Shepard, Kaidan, Ashley, and Alex leave Udina's office and find themselves at the heart of the Citadel's Presidium—the embassies.
"Any idea how to spend the time? I'm drawing a blank here," Shepard admits.
"No idea, Commander," Ashley replies.
Kaidan thinks for a moment and suggests, "Get something to eat?"
"Not in the Presidium. Food here is overpriced with tiny portions! Only rich and influential people hang around here. There are many things we could do," Alex notes.
"Such as?" Shepard asks, seemingly interested in Alex's opinion.
"Want to visit the zoo? I mean, check out the other embassies? We could also go shopping—there are some stores even here in the Presidium. We'll definitely find something in the Financial District, where a few companies conduct business. We could also check out the markets in the Wards. There's a bar, and I've heard there's gambling going on at Flux, a popular nightclub, which is close by. Of course, there's also the Consort…"
"I'm interested in shopping. The Wards sound like a good target. I've got a bunch of mods and guns I'm planning to sell or trade in. But first, let's check out the Presidium and the Financial District you mentioned," Shepard says.
"Now let's go. Tell me more about the Consort," she adds as they walk.
"Consort?" Ashley asks, her tone skeptical.
"Imagine a therapist, a meditation coach, and a prostitute. Combine them, and that's what the Consort does. I think her name is Sha'ira. You have to be famous, pay a fortune, and then wait a couple of years just to get a spot—or so I've been told," Alex says, realizing how suspicious his level of detail sounds.
"Heh, at least we all know you're interested, Kerber. Though I still don't understand what she actually does," Shepard replies.
"You know, Asari can connect their nervous systems with other beings. That's how they mate. And before you ask, no, I haven't experienced it myself. Just heard a bunch of my friends bragging about experiencing it. That's one of the services the Consort and her many assistants offer, but she's also a very high-class individual. She provides therapy and advice, too. Since her clientele includes a lot of high-status people, I'd be scared to open up to her. There are rumors she's brainwashing and mind-controlling her clients. I think even spirituality and dance fall within her domain."
"Can't say I'm too interested. Never thought about those things—been busy," Shepard comments.
"Of course you aren't interested. Asari look female, despite being mono-gendered. Also, they're aliens," Ashley adds.
"You're really interested, Alex?" Kaidan asks as they leave the embassies.
"I'm too embarrassed to actually go through with it… I'm too passive for those kinds of activities. Certainly interested though, not gonna lie," Alex admits.
"At least you're honest, Kerber. I like that. Tell you what—once we take care of Saren, I'll invite you to one of the establishments. Let's have some fun," Shepard says with a grin.
"…O…okay?" Alex mutters, clearly confused.
Really?! Well, if we catch Saren, it'll be too late for that… I don't know if I should be thankful or sad.
They stumble across an Avina terminal, located near the embassies.
"What is this?" Kaidan asks.
"Welcome to the Presidium. My name is Avina, and I'm pleased to be your virtual guide throughout this level of the Citadel space station," says a holographic figure resembling an Asari, speaking in a female, robotic voice.
"It's just a VI. Don't bother. We can get more information from our omni-tools," Alex explains.
Moving on, they explore the Presidium, checking out various locations. They notice a large statue of a Krogan, walk alongside the river, and watch as Shepard grins while entering the Consort's chambers—where Sha'ira operates.
"Let me check it out. You made me curious, Kerber. You can wait here at the front," she says, disappearing inside.
Only a few minutes later, she returns—just as the aide rushes out after her and whispers, "Commander Shepard… the Consort wishes to see you. It seems you caught her attention."
"Oh? I guess I'll do just that then," Shepard says with a grin.
A few more minutes later, she comes back again, looking mildly confused. "Just trying to send me on a goose chase. Seems there's a Turian General spreading lies about her. If I've got the time, I'll follow up on her request."
"That's what happens when you're too successful—your 'clients' fall in love with you," Alex jokes.
"That is disgusting," Ashley mutters, visibly disturbed.
Finally, they reach the Financial District and step into the Emporium, a high-class store run by a Hanar.
"This one welcomes you to its store. It offers only the finest and most luxurious items that credits can buy. Please, take a look," the red, jellyfish-like floating Hanar says in its usual dialect.
"Why does 'it' talk like that?" Ashley asks in a sarcastic voice.
"I've heard other Hanar speak like that," Kaidan replies.
"Even among their own race, they rarely refer to themselves as 'I.' I've heard they never use that word when speaking to other species. Although I did hear about one crazy Hanar with an Asari who was featured in that one Fornax issue."
"I heard about that, too! It was a huge scandal," Kaidan says.
"You two pigs disgust me," Ashley snaps.
"Calm down, Williams. We just went through hell. A little banter won't kill us. Show us what you've got, then, Merchant," Shepard says.
Alex checks out the Hanar's inventory—and his eyes nearly pop out.
He inspects various high-end armors, mostly Light-Blue to Deep-Blue in quality. Nothing drastically superior to his own, but the prices start at 65,000 Credits.
"Forget this overpriced scam store!" Alex mutters.
Shepard buys a few licenses so the Requisitions Officer on board the Normandy can expand his available inventory in the future, then turns around.
"Yeah, no way I can afford any of that on my Alliance wage. I've picked up a few licenses—maybe we'll be able to access standard versions of those items through the ship. These luxury versions are just too damn expensive. Let's check out the markets in the Wards. I really need to get rid of a few things."
Slightly disappointed, the group leaves the Presidium and heads to the nearby Wards, heading towards the markets.
Starting at the lower markets, they approach a Salarian merchant—only to walk away with even more disappointment.
"Only selling alien equipment, mostly Salarian!" Ashley curses.
"Well… he is Salarian. That's not something you should be angry about, Williams," Kaidan comments.
Visiting the upper Wards, they spot the store of Expat, a Volus merchant.
Volus are small, very chubby, and always wear protective suits, covering their entire skin, and vaguely resemble moles.
"Welcome, Earth-clan. My store has the best reputation in the Wards. Are you interested in a little business?" the Volus asks Shepard.
Shepard immediately buys a few cheap licenses, and after some haggling, sells off a bunch of mods and even a few weapons—including her old pistol, which she no longer needs after obtaining a better one on Eden Prime. She also picks up a brand new ammo mod, and walks away with a sizable amount of Credits, grinning in satisfaction.
"Merchant, I'm looking to trade in a bunch of things. I've got a [Bluewire Tool], [Stiletto Pistol], and [Heavy Onyx Armor]," Alex says.
"You're trading down, Kerber. He's only got stuff from Elkoss Combine. Those products are cheap and mostly inferior to other models," Shepard warns.
"Always willing to trade, Earth-clan. I'm offering you the Elkoss Combine [Cipher Tool], a heavy [Gladiator-Armor], and an [Edge-Pistol]—at no cost. I'm interested in expanding my wares, as I've indeed specialized in Elkoss Combine equipment," Expat replies.
"Give me something good… You also have that [Brawler-Pistol] from Armax? Those Turians know how to make quality gear. The [Gladiator-Armor] and [Cipher Tool] are acceptable, though."
"Forget it, human. This is not a fair trade."
"I'm throwing in 10,000 Credits," Alex says.
"Still not enough," the merchant responds flatly.
Fresh out of ideas, Alex takes out a Small Soul Crystal and says, "I picked up this beauty on one of my missions. I'll offer that, but I'm keeping the Credits."
Expat eyes the crystal carefully. "Hmmmm… That item, and the Credits, and you've got yourself a deal. I only accept one of those Crystals by the way, I'm interested purely for research purposes. And you must promise to do business with me in the future. You humans seem like you might pick up some decent loot in the future."
Alex nods with a smile.
So I can only use this strategy once? Damn... Maybe it'll work on other merchants. No way I'm visiting this guy again, hehe.
Alex finalizes the trade, handing over his equipment, after taking out the mods, of course, 10,000 Credits, and one small Soul Crystal. In return, he receives his new items with a satisfied grin—places the mods inside his new armor and weapon, and wipes the data from his omni-tool after transferring it to the new one.
[Gladiator-Armor]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Blue
Type: Armor (Mass Effect - Heavy Armor)
Required Stats: STR - 11, PHY - 11, AGI - 6
Durability: 115/115
Effect: Outfitted with various tools and functions, this armor allows the wearer to inject a dose of Medigel, restoring 100 HP over 4 seconds. Usable once every minute. Allows use of Omnigel to restore durability.
Effect: Reduces damage by up to 50%, depending on weapon type. Grants the wearer a shield strength of 115.
Mods: First Aid Interface: Restores 2 HP every 10 seconds
Note: Can be worn over other items, only one Mass Effect Armor or similar suit can be equipped.
Note: Cheap and surprisingly effective, though clearly a lower-grade imitation of superior technology.
Note: Manufactured by Elkoss Combine
This thing's just a tiny bit worse than the Onyx... but I can take it with me when I leave this world. Even the quality is the same!
[Cipher Tool]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Light-Blue
Type: Omni-tool
Durability: 50/50
Effect: Increases shield effectiveness by 15%
Effect: Increased Durability
Note: Cheap and surprisingly effective, though clearly a lower-grade imitation of superior technology.
Note: Manufactured by Elkoss Combine
At first it looks like a downgrade, but since I don't actually use Tech powers, this one's better. Shields are important. And it's a free item, as I can't take the old one with me.
[Brawler-Pistol]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Light-Purple
Type: Pistol (Mass Effect)
Requires Stats: STR - 10, PHY - 8, SNS - 16
Required Skills: Pistol Proficiency lvl 4
Durability: 100/100
Damage: 75-90
Effect: Unlimited Ammo (25 shots in quick succession before Overheating)
Effect: 10% Increased Chance to penetrate enemy armor.
Effect: 10% Increased rate of Fire and Accuracy
Mods: Recoil Damper: improves accuracy by 10% by reducing kickback.
Note: Manufactured by Armax Arsenal
Note: Manufactured with integrated phasic chambering technology.
Note: Can be temporarily equipped and used with a certain amount of efficiency even without the Pistol Proficiency skill.
This one's a real beauty. Vastly superior in stats, and I've checked—I can use all pistols for this mission. Looks like the system gave me a crutch for once so as to at least give me a fighting chance.
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