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: Military service runs in her family. Both her parents were in the navy.
She proved herself during the Blitz. Held off enemy forces on the ground until reinforcements arrived.
: She's the only reason Elysium is still standing.

: Humanity needs a hero. And Shepard's the best we've got.
: I'll make the call.

: Commander.

: The relay is hot. Acquiring approach vector.
: All stations secure for transit.

: Nihlus gave you a compliment... so you hate him?
: You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible!
: Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having him on board. Call me paranoid.
: You're paranoid. The Council helped fund this project. They have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment.

: They don't send Specres on shakedown runs.
: So there's more going on here than the captain's letting on.
: Joker! Status report.
: Just cleared the mass relay, Captain. Stealth systems engaged. Everything looks solid.
: Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports replayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime.
: Aye, aye, Captain. Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way.
: He's already here, Lieutenant.
: Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing.
: You get that, Commander?

: Pff. Captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me.
: I can't possibly imagine why.

: He's a Spectre. They're always on a mission.
: And we're getting dragged right along with him!
: Relax, Pressly. You're going to give yourself an ulcer.

: Sounds like you don't trust our turian guest.
: Sorry, Commander. Just having a chat with Adams down in engineering. Didn't mean to cause any trouble.
: But you have to admit, something's odd about this mission. The whole crew feels it.
: You think the Alliance Brass is holding out on us?
: If all we're supposed to do is test out the stealth system, why is Captain Anderson in charge? And then there's Nihlus.
: Spectres are elite operatives. Top covert agents. Why send a Spectre -- a turian Spectre -- on a shakedown run? It doesn't add up.
: What do you know about the stealth systems?
: I just know it masks our location from scans and sesnsors. Cutting edge technology.
: The Normandy's the only ship with this prototype drive. But why are we fully staffed? A skeleton crew would be cheaper. Less chance of security leaks, too.
: Plus there's Nihlus. It's pretty obvious this shakedown run is just a cover.
: For what?
: Damned if I know, Commander. We're out here on false pretenses. I'm not a fan of being left in the dark.
: Do you have a problem with the captain?
: No, ma'am! But I can't figure out what he's doing here.
: Captain Anderson is one of the most decorated Special Forces officers in the service. If he melted down all his medals, he could make a life-size statue of himself.
: You don't send a soldier like that on a do-nothing mission. He's treating this shakedown run too seriously. Something big is going on.
: You don't trust Nihlus.
: I don't like turians in general. Runs in my family. My grandfather fought in the First Contact War; lost a lot of friends when the turians hit us.
: That was thirty years ago. You can't blame Nihlus for that.
: No, I guess not. But it still makes me nervous to have a Spectre on board, especially a turian.
: We're an Alliance vessel, human military. But Nihlus doesn't answer to the captain like the rest of us. Spectres operate outside the normal chain of command.
: And they don't come along just to observe shakedown runs. Nihlus looks like he's expecting some heavy action. I don't like it.
: I'll see if I can get some answers when I see him.
: Good luck, Commander.

: That's crazy. The captain's in charge here. He wouldn't take orders from a Spectre.
: Not his choice, Doc. Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want. Kill anyone who gets in their way.
: Ha! You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins.

: I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal. Your 'real action' usually ends with me patching up crew members in the infirmary.
: You need to calm down, Corporal. A good soldier stays cool, even under fire.
: Sorry, Commander. But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with a Spectre on board!
: What can you tell me about Nihlus?
: Turians are generally well-respected by the other species. Their fleet has more patrols protecting Citadel space than any other.
: They don't always get on well with us, though. Some people find them too rigid. Others still blame them for the First Contact War.
: As for Nihlus, I haven't said more than two words to him. He usually only speaks to the captain.
: I heard Nihlus once took down an entire enemy platoon by himself. Man, I can't believe I'm on a mission with an actual Spectre!
: What do you know about the Spectres?
: Only what I've heard. Spectre agents work directly for the Citadel Council. They usually work alone or in small groups.
: Spectres don't have any official power, though. Basically, they're a shadow organization with a mandate to preserve and protect galactic stability.
: Protect it at any cost. Don't forget that part. Spectres operate above the law.
: Why don't we have any of our own people in there?
: Spectres usually come from the Council races. Like the turians. We've been trying to get a human accepted into their ranks for years now. So far, it hasn't happened.
: Hey, Commander! You'd make a good Spectre!
: You're a war hero, right? Held off an entire enemy fleet during the Blitz single-handed. That's the kind of talent the Spectres are looking for.
: This is all just wild speculation. The Spectres aren't interested in recruiting humans. No matter how capable.
: You're from Eden Prime, aren't you Jenkins? What's it like?
: It's very peaceful, Commander. They've been real careful with development, so you don't have any city noise or pollution.
: My parents lived on the outskirts of the colony. At night, I used to climb this big hill and stare across the fields back at the lights from the main settlement.
: It was gorgeous. But when I got older, I realized it was a little too calm and quiet for me. That's why I joined the Alliance. Even paradise gets boring after a while.
: Any idea why Eden Prime was chosen as our destination?
: Not really sure, Commander. Eden Prime's one of our most stable colonies. Good place to take the Normandy for her shakedown run, I guess. No real danger there.
: But there's got to be something else going on. We've got a Spectre on board! That's why I'm so wound up. I can't wait for the real mission to start!
: Just treat this like every other assignment you've had and everything will work out.
: Easy for you to say. You proved yourself in the Blitz. Everybody knows what you can do.
: This is my big chance. I need to show the brass what I can do!
: You're young, Corporal. You have a long career ahead of you. Don't do something stupid to mess it up.
: Don't worry, ma'am. I'm not going to screw this up.
: The captain's waiting for me.
: Goodbye, Commander.

: What about?
: I'm interested in this world we're going to -- Eden Prime. I've heard it's quite beautiful.
: They say it's a paradise.
: Yes... a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. Safe. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it?
: Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?
: Do you know something?
: Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a very dangerous place.
: Is the Alliance truly ready for this?

: This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run.
: I figured there was something you weren't telling us.
: We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we needed the stealth systems operational.
: There must be a reason you didn't tell me about this, sir.
: This comes down from the top, Commander. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis.
: A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon during an excavation. It was Prothean.
: What else can you tell me?

: But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities to handle something like this. We need to bring the beacon back to the Citadel for proper study.
: Obviously, this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander. This discovery could affect every species in Council space.
: It never hurts to have a few extra hands on board.
: The beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard.
: Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander. He's here to evaluate you.
: Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around.

: The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it shows how far the Alliance has come.
: You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed. You showed not only courage, but also incredible skill.
: That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres.
: I assume this is good for the Alliance.
: Earth needs this, Shepard. We're counting on you.
: I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together.

: What do you know about the Protheans?
: Just what they taught us in school. They were a technologically-advanced species that ruled the galaxy 50,000 years ago. Then they vanished.
: Nobody really knows how or why, though I've heard plenty of theories. But everyone agrees that galactic civilization wouldn't exist without them.
: Their Citadel is the very heart of galactic society. And without their mass relays, interstellar travel would be impossible. We all owe the Protheans a great debt.
: I'd like to know more about Eden Prime before we touch down.
: It's a peaceful farming world, but it represents something much bigger. Eden Prime is one of our oldest and most successful colonies.
: It proved we were ready to face the challenges of settling new worlds, to forge a place for humanity beyond Earth.
: It symbolizes humanity's growth and evolution as a spacefaring species. And after this, it will be known as the world where humans made a discovery of galactic importance.
: Why is this beacon so important?
: All advanced galactic civilization is based on Prothean technology. Even yours.
: If we hadn't discovered those Prothean ruins buried on Mars, we'd still be stuck on Earth.
: That was just a small data cache. Who knows what we can learn from this beacon?
: What if it's a weapons archive? We can't let it fall into the wrong hands.
: Like who?
: The Attican Traverse isn't the most stable sector of Citadel space. There are plenty of raiders and criminal groups active in the region.
: They might figure a Prothean beacon is worth the risk of attacking an Alliance ship. Plus, Eden Prime is right on the border of the Terminus Systems.
: The Attican Traverse is under Citadel protection. If the Terminus Systems attack, it's an act of war.
: Technically, yes. But some of the species in the Terminus might be willing to start a war over this.
: The last thing the Council wants is to get dragged into a major conflict with the Terminus Systems. We have to keep this low-key.
: Just give the word, Captain.
: We should be gettting close to Eden-

: What's wrong, Joker?

: Bring it up on screen.

Nihlus got on one side of the Captain, and I got on another, and what we saw was... horrible. Soldiers were firing at an unseen enemy, and one of them, who I assumed was their leader, managed to save the cameraman just in time...
: Get down!

I looked over at Captain Anderson and Nihlus, then back at the screen. The Captain watched unflinchingly, but I could tell he hated looking at this.


The soldier died and this... sound started up. It was hard to explain, but it was this horrible, unnatural sound. One I wish I was still unfamiliar with.

A ship unlike any other I had seen. Large, generating Mass Effect fields so powerful that waves of electricity were flying off of it.

: Reverse and hold at 38.5.

: Status report.
: Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area.

: This mission just got a lot more complicated.
: A small strike team can move quickly without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon.
: Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold.
: Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in.

THIS UPDATE IN A NUTSHELL:
We talk to a bunch of people and a lot of nothing happens until the very end.