Again, thanks to everyone who allowed the use of their creatures in this story but I'm always willing to accept more. It doesn't have to be a creature, it could be an idea for a new ulie breed, or just a cool little idea.

I got the idea for the Ossharns from my love of fungus biology and Clown Fish, the anemones they live with are poisonous but they are immune to them. Or the Silent ulies, you'll be reading more about them later in the story, but I got the idea for them from one of my favourite horror games. (Like you can't guess which one.)

Sarah

1989 – 2011

Don't Fear the Reaper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mass Effect / Spore ~~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manifest Destiny

Chapter Three: The Roaring Ladrothia

Zanthi could not deny the SEV Capia was a nice looking ship and that its was one of the most promising and advanced ships in the the galaxy... at least by Citadel standards. But by Apherian standards the SEV Capia wasn't even one tenth of the ship it could be and Zanthi wondered if the Empire was building a twin beyond the Shattered Relic in compliance to their own building codes and construction regulations. It wasn't that the ship didn't have an interstellar drive or slip-space generator that made Zanthi anxious, she understood that the Capia was built in part to help the Empire understand the workings of mass effect technology, so the Capia had a mass effect drive instead. The Council had argued with the Empire for many months about integrating the slip-space generator technology onto the ship as well, much to their chagrin, the Empire steadfastly refused. If the Council, or worst, the Terminus races got their hands on technology that pretty much enabled near instantaneous travel to anywhere within a twenty-five thousand light-year radius, the young races would no doubt drive themselves to extinction over needless war and ancient grudges.

No; as the fair furred Commander walked down to the Medical Bay, Zanthi's most worrying thing about this ship was that it had no AI overseer. The VI protocols which had replaced the AI on the Capia just could not handle the same level of information from Life Support, Offensive and Defensive Hacking, Hull Defense and Crew Support. That worried Zanthi something terrible; more than once an Empire ship's AI overseer had saved the lives of it's host's crew. In terms of Apherian technology everything, from the stealth systems to the crew sleeper pods, was sub-standard. Only to the races outside of the Empire was it ground-breaking. She did have great expectations of the crew, however, Commodore Ackersan had claw-picked the crew to help compensate for the lack of AI support and Zanthi couldn't say the Empire had not gained anything from the Capia project as the insight into mass effect technology and how to integrate it into everyday life would serve the Empire well.

Still. Couldn't these systems be tested on commercial craft first? Why a warship? And by the All-Maker! Why a stealth warship? Zanthi knew they were questions she was unlikely to ever get answers for, either from the Empire, the Alliance, or the All-Maker itself. No doubt the High Council and the Alliance Parliament knew what they were doing, Zanthi just hoped the Citadel Council didn't think it 'entitled' them to make outlandish claims to the Terminus races, the Apherian Empire could not become a power statement to be banded about by some young government like an akrili whelp brandishing a stick.

Zanthi caught sight of the dining hall and, after thinking for about a second about how some chivey soup might help her calm down a bit, she detoured to get something to eat before reporting in with the medical team. She was frustrated, somewhat confused, angry from being ordered away from the arms of her troop members and their warm hearts, and she was very irritable because of it. As she punched in the holographic buttons to order some food she heard Poske's flight motors hum and his weight lift from her armour case. He landed on a corner of the nearest table and with her chivey soup steaming in a bowl she took the nearest seat to him. The cybri drone's four optics stared up at her as she blew onto the soup to cool it then took a sip. "I'm acting like an ooran with a bad braincase, aren't I?" she asked, licking her lips.

Poske beeped and whistled.

"You moche! I'm not that bad!" Zanthi growled at her drone.

Poske responded with a sing-song trill, paying no attention to the ulie's growling which stopped abruptly as he finished his sentence.

"Oh... yeah... the Guardians at the barrier." Zanthi said quietly, remembering how she snapped at the ulie guards stopping the civilians from getting too close to the ship as they stopped her and Nihlus when asking for the turian to show his ID. The female sighed tiredly. "Why me Poske? If this is just a shakedown cruise why we got a full crew and innards? And cancelling leave, that's not normal for the Empire or the Big AP. What's going on?"

The drone whistled and bleeped quickly.

"Really. Then how do you explain Nihlus?" Zanthi asked, effectively cutting Poske's argument. "A government does not send a bruiser of his skill on a shakedown cruise no matter how important the new sprockets is to them. Something huge is going to happen and I would prefer to be downwind when it gets to the All Maker's maw."

Poske remained quiet, computing what his Commander and best friend had said while she drank the rest of her soup. Zanthi put forward a valid argument and Poske could not think of anything he could say that may help to alleviate her worries. He chimed in a non-committal way.

"You pretend to believe that, and I'll pretend to believe you." Zanthi said draining the last of the soup from the bowl and swallowing the lumps of meat and vegetables. Poske took to the air again as the Commander placed her bowl into the automated cleaner to be used again when needed. "Can't put the prodding off any longer, let's go." she sighed.

Poske beeped and flew after his Commander, his flight motors whirring pleasantly as she walked towards the Medical Bay.

~~~~~~~~~~ ME / S ~~~~~~~~~~

The medical team consisted of two ulies (including Chakan), a chornt, an attix, a human and a devio. All had served on military vessels previously and were highly experienced. That had Carili Chakan wondering if this really was just a shakedown cruise. They had a full crew and there were only a few cadets, and even they had earned impressive titles. Chakan was helping Kri Ut, the female attix on her team, sort through the medical supplies and making sure they were marked properly and in their correct places. The devio was an older member of his race, his wings ragged and lightly torn from years of use, was typing notes and amounts of medical substances and pills onto his PMC as Chakan and Ut read out the information on each of the vials and drips. Vern Der Pa'kosh Devio had built his PMC with years of experience in his field of work under his hands, he designed it to help with his stock control with the medical team's supplies to keep track of how much of what drug was used and who it was used on. An important position, considering that one races' headache tablet could be another races' most potent poison.

It was he that saw the ulie warrior and the cybri drone enter and he took over from Carili as she went to greet the Commander and the ship's only AI crew member.. "Doctor Chakan?"

The doctor nodded, allowing the light furred female to press her paws against her own. "Legendary Commander Zanthi Shenpar, I have come to report in." Carili looked a little shocked when the younger female introduced herself but recovered quickly, now sure that the crew must have been chosen for a mission of importance after the shakedown. This young female was not 'just a another mission' material.

Poske chimed next to her, hovering beside Zanthi's ear.

"It is an honour to meet you both. But I'm sorry to say my Cybrin is not the most impressive, Warrior Poske."

The drone suddenly whirred mechanically as he re-routed his communication systems before addressing Chakan again. "Very sorry, Healer. Should'a changed ma sprockets and cogs the moment I got to the bird." Red was an old Apher dialect originating in the ancient Golden Nation and was the ulie equivalent to the human's Cockney Rhyming Slang, without the rhyming. The Red Streams were the masters of this eccentric dialect and with their rise it had unofficially been named after them. It made sense that Zanthi and Poske spoke it; Zanthi had been the Alpha of the troop that had founded the Red Streams and she had probably taught it to the orphan rovers in her care. Poske had been with Zanthi since she was a pup and had learnt from her too.

"Sorry, Doctor. I've been meaning to teach him to lessen his accent." the Commander explained.

Chakan just shook her head to show it wasn't that much of a problem. "Thank you, Poske, Doctor Kintyre can prepare the diagnostics terminal for your maintenance report. She's the only chornt on the medical team, I saw her last in the back room checking the computers." Poske thanked her and then flew past the two ulies and disappeared into the back of the medical bay as Zanthi removed her armour and clothes sack, leaving them out of the way before sitting on the nearest bed and taking off her shirt. Chakan had already pulled Zanthi's files and medical history from the terminal on her desk before standing in front of the younger female. For someone who was as well received as Zanthi was, she was rather mysterious in terms of her medical history. The earliest file the Empire had of her past health came from when she was thirteen. A broken arm from a fall that a concerned ulie office-chief had paid to have set and plastered; to ensure that Zanthi's arm healed correctly. After the female had joined the Alliance military her medical reports were much more accountable.

"Legendary Commander, Zanthi Shenpar. Mixed blood. Rover on Apher."

"That's me, a pure bred mongrel." Zanthi said with humour in her voice.

The Chief Doctor smiled. Setting down her data pad she began combing through Zanthi's pale fur and chestnut mane.

"How's your history with parasite's Commander? Your files don't have details on anything mundane." Chakan asked parting Zanthi's slightly course fur to see if there were any tell-tale scars.

"Never had much of a problem with fleas. Always had a healthy stock of flea shampoo while I was a rover, the stuff was free in every clinic so I had no excuse not to have any." Zanthi explained. Chakan made agreeing noises knowing full well that shampoo treatments for everyday parasites were indeed free on every ulie colonized world. "I did get skinworms when I was younger but that was treated quickly."

"Skinworms? They're a bit more serious than fleas, why isn't this in your file?"

"Got them when I was four, my mother knew a lot of troops, some were in medical professions. My mother knew how to get things we needed and she was very reclusive. I imagine she asked the troop to keep it off records and having caught the worms early enough they humoured her."

"I see. No worries then. You might want to note it down in your files even though you can't remember much of it yourself." The Commander's pelt was clean and healthy, despite the fur being a bit course, but that was expected from a rover. "Head please." Zanthi allowed Chakan to examine her scars and hetrochromia eyes, blue on the right, green on the left. Checking her ears for lice or soreness Doctor Chakan then looked at her teeth, which apart from being a bit worn for her age garnered no concern from the Chief Doctor. A full-body scan was the last bit of information needed by the Medical staff before Zanthi could begin her service on the Capia. When the scan was complete and Zanthi's health noted on the computers Chakan allowed her to leave and she was followed shortly after by Poske, who had needed one of his micro-bolts in his right arm replacing.

With all the official reports done, the Capia was free to leave port and as Zanthi sorted everything into her locker and dressed into her military coats and fur bindings she felt the craft moving and the inertia as it took off through the void of space surrounding Aturus.

It was time for her to greet the crew properly and explore the Capia's nooks and crannies, Zanthi preferred a much more paws-on approach when it came to leadership, it worked with her little troop while she was a rover and with the Eylsia colonists. Her first stop would be the bridge, she wanted to meet the Tropic male who had been designated as Chief Helmsman for the ship, 'Joker's' commendations were astounding. Her stride was strong and full of purpose as she walked through the CIC receiving salutes and greetings as she made her way to the bridge and she listened to the Tropic pilot's voice over the communication lines as they approached the relay to take them out of the system.

Zanthi reached the bridge in time to witness the Capia's first relay jump. The turian Spectre, Nihlus, was there too and Kaden Amenka, the large Common male that she had seen with the pilot when she had first got into the ship, was sitting at a secondary systems monitoring station to the right of the pilot.

"Hitting the relay in three... two... one." Zanthi felt the tug of the jump pull her backwards but she had served on ships long enough to stay on her feet and the tall figure of Nihlus didn't seem to even move from the recoil the ship experienced when it reached the next system, she stood behind the pilot's chair. "Thrusters, check. Navigation, check. Heat dispersal, green. Internal heat transmission sinks, engaged. All systems online and showing green. Drift, just under eight hundred K."

"Eight hundred is good, the Commodore will be pleased." Nihlus said and left, nodding to Zanthi as he past her.

"I hate that male." Joker said suddenly, making sure the turian was out of earshot, the Tropic male's bay and brown fur was stood slightly on end from irritation and his ears were laid back in aggression.

"Nihlus gave you a compliment," Kaden directed to the small tropic, though Zanthi noticed his eyes were on her "I thought that any compliment coming from a person like Nihlus would have been cause for an inflated ego."

"Remembering to make sure you're properly sheathed before coming out of the public convenience, that's good. I just jumped us across the galaxy using a piece of technology designed from ancient alien artefacts and hit a target the size of a clawtip, that, Amenka, is incredible!" Joker explained to the larger male, who rolled his eyes and continued to look at the monitor in front of him while the Tropic pilot ranted. Zanthi remained quiet and just listened to the banter between the two. Poske had floated off to do his own thing at one of the other terminals on the bridge. "Besides, Council Spectres are trouble, something always happens around them because they're too heavy handed. With one of our Apherian Spirits, you don't know they're there until they've put the bullet in your head, and even then you'll wonder if it was them. Call me paranoid if you want but Nihlus on this ship means something else is going on."

"You're paranoid." Kaden said, and Zanthi wondered if the large male was saying that for Joker's sake, or for his own peace of mind. "For the Council races, the Capia symbolises a chance to advance, it's not that unreasonable that they wouldn't send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Maybe, but investment or not, you do not send a Spectre on a shakedown run." Zanthi said seeing Joker jump slightly in his chair and turn his head to look at her.

"Commander Shenpar! Sorry I didn't see you." Joker said quickly, ears drooping in submission. "You agree with me? About Nihlus?"

Zanthi nodded, and saw Kaden's ears perk in interest but he kept his eyes on the monitor.

"So there is more going on than the Commodore says..." a communications line beeped and flashed before Joker could continue what he had been saying and Commodore Ackersan's voice barked at the pilot.

"Joker, status report."

"Just cleared the mass relay, Commodore. Stealth systems have been engaged and everything is looking solid."

"Good. Find a Comm Buoy and send the reports to the Alliance."

"Yes Alpha." Joker replied, then quickly stated "Alpha, I think Nihlus is looking for you."

"He's found me, Pilot. Tell the Commander to meet me and Nihlus for Debriefing." The comm line went silent and the pilot turned his head to look at Zanthi.

"You got that, Commander?"

"Like calm water. Ackersan sounded angry, something's gone wrong already."

"Don't read too much into it, the Commodore always sounds angry to me." Joker said as she left.

"Can't possibly imagine why." she heard Kaden say towards the pilot.

Zanthi chuckled to herself as Poske came back to floating beside her. "No, Poske, you stay here and keep your optics on the pilot. He seems to be one of those that has a habit of running the gossip mills on birds, help with the monitoring or so and I'll call you when I need you." she explained to the cybri.

"Right'o Boss." Poske said, saluting and drifting back to the cockpit. The Debriefing room was at the back of the CIC and as she past Navigation Zanthi overheard an ulie male arguing over his PMC comm with someone elsewhere on the ship, it seemed everyone on the crew had suspicions about the mission and the well reason a Spectre was here. Not that she could blame them, the Apherian Empire and the Alliance militarises did not hold Spectres in high regard ever since one of the Council's best operatives tried to cast doubt over their own Commodore Ackersan about fourteen years ago, no one save the higher Alphas and Admirals knew what circumstances these were made in, but it had quickly spread down the ranks that Council Spectres were not to be trusted. The Council was still trying to repair the diplomatic fallout that had occurred after it.

Nearing the door to the Communications Room Zanthi saw Doctor Chakan talking to a young male attix in military coats and his bio-illuminesence flashing quickly with excitement. Attix did not have vocal cords and so could not speak, instead the ape-like felines used bio-illumisent veins over their faces, torso, arms, hands, legs and feet to communicate between themselves and other races. Being one of the more widespread Imperial races almost all Apherian races knew the meaning of the attix luminescent patterns and could enjoy quite an in-depth conversation with one. The Council and Terminus races used their omni-tools as a translator when talking to them. The ID on the young male's military coats identified him as Great Cadet Richar Jemli and was one of the few Cadets posted to the Capia. "Jem that's ridiculus! After everything that happened the Commodore will take no orders from a Spectre."

The male's markings lit up in whites, blues, and bright pinks as he responded to the Doctor, his excitement causing his bright words to sound broken in some places and from Zanthi's own translation of the bright marks. "Not much his choice. The Empire clamp down on Spectre activities in Imperial space, but they still have privileges." Richar's bio-luminesence was flashing so fast at some points Zanthi couldn't keep up and it made him seem a bit simple, but it was just his excitement. "Spectre do whatever it takes to complete his mission, kill anyone, anything that get in his way."

"You're watching to many of those Spirit vids, Jemli." The two realised Zanthi was approaching and the young cadet saluted.

"What you think Commander? We won't be standing about for long, will we. Like some real action!"

"I hope you are kidding, Cadet." Chakan said with a growl, her ears drawn back aggressively. "Your real action normally has me patching up crew members in the Medical Bay." Jemli's markings glowed dimly blue to pacify the Doctor. That was Zanthi's cue to set the excitable male straight.

"Calm down, Cadet. You are a warrior of the Empire, your strengths will be seen through many battles, there can be no short cuts through ranks. You earn them from those you serve with. You have nothing to prove here because we will see what you are capable of."

"Sorry Commander, Doctor Chakan. But this mission is a wind up, when is the real thing going to start."

"Treat it like every other mission and come back to your loved ones breathing." Zanthi said, remembering glumly about little Recca, Uyenn, Kuear and Oend back at the Red Stream barracks on Eylsia and the home of her growing troop. She had promised those little pups some quality time, until the Alliance had cancelled her leave. "You're from Eden Prime aren't you, Jemli? What's it like?"

"Very peaceful, Commander. Is mostly an attix and human dominated world, Eden boast the largest human population off of Earth and we get on well. Other races there as well of course, but attix and humans mostly." Richar explained with obvious pride for his home colony. "Local government very careful with development and with local ulie terraform fleet economics. My great aunt would take me to a big hill and stare at the lights from the main settlement, we would try to guess what kind of space craft were docking at the city from the silhouettes in the sky as they past overhead. Beautiful. But I got older, and settlement became too peaceful, that's why I joined the Alliance. Paradise got boring."

"Any idea why Eden Prime would be the Capia's destination?" Zanthi asked, she had never been to the colony and so didn't know what kind of resources the planet had or its potential.

"No Commander. Eden is stable colony, is good place for shake down run I guess. But there must be something else too we have a Spectre with us! I can't wait for the real mission to start!"

"I agree with the Cadet on that one, Shenpar.." Chakan said "Spectres are agents to the Council, everything they see, the Citadel Council will know. They're like the Apherian Spirits in that sense, but a lot more heavy-handed."

"Yes, Joker said something very similar to that." Zanthi remembered. "I best get going, the Commodore is waiting for me."

"Commander."

"Commander."

~~~~~~~~~~ ME/S ~~~~~~~~~~

The Communications Room was a circular room with eight seats and a 3D holoscreen terminal at the far end opposite the entrance, as Zanthi entered she saw the tall lithe figure of Nihlus, the Spectre that was causing such commotion on the Capia by just his presence alone. He was using the holoscreen to look at one of the many vistas Eden Prime was famous for. Hearing movement, Nihlus turned his head to see the ulie Commander approach and turned fully to face her.

"Commander Shenpar, I was hoping you'd get here first. I'd like to talk with you for a moment."

"What about?" Zanthi asked, hoping she sounded friendly and that her suspicions weren't heard over her voice.

"I'd like to know more about this world we're going to," he explained, pointing to the 3D holo behind him "Eden Prime, I've heard it's quite beautiful."

"I've never been there myself, but they say it's a paradise."

"A paradise, yes. It was one of the Empire's first colonies past the Silent Relay wasn't it?"

"Yes, but it was started up by attix and humans and both species tend to be somewhat... flippant, about defending their people."

"What do you mean?"

"Eden Prime boasts a large human presence and many races other than them and the attix call the planet their home, according to our young Cadet Jemli." Zanthi said, remembering the information she had got from talking with the young attix "but the fleet that protects the planet is small." Zanthi explained, knowing full well that the attix Matriarch Coven that governed the planet probably depended on the protection offered by being close to a major trading port. The defensive fleets of nearby systems would come to their aid if is was ever needed. Much like Eylsia did... until the Skylian Raid.

"You have doubts the colony could protect itself if attacked?" Nihlus asked.

"I have doubts about the Matriarch Coven taking the security of their people seriously. I have no doubts about the people themselves taking their security seriously. Our fleets would move in to protect the planet, given time, but both attix and humans are remarkable at guerilla warfare. Any occupying force would be hounded and weakened constantly." Zanthi explained. "Why do you ask?" She asked, ears laying back against her mane and her eyes narrowing at the turian.

"Always expect trouble, Shenpar." Nihlus said "Is your Empire truly ready for the rest of the galaxy? Your people are idealistic and the races of the Terminus are anything but. Do you truly believe that your Empire's ways are going to change anything?"

"It has worked well over the past one million years for us, Spectre Nihlus. When you reach our age, you will come to see the patterns in the universe." Zanthi explained.

"So we're just a pattern?" the turian asked without anger or irritation in his voice.

"No. The exemption to the pattern we know." Nihlus was obviously not expecting that for an anwser; his mandibles slackened slightly.

"I don't follow?"

"Think about it, Nihlus." Zanthi said, her own green and blue eyes looking the tall male straight into his bright orbs. "Of all the places for the Apherian Empire to grow and become the oldest power in the galaxy, its in the Second Arm. There, we found the other races, we extended our paws in friendship and, for some, we had to defend our borders from them before they came to see us as their closest allies. Yet, the youngest race we have in the Empire are the chornts, their space age is some one hundred thousand years old. Compare that to the asari, four thousand years." Zanthi paused, allowing her words to sink in. "That is how long the asari have been travelling the stars, Nihlus. Where are your older races? Where are the Protheans? Where are the ones who came before them? The Empire finds it... worrisome... that the only place you find the older races in the galaxy; is in the only Galactic Arm that does not have mass relays. If the Protheans are your forebearers, and they built the mass relays, Nihlus. How, by the All Maker's Maw, are talking to me?"

Nihlus was silent.

It was then that Commodore Ackersan made his entrance. A look at the Spectre had the Commodore wondering what had happened between the turian and the Commander. "Is something wrong?"

Nihlus shook himself from his thoughts at the male's question "No Commodore. The Commander just gave me a little food for thought. I believe that's the saying, yes?"

"A human one, yes." Zanthi agreed.

"In that case, I think it's time we told the Commander what's really going on." Ackersan said as he came to stand beside them.

"This is far more than a simple shakedown run, Shenpar. But I imagine you and most of the crew have guessed that." Nihlus said. Zanthi nodded her head and smirked at the Commodore in a kindly manner.

"We figured there was something you weren't telling us." the female said with a humorous tone to her voice. But it quickly vanished when the Commodore gave her low growl, this was serious, the growl was to get her back in line and back into her military mindset.

"We are making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime, that's why we needed the stealth systems operational." the Commodore explained.

"There must be a reason you didn't inform me about this, Alpha?" Shenpar asked, choosing her words carefully.

"This mission comes right from the top, Commander. Information was need to know basis only." the Commodore explained. "Colonists on Eden Prime discovered an artefact while building a new transport hub from one of their main settlements. Reports have come back absolute that it is Prothean. A beacon of some sort."

"I see. That explains a lot. What are we doing, Commodore?" Zanthi asked.

"Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities or the expertise to handle a Prothean artefact and the Empire has agreed to take it back to the Citadel for proper study, with the understanding of sharing whatever knowledge can be gleaned from it."

"Obviously this goes beyond mere Apherian interests Commander," Nihlus stated "this beacon could effect every species in Council space."

"'Always expect trouble'. I see now. What trouble are you expecting?" Zanthi asked the dark turian.

"Pirates, slavers, madmen, grazing cattle blocking a road. Anything."

"The beacon is not the only reason Nihlus is here, Shenpar, he's going to be evaluating you." Ackersan said. Zanthi's ears perked slightly, but her fur stood on end from the ominous note to the Commodore's voice. It put her on edge and she couldn't help the slight growl that accompanied her voice.

"What's going on Commodore? Is this a Spectre evaluation?" she stared at Ackersan making it clear she wanted her answers from him. Why he of all ulies, would allow this.

"Ease Commander. This will not be like my time those years ago. Should your evaluation go well and you take the position of a Spectre think about the good it will do. Empire relations with the Citadel, particularly Council races, took a huge blow after my attempt and the politicians are still trying to heal the wounds fourteen years on. If anything, an Apherian Spectre will be able to put forth Apherian concerns and will allow our citizens to regain their trust in the Citadel races."

"Shenpar, the Spectres, we are an elite group. It is rare for us to find an individual with the skills that we seek." Nihlus explained, "After the incident involving Commodore Ackersan and Agent Saren our recruitment lists have become extremely small. Promising men and women are refusing to join for all manner of reasons, asari and salarians particularly as their militaries are often dependant on their governments and governments are dependant on friendly diplomatics with the Empire."

"So I'm just a bandage?" Zanthi said. She couldn't help but feel extremely upset she was being used as some sort of barter.

"No. You are not." Nihlus said with a hard voice and the Commodore levelling his gaze on the shorter female. "While you would help in brokering at least a reprieve on the diplomatic side of things you will have every right and privilege that comes with being a Spectre. You held off an enemy assault single-handed, rallying civilians and turning just a handful of soldiers into a deadly but effective fire team. You showed not only outstanding courage but also incredible skills that allowed you to save an unbelievable amount of people. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."

The Commander relaxed, but her ears flicked up at the revelation Nihlus had made. "You put my name down?"

"Not all turians resent the Empire, Commander." Nihlus explained, sounding much more relaxed, like a burden had been lifted from him. "Many races see the great potential of earning the Empire's trust. Every race knows what the Empire could offer to the galaxy once that trust is found... but the Spectres just want the individuals who can get the job done any way they can. The politicians can spin whatever they want on it, Shenpar. Just show us what you can do for the rest of galaxy."

Zanthi lowered her eyes as she tried to let it all make sense. Now she saw why Nihlus had met her at the shuttle off Eylsia, it was to build a rapport with her as early as possible before the mission. It all made so much sense. Once Jemli heard about this the good Doctor was never going to hear the end of it.

"I'm guessing the Senate of Species and the Warriors Council all agree with this?" the Commander finally asked Ackersan. Silently agreeing.

"Yes, although several kylos, melosians, racions and others on the Warriors Council did fight hard for you. They are all in agreement now, some more so than others." Ackersan said.

"Very well, Nihlus. What happens now?"

"I need to see your skills for myself Commander. Eden Prime will be one of several missions together." the turian explained.

"You'll be in charge of the ground team." the Commodore said, taking over the conversation "Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship, Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission."

"Give the word Commodore and I'll be ready." Zanthi said.

"We should be getting close to Eden..."

"Commodore! We've got a problem!" Joker's voice sounded over the comm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mass Effect / Spore ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally got another out. With work and everything else going on it's been an uphill struggle for me to get things out. I'll try my best to do better in the future.