Chapter 1

Poets of the Fall: War

A/N: Yes, we're back! And a lot earlier than I said, so I probably owe you all an explanation for that. To put it simply…I completely overestimated how long I'd need for a holiday. Over the course of months where I'd been writing Masses to Masses 1, it had become a source of entertainment for me as well as you readers, a part of my daily routine I became accustomed to then felt odd without it in my life. In short, I was bored, and this was the cure for that. I doubt anyone's complaining I'm back early, mind…

Oh yeah, important note. This is a SEQUEL story. That means if you're reading this and haven't read the original fic, Masses to Masses, then you're not going to understand a lot of stuff. And I mean, a LOT, especially about the main protagonist (myself) and how he gets along with Garrus. So go read it, then come back here, alright? Things start getting good in Chapter 5, it's a bit of a slow starter ;-).

Another thing, my update rate. Now, Masses to Masses 1 was quick, if I say so myself. I was getting a chapter out every two days or so, which was awesome. Probably not the case now. Due to the nature of Mass Effect 1 events and the issue now that I have to follow canon quite closely instead of just making stuff up (mostly), plus the fact conversations are going to go beyond just Garrus and I thanks to the rest of the Normandy crew, means that chapters are going to be longer than before. Which obviously means I need more time to write them…you get the picture. Schoolwork is accumulating on me a lot faster than I'd like as well, which is obviously going to have an effect. (A Mass Effect? Oh, fuck you, that's funny.) But we'll see how it goes. Don't worry about it.

And one last note. Herr Wozzeck has been putting symphonies and stuff in his chapter names…I might start employing a similar system myself in some chapters (see the title above), except I'll be using good music ;-). Ooh, controversial.

Well, I think that's everything important out of the way…time for obligatory disclaimers!

Mass Effect, its characters, its setting, and all the other stuff in the Mass Effect universe is not owned by me. It's owned by the geniuses at BioWare. I also do not own any bands, companies, products etc. that I mention.

'I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this for real, or not?'

Sora, Kingdom Hearts

Hi, I'm Ian. Here's a few things you might need to know, or maybe just forgot.

Two years ago, I was transported here by an asari matriarch called Shiara T'Aenoi, and left on the Citadel with nothing but some of my old Earth stuff and visions of the galaxy's destruction running around my head. So far, answers have been pretty thin on the ground. The one conversation I had with Shiara made more questions than she answered. Apparently, I'm supposed to be some kind of saviour or something, brought here to stop the Reapers, and joining Shepard would be my first step to starting my 'destiny', as Shiara put it. That's all I was really supposed to know, but she accidentally let one major detail slip when we talked. She said she'd been searching for me for several decades, well before I was born. So what does that mean? How could she have been searching for me before I actually existed?

On my arrival on the Citadel, a series of events led to me joining up with C-Sec, as Garrus Vakarian's partner. Garrus and I have become firm friends over the two years, both at work and out of it as well. Garrus has saved my life on more than one occasion, I returned the favour by taking a bullet for him at one point. Over the course of my two year C-Sec career, big events have been stopping an elcor serial killer, ending a plot to poison the red sand supply, being shot and technically dying for a minute, and meeting my girlfriend, Rebecca.

But of course, real life doesn't always have happy endings. At the end of our failed investigation into Dr. Saleon, he successfully managed to escape with hostages just like in the game. But this time, he had one extra. Rebecca, out shopping in the Citadel for a ring to propose to me of all things, was targeted by Saleon in an attempt to get me, and he escaped the Citadel with her. Garrus has got the transponder codes for Saleon's ship, the Fedele, but they're not going to come up until much later, when (or if) I join Shepard's crew. I've still got the ring, and as far as I know she's still out there…only time will tell if that ring's ever going to get used.

Ah, Shepard. Garrus and I ran into her just after Pallin told us our investigation was over in the Citadel Tower. But what should have been a pleasant introductory conversation turned sour quickly. Seeing Shepard's face caused my vision to flare up, and a figure previously clouded in shadow suddenly appeared in it, falling to the ground mortally wounded on a battlefield with a Reaper's roar of triumph in the background. That person was Shepard.

The world had just come back into focus where I last left off. And now, it's time to continue the story.

I'm still clutching at my head slightly as everything comes back into focus, the sudden revelation of my vision still whirling around in my mind. Shepard's in my vision. Well…I wasn't expecting that, to say the least, and I'm still reeling from it. The first human Spectre, the one person who's supposed to be the Reaper's end, and I'm seeing her dying in a prophetic vision as soon as I clap eyes on her. Jesus Christ, talk about bad first impressions…but what does that mean? Is the person standing in front of me a dead woman walking? Is this really what's going to happen? Why her? Can I change it? Why the fuck did this vision have to come up at one of the most pivotal moments in my life?

As I gradually regain my senses, I hear Garrus talking in the background, and my gaze is still on Shepard's face as she stares intently at the turian talking away next to me. Here she is, Commander Shepard. And she looks barely like the default FemShepard, which is surprising. Shoulder length brunette hair hanging loose, smallish green eyes, delicate features on what otherwise is a strong face, expression focused yet with a kindness on the edges of her mouth in a slight smile as she listens, giving nothing away but absorbing every detail Garrus is telling her. She's smiling…that doesn't seem like something a Renegade would do. Paragon Shepard would be a dream come true in this situation, but I'm not jumping to conclusions yet. Though the initial impression is…good. Very good.

Of course, she's flanked by Ash and Kaidan, both looking at Garrus as well. Thank God, doesn't look like anyone's noticed my little flash on Shepard there. That could have been very problematic…Ash looks virtually the same as she does in the game, apart from the fact she's a real, living human being standing in front of me now rather than a few pixels on the screen. Two years in this universe, and it's still a shock to see the Chief like this, hair done up in a tight bob as she surveys Garrus while he talks to Shepard. There's a small scowl on her face as she does so…well, she was never the happiest character, and I imagine losing her squad on Eden Prime is still fresh in her mind, combined with the fact that she doesn't trust aliens much. She was pretty much fine with the alien crew members in Mass Effect, though, so I don't need to worry too much. Although I imagine we're not going to get along too well…considering she's a Christian, I'm an atheist, she doesn't like aliens, my best friend's a turian. Eh, swings and roundabouts. We'll work past it.

Kaidan stands on Shepard's right hand side, face stony and calm like it always was in-game. Ever the professional…his expression's giving nothing away about what he thinks of Garrus, or me, for that matter. I guess only time will tell…

"…were the officers in charge of the investigation into Saren," Garrus is saying, snapping my attention back to the situation at hand.

Shepard folds her arms and leans back a little bit. Here we go, let's see if she's still got Jennifer Hale's voice… "Sounds like you really want take him down," she says, smiling to herself a little bit. Oh yeah, that's Hale alright! Sweetness! Any other voice would have been a tragedy, I swear…

"I don't trust him," Garrus growls next to me. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way." This is all following the in-game conversation wheel rather well…time to screw that up!

"Got that right," I mutter, drawing the gaze of everyone in the area towards me. Four pairs of eyes, one turian, three human, and one set belongs to Commander Shepard. That really has a way of knocking you off your stride in a conversation… "Well," I mutter, desperately grasping for whatever words I was thinking of before, "he is a bit of bastard." What? Why the fuck did I say that, of all things!

Shepard raises an eyebrow, then laughs a little bit. I breathe a huge sigh of relief. That could have backfired a lot…Kaidan smirks, even Ash breaks into a little smile.

"Got that right," Shepard grins. "Good to see we're all on the same page." Alright, looks like I'm making friends here…I'm already exceeding my own expectations of this conversation. Awesome!

"It hardly matters," Garrus says, lowering the mood slightly. "He's a Spectre, everything he touches is classified. We can't find any hard evidence."

That's Kaidan's cue to speak up… "I think the Council's ready for us, Commander" he announces, with impeccable timing. Shame, I was just starting to enjoy that talk…still, our respective duties call. We've got a firefight to start in the med clinic, she's got to talk to a prick of a Spectre and a prick of a councillor at the same time. Can't really say I envy her.

"Good luck, Shepard," Garrus calls out as she walks away.

"Maybe they'll listen to you," I shout after her as well. Garrus frowns a little bit as I say it. Whoops, I just stole his line, didn't I…

"I was just about to say that," he grumbles, when Shepard and the rest of the squad are out of earshot.

"Too bad," I reply quickly, not wanting to dwell on it. Note to self, stop stealing dialogue. It's gonna make me looks suspicious, which I need like a hole in the head. "Looks like that's the end of the investigation, then."

"Screw that," Garrus growls. "Michel's got a lead for us, whether Pallin wants to believe it or not. That bastard's got a fucking dreadnought stuck up his arse." I laugh out loud at that, but he just ignores me and keeps going, smiling a little bit. "I doubt Shepard's really going to be able to talk the Council around to her way of seeing things. So, as far as I'm concerned, it's down to you and me."

"Why is it always down to us?" I moan, as Garrus starts striding off towards the med-clinic and I fall into step behind him. "Can't someone else sort out this stuff for a change? For one fucking day?"

"Nope," he grins. "You love it really. If someone else came along and started cleaning up for us, you'd be the first to complain." Aaggh, the truth stings, Garrus. "So," the turian says, changing topics, "what did you think of Shepard? She's a bit of a celebrity among humans now, right?"

I think back to my first time seeing her and everything that entailed… "Well, she certainly leaves an impression," I finally admit. That's something of an understatement.

"That she does," he chuckles. "She's deadly serious about stopping Saren as well. As soon as we've followed up this lead, I'm throwing in my lot with C-Sec and going to talk to her. Still, Shepard's going to need more people than those two humans she has if she wants to stop a turian Spectre." He frowns. "Not that I'm saying humans are weak, or anything."

"No, of course not, you'd never try a low blow like that," I reply cynically, still a little bit shocked by Garrus's little admission about quitting C-Sec like that. I knew it was coming, don't get me wrong…it's just a shock to hear it, that's all. Well, like hell am I staying behind while he runs off on an adventure with Shepard and co. "Seriously though, if you're quitting C-Sec, mate, I'm coming too. I'm not just sticking around C-Sec with Pallin breathing down my neck, not when we both know Saren's guilty as hell."

Garrus looks a bit surprised when I say that, actually stopping in his tracks. "You sure? If we join up with Shepard, you'll be leaving everything behind here. No more regulations, no more C-Sec authority, no more work shifts. Just us, Shepard, and I'd bet more than a few credits there's gonna be a lot of action as well."

I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow. "What, you're trying to get rid of me or something?" Shock crosses his features as he opens his mandibles quickly to cook up an apology, but I just shake my head and laugh, which shuts him up. He's so socially inept sometimes… "I'm joking, Garrus. But Saren's up to something, and I can't just turn my back and walk away."

"I just want to make sure you're certain, that's all," Garrus says. "Though I can't say I wouldn't have been disappointed if you'd just stayed at C-Sec," he continues, breaking into a grin. Aw, this is almost heartwarming…time for an old culture reference!

"We're partners," I say, locking eyes with him and trying to be as serious as I possibly can. "To the end."

I hold his gaze for about two seconds, then start cracking up laughing. I can't help it. Did I really just pull the corniest line from Resident Evil 5 in an otherwise serious situation…Garrus just stands there looking bemused as I gradually control my laughing and breathe normally again. It's not even funny for him, considering it's a massive inside joke on my part!

"What the hell was that?" the turian asks, shock in his voice apparent.

"Nothing, old Earth pop culture reference." He just frowns and shakes his head ruefully. "What? I thought it was funny!"

"No shit. You ever say something that bad again, I'll have to kill you." Ouch, good comeback. "As much fun as this is, Michel's waiting on us. I don't know what it's like in human culture, but I'd hate to keep a lady waiting."

"Right, sorry," I mumble, falling back into place at Garrus's side. That was slightly embarrassing…but totally worth it.

It didn't take too long to get to the med-clinic. About ten minutes, though it should have been five if it wasn't for the damn slow elevators! I'd always secretly hoped the Council would fix them up during my time on the Citadel, but no such luck. The long wait in the elevator wasn't helped by the fact that I knew that Michel was probably being held at gunpoint while we travelled, and that thought is still gnawing away at my mind as I stand in front of the clinic door with Garrus.

"That's weird…" he mutters. "The door lock is red, but the clinic's well within opening hours."

I could just let Garrus work it out from himself…but I'm gambling with Michel's life doing that and it's not a risk I want to take. Time to steer him in the right direction.

"Garrus, how important is this information? Did she say in the message she sent?"

"She said it was sensitive stuff, and that it was vital we saw it as soon as we could. Why do you…" His eyes suddenly widen. Good man! He's not a detective for nothing. "You think someone's come to get their information back?"

I'm already opening up the hack module on my omni-tool to get through the door. Fortunately, it's not a difficult hack, and I gain control within a few seconds.

"That's what I'm thinking." The door light flashes green. Shit, I hope that's not given it away from inside the med-clinic…thankfully, there's no gunshots from inside. I think we're clear…for now. "Information brokering is a big business, and if this information is really that important…" I shrug. "You do the rest."

"What, you think it's the Shadow Broker?" Ooh, close, Garrus, but no metaphorical cigar.

"I don't know yet," I mutter. "We can find that out afterwards. Right now, we need a plan."

"Alright." He looks thoughtful for a second, before his head suddenly snaps back up. "Open the door slightly, and we'll both go in low, take cover behind the counter. If they've got her at gunpoint, we wait for an opportunity, then take it."

"That's it?" Is this seriously what he thought before launching his one man assault during this part in Mass Effect 1? That would sound fucking crazy if I didn't already know it's going to work!

"You got a better idea?" I shake my head. "Then get the door open, nice and slow. I'll go in first, you follow behind." Okay, here goes nothing…I press a few buttons, and the door slides open silently, leaving just enough of a gap for Garrus to get through and more than enough space for myself. So far, so good. Garrus hurries in as quickly as he can, keeping low and his footsteps quiet, and I follow suit. As soon as we're both through, I shut it behind us. I can see the thugs surrounding Michel, a few pointing their guns. Alright, that's stage one of the master plan executed. Now to wait for that opportunity…we both head up the counter without being detected and adopt cover positions behind it, simultaneously drawing our pistols. I raise an eyebrow at Garrus, but he just shakes his head. We wait.

Three minutes, still nothing. Garrus is growing impatient, and I'm starting to feel my legs cramping up. Damn, this could be a no show from Shepard. Now what? I didn't exactly prepare for this kind of eventuality, so we're a little bit screwe…

One of the thugs must have gotten a little aggressive, because Michel suddenly squeals. "I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" She sounds almost on the verge of tears…poor girl. Still, this should be Shepard's cue to enter. And right on time, the clinic door slides silently open, and the Commander herself walks through the door, eyes narrowing as she takes in the situation before her. Well, here goes nothing…god, I don't like hostage situations. My thoughts start to drift back to Rebecca, but I clamp down on them hard. Now isn't the time. Michel's in danger, and I can't afford to get distracted. Plus, I need to prove to Shepard I'm good enough for her crew…and I've already planned out my course of action for that exact purpose.

"That was smart, doc," the main thug growls, wearing his eyepiece almost identical to Garrus's. That's so not cool…no wonder Garrus seems to take such delight in blowing a hole in that guy's head, I'd certainly feel fine about it if he was wearing the same T-shirt as me. "Now if Garrus and Ian come around, you stay smart." Hey, I just got referenced! I'm actually having an effect on lines in canon! That's cool now, though the implications are a little bit disturbing…I hope I haven't accidentally changed anything major the whole time I've been here. Shit, stay focused, Ian!

"Keep your mouth shut or we'll…" the merc finally twigs on Shepard, grabbing Michel by the neck and pointing his gun at the Commander. "Who are you!" he shouts, as the other thugs draw their weapons as well. Alright, get ready…

"Let her go!" Shepard shouts back, the sheer force of her voice a sharp contrast with the kinder tone she used back in the Citadel Tower. In the corner of my eye, I see Garrus edging to the corner of the cover. This is feeling awfully like a game of Time Crisis. The 'Wait!' command is flashing at the moment…

Garrus leans out of his cover, executing the goon holding Michel with a perfect headshot. He walks out, pointing his pistol at the other thugs, who start heading off to the cover on the far side of the med-clinic. Two hide behind the pillars there, one's still standing right in front of my cover…alright. Action!

The beauty of this universe is I'm not restricted by a game engine. Meaning, I can do a whole lot of shit that previously wasn't possible in-game. I bring one hand up onto the counter and vault over, launching a two footed kick at the thug in front of me. Said kick connects with his face with a solid crack, causing him to drop his gun in shock and start clutching at his face. I grab him by the collar, and spin him around so he's in-between the guy's firing at me from the pillars as I rush for cover, dragging the guy with me. The first two shots from the enemies shooting at me hit my human shield's kinetic barriers, and the third goes straight through them, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. I drop the corpse as I reach the cover on the far side of the room, getting ready to lean out and start finishing the job. That was one hell of a risky move for me, though, considering I've only got an extremely weak shield over my jacket, t-shirt and jeans, but if that's what it takes to impress Shepard…

Speaking of which, the N7 soldier has already sprung into action during my little manoeuvre, blue light flaring up around her before she launches what looks like a warp at the thug adjacent to me, colliding with him at huge speed and sending him straight to the deck. Ah, so she's a biotic! I guess we'll see whether it's Vanguard or Adept later on…I've got my fingers crossed for Adept, anyhow. Kaidan and Ashley double-team the last guy, Kaidan pulls him out of cover biotically as Ash gets ready to shoot him with her assault rifle. Suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, there's a huge roar as something large and resembling a lizard comes charging past my cover wielding a shotgun, and shoots the floating thug in the chest with it at almost point blank range. There's a sickening noise as the shells tear through flesh and bone, leaving an absolutely huge mess over the wall and floor as Kaidan lets the body fall. I've never seen a shotgun used in this universe before…and fuck me, that was disgusting. But on the bright side, looks like Shepard already managed to get Wrex signed on, and all the fun that's going to entail.

The krogan in question whirls around, frown firmly set on his stony face.

"I signed onto this mission to kill a turian, Shepard, not help one," Urdnot Wrex growls, deep voice reverberating around the room.

Something tells me this is going to be one hell of a crew to work with.

A/N: Alright! Chapter 1 is done! This is the kind of length you can probably expect for most chapters…actually, the majority will probably be a bit longer than this. Yay!

So, next time will have Garrus and myself being brought into the cue, the inevitable chasing down of Tali, Shepard's Spectre inauguration and maybe even Ian's first glimpse of the Normandy! Fun times ahead!

Of course, your reviews are more than welcome. Hope that's got it off to a good start for everyone…see you next time!