Rebirth The Mass Effect is old. part 24

"Then I don't understand him."

"Me too." Nihlus spread his hands. "The allocation was made immediately after the decision was made to grant you the status. Do you mind?"

"Why all of a sudden?" I was surprised. "Sparatus is a sensible guy, and I didn't notice any negativity in my direction. Although there was hostility at the first meeting of the Council. I don't understand at all what changed in a couple of hours, but he behaved differently at the second meeting. With some humor, I would say."

The music in the elevator changed, getting really boring. Was it really impossible to record something better after building such a station? At least the sound quality! Or is it such sophisticated sadism? The elevator, as if mocking, crawled like a mortally wounded caterpillar. But finally, this harassment ended, and we fell out onto a small square, from the edge of which a golden taxi terminal shone invitingly at us.

"Where to go?"

"It's night on the Citadel right now, by the way." Nihlus chuckled. "Sparatus is waiting at home."

I wonder if Nihlus just called his relative out of the goodness of his heart in the middle of the night, or did he contact him first and then find out the time? Sparatus' decision is, in principle, logical: they woke you up anyway, so why prolong the "pleasure"?

"Couldn't you wait until morning?"

"Haymon ordered me to report immediately." The Turian shrugged his shoulders.

"Who?"

Nihlus laughed softly.

"Haymon Sparatus. That's his name."

A taxi stopped in front of the terminal and expectantly raised the canopy of the cabin.

It didn't take long to get to the house I already knew. Garrus tried to leave, apparently not wanting to be in front of the clear eyes of the adviser, but Nihlus, wincing, did not allow him to do so.

Sparatus met us in a familiar room, where, to our surprise, Tevos turned out to be. Garrus' presence only drew interested glances, but I didn't notice any dissatisfaction or indignation. Sparatus, of course, recognized Vakarian, but reacted with a touch of irony.

"Councilor Sparatus, Councilor Tevos." Nihlus, as the most senior of us, took on the role of negotiator.

Sparatus gestured to the couch opposite, ordering him to sit down. So we sat down in a row: Nihlus, me, Garrus. Tevos watched us with mild interest, but, on the whole, benevolently. Nihlus did not wait for the order and briefly described the situation on Noveria, but for some reason did not report the result of our revelries, sleeping in the cabin, the infirmary and the hold.

"What is the fate of Lady Benezia?" Tevos asked softly.

"The matriarch is in the Normandy infirmary."

"The reason?"

Nihlus looked at me. Tevos raised her eyebrows in surprise, exchanged glances with Sparatus.

"The state of the matriarch..." Nihlus stammered, and then just waved his hand and said in plain text: "Matriarch Benezia is still under the Reaper's control."

The advisers were not surprised, but Nihlus' words were unpleasant and raised huge issues.

"Tell us more about it."

"When we arrived on Noveria, Matriarch Benezia was already there and was in the risk laboratory, where they managed to recreate the rachni queen from the eggs found on the wrecked ship."

But now the amazement splashed on all sides.

"Where is the Rachni queen now?" Tevos asked.

"In a box in the hold." Nihlus answered automatically with a phrase that he had to say twenty times in the last four days, and that's why it easily and naturally fell off his tongue.

Sparatus choked on his words and coughed, and Tevos barely managed to control her surprise, not letting her jaw drop unsightly.

"Spectr Nihlus, did we hear wrong?"

"No. Queen Rachni is in a box in the hold of the Normandy." Nihlus repeated once more with a stony face. "She's asking for protection."

"Are you sure?" Asari asked in amazement.

She is ready to become a part of our civilization.

"The condition?"

"A planet where she can revive her family. The Queen is ready to fight our enemies. She knows about the Reapers and will help."

For the first time, I saw the confusion on Sparatus and Tevos' faces.

"Who was in contact with the Queen?"

"Irene."

And again that look of hungry predators looking at a delicious piece of meat. Interesting, interesting... I'm tempted to get into their brains and find out why they're so intrigued. But I stepped on my throat, and I didn't climb in. Today's crew scan was enough for me. I don't want to be disappointed in these reasonable ones.

"What can you say about the queen?" Sparatus asked, staring intently into my eyes.

He was wrong, of course, but I respected the man, and that's why his secrets remained secrets. She communicates mentally, is not capable of lying in principle, and is submissive because she understands the situation. She admitted that her appearance was controlled, and the aggression was provoked. By the mental imprint on Benezia's mind, she recognized the Reaper. I am ready to cooperate and become our ally. I decided it was unwise to destroy the queen or leave her on Noveria, so we took her with us. She's in a dream state right now."

"The reason for this decision?" Tevos asked with interest.

"It might come in handy."

From this formulation of the answer and the motivation of the act, Sparatus chuckled and looked at Nihlus in great surprise. My partner pretended to be blind and deaf.

"Rahni are strong fighters." I added hesitantly. "They can be useful if you can keep the queen safe."

"Where is the ship?"

"On the site you have selected."

"We'll pick her up."

We nodded simultaneously. Garrus pretended to be part of the decor, even though he was listening very carefully to the conversation. The councilors sometimes glanced at the young Turian, but so far they had not touched him, although they remembered him.

"You said that the matriarch is still under the influence of the Reaper." Tevos said softly.

"Yes."

"How does this influence manifest itself?"

"Mental bookmarks and a subordinate channel." I replied. "Lady Benezia will do EVERYTHING on Saren's orders. Controlling strings are tied to him, but indirectly, and, if necessary, the Ruler can easily replace the image of the Anchor and redirect loyalty to his other puppet."

"Where does this information come from?" Sparatus rasped.

"I can see it. And to remove, however, with great difficulty. In four days, it was only possible to squeeze the channel of mental communication with the Lord and partially remove the weights."

It took us a long time to decide whether to tell the Council about my mentalist gift or not, but we still came to the conclusion that it was worth it. But — partially, without telling the true possibilities. Gradually, as needed, more information can be provided, but for now... Now I need to at least teach my advisors that I can restore my mind after the Reaper's intervention. It's still impossible to hide the gift, especially after Saren's capture. So let them find out from us now rather than from someone else later.

Tevos carefully chose her words:

"Irene's spectr. Can you see interference in someone else's mind?"

"I can. But it requires effort, rest, and greatly weakens the body. Three days of working with the matriarch ended in severe exhaustion."

The counselor nodded slowly, looking at my still pale face with beautiful circles under sleepy eyes.

"Can you completely free her from the influence?"

"Yes, in ten or twelve days. After that, the matriarch will need complete peace and a friendly environment so as not to provoke the protective mechanisms of consciousness."

"Do you have those ten days?"

I shook my head.

"In a day we will fly to Vermaer for Saren. The sooner we get him, the better... there are more chances that the identity will be preserved."

"There are no objections." Sparatus snapped. "What other information did you find out?"

Nihlus has conceded the dubious pleasure of reporting to me.

"We found out that the true purpose of Rachni's rebirth is the coordinates of the relay leading to Ilos. That's where the entrance to the Canal is located. As it turns out, this is the only repeater created by non-Reapers! It was made by the Protheans."

The councillors exchanged glances again. Amazing mutual understanding! They don't even need to speak out loud: they understand each other by the smallest facial expressions and body movements.

"What is the value of this repeater?"

"In my opinion, it's only the creation technology. We are too dependent on repeaters, too vulnerable. We need OUR OWN relays, not those made by our enemy!"

Tevos nodded in agreement.

"Did you get the coordinates?"

"We found out, but they are very vague. A search is required. The approximate location is the Terminus system. The relay was shifted due to a supernova explosion. I'll tell you the exact coordinates later, when I can narrow down the search region. There are Prothean Archives on Ilos. If there's anything left."

"As soon as you find out the coordinates of the repeater on Ilos, let us know immediately." Sparatus's voice was a rasp of metal. "We will send a fleet."

Nihlus tilted his head slightly to one side.

"Terminus systems will be... They are unhappy."

"It's high time to clean this sewer." the adviser snapped harshly. "This is not the situation to coddle this rabble."

"The Alliance will be outraged."

"These are our problems." Asari replied softly with a completely leering smile.

I nodded. Udina will yell in a bad voice and eat her brain with a coffee spoon through her ears, but Tevos is an experienced politician and will cope with the old brainiac. Sparatus, as always, will assume the appearance of a skeptical, stubborn, narrow-minded warrior and diplomatically send an ambassador to deep space. Valern will freeze off. They're funny, these advisers. They have beautifully distributed the roles and play them well. I am glad that in reality they turned out to be smart, moderately paranoid and cautious people. At the same time, with a certain amount of adventurousness: they did not immediately reject my words, but gave me a chance to prove my case.

"Will do."

"What else have you learned?"

"Eta Hawking system, the Thorn system, the Mnemosyne planet. In its orbit is a half-dead Reaper, about thirty-seven million years old." The councillors shuddered. "The creature is relatively safe, since it cannot move and does not show active signs of life, but it puts pressure on the brain and can subdue. It should be captured and studied, first making sure that the Reaper does not regenerate."

"Do you want to personally participate in this mission?" Tevos asked.

"That would be highly desirable. I need to know what to really expect from the Reapers, and where to look for the brains of the Overlord. But that's after we get back from Vermaer, otherwise I'm afraid there won't be anyone left to save."

"We will prepare a squadron." Tevos nodded. "What do you know about this Reaper?"

"Only that he was shot at and shot down, critically wounding."

"By what?"

"I don't know. Some kind of weapon based on the mass effect. There is no exact information. That's all we've been able to find so far." I said.

The councilors exchanged glances again, and again that quick, silent conversation. Whatever they were discussing, Sparatus nodded contentedly and reported:

"Your requests to the Special Corps have been approved. Take whatever you need. Inspection and repair of the ship has already begun."

"Thank you, Counselor."

For this we were graciously released. And just as we were leaving, an ironic message flew at my back:

"I hope Venari won't send me an entertaining read tomorrow with a dynamic video sequence about the entertainment of two Board Members and a former C-SEC employee in Nizhny gorod."

The vibrant voice of the Turian advisor oozed with veiled malice and amusement, though without a trace of displeasure. I blushed a little, Nihlus lost his step, and Garrus, who had already seeped into the hallway, choked on air. Sparatus watched our pantomime with a kind of fatherly affection! He seemed amused by our spree. So let it make you laugh, but we will... Let's go for a walk again. Today. The main thing tomorrow is to escape from the Citadel on time.

"I hope he won't, Counselor Sparatus."

In response, a soft rasping laugh and a supportive:

"Are free."

We were swept away at the speed of light, literally a minute later we were on the street, and we breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels like I'm in an enclosure with feline predators. In a bowl for grub! Nevertheless, advisers are something! As long as I've lived, such politicians still send shivers through my body... I don't want to be a great schemer. Not mine! Shrugging my shoulders, I looked at the Turians in turn and asked a sacramental question:

"And where to next?"

Instead of answering, they grabbed me by the elbows and dragged me to the taxi stand....

"Do you think we did the right thing?" Tevos asked softly, watching the retreating figures.

"Do you still have doubts?" The Turian walked over to the window and rested his palm on the narrow sill.

"She's not telling the whole truth."

"She doesn't trust us. This is natural." Sparatus shrugged his powerful shoulders. "I'm actually surprised that they decided to talk about her gift. Even so... generally speaking."

"Are they covering for her?" Surprise flashed in the Asari's deep voice.

"Yes. I told you that." The Turian couldn't help but smile as he watched the short conversation end with a determined tow of a fragile girlish figure to a taxi. "She managed to win their loyalty."

"They share a secret. For three people. It shows." Tevos agreed, watching the emotional exchange with interest. "Do they know about the substitution?"

"Nihlus knows. He couldn't help but notice the change in behavior. His reviews and characterization of Commander Shepard were far from enthusiastic. He strongly did NOT recommend the Commander as a candidate for the Spectr. After Eden Prime, opinion changed dramatically."

"The impact?" The Asari raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"No. This is a personal sympathy. I believe Garrus Vakarian joined her squad for the same reason."

"He is young, idealistic and impulsive."

"But not a fool." the Turian objected. "Kirrus taught his son well. Venari spoke well of him, although he complained about his intemperance, excessive adventurism and disregard for subordination."

"I can't object. The younger Vakarian is interesting."

"It's worth taking a closer look at it." Sparatus agreed.