Still amazed by the incredible sight of the Citadel, Alex would've preferred to further look at—but Shepard readies her crew to leave.
As promised, Ashley hands him his repaired [Heavy Onyx Armor], and Alex quickly re-equips his other gear and finally wears his repaired armor again.
"Thanks, Ashley," Alex says with a grin as they both catch up to Shepard. As members of the team responsible for the Eden Prime mission, their presence is required.
Alex, Kaidan, Ashley, and even the slightly injured Jenkins all follow the Commander outside as the Normandy docks inside a hangar near the Presidium.
The moment Alex steps off the Normandy and sets foot on the Citadel, a system message appears.
[Player has reached the Citadel.]
[Supporter Menchi summoned.]
[Pet Jewel summoned.]
What?
Alex looks toward the edge of the hangar and sees Menchi appear—with Jewel perched on her head.
She steps forward, visibly disoriented as she tries to get her bearings, but almost immediately a man—flanked by two armed Alliance soldiers—approaches her with authority.
Alex recognizes him right away. Ambassador Udina.
"You there, how did you get here? This entire docking bay is reserved for Alliance use! How can a civilian like you enter without authorization?"
Shit… not a great start.
One of the soldiers steps closer to Menchi. "Show me your authorisation or I'll have to call C-Sec immediately!"
"Ah, so that's how it works," Menchi mutters. Alex sees a small system interface flicker into view in front of her.
Princess Jewel is confused!
Menchi calmly extends her left arm, activating her omni-tool, which displays her license.
"Ambassador Udina, that woman's cleared," the other soldier says. "Name's Menchi Kerber. She briefly served in the Alliance as a cook, quit a year ago, but she's still in the reserves and retains access. She also submitted a visitation request for this hanger. Said she expected her brother to arrive. It was approved by the Alliance staff."
Udina glares at Menchi, clearly skeptical. He doesn't seem to notice Jewel, who now clings to her back with Zetsu, completely concealed. Still, he manages a stiff apology.
"Sorry about that, Miss Kerber. I'm a little on edge. These are… difficult times… for all of us! The fate of Humanity itself rests on my shoulders. Sorry, I have to move on"
Just then, Alex, Anderson, Shepard, and the rest of the squad exit the Normandy. Udina turns toward them.
"Welcome back. We need to move quickly. Before your formal audience, I've already successfully requested for an emergency hearing with the Council. Follow me!"
His eyes then lock onto Alex. "Kerber, right? Your sister can follow along—so long as she keeps her distance."
"I thought you were married when I heard her name, Lieutenant," Ashley jokes, grinning. "She sure doesn't look like your sister. I like her style, though!"
Menchi walks over and gives Alex a brief hug.
"Your sister's got an interesting pet. I was about to shoot it," Shepard says, clearly eyeing Jewel, who peeks out from behind Menchi's shoulder.
"Please don't. That's actually my pet—she's just taking care of her for now."
"I'm not seeing anything," Anderson mutters. The others look around, equally puzzled.
"If your pet causes trouble, Kerber, I'll hold you responsible," Shepard says with a grin. "Now tell it to stop hiding. I want to take a closer look at it."
"Fine. Come here, Jewel," Alex says, holding out his hands.
Jewel gracefully leaps into them and climbs onto his head, softly rubbing her body against it.
"What?!"
"Spider!"
"What is that?!"
Everyone stares in shock at Jewel's sudden appearance.
"Jewel, huh?" Shepard says, eyeing her Purple body and red eyes closely. "Certainly inspired by her looks, I take it?"
Soulmate… Princess Jewel is not afraid, but she senses that this version of Commander Shepard is powerful—enough to make even her feel wary.
Jewel gently extends one of her legs. Shepard leans in and grabs it.
"Smooth and cold… I rather like it," Shepard says, intrigued.
"Let's go, Commander. You can play with the Lieutenant's pet later," Udina interrupts. "I wonder how that spider made it past C-Sec. Looks like they were either bribed or asleep."
"Heh. They also let through Hanar—giant levitating jellyfish with glowing tentacles," Alex remarks as they head toward the nearby elevator.
"You'd better be careful not to make comments like that once we're in the Presidium, Kerber," Udina warns, visibly annoyed. "Offend the wrong species and they'll never leave you alone. Trust me on that."
Heh, found out the hard way, huh?
On the way, Alex slows down intentionally to speak with Menchi and Jewel.
"Short update—Eden Prime went about how I expected. Managed to save Jenkins, though. You saw him."
Menchi smiles. "Good job. Saving lives is always worth praise. Anything different from what you expected?"
Alex quickly summarizes the mission and the differences from canon, highlighting the difficulty, and talking to them about his loot.
"So straight from jail into space? Sounds like quite the adventure, also you say the equipment is all Light-Blue? Interesting! Let's bring back as much as we can," Menchi inquires.
As they approach Udina's office at the Presidium—a near-utopian looking sector of the Citadel filled with flowing rivers, endless bridges connecting both sides of it, lush green trees, and sleek, beautiful architecture—Alex slows again.
"Anyway, 'sister'—I'm keeping 10,000 credits. The rest are yours. You'll need a place to live. I'd prefer not to ask the Captain for help, but if you can't find anything, he might help you out. He's staying on the Citadel, so reach out if needed. I'd say he owes me by now."
He continues, "The credits should get you started. Also, looks like the system created valid IDs for you. If needed, try selling a [Gold Bar] or two. If they're worthless here, don't waste them—they'll be useful in other worlds."
Alex holds out his arm. "Let me see your omni-tool. That way I can contact you and send more Credits later if I don't need them."
He quickly transfers his remaining credits, keeping 10,000 for himself as promised. He also adds her to his contacts, allowing them to stay in touch.
"Why do you want to keep the Credits, my dear brother?" Menchi asks, teasingly. "I'm glad you're helping your sweet sister get started—but can you even spend the other Credits out here in space?"
"I managed to buy two Light-Blue weapons on the Normandy, and the Alliance Requisitions Officer on board might allow me a few more chances to buy stuff. Also, we'll visit various planets, allowing me to spend Credits at local stores. I might also need it to bribe people. When I feel like I can't spend them wisely, I'll send you the rest. This time however, do not just focus on food and cooking, but also buy as many useful things as possible. Update me if you need Credits, and I'll see what I can do! Might as well start working part-time for a Volus or something. If you get rejected, offer to work for free or for a place to sleep or something. You need opportunities to sell your wares and earn Credits. Once you're doing fine, do whatever you want. Take a low-risk approach and try to earn some Credits. Worst comes to worst, you should take Jewel to the Flux and play some Quasar… with her LUK she'll most likely win! Be careful not to get caught by the owner, who is also a Volus… as you know, Volus are the greediest merchants in this galaxy. Might learn a thing or two from them, actually," Alex comments.
"Well, I studied the lore as well, but now that I'm here, I'm slightly shocked… the sheer scope of this station! There are millions living here."
"Only around 13 million," Alex explains. "Cities like Tokyo are even larger. Also, do not be deceived! It would surprise me if you could freely move here. The system loves to trick you into believing it has thrown you into a completely endless world, but it's mostly deception. I'd expect your papers only allow you to access certain locations, and since you are a non-combat follower, you can't force yourself through other areas. This is all about you playing the system's games. However, that is more than fine. You just need to use the limited opportunities given."
Don't worry, Soulmate! Princess Jewel will guide Menchi to a profitable future. She knows all there is to know about this world!
As they reach their office, Alex stops and hugs Menchi, then gently lifts Jewel down and pets her.
"Do your best. If things go wrong, I'll send you Anderson's contact later. Keep me updated!" Alex says.
Menchi waves him goodbye, "Good luck! Don't worry about us, do your best."
"Well, we're staying for a while. Maybe we'll see each other later. If not, we'll write each other. Good luck to you two as well!" Alex says, rejoining the others.
Leaving Menchi and a quite disappointed, sad-looking Jewel behind, the group heads into Udina's office.
"Said your goodbyes already?" Kaidan asks.
"Yeah. Gave my spider a hug while my sister took most of my money and plans to set up a little business. If we need contacts, we can turn to them. She'll also update me on what's going on in the Citadel."
"I'll keep it in mind," Shepard chimes in, as Udina works at his computer, trying to connect to the Council. Anderson waits nearby, arms crossed.
"It's always nice to have more contacts, especially if they're independent. Send me your sister's information later. She's also a real cutie," Shepard adds.
Fucking pick-up artist. She might even actually go for it. This Shepard is scary in more ways than one.
"She can be quite… domineering," Alex mutters.
Shepard suddenly steps in close, her face almost touching his. "Do I look like I'm afraid?"
What is up with her?!
Alex turns his head aside, avoiding eye contact. "No, Commander."
Shepard laughs softly and steps away, moving closer to Udina as he begins speaking with the Council.
"Looks like you've got a target on your back, Lieutenant. This reminds me of how I used to deal with my brothers back home," Ashley says.
Kaidan glances at Alex with a half-apologetic look. "Glad I'm not in your position. That looks uncomfortable."
Meanwhile, Jenkins continues to stare out the window, eyes wide as he gazes across the Presidium's shimmering river and skyline.
Alex tunes in as Udina argues with the Council. They try to defuse him, taking a passive stance.
"This is an outrage!" Udina shouts. "The Council would step in if the Geth attacked a Turian colony!"
The Salarian Councillor, robed and marked with pale stripes across his frog-like face, replies, "The Turians don't found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador."
Alex clicks his tongue, commenting, "What does a Geth attack have to do with the Terminus Systems? This is an obvious straw man."
This frog-faced bastard never made sense even in the game. Salarians are supposed to be smart, but this one? What a bold-faced liar. At least the Turian Councillor is blunt and honest.
Udina barely registers Alex's muttered complaint, deciding not to take a risk and continues. "What about Saren, then? You can't ignore a rogue Spectre!"
The Asari Councillor, her soft blue skin also traced with elegant white markings, responds calmly, "Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before."
Alex, despite his dislike for her character, can't help but stare at the beautiful Asari in front of him. They look strikingly similar to human women, but their skin usually ranges from light purple to deep blue. Instead of hair, they have distinct scalp-crests—rigid, horn-like ridges shaped vaguely like strands of hair, flowing backwards, but completely stiff, never moving through the air.
Damn, they're hot. Good thing only Udina's visible through this call.
"We expect the results of the investigation in around three hours. We'll discuss it at that point," the Asari Councillor concludes, ending the transmission.
"Anderson! You and your team had better convince the Council at the hearing, or we're all going to be in serious trouble! This isn't just about Eden Prime—it's about the credibility of humanity as a whole," Udina snaps.
Anderson nods, staying calm. "We'll do our best. In the meantime, Commander, you may want to get acquainted with the Citadel. You can meet me and the Ambassador at the top of the Citadel Tower. I'll make sure your team gets clearance."
Then he turns around sharply, obviously irriated. "Also—Jenkins! Stop gawking out the damn window and pay attention! You worry me, son, you missed the entire conversation. You're sticking with me for now. You'll only slow the Commander down!"
"Woah—sorry, Captain! I was just… looking," Jenkins replies, sheepishly stepping back.
I've got 10,000 Credits… maybe I can go shopping? Although I'm more or less stuck to Shepard for now, I guess I'll stay close—for the time being.
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