1. The first implies exploring Benning: Cerberus Abductions as part of N7: Cerberus Abductions. Mass Effect 3 Game Guide is also available in our Mobile App.
  2. Benning was a prosperous colony. One of the nearest garden worlds to Arcturus Station, the world thrived as a source of food to the once growing human population. Benning was no Eden Prime, though, having endured from heavy urbanization in the early days of colonization.
  3. Not really much of a spoiler, but anyways: spoiler=benning1Im on Benning and have defeated all enemies in sight. There was a civilian there when the fight was over, but hes gone now. The mission goal keeps saying secure the upper streets and I have no idea what that means. Ive been running all.

Up until its last 15 minutes, Mass Effect 3 is excellent, a remarkable and moving culmination to an extended saga. The game's conclusion does not undo the excellent cooperative storymaking that. Ambassador Dominic Osoba is looking for evidence of his son, lost during a mission on Benning. Find evidence of what happened to his son and return to the ambassador. Alternative journal entry: Dog tags for a dead soldier have been recovered from Benning. Return to the Citadel and deliver them to the soldier's spouse or next of kin. On your second trip to the Citadel, travel to the Embassies.

Chapter X: The Massacre of Benning

To say everyone was impatient might be an understatement. To Garrus, it looked like everyone wanted to see a very much awake Commander with their own eyes. There was a lot to discuss after all. That and everyone shared the same question: what had Shepard seen?

Admittedly, it was strange that the Commander summoned them all to the Conference Room rather than anywhere else. Oddly enough, Shepard had failed to arrive on time, much to everyone displeasure. According to EDI, he was being held back by Admiral Hackett. Understanding the Commander's plight, they all stiffly waited, silently, for their leader.

Ashley, fully clad in her Alliance armour, waited next to a bored looking James. While she had every inch of her skin covered by her plated suit and helmet, James wore his usual screamingly-tight shirt that left little room to the unnatural musculature underneath. Kal'Reegar stood in full attention, differently from the female marine next to him who leaned back against a wall with a leisurely pose and arms folded. Tali was on his other side, wringing her hands with lots of nerves.

At one end of the conference table, Garrus leaned over the surface, thoughtful, while Nyreen and Liara sat on crates behind him. Jacob, who wore an Alliance uniform, awkwardly kept looking at Javik at the opposite side of the table. The Prothean in question, scowling, kept ignoring everyone around him with an air of disdain and contempt. Legion seemed to be almost oblivious to everything in his surroundings, staring at the Conference Room's door.

There were two people that appeared to be out of place amidst battle-hardened people: Samantha Traynor and Steve Cortez, both of which found themselves at a corner, puzzled. Then again, EDI did stand out in her finely ironed formal uniform… and that side cap of hers. Why did she insist on the strange choice of headwear? No one knew.

In the end, the time came. Shepard walked out of the War Room and marched towards the conference room. The team all straightened up, impatiently staring at the Commander as if that might hasten his pace. They all quickly noticed, however, that something was amiss. This was not the Shepard they recalled. This Commander walked with a weight that spoke of untold fatigue. He moved as a man who had been through hell and back. They were, all in all, grimly reminded that Shepard had barely gone through a gruesome experience.

The man unceremoniously strolled down the hallway straight to the Conference Room where he sluggishly stepped in. Once inside, he took a moment to look at all of his companions before sighing wearily. He closed the door behind him and, slowly, removed his helmet. There was faint hiss, and all of Shepard's companion soon found themselves staring at the man's face.

To say they were taken aback by the change might have been an understatement. Firstly, most of them hadn't seen his face in a long time, mostly Jacob, and thus were surprised by the pale complexion. There was also a defining haggard look, with dark bags under his eyes and a tiredness that seemed to scream at them about untold horrors he had endured.

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The new pure white cybernetics were also a strange change, given how they faded into his already snow white visage. With those new glowing eyes there was an ethereal feel to him, as if unblemished of any taint. His face, though, seemed to suggest otherwise.

With a heavy thud, Shepard placed his helmet on the table as he released a long, ragged breath. His eyes were downcast, set on the table as he mustered the strength to address his friends.

'So…' Shepard started saying, looking up at his colleagues. 'It's good to be back' he stated, forcing a smile on his face. 'Although I wish you could have done something while I was indisposed'.

'We tried, Loco' an amused Jamed huffed. 'Won't believe how it all went down'.

'Garrus told about your little adventure on Gellix' Shepard scoffed, shaking head. 'By the sounds of it, everything is a lot more complicated than we first thought'. He morosely grimaced at them. 'So the Reapers have deployed these artefacts which can Indoctrinate people and Cerberus is only growing stronger… and the Illusive Man isn't slowing down either. Don't remember him as being this devious before…' he hummed, scratching his chin.

'The Illusive Man has always been like this. You just needed to know where to look' Jacob muttered.

'I'm more concerned with this artefact you mentioned' Shepard admitted, frowning at Garrus.

'Shouldn't we be more worried about Cerberus, Shepard?' Liara queried. 'They are getting bolder. Just recently they have launched terrorist attacks on various colonies loyal to the Alliance'.

'They did what?' Shepard blinked at the asari. He must have heard wrong. Terrorist attacks? Could it be? 'Why didn't Hackett tell me…?' He grumbled, looking at his feet as he pondered on that.

'What DID Hackett tell you?' Ashley asked.

'So far, he's keeping me out of the loop and as far as possible from the Council. Can't say I blame him' Shepard replied. 'He wants me to stick around the quarians…' mostly to keep an eye on them, he mentally added. However, Shepard got the feeling Hackett didn't want the Commander involved that much on the ongoing Alliance vs Cerberus phoney war.

'I haven't heard about these… terrorist attacks' Garrus informed the asari in the room.

'In human culture, radical groups and religions sought to instil fear in a population if only to gain renown to their cause. It seems that Cerberus has decided it was their turn' Liara explained. With a grim face, she elaborated. 'The colony of New Anjar was attacked yesterday by Cerberus. Thankfully, the Alliance has managed to not only repel the attack but also capture many of the assault troopers'.

'Finally' James exclaimed, happy. 'We are kicking their butts!'

'It seems that Cerberus attack only improved the Alliance reputation and deeply affected Cerberus'. There has been a surge in Alliance recruits and a reported decrease of those loyal to Cerberus' Liara smiled at the bulky marine, happy to share good news. 'With any luck, those who support Cerberus might see them as the monsters they true are before it is too late'.

'That can't be right' Jacob muttered, shaking his head. 'The Alliance marines can't possibly be beating Cerberus'.

'I agree with Jacob' Shepard admitted. 'However, it's good to hear that the Alliance is getting its act together'.

'I keep hearing about this… Cerberus' Javik suddenly said with a disapproving tone. 'Why hasn't your government dealt with these traitors?'

'Pretty much the same reason why the Council hasn't dealt with the Terminus systems. If we went to an all-out war with Cerberus, both sides would be too weak to face the Reapers. They might be poking at each other, trying to up the other but neither side wants to waste lives and resources with the Reapers breathing on our necks and Earth a few Relay jump away' Shepard explained serenely before turning to Liara, baffled. 'That is what I don't get about this terrorist attack you mentioned, Liara. Why would Cerberus attack a colony when they have been rallying support so efficiently?'

'It does sound like a tactically unsound move' Garrus hummed 'but then again, we can't forget Cerberus did slaughter the personnel at the dig-site on Eden Prime for no reason in particular, going as far as murdering innocent civilians'.

'Cerberus also tried to kill the Council and wreaked havoc across the Citadel' Liara reminded them.

'The attack on Eden Prime was very isolated and selective, and the coup against the Council wasn't exactly an unpopular move' Tali told the asari. 'The only ones who were outraged with the attempt on the Council were the people that support the Council… who have never been in good terms with Cerberus. If anything, Cerberus' attack on the Council hurt the reputation of the Alliance and humanity more so than their own'.

'That would explain by Krogan, Batarians, many isolationist human colonies and even groups of the Terminus Systems are falling behind the Illusive Man's influence…' Garrus begrudgingly pointed out.

'This attack on the Alliance's colonies probably serves as a message' Jacob suggested. 'A message to their own… maybe' he shrugged, uncertain.

'Perhaps' Nyreen hummed. 'But why would Cerberus require to instil fear in their people when they have proven to be able to brainwash them? After Gellix, I'm inclined to believe that perhaps this attack on – what was its name? New Angar? – had other purposes'.

'I agree' Tali nodded.

'It could be another Prothean discovery' Liara gasped. She frowned 'but the Alliance doesn't have any great invested interests there. If anything, the colony was rather… expendable'.

'How do you know that?' James asked the asari.

There was a long awkward moment in which Liara seemed to look at Garrus and Shepard for support on the matter. However, the Commander looked like he would fall asleep at any moment, and Garrus was distracted, concerned by Shepard's health. Thankfully, not everyone cared that much about Liara's mysterious network of informants.

'What about Rannoch?' Kal'Reegar suddenly stepped in, anxious.

The room fell silent and all eyes turned to Shepard. The Commander grimaced as he scratched the nape of his neck. He looked rather uncomfortable with the topic.

'I've gone through the intel we've got on Diniel…' Shepard cautiously started saying. 'And I…' he paused, afraid to continue 'there isn't much we can do on Rannoch right now. His position is heavily secured by an army of Geth on the ground and an armada on Orbit. There's no way of reaching Diniel without a fleet and army of our own… and that's without taking into account that we don't even know if we could access Diniel's hiding place'.

'We are going to do nothing?' Kal asked. While he kept his composure, there were hints of his outrage in his voice. 'We are one battle away from retaking Rannoch!'

'We concur, Shepard-Commander' Legion chimed in. 'The Geth remain under Diniel's influence. We must liberate them'.

'Look, this isn't a matter of what I want to do. If I could, I'd say we try to take Diniel down. However, at this point, if we try anything we might only be giving the Reapers exactly what they want' Shepard told them. 'No, we can't do anything on Rannoch'. He raised a hand as Kal was about to protest on that. 'Yet' he added.

'Do you have a plan?' Tali asked, hopeful.

With a heavy heart, Shepard swallowed a hard lump. 'No' he said 'but I'll find a way. I promise'.

The quarian's shoulders slumped, not because Rannoch would not be reclaimed any time soon, but because of the state of Shepard. There he was, beaten, having gone through an excruciating experience… and he was still fighting. Tali felt ashamed for asking so much to Shepard when it wasn't his responsibility.

'Hackett has ordered us to stay in this system, on patrol, and connected to the comm buoy' Shepard wearily told his team. 'Dismissed…' he murmured, wheezing tiredly.

'Wait, ehm, Shepard…' Liara called, hesitant.

The Commander looked at the asari, struggling not to fall over right then and there.

'Yes?' Shepard hummed.

'You wouldn't mind if – if…' Liara trailed off, unsure if it was the right thing to ask, or the right time.

'What did you see, Loco?' James suddenly asked with a worried face. 'What did you find in the Geth server?'

If anyone was interested, then it was Tali. Kal'Reegar was much better at hiding his curiosity. Legion attentively stared at Shepard, expectant. Everyone else seemed just as intrigued. Shepard, however, grimaced.

'If you don't mind us asking, of course' Liara quickly amended. 'You must be exhausted after your ordeal and -'

'I'm still trying to make heads and tails of what I saw' Shepard cut in, tersely, as he stared at the table, his gaze lost onto something else. 'A lot of what I witnessed just… didn't make sense'. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he recalled what he had seen. 'I think I saw how it began… and how it all ended… but instead of answers… I found mostly questions'.

'That isn't anything concrete' Javik pointed out.

'You are free to stick your head into a Geth server room if you want' Shepard snorted, irritable. 'I need to sleep…' he muttered, slowly turning around.

Mass Effect 3 Benning Evidence Location

Everyone remained awfully quiet after that, awkwardly trading looks as Shepard departed. Tali was the exception, however, staring at the Commander with teary eyes. She was the first one to leave after the Commander, and she did so hurriedly. The rest remained behind, unsure on what to do now.

Tali managed to catch up with Shepard as he was crossing the security check-point by the door. He was hunched forward, as if struggling to walk. The quarian rushed to his side.

'Sh-Shepard…' Tali called, hesitant.

'Tali…' Shepard whispered, glancing at her as he stopped by the doorframe to the bridge.

'Y-you w-wouldn't mind if-if I accompanied you?' She tentatively asked.

A tired Shepard frowned, baffled by the question, only for his eyes to widen ever so slightly with realization.

'Ehm… yes, why wouldn't you?' He mumbled.

'W-we need to talk, don't we?' Tali murmured, looking at her feet.

Shepard grimaced. 'Yes… yes, we do' he slowly nodded. 'Let's… go to my cabin'.

The elevator ride was rather tense and uncomfortable, to say the least. Tali and Shepard, once deeply affectionate to each other, kept an arm's length from each other as they tried, hard, not to be caught staring at the other. While Tali mustered her courage to finally come clean to Shepard, the Commander in turn felt his stomach churn as his mind burned with fatigued. He wanted to sleep so badly, to have a dreamless night… but he wanted to finally confront Tali.

It was with hesitation that they walked out of the lift and onto the decontamination chamber. With extreme sluggishness, the Commander put his helmet back on, swearing bitterly the entire way. How tired he was… Shepard moved to a nearby console to activate the decontamination protocols, but a three-fingered hand stopped him just as he was about to press the first button. He blinked and turned to Tali. Her glowing eyes, though, were on the floor, rueful.

'This is your cabin…' she whispered, looking up to meet his gaze. 'You don't have to do this'.

Shepard sighed. 'I rather talk face to face' he stated.

Tali stiffly nodded, growing nervous. She stepped back, and allowed Shepard to start decontaminating them. For almost five minutes, they stood there, in the same room in body, elsewhere in mind. They both had a lot to ponder about, and emotions to quell.

As the protocols ended and they entered the room, Shepard stepped to a side and gestured Tali to sit down at the bed. She silently went straight to sit on the mattress, her hands on her laps and her head down. Shepard removed his helmet and shoved it to the large sofa that faced the bed. He followed after the piece the headgear, collapsing with a winded groan. He was immediately sighing with relief, as if he hadn't sat down in ages.

Again, silence reigned. Shepard leaned back, eyes closed and unmoving, while Tali awkwardly waited for the inevitable confrontation to begin. However, it came to a point the quarian wasn't sure if the Commander hadn't actually fallen asleep.

'Shepard?' Tali called.

Shepard sighed and moved his head forward, his own glowing eyes staring into Tali. The quarian, with shaking hands, reached into her helmet and pulled it off.

'B-because you have b-been exposed I-I'll apply some antibiotics so at least I can be like this for some time. Th-then I-I guess I'll need to pull the visor back on and- and…' Tali mumbled as she rumbled on.

Her visor actually trembled in her hands. She was not going to deny that she felt a lot more nervous than back when she first revealed her face to Shepard… and Ancestors that had been nerve-racking.

'Tali'

Tali fell quiet, snapping her head at the Commander. The man, with half-lidded eyes, struggled to stay awake. By sheer for of will, he remained like that.

'What did you want to talk to me about?' He asked. He already knew, that much was clear, but at the same time, he wanted to be sure.

'You know' Tali admitted, sighing in defeat. She pulled her hood back. 'My people… and my betrayal… to you'. It felt liberating to finally release that secret from her chest. Sadly, it didn't make things better, not when she had to wait with an abated breath for the Commander's response. 'I- I wish that apologizing could be enough but… but…' she fell quiet, unable to formulate a coherent sentence.

'How did you betray me, Tali? How did your people betray me?' Was the question. By this point, Shepard's face was impassive, without a single emotion marring his expression. His glowing white glowing eyes stared into Tali's, searching deep in her soul.

'We worked with Cerberus, Shepard. After you were detained we… we started doing all sorts of business agreements with the Illusive Man. They started small, but it quickly ramped up' Tali confessed. Again, the rush of liberation was exhilarating, but a part of her was still dreading what would follow. 'It's because of us that Cerberus grew so much. We were so stupid… we should have known the Illusive Man would turn Cerberus into such a dangerous monster…'

'Tali' Shepard stated, making Tali freeze. 'Your people didn't betray me'.

Tali sat there, blinking at the man. Was he serious? He must have been very tired if he was saying that. Maybe he was still delusional. Yes, that had to be it, or maybe the ordeal he went through had taken its toll on the man. Shepard was supposed to be furious!

'You had no way of knowing the Illusive Man would manage to make Cerberus what it is today' Shepard pointed out. 'Besides, your people did the right thing: your people needed the resources. How long has it been since you last had such golden opportunity? When would you be able to grow once again? Renovate ships or even build some of your own? To finally be able to have the luxury of multiple children and more space?'

'How do you…?' Tali started asking, surprised.

'How do you know that was the deal you had with the Illusive Man?' Shepard raised an eyebrow. 'Because I would have done the same in the Illusive Man's place. I can't blame the Quarians Tali for following the best interests of their own people. I can't ask quarians to be loyal to the Council or the Alliance when neither of them did anything for the quarians'.

'B-but you did so much for us… for me…' Tali murmured.

'So what? For Christ's sake, Tali, you have been a stagnate nation struggling to survive for centuries. You have been cursed to an errant life, trapped all your lives inside suits and with only dreams to keep you going, a fleeting hope that maybe, somehow, one day you could get your home-world back' Shepard exclaimed. 'Your interests were never going to align themselves with mine. You don't need to apologize for your people, because you did nothing wrong'. He sighed 'I actually feared as much… suspected that maybe the Illusive Man had finally seen the opportunity and seized it. I can't blame you for his cunning'.

'We – no, I should have told you' Tali mumbled, ashamed.

'Yes, you should have' Shepard sternly grunted, glaring at Tali. It was short-lived, but it felt like a slap to her, a well-deserved one at that. His face, though, quickly softened. 'But… I can understand that too'.

'No, Shepard, don't do this!' Tali cried out, standing to her feet, tears rolling down her cheeks. 'I betrayed you! I- I – You did so much for me! You gave me everything I could have ever wanted! You saved my life! You trusted me…' she sniffed, choking on the agonizing pangs of remorse. 'And I didn't trust you! Don't pull everything on your shoulders, Shepard! You can't carry the blame for the entire galaxy! You deserve better'.

Shepard smiled tiredly at Tali, his eyes shining knowingly. Tali frowned, no longer crying.

'But you had a sincere fear, didn't you?' Shepard said calmly. 'You feared that Liara would hear you when you told me, and that she would let it slip to the Alliance and the Council. You feared, above all, that they would later pressure me to make a choice neither of us wants'.

'D-did Garrus…?' Tali wondered, shocked.

'Again, Tali, I'm not the greatest human to ever live for nothing' Shepard cockily chuckled at Tali.

Tali blinked at Shepard once. Twice. Thrice. Blushing, she glared at Shepard, although there was no anger or annoyance, only faux irritation that hid her shame. 'Y-you bosh'tet' she swore. 'I'm trying to be serious here! You deserve better!'

'Tali…' Shepard sighed. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. The man gently patted the spot on a side.

The quarian was confused for a moment only to realize what Shepard meant with the gesture. Hesitantly, she walked to Shepard's side and promptly sat down. He smiled at her, not with joy but with grief, and pain. As she joined him at the sofa, he took her hand, studying it for a moment before he spoke, never letting go.

'I'll be honest with you' Shepard sighed demurely. 'When I learned about your people's dealings I was… hurt'. Tali looked down, shoulders slumped with renewed shame. 'However, in hindsight, I think I just overreacted. I should have confronted you and demanded to know your side of the story before I judged you or your people too harshly. I actually thought that perhaps I would get insight into your people through the Geth Server… that certainly didn't go as planned.'

'It was stupid' Tali bluntly told Shepard. 'You shouldn't have tried to dig for more information, Shepard'. She looked at him, utterly worried. 'You could have died, or worse'.

'I know…' Shepard sheepishly smiled at the quarian. 'That was certainly not my brightest move but…' he sighed. 'I needed to know'. He frowned, his gaze turning to the coffee table in front of them.

'Why?' Tali queried.

'Call it a hunch' Shepard said. With a sigh, he leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes. 'God… I feel exhausted…'

Tali smiled tenderly at the Commander. 'Then sleep' she whispered.

She made a move to leave, only for a hand to hold her down. Surprised, she looked at Shepard, who was now cockily grinning at her with his eyes closed.

'Do you think you can get rid of me that easily?' He hummed.

Tali giggled, smiling at the man. She leaned back on the sofa and, pulling herself closer to the Commander. Without a word, Shepard's hand wrapped around her waist as Tali embraced the man, her head leaning on his shoulder. Silently, with the soothing hum of the engines, they fell into peaceful slumber.

When Commander Shepard walked out of the elevator the following day, he did so with a merry grin and a spring on his step. His face was hidden behind his helmet once again, but his demeanour was enough to convey the man's mood. He was, after all, fully recuperated and back to action. A pity he had to clean himself up once again to allow Tali to wander around their cabin without her suit.

His good mood, though, would not last forever for someone was waiting outside the elevator. Shepard actually had to freeze and stare, with wide eyes, at one particularly worried Asari. She merely stood there, arms folded, but Shepard could already tell what she was concerning her so. Thus, he groaned.

'Good day, Liara' Shepard greeted the asari, with a placating tone.

'Yes, good day Shepard' Liara nodded, unsure if she was meant to let go of her worry yet. 'It's good to see you re-energized…'

'Sixteen hours of sleeper really can do the trick' Shepard commented with faux joy.

'Commander, could we speak in my cabin?' Liara bluntly wondered.

Benning: Evidence - Mass Effect 3 Wiki Guide - IGN

The Commander sighed in defeat. 'Alright' Shepard grumbled.

The Shadow Broker smiled, pleased, at the man only to turn around and lead the Commander into her lair. Said room was pretty much as Shepard remembered. However, the many screens he had once seen were far busier, with different numbers, variables, text and so forth showing. Some appeared to have different pictures. Truth to be told, Shepard couldn't understand nearly half the things he saw.

No sooner had the door closed behind the Commander, Liara snapped her head at Shepard, trying very hard to glare admonishingly at the Commander. She was, however, a bit too cute for that, or at least to truly affect Shepard.

'You are going to forgive the quarians?!' Liara exclaimed, caught between outraged and disbelieving. 'They armed Cerberus! They have been building ships and producing all sorts of equipment for the Illusive Man!'

Shepard sighed.

'Don't give me that look' Liara muttered, squinting angrily at the Commander. 'This is the kind of behaviour that makes people believe you are actually in league with Cerberus. Worse, this will not help the Alliance. On the contrary, it will only benefit Cerberus at the Alliance's expense'.

'Are you done ranting, Liara?' Shepard calmly queried.

'No' Liara huffed with a defiant shake of her head. 'But I do want to hear what you have to say on this'.

'Look, Liara, what exactly do you want me to do? To call out the entire Admiralty Board?' Shepard asked.

'No, but that doesn't mean you have to forgive them' the asari retorted, only to frown with confusion, tilting her head. 'Wait… do you actually forgive the quarians or is this some kind of clever trick?'

'It's both, Liara' Shepard sighed, shaking her head.

'How is that possible?' Liara frowned, baffled. She tilted her head, unsure what the Commander alluded to.

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'Yes, I do forgive them, but that's because we don't have a choice' the Commander explained. 'If we antagonize the quarians, what do you think will happen? They will fully join Cerberus in their entirety and do so without regrets. There's hope that they might break away from Cerberus but that requires forgiveness on our side…'

'I see' Liara hummed, nodding. 'But what if the quarians won't break away from Cerberus?'

Shepard grimaced. 'Then I'll be forced to do something I rather not. However, we are going to need all the help we can get if we are to defeat the Reapers' he said 'and I rather give the quarians the benefit of the doubt. If I can get the Quarians to help the Alliance, think about the possibilities?'

Liara kept nodding, pondering on what Shepard said. 'I can't say I agree with you, but you have always proven you act with wisdom. I trust you know what you are doing' she stated, grim.

'I hope so to' Shepard grumbled.

'Have you given any thought to the Geth-Quarian War? It can't be allowed to reach a natural resolution, Shepard' Liara told the man.

'I agree' the Commander wearily nodded. 'I rather not be involved in the genocide of any species, be it synthetic or organic. However, I really don't know how this situation can be fixed'.

'Have you considered making a peace summit between Legion and the Admiralty Board to broker peace?' Liara suggested.

'I have… and I don't see that going well any time now. We are treading a dangerous line. If I push the Quarians too much they might turn to Cerberus' Shepard muttered.

'Legion says the Geth are more than willing to broker peace. He has informed me of potential settlement locations for the Quarians' Liara shared with the Commander. With a saddened expression, she added. 'The Quarians, however, don't have any interest in partaking in peace talks'.

'Can you blame them?' Shepard huffed. 'The Geth are negotiating from a position of weakness. The only thing stopping the quarians from exterminating the Geth is Diniel and we are all working on dealing with Diniel as it is'.

'That's assuming the counter-measures will keep working' Liara pointed out. 'However, thus far, it's been agreed upon that that might not be the case. Isn't that the Admiralty Board's assumption?'

'True' Shepard nodded. Internally, he wondered since when he had so blatantly ignored Liara's constant breach of everyone's privacy. 'Thing is, if the counter-measures don't work, then it will be the Quarians who will negotiate from a position of weakness, and if push comes to shove we all know who the quarians will turn to'.

'We must at least try' Liara told Shepard with a hopeful expression.

'Fine' Shepard sighed. 'I'll arrange for some type of meeting between Legion and the Admiralty Board… although I really don't see it going anywhere until we defeat Diniel.'

'Good' Liara smiled at the Commander. 'Thank you, Shepard'.

The man nodded at her. Without anything else to say, Shepard proceeded to eye Liara's room. It wasn't every day he got the chance to snoop around her lair.

'Anything else you wished to talk about?' He queried, having a look at the many screens to his right.

'Well, yes' Liara slowly started saying, hesitant. 'It's more of a proposal…' she trailed off, staring at Shepard with uncertainty.

'What's the problem? You know I'm open to anything you suggest' Shepard told her.

'The last time I proposed anything like this, Shepard, we were nearly captured by Cerberus' Liara grimaced, staring at her feet with guilt.

'Liara, you can't blame yourself for that. From what Garrus told me, the Illusive Man played his cards rather well. There was no way of knowing it was all a trap' Shepard softly said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'You did great, Liara. The Illusive Man wants to discourage you because he knows how much of a threat you are to him'.

Liara smiled at him with a blush. She fluttered her eyes, flustered. 'Th-thanks, Shepard' she mumbled.

'So what's this suggestion of yours?' Shepard wondered, tilting his head.

'Yes, right, that' Liara cleared her throat, awkwardly turning around and walking over to her computer.

Shepard followed after the Shadow Broker, only to pause. Perplexed, he looked around. Why did he have a strange tingling feeling in the nape of his neck? There was also a weird itching across his skin that was oddly suspicious, not to mention sudden. Somehow, Shepard was certain this was caused by something, something in that very room…

'Is something the problem, Shepard?' Liara worriedly asked.

Shepard, in turn, frowned at the room. Why did he suddenly feel… restless? Just as he was about to step closer to Liara's belongings on the wall to his left, the strange sensations vanished. The abruptness of that rendered the Commander flabbergasted.

'I – I don't know' he admitted, baffled. With a suspicious squint, he slowly turned to the asari. 'I just had a weird feeling…'

'Ah' Liara said, her eyes widening. 'Y-yes - ehm – th-there was this I – you…' she stammered, nervous.

It was now Shepard's moment to be worried. 'Liara…' he called, folding his arms. 'Do you have anything to tell me?'

'I – well… yes – no, I mean, no. It's something… private' Liara shook her head quickly. She smiled reassuringly at the Commander, who narrowed his eyes at her. 'It's nothing you should worry about, truly. I have something more important to discuss'.

Shepard sighed. Liara and her secrets… he shook his head and shrugged. While irritated, he would respect Liara's privacy. That's the least he could do for someone who had proven her loyalty time after time. Instead, he decided to focus on whatever she intended to tell him. After all, she was the Shadow Broker. Anything worth mentioning had to be important.

With newfound confidence, Liara gestured for him to approach her. He did so, curious, as she proceeded to point at the computer terminal.

'As it was mentioned yesterday, it appears Cerberus has decided to show their true selves on New Anjar' Liara retold, typing on her computer. Shepard studied the holographic monitor as images appeared. 'It would seem that the Alliance is preparing for something on a colony called Benning. While I don't have enough evidence to support my claim, I think Cerberus is going to attack civilians'.

'And you think the Alliance knows this… how? You think someone tipped the Alliance or something?' Shepard frowned, intrigued.

'It's probable. The movement of soldiers and resources is… baffling for a colony like Benning' Liara elaborated, uncertain. 'It might be nothing'.

Shepard hummed as he went through the data on Liara's screen. She was right. The recent deployment of troops and their positioning suggested they were preparing for something, and that something was big and important.

'I'll contact Hackett and ask about this' Shepard decided with a firm nod.

'I think Hackett will not tell you anything of relevance, Shepard' Liara remarked with a wince.

Shepard frowned. 'Why?' He wondered.

'He knows there are spies inside the Normandy' Liara shared, remorseful.

Shepard blinked. 'So that's why he wants me out of the loop' he mused. 'You are right again' he chuckled, patting Liara. 'I doubt Hackett will share anything if it can compromise this operation…' he quizzically looked at Liara's computer. 'Whatever this operation actually is'.

'What are we going to do?' Liara wondered.

Mass Effect 3 Benning Dog Tags

'Well, if there is one thing we all know is not to underestimate Cerberus. If this is going to be a New Anjar…' Shepard paused for a moment. He grimaced, thinking about the horrible possibilities. 'I rather be there and offer our support if we can'.

Liara smiled at him with pride. Something akin to joy glimmered in her sapphire eyes, almost like she was looking at a long lost friend.

'But we'll have to be smart about this' Shepard muttered. 'We can't let-'

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Shepard blinked as his internal communicator beeped. The Commander looked at an equally mystified Liara for a moment. Dumbfounded, Shepard answered the call.

'Shepard, there is an urgent transmission for you at the War Room' EDI reported.

'I'll be right there' Shepard replied. He turned to Liara. 'I trust you can make our little trip happen?'

Liara smirked at him. 'Of course, we'll be there and our… guests… will be none the wiser' she replied.

Shepard raised an eyebrow at the asari, who blushed proudly at the used of a human expression. His amusement was cut short as he felt the same tingling feel of before. Confused, he snapped his head. He frowned at Liara's belongings once again. Was it his imagination or was there something… wrong in this room? He shook his head as the feeling receded. He probably hadn't completely recuperated from his crazy time in the Geth Server.

Shepard walked to the communicator on the small chamber behind the War Room. He was curious to know who could possibly be calling for him. The Normandy wasn't, after all, just any ship. It had to be someone important, someone with contacts. That is to say, someone –

'Shepard'

The Commander froze for a moment, only to sigh, his shoulder slumping. He shook his head, arms folding at the hologram that glowed in front of him.

'Illusive Man' Shepard muttered, glaring at the bastard.

'Good to see up and running' the Illusive Man, smoking one of his thick cigars, said with a devious smile.

'What do you want?' The Commander asked, annoyed.

'Mostly to talk' the man infuriatingly replied. The leader of Cerberus did sober up, though, and gave off a serious vibe. He was not here to taunt Shepard. The Illusive Man meant business. 'You are in danger, as it most of your crew. Your old companion Jack has finished her sweep on Gellix's base…' he stared at Shepard with cold, bright eyes 'the Reaper artefact is missing'.

Shepard frowned as a wave of concern washed over him. He leaned forward, his hands moving on the communication panel as if to hold himself up.

'You mean… it's here?' Shepard rose a hidden eyebrow. 'No, my team wouldn't be so foolish to bring an active Reaper artefact to my ship'.

'That's part of the crux of the matter' The Illusive Man wearily said. 'Apparently, this artefact is… unique. Have you wandered how it managed to slip our attention and Indoctrinate valuable personnel?'

No, he hadn't. Shepard suddenly understood where the Illusive Man was going with all of that.

'From what we've been able to gather, this artefact can actually activate and deactivate itself at will. A very clever trick… and a costly one for me' the Illusive Man scowled. 'Stranger yet, it seems to be able to…' here the Illusive Man's eyebrows rose, as if to convey his own disbelief '…change shape'.

The two men stood there, transfixed as they stared at each other. Shepard didn't even flinch, taken aback by what the other man had said. The Commander abruptly scrunched his face, perplexed.

'Wait, wait, wait' Shepard shook his head. 'This artefact can change shape and Indoctrinate at will? That's ridiculous.' However, a part of him was filled with fear. Such a device… the possibilities were terrifying.

'By your posture I can tell that you realize how dangerous this device is' the Illusive Man countered. 'The Reapers aren't foolish, Commander. They designed these artefacts for one purpose, and one purpose only…'

'…To infiltrate and Indoctrinate' Shepard whispered softly, his eyes shaking with horror. He snapped his head at the Illusive Man. He suddenly understood. 'That's what the Reapers are waiting for! The bastards…' he shook his head, unable to contain the feeling of hopelessness. 'There- there could be thousands, no, millions of this artefacts spread across the entire Galaxy! They could win this war without lifting a single finger…'

All this time, Shepard was so afraid just thinking about a direct confrontation with the Reapers that he hadn't considered all the other tricks they could have under their sleeve. Why would they bother? Shepard had always assumed that the Reapers would simply bulldoze over them with their superior might. And yet, the Reapers didn't need to risk themselves when they could easily assume control of their targets…

'Now you understand' the Illusive Man soberly nodded. 'And you have one of these artefacts'.

'No, that's – that's ridiculous. My team knows better than that' Shepard shook his head. However, he felt it, the doubts, and the fears, running through his mind.

'I suggest you make sure of that' the Illusive Man smirked at the Commander. 'I would start with a certain naïve blue-skin…'

'Liara?' Shepard asked, bewildered.

'Oh, by the way, you aren't going to Benning any time now, are you?' The Illusive Man wondered with a grin. Now he was taunting Shepard. 'I heard that it's about to have a lot of new room soon'.

Shepard was rendered speechless. With wide eyes he started at this – this man, no this monster of this man as he smiled with thoughts of genocide in his head. What had happened to the Illusive Man to become like this?

'Give my boys hell' the Illusive Man huffed with one final amused smirk, before he vanished.

'No! Wait!' Shepard yelled, desperate. But it was no use, the hologram had faded into nothingness. 'EDI, connect me with the Illusive Man!' He ordered.

'That won't be possible Shepard' EDI's voice echoed across the room.

Shepard, shocked, stared at the empty space where the Illusive Man's transparent form had spoken. So it was happening… Cerberus was going to attack Benning! How could they do this? He clenched on the projection's console, furious.

Shepard's face turned into a murderous scowl. No, he would stop Cerberus. He would kill every last single one of those bastards, even if it was Thane or Jack! Shepard was done with Cerberus. Those dogs would burn in hell for this!

He paused his inner rage, remembering the little detail about the Reaper device. Could the Illusive Man possibly be lying? No, he was being blatantly obvious about Benning, and Shepard could see the Reapers developing such incredible technology. But how was he supposed to find such artefact that could deactivate and change shape?

He blinked, surprised, as he recalled something he had been told by Garrus. Maybe there was a way… but he would need of Garrus or Ashley.

Benning was a prosperous colony. One of the nearest garden worlds to Arcturus Station, the world thrived as a source of food to the once growing human population. Benning was no Eden Prime, though, having endured from heavy urbanization in the early days of colonization. It was always assumed that Eden Prime rather idealistic settlement distribution was a direct result of Benning's, as well as other early colonies, poor development. Thus, it was no surprising to see sky-high structures, disorganized buildings and a myriad of granite, concrete and metal houses intertwined into one dismal and ugly city. In other words, Benning was not a pretty sight.

If there was one thing Shepard thought when he laid eyes on Benning's central city, it was how much it reminded him of the bare structures that was Haelstrom. However, his musings were short-lived as he heard the screams of innocent civilians and many fires raging forward. All across the city, there were various hotspots with orange fires and rising towers of pitch black smoke.

'Where the hell is the Alliance?!' James yelled next to the Commander as the two stared across the open shuttle door.

Behind them, Shepard could feel Tali and Garrus agreeing with James on that while Liara morosely looked at the world below. Perhaps he should have brought Javik with them, but that blasted Prothean still refused to accept implants to stop allergies. Still, Shepard could understand where the Prothean was coming from with both the Reapers and Cerberus heavily invested on giving implants to everyone and everything. What the Commander certainly hadn't expected was for Chakwas to actually allow Garrus to the mission and force Nyreen to stay back, again… although one had to admit Cerberus cybernetics had their advantages when it came to healing. At least Ashley would have her and Kal'Reeger for assistance back on the Normandy.

'I have no idea!' Shepard shouted back. He eyed the horrors on the horizon as the shuttle landed. He was at least glad they had come to Benning. 'Alright, everyone' he turned to his team 'remember our mission: leave no Cerberus soldier alive'.

'Don't worry, Shepard' Garrus confidently replied as he checked his sniper rifle. 'We'll make them pay'.

'Move out!' Shepard exclaimed, jumping off the shuttle and onto Benning's surface.

There were many prefabricated buildings spread across what might have been this structure's rooftops. The disorder and blatant grey that assault Shepard's eyes made it all stand out as an eyesore. Shepard could already imagine the smell of death and destruction clogging his nostrils.

'Leave no survivors' the team heard from afar. They all stiffened, riled up at the familiar sound of the muffled voice of a Cerberus soldier.

Shepard turned to his team and nodded.

Straight ahead, in the centre of what was a mess of prefab structures, was a small contingent of Cerberus troopers. Scattered across the entire place, covered in blood, were dozens of bodies. Civilians of all sizes and ages laid dead. By the looks of it, they had tried to run from their impending doom.

'We are almost clear, sir' Shepard heard from the leader Centurion, a human one this time around. The seven human Assault Troopers around their commanding officer stood by, waiting for new instructions.

Shepard signalled his team to spread out.

The Centurion was suddenly startled, probably from something he was being informed about. 'What?' He gasped, turning to his now perplexed troopers. 'We've got movement' he muttered 'finish them'.

Shepard didn't need to wait any longer, he raised his assault rifle and took the first shot. Brain mattered splattered on a nearby wall. As expected, the Cerberus soldiers hastily scrambled to cover. They quickly were answering fire with their Mattock model rifles.

'We've got armed resistance!' Yelled the Centurion, a hand on a side as he hid behind a wall. 'Bring reinforcements!'

Garrus stood out from cover on a nearby roof, and made his shot. One less Assault trooper.

'Multiple hostiles!' Cried out the Centurion.

The firefight was not as intense as Shepard had expected but he quickly dismissed it as a result of the element of surprise. The Cerberus operatives were hard-pressed into cover, and Shepard's team had the tactical advantage, having taken positions around the troopers. James activated a grenade and threw it over, hopping on the ground to land exactly on the Centurion's side. Shepard could easily picture a face of shock on the bastard's face as the grenade exploded.

'Cerberus reinforcements!' Liara shouted as she gunned down one of the Assault troopers left.

Indeed, coming from multiple positions, they saw three shuttles with the much hated Cerberus insignia. Their sides hissed open, revealing dozens of Assault Troopers inside. Instead of landing, they stayed high up in the air, with the soldiers inside kneeling or standing as one dangerous wall.

'Take cover!' Shepard shouted.

Just in time, his team scrambled to safety. From the shuttles, the Cerberus troopers started shooting at them, showering them with deadly barrages from their rifles. Once again, Shepard noticed the lack of that strange sound he had heard at the Citadel. Liara and James desperately rushed into the nearest building while Garrus was caught behind an air duct on a roof. Shepard remained behind crates, gritting his teeth in frustration as they found themselves surrounded.

Tali glared at one of the shuttles from the safety of a wall, inside one of the prefabricated buildings. From a window, she had a clear shot to one of the shuttles who seemed more interested in gunning at a pinned down Garrus. She pressed the trigger of her shotgun but did not let go. Instead, she allowed for the mass effect accelerator to build up. When the weapon was starting to shake violently from overexertion and the barrel of her gun glowered a fiery red, the quarian moved out of cover and aimed the gun at the shuttle. Her finger released the trigger. Instead of a simple shot, a massive shinning red orb of destruction shot out straight to the shuttle.

Tali smirked as the Carnage fireball reached its target, gracing Benning's sky with a beautiful explosion of red and orange. Pieces of shuttle fell straight to the ground in flames. Garrus was thoroughly amazed by it, to the point he allowed a foolish moment to trade expressions with the smug quarian below.

'That still counts as one!' Shouted the Turian.

Garrus' musings were short-lived, however, as another shuttle went over him from behind. The turian's eyes widened before he sprinted out of cover, across the roof of one of the prefabricated buildings. A rain of bullets followed him at his heels. Not far from him, James and Liara exchanged determined looks, their backs against a doorframe. He held a grenade on one hand and Liara had a hand of her own ready. The marine activated the grenade and counted.

'Now!' James yelled, moving out of cover to throw the grenade. He shoved it towards the shuttle. As expected, it wasn't enough to reach the vehicle. However, Liara followed after the marine and, with a hand surrounded by a blue energy field, she did a biotic push on the grenade, shooting it off towards the shuttle. For a second time, Benning's skies were graced by the destruction of another shuttle.

The third shuttle touched down over one of the prefabricated buildings, having realized how dangerous the skies were. Taking various positions around the prefabricated buildings, the Cerberus Assault troopers managed to hold their ground as Shepard team regrouped, surrounding the trapped enemies. With the high ground on their side, however, the Cerberus troops had a vast advantage.

Shepard stood with his back pressed against a wall, taking peeks across a window. Whenever he tried, though, one of the troopers would open fire on his position, much to his consternation. Garrus, crouching, hurried onto the other side of the window.

'How many?' Shepard asked his turian friend.

'Twelve' Garrus replied. He leaned to a side, only to recoil back into cover as bullets showered the window.

Shepard frowned as he listened at the shooting outside. Was it him or where the gunshots sounding… different? They certainly didn't have that strange shrill to them that he recalled from the Citadel. Rather, the guns from Cerberus sounded… normal.

'Garrus, keep them distracted' Shepard ordered as he moved away from the window.

'I pray to the spirits that you actually have a plan this time' Garrus retorted. He moved out of cover, sniper rifle at the ready, and took the shot. In an instant, he was back behind cover, bullets clattering against the wall. 'That would be eleven left' he proudly added.

Garrus looked around, searching for his human friend, only to notice he had vanished. However, as he glanced at the empty destroyed interior of the building, he was surprised to notice a faint shimmer in the air. The distortion had a human silhouette to it, making the turian snort with amusement.

The Commander, invisible thanks to a cloaking shield, climbed up one of the prefabricated buildings. On a building across the dirty street, Tali, Liara and James tried, in vain, to shoot at the enemies. Sadly, Cerberus was well covered and their position held a great advantage over those below. Shepard took a deep breath, hiding behind a ventilation duck. He had only a pair of seconds of cloaking left. He had to make use of them.

Shepard knelt down, his body facing the roof filled with Cerberus troopers. Unbeknownst to him, his glowing white cybernetics started blurring, radiantly burning into an intimidating bright red. His eyes started shining in a stronger light and his body felt renewed strength flooding into his very being. Shepard didn't notice. He stopped thinking, his mind fixated on the moment, focusing on the task at hand.

The Commander took one deep breath, glaring at Cerberus. Then he sprinted. Had he been more thoughtful, he would have noticed the speed in which he moved. To Tali down below, it was as if something flashed on that building. In any case, the cloaking was disengaged when Shepard reached the border of the building, and jumped. The leap might have been twenty metres long, but to Shepard it was nothing.

To say the Cerberus troopers were surprised might have been an understatement. When a massive, bulky man materializes from thin air and launches himself onto one's position with murderous crimson eyes, one tended to be a little bit more than apprehensive. Shepard, though, didn't give much room for thought. He didn't land. Rather, he arrived with a bone-breaking kick to one of the enemies.

An omni-blade cut through the neck of one of the Cerberus troopers before they all realized they were screwed. They tried to reorganize, but Shepard violently shoved their fallen comrade onto them and proceeded with what could only be described as a violent carnage. He wasn't called the Butcher of Torfan for nothing.

Garrus didn't know what was worse, the screams he was hearing, or seeing Shepard of all people rampaging through a squad of Cerberus soldiers. He marched of his hiding spot, trying hard not to think much about what was going on. By the looks of it, James and Liara didn't have that much discipline in them. Tali seemed somewhat undisturbed, if not a bit saddened.

A Cerberus soldier fell on the ground near them. For a moment, Garrus had thought he was dead. However, the poor soul gasped and looked at the gathered team, desperation on his eyes.

'I- I surrender!' He cried out. He must have broken his feet, or he was bleeding too badly, because he was unable to stand up. Rather, he extended a hand, reaching out for help in what could be described as dismal desperation.

CRASH. The terrified Cerberus trooper snapped his head at the towering nightmare that landed behind him. Across a veil of dust, two glowing red eyes glared down on him.

'P-p-please, I surrender!' The soldier pleaded, trying to crawl back from Shepard.

'Now this is a first' Garrus scoffed.

Shepard stepped forward, a hand moving to the prisoner's neck. As much as he struggled, the Cerberus trooper was unable to shake of the man as he grabbed him and held him up.

'Why?!' Shepard roared.

'URgh – my – urgh' the Cerberus soldier gurgled.

Tali strolled over to Shepard's side, a hand moving onto his shoulder while the other went to rest on the raised arm. She looked at him. 'He's of no use to us dead' she stated.

The Cerberus soldier was released from Shepard's grasp. Even with the coughing that follow, he appeared relieved.

'Speak' Shepard ordered with a cold voice at the Cerberus trooper. The prisoner flinched at the tone.

'I – this – this isn't what you think, I swear!' He spluttered.

Shepard growled and tried to step forward, further intimidating their prisoner. Tali, however, held him back. The two traded harsh and cold expressions. Something dark was exchanged, as if they could silently speak to each other through their eyes.

'James' Shepard said with a chilling voice. The marine, in turn, straightened up. 'Restrain and watch over him. I want him on our shuttle before the Alliance shows up, understood?'

'Shepard, what are you going to do to him?' Liara suddenly asked, horrified.

'What I must' Shepard bluntly spat, glaring at the shaking prisoner.

'Y-you can't torture me!' He spluttered, terrified. His eyes widened. 'Holy shit you are Commander freaking Shepard!'

Mass

'They clearly don't make them as before' James huffed.

'Their guns sounded a lot different than I remember' Shepard hummed thoughtfully. Why did that bother him so much? He wasn't sure, but something gnawed on the back of his mind. That small bit of information…

'Steve is on his way. He says the Alliance is already moving in. Should be here in a few minutes' James informed the Commander.

Shepard, though, was distracted with his ruminations. He leaned over and studied the recoiling prisoner better. 'He seems scrawnier than the ones we've fought' he pointed.

Intrigued, the Commander reached out to the prisoner's helmet. The Cerberus soldier tried to keep his head away from the approaching hands, but it was a futile effort. As much as he struggled, James held him firm.

'No! Y-you can't!' The man cried out as Shepard struggled to remove his headgear.

There was a faint hiss, and the Commander stepped back, a Cerberus helmet on his hands. Shepard's eyes widened as he stared down at the prisoner's face. He wasn't the only one. Liara and Garrus were equally flabbergasted at what they saw.

A Cerberus helmet fell on the ground with a dull thud.

The prisoner looked at the ground, trying to hide his unblemished light brown face. With sweat over his flushed face and his short hair glistened by sweat, he couldn't have looked any less intimidating. The Commander studied their prisoner, unable to believe this. Where were the cybernetics? Alliance reports had stated that all Cerberus troopers found had them.

'You aren't Cerberus' Shepard realized. In all truth, at the moment, his mind was clogged with confusion. However, as much as he was rendered petrified by the realization, words echoed in his head…

Give my boys hell.

Shepard frowned as the Illusive Man's words. Slowly, his face started to shift with dawning horror. With wide eyes, he turned to his perplexed companions.

'Bring me Cerberus corpses' He ordered. They hesitated, unsure what to make of such command. 'Now!' He roared.

Startled, they broke away and went to find Cerberus bodies. Tali stood by the prisoner, her attention split between glaring at their prisoner and looking sympathetically at Shepard. Their captive started sobbing, tears falling down his chocolate eyes.

Garrus was the first to return with a dead Assault Trooper over his shoulder. He shared the Commander's moroseness in all of this. This Assault Trooper, differently to any other Shepard had seen, was a woman, and as Tali proceeded to remove her helmet, the Commander was, once again, thunderstruck. Instead of a nastily scarred face, there was only a smooth East Asian visage. There was not a single sign of any of Cerberus cruel 'upgrades'.

James came in next, followed by an empty handed Liara. She seemed thoroughly disturbed, and shaken, while James, having removed his helmet, looked unhealthily pale. He brought in another Assault Trooper. This one had skin as dark as the night, and yet not a hint of the illegal Cerberus cybernetics.

'These aren't Cerberus…' Shepard remarked, his heart clenching painfully. 'I want some of their guns' he gestured to the fallen faux Cerberus troopers. 'We are getting the hell out of here' Shepard decided, turning around. 'Before the Alliance arrives'.

'Shepard, what do you -?' Liara was asking, only to be interrupted by a three-digit hand on her shoulder. She snapped her head at the owner. Garrus met her gaze and shook her head before the two turned to look at a distancing, forlorn Commander.

Shepard remained standing a few feet away, stiff.

'What the hell is going on?' He swore, glaring at the skies above, filled with rising pillars of smoke.

Mass Effect 3 Mission

Author Notes: Another Chapter published... soon, the big reveal will come... very soon, Shepard will discover exactly what Cerberus has been hiding from him... has anyone guessed it? I'm actually heading to a big plot twist - or well, a handful but the others haven't been as foreshadowed as the main one.

Questions of the day: can you guess who's behind the Massacre of Benning? Will Shepard manage to figure out a way to defeat the Reaper on Rannoch? Will there be Peace between the Geth or the Quarians or shall one of them be destroyed? So many possibilities!

Mass Effect 3 Benning Evidence Side Quest HD Walkthrough ...

By the way, what are your thoughts on Shepard having a polygamous relationship? I have grown to be on the fence on this, since I rather see Shepard stick to one option, but hey, fan-fiction.

In any case, thoughts? Opinions? Anything you wish that could be added? Anything you'll like to see or hope you don't?

Please, review!

Best Wishes,

The Emerald Commander





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