No POV
We begin this chapter within the Citadel, in an area known as the Presidiums, the gleaming heart of the Citadel. It is located in the 10km wide central ring of the station, home to the various government offices of the Citadel Council, as well as embassies for all of the species represented in the Citadel
The interior of the Presidium is landscaped to resemble a lush parkland. No detail was overlooked, boasting a large freshwater lake, verdant fields of grass, trees, and clouds, as well as artificial sunlight and gentle breezes.
However, our focus is drawn towards one particular office balcony located within the embassy as a loud, irritating voice could be heard shouting
???: "This is an outrage! The Council would've stepped in if the Geth attacked a Turian colony!"
This voice belonged to an old man by the name of Donnel Udina, an Ambassador for earth, he wears a set of white formal clothing, has Caucasian skin and grey, balding hair
(Honest opinion, I never liked Udina)
Within this same room, we saw Shepard, Kaidan, Ashley, and Anderson inside the room as they waited for Udina to finish shouting at the holographic projections of the three Councilors, a Salarian by the name of Valern, an Asari by the name of Tevos, and a Turian by the name of Sparatus
Valern: "The Turians don't found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador."
Tevos: "Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse"
Udina: "What about Saren? You can't just ignore a Rogue Spectre, I demand action!"
Sparatus: "You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador"
Tevos: "Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing with the full Council. Not before"
With that, the call ended as Udina then turned to face the guests in his office while they turned their attention to him
Udina: "Captain Anderson. I see you brought half your crew with you"
Anderson: "Just some of the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you had any questions"
Udina: "I have the mission reports. I assume they're accurate?"
Anderson: "They are. Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience"
Udina: "They were not happy about it. Saren's their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason"
Shepard: "Saren's a threat to every human colony out there. He needs to be stopped. The Council has to listen to us!"
Udina: "Settle down, Commander. You've already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!"
Anderson: "That's Saren's fault, not hers!"
Udina: "Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support out accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres"
The sound of a door opening could be heard as everyone looked to see that the ones responsible were Captain Cutter and Y/n as they entered, although Y/n no longer had his normal helmet and instead had a Quarian helmet on, being white in color with a blue visor and a black hood with a green accent to cover the wires that connected his helmet to the Enviro-Suit while his only weapon was his sidearm which was holstered on his thigh
(Source: Anthem, can't believe they've got armor themed after mass effect races)
James: "I certainly wished you listened to me when I told you to postpone the hearing, Ambassador. We're still getting the recording from Y/n's helmet and the camera feeds from around the docks"
Udina: "Well maybe you should've worked faster, Captain"
Y/n: "With all due respect, sir, it takes time when converting our recordings to be used in an Omni-Tool"
Udina: "I don't remember asking for your input...?"
Y/n: "Lance Corporal Y/n L/n vas Moreh of the Spirit of Fire, I was the ODST that was sent in with Commander Shepard for the mission on Eden Prime"
Udina: "I remember now, the boy raised by beggars and thieves. And now you've become an ODST, how that happened I'll never know but it appears the supposed Spec-Ops soldiers aren't all they are cracked up to be if they'll let anyone into their ranks"
At the insult to the people that had raised him, Y/n's robotic hand clenched into a fist as James then stepped forward to intervene before someone did something they might regret, a stern look on his face as he stared down the Ambassador
James: "That's enough out of you Ambassador, I won't have you insulting a member of my crew, regardless of their upbringing"
Udina: "I do not have time to deal with this. Come with me Captain Anderson, I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard, you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in
With that, Captain Anderson and Udina both left as it was now only Shepard's team, James, and Y/n in the room as Ashley shook her head before speaking
Ashley: "And that's why I hate politicians"
James: "You're not alone in that thought, Williams. But I should be going too, I'll see you up at the Hearing, let's just hope that C-Sec finds something"
With that, Captain Cutter made his exit, leaving the Eden Prime team on their own as they decided to leave the office too, not wanting to be there any longer. Leaving the office, they took a left and walked down a flight of stairs before taking another left that lead to another set of stairs before making it into the main lobby for the embassy where they then made their way through the presidium and towards the lift that would take them up to the Citadel Tower, located at the epicenter of the Citadel
As the four boarded the elevator and began their ascension upwards, Kaidan and Ashley stood behind Shepard while Y/n leaned against the wall of the lift, leaning sideways as he looked over at the soldiers while they began talking
Ashley: "The council isn't gonna ask me any questions, are they?"
Kaidan: "I doubt it. We've made our reports. Now we just have to trust Ambassador Udina"
Ashley: "No we don't, sir"
With the conversation over, Ashley then looked over at Y/n, finally taking notice of his change in attire as she raised an eyebrow
Ashley: "Lance Corporal Y/n, were you really raised by the Quarians?"
Y/n: "Indeed I was Ms. Williams"
Ashley: "How'd that come to happen?"
Y/n: "That's a bit too personal to be asking me seeing as we barely know each other, don't you think?"
Ashley: "Oh, right. Sorry sir, I was just curious"
Y/n: "That's alright, maybe in the future I'll tell you"
As they finished their conversation, the doors to the elevator opened and they stepped off, making their way through a small corridor that lead into an incredibly large and open space filed that gave off the feeling of stepping into a private park as there was red leaved trees growing in multiple places throughout the tower and lush greenery to accompany them
As they walked up a set of stairs, they were met with the sight of two Turians arguing with each other, the armor they wore indicating they were both a part of C-Sec.
The first Turian has a pale complexion with blue eyes and a blue tattoo along his face and a custom visor that covered one eye, his armor was a mixture of blue and black
(This art of everyone's favorite Turian belongs to FelitomKinSon on Tumblr, or Felifeli on Reddit, all rights belong to them)
Turian: "Saren's hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them"
The other Turian was another male with a darker complexion while most of his face was covered in a white tattoo. his outfit consisted of the colors red, black, maroon, and white and gave of a superior feeling to anyone looking at him
Turian 2: "Stall the Council? Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus"
With that, the second Turian walked away as the one named Garrus then turned to face Shepard and her team as he began to speak
Garrus: "Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren"
Shepard: "Sounds like you really want to bring him down"
Garrus: "I don't trust him. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But he's a Spectre; everything he touches is classified. I can't find any hard evidence"
Y/n: "Too bad Udina had to start this before we were ready. We've got next to no evidence and the recording of the witness' testimony isn't done yet"
Garrus: "You've got proof Saren's involved?"
Y/n: "Yeah, but it's still being made ready to be transferred to an Omni-Tool"
Garrus: "Damn! But it's still better than nothing, good luck you four, maybe they'll listen to you"
With that, Garrus made his exit as our team made their way through the tower and towards a set of stairs where Captains Cutter and Anderson were seen waiting, the two sighing in relief at the sight of the Eden Prime team arriving
James: "Nice of you to finally show up"
Anderson: "The Hearing's already started. Come on"
Following the two Captains, they were met with the sight of four Councilors that stood upon a platform at one end of the room while the Ambassador stood on a platform in the middle of the room to plead his case about Saren's betrayal
The Councilors in question from left to right were as such, Sparatus, Tevos, and Valern,. Along with them was a fourth Councilor by the name of Torg 'Gransamee
Sparatus was similar to Garrus' superior officer in terms of looks and clothing, the only real difference being the markings of his face tattoo
Tevos, is an Asari, a race considered the most influential and respected sentient species in the galaxy, and are known for their elegance, diplomacy, and biotic aptitude. The Asari are distinctly feminine in appearance and possess maternal instincts. Their unique physiology, expressed in a millennium-long lifespan and the ability to reproduce with a partner of any gender or species, gives them a conservative yet convivial attitude toward other races. Tevos has the typical blue to purple complexion that all other Asari have, hers being purple along with white facial markings.
She wears a red and white dress
Valern, comes from a species known as the Salarians. The second species to expand into the galaxy at large, the Salarians are a short-lived yet highly productive species native to the lush rainforests of the world of Sur'Kesh. Salarians are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they are letting on.
Valern wears a set of navy blue and red robes that hides most of his body, only allowing us to see his face with grey skin and the signature black eyes that all Salarians have
The fourth and final Councilor, Torg 'Gransamee is from a race known as the Sangheili, are a saurian species of strong, proud, and intelligent warriors, as well as skilled combat tacticians. The Sangheili are named after their home planet, Sangheilios, with a culture closely similar to that of the Turians.
Instead wearing of clothing like the other Councilors, Torg 'Gransamee wore a set of pearlescent white armor and a large headdress that covered most of his face and extended far behind his head, on his thigh there sat a silver handle-like device, most likely a weapon of some design and easily towered over the other Councilors
(Two things regarding this character. 1, the art of a Sangheili High Councilor was done by FBOMBheart on deviantart so all rights for it belong to them. 2. Torg is not an oc of mine or anyone else. They are from the actual Halo series, most notably, the Broken Circle novel. However, I have not read that novel or any of the others so I am not sure of how he acts. All I know he is an outspoken Sangheili {Meaning he is straightforward and fairly blunt with his opinions} so forgive me all you Halo Lore fanatics that may see this)
Along with the Councilors, to their right was a large orange projection of the Turian currently on trial, Saren. With what appeared to be synthetic prosthetics attached to his left side as we heard the end of Tevos' current conversation with Udina
Tevos: "The Geth attack is a matter of some concern. But there is nothing to indicate Saren was involved in anyway"
Sparatus: "The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason"
Udina: "An eye witness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood, we even have the testimony on video!"
Valern: "We've read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador. The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling proof"
Saren: "I resent these accusations. Nihlus was a fellow Spectre. And a friend"
Anderson: "That just let you catch him off guard!"
Saren looked towards Anderson with a look of indifference as he spoke towards him directly
Saren: "Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me"
Saren then landed his eyes on Shepard as she glared up at him with a mutual feeling of anger
Saren: "And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed"
Shepard: "The mission to Eden Prime was top secret. The only way you could know about the beacon was if you were there"
Saren: "With Nihlus gone, his files passed onto me. I read the Eden Prime report. I was unimpressed. But what can you expect from a human?"
Shepard: "Saren despises humanity. That's why he attacked Eden Prime!"
Saren: "Your species needs to learn its place, Shepard. You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres!"
Udina: "He has no right to say that! That's not his decision!"
Tevos: "Shepard's admission into the Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting"
Saren: "This meeting has no purpose. The humans are wasting your time, Councilor. And mine"
James: "That's where you're wrong, Saren"
Stepping forward, Captain Cutter took the stage as everyone's eyes were on him
Saren: "Captain Cutter, I wasn't expecting to see you here. And what do you mean I'm wrong?"
James: "This meeting does have a purpose, we have failed in securing the beacon, that much is clear. Although there is a new matter we must discuss that lead to it's failure"
Saren: "And that is?"
James: "The death of Nihlus and the culprit who killed him, along with why the Geth were on Eden Prime to begin with"
Saren: "Wasn't Nihlus killed by the Geth?"
James: "One might think so, but that's not what it looked like, Y/n?"
Turning to Y/n, he stepped forwards before Saluting towards the Councilors as Torg 'Gransamee let out an intrested 'hmm' as he eyed the man in Quarian clothing
Tevos: "Please Identify yourself, and what role you played in the mission, Y/n"
Y/n: "Lance Corporal Y/n L/n vas Moreh of the Spirit of Fire, I was to provide support to Commander Shepard's team for the Mission on Eden Prime"
Valern: "That last part of your name, 'vas Moreh' It's Quarian, is it not?"
Y/n: "Indeed it is, Councilor, I was raised on the Flotilla from the age of three months old until I was twenty, I am currently on a Pilgrimage and serving aboard the Spirit of Fire as an ODST under the command of Captain Cutter"
Sparatus: "And what is it that makes your Captain believe that Saren's death was not the result of a Geth attack?"
Y/n: "Growing up on the Flotilla means I was taught everything I could need to know about the Geth and I know they don't execute their victims with a shot to the back of the head from close range, they calculate it to be unnecessary and would rather a direct approach. That means Nihlus let his guard down with whoever killed him, meaning it could've been anyone, a superior officer, a civilian,... a friend even. And with two eye witnesses spotting another Turian during the attack, one even hearing Nihlus call Saren's name, that means that even if Saren isn't exactly guilty of any crimes, that doesn't exactly remove him as a suspect either"
Sparatus: "But how would Saren even know of the mission prior to Nihlus' death?"
Y/n: "Saren is not only a Spectre, but is one of your best, is he not? That means as a Spectre, he could have obtained that information from any number of sources"
Tevos: "You do bring up a fair case, Lance Corporal"
Valern: "What do you think about this, Torg? You've been awfully quiet about this whole ordeal after all"
Everyone's attention was now drawn to the Sangheili as he was silent for a few moments before speaking out, a deep voice which was a common trait for male Sangheili
Torg: "I side with the humans on this"
Hearing this got a gasp of surprise from the Councilors and Saren as the latter then quickly tried to speak
Saren: "B-But Councilor, you can't seriously believe them-"
Torg: "I care respect your status as a Spectre, Saren. But this is a matter of honor! You are accused of spilling the blood of a Turian and a Spectre, who was your own friend, for the destruction of a Prothean Beacon and the betrayal of the Council. I will not tolerate any of these. Now, Lance Corporal, I assume you're in possession of evidence to back these serious claims?"
Y/n: "As of right now, the crew of the Spirit of Fire is working to prepare the Recordings of my helmet and footage from Dock Security Cameras. Once they are ready, they will be sent to my personal Omni-Tool and I will deliver them personally to you, Councilors. All I ask is a few days to allow us to collect any and all evidence that we have before we can present it to you and I'd like to formally request a suspension of all of Saren's Spectre privileges for the days you will allow us to conduct our investigation"
Saren: "That is outrageous! Councilors, you can't possibly even consider such actions, can you? And how do we know we can trust them to be truthful in their findings?!"
Y/n: "You have my word that I will not tamper with the evidence in any way, shape or form. I am even willing to let you perform as many tests on my Omni-Tool as needed, even willing to let you Monitor it"
Tevos: "Are you sure about this, Lance Corporal?"
Y/n: "I'm willing to risk my life on it, ma'am"
The Councilors looked to each other after hearing his answer and after a few moments, they nodded their heads as they brought up their Omni-Tools as they spoke
Tevos: "For the next week, as we investigate the charges against Saren, his Spectre Status is hereby suspended. Any attempts to go against the orders of the Council will result in a permanent removal of your Spectre Status, is that Understood, Saren Arterius?"
Saren: "You can't be-"
Tevos: "Is. That. Clear. Saren Arterius?"
Saren said nothing for a moment as he stared directly at Y/n, a burning hated in the holographic projection's eyes before he sighed and spoke with restrained rage
Saren: "Yes, Councilors, I understand"
With that, the hologram then disappeared as the call was cut off
Tevos: "This meeting is adjourned then, Lance Corporal Y/n, you are to report directly to the four of us once you have received the evidence"
Y/n: "Yes ma'am!"
Valern: "An agent will visit you shortly to install a monitoring device into your Omni-Tool"
Y/n: "Of course, that's fine with me, sir"
Tevos: "You're all dismissed"
With that, the Council began to depart while the Eden Prime team, Captain Anderson and Cutter, and Udina all made their way back down the stairs and towards the center tree of the tower's courtyard before coming to a stop
Udina: "I hate to admit it, but the two of you did a good job in getting the Council to listen to us, James, maybe I should've waited until calling for this hearing"
James: "Think nothing of it Ambassador, it's all in the past now what matters now is that we need to prove Saren's involvement"
Udina: "And Y/n...Thank you for securing us the time we needed to do such a thing and...I apologize for insulting your home. I shouldn't've done so"
Y/n: "All I ask is for you to not do so in the future, do that and we're all in the clear. But what we need to do now is gather more evidence. Any ideas on where to start?"
Kaidan: "Maybe that C-Sec guy we met before the Hearing could help? Garrus?"
Anderson: "If you can't find him, maybe Harkin can help you find him"
Y/n: "And where can we find him?"
Anderson: "He's probably down as Chora's den, getting drunk off his ass like usual. If not, then maybe, just maybe you can find him down in C-Sec"
Shepard: "Then it looks like we'll need to split up, we can cover more ground that way and search two places at once. I'll find Harkin at Chora's Den while you search C-Sec, that sound good to you Y/n?"
Y/n: "Sure, any of you want to come with?"
Ashley: "I'll go with you"
Y/n: "Alright then. We'll call radio in when one of us finds Harkin or Garrus. Let's move out"
And that's it for this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed it and I hope I did Torg 'Gransamee justice and did well with the Hearing in general. Next chapter will have us meeting a certain Krogan and a certain Quarian. Esu se'lai!