"I heard the Captain mention he picked up a special recruit like nothing he's ever seen before, and I have to agree. You certainly look unique. I've heard about you. Let me be honest—I'm very sceptical. But I'd be happy if you proved me wrong," Shepard says, stretching out her hand toward Alex.
Alex grabs it, a bit nervous, and shakes it. "Nice to meet you, Commander. Lieutenant Alex Kerber. I'd be happy to prove you wrong, if you'd grant me the chance."
"You're kind of shy. Didn't think you were that type. I heard you charge straight into battle with that sword of yours," she teases him.
I wonder what her backstory is.
"Surely you've heard of her exploits, Kerber. What she managed on Torfan is something nobody else could've done," Anderson says.
"Captain… not that again, please. I'd like to put that behind me," she replies, visibly uncomfortable.
"I have heard about it. It was a difficult mission, filled with hard choices. In the end, you did what had to be done. You may have lost some good men and women, but they knew the risks, and they did their job. In return, you eliminated the Batarians—who would've gone on to commit atrocities worse than anything that happened on that mission. I get along with nearly every other race, but I really struggle to see Batarians as anything but a blight on the galaxy," Alex says, his expression serious.
I need to be careful not to offend the Commander. She sacrificed three-fourths of her unit and slaughtered all the Batarians on Torfan. Looks like she's the ruthless type—more Renegade. If her personality is already established, I need to take that into account. Maybe I should act more like a Paragon to balance her out.
"I agree. The Lieutenant is correct," Anderson says, nodding.
"Anyway, I might as well brief you on our mission, this stays between us," Anderson continues. "The Normandy's shakedown run will be a simple one. Officially we are just testing the ship, especially our stealth system. Unofficially, we're heading to Eden Prime—one of our most peaceful and beautiful colonies in the Utopia system in the Exodus Cluster. Apparently, a Prothean beacon's been unearthed there. Our job is to pick it up and deliver it to the Citadel for analysis. As you know, we've got a Turian Spectre on board—Nihlus. I expect you to get along with him. Shepard, we'll talk more about that later."
"What's a Prothean beacon?" Jenkins asks, visibly confused.
"Protheans are an ancient race that vanished over 50,000 years ago. As the name suggests, a beacon is thought to be a device for near-instantaneous, galaxy-wide communication. Honestly, I'm not surprised they're keeping quiet about this mission," Alex answers.
"That's correct, Kerber. You're smarter and more educated than I expected," Anderson says with a small smile. "I guess I'll need to keep an open mind. Your file feels a bit too light for my tastes," he adds with a chuckle. "Anyway, we're leaving Earth shortly. Better check your gear and get ready—you never know what might happen. Also, keep this information to yourself. I don't like the crew gossiping, because this mission is too important to mess up. This will strengthen our position with the other races, which we desperately need.
Well, guess I'll get ready then.
The group begins to disperse, and Alex makes his way toward the storage lockers. One of them is open, displaying a set of heavy armor, a pistol, and a compact device designed to slot into his armor—his 'replacement' omni-tool.
Alex eyes the gear with interest, but his expression quickly shifts from curiosity to visible disgust.
[Heavy Onyx Armor]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Blue
Type: Armor (Mass Effect - Heavy Armor)
Required Stats: STR - 12, PHY - 12, AGI - 6
Durability: 120/120
Effect: Outfitted with various tools and functions, this armor allows the wearer to inject a dose of Medigel, restoring 100 HP over 4 seconds. Usable once every minute. Allows use of Omnigel to restore durability.
Effect: Reduces damage by up to 50%, depending on weapon type. Grants the wearer a shield strength of 120.
Mods: First Aid Interface: Restores 2 HP every 10 seconds
Note: Can be worn over other items, only one Mass Effect Armor or similar suit can be equipped.
Note: Bears the iconic N7 style, including the N7 logo and unique markings on the head and right arm.
Note: Manufactured by Aldrin Labs.
Note: Can't be taken out of this world
Fucking Aldrin Labs… Though I have to admit, I do like the iconic design. Anderson must've pulled a few strings to get me good gear from unofficial channels. N7, huh? Just like Shepard's armor.
[Bluewire Tool]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Light-Blue
Type: Omni-tool
Durability: 30/30
Effect: Increases shield effectiveness by 5% and reduces Medigel cooldown by 5%.
Effect: Reduces cooldown of tech-based abilities by 10%.
Note: Manufactured by Aldrin Labs.
Note: Can't be taken out of this world
Again?! Damn, is the entire Alliance sponsored by this damn company? Aldrin Labs is basically the budget brand of humanity. Decent enough, but among the worst out there. And this omni-tool? Utter garbage compared to the real high-spec tech out there.
[Stiletto Pistol]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Deep-Blue
Type: Pistol (Mass Effect)
Requires Stats: STR - 8, SNS - 8
Required Skills: Pistol Proficiency lvl 2
Durability: 90/90
Damage: 60-70
Effect: Unlimited Ammo (15 shots in quick succession before Overheating)
Effect: 10% Increased Chance to penetrate enemy armor.
Mods: Recoil Damper: improves accuracy by 10% by reducing kickback.
Note: Manufactured by Haliat Armory
Note: Can be temporarily equipped and used with a certain amount of efficiency even without the Pistol Proficiency skill.
Note: Can't be taken out of this world
Turian weapon, huh? Thankfully, fucking Aldrin Labs didn't manufacture this one. Is this Anderson's doing? Maybe a personal gift—from his own stash? Considering the timeline is still during Mass Effect 1, people haven't adopted the Geth thermal clip system yet. These guns can shoot endlessly, but they'll overheat fast if you're not careful.
In any case, Anderson even had my armor and weapon modded. There's nothing especially overpowered here, but it'll do the job. I'll leave it as is. This will be enough for this mission.
Alex also picks up five units of [Medigel] and [Omnigel], which his armor can use automatically to heal him or repair damage mid-fight.
Slightly different from how it works in the game, but definitely a step up. I'll take it. With this, I can simply use my Omni-tool to heal myself or repair my armor.
He plays around with his new [Bluewire Tool], which thankfully recognizes him and grants him access to most of his accounts and rights. As he scrolls through the interface, Alex notices his Alliance-sponsored bank account showing a total of 10,000 credits—saved over the course of several years.
Credits are accepted everywhere in the galaxy. The sources vary, but 10,000 credits are worth around 20,000 to 50,000 USD. Even in expensive bars, you can get a drink for just five credits. This is a surprising head start. When I make it to the Citadel—the capital of the galaxy—I might as well hand it over to Menchi. Maybe she can make good use of it. I should also see what the Alliance Supply Officer is selling. I expect it to be a rip-off, but if I get the chance, I'll buy anything. I am pretty sure I have the opportunity to obtain credits later down the line. I need to get as many spoils as possible.
As Alex prepares to head to the supply officer, he notices the ship lifting off.
The mission will start soon. There's no time to waste... I can enjoy this world later—if I get the chance. For now, I need to use my time wisely and get as much out of it as possible.
He makes his way to the lower floor of the ship and approaches the same officer he met earlier.
"Hey there. I got my ID fixed," Alex says, raising his left hand. His omni-tool now verifies his identity.
"Understood, Lieutenant," the man replies.
Alex scans the display of Alliance goods—standard fare with a few pieces of Turian and Asari tech mixed in.
Ignoring most of the overpriced mods and ammo upgrades—which he has no real use for, given his lack of interest in relying on borrowed, mediocre equipment—he heads straight for the weapons.
Most of this is out of my budget. But I see that Hahne-Kedar, an Earth-based supplier for the Alliance, has a few cheap options in stock.
Alex purchases a Light-Blue [Lancer Assault Rifle] and a Light-Blue [Kessler Pistol], spending 9,400 credits.
"Here you go, Lieutenant. Just a heads-up—I'm limiting sales per person. I'm already giving you as much of a discount as I can. These weapons are meant to support the crew. Also, if you happen across new licenses or bring me the credits to purchase them, I can source more powerful equipment," the officer explains.
Not like I've got credits to throw around…. Maybe later.
Satisfied with the purchase—already securing two mediocre Light-Blue weapons he's allowed to keep and bring back to the Realm—Alex makes his way to the command deck. He walks all the way up to the cockpit and sits down in an empty seat beside Kaidan, a bit away from Joker.
This seat's unused—it's not needed for the operation, so it's a perfect seat for me to stay close to the action. I can't afford to avoid the plot. If possible, I want to join Shepard's mission. For that to happen, I need to actively insert myself into the plot. I could sit back and let things play out… but there's no guarantee this version of Shepard will succeed like the canonical one. If I don't get involved, I might be forced to stay completely out of danger. But the mission stretches all the way to the attack on the Citadel. If I want to play it safe, I can't deploy Menchi or Jewel. They'd be exposed during the battle of the Citadel and I can't risk them dying. So, if I commit to this, I need to make sure Shepard succeeds. It's a choice I have to make now: security and low risk… or dive into the action for the best opportunities—and face lethal danger.
Alex observes as Joker guides the ship through the Sol System, finally steering toward the massive Arcturus Prime Relay.
Alex stares at the enormous, awe-inspiring structure and mutters, "You know, no one actually understands how these things work. Nobody knows who built them. But every species in the galaxy uses them daily. Am I the only one who finds that a bit worrying?"
"Heh. You just need to have some trust, Lieutenant," Kaidan replies.
"Call me Alex, please," Alex responds.
"Sure. Then feel free to call me Kaidan. Not sure how long our crew will stick together, but I'd like us to get along."
As the giant relay activates and the Normandy surges forward, entering the mass transit stream, Alex sighs in mild relief.
This shit is terrifying. I've never liked flying… and this is something else entirely.
"Hmph. You look sick, little human. That is shameful," a voice says from behind.
Alex turns and sees Nihlus—the Turian Spectre—approaching. He's extremely tall, wears red-black heavy armor and, like all Turians, his appearance is striking and alien. His face is particularly distinctive, marked with a white bone-like pattern. His entire body is encased in a metallic carapace, naturally reinforced with trace amounts of Thulium, giving him high durability even without armor.
"Sorry," Alex says flatly, "I just saw you walking over and got a little sick seeing your ugly mug, Mr. Spectre."
Kaidan and Joker both turn toward him in disbelief.
"You… are quite bold for a human. I like it," Nihlus replies, chuckling. "Pilot, status report?"
Joker checks the controls. "Thrusters—check. Navigation—check. All systems online. Drift just under 1500K."
"1500 is good. Your Captain will be pleased," Nihlus replies, walking off with a grin.
As he leaves, Shepard enters and overhears Joker muttering under his breath.
"I hate that guy. 'Good'? Good? I jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. That's incredible!"
He scowls. "Also, I don't like having a Spectre onboard. They're always trouble."
Kaidan frowns at him. "The Council has a right to keep an eye on their investment. It's only natural they'd send a Spectre."
"Heh. That's the official story," Joker says.
Shepard adds, "They sure as hell don't send Spectres on simple shakedown runs. According to the Captain, this is just a transport mission. Maybe we should expect more, but keep your conspiracy theories to yourself, Joker."
Joker receives a ping from the Captain and responds.
"Send Shepard to the comm room," Anderson says over the line. "I have something important to discuss with her."
So this is the moment where it's revealed Shepard's a candidate to become humanity's first Spectre…
It's time for action soon. I just hope I get a chance to join the fray.
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