"Thank you, Wrex," Alex replies with a smile. "Let's finish what we started, get rid of Saren, and then focus on a better future for the Krogans."
Khorga also gives him a smile—though her expression is so intense it actually unsettles him a bit.
"Human, I thought you'd sell it… or use it to blackmail the Council races. I'm sorry for doubting you. You didn't just save our lives—you gave us the chance to continue what we started. Saren committed terrible crimes, but at least we managed to salvage something from all of this."
Alex turns to Wrex. "Can you take them in?"
"I'll figure something out," Wrex replies. "Let's deal with Saren first, then I'll make my move. One way or another, I'll take care of them. I have grand plans for Tuchanka. If you ever need a place, you are welcome to join me!"
While Alex continues talking with the Krogans, the Normandy descends again—this time near the ruins of the destroyed base. A few minutes later, several crew members escort Captain Kirrahe and a group of eleven surviving Salarians aboard the ship.
So more than half of them made it back… That's probably the best outcome they could've hoped for.
Alex greets them as they enter. Despite the obvious toll the battle took, most of the Salarians seem surprisingly upbeat—grateful just to have survived a mission they weren't sure they'd return from.
After exchanging a few words, some of them slump down on the ground to rest, while others are quietly escorted to the medbay.
"This is Commander Shepard speaking. Mission debrief in the CIC. Meet me there in one hour. I will speak with our Salarian and Krogan guests afterwards," Shepard announces over the Normandy's comms.
Alex takes a moment to message Menchi, letting her know the mission is complete—and that her potions saved Ashley's life.
Afterward, he heads to his quarters, showers, and changes into a fresh set of clothes. With still forty minutes to spare, he throws himself onto the bed and stares at the ceiling, turning his thoughts to the [Uzin's Blessing] still stored in his inventory.
I don't know what to make of this. I expected something more impressive from a world quest. It's just a Deep Gold item that transforms any item up to Deep Blue quality into something else. But what even counts as 'compatible' with a Krogan relic like this?
His eyes shift toward his inventory as he carefully considers his options.
Out of all my stuff, only two items meet the requirements: my [Champion Belt] and my [Strength Ring +3]. The other Deep Blue items are just items from this world, which I have bought or looted. Honestly, a thousand-year-old Krogan charm probably isn't going to mesh well with modern guns or tech.
[Champion Belt]
World: Final Fantasy
Quality:Blue
Type: Belt
Required Stats: STR - 10, PHY - 10
Durability: 30/30
Effect:Increases STR by 2
Effect: Increases PHY by 2
Note: A belt that infuses its wearer with power. An extremely difficult item to obtain, this belt is only given to those who possess enough strength to be truly worthy of the title of champion.
[Strength Ring (+3)]
World: Dragon Quest
Quality: Light Blue
Type: Ring
Required Stats: STR - 10
Effect: Increases STR by 2 (Flat boost, not increased by skills)
Effect: Increases STR by 2 (Flat boost, not increased by skills)
Note: Rings Around the World, this fine item was made out of 2 pieces of Gold ore, a Red Eye, and a Finessence. Substitutes are available and do not affect the quality of this item.
Note: Forged by Ivar. This ring has been reforged once using Perfectionist's Pearls.
I need to use this item soon. It's going to disappear in less than 24 hours?! Why is the system like this? If I had more time to prepare, maybe I could find a piece of equipment that's actually worthy of receiving the blessing. I could have bought an interesting item in the Realm…. Whatever—I need to think about this rationally and make the best of it.
The Champion Belt is modern, which is a bad trait, in my opinion, but it boosts STR and PHY—both relevant to Krogans. Still… Uzin is the god of vengeance, not resilience. So maybe PHY isn't that important. STR seems more thematically aligned.
The ring, though… rings aren't really modern tech. They've existed for centuries. I feel like this has a better chance of resonating with the blessing. It's also the one item I've wanted to upgrade, and I'm only wearing it to meet the absurd STR requirement for my [Executioner's Blade R2].
Losing the ring would suck… but I could manage. The real risk is that if the new item doesn't give me at least +4 STR, I won't be able to wield the Blade anymore. That's a serious problem.
Still, I could always rely on [Drakul's Vitality R2] to temporarily boost my stats. That should let me equip the blade again—at least during the final fight against Saren. Not ideal, but spells are more effective anyway.
It's risky to use it on the ring, but wasting this charm on some random incompatible Blue-rank weapon? That's worse, especially because this item is Deep Gold and I got it from a world quest. Also, these items might not work in other worlds, and even worse, I don't have the skills to use them!
Alright. I'll risk it… but wait—I still have those two Blue Chests. I got them both from Krogans, so there is a chance I get something good out of them! Maybe I should open those first, which could allow me to use the blessing without destroying my [Strength Ring (+3)]
…. I'll wait until after the debrief.
Having wasted most of his downtime brooding over the decision, Alex finally heads to the CIC with only a few minutes to spare.
When he walks in, everyone except Ashley is already gathered.
"You're late, Kerber," Shepard notes.
Alex casually shrugs. "A wizard is never late, Commander Shepard. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
"..."
"..."
"..."
The entire room stares at him in silence.
Seeing the deadpan expressions around him, Alex raises both hands. "There are still two minutes left, give me a break!"
"Shut up and just sit down," Shepard says, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"How's Ashley?" Alex asks as he takes his seat.
"She'll pull through. Dr. Chakwas says she just needs a few days to fully recover."
"Where does that leave us?" Garrus asks, leaning forward.
"We've hit a dead end," Tali adds, frowning.
Liara then speaks up in her usual calm, calculating tone, "Commander? Excuse me for interrupting, but I have an idea. I think the beacon you found in Saren's base was similar to the one you found on Eden Prime. It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision. I might be able to help you put all those pieces together."
Shepard exhales heavily but stands up. "We have no other choice. You want to join our minds again, don't you? Okay. Go ahead!"
"Vot... it's that black-eye thing again. I'm getting sick already," Tali mutters, sounding genuinely disturbed.
Unfazed by the comment, Liara steps up to Shepard and looks deep into her eyes. "Relax, Commander. Embrace Eternity." Her eyes shift into that inky black, and within moments, both women appear lost in a trance.
"Pretty awkward for us to just stand here watching them like that, huh?" Alex says, trying to break the tension.
"It's disgusting," Tali answers, looking away from them.
Wrex laughs, clearly amused. "You're a feisty one, little Quarian."
After a moment, both Liara and Shepard snap out of it. Liara nearly stumbles, her knees buckling slightly.
"Incredible," she breathes. "I… I… I never thought the images would be so… intense. I need a moment to collect myself."
Shepard, already impatient, waves it off. "We don't have much time. Snap out of it and tell me what you saw!"
Liara steadies herself, now serious. "It's a distress call, a message sent out across the Prothean Empire. A warning against the Reapers, but the warning came too late."
Shepard narrows her eyes. "What about the Conduit?" Her tone is sharp, frustration leaking through.
"There were other images," Liara continues. "Locations. Places I recognized from my research… Ilos! The Conduit is on Ilos! That is why Saren needed to find the Mu Relay! It is the only way to get to Ilos."
"Why didn't you tell us about Ilos before?" Kaidan asks, genuinely confused.
Liara turns toward him and explains. "The Mu Relay links to dozens of systems and hundreds of worlds. How was I to know Ilos was the one we wanted? Without the Cipher, the images in your visions were never clear. Only now do I recognize them as landmarks from Ilos."
"We need to get to Ilos," Shepard declares firmly.
Tali looks conflicted, crossing her arms. "Forget it. The Mu Relay's in the Terminus Systems. Alliance ships are not welcome there. Neither are Spectres."
"The Normandy can slip in undetected, right? That internal emission sink stealth system is still working, yeah? That was the pretext for our mission, wasn't it?" Alex asks. "Seriously, screw the Terminus Systems. I think all those people who fearmonger just like to exaggerate. Nobody there would risk starting a war. They are pathetic cowards living in isolation and fighting amongst themselves."
"I have to disagree with you, Alex. The threat is very real," Garrus says, clearly irritated.
Wrex scoffs, grinning. "Which threat is bigger? The galaxy getting wiped out by the Reapers, or pissing off a few weak races in the Terminus Systems? I say we go."
"The Conduit's on Ilos. That's where Saren is heading," Shepard says with finality. " I'll be waiting for him when he gets there!"
Liara sways slightly, exhaustion clear in her expression. "I am sorry. The joining is exhausting. I should go to the medical bay and lie down for a moment."
"We're done here," Shepard says. "Dismissed."
It's time… for a decision!
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