such a shot on the ship? Of course... YES! “Garrus, do you think Director Pallin would be very unhappy if we took you away from the C-Sec?” Tilting I head slightly to one side, I watched with interest as understanding flashed in her blue eyes, and her expressive face broke into an incredulous smile. “Director Pallin doesn't like me too much. Rather, he tolerates it. With difficulty.” “Then I don't think he'll be too upset. Welcome to the team, Garrus Vakarian.” While the confused Turian blinked in disbelief, I sat down on a bench and opened the uni-tool. “Thank you, Irene.” That's wonderful! Now, before something unexpected happens... “Garrus... Do you know how to write transfer reports?” The Turian nodded, looking at me in surprise. I stared at him in silence, and he stared at me until it dawned on him. “Now?” “Don't you like this bench?” I asked with a chuckle. If you haven't changed your mind, sit down and write a report to Director Pallin about being transferred to the Normandy Special combat unit. And dictate the text to Tali. In the meantime, I'll write an order for its formation.” It must have looked funny from the outside. Three reasonable people were excitedly scribbling official documents in their instruments, periodically correcting each other and dictating the necessary words and phrases in the official language. The order to form a detachment saw the world a couple of seconds earlier than two reports: one about the transfer, the second about the inclusion of a civilian specialist. And just a couple of minutes later, I received an incoming call. “Captain Anderson!” I smiled at my former boss, who was completely pleased. “Shepard. I got the documents.” “Is there something wrong with them?” I was worried, but when I saw the sly look in his gray eyes, I relaxed. “There's nothing wrong with them, I've sent them to the military department and the Council's office.” “Thank you, Captain.” The man only inclined his head in a slight nod, accepting the sincere gratitude. “I am glad that you started forming an operational combat unit so quickly. The Alliance Battle Group is being removed from the Normandy and transferred to another ship. The Eye of the Storm is coming under my command.” “When will the guys be filmed?” “It's already been removed.” I was a little upset. I'm used to guys, but I couldn't even say goodbye here. “Are you taking them to the Eye?” Andersonnodded. “Is there anything else I should know in advance?” “Not everyone is happy that the ship with experimental equipment was given to the Spectr.” Many people disagree with your appointment, but there is nothing they can really do. While. Keep this in mind.” “Thank you, Captain.” “Good luck, Shepard.” The connection was lost, and I sat and pondered the veiled warning. What I remember from the canon didn't make me happy. Dear command will act frankly like a pig with Shepard. Well. In any case, I won't be able to do anything properly until I pass the key point with the Lazarus project. The chain of events is too rigidly fixed. But, nevertheless, it is possible to change something. And I'm not me if my dear superiors don't expect a surprise! And we'll have to do something about the Ghost. But - all this later. Garrus, would you be so kind as to escort us to the C-Sec. *** The C-Sec greeted us with loud cursing and the rumbling voice of a krogan arguing with an officer. The stumbling block was a powerful shotgun, a weapon that is certainly prohibited from being carried on the territory of the Citadel. The shotgun was still taken away, and the evil Krogan remained standing at the massive elevator leading somewhere into the bowels of the C-Sec. “Do you often have this here?” I asked quietly. “Constantly.” Garrus purred. “This is Rex. It's not the first time he's been here, and it won't be the last.” The Krogan noticed our intensely entertaining trio and watched intently. Did you find out? Is he really going to try to put money behind Fist's head? “You. A human.” A gruff voice made it clear that Rex had finally made up his mind and recognized me. “Do they call you Shepherd?” I stopped, peering with interest at the scarred face. “Do I have to answer?” The Krogan rolled away from the elevator wall, which he had been propping up with his shoulder. “My name is Rex. The Shadow Broker transferred me a decent amount to get rid of the Fist. But you beat me to it.” The Krogans basically used the word "You" solely as a plural indicator. “And?” I asked with interest. “When I get paid for a job, I do it.” Rex came almost right up to me, looming over me with his whole mass. "Alone." Garrus tensed. Tali got nervous and took a step back. “Your problem is that you were so slow.” I purred, and a flat disc of a grenade flashed between my fingers. The Krogan noticed it. “Your people are becoming very... nimble, if properly stimulated.” I tossed the grenade in the palm of my hand. And Rex suddenly burst out laughing. “So it really was you.” “Where?” I asked naively, blinking my eyes. The grenade, as if by magic, evaporated. Rex chuckled and stretched his lips into a crooked grin. Apparently, my unhealthy tendencies and craving for grenades found a lively response in his soul. “You did my job.” Rex returned to the unfinished conversation. “So you should get the money, too.” “Rex, are you going to pay for a Fist?” I raised an eyebrow and looked at the Krogan with genuine interest. "For me?" “I won't take money for someone else's work! I transferred them to your account.” He did it! Shaking my head, I stared at the strange face of the powerful Krogan with some confusion. I didn't believe that this mercenary really took such things so seriously... “I liked the way you handled the Fist.” The heavy gaze shifted to Garrus. “I hear you're hunting Saren.” “Rumors spread quickly.” Garrus rasped faintly. Rex ignored him. “I want to go with you.” The Krogan slapped me, staring intently into my eyes. And that's what to do with it? Does he really think that a military officer would take a mercenary with a dubious reputation with him? “Rex, you're a mercenary. What's the benefit to you in chasing Saren?” The Krogan was silent for several long, agonizing minutes, staring intently into my eyes. And I couldn't read his emotions. Complete phlegm. “I'm not doing this for the money.” The rumbling bass only emphasized the seriousness of his intentions, literally hammering every word. “I want to be somewhere hot. A storm is coming, and you and Saren are in the middle of it.” Great job. An adrenaline junkie in a particularly neglected form with a code of honor that I don't understand. Although... Whoever's talking. I looked at the Krogan thoughtfully: “You do realize that there are a lot of Krogan working for Saren.” “These are not Krogan!” Rex growled, waving his hand in exasperation. “These are servants and slaves! They lick Saren's heels for the promise of power and wealth!” Oh, so Rex is really good. “My people were a proud race! Some of us still remember it.” “Okay. Consider yourself accepted into the team. On probation.” The Krogan nodded. “Write a report.” my words have already flown in the back. “Anyway, where are you going?” Rex stopped, turned slowly, and stared at my contented face with genuine surprise. “Since you've signed up for a place in the squad, you can get to work. Come with us.” Rex grunted rumblingly, and I caught the uncomprehending look in his blue eyes and explained in a whisper: “Garrus, are you going to put all the weapons and armor on your hump? Won't anything fall off?” The Turian gasped and coughed, and Tali giggled softly. “First to Pallin, let's make him happy about your transfer, and then gut the arsenals!” *** Pallin didn't say anything. He just read the report and silently confirmed it. He just stared at the nervous Garrus for a long time with a hard gaze. I believe he was aware of my current status and the role Garrus played in my investigation and subsequent appointment. And he wasn't at all surprised to see such a strange international company barging into his office. For a split second, I thought I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. As we were leaving, a quiet sound flew at our backs: “Good luck, Vakarian. I hope you know what you're doing.” Garrus flinched, but gave no sign that he had heard anything. But I didn't focus on it. We walked to the quartermaster in heavy silence. Garrus walked thoughtfully through the corridors of the C-Sec, responding incongruously to the greetings of former colleagues. Tali was tactfully silent, but Rex didn't really care. He woke up when we stopped in front of the quartermaster, a tall Turian with bright yellow eyes. “Commander Shepard. The armed forces of the Alliance. For the first time at the Citadel.Right?” The quartermaster's low, hoarse voice brought Garrus back to reality. “Right.” Despite my appointment as a Spectr, my dear superiors were not going to let me out of their hands. There's nothing I can do about it right now, and I don't need to. But after the key point... Then we'll see how I get off the hook. “Will you take anything today, Commander Shepard?” The Turian leaned on the table and looked at me with interest, waiting for an answer. The military of all races could stock up on new weapons and armor in the arsenals of the C-Sec. For the money. But I am a Spectrum, and there are special arsenals and vaults for them. Free of charge. “I will.” The quartermaster nodded and tapped on the keyboard. “Good. Let's check yours now...” The Turian stammered, staring at the screen in amazement. “wow... You have access to the arsenals of the Special Corps. Are youMa'ama Spectr?” I nodded. “Oh! I've heard about the appointment of a human Spectre, but I didn't know it was you. Congratulations.” “Thank you. This appointment is an honor for me.” “The Turian nodded understandingly, typing the access code into the terminal.” “I beg.” A three-fingered palm pointed at the door that had opened. “Do you know the rules?” “I know.” I put my ID card on the table. “I need armor kits not only for me, but also for my colleague.” “Name?” “Nihlus Kraik.” The quartermaster choked on his breath. “I heard he's dead!” “The rumors are exaggerated. He's seriously injured, but he's still alive. His old armor is beyond repair, and since I'm here, I'll bring a set for him.” “I will note that some of the uniforms were taken for another operative.” “Sure.” The Turian read the data from the ID card and returned it to me. Only Garrus was allowed inside with me, and that was after my fair comment that I was alone, and I needed to take a lot of stuff. I rejected the idea of robbing the arsenal with high quality, but I took the armor on myself, Nihlus and Garrus. Two sets each. It took longer to choose a weapon. I remembered roughly what Nihlus had before disembarking, and the armor boxes were joined by boxes with assault rifles, pistols, three shotguns, and all sorts of small things like grenades and first-aid kits. Garrus silently carried the heavy boxes and unloaded them at Rex's feet. As I was about to leave, I noticed IT: the Harpoon sniper system. I came out of the arsenal with a happy face, hugging two long boxes with sniper rifles. Saying goodbye to the puzzled quartermaster, I silently pointed to the pile of boxes and stomped to the elevator. How we got to Normandy is a separate song! Swearing. Garrus and Rex carried their honestly looted possessions, hissing and swearing softly as Tali tried to hold back a mountain of small boxes. And I was carrying a pyramid of five weapon boxes. They watched us go with SUCH looks that if it hadn't been for such a burden, I would have been ashamed... probably. And yes, I had to do it manually! The armories of the Special Corps did not provide trolleys, loaders or home delivery. Except for a pre-arranged request to board the ship. As soon as we fell into the airlock, the deadly cargo ended up on the floor, and we, swearing, straightened up and rubbed our crushed arms and stretched backs. “Damn it! Shopping in the SPECTR arsenals is an extremely exciting business... but shopping is hard...” I muttered while the disinfection was going on. “Why so much?” Garrus pointed at the armor boxes. “Medium armor is for you. It's too much for Nihlus.” “For me?” Garrus blinked in confusion. "But I'm not a Spectr!" The airlock doors parted. Picking up the boxes, I stumbled into the corridor, kicking the unstable pyramid out of the airlock. “So what? You don't have any proper armor or weapons. What they gave you at the C-Sec...” “I've already passed.” The guy spread his hands. “That's exactly what passed! And when did you get there? What you're wearing right now won't even protect you from a light assault rifle! We'll take them to the armory, where we'll divide them up.” That's what I like about the Normandy, it's the convenient distribution of the interior space and the elevator right at the airlock. So all we had to do was move the cargo through a narrow corridor, and a little later, bring it into the arsenal, the entrance to which was also located near the elevator. I laid out the boxes and picked up one of them. “Rex.” The Krogan growled questioningly. “This is your compensation for the confiscated shotgun.” Krogan took the box and examined it with pleasure. “Good! Thank you, Shepherd!” “Irene.” I smiled at the pleased Krogan, who was unpacking a new toy. “Tali, you're not supposed to be a fighter, but you have to have a weapon.” A box with a powerful pistol slid across the metal table. “Oh!” the girl caught the box with both hands. And now the most interesting part! Making Garrus blush is probably my favorite thing to do in the last twenty-four hours! It's worth doing something for him, as the guy immediately gets lost and stands, blinking his eyes in confusion. It feels like the very idea that someone could do something for him JUST like that doesn't fit in his head! He is so sincerely grateful and so sensitive to ANY expressions of care and banal human warmth, which only strengthens the desire to do some small thing for him and feel this storm of bright and pure emotions again. And this is already happening, even though my empathy has just started to work. But what will happen when I get my mentalism back in full and start feeling even the slightest fluctuations of emotions? Even now, he stands there, hesitating, squinting at the Harpoon. And he can't believe that it was really taken for him. Although outwardly he is a calm, confident fighter. Emotions are shown by small, almost imperceptible gestures: uncertain shifting from one foot to the other, twitching fingers, mandibles tightly pressed to cheeks and, most importantly, eyes. Truly - a mirror of the soul! “Garrus, don't look at the Harpoon like that. It's really yours.” The box of beacons, which he had just been twirling in his hands, fell out of his fingers with a crash. “Yours is yours.” The long box slid across the table and skidded to a stop next to the barely perceptibly quivering claws. “You're a sniper from God. I can only give you a decent weapon. Of all the things in the arsenal, the Harpoon is the most worthy.” Silence, and a quiet purring voice: “Thank you.” *** In the late afternoon, I went to the infirmary. Nihlus was lying on his bunk and was frankly bored, and he was pleased to see me. After telling him everything that happened after that ill-fated shot, I pleased him with my appointment to the Spectr's and let him listen to the conversation with the Council... And then we just sat and chatted about all sorts of nonsense. A little later, a satisfied Garrus pulled himself into the infirmary, already wearing a new armor. We just sat there, exchanging life stories, until Karin came and kicked Garrus and me out, commanding Niallus not to move or touch his healing wound. The binding worked as it should, and the regeneration accelerated by drugs and an excess of vital energy gave hope that by the time Nilus arrived on Artemis's Tau, he would already be able to stand up. The crew would return from their leave only in the morning, but for now, the ship's decks, immersed in a pleasant twilight, remained mysteriously quiet and calm. The tedious day is over.I was sitting on the couch in the lounge area, sipping a soft drink. Much has been done and more needs to be done. But now, in the silence and darkness, I could calmly think about what was happening and somehow prepare for the coming events. Tomorrow morning we will fly to Tau Artemis for Liara T"Sony.