You are doctor Henri Ford, presently a freelancer but otherwise a 'special consultant' affiliated with the Citadel Institute of Xenoarchaeology. With the interstellar travel crippled by still inoperable mass relays, you had been satisfying your thirst of adventure by solving various tasks and mysteries around the Sol system, an effort that had already yielded you two of your current crew members, much of your current armory stock and several cupboards' worth of secrets and conspiracies that would no doubt at some point come back to make your life more exciting, interesting and possibly short.

Some of those come together right here at this reunion. The man who gave the toast, a middle aged officer whose hair was already giving way from rust to silver, clad in utilitarian coveralls that would not be out of place on a construction site, was the current patriarch of a clan whose ambition of enterprise saw him run afoul of some very shady people. The same people, ironically calling themselves 'Ambition movement', had been stirring up trouble across the globe in anticipation of imminent election, seeking to disturb the status quo with any means necessary in order to give themselves a chance to seize political power.

And it was exactly because of your crew's work - most notably, Eve's daring intrusion into the headquarters of the Ambition where she had secured a stolen O'Reilly family heirloom and documents, evidence of the sabotage that had previously cost O'Reillys some of their close ones while also managing to find tangential connection to a nearby Cerberus cell, and ensuring the leadership of Ambition would be facing justice.

"Alright, I think neither Jane nor Jimmy would have wanted to see this much gloom under these circumstances." Jill, the woman who had also been infiltrating the facility as an undercover investigator, spoke up. "I'll go check on the food, Fred's at the tap with some real ale."

"Best part of the evening for you, eh?" Robert, Jill's brother, grinned at you. You may have let slip that you've subsisted on synthale for a while now, with the notable exception of that strange tavern in London. You reciprocated the smile with a nod, taking in the atmosphere of the gathering, where the bitter tones of recent loss could not smother the joy of a good ending of a tale that could have wound up taking quite a darker route.

Robert's grin faded somewhat, as if realizing something.

"Say, I feel we didn't exactly hit it off right proper in that pub. Let's do this again for real this time." The ginger haired man said somewhat apologetically and offered his hand for a handshake. "Robert O'Reilly, prospector corps."

You shake the hand. "Henri Ford, Citadel Institute of Xenoarchaeology."

"You know, don't take it wrong way mate, but are many academicians embracing those Indy Jones holos antics?"

"From those whose routine I was familiar with, about a half." You answer truthfully, professor Stahlberg did introduce you to a few more adventurers, some you knew ended up joining the faux N7 corps. "But in fairness, my colleagues may not be the most representative sample of the populace." You add, eliciting a chuckle from the man. However, before he can make another query, you note something from his introduction. "You said you served in prospector corps? As in, Attican traverse prospectors? That sounds like we may have chanced across each other in the past."

"That's right. Although I doubt it - I kept clear of prothean architecture, my job mostly took me to search for colony sites that would not be immediately contested by politics. We, me and the lads, still ended up chancing across some weird stuff from time to time, usually filing a report and moving to survey a different site."

"Interesting... do you perhaps remember specifics of any of those sites? Perhaps one of those reports found its way to CIX later..."

You spend a few minutes going over a few more memorable anomalous discoveries Robert's team had made, taking note of the worlds involved to cross reference it with your files later, but refrain from pressing for details on this occasion as the topic shifts eventually back towards the traveling rations of a spacer in the Traverse.

"Speaking of chow, I wonder what's taking so long…" Robert trailed off, casting a glance towards far side of the saloon...

As if on cue, a serving lady emerged with the amount of tankards that made you wonder if perhaps she was sporting some specialized mass effect device in her omnitool. Soon after, her two colleagues emerged from the kitchen with massive bowls of steaming soup, and gradually the conversations gave way to noise of cutlery and perhaps also some quaffing.

You were just about to take a sample - the heavenly scent reminding you that perhaps you could have taken some more chances of leaving the Chariot during your periods of downtime - when a presence makes you look up from your plate.

"Doctor Ford. I'm afraid I've been somewhat remiss in approaching you with thanks." It was the Malcolm O'Reilly, the patriarch of the gathering. "I'm not sure how or if I could ever repay your crew for what you've done for me, and for my... for my family." The grizzled ex-military man locked you with his gaze. His voice was deliberate, but there was a weary edge at his voice, a fragile quality - even though he was rejuvenated by the unexpected closure that John and Jill had brought to him, you could tell that recent days have not been easy for him.

You offered a small smile in return.

"It was Eve in particular who did the heavy lifting." You reiterate.

"Of course, she was the first I've approached. Nevertheless, she was quick to emphasize that as her captain, her conduct as well as her presence on the task in the first place was to be credited to you in no lesser measure."

You can't help but smile at those words.

"Well, to that I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're glad we could help." You say aloud, for a moment locking gaze with the retired officer, and as you did you felt like there was something particular on his mind, and what he said next all but confirmed it:

"I can tell there's something precious in the talent you keep in your crew, doctor - or captain. You do well to cherish it." It was more of an observation than an advice, and whether it came down to recognizing competence and camaraderie of your companions or an implicit recognition of Eve's true nature you were left guessing. "In any event, I've digressed. What I was working towards is this: you've made a friend this day. I can't tell if circumstance would ever come where I'd have chance to confirm this through deed, but I want you to know, these are not words any man of my family would say cheaply."

The old man offers you his hand. You shake it without second thought, his grip firm, perhaps measuredly so. And as you look in his eyes, you're reminded of a refurbished furnace reignited for a new purpose. That, or the look in madame Blanc's eyes after her family had been returned to her, few days ago.

As you were taking stock of the man, you don't doubt he was doing the same to you. Whatever his thoughts ended up, the handshake ended with him sporting a small smile. "Enjoy our hospitality before embarking on your next adventure, captain Ford."

With that the old officer turned to leave, and Robert seemed to have gotten caught up with some relative he hadn't seen in a while, leaving you to cast a quick look across the tavern - everyone seemed in good spirits, with Kris and Eve quietly discussing something, and Lea consulting her omnitool giving occasional glances to the nearest bowl of soup, the image reminding you that you better dig in while the meal was stil hot.

It was every bit as delicious as it looked like, the sensation of warmth and contentment setting your frame of mind into right shape to begin considering your future once more, and that inevitably led your gaze towards the window, behind which night sky was peppered with what little starlight the cozy ambient lighting didn't drown out.

You had a job ahead of you. One issued by Hackett himself, and you've been putting it long enough. You had already agreed with your crew to embark next thing in the morning, but until then, perhaps there was still some matter of another to attend… what would that be?

>You could call Libella. As a SPECTRE, she may be in position to give you some heads up of what you were getting into, now that you had summons from the admiral. Additionally you could update her on the Cerberus link Ambition seemed to have.
>You could also try to reach out to one of the other parties you've been in contact with recently, try to feel them out for updates or interesting information (specify who)
>You could also take some time to get more of Eve's story, you had little time to get her full account with how you went almost straight to this gathering after Alliance Intelligence had debriefed all of you.
>Alternatively, you could browse the extranet news. Perhaps you could chance across something interesting.
>Or you could simply get a good night's sleep in a proper bed for once, tomorrow is going to take care of itself for sure.
>You could talk to one or more of your crew about something else (specify who)
>Other idea

If anyone of previous readers is still around, I apologise for the delay. And I apologise also in advance for my glacial pace as I strain my limited cerebral capacity to pursue this tale towards a conclusion...

Anyways!
Story thus far summarized:
https://pastebin.com/RMXUsvkr

Thread 1:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2019/3369286/
(most of) Subsequent threads:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Henri%20Ford

>>6357370
>You could also take some time to get more of Eve's story, you had little time to get her full account with how you went almost straight to this gathering after Alliance Intelligence had debriefed all of you.
>>6357371
So the curse has not claimed you?

Welcome back Wanderer.

>>6357370
>You could also take some time to get more of Eve's story, you had little time to get her full account with how you went almost straight to this gathering after Alliance Intelligence had debriefed all of you.

>>6357371
Good to have you back.

Against the backdrop of a lively jig that was picking up in a corner of the tavern while the servers finished collecting dishes, your gaze falls on an alcove where Eve and Lea seem to be chatting over a holographic projection and you remind yourself that you still owe Eve some glowing praise for how excellently she did her part in that infiltration. Made for it or no, it seemed she had virtually singlehandedly foiled quite a coup.

On top of that, some of the brief summary she shared with you prior to arriving to the party left some nagging questions in the back of your mind. As satisfying as it was to watch Alexander and Gerrard's seething expressions as they were loaded into Alliance shuttle by Graves' men, you felt there was still a piece missing there. Perhaps going over the things with Eve one more time would see it snap in place.

You make your way around the tavern floor, returning a few smiles and nods as you go and before long you are taking a seat next to Lea as the quarian shifts to make room for you at the table.

"Ford. I was going over the Ambition's base layout with Lea. Did you want a debrief as well?" Eve speaks, gesturing towards the image hovering above the table, woven with golden threads of light from her omnitool.

"I did want to hear more of that brilliant op you pulled off, yes." You nod. "And I mean that. Did I tell you how awesome a job you did?"

"Twice in those words, three more times in a more roundabout manner. I appreciate it, Ford, but I assure you I'm happy to have helped."

"Right. I just wanted - right." You nod. Your mind wanders briefly to the tempest of adventures you had shared over last few days - it felt so much longer than that - and have to admit this one fell well in line of previous adventures you've shared with your crew. "Anyway," You turn to Lea. "Would you mind if we started from the beginning?"

"Not at all, Cap. I was curious about the villain lair, but I wanted to go over the infiltration as well." Lea says, her bright and enthusiastic voice showing she had learned well enough of temperance when it came to the umbrella drinks, straw or not.

"Very well. Let us begin when you dropped me off... over here." Eve said and the model before her panned and rotated to highlight a particular area at the edge of the town.

"My incursion began with simply walking in and acting casually.

You watch and listen as Eve narrates her progress, nodding along as she reaches the point where you called her with an update about Jill as a possible ally, then to her ingress into basement of the constructed spire.

"...that's when miss Lea supplied me with some interesting data." Eve says, and a new overlay appears in lower part of the hologram. You look at the quarian with an unspoken question.

"Right, the survey data! Kris was showing me Livingstone's active sensor suite."

"And you fired it?" You ask. "That had to have been picked up by someone..."

"My records show no sign of alarm on the networks I was monitoring at the time." Eve says. "Either they were not paying to this kind of signal, or whoever in charge was not paying attention. In either case, the information came in useful. It showed potential entry points..."

Eve resumed her narration, her recount of the encounter with the guards eliciting a chuckle from both you and Lea. Soon after though, your moods grow somber as Eve tells you about the dirty mainframe.

"Keelah. I thought they were shifty but didn't expect this kind of children holovid villainy."

"According to some historians such practices were relatively common on pre-first contact Terra."

"Others would say that nothing's changed." You remark with a tinge of bitterness.

"That's a bit unfair. There were periods of greater and lesser pushback against sinister practices being the norm in politics, and a major popular movement came to fore during first contact war." Eve points out. "Even so, there were periods where wars were started and nations betrayed in order to keep a particular notable's depraved affair from being brought to light."

"Alright enough of that, we've only just ate." You decide to set the topic aside. Although if you were to be honest with yourself, tales of or complaints about corruption were not uncommon even in ancient history, human or precursor alike. Perhaps another recurrent pattern among sapient life.

"Very well. In any event, the machine is currently in care of forensic experts of the Alliance Intelligence, as are the data packets I've managed to back up in cloud." The synthetic woman closes the topic. When you nod in acknowledgment, she goes on: "With that I headed towards where I suspected the mastermind's office to be..."

Eve recounts her encounter with Jill, as well as her ingress into Johnson's suite.

"And they simply let you through?" You raise your eyebrow. Eve responds by adopting a pose you haven't seen her take and give you an intense look with naturally coloured eyes that sends shivers down your spine.

"I can be very persuasive." She says with a smirk.

Lea blinks.

You close your mouth. "I believe you. Alright, what happened next? Wait, that was around that time when Robert and I were picketing in front of the compound, right?"

"That's correct. Your disturbance gave me enough of a window of opportunity to be able to investigate the suite and secure the evidence."

"The primary objective." You nodded. "Along with..." You bring up your own omnitool with the brief report Eve had sent you and as you scan the list of various clues she came across, one in particular clicks into place. That was the one that was nagging you from the back of your mind.

"Cerberus." You mouth the word without vocalizing. Eve picks up regardless.

"That's right. Between the note and some circumstantial patterns in investigated data, we have confirmed there were some ties with the organization, although from context it means they were not a cell proper. I estimate there was a relationship of partnership."

"Does that mean there is still an active cell in the area?"

"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer." Eve says. "The note suggests it may have been disrupted by forces unknown, but that is pure speculation at this juncture."

"What are you talking about?" Lea asks.

"The notebook." Eve reminds her and quarian's eyes light up with recognition. "Oh. Of course… do you think that the camp doctor Tufferson… Kris had found, had anything to do with that?"

"I believe I can shed some light on that." A gruff voice enters the conversation and Kris takes a seat, completing your crew.

"What did you find?" You ask your friend.

"Some gear left behind in a hurry, but relatively cleanly. But, as it turns out, not quite cleanly enough." The young krogan says. "There was something that was bothering me about it. Some familiarity that I couldn't quite put my finger on."

You knew Kris well enough to recognize where he was going and you couldn't keep a grin from forming.

"Well what did you discover?"

"I went and stopped by the camp again and ran another scan on the leftover gear. All top of the shelf stuff, not something a camper would leave behind, and not quite easy to source. That speaks to me of a very particular organization." Kris leans in. "I've seen some of the similar stuff around Shroud facility, back in the day."

Shroud. The terraforming spire that used to mitigate Krogan homeworld's war-ravaged environment. An artificial miracle with very mixed history of charity, atrocity and salvation.

"You can't mean..."

"Obviously I don't have solid proof. But I think we've come across an STG operation."

"Would Salarians really get that involved with human politics? Or were they after Cerberus?" Lea asks incredulously.

"It's not just human politics, the elections that are taking place will in one way or another shape policy of entire galactic community, given how concentrated it is right now." Eve predicts. "However, the other option is also possible. Didn't miss Libella mention collaboration with STG in her mission at some point?"

"Yes… I think so." You nod slowly, jogging your memory. "Perhaps we can mention it to her."

"Perhaps they were the third party that may have interfered with the dead drop you found mentioned." You venture a guess as your focus slides back towards Eve's infiltration mission.

"Possible. But there's no way for us to be sure, unless you wish to delay our… other committment, further."

"No, I'd rather not. For now I think we can take solace in knowing at least one problem has been neutralized, hopefully for good. And I'll drink to that." You add as a serving gal passed by with a tray of beers. "Thank you."

"Cheers." Kris nods at you, following suit.

"Well, returning to my report, there's little left to say. When the conspirators learned that their operation is compromised and Alliance is on the way, they sought to execute a very violent escape strategy, which we were able to thwart."

"Also great job by you. You saved a lot of lives, Eve."

"I know each of their names, faces and bios, Ford." She nods. "I hope they make the most of it."

"And I hope they learn from it not to trust such scoundrels." Lea adds.

"Hold on to that hope, Lea." You nod. "Oh boy. The news and extranet forums must be on fire."

"You have no idea, Ford. You have no idea." Eve says with a slightly bemused smile.

Well, this was hardly the time to bother with such trivialities. Which begged the question - what was this the time for?

>This was a good time to call Libella before you embarked on the priority mission, especially if her duty kept her planetside. Perhaps you could do just that.
>This was a good time to turn in and get some solid rest before embarking on Hackett's mission. Who knows what awaits you up there, and when would be the next chance to rest?
>This was a good time to spend some time with your friends. Relax and enjoy the ambience. It will be back into action tomorrow. (topics to chat about encouraged as write-ins)
>other (write-in)


>>6357552
>>6357681
Thank you, friends.
Worry not, I don't believe in curses.