[Main mission completed:
Main Mission: Survive until the Battle of the Citadel ends
To improve Mission Rating: Gather World Particles by participating in important events, eliminating key individuals, or acquiring rare world-relevant items.
- Total amount of World Particles: 1527
- No Normandy Crewmate died
- Saved Jenkins, Kirrahe, more than half of his Squad, and other side characters
- Eliminated key enemies, including the Thorian, Benezia, and Saren
- Found a way to partially cure the effects of the Genophage
- Obtained an item, carrying a hint of divinity]
[Congratulations on clearing the Main mission - Player will be teleported back to the Fantasy Realm in 0 days 23 hours and 59 minutes]
Alex stares at his results in satisfaction.
That has to be worth an S rank… maybe I can finally get my well-deserved S+ rank! Honestly, obtaining a Light Black item should count for something! I risked my life infiltrating that facility on Virmire… all alone. That was risky as hell. Anyway, I'll see in less than a day… I am done… let's get out of this battlefield.
Alex and Shepard stumble out of the rubble. All around them are burning chunks of Sovereign, scorched trees, shattered flooring, and other debris that Alex can't even identify.
It takes them a good five minutes to climb their way back to the upper level of the Citadel Tower, maneuvering over a large piece of wreckage. From there, they look down and spot the rest of the crew.
By now, Captain Anderson, multiple C-Sec officers, and a few officials have arrived.
The crew smiles up at them as they descend.
"Shepard! Kerber!" Anderson shouts, elated.
Seeing their rough condition, several officers rush over to help, only for Shepard to lift her hand and signal that she's fine.
Alex smiles too and straightens up, the officers staring at both of them with admiration.
Finally, they reach the others, who immediately walk up to them. Even Wrex grins and gives both Alex and Shepard a solid—but careful—slap on the back.
Anderson steps forward, standing before Shepard, his expression proud and slightly teary.
"I am proud of you, Commander! You are a true hero. You've made humanity proud!"
"Heh, they should be proud, but this isn't over!" Shepard replies.
Anderson then turns to Alex. "Lieutenant! I praise the day I stumbled across your little incident on Earth. It was divine intervention that led me to recruit you to my crew! You did fantastically supporting Shepard. Trust me, I know what you've sacrificed… I won't forget it!"
Alex shrugs. "It's fine, Captain."
Suddenly, Anderson receives a call. He steps aside and answers it through his omni-tool.
He returns just twenty seconds later.
"The Ambassador wants to talk to you…" he says, looking a bit apologetic.
"Fine. I say we talk to him now and get it behind us. I need a break," Shepard says.
"I'll arrange some private rooms for you in one of the Alliance properties near the Presidium. I'll kick out the current residents if I have to. Let's meet up with him, and I'll send a message now to make it happen. All of you need a few days to calm down," Anderson says.
"Well… good luck, Commander," Alex says with a smile.
"No, Kerber. You're coming with us. Udina said you need to come along. Don't worry, I think he's forgiven you… or more like he's scared of you," Anderson adds, unable to suppress a pleased smile.
Fine…
Just twenty minutes later, Anderson, Shepard, and Alex meet with Udina in a dim, empty room close to the damaged Presidium.
"Glad you could make it! Congratulations, Shepard. I have to admit—I was wrong. I wanted to use the situation to gain some benefits for humanity, but we all still underestimated Saren. These are strange times, Captain, Commander. The battle with Sovereign changed everything, and we need to talk about what happened to the Council."
Anderson, visibly concerned, defends Shepard. "Commander Shepard did the right thing. We had to hold our fleet back to go after Sovereign. It was the only way."
Udina nods. "I agree. But this also presents us with an opportunity. The Council is dead. The galaxy is looking for leadership. The Citadel fleets were decimated in the attack. Their losses have made the Alliance stronger. If we step forward now, nobody will be able to stop us!"
Shepard smirks. "The Council was always holding us back. When I saw the opportunity to get rid of them, I took it."
Anderson looks stunned—he stares at her in disbelief. "Good god, Shepard! How can you even say that?"
Udina smirks, clearly approving. "Don't act so surprised, Captain. We all know it's true. Sacrificing the Council assured our victory over Sovereign. The end justifies the means. We humans understand that. It's what makes us stronger than others."
"What are you saying?!" Anderson asks, glaring at him.
Udina stares back, not bothered in the least. "The galaxy needs leadership. Real leadership. When a crisis hits, we can't be paralyzed by debate like the old Council. The new Council must rule with a single voice. It must be assembled from one species alone—humanity."
Shepard looks a little unsure. "The rest of the Galaxy isn't going to bow down just because we tell them to. We'll need fleets to bring them in line."
"The other species are scared," Udina explained. "They've never faced anything like this before, and they don't know what to do. They want us to step forward. They believe in humanity because of you. Your ruthless pursuit of Saren and the Geth, your defiance of the Council—that's what humans are capable of! That's how we can defeat the Reapers! The others will follow us, Shepard. They know we're their only hope. We will have a human Council with a human Chairman."
Anderson sighs. "The ambassador is right. I may not like it, but we can't deny the truth."
"Given everything you've done, Commander," Udina begins to say, looking a little worried, "the Alliance will want to know who you think our chairman should be."
Shepard thinks for a moment and stares at Udina. "We need someone who understands how politics really works. You've shown you know how to play this game. As long as you remember not to backstab me ever again. I also take it there will be no retaliation against my Lieutenant here?"
"None. In fact, I regret my earlier actions. I miscalculated and was aiming for small goals, eagerly accepting crumbs from the Council, forgetting who was truly responsible for exposing and defeating Saren again and again. As for the Lieutenant, I have to admit, he scares me," he says, looking at Alex, barely able to meet his gaze.
"There is something you should know, Lieutenant. Footage of your fight against Saren has been leaked. With the Citadel in chaos and our systems down, some of the surveillance cameras survived, and footage was leaked. Everyone in the galaxy wanted to know what was going on, so the best hackers made it their mission to obtain that footage. Seeing Kerber cut down that fiend in a single attack and then ruthlessly turn him into mincemeat has increased his Reputation even more. After the situation on the Citadel, on Mars, on the other planets, and now his killing of Saren, he is now known as the most dangerous being in the galaxy! You are a symbol, Kerber! You are as much required for humanity as Shepard. Shepard is the light and a hero to everyone in the galaxy, while you are a living calamity, feared by everyone. Shepard represents humanity's dignity, pride, and accomplishment, while you serve as a warning. Anger us, fight us, and humanity will strike back. Both of you are immensely valuable."
Really?! I expected this guy to hate on me or even try to arrest me. That doesn't sound too bad. My reputation is indeed fucked, might as well embrace it.
Alex is stunned, unable to come up with a detailed response—he says, "Well… thank you. Also, no hard feelings, right? We were all on edge…"
"It's fine!" Udina says.
Alex, smelling an opportunity, has a flash of inspiration. Using his most calm and kind voice, he talks to him:
"So what should I do? Ambassador… no, Chairman Udina. I have a request. Can you promote me to a Spectre? I can't join another command and do normal tasks anymore. With my reputation and baggage, I'll become a liability. I think with my skills, I'll be the most effective at taking care of… 'unwanted' entities at the request of the new Council. Don't you agree?"
Udina laughs. "You are quite smart, Kerber. No need to beg or kiss my ass! That is exactly what I have envisioned for you. With your reputation and under the new Council's command, you will become a terrifying weapon, capable of suppressing any problem that may arise. Your reputation alone will be enough to scare everyone, forcing them into submission. When we are done here, I'll immediately make it official! Consider this your official appointment; there is work to be done. No need for ceremonies!"
[Secret Quest completed
Mission: Become a Spectre.
Reward: [Spectre License]
Time Limit: —
Failure: —]
Huh, what is this?!
[Spectre License]
Quality: Purple
Type: World Item / Quest Item
Effect: Allows the player to enter the World of Mass Effect, with all the previous events
Effect: Player will automatically enter this world exactly 48 hours after using this item.
Effect: Depending on the Player's level, there will be debuffs applied to the player, starting at lvl 10.
Requirements: Level 7-20
Note: Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle—those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file.
Note: This item cannot be traded, discarded, or sold. It will disappear after use.
Nice! There is always the option of going back! However, this mechanic is new… scaling! Does that mean I can even visit weaker worlds if I accept a debuff? I guess that makes sense… but I dislike it. Getting held back by the system annoys me. Well, I can think about it later.
"So what happens now?" Anderson asks.
Shepard shrugs. "You two can argue politics all you want, but the Reapers are still out there. They're coming, and I'm going to find some way to stop them! Let's go, Kerber, I am tired of this and I have earned myself a break!"
"You'll be escorted to your accommodations, Commander. We went all out. You and your crew have earned it," Anderson explains.
A short shuttle ride later, the crew arrives in a sector of the Citadel that hasn't been damaged. They enter a small hotel, apparently used by Alliance diplomats, but now cleared for the Normandy crew.
"Looks good," Alex says.
A few hours later, the crew sits on the ground floor, devouring an endless amount of food. The entire restaurant is working solely to serve the Normandy crew. Everyone is in a great mood, the atmosphere cozy, and for the first time ever, Alex actually relaxes.
After sending a brief message to Menchi and Jewel—who are apparently stuck with countless others in a far-off district used to evacuate everyone whose shelter was destroyed—Alex checks his system.
[Player will be teleported back to the Fantasy Realm in 0 days 18 hours and 41 minutes]
I guess I can have some fun, relax, and then leave tomorrow. This was a really stressful trip. We've done so much, and despite me only being here for a few weeks, it felt like an eternity.
As Alex sits opposite Wrex, who constantly screams at the waiters, demanding more food—always sharing the best parts with Alex—he smiles, grateful for the gesture.
Looks like he's still grateful.
Alex then grabs his glass, filled with the most expensive and exotic cocktail he found on the menu, and lifts it.
Suddenly, a hand forcefully grabs his glass, causing Alex to look to the side, seeing Shepard standing in front of him.
She gently lifts it to her mouth and empties it in one excruciatingly slow gulp, while staring at Alex.
"... seriously?" Alex complains.
"No more drinking for you. I don't want to hear any excuses later. Get up now, you still have one more task for today! Consider this an order by your commanding officer," she says, blushing slightly while grabbing his hand and dragging him away.
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