“Nolan North as Lieutenant Nathan Frost”
I grinned at this.
“The whispers in the dark…it startled Manah into wakefulness”
Hmm.
“once again she had fallen asleep while working. The mess of papers and datapads”
The Durendal team are honestly over-worked. There is no rest when the galaxy is at stake.
“Amaethon and Xythegenia and various other planets throughout the Sirius sector”
It is important that they go there, but at the same time they cannot let the threat of the Snatchers in the Citadel rest.
“from the tourist traps”
So there is tourism in the Sirius sector.
“their light and warmth stood out from the cold background of the mechs”
Manah apparently inadvertently killed her sister Liara.
“you did it real quiet”
Jane has a competitive side to her that Garrus brought out at the Armax Arsenal games in Nos Astra.
“Nonsense – I am just an orphan that ran away to join the circus”
I don’t believe Zev for a second. This may be his cover story; that he is the child of exiled Quarians and had never been to the Flotilla.
“We’re one big happy family”
Uh-huh. Sure, Zev. Tell that to Tali and Rael Zorah.
“a man filled with purpose and love”
Manah T’Soni is dangerous to others and to herself.
“pure horror emanating from her”
If Jane is afraid of Manah, I wouldn’t blame her.
“…My dad taught me”
Jane does not like to talk about her past. Also, Garrus was trained by his mother, though he does not (yet) realize it.
“dropped eaves on the two humans”
Everyone on the ship is just too interesting. I blame Hein.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to lie to him”
Toombs is only being traded one set of lies for another.
“an accusatory, venomous edge to it”
I love that Grey and Ross have a history that goes beyond a rocky romance. Grey really is the protagonist of his own story. Hein may find him just as interesting as he does Jensen and Garrus.
“They all died for nothing”
The ghosts of the dead haunt Edward Grey. Unlike Garrus or Jane, he does not enjoy combat.
“This is going to explode in our faces, Grey!”
I agree.
“there’s a perfectly nice corner in the cargo bay for you to brood”
They are definitely a former couple.
“That place feels wrong”
Wrex’s instincts have served him well throughout his life.
“When I need you to headbutt a petri dish into submission or shake down a bioprinter for money”
What did Bakara see in Urdnot Wrex? And does she see it in him still?
“in case your next experiment runs amok”
First Grey and Ross, now these two.
“I’ll call on the Turian”
She has seen him fight in Noveria. Also, I wonder what Garrus would support or oppose in terms of policies and directions for the Krogan.
“our race embraced our slow death”
Honestly, no one ought to be surprised that so many Krogan – perhaps even thousands – have chosen to follow Saren.
“but they looked different”
What is happening to Manah T’Soni? That suicide ritual did not just resurrect Ramsus, it did something to the rest of the Durendal team.
“the intensity of it made her fee lightheaded and drunk”
I wonder what Wrex would think if he were to learn of what happened to Jensen’s family in Elysium.
“a microscope thrown at his head”
Honestly, I’d say this is better than if their tempers hadn’t flared, because it is better than cold indifference. It means they still feel something for each other.
“the Quarian boy, Fyodor”
There is something serious amiss about the Quarian child. I am now more curious about Quarian culture and history. Has Fyodor ever drawn images of the Geth? What if he were asked to draw Saren Arterius?
“would be taken care of at a Tarsus Garden. They would even be given full scholarships”
Hein’s got connections and resources.
“In the meantime, the Durendal would keep going at full speed towards the Citadel”
There’s really too much that is needed to be done and not enough time, resources or manpower to do it. The former Spectre candidates may help…or hinder.
“You do remember that it’s HEIN flying it, right?!”
Hein is legitimately crazy. It’s what makes him so difficult to predict.
“her layer of reality”
Is Conrad responsible for this?
“His name is Teg, Hein had told her”
Hmm.
“said Garrus, in mock sorrow”
I love Garrus.
“asked Adam, exasperated”
You enjoy writing scenes of these two together, don’t you?
“he whimpered, exaggeratedly”
I love that being around Jensen has made Garrus more cheerful and jovial. He whoops and cheers while in gunfights and even jokes after being goddamn tortured.
“Hein made himself a replacement”
Come to think of it, people may have designed mechs or power-armor to replicate Jensen’s augmentation abilities.
“We still work at C-Sec”
Hein can always count on the pettiness and greed of the galaxy to push people like Jensen and Garrus right back towards him.
“all hands on deck when all of Earth’s Spectre candidates show up”
And the situation turns out to be far worse than anything they could have imagined, even Hein.
“Big event, big security”
And it became an absolute clusterf-k, ALL BECAUSE OF SPARATUS. The Spectre selection process could have gone smoothly and without major incident if not for that guy! He threw EVERYTHING into upheaval! He put Jensen’s life in danger yet also gained him more allies! Sparatus is crazy! People are going to be talking about what he had done for YEARS.
“he clicked his talons”
I wonder if Pallin has the same habit.
“Everyone on the Durendal was concerned”
Uh-oh.
“someone ask whether or not he had a soul, and the engineer begging to be allowed to come home”
Manah’s worst fear is herself. Also, Teg is already a fascinating character and Rael’Zorah is a JERK.
“the turian marksman SCREAMED at her”
Garrus is absolutely terrifying when he is enraged. Unlike Jensen he has no problem whatsoever with killing people.
“that’s what he hated most of all”
Hm.
“the dull, unbearable silence of this prison”
Hannibal Lecter’s worst fear is not death or pain. It is indignity.
“the sweet sound of a scared, sorrowful young woman”
Ramsus is a predator and serial killer.
“not even a second, but worth an eternity”
Christ, if Manah were to ever become a bad person…
“You…are beautiful”
Garrus frowns and disagrees. I love Turians.
“Are you like me? A demon covered in the finely wrought skin of an angel?”
Yep, Ramsus is still my favorite ME:HR characters. Still, I am eager to finally re-read and review the first appearances of the soon-to-be-former Spectre candidates.
“the longing of chocolate on her tongue”
Brea for some reason enjoys feeding Manah. I think in some bizarre way Brea sees Manah as a pet.
“That was rude”
Benedict Cumberbatch. Thank you, Ignusdei.
“I don’t think I even have access to that place”
Manah is one of the scariest characters of this series. In some ways she is even more dangerous than Ramsus. No wonder other Asari are attempting to capture her.
“he picked one hell of a time to do it”
He really did not want to keep the children on the Durendal (with Ramsus aboard, no less!) any longer than he had to.
“That means a surprise inspection”
There’s no way Hein did not know this was coming. Then again, he probably had other things on his mind. In the end, he has to accept that he can’t be present to handle everything and must trust in his people to see things through.
“The UNAS has a ‘shoot on sight’ policy regarding clones”
…Earth is a hellhole now. Not just America. The whole planet. No wonder so many human colonies, populations and societies have gone off-world.
“well Brea is Brea”
Brea’s eyebrow is starting to hurt from all the twitching, isn’t it?
“How do I explain to the Saratoga’s captain”
I would love to read that scene, honestly. Anyone inspecting the Durendal would be flabbergasted and not know how to fit everything into their report.
“Aki and the Deep Eyes didn’t even know”
They may suspect, though. They aren’t stupid.
“Aki was getting exasperated, and would not hear any more”
Aki Ross has a stressful job.
“explaining me, Garrus, and Drebin, too”
I love this series. I hope the Normandy’s crew starts to get just as weird and diverse as the Durendal’s.
“dressed for success”
This made me laugh. Ah, Brea, you’re such a perfect comic relief.
“But then the Deep Eyes would ask too many questions”
Maintaining the loyalty and morale of his people is a big priority for Hein. He does not have an army and thus is heavily reliant on his team.
“Adam said nothing as he simply palmed his face”
Jensen feels like such an older-brother character now.
“cheerful, and not at all embarrassed by the entire situation”
He’s used to being naked in front of others.
“I mean it’s not like I’ve been locked up in a dark room with no distractions”
So he masturbated out of spite. Methinks Ramsus is growing attached to the Durendal team.
“Your assistance. Your talents. Your services”
I don’t know if even Brea knows if the Broker can be trusted.
“That alone told me they would renege on their deal the first chance they got”
All that power and resources…and colossal stupidity and incompetence on top of it. And this is just the HUMAN Illuminati.
“What assurances do I have that you’ll not do the same?”
Would Ramsus sacrifice everybody else in order to save Annah?
“she said in mock surprise”
I love Brea.
“Ramsus said nothing at this”
Yeeaahh, I have to agree with Brea here, Ramsus messed up big in Noveria. He should have tried to find a more subtle approach than just kill his way to Scholar.
“Not much for conversation huh?”
Shut the f-k up, Donnie!
“He hated long flights aboard large vessels, and preferred the speed and acrobatics you could only get out of a space fighter”
Neil is just as crazy as the rest of the Deep Eyes.
“there was a red blip coming about on an intercept course”
Vasir was probably hoping to take the ship by surprise.
“take custody of Manah T’Soni”
Manah is a fugitive from the Asari Republics. I wonder what could be done to make them stop coming after her.
“waiting for an opportunity to cut loose”
Hein takes great pains to keep his team intact. Everybody has their own motivations, hopes and fears. This series is truly epic.
“that was inside Wreav’s Hammer”
When did Wreav first encounter Hashmal?
“this isn’t my first time putting on someone else’s face”
…well. Hein needs all the help he can get. Ramsus really is the lesser evil in this case. After all, he isn’t threatening the whole galaxy.
“grow temporary organs for emergency transplants”
Hmm.
“Adam looked pensive”
Detective-Sergeant at work here.
“Didn’t think you had it in you”
There’s a lot you don’t know about Jensen, ‘Sarah Walker’.
“major biotech corp on Venus”
Wait, Venus? The one with lots of harmful gases? I wonder what the facilities there are like.
“a hypospray and an airbrush”
Figures that Brea would mostly be in charge of disguising the team.
“it had taken Brea hours to finish disguising Adam…Odd”
How much were Garrus, Echo, Hein, Moody and Jane snickering (or mandible-clicking in Garrus’ case) and Tali and Manah glowering and fuming?
“Kenzo…Tenma”
I grinned.
“not really committing anything to memory”
Goddammit.
“Did I fall down a flight of some particularly sharp stairs?”
I wonder if Saren has a British-ish accent that he brings out when he is using a false identity.
“NAKEDFLOWERZOMBIEONTHEBRIDGE!”
Still one of the funniest lines of this series.
“S-t, you’ve all been on this ship too damned long”
HA!
“It’s the Council that wants her, not the Republics”
Tali, you cannot trust ANYONE.
“I don’t think Vasir is acting on the Council’s behalf”
Garrus and Jensen can tell when someone is lying. Marksmanship is not the only thing that Garrus is good at.
“And is it relevant?”
It WAS Hein who said it, after all.
“way more advanced than anyone else ever finds”
Saren’s got plans that involve the Asari Republics, doesn’t he?
“We may have to consider giving up the artifacts and T’soni”
Grey said this while knowing that there is no way that Jensen would ever allow it. He will NEVER let the Asari get their hands on Manah again.
“might put Nathan Frost’s candidacy in jeopardy”
Grey’s not too fond of Sparatus right now, is he?
“Vasir loved to play along”
She enjoys her job.
“There’s just so much damned paperwork”
Garrus and Jensen’s mandibles/eyebrows twitched when they heard that, didn’t they?
“America needs this advantage!”
WHY is Grey such a patriot?
“You’re probably going to hate me for saying this…No, don’t you dare. Shut your damned ape mouth…I hate you so much”
This four-sentence scene. I love this series.
“Just doing my job”
I imagined Jondum Bau, his expression one of cold fury, not saying a word as he walks up from behind and shoots Vasir point-blank in the back of the head.
“the gruff turian voice”
I like this unnamed turian already for some reason. Maybe I just like Turians.
“Right next to the scrapyard, like Jensen and Garrus told us”
Jensen and Garrus have chased/hunted criminals to the scrapyard in the past, haven’t they?
“Why oh why did it have to be HIM?”
Yep, I definitely like Harken.
“This is a f-king inspection…Ma’am”
Liking Harken more.
“Harken was not corrupt, exactly, but he was quite ambitious”
Just like Chellick.
“Harken looked at her straight in the eye, and said one word that a Spectre like her wasn’t exactly used to hearing from a C-Sec officer”
Harken is an interesting character. I wonder what Pallin thinks of him.
“If you have a problem with those conditions, feel free to contact the Council”
Damn. Harken is kind of awesome. He isn’t intimidated at all by Spectres. Nothing would stop him from doing his job and getting that sweet, sweet commendation and promotion.
“a chair carved out of the shell of a giant egg”
I imagined a Krogan in an Asari art gallery and boasting about the ‘superiority’ of Krogan art. Still, he’d agree with the Asari that Turian art is crap.
“the first of many meetings between the council and the four major nations of earth”
So many people are screaming at Sparatus even now? Any fallout from the now-outlawed Spectre candidates may be thrown at his feet, and I suspect that he wouldn’t even care.
“sooner or later Sparatus would open his damned mouth”
You were smiling when you wrote this, weren’t you? I know I’m smiling while reading it.
“come all the way from Earth to the Citadel”
And from the WONDERFUL state that Earth is in, I’d say the WTO and Order Church are VERY reliable and trustworthy. Christ, it really wouldn’t take that much of a push or effort for Saren to wipe out humanity. Humanity itself would do half the job for him.
“Unlike the Hanar”
I’m worried about the Hanar. They are a people who should NOT be ignored or underestimated.
“Tevos knew that bad news was coming”
The stress is getting to her.
“I would let you operate as you saw fit”
Vasir is in direct communication with Tevos, as Bau is with Valern. (looks at Sparatus) Hmm.
“Why, hello there”
Vasir is nowhere near as charming as she likes to think she is.
“Jane just glared at him. Harken glared back. Jane sniffed, not breaking eye contact”
I think Harken just fell in love. What is it with Jane and being attractive to Turians?
“Rubbing the back of his neck”
Armed with foreknowledge, it is clear now that ‘Conrad’ was deliberately deceiving her.
“asked the Asari, eagerly”
Methinks there may be quite a number of C-Sec cops who would be happy to be allied with Colonel Edgar Hein.
“this Conrad Verner wasn’t to be underestimated”
Oh, Vasir, you have no idea.
“That’s a Krogan wedding band”
I’m impressed. Harken knows his details.
“Too indifferent, Harken noted”
Don’t mess with C-Sec. How often has the Broker had to bail Wrex out of trouble with them?
“Wrex belched”
I love this chapter.
“a hundred grand”
Vasir understands Krogan less than Harken does. How far would she be able to go without her authority and freedom as a Spectre?
“Grey smiled”
I can tell that you had fun writing this chapter, Ignusdei.
“the strange young human in the tinfoil hat”
Manuel not trusting Asari will never not be funny.
“Sure you must be interested in SOMETHING”
Harken is already a great character.
“…No! Harken became a bit flustered”
Ha! I love that he hesitated before refusing.
“completely forgot the questions he meant to ask the small, furry alien”
Probably a well-used tactic of Peter Dinkl- I mean Alistair; annoy people into not asking him questions.
“something the Citadel Council was sensitive about”
Some people still have fresh memories of the Krogan Rebellions even after a millennium. And thanks to Saren, the Krogan appear to be rebelling again.
“concentrated Ryncol”
…the Krogan drink explosive liquid as a beverage. Of course they do.
“the Old Woman wouldn’t have Tevos and her killed”
Asari Illuminati. Bigger and bigger players are revealing themselves in this series. Humanity may not be the only threat that Saren is attempting to work against.
“at the price of exceedingly tiny living and cargo space…require a great deal of discipline to live aboard the vessel for an extended amount of time”
Of course it would be a Turian design.
“despite being hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned”
And now it is but a shadow of its former self, undermanned and underfunded. I thought of the Night’s Watch in A Song of Ice and Fire.
“Turians aren’t the greatest of pilots”
Hmm. How skilled a pilot is Saren?

“close to a hundred officers from the Groupe d’Intervention de la Police Nationale”
Honestly, of the several major human factions, the Europeans are among the most fascinating to me. Still, going off of real history, by logic the United North American States should be the most wealthy and powerful since the European nations exhausted themselves in both World Wars. However, this is not strictly following real history; the balance of power may had been turned in the time after the wars. Augmentation, technology, artificial intelligence, synthetics and organics…Deux Ex and Mass Effect really are made for each other. I love the writing that for all his skill and experience, Garrus NEEDS power-armor to keep up with Jensen. It isn’t Garrus’ fault; augmentations are like having a goddamn cheat code, and normally it is balanced out with the need to take Neuropozyne, but Jensen is a one-in-a-million case of not ever needing it. When I think about it, I really don’t blame ANYBODY for being afraid or wary of Jensen. If he were to ever go bad…
“armed with heavy pistols and riot shields”
I’ve always been interested in logistics. Every time I read of or see a military unit/faction, I ask, ‘Where do they get their funding?’
Many factions may claim that they fight for God, freedom, liberty, etc. Their sources of funding are narcotics, gambling, prostitution, sex slavery, racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor, etc.
C-Sec is badly underfunded and understaffed. I wonder how Chellick would be able to handle the political and economical side of being Executor, if he takes the position.
“a full squad of Zenith Wanzers”
Wanzers made an enormous difference during the Battle of Shanxi, yet the Turian Hierarchy has claimed that to incorporate Wanzers into their own military would be too costly for too little gain…publicly. Privately, who knows what they may be doing. At the very least, you can bet that the Turians have researched, studied and tested anti-Wanzer weapons, tactics, etc. I’m still scared of the possibility of Tali piloting a Wanzer.
“he had just been ordered to fire”
I can only imagine what the report of this disaster was like to read.
“landing amidst a large group of heavily armed men and Wanzers”
Sometimes the best place to be when fighting multiple enemies is to be right in amongst them, especially if they are wielding firearms.
“had they any clue as to what she was talking about”
Subject Zero is irrational and not in control. This is the first Biotic. I wonder just how much Manah T’Soni knows about her own powers. It must be horrifying for her to know that she does not have a lot of control over them; she may fear that one day she may accidentally injure or even kill her comrades. Also, I thought of Brea being forced to knock out Ramsus with a fire extinguisher. Biotics are frightening.
“leapt all over and around them”
Enemies like this should preferably be engaged in narrow, confined spaces.
“Invigorated by the pain”
I thought of the Knights of Ren. Against enemies like them and the Templars, the first strike should be a killing one.
“killed the police officers guarding him”
The Templars’ training and indoctrination make them formidable combatants, but they also make them unstable. This mission in my opinion has been a disaster; it’s going to make the news and the agents are going to be fugitives.
“propelled by Dark Energy”
Hmm.
“but she was not listening”
I imagined a General adorned with numerous medals gazing with half-lidded eyes at live footage of all this, then calmly saying that he WON’T be recommending an investment or public support of the Templars. Shepard was murdered because she could not be controlled.
“knowing that she would need his help sooner or later”
This is why people like Edward Grey are so important for military units. Also, the partnership and professional respect between Garrus and Jensen is just beautiful. They LISTEN to and heed each other.
“the entirety of the Paris police force had been put on high alert for her”
Subject Zero REALLY botched this mission.
“his lady would not have it any other way”
She is bloodthirsty. There’s always that one person in the criminal team who isn’t in it for the money and has to be watched at all times.
“Every kill made her feel stronger. Every drop of blood than landed on her skin, every gulp she drank gave her more power”
In my opinion, Ramsus is a far more refined and dangerous killer than she is. It isn’t his Psionic powers but his charisma and wisdom that are what truly makes him so dangerous.
“not until Alexandre was dead, dead, dead”
Alexandre has already won half of this battle. He has gotten into her head.
“Alexandre simply stood there, and was unprepared when he swept her legs then kicked her into the obelisk at the center of the plaza”
He could have killed her back in the building.
“I would require tissue samples”
…this whole mission was a trap. Alexandre is STUDYING Subject Zero.
“where there will be few witnesses”
Alexandre is not so much worried about losing to Subject Zero as he is to his face and powers being witnessed by others.
“mentally conjured up a map of the French rail system, and the trains due to arrive”
Alexandre is meticulous. He had already planned his escape routes.
“I will make your death quick and painless!”
Charisma is not one of Subject Zero’s best stats.
“a Tokugawa Heavy Industries prototype hard-suit”
Humanity is just ONE species that has multiple geniuses and pioneers. Who knows what other species like the Asari, Turians, Salarians, Volus, Batarians, Quarians, etc have.
“You’ve done little except flee!”
She is afraid, but refuses to acknowledge it. He kicked her right into that obelisk with little effort.
“The challenge issued, Subject Zero could not refuse”
I imagined a criminal challenging both Jensen and Garrus to an honorable melee duel and the two cops answering by shooting the criminal through both legs.
“They stopped fighting for a moment, as they tossed their respective weapons at each other”
This is about proving who is the better fighter. It’s a matter of pride, not just taking down a target for the sake of a mission objective.
“an eye on the side of her saber”
This series is SO damn disturbing. What the hell did Romeo find in that ancient ruined city?
“I’m having WAY too much fun!”
I imagined Saren observing this duel from afar and stating that she reminds him of Urdnot Wreav.
“dissolved into a glowing mist that intensified into a burning red aura”
Hmm…I thought of Quarians hacking into and manipulating Geth programs.
“Subject Zero thought victory was within grasp”
In Mustafar, Kenobi kept backing away from Anakin, retreating constantly from his former partner’s ferocious onslaught. Anakin became so consumed in pursuing him that he recklessly tried to leap onto a shoreline, leaving himself wide open to Kenobi’s saber. One of the main strategies of Soresu; waiting for your opponent to become frustrated, desperate or reckless and to make a mistake or do something foolhardy.
“they failed to instill in you a sense of discipline, of focus”
Pallin is one of the most important and awesome characters of this story, in my opinion. If not for him, there wouldn’t be an Adam Jensen or Garrus Vakarian. Garrus was listless as a Corporal in C-Sec and Jensen was trying to drink himself to death. In my opinion, Pallin choosing to work with Hein will contribute significantly to ensuring Jensen and Garrus’ loyalty to and cooperation with the UNAS Colonel.
“her last reserves of hatred”
It wasn’t Ramsus who defeated Scholar. It was Jensen. However, he felt in the end that his victory was for naught as Scholar then escaped with Annah, only to later learn that Hein had already crippled Scholar financially even before the Battle of Noveria was over. MAN is Hein dangerous. Saren would be well-advised to keep a constant eye on his own finances and resources. How much did he commit to the operations in Caleston and Noveria? And now the heroes intend to hunt down and destroy the Snatchers in the Citadel.
“She stumbled from the pain, but kept moving forward”
Even if she kills him here, Subject Zero would never be the same afterward.
“Like I said…Focus”
I am very curious to see how Ramsus’ time with the Durendal team and crew may have changed him; he has never worked with people like them before, and has noted that Hannibal already is attached to at least a few of them, especially Jensen, and seems to enjoy bantering with Garrus. One of the main differences between the two C-Sec detectives and Edward Grey is that Grey really isn’t a sociable person.
“It’s what had made the recent fight all the more exciting – the best he’s had in decades”
I imagined an accomplished and highly skilled – perhaps even undefeated duelist – being sniped through the head by Garrus. I love the motto of the NCR 1st Recon Battalion in Fallout: New Vegas: ‘The last thing you never see.’
“such a powerful creature shouldn’t be allowed to exist. There was an order to things”
In other words, if HE cannot have or control such power, then it must not be allowed to exist.
“Ursus was heavier, larger”
Frank Castle: (fighting Daredevil) ‘The way I saw it, he’s got the speed, the skill and the supercharged senses. All I’ve got’s the weight.’
“drawing power into himself”
I thought of Jensen pulling power from Geth in the Battle of Noveria.
“what the hell is she?”
In Mass Effect 2, Jack is an extremely powerful biotic who was raised in a Cerberus facility where even the other children disliked, distrusted or even hated her.
“If my lady wishes me to burn”
I am very curious if Caim would undergo character development in this story. Then again, maybe it is too late to reverse the brain-washing inflicted on him.
“slowly melting him into a red paste”
Christ…I remember Ramsus stating to Jensen that attacking and AIA station in Dosadi is ‘not his style’.
“They never knew, nor would they ever know”
How would one hunt or track Alexandre?
“a 2.5 kilometer long super-carrier”
Edgar Hein clearly prefers to use a ship the size of the Durendal and wouldn’t trade it for a Dreadnought.
“My rightful place in the world”
Romeo has yet to realize what a small person he truly is. To the Reapers, he is just another morsel to be consumed among billions of others. How many other ‘great’ men have fallen to their might?
“Of course he is! You trained me well”
Subject Zero for all her power and fury is ultimately a pitiful person and a child. I thought of Jules Kai Leng. Garrus was abused by his foster mother, but he did not let it turn him into an animal.
“1 month ago, Paris”
An oft-spoken quote in The Wire: ‘The Game is the Game.’
“figured that she was dreaming”
The Dream World in Noveria is so disturbing to me. It may only be a matter of time before such a thing becomes available in real life.
“a beautiful young woman with white hair”
I love that rather than Brea or Manah, both of whom are very attractive, the woman whom Garrus is attracted to is Jane. Now I’m imagining Garrus challenging Brea to try to seduce a Turian.
“to realize that this was, in fact, her body”
Humanity is utilizing and developing things it does not truly understand, all for the sake of power. This lust for power will destroy them, as it has destroyed so many other civilizations and species before them.
“punch him and kick him and scream at him and f-k him and kiss him”
Subject Zero is a very, very damaged person.
“LOOK AT ME”
Attention, approval, acceptance. These are all things that she is obsessed with, hence the way she dresses, the way she fights, practically everything she says and does.
“the decades of sorrow, pain and death of the Collapse”
According to the Batarian slaver who was later executed by Lawson, Batarian society is in DECLINE due to one of its most powerful factions demanding that they engage in slavery.
“that precious little book”
Without things like books, songs or stories, what are we?
“This is not how the world should be”
But it is, Alexandre. It is how it has always been.
“Thousands of people to indoctrinate”
Hein has stated that for all their power, the Illuminati have NO IDEA what they are dealing with and if they are not stopped, not only humanity but the entire galaxy is doomed.
“Hence the disaster we had to clean up”
The Illuminati are their own worst enemies. They cannot control their subordinates and they don’t even trust each other. Had they been truly synergetic, Hein and Jensen wouldn’t have stood a chance against them. Heck, the entire operation in Noveria was Scholar turning on the rest of the Illuminati in his megalomaniacal belief that he doesn’t need them so long as he has Annah.
“feeling a bit drained, Merovingian?”
In my opinion, this is why the heroes would win and the villains would lose. There is a reason that Hein takes pains to treat his people fairly and civilly, and Ramsus somehow has grown attached to – at least – Jensen and Garrus.
“could not keep it a secret”
Hein wants to bring the Illuminati out into the light, as he feels that simply getting rid of them would only lead to new people rising up to take their place. This isn’t just about revenge; the whole goddamn galaxy is at stake. The heroes cannot, MUST NOT fail.
“as a first defense against the aliens”
The Illuminati fear alien integration into human society, and for good reason. People like them do not share power.
“Had she always been just an experiment?”
The Shadow Broker remains one of the most mysterious characters of this series. His relationship and history with Aya Brea is fascinating. Brea became very emotional upon hearing an insinuation that the Broker may had not been honest with her.
“I’ve kept her hungry for my affections”
In my opinion, people like Romeo and the Illuminati will never and could never understand how people like Hein, Grey, Anderson and Pallin are able to inspire genuine loyalty in others. They also badly underestimate Saren who, like Scholar and Ramsus, has no loyalty whatsoever to the Illuminati and seeks to betray them at the first opportunity.
“dedicated to the raising of clones for the eventual harvest of their organs”
I wonder if Ramsus feels some sympathy or empathy for Kasumi. Despite everything she has been through, she faces the galaxy with a smile.
“meant to devalue them as real living people”
Considering what ‘real’ people do to each other, I say clones have no chance.
“within less than a century new nations will rise. Yes. A new beginning”
The rise of humanity throughout the galaxy has spurred the other alien races to step up or be left behind.
“Try and see them instead as a potential ally”
Who raised and/or mentored Edgar Hein? His dynamic with David Anderson is fascinating to me. The two clearly have a history with each other and Hein respects Anderson, if nothing else.
“you might succeed in getting all three”
Hein’s goal is a hell of a daunting one. The Reapers utilize Refuge in Audacity to prevent people from believing that they exist. I love Jensen’s dead-panned line to Garrus, ‘You live in a space station.’
“such toys were beneath her”
Imagine if the Templars were to take over all of humanity…
“my life is yours, as it always has been”
Ramsus’ loyalty was to Shepard and to Annah. No one else…perhaps until now. Many other men doubtlessly had a crush on Junko Shepard, though. I wonder if Hein or someone else would tell Ramsus that he never truly knew Junko for all the feelings that he had for her. Who was the person who knew her best? Kaidan? Anderson? Or someone else?
“a monster had been loosed, and that it wanted its maker dead”
They make this same error, over and over and over again. Unlike them, the Reapers do not intend to make the same mistake; the monsters they create, they control, and even their losses and defeats can be turned into gains and victories…but they are NOT invincible. They can be overcome and killed.
“YOU ENSLAVED US!”
The ENTIRE Durendal and Normandy teams ALONG with the former Spectre candidates turned fugitives ALL worked together to rescue Adam Jensen in Bekenstein. Elsa had only met Jensen DAYS ago yet sacrificed her life to save his.
“After so many battles won, I lost the war”
How would Hein and Jensen succeed where Jack had failed?
“separate the garbage from that beautiful little angel”
Annah may be JUST as evil, twisted, sadistic, manipulative and cruel as Ramsus, if not more.
“There will always be a Subject Zero to serve them, but there will always be a Jack to KILL THEM ALL”
In my opinion, Saren may very well be THE most important character of this story AND the most dangerous. He may be a villain, anti-hero, hero and anti-villain all rolled into one. I suspect that his backstory, childhood, upbringing, background, etc may be one of the most fascinating of all the characters in the whole series.
“hoped to keep you as a brood mare”
Hein may state that as long as the Illuminati continue on the path they had always been on, they will always be people who would be willing to work with Hein against them.
“The monster was still sleeping, peacefully, while her son – her true son”
I LOVE this. And even better; Ramsus genuinely loves his sister and wishes for her to have a peaceful life away from those who would wish her harm or would exploit her. Would he find a way to achieve that?
“You are my gift to the world. You are my revengenace. You are my white dragon”
Shepard may have made Ramsus realize that he could use his incredible powers, abilities and skills to help others, like Jensen and Garrus have spent four years in the Citadel doing when they could easily carve out wealthy and luxurious lives for themselves as mercenaries. However, Ramsus is filled with hatred for the people who have imprisoned, tormented and exploited him all his life. Worse still, even if he wishes to leave it all behind, I doubt the AIA would let him.
“Make them all pay”
I wonder if Junko Shepard has ever worked with Batarians.
“With a gasp, Ramsus opened his eye, and awoke”
Hannibal and Ramsus were reunited by a common goal, but what happened between Ramsus and Jensen in Scholar’s building, where Jensen saw him at his most vulnerable…this series truly is one of the most epic that I have ever read.
First Garrus, then Ramsus...and now, as of Chapter 89, it appears that it is Jensen's turn.

‘Look at the Monster That You Made.’
I wonder…who is/are the rebelled Monster(s) of the Reapers, if there are any?

“a trip into the past, before Mass Effect”
…seriously, how much backstory have you written for this series? I feel that it may surpass even that of A Song of Ice and Fire.
“it must feed on the flesh of others”
One cannot survive by consuming metal or stone, but by consuming something that used to be alive. (looks at plants feeding on sunlight and water) Hmm.
“Deceive, despise and murder men”
Takeshi Kovacs: ‘Peace is an illusion, and no matter how tranquil the world seems, peace doesn’t last long. Peace is a struggle against our very nature. A skin we stretch over the bone, muscle and sinew of our own innate savagery. The instinct of violence curls inside us like a parasite, waiting for a chance to feed on our rage and multiply until it bursts out of us. War is the only thing we really understand.’
“this forgotten part of southern France”
I love this chapter already.
“surprisingly well preserved”
There are still remnants of long-dead empires and civilizations in Earth. What of planets and colonies of other races?
“the way of Atlantis”
I love the writing of the city of Atlantis in Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, and I love the chapter in which Harry and Draco become suspicious and afraid that magic is overall slowly fading away completely; Draco stated that nobody was ever a better wizard than Merlin, and after Merlin died, nobody was ever as good as the four founders of Hogwarts.
“made a fortune working as an assassin, and used the coin to fund the building of the entire city”
Wow. I wonder if something similar had happened in real life.
“using her beauty and skill at the arts of the dance to approach her targets”
So she hides in plain sight, using disguises and manipulation. I thought of the Hitman game series.
“the first organization that would eventually be succeeded by the Illuminati had been founded”
I love this.
“pleased to see more than a few”
I am glad that more and more portrayals and depictions of Germany in WW2 write that not all of the Germans of that time were heartless/sadistic animals/monsters. Heck, there were countries that preferred Nazi German rule to that of the Soviet Union’s. Just ask Estonia.
“though not that long, really”
Memories of the Battle of Shanxi are still fresh. Humanity retook the colony by being more brutal and ruthless than the Turians. General Desolas Arterius committed horrific atrocities, and humanity retaliated. Those to whom evil is done do evil in return.
“over 2000 elite German soldiers”
Even to this day, the German military of WW2 is considered to be one of the toughest and most well-trained military forces of all time. In my opinion, Germany COULD have won the war if not for their goddamn leader who could not curb his ego long enough to wait to gloat until AFTER winning the war.
“He had plans for the Crimson Blades”
Romeo is ambitious.
“gave a subtle mental push to the Scribe, making him a bit more talkative”
I thought of the CASIE.
“Here, there are goblins”
I hope that Grimgar gets a second season. In my opinion, it is a very underrated anime.
“Ten generations of inbreeding”
(sigh)
“savage, deformed dwarfs”
Considering that this is taking place from the perspective of the Templars, I’m taking everything here with pinches of salt.
“God’s own soldiers”
Which is crazier, the zombies or the Templars?
“such corruption of the blood of Man could not be allowed to exist”
Hey Romeo, is it a corrupt act to molest children?
I wonder if there are priests in the Order Church who are reasonable, rational people and have to put up with the ones who are not.
“of all things, lizardmen”
What the hell happened in here? Were the lizardmen born/bred here in Lea Monde, or did they migrate from somewhere else?
“as Mullenkamp herself was”
Romeo does not believe in settling for second place. He wants to be the absolute best.
“Men, corrupted into beasts”
(looks at Caim) Uh-huh. Sure. Yeah, Jensen’s a beast because he is a cyborg. Never mind that his actions speak different.
“perhaps become stronger than them”
Romeo is a hypocrite. No surprise there.
“Baphomet, Father of Understanding, guided you, ser”
Isn’t this technically idol worship?
“his interest in archaeology and ancient architecture”
I thought of Saren and Manah.
“It is the path to Heaven”
Sheesh, the Order Church isn’t even CREATIVE. It’s just ripping off another faction that used religion to exploit and manipulate others. I wonder how many brilliant soldiers, scientists, researchers and workers are unhappy that they have to make their living serving the Templars.
“These men did not come to do God’s work”
Neither did any of the Allies in WW2. They were all fighting to protect and increase their own interests. Nothing is free. Everything has a price. But it is clear that, like many others, the Order Church only takes from history what suits them.
“This place is changing me, I can feel it”
Something happened to Garrus in Noveria, and its effects still linger on him as of Chapter 89.
“Desert Eagle”
What a ridiculous handgun. I’ve fired it. Damn thing weighs like a brick and kicks like a mule. I personally see it as an anti-material handgun.
“Someone is singing”
London Bridge Is Falling Down.
“dozens of life-size statues of dancers”
Someone has a high opinion of themselves.
“David Sarif is a potential provider, as he has displayed quite an interest in Illuminati history”
Sarif is also one of the driving forces behind the spread of augmentation throughout the globe.
“He touched the statue”
This could be used against him; force him to see something that would shake or disorient him.
“he had guided them to this place without so much as a word”
I thought of Spec Ops: The Line.
“for they believed that they were of the blood of the son of God”
I thought of the Preacher comic series.
“faith took precedence over reason”
I feel depressed now.
“And then, corruption set in”
Yep.
“they were born simply of very rich bandits”
That is how kingdoms are formed; you capture more and more territory until you have enough to call it a kingdom. Take it a step further and you have an empire.
Varys: ‘If its swordsmen who rule, why do we pretend kings hold all the power?’
“excavating the corpse of the First”
Ignusdei, if you have not read it, I highly recommend reading the Wasteland Legends series by Alexeij on FF net.
“his association with this Hitler troubles me”
Hitler was allowed to rise to power and become Chancellor due to fear of communism in Germany. In my opinion, if it wasn’t Hitler, it would have just been someone else; maybe someone even worse. Either that or Germany would have fallen under Soviet control.
This chapter explores France. Would this series bring the story to Russia and/or ex-Soviet satellite nations?
“a woman of no consequence. A nursemaid, by the look of her”
I am glad that you do not attempt to write Romeo as sympathetic. You simply show us what he thinks, feels and does.
“HE WILL LEAD US INTO THE DAY”
The child was always going to be a tool no matter what or who claimed it.
“the Gift granted him”
…it’s a Reaper, isn’t it?
“an air of nobility that commanded respect and would suffer no fools”
I recently finished playing the two Batman Telltale games. In my opinion, Amanda Waller is just as much of an egotistic, narcissistic and psychopathic scumbag as villains like Oswald Cobblepot, Lady Arkham and Harley Quinn. She claims that everything she does is for the sake of others, but her actions say different. And of course, because the protagonist is Batman, she is allowed to walk away with zero consequences for all the death and destruction she had caused. In my opinion, if the Punisher had been involved, his reaction to the Joker attempting to execute her would be to stand by, watch it happen and then state that the Joker saved him the trouble of having to kill her himself before opening fire on Joker. Although now that I think about it, the Punisher is worse than all the villains in Telltale-Batman; none of them disemboweled or burned their victims alive.
“how else had she survived…while so many perished?”
…I wouldn’t trust her if I were you, Romeo.
“reached deep within the soul to attack the mind…Templar killed Templar”
So how’s all that praying working out for you Templars? Remember, as long as you claim that God approves, you can do whatever the hell you want.
“My will is strong, for I am the one that killed the Beast”
Mike Ehrmantraut: ‘Just because you shot Jesse James, it don’t make you Jesse James.’
“he had great plans for her”
I felt disgusted when I read this. It is clear that Romeo doesn’t realize what kind of a person he is.
“a prize that will make us powerful beyond belief”
True strength comes from within. The heroes of this series have defeated opponents who were stronger than them.
“I was almost tempted to let you take it”
I’m reading this in Cumberbatch-Smaug’s voice.
“It came to blows, then gunfire”
I imagined Jensen, Jenkins and Hannibal drinking sodas and eating popcorn as they watch the Templars slaughter each other.
“You have no power over us!”
The Templars corpses strewn about speak different. I wonder how Hein would handle an excavation mission like this.
“His protests died when Romeo stabbed him in the throat”
Romeo does not care in the least for his own men. Also, I thought of Jensen taking down Garrus non-lethally in Scholar’s building.
“Corrupted Templar”
They are just people like anybody else. If their faith would truly shield them from everything, why bother wearing armor?
“Mass Effect, bound to the will of a Man…as it should be, yes”
It says something about Romeo that I find Ramsus to be more sympathetic than him.
“only walked maybe twenty steps in reality”
Even if he survives this, his mind would be damaged forever.
“From the cracks of the Egg emerged eyes”
I shuddered.
“bring about unwavering justice so that it can never rise again”
You cannot change human nature, Romeo. That’s not how it works.
“THEIR DREAMS ARE POWER”
Hmm.
“TO SOW THE SEEDS OF WAR, AND FEAR, AND FIRE”
Homelander: ‘I alone have the MIGHT – I can TAKE what’s mine, I don’t have to share, and that makes this whole f-king s-tball MY BIRTHRIGHT…!’
Billy Butcher: ‘So really just the same ol’ bollocks we’ve heard from every little Adolf gets a rush o’ blood to the c-k; you couldn’t think of nothin’ better to do, could you?’
“they would not obey him”
The Reapers do not share power, and they serve no one’s will but their own. I wonder if the Reapers had ever warred with each other.
“as he likes to call himself”
Narcissist, check.
“THIS CHILD WILL CARRY IN HER THE LEGACY OF THE GAIANS”
The Gaians had their time, and it is now long past.
“thus was born the first true biotic”
This is an amazing story.
“I know, you hate me :)”
Hmph!
“a monster was growing”
A Nameless Monster.
“my father never saw fit to give me one”
Romeo is a scumbag.
“sounding almost hopeful”
How do you manage to make EVERY character interesting?
“He would follow me to hell, and I would gladly have taken him there”
You don’t need to be an alien, cyborg or synthetic to be a beast.
“those sects that rebelled against the Order’s control”
Interesting.
“before getting bored”
If your biggest problem in life is boredom, chances are you are rich.
“she hated it…cut the whole thing down…that left her navel exposed”
So she does not like to be covered up. Odd.
“rebuilt once again”
I laughed.
“Like herself”
You are not beautiful, daughter of Romeo. You are ugly and repulsive.
“They didn’t even put her in handcuffs or anything”
These guards are not professionals.
“and then she had been fondled”
Unfortunately, this happens in real life a lot more than people would want to believe.
“that was when the chamber was flooded with green gas”
She is nowhere near as good at this as Jensen, Brea or Jane. It’s just that she has what essentially amounts to a cheat code.
“grinning as she took a picture”
I wouldn’t hire her. She enjoys her job too much. The glory of the Templars, ladies and gentlemen. A representative of the faction that would lead humanity to dominion over the galaxy. Hooray.
“these freaks”
This is rich coming from her, but then again, hypocrisy is a requirement for a Templar.
“Give me a few minutes while I hunt down these mutants. I need the sport”
I shook my head at this. Not even Ramsus is this careless.
“lacking much of the color and flavor the woman in white loved”
Eurgh. Christ, is she disgusting. She would fit right into the universe of The Boys.
“she wasn’t much of an academic”
I’m not surprised.
“the air duct she was in was never rated for a grown person to travel in, and the vent broke”
Nice job, lady. Well, with all the murders you’ve already committed here, you won’t be getting a Silent Assassin rating.
“confusion made way for absolute terror”
Geth react only with puzzlement when their weapons and tactics fail; they scan, assemble and send the data to be analyzed and studied.
“thought he heard something hit glass”
I wonder how this woman would have fared against Saren.
“all wars that came after it paled in comparison. None had as many heroes, none had as many turning points, and none lasted as long”
Hmm. Ignusdei, I wonder if you have any plans for writing China in this series.
“constant conflict, or perfect obedience”
Westeros is very strict in its class separations. Peasants and commoners who somehow manage to rise above the bottom of the social ladder are the exception rather than the norm. Essos doesn’t care much for that, allowing anyone be they commoner or noble to rise up so long as they prove themselves capable and competent. While there is more opportunity and chances for wealth and success in Essos, it is also more violent, unstable and chaotic than Westeros; regimes, reigns, mercenary companies and armies rise and fall in Essos all the time.
“one person to shift the balance of power between the two”
I love that in this series, entitled ‘Mass Effect: Human Revolution’, there is no one protagonist among the heroes or even the villains. Jensen was captured and incapacitated for some time, leaving it to the rest of the heroes to launch a rescue mission. There may be other missions where Jensen isn’t involved at all. I love that Grey continues to have awesome moments off-screen. The event of the Deep Eyes rescuing the Quarian pilgrims from an enraged mob in the Citadel must have been a fascinating one.
“dragons and creatures both magnificent and terrifying”
Francis Dolarhyde – a tall, broad-shouldered, physically powerful and intimidating person – is known as the Great Red Dragon.
Will Graham – a man who appears to be a meek, mild-mannered lecturer – is referred to by Hannibal Lecter as the Lamb of God.
“Torn between order and disorder”
There will never be a perfect society, because people will never be perfect.
“bone, and covered in blood, while another was made of steel and bathed in a blue light…carved from wood, with green circuitry printed into the bark”
Ignusdei, you are one of the best writers I have ever seen.
“in the end it was all for naught, and the cycle began anew”
How can the Reapers be stopped? What is the key to their destruction? Perhaps the greatest weakness of the Reapers is themselves.
“made her high heels clatter against the marble floor”
For all her power and skill, she is pathetic and pitiful.
“Frustrated, she grabbed him by the shoulder”
She craves and demands attention.
“The waiter”
I grinned.
“Worm has changed his name to Merovingian”
My grin widened. She believed herself untouchable, invincible. But there is always someone better.
“leaned in close for him to light her cigarette”
She thought of him as a worthless civilian, easily made into putty in her hands, when the truth is that he was manipulating and toying with her.
“she made a display of her strength…that left Alexandre unimpressed”
Ha!

Yo, below my comment is probably the longest review ever... damn son...

“The Shadow Broker and I know a great deal about the Illuminati”
Who IS the Shadow Broker? He (or she or they) is one of the most mysterious characters of this series so far.
“trying to unlock the secrets of the Gift for centuries”
Ramsus and Annah are proof that such power is insane. How would it fare against the ancient might of the Reapers?
“Silly Nazis”
This made me laugh.
“got hijacked by the United States after the war”
I thought of the mission in Call of Duty: Black Ops in which the main characters are sent to Baikonur to assassinate German scientists who had agreed to work for the USSR. And I still cannot imagine the level of detail and thought that has been put into this series. And this is JUST human history! (looks at the Asari) Huh.
“through more conventional means”
That’s one of the scarier aspects of the Illuminati; they aren’t even all that good at it. Heck, the only reason Saren is working for them is due to coercion. How did they even manage to put a metaphorical gun to his head in the first place?
“hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, verbal and sexual abuse, torture”
Congratulations, AIA, one of your best assets has now gone rogue and is working against you.
“Out of a thousand, maybe seven would survive”
Jensen is able to undergo numerous augmentations without suffering from the need to take neuropozyne.
“use nanotech while condemning it”
The Order Church are really just another power-hungry faction like everybody else.
“An offshoot of the Illuminati”
The Iluminati are dangerous because they honestly don’t have that much control over their own people. Just look at Jonathan Scholar. They don’t trust each other, they constantly FIGHT each other…and now they’re playing with something far worse than fire; the Reapers, who seek to consume all intelligent life in the entire galaxy.
“He saw the destruction he caused, and became the Illuminati to restore the world as it was, and make it a better place”
(sigh) All the heroes in this series can do is to stop the galaxy from destroying itself. But make things better? Well, unless you completely take freedom away and mind-control everybody into being peaceful and non-violent…I say no.
“a small Universal Constructor”
If this kind of technology falls into the wrong hands…
“I don’t quite trust the Krogan, yet”
I don’t blame him…Bakara has ambitions and agendas of her own.
“Maybe, maybe not. That’s for them to decide, and for me to deal with”
Hein is aware that not a single person in the Durendal is the type to dig their heads in the sand and ignore the crisis that is affecting the whole galaxy. With him or without him, they would seek to find a way to end the threat of the Reapers. But how can they possibly succeed where countless others have failed?
“superhuman typing speed”
Oh my God, I love this.
“Many of the places he wrote of were long gone”
So much history lost…
“T’Soni had been studying Promethean art for close to a century”
The main objective of Saren in Caleston was to find and abduct Manah.
“instructing her in the use of a pistol”
Grey would not want an untrained person accompanying his team into firefights lest they become a liability to his people.
“That’s what daily means, recruit”
Manah would do well to listen to and follow Grey’s instructions. It’s life-or-death now; Saren is not the only person hunting her, and she cannot keep relying on the other heroes to protect her.
“but he was far too deep into his cups”
(looks at the previous chapter) …yeah. Garrus probably has a lot on his mind at the moment.
“Plastered with what?”
I still smile at moments like this. I wonder if Jensen had gotten confused by Garrus using common Turian phrases and figures of speech.
“exploring some Prothean ruins”
That’s been delayed for some time now (though honestly not that long). So Hein intends to send the Durendal on a mission that would involve going to Prothean ruins…time is not on his side and he knows it, so he must consider it to be important or even crucial. Unfortunately, between Bekenstein and the Snatchers in the Citadel…
“like your Quarian companion”
How would Tali fare in a fighter-ship? She proved to be a great navigator/supporter.
“the finesse required in defusing a hostage situation”
When rescuing the Quarian pilgrims in the Citadel, Grey opted to have the Deep Eyes use deadly force rather than non-lethal tactics or attempts to negotiate or pacify the mob.
“he saw a fragile young woman”
I still love the scene in which Jensen told Brea to guard Ramsus while he and Garrus take point. Now I’m imagining Brea vindictively getting high-powered armor and a heavy machine gun.
“I would really like to know more about this Nazara”
The heroes need more than skilled fighters; they need researchers, scientists, procurers, financiers, suppliers, etc. They are in full-blown war against Saren and the Illuminati.
“Probably due to the similarities in technology”
How did augmentation first begin in Earth?
“a pair of long yellow ears moving from above a stack of crates”
You enjoyed writing this scene, didn’t you?
“wondered to what creature they belonged to”
I guess that’s one way to fight enemy Asari; throw Alistair at them.
“maintaining the Deep Eyes’s weapons after their sortie”
With the Geth making pushes into Caleston and Noveria, anti-synthetic movement and animosity may increase.
“so that he might make some decent coin”
They SERIOUSLY need the money. Could Pallin and the other former Spectre candidates possibly help with that?
“which I already sold”
Hein’s enemies may attempt to get to him by posing as buyers or sellers.
“those terrible Blasto films”
So Bad It’s Good.
“once Sandal gets his hands on a piece of hardware”
Sandal’s not going to modify Jensen’s augmentations, is he?
“It’s a bunny! A big fluffy bunny!”
How much were you laughing when you wrote this?
“put-him-in-a-costume-and-make-him-a-little-house-and-sing-him-lullabies”
Wow. Alistair is the protagonist of a Psychological Thriller story.
“you and I are going to make loads of money”
Drebin has decided to join Hein due to believing that he would make more money working for Hein than anywhere else. Grey does not trust him, in my opinion with good reason.
The Tick: ‘Destroy the world? That’s where I keep all my stuff!’
“Away from prying eyes”
I honestly think that Hein should have security cameras installed in every corner of the ship.
“I’m on vacation!”
I love this. And now he and Jensen are unemployed unless being mercenary contractors to DARPA count.
“beat up criminals wearing a stupid costume”
I love this.
“losing them to the Omega riots”
Jensen later learns that it wasn’t a fantasy at all; Garrus indeed is Brutus of House Valerius.
“I never got the chance”
Just how busy were the last four years for them? Jensen does not like to stay still lest his mind wander to the tragedies he suffered both in Earth and in Elysium.
“by Aria T’loak”
So Aria is known to Garrus.
“and a pair of scissors for herself”
…
“The Salarians wanted to drown us in the corpses of our own dead”
They uplifted the Krogan in the first place. How many Salarians see themselves as the Krogans’ literal gods?
“alter yourself like that?”
…if Bakara chooses to work for or with Warlord Okeer…in my opinion, that could spell disaster. Okeer is a monster with no care or concern for the lives of others.
“I still have much work to do”
The fact remains that if the Reapers win, everyone will burn, including the Krogan. Saren has manipulated many, many Krogan into pledging their allegiance to him. This is a BIG problem for the galaxy; the Krogan have absolutely nothing left to lose now. For them, it’s victory or death. How many biological researchers and scientists are currently begging or screaming for protection? How many Krogan are going into hiding to avoid being targeted by people angered by the invasion of Noveria?
“the two giant lizards”
Ha!
“She commands it, the girls said in unison”
…who? Who commanded it?
“Alpha and Beta sent her a video”
Tali has made friends throughout this series; people who don’t judge her by her race and like her for who she is.
“deeper into Council space, where it’s safer”
…it’s not.
“her creamy skin and her lovely hair”
Tali hates, HATES being a Quarian, and wants to do something to free herself and her people from the prisons that are their own suits. Also, Tali is a pervert.
“the Flotilla gets the stuff from Turian merchants”
There may be Turians who’d support and defend the Migrant Fleet. After all, the Quarians are making them rich.
“I finished putting your broken eye back together”
Tali has essentially become Jensen’s personal physician.
“I find her attitude rotten most of the time. She either complains, or gives me veiled insults”
Elsewhere in the ship, Brea’s eyebrow twitched.
“I can see why Hein wanted him aboard”
…
“That’s what I like about him. Race doesn’t seem to matter to him so much as long as you’re capable”
And then Hein recruits Geth…
“said Tali almost victoriously”
I love this series.
“Stupid sexy pictures”
I wonder if Rael is aware of his daughter’s pervasions. Come to think of it, why is Tali like that?
“the closer the energy required to make it go that fast gets to infinite”
There is nothing and no one that can be in two places at once…is there?
“A strong enough gravity well, like a planet’s, interferes with the stability of a Warp field”
Hmm.
“the Normandy can go up to nine point one”
Jesus Christ is that ship fast. No wonder the Normandy is considered to be a prototype. Unfortunately, it likely cost a goddamn fortune to make.
“more interested in trying to figure out what Sandal had done to that gun”
I love that Drebin doesn’t care about the main plot.
“a star system no longer in our star charts”
We humans know more about the rest of the solar system than we do about our own planet.
“the Messians, and the Gaians”
Is it wrong that I thought of the British and the French?
“used machines…used war beasts”
Both have their pros and cons.
“Stephen!? I mean…Stephen?!”
Oh my God, I love this. Neil is such a great character.
“the first ever built, and was the Prometheans’ jack-of-all-trades”
The least and simultaneously most capable.
“Let him finish!”
I love these interruptions in the exposition.
“save for Aleph and Daleth”
Hmm. The jack-of-all-trades and the fighter.
“these four alone, had been responsible for the destruction of two galactic powers, and the rise of newer ones”
I thought of the Dead Three in Forgotten Realms; Bane, Bhaal and Myrkul.
“Nazara is responsible for their downfall”
I thought of Cyric in Forgotten Realms.
“Zayin had declared himself Emperor”
I’m keeping in mind that most of this information was provided by Aleph. History is written by the victors…
“created an Alliance of free worlds”
In the Dragon Age series, many, many years before the Fifth Blight, a woman named Andraste rose to power and led armies in rebellion and resistance against the then-mighty Tevinter Imperium. As of Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Imperium is still intact, though now a mere shadow of its former self.
“a psychic entity that sought to harvest the Anima of all life in the Galaxy”
…an ancient and terrible enemy, older and more powerful than the Promethans, perhaps more than the civilizations before them.
“the only one who had actually gotten a clear view of them”
Ramsus has seen the ‘flames’ of Jensen, Garrus and Brea. What does he see in Edward Grey?
“The battle lasted days”
I thought of Bane vs Torm in the Time of Troubles. (looks at Bhaal vs Cyric) Evil vs Evil. For me, I see that latter duel as one that lasted less than five seconds, was decided in a single move, and that Bhaal could have just as easily won.
“the Void now a prison for a being”
Being in prison did not make Wilson Fisk weaker. It made him stronger.
“even they are just puppets, and Nazara’s pulling the strings”
…could someone be pulling Nazara’s strings? What if Jensen were to encounter Nazara and the latter were to tell him that Aleph had lied to him?
“my Shaman”
Hmm.
“coolly lit a cigarette up”
And then coughed violently, ruining the coolness.
“as outlandish as they seem”
Refuge in Audacity.
“I pride myself on being prepared for everything”
Someone managed to blindside and nearly murder Hein.
“on the 17th of October, 2183”
2183 may go down in history as one of the most important and eventful events in galactic history.
“Except Wrex, of course”
I’m guessing that the worst atrocities committed on Krogan were done by other Krogan.
“who managed to bring it down after 30 minutes of intense fighting”
Nothing is invincible. Nothing is immortal. Everything can and will eventually die, even Nazara. Heck, if he truly were immortal, Nazara wouldn’t need to do the things he had done.
“EG should be considered a terrorist organization”
I love Grey.
“Everyone raised their hands”
Ha!
“the five sisters”
Wait, they are all related siblings? If so, who are their parents?
“estimated at 19 years”
…and Hackett recommended him as a potential Council Spectre.
“far more invasive”
Ramsus was treated not as a person but as a living tool. How does he feel now about his relationships with Hannibal and the teams of the Normandy and the Durendal?
“the hologram of Ramsus’ brain became enlarged”
Brea and Aki conducted a thorough autopsy of Ramsus.
“hair-thin conduits of conductive polymers connected to several regular chips”
My head is spinning now. I don’t know how you manage to make sense of all this.
“an important role in the processing of memory, decision-making, and emotions”
Ramsus never had a chance of being an ordinary or well-adjusted person from the start. I suspect that he would rather be hated or loathed than pitied.
“integrate perfectly in any society, big or small”
Ramsus was able to fool and manipulate Urdnot Bakara.
“added Grey”
I smiled at this. Hm, what IF Grey were to be made a general?
“taken various cell samples”
Does Jondum Bau have a biological specialist/researcher?
“The jaw permanently dislocated, and the hare-lip revealed oversized, warped teeth”
…I’m going to have nightmares tonight.
“Her tone was almost accusatory”
Wow, Spooky hit a nerve there.
“were but mere infants”
…Christ Almighty, I felt a chill down my back when I read that.
“heads full of wonder…and full of worries”
And the Illuminati are only part of one race. Who knows if there are others among the Asari, Turians, Salarians or even Krogan. Hm…what if Krogan were responsible for the Genophage?
“Brea rolled her eyes, and grabbed Adam’s wrist”
Every scene with these two together is gold.
“Like-minded individuals”
I’m scared now.
“something quiet and away from danger”
Manuel wouldn’t be in the Durendal in the first place if he is afraid of being in danger.
“Hein’s going to have hell rain down on him, and everyone close to him is going to die”
And he is aware of it. He knows the risks he is taking.
“Why couldn’t they just do the sane thing and choose to live?”
So what are you doing in the Durendal with him, Spooky? You could have just as easily refused to work with Hein beyond Caleston.
“managed Ryan finally…Yep, replied Grey”
I grinned at this. I love the Deep Eyes.
“America isn’t prepared to face them”
Grey still cares about his country despite it not remotely caring about him.
“send some reports up the chain of command…It’s up to Hein, really”
Hmm…could Councilor Sparatus possibly be convinced to ally with Hein? Could Valern be persuaded by Bau to lend his aid or support? Tevos is out of the question as someone hostile to Manah is pulling her strings.
“as a Trojan horse”
Grey may now become paranoid of anything that is brought aboard the Durendal. What if he insists on keeping Elsa’s body in stasis/caged up and under guard?
“desperately shout at the singing girls”
…this is going to haunt Bakara forever, even if she somehow gets a relatively happy or peaceful ending in this series.
“Adam, along with Garrus, attempted to enter”
Figures they’d risk themselves like that.
“wielding his energy rifle”
The Reapers may take steps to disable or destroy the heroes’ energy weapons.
“She felt her own biotics surge”
Manah desperately needs someone to coach her in wielding her biotics.
“she pointed at Adam, and spoke”
…were they truly children, or something else?
“confused, holding herself as if she was about to shiver, as if her very skin was about to crawl off”
Even she was shaken by it.
“who was on the verge of tears”
This series is merciless to its characters.
“as surely as she just lost her own children”
She bonded with them in Peak 15 and risked her life for them. Christ, no wonder she is such a broken person.
“like the chirping of a thousand little gremlins”
This is one of the most horrifying moments of this series to me.
“turned into orange goo that fused with the blood”
What the hell.
“grinning from ear to ear”
Hein is legitimately and clinically crazy.

(Part 2 of my review of Chapter 48)

“the egg of a god”
Why is there so much Element Zero in Bindur?
“They’ll jar something in you, deep inside, allowing you to grow”
(looks at the events of this series up to Chapter 89) You are cruel, Ignusdei.
“you shall meet a kindred spirit…just as lost as you are, but also just as driven and as strong as you are”
Adam Jensen, the Shadow of Elysium.
“is it going to be a girl?”
Has Garrus ever considered the possibility of marriage or raising a family? He seems to be married to his work, though.
“He will always have us to guide him back”
Will Graham’s psychiatrist and best friend was Hannibal Lecter…
“we once remembered what it was like to fly”
Why and how did the Turians lose the ability of flight?
“in memory of a lost city”
Much of Turian history may have been lost to time…or worse. Who knows what histories lie beneath the surface of Tuchanka.
“no longer willing to bankroll these projects”
Probably because they weren’t immediately receiving any return on their investment.
“a certain appeal to seeing oneself as the oppressed”
Maybe Leto’s rival had the right idea; just take Omega by force. Of course, the civilian casualties would be staggering.
“walked the world in disguise once upon a time, before succeeding his father…the greatest of all during the days of the old empire”
Like many others, Titus takes from history what suits him and ignores the rest.
“my son, Agrippa”
Why would Titus lie about this? Does he have a family of his own?
“You humans are weird”
I love this.
“Some laughter was his only answer. There were no hospitals on Omega. There never had been”
The top. Always the top. Maybe Omega started off decent, but if so, it certainly didn’t stay that way.
“Something inside of him told him to give chase”
An investigator. A detective. To be a truly good one, one who makes the rank through accomplishment rather than by nepotism, takes an instinct. And in my opinion that instinct cannot be taught. You either have it or you don’t. Also, I thought of Samuel Vimes.
“I’m more interested in saving lives”
Garrus told Red Raven to tell the minions of Hell that it was he who sent her there.
“the Asari that Leto had hired as servants”
…honestly, there IS a chance that Leto may had been unfaithful to Marcia.
“Asari corrupt all that they touch, and destroy what they can’t corrupt”
Detective Anaya for me is one of the more underrated Mass Effect characters.
“bragging about his recent crimes”
Moron.
“The Batarian winced”
I love this.
“Might as well stop them from breeding”
Try saying this within earshot of a Krogan.
“Brutus wrapped himself in a dirty rag”
I thought of Arya Stark. Was that penchant for murder instilled in her, or was it always there?
“He wasn’t finished!”
Garrus always had that rage in him. Yet, for some reason, he prefers law enforcement to military. Garrus is an interesting person.
“denouncing the recent taxes”
Aria fancies herself as a queen and overlord. In my opinion, she is just another politician.
“The clinics were being raided”
While he is willing to help anyone in need of medical aid, Mordin Solus also doesn’t hesitate to kill anyone who threatens his clinic. Salarians pride themselves on their logic and reasoning.
“he wasn’t shy about telling recruits what they would be in for”
Leto simply was too much of a good person for a place like Omega. He chose to be Loved rather than Feared.
“your right to be free”
Aria later reveals her true colors; she is even worse than Leto, who at least tried to help people. Aria changed nothing for the better. Yet for some reason she is arrogant and believes that she is worthy of respect and admiration. Omega is a CESS-PIT. It’s not even an empire! What the hell does she have to be proud of? The Asari crimelord is delusional!
“the voice of General Gallienus”
If not for him, the people of Omega could have been compelled to rally behind Leto instead of Aria.
“you are all under martial law”
Pallin often has to remind and rein in Jensen and Garrus whenever they go too far off the rails.
“a show of force to demonstrate that he was serious”
In the end, Gallienus and Leto both failed.
“right amount of light, the right temperature, the right humidity”
Krogan breed in a (roughly) similar manner to vorcha, sometimes hatching clusters of eggs at one time.
“being brothers in arms”
Garrus got that, at least. (looks at Tali) Hmm. She seems to be an only child.
“technologically remarkable, while simultaneously seeming quite low-tech”
Who knows; the vorcha may become quite a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy.
“mutated at least once in their lifetimes, to adapt to their environment”
Hmm.
“Brutus got appraising looks from them”
Does Garrus know any Vorcha in the Citadel?
“I cannot grant you vengeance”
They hoped that Leto would be like his son. Unfortunately, Leto is too much of a good person. He could easily have pretended to agree to the Vorchas’ terms, or to genuinely agree and have Gallienus assassinated by them to avoid being implicated in the latter’s death.
“combining that book with Turian myth”
I’d watch that show.
“It seemed so primitive”
Jensen enjoys cars and trains and carries a revolver.
“Day of Wrath”
I thought of the Doom of Valyria.
“complete and total control over their emotions”
Not even Ramsus could tell what Hein is thinking.
“the Wrath of this God”
Hannibal Lecter: ‘Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb.’
“there he found an egg”
This brief scene is horrifying.
“her face fell as she checked the garbled readouts”
…
“The Jester kicked him again”
I want Aria T’Louk’s fate to be eaten alive by Vorcha…or to be psychologically broken and left a crippled, pathetic mess like Whoreson Junior could be in Witcher 3: Wildhunt.
“Lots of fractured ribs…soft tissue damage to the brain”
What does Hein know of Garrus Vakarian?
“She wanted to become a legend, and the greatest of legends had fought the greatest enemies. And what better enemy than a tyrant?”
When you get down to it, for all her skill and power, Aria is PATHETIC. Yes, she had taken over Omega. But what had she done with her power since?
“reap all the glory, all the love, all the power”
Varys: ‘Power resides where people believe it resides. It’s a trick; a shadow on the wall.’
“her ‘loyal followers’”
Aria doesn’t care about anyone or anything except herself. She has zero remorse for any of her actions. Ramsus is more sympathetic than her. Heck, WAY more. He’d probably state that compared to the people of both the Durendal and the Normandy, Aria is BORING.
“The crowd cheered”
You know what? I’m with Gallienus. Burn this goddamn place.
“soon she would be Queen”
Of an excrement-ridden, poverty-stricken, crime-riven cesspool run mainly on narcotics, racketeering, prostitution and slavery. Congratulations, O Queen.
“It’s going to be all right”
In my opinion, Garrus does love Thaddeus like a son to a father. Considering how Garrus turned out, I’d say Thaddeus did the best he could and turned out to be a good foster parent. Garrus’ foster mom on the other hand…
“Fifty Hierarchy warships lost, General Gallienus orders retreat”
Gallienus is not only selfish, self-serving, petty and spiteful. He’s not even good at his job. How did he even become a General anyway? What does Councilor Sparatus think of Gallienus?
“You won’t be alone”
Not many people would have chosen to do something like this. Thaddeus Vakarian is a good person, like Leto was.
“Livilla is a good woman, and our daughter…well, she’s a handful, sometimes”
Turns out that Livilla isn’t such a good person, and Solana became a loving and caring younger foster sibling to Garrus.
“believing that Thaddeus had brought a bastard”
Wait, does this make Thaddeus Eddard Stark?
“the son of a FAILURE”
Livilla is a sheep; a slave to the will and whims of her society. What drew Thaddeus to her in the first place?
“he didn’t ask for any of this”
Just like Jensen. Ramsus with his psychological analytical skills seems to have noticed that Garrus may or may not have been abused by his mother.
“an action figure, missing its head”
Years later, Garrus found a decapitated Kaidan Alenko.
“But Thaddeus would know, and would never forgive her”
She would have happily murdered Garrus, and only refrained from doing so out of fear of discovery.
“Eventually, Brutus relented”
She tortured him. Christ…no wonder Garrus wasn’t shellshocked/traumatized by being tortured to the point of clinical death in Chora’s Den.
“Thaddeus never knew and would never know what she did”
…know what? I think Thaddeus knew. Or at least, he suspected.
“He was a bully”
Livilla was a bully too. Come to think of it, Garrus’ backstory is not all that dissimilar to that of Matt Murdock, aka in my opinion the best superhero character. Jesus Christ, Garrus had a horrible life.
“His merits certainly didn’t protect him”
From the very beginning, Garrus loathed and despised the Turian military. He is more willing than Jensen to work with a Krogan mercenary.
“a tendency to prize bullies as potential leaders”
Christ, no wonder Gallienus became a General. And it’s not even arrogance from success, the guy’s not even a competent commander!
“being quiet, and not drawing attention to himself”
I wonder what he thinks – if he knows – of Garrus being a supercop.
“It let him gather information on those that truly annoyed him, and come graduation”
(grins) I like Thaddeus.
“with quite a few demerits”
This isn’t enough for someone like Garrus. He wants to HURT; to inflict violence and pain. It’s just as well that he ended up with Jensen and Pallin, otherwise he could have become like Kai Leng.
“you need to have faith in the system”
But Garrus doesn’t, at least not in the Turian Hierarchy. In my opinion, it isn’t really C-Sec’s laws that he values. It’s Pallin’s.
“We all get what we earn”
I disagree, Thaddeus.
“Can I come with you?”
Livilla abused him, and Garrus – rightfully – does not feel safe around her.
“instead of blaming the Sergeant, they blamed Brutus”
Because it was easier and less of a hassle. Welcome to the world, Garrus Vakarian.
“a fine obedient soldier”
Garrus took no pride in any of this. He doesn’t like to talk about his time in the Turian military, and Jensen doesn’t like to talk about Elysium.
“Livilla hated him”
She condemns him for the mistakes and actions of others. Why is Livilla like this? (looks at her religion) Hm.
“he didn’t quite understand why”
Garrus has memory problems, at least of his early childhood.
“he stood alone while everyone else”
Livilla likely prevented Solona from seeing him.
“Don’t I get a choice in the matter?”
Hein makes a point to always give his potential hires and recruits a choice. Garrus is more willing and eager to work for him than Jensen is.
“Why would you want to become anything else than what you’re suited best for?”
Garrus tweaks and puts on his own custom armored suit and leaps out of a dropship to aid his C-Sec partner.
“You’re a killer”
Full Metal Jacket.
“Why then, did Brutus feel like he simply didn’t belong?”
As of Chapter 89, Garrus has never had a real interaction or conversation with Elsa. Also, I like that while Jensen is similar to Garrus in that he is cynical of his own race, Tali is very devoted to aiding and improving the lot of her fellow Quarians.
“all the spotter could manage to say”
I love this scene. Marcia’s teachings have stayed with Garrus even with his damaged memory, hence his amazing marksmanship.
“first time with an Asari”
Marcia hated Asari, perhaps with good reason.
“brought out a wild, hidden passion in him, one that scared him”
Does Jane have a similar passion? If so, why? Garrus apparently has never been in a serious romantic relationship. Or if he had, he hasn’t told anyone about it.
“He hadn’t even realized he had been doing it”
…yeah. Garrus really does have the makings of a psychopathic murderer. He could have become a rapist like Kai Leng. Thank God that fate would steer him to C-Sec and a certain cyborg.
“Years of killing targets”
Garrus was unable to connect or bond with any of his fellow military soldiers. Yet he quickly befriended the Deep Eyes. There’s a reason for that. Probably became the Deep Eyes are a disgraced unit.
“He wanted to understand why he was fighting, and the Hierarchy gave him only orders, not justifications”
Man, no WONDER Garrus was willing to work for both Pallin and Hein. I wonder if he would get along with Anderson. Say what you want about Captain Anderson, but he likes to lead from the front, which has been criticized.
“A visit had convinced Brutus that his talents should be put to the service of C-Sec”
One visit was all it took. Garrus was already looking for a way out of the military.
“C-Sec had accepted his application”
Why?
“It’s an antique”
Has Garrus ever fired Sasha?
“I don’t think they’ll let me use it on duty”
Considering how many times the Council have cut C-Sec’s budget, C-Sec officers are probably ENCOURAGED to bring their own weapons, armor and vehicles. Also, I love that even in the crazy alternate time/dimension they are now traversing, Ramsus is STILL forbidden from carrying a firearm.
“have you told you mother?”
…Thaddeus knows, doesn’t he?
“He hated Special Response”
I love Garrus.
“six months in the academy and six more patrolling the Presidium”
Jensen already had years of experience in law enforcement before he joined C-Sec.
“thought he could do better, so he quickly requested reassignment to Investigations. He passed the exam with flying colours”
And this is only the start of a VERY interesting and well-documented career, many of which involve Jensen and Garrus bickering and screaming at each other over who is to blame for their latest firefight even as they protect each other from being flanked. I love the idea of them loudly bickering over hundreds of thousands of credits’ worth of damaged property and totaled C-Sec vehicles as they walk into C-Sec HQ to receive only the latest of many, many tongue-lashings from Executor Pallin; in my eyes, this was probably what their relationship was like in the early months or years of their 4-year stint together.
“appeared to be the perfect, by-the-book detective”
Oh my God, I love this. People may claim that Jensen corrupted Garrus, or that it was the other way around.
“Wouldn’t that be something?”
Hmm. Krogan in C-Sec? Well, why not?
“They’ve sent me a death trap”
I absolutely love that Jensen and Garrus drive around the Citadel in such a beat-up car.
“This Human was a cyborg”
Are cybernetics common in Turian societies?
“yet were still driven to protect others”
Ignusdei, this is in my opinion still the best thing you have written to date. It’s the most epic story I have EVER read. And this chapter is about the PAST, before the beginning of the main plot, and primarily about ONE character!
“just as lost as you are, but also just as driven and as strong as you are”
In my opinion, all the heroes are like this in one form or another, not just Jensen and Garrus.
“a small claw came out, and a cry emerged from the ruined shell”
This may just be one of the best chapters of the ENTIRE series.
“you can’t have Space Batman without the tragic loss”
Nah, ME:HR Garrus is a better character than Bruce Wayne. There’s so much more to him than just ‘Muh dead parents!’
“it managed long term memory”
Who in the Durendal or the Normandy is knowledgeable in Turian anatomy or biology? Come to think of it, are there Turians who are similar to Warlord Okeer?

“Interlude 2: Stillborn”
One of the most important chapters of this entire series in my opinion. The events that take place in it may have consequences far in the future that may affect not only Garrus but many, many others.
“Ray Stevenson…Natlie Dormer…Michael Shannon”
(grins) Lots of big names here.
“Gary Oldman”
My favorite actor!
“Wealth is Worthless in the Day of Wrath”
I love this series.
“The Planet Palaven”
This Interlude takes place not even that long ago; only one generation back. It is the first and (so far) only focus on and exploration of Turian society in this series. So far in ME:HR, the heroes have yet to go up against a predominantly-Turian faction. Also, the main antagonist/villain, perhaps the greatest terrorist of his time, is a Turian. It cannot be overlooked that humanity’s first contact with intelligent alien life was with the Turian Hierarchy, and said contact very quickly escalated into military conflict. Edgar Hein was on the front line and bore first-hand witness to the atrocities committed by the Turian military on the orders of General Desolas Arterius.
“six-thousand years of history”
Hmm.
“The advent of powered flight”
Who are now the wealthiest Turians in the galaxy?
“Antioch became infamous as a wretched hive”
It always starts at the top. Someone in Antioch’s leadership allowed this to happen.
“the Archangel”
Garrus is unknowingly carrying on the legend of the Archangel. People may ask him if he is emulating it.
“the Plaguebringer, a Quarian serial killer obsessed with spreading disease”
…I feel like one could write an entire story revolving around a character like that.
“all had escaped prison and combined their forces”
No way they did not have help from someone high up in Antioch.
“golden armoured van”
…golden? Really? The Magnate’s probably got a gold-plated firearm as well.
“instantly recognized the look of the gigantic armored motorcycle”
Archangel seeks to not only fight criminals but to sow fear and terror in them as well. The problem with people like him is that, all too often, they know not when to stop or hold back.
“the kingpin of all Antioch”
I thought of Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano and Meyer Lansky forming the Commission, aka the Five Families, and abolishing the system of Boss of all Bosses.
“When he was outnumbered and outmatched he was quiet. When he was found he became relentless”
Why is Leto Valerius like this? What made him this way?
“He never stopped, not once”
I don’t think Leto could ever stop. Even if Palaven AND Omega were made (relatively) safe, stable and peaceful, he probably would have gone off to find another hellhole to crusade in.
“You always had that one rule”
Not executing the Joker in cold blood, I understand. But risking himself to SAVE the Joker’s life? Yeah, Bruce Wayne has problems.
“you’re nothing but”
So was Sima Yi, and guess who won at the end of the story of the Three Kingdoms.
“we threaten your blood, and all your morals went out the window”
Jensen didn’t even know Tali, yet seeing her face-plate be broken sent him into a murderous rage.
“the Magnate was no more”
I imagined Garrus reading a file on the Magnate, noting the multiple gunshot wounds to the knees, stomach and finally the head, and slowly stating that this occurred around the time he was born.
“Beloved?”
Do Turians typically refer to their spouses or lovers like this, or just Marcia? If the latter, why?
“the baby cooed and chirped happily, unafraid of the tall, powerful but battered figure”
Garrus’ fear is of the dark. I think that he wouldn’t fare very well if he were to embark on a night-time stealth mission with someone like Jane Proudfoot or Zev.
“He has your eyes, and your fair skin…And he has your nose, and his crest will be long”
I wonder if there are former associates or relatives of the Valerius family who may notice that Garrus seems to have some physical resemblance to Leto and Marcia.
“My son will not walk into the dark as I did”
Garrus has already ventured into the dark multiple times and seen horrors that surpass anything that Leto has had to deal with.
“name him after your grandfather”
Why?
“Brutus of the house of Valerius”
Hmm…is this how Turian societies work?
“without fear of losing everything to a thug with a gun”
When he was forced by Ramsus to ‘watch’ Jensen die to an enemy sniper, Garrus realized he was screaming.
“chief of the Valerius manor’s security…their days in the 13th Armiger legion, and the first to be in on the secret behind the Archangel”
Then it isn’t a secret anymore.
“a man governed more by his heart than his mind”
Hmm.
“The city will still have need of Archangel”
I get the feeling that it’s not really the city’s needs that Titus was concerned about in that moment.
“the gene mods had not helped in keeping that edge”
What helps Saren to keep up with and even surpass his enemies?
“Then let us train another!”
Titus loves the legend of the Archangel, doesn’t he?
“her dress”
What is Turian clothing like?
“in ancient times, it was customary for a turian to bear the symbols of his group upon his face, whether he belonged to a religious order, a clan of warriors, or a Great House”
And apparently this practice has continued into modern times.
“these days, you only need to bear the marks of your planet”
Are there turians in the Terminus Systems who carry on this practice?
“the stories that uncle Titus told him”
Garrus’ memories are buried somewhere deep within his mind, and after Noveria – a planet whose societies make extensive use of dreams – those memories at long last are starting to be unlocked.
“The pain was unimaginable”
Not even that long ago, Garrus was taken prisoner and tortured so horribly that he was CLINICALLY DEAD. What possessed him to walk into Chora’s Den and start a gunfight like that, without at least conducting reconnaissance beforehand?
Also, Garrus has not contacted his family for a long time. Are the Vakarians aware of his many (mis)adventures with Jensen in the Citadel? Have they heard of him and Jensen being fired from C-Sec and of Executor Pallin’s apparent death? Jensen has now been branded an outlaw by C-Sec and the Council. Who was Garrus closest to before he met Jensen?
“a chorus of screeches, followed by the beating of the wind”
Would experiencing something like this in the present trigger Garrus’ memories?
Come to think of it, how has Saren’s actions in Eden Prime and Noveria affected turians throughout the galaxy? Are the Council concerned following the events of Noveria that Saren may be attempting to or has already made an alliance with the Migrant Fleet?
“thinking the figure some kind of monster”
Ramsus is a monster, and he hides in plain sight.
“he had kept his light on throughout the night”
So his fear of the dark goes all the way back to this. Currently, Garrus in a somewhat-version of Michigan with Jensen, Hannibal, Ramsus, Teg and not-Conrad.
“You intruded into their home”
Leto Valerius wanted to make Omega better. But Omega does not want to be made better; there’s more profit if it remains the way it is.
“meditating on a pendant…dressed in blue silks and silver rings, like in the pictures of ancient priestesses in the encyclopedia”
The Asari have absorbed, assimilated and even destroyed so many cultures of other races. Heck, they don’t even approve (in general) of Asari mating with other Asari now!
“All creatures feel fear, especially the dark, for there are many things that dwell there that mean us harm”
Edgar Hein: (to the creepy voice that is stalking Jensen by codec) ‘Bad dog! Bad!’
“they cast a light into the dark places”
Unfortunately, all too often, Good is not enough, and one has to fight Evil with Evil.
“It is the mind, Brutus”
Garrus fears as of Chapter 89 that he may be going insane from all the craziness he is experiencing. Ramsus tells him to just embrace the madness.
“a way to breathe with a certain rhythm”
Garrus is an excellent marksman.
“he burst into the living room”
In a way, Titus was the heart and soul of the Valerius family. I love that he was their chief of security.
“Brutus may very well have the chance to become a general, should it last as long”
…yeah. It’s obvious why Titus didn’t want Leto to stop being Archangel.
“My son will NOT grow up to see Palaven ravaged by war”
If Garrus and the other heroes fail their mission to stop Saren and the Illuminati, the entire galaxy will burn…
“the capital of the Turian Hierarchy: Cipritine”
So not just the capital city of a nation or planet, but of the whole Hierarchy? Cipritine must be one heck of a place. Hmm…where were the Desolas brothers born and raised? What is House Arterius like?
“have him executed on the spot”
Wow. So they could just do that? Turian law is strict!
“the height of hypocrisy, and the rest of the galaxy would no doubt condemn the Hierarchy for it. Total war would only make things worse for everyone”
Maybe what Desolas wanted was to go to war with the whole galaxy and be the spearhead for the establishment of a galactic Turian empire. Edgar Hein put a stop to that from within a Wanzer.
“a winged turian”
Wait, what?
“the Titan of Law”
Hmm. Turians often refer to ‘spirits.’ Have any non-Turians taken up Turian religions and customs? Are there Asari with a Turian parent who paint their faces?
“the milestones of a long career in the military”
What would Councilor Sparatus think of General Gallienus?
“a group of Volus”
While the Turks, Arabs and other European nations tore each other up, the Italians became very, very rich off of the Crusades. The Shadow Broker may be suspected of being a Volus.
“Looming above them on a podium”
In the Wasteland Legends series by Alexeij here on FF net, it is written that while Kimball is a former five-star General of the NCR military and the President of the NCR, and that his Number Two is Lee Oliver who is also a five-star General, many say/whisper that the one who really wields the most power and carries the most influence and weight in the NCR is two-star Brigadier-General Aki Navache.
“reminding Valerius where he stood in the chain of command”
Meanwhile, Detective-Sergeants Jensen and Garrus over the course of four years cause Executor Pallin no end of headaches. Despite that, Pallin not only allows them to keep their jobs and rank but even joins their cause after all three of them are forcibly removed from C-Sec. The Asari currently seek to effectively take over C-Sec, but Chellick may have something to say about that.
“Gallienus was obviously offended by Valerius’ disobedience”
Are there Turians who are not unlike UNAS Colonel Edgar Hein?
“Peacekeeping?! It was conquest, pure and simple, and the incident at the Relay was but an excuse for Arterius to seek glory”
Desolas wasn’t Saren’s father, but his brother. What is their age difference?
“The Hierarchy’s hold on them grows tenuous”
If Saren manages to gain significant Turian support…the Council has branded him a traitor who went rogue and committed crimes in his attack on Eden Prime. Unfortunately, not all Turians are happy with the Hierarchy.
“the separatist movement”
Interesting…
“a clear ability of striking sideways on par with the Salarians”
I wonder how Garrus and Jondum Bau would fare if they were to work together. Do the Turians have anyone who is similar to Ramsus?
“not the place of an Archon to argue war strategy with his superiors”
One of the MAIN REASONS that the Third Reich fell was because Hitler repeatedly refused to heed the advice of his commanders, while Stalin became more willing to listen to his own. Admiral Hackett is willing to listen to and consider Captain Anderson’s advice and opinions, rather than demanding that he only listen and obey. Said it before; Hackett may very well be one of the most dangerous characters in this series.
“Adrien Victus”
I smiled at this.
“while the Frumentarii do their work”
It is REMARKABLE that the present-day Turian system is similar to that of the human ancient Romans. Hm…could there be a link in those two somewhere?
“The Citadel Council intervened 3 days ago”
Wow, just three days? That’s like lightning speed for the Council.
“defending themselves from what they thought was an invasion”
This is exactly what happens later in Omega.
“They’re soldiers, through and through”
Too many hawks and not enough doves in the Hierarchy, in my opinion. Are there Turians who prefer to talk rather than fight?
“Gallienus would have called for a veto…and your dismissal”
A man like Gallienus does not share power. Had he become Primarch himself, he probably would have gotten rid of Desolas somewhere down the line. I wonder if Saren thinks the same thing. Also, the world-building in this series continues to be insanely good.
“I did not mean to ‘play’ anything, I just wanted to spare my son from a time of war”
Did Edgar Hein hope that Shepard wouldn’t have to become a soldier?
“the product of our culture”
The Krogan raged at the Council – the Asari, Turians and Salarians – that they NEEDED the Krogan to defeat the Rachni.
“they thought it would still work”
Is the Hierarchy leadership still out-of-touch and outdated one generation later? The defeat at Shanxi may have taught them valuable lessons.
“Martial prowess, above all”
Garrus states that he isn’t a very good Turian. He is the best friend of a human cyborg, and would kill other Turians to protect him. Saren on the other hand is a psychopath who – even if he genuinely likes someone – would not hesitate to throw them aside to serve or protect his own interests.
“it seems to be quite a fascinating place”
Ha!
“lower than even in Cipritine”
There is something in The Wire, and it is known as ‘juking the stats.’
“easily three times the size of their house”
And Leto was only an Archon. What was the background and status of House Arterius? Saren intends to succeed where Desolas failed. Hein overcame and defeated Desolas. Saren has no intention of meeting a similar fate.
“all this would be his one day”
If Garrus were to learn of his past, and think of what could have been, would he have decided that he still wouldn’t trade what he has now with Jensen and the other heroes for anything else?
“the Emperors! They inherited their positions from their fathers before them!”
Looks like the Turians aren’t all that different from humans.
“To prove oneself worthy”
Garrus HATED being in the Turian military. He hated everything about it; the officers, his fellow grunts, even the combat missions. Being a policeman, working for Pallin and with Jensen and other cops, chasing and fighting criminals…he found joy and meaning in that, and has passion for what he and Jensen do; as he stated to Brea, the reason that he and Jensen are so relentless in pursuing their cases is that they both believe in protecting people from the ‘monsters in the dark.’
If Garrus were to be offered a high position in the Turian military, he’d probably turn it down to start a private investigation company with Jensen.
“shoot as soon as possible and hit your target than pull off impressive long distance shots”
I love that despite or perhaps because of their differences, Garrus and Grey have become friends.
“Awaken the Sleeper”
…what is this? What is happening? What was Marcia’s religion?
“because you’re a Valerius, you’re somehow better than everyone”
I wonder what the Vakarian family is like. Garrus and Jensen have helped and protected Quarians, and Garrus has dated Asari and humans.
“selling slaves to feed her habit”
Yep, Turians are JUST like humans.
“We bring a light in the dark”
Garrus DESPISES Ramsus. I wonder what Pallin would think of the former AIA operative. Also, I’d love to know what Ashley Williams would think of Turian families and houses.
“a Valerius must always seek to improve the lot of those that suffer, to leave the world a better place than when he entered it!”
Leto’s actions in Omega led to the destruction and decimation of his House and family. Who raised, taught and mentored Leto?
“their own grandchildren”
Hi, Joffrey Baratheon!
“You are not better because of blood, or name”
By this point, the Migrant Fleet has been adrift for three centuries, and Leto has killed a Quarian serial killer.
“He played a game of hide and seek with the servants’ children, once”
Did Jensen have any childhood friends? Did Grey? Manah T’Soni had her sister Liara, but we know how that ended.
“At 15 he would join the Army”
Garrus found that he hated everything about the Turian military. Heh, who would have thought that Councilor Sparatus would be crazy?
“Titus has been filling his mind with old tales of kings, and heroes, and nonsense”
Titus wanted Garrus to carry on the legend of Archangel.
“Damn the men that decreed that all our children must become soldiers before all else”
WHY are the Turians like this? When did all this start?
“your attempts at shaping Brutus into another Archangel will only end in his DEATH”
Many bore witness to Garrus’ insane and incredible accomplishment outside Jonathan Scholar’s building. Little did they know that Garrus himself was furious that he would only be a liability to Jensen if he had accompanied him in confronting Scholar.
“a dead zone between the Asari Republics, Turian Hierarchy, and the vast Terminus systems”
And an Asari is currently running Omega. Yeah, two guesses who’s REALLY controlling the place.
“their massive heavy industry”
In my opinion, the Krogan are now under an equivalent of the Treaty of Versailles, only way, way worse. Hitler subjected many of his own people to sterilization for physical or mental ‘imperfections’. Warlord Okeer seeks to create the ‘perfect’ Krogan…yet he doesn’t strike me as a racist like Wreav.
“had the last laugh”
The Krogan believe that there is no better death than in glorious battle. How do you fight an enemy like that? Unfortunately for Saren, beliefs like that worked against him; Wreav’s men wasted too much time engaging the defenders of Dosadi rather than focusing on their main objective. Saren may decide to send people other than Krogan for important missions next time. Urdnot Wrex is one of the Shadow Broker’s favorite hired mercs, but he is too smart to trust someone like Saren.
“he who controlled Omega, would control the flow of Element Zero throughout the galaxy”
Aria T’Louk may claim to control all of Omega, but it is obvious that it is only something she wants to believe and that she is just a pawn/lackey for other, more powerful people. Omega hardly got any better under her leadership. If anything, it has gotten worse.
“A lot of people call him a hero”
A lot of people call Jensen a villain, Hein a lunatic and failure, the Deep Eyes a joke, Manah and Hannibal abominations, and Ramsus a good, kind and helpful person.
“Omega needs a civilizing influence”
Even if Magistrate Valerius is a good man, it is clear what the intentions of the Hierarchy are.
“The Asari Republics tried”
In my opinion, they have now succeeded. Rumors may abound of who Aria answers to. Yeah, I’m not impressed by Aria T’Louk. I suspect that Jensen, Garrus, Ramsus, Hannibal, Grey and Hein wouldn’t be either.
“If you become Praetor, you can help more people that way”
The Wire really shows what happens to so many people who go into politics with apparently good intentions.
“The Hierarchy can commandeer resources as it wishes, even our home”
Geez.
“The Hierarchy had just taken away his inheritance”
(looks at Mikhail Gorbachev) Yep. This is what happens when you try to do the right thing. Jensen is labeled as at best a lunatic, at worst a mass murderer.
“a piece of our history”
What is Saren’s history?
“the Hierarchy can never take that away from you”
(looks at Jules Kai Leng) …anything can be taken from anyone.
“not like a cloud, as expected”
This series is so good.
“grew their mushrooms”
Wait, what?
“completely neglecting their impending doom”
Welcome to the Terminus Systems.
“not compatible with the plant life on Palaven…need a continuous source of food”
Maintaining supplies is so much more crucial for Turians. Leto never had a chance from the start.
“the egg of a

(Part 2 of my review of Chapter 47)

“Help from Tali”
The Alliance and Europeans may decide that they need better programmers and tech experts to counter the Geth or, failing that, hire Quarians.
“the Acheron’s Captain held Tali at gunpoint the whole time”
He harms one seam on Tali’s suit, and Jensen and Garrus respectively break his jaw and shoot his legs. I’m guessing that Tali isn’t leaving the employ of the Durendal any time soon.
“master of tact”
I love Grey.
“Drink your juice, Garrus”
Ha!
“fighting over one of his drawings”
…there is something amiss about the group of Quarian pilgrims who accompanied Tali aboard the Durendal.
“a sleepless night of repairing Jensen’s eye”
I’d say that Tali’s paychecks in Hein’s employ are well-earned. I still love that Hein just loaded her unconscious form in Elsa’s fighter-ship.
“she shot up immediately, old ingrained reflexes”
Tali excels as an engineer.
“hoping to recapture those lovely dreams of Garrus”
This isn’t just a crush. Tali may be a pervert. Please tell me she hasn’t considered spying on either of the two cops.
“sharing in Garrus’ pain”
Welcome to parenthood, Jane.
“I have no idea”
Where else would Kasumi have to go?
“Had Hein promised her a chance to be what she had been meant to be”
I wonder what Echo would think of Urdnot Bakara.
“in her secretary’s outfit”
Why? This isn’t even a corporate building! I think Brea’s been watching too many vids! Or maybe she just wanted to get Jensen’s attention.
“That was just so much fun!”
I love Brea.
“I seriously doubt you could have kept a manipulative psychic biotic contained aboard the Durendal for very long”
Fact: if Brea had been in charge and not Hein, the heroes would have been dead long ago.
“You don’t actually know, do you”
Does his CASIE work on her?
“Nice talking to you as always, Brea”
This relationship is still awesome.
“buried in moulded candy”
I can tell that you had fun writing this chapter. Also, where did Hein get all that chocolate?
“the Acheron had forbidden all civilian salvage operations”
Battlefields attract looters and scavengers like locusts.
“sell the Constellation to a bunch of quarians”
How active are Quarians in the black market and mercenary circles?
“I know a couple of Eclipse mercs”
Uh-oh.
“I don’t even know what that is!”
This made me smile.
“apparently oblivious to Trent’s tone”
Corvin, already unstable after his first encounter with Ramsus, has (seemingly) at least partially lost his mind.
“pleading for the ship to return”
…this is a mysterious and horrifying galaxy. Hein stated that the Asari have made humans bored of and disinterested in space exploration. In my opinion, that may be the single worst crime/atrocity that the Asari have ever committed to anyone.
“tenting his fingers”
Scholar is such a smug, arrogant narcissist.
“jump through the Void”
Hmm.
“How did he do it, if he is not a Reaper?”
….is Jensen a quasi-Reaper now? Is Saren?
“secretly hoping that he would be a thorn in Scholar’s side”
Every single person aboard Scholar’s ship has no loyalty to him whatsoever and would turn on him at the earliest convenience.
“Why had he not capitalized on that chance?”
Why indeed.
“She was strangely peaceful”
What if Scholar is her captive, rather than the other way around?
“intending to plant a kiss on her lips”
Isn’t that technically sexual harassment?
“If Annah tells me he is responsible, then he is!”
Scholar is a pawn and a tool.
“Have one of our Agents kidnap a girl, something pretty and pitiable and pathetic”
Scholar is a disgusting gremlin whom Hein decided is not even worth killing. If anything, Kai Leng would be more dangerous without Scholar around to give him orders.
“I want his reputation, his LIFE destroyed”
Scholar fails to understand that Jensen is not the same as him; Jensen has friends and allies who’d stick by him no matter what the rest of the world claims.
“this isn’t possible”
Classic move of a sociopath. Use words to convince themselves that something isn’t true when it obviously is.
“awaits a master bound to it by blood”
…it’s alive, isn’t it?
“A villain, but an awesome villain”
(looks at Cao Cao and Liu Bei) Huh. In my opinion, they are BOTH villains. But in the end, the one who laughed last and longest was Sima Yi.
“plans within plans”
I thought of the statement in Harry Potter & the Methods of Rationality; if you have more than three plots/schemes, you are doing it wrong.
“from a drawer in his desk”
Wait, what? He kept it THERE? Tali would have flipped out!
“If the Geth captured Annah”
That’s a horrifying prospect.
“Cyberpunk 2077”
I want to play that game for Keanu Reeves alone.
“I am somewhat bound to my office”
Hmm.
“I have always known”
He clearly knows a lot about the Reapers, perhaps more so than Hein.
“when it gets big enough…Everything dies”
…it’s like a harvest to the Reapers. Once the crop grows big enough, they take it all and then start over.
“For the past hundred years”
Wait, what?
“from reaching new heights”
I think Padok Wiks would like the Broker.
“One man in the right place at the right time”
Adolf Hitler in my opinion saved Germany in the 1930s. The problem is that he was consumed by hate and vengeance, and wanted to make Germany bigger, badder and better. And of course there’s the racism and anti-Semitism. (looks at Wreav) Huh.
“The web of intrigue that the Illuminati are so proud of is a double edged sword”
How does the Broker handle his or her network of operatives and agents?
“EG bases across the Galaxy”
The black markets are going to go crazy in no time. I wonder if someone like Okeer would seize an opportunity to gain EG tech or resources.
“violence erupted in the streets”
…how many civilian casualties were incurred?
“chainsaw built into his arm”
Wait, what?
“he wished he could dive into cyberspace”
Why couldn’t he?
“the few they do have”
Uh-oh.
“he will not be able to escape you then”
Scholar is now severely compromised and crippled of resources. He’ll do something foolish, reckless or desperate. That’s when he’s easy prey.
“he’s managed to shut me out”
I do not trust Aleph…
“you won’t even have enough money to pay your employees!”
What if the same thing happens to Hein?
“The Leonardo Machine”
Hmm.
“Hello, Hayden”
Scholar is a gloating, taunting bully and a sadist.
“managed to make its way to Earth”
Uh-oh.
“once enough pressure is applied…a black vial”
Why would Kruger take such a risk? Why would he do this?

“Noveria – Aftermath”
I’m still riding the high from reviewing Chapter 46 in all its glory.
“slightly distorted by static”
Could this be deliberate?
“a lot of strange things”
So much happened in Noveria, more so than Caleston, and it is still far from over. Who knows where the rest of the galaxy this series may take its heroes and villains.
“killed by Devereaux and the Turian mercenary”
Elsa’s legend continues to spread, but the unknown Turian merc’s exceptional marksmanship may be recognized by some as similar to that of a certain (in)famous C-Sec detective-sergeant.
“to appear not completely insane”
The Reapers practice Refuge in Audacity knowingly and deliberately, aware that people in general are narrow-minded.
“Hackett was far more concerned by the fact that Johann Ramsus, the Alliance candidate to become the first human Spectre”
Why IS Hackett so invested in Ramsus? What if the other races were to investigate Ramsus’ background? Garrus is aware of Ramsus and thoroughly despises him.
“Lawson and Corvin had gone rogue”
The AIA cannot control its own operatives.
“responsible for well over sixty percent of our gene modded soldiers”
Hein has effectively bankrupted Scholar who is now on the run from the Illuminati. I suspect that by sheer necessity, EG would either be back up and running soon or be absorbed by another company.
“our share of Geth ships and Infantry”
I wonder if Quarians would be going to Noveria to try to salvage Geth remains and technology.
“The Alliance had done its part to repel one of the greatest offensives Saren had thrown against humanity yet”
If only Anderson had known that Saren’s entire mission was primarily a snatch-and-grab; a planet-sized act of terror was merely a cover for the true objective. The Alliance needs to investigate Saren’s obsession with Prothean artifacts and technology.
“a stroke of luck that the Archeron and its battalion of marines had been there, otherwise Wreav and his troops would have slaughtered everyone”
Wreav’s forces came so close to claiming Annah. Had they not been so eager for bloodshed and revenge, they may have succeeded.
“Scholar escapes in a giant escape pod”
Hein didn’t need to kill Scholar; he has already crippled Scholar’s finances. Scholar has now gone mad with rage and blames Jensen. Unfortunately, Scholar still has Annah, and if Hein doesn’t make progress in locating and tracking her, Ramsus may grow restless.
“What about Hein’s robot, and the Turian Merc?”
Hackett isn’t an Admiral for nothing. I wonder how many personal troops he has under his command, and who his direct subordinate officers are. Captain Anderson has to report and answer directly to Hackett.
“I can pull some strings”
…really? What strings? What connections does Hackett have, and how did he acquire them? Said it before; Hackett may very well be one of the most dangerous people in this series. Who knows how much power he wields in the Systems Alliance. Anderson is loyal and respectful to him. Why? Does Anderson view Hackett in the same way that Jensen and Garrus view Pallin?
“We don’t have a Spectre”
The Spectre ranks have now been thrown into turmoil, at least partially. The rogue Saren Arterius has managed to turn at least a few of them over to his side. Who knows how much information and resources have been compromised.
Also, it is clearly extremely important to the Alliance that one of their own becomes a Council Spectre. And another thing; it seems to me that Hackett believes that he can control Ramsus. Considering what Ramsus did to his AIA captors…
“he’s a pure soldier”
I wonder how Grey would respond if someone were to suggest making him a candidate for the Spectres.
“The Council is going to laugh at us”
Sparatus sending all of the human candidates after Jensen is still one of the most awesome and hilarious moments of this series to me. I still believe that NOBODY saw that coming. If Saren has learned of this, he may then categorize Sparatus as a wildcard.
“hungry to put their own champions forward”
How would the nations and factions of Earth react when/if they learn of what happened in Bekenstein? ALL of the Spectre candidates with a few exceptions have been branded as rogue criminals, traitors and/or outlaws.
“that would tip the scales too far in the wrong direction”
…Earth is a powder keg. And the entire frigging galaxy is in the blast radius. What if another race were to become the same?
“any of Earth’s nations can curry favour with any of the major alien states”
(looks at the Quarians and the Krogan, two non-Council races) …
“said Hackett dismissively”
Hackett doesn’t seem to value Wanzers all that much. He apparently considers Ramsus to be more effective than Elsa. Honestly, I don’t blame him; Ramsus probably can get more accomplished than Elsa could in black/covert ops. Still, I love that they both carried out subterfuge and infiltration in Bekenstein. I wonder how many people now see Hein as a Magnificent Bastard and Evil Genius. Anderson definitely does.
“None of us understands what the hell he was trying to accomplish”
There are probably people still in Dosadi studying Scholar’s residence and lab and trying to make sense of what he was doing.
“Most of our marines”
The Alliance uses gene modification to keep up with the competition.
“our ties with EG severed”
Publicly, at least.
“the Normandy’s our best”
This story has been absolute hell on Anderson and his team. Perhaps Bau could offer them some aid?
“I’ve lost a few men in the past two weeks”
This may build the reputation that the Normandy, commanded by Anderson, is used for extremely dangerous and risky missions.
“all over the lower part of the arcology to make up for the small number of clinics and medical facilities”
War is Hell. How many Krogan dead or wounded were incurred in this failed invasion? Which clans suffered the worst losses? Did Wreav appoint anyone to succeed him if he were to perish or be captured?
“few real doctors”
People like Chakwas are like gold dust. I wonder if Dr Michel would be hired/recruited from her small clinic in the Citadel to become a military doctor or physician.
“our fighters hunted them down. None of them escaped”
Too late. The massive amounts of data from that battle has already been transferred to all other Geth.
“How he had managed that, Elsa had no idea”
I love this.
“prodded and probed by a hundred doctors on the Salarian homeworld…until they killed him and dissected him”
Wreav would definitely contemplate escaping. He knows there is no way they would let him leave the planet alive.
“Some of my fellows here in this tent were talking about him”
Hein has gleefully taken the opportunity to promote his products to all. Let’s face it; he needs all the funding and support he can get. Still, if the Templars demand that they be given DARPA tech in exchange for their support…
“I’m getting fired”
This is what you get for doing what you feel is right, Elsa. Don’t worry, there’s Hein with a contract that he just happened to have with him! Awfully convenient, isn’t it?
“while Hein was sitting in their brig”
Ross doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit that she deserves.
“a Krogan miscarriage”
…
“Aki sighed wearily”
She’s so exhausted and drained that she can’t muster the energy to even FEEL anymore, at least for now.
“Aki rolled her eyes”
I like Ross. She is a critical member of the Durendal crew.
“Garrus was no doubt regaling everyone with his recount of how he felled that great beast”
There’s no getting around it; Garrus loves combat. So does Jane. Heck, they bonded over that in the Armax Arsenal arena.
“the location of an Earth Grimoire”
Why are these scattered throughout the galaxy instead of being congregated in one place? Then again, there are probably a lot of reasons for that.
“more names don’t mean anything to me”
Does Saren have similar visions?
“a soothing field of gold and green light”
Even after everything that he has been through, Jensen’s main concern is still for the safety and well-being of others rather than himself. It’s what keeps him alive and going; for all that he himself has suffered and lost, there are countless other people who are suffering as well.
“a missing piece of himself”
…what the hell?
“Tali’s going to fix it”
I love that Tali is essentially Jensen’s physician/surgeon.
“if the Geis was stopping her”
The Asari have been using this Geis on their own people for a very long time.
“Hundreds of them. Then Thousands. Then Millions”
What IS Manah? Could something have been done to her like what was done to Jensen?
“what did you see in the dream…Ramsus”
Ramsus later is brought back to life…
“a love brighter than the sun and a malice blacker than the space between stars”
He loved Shepard enough to step aside and let her find happiness with someone else, and even now is chasing his sister across the galaxy. Does Hannibal see something beautiful in Ramsus in the midst of all that brutality, savagery and sadism?
“I just fought a battle for nothing”
In Bekenstein, the heroes manage to rescue Jensen…but at great cost. And they still have to complete their mission; destroy all of Saren’s Snatchers in the Citadel.
“A nearby Order priest recited prayers”
Are there Templars who had grown disillusioned with their own codes and doctrines? Unfortunately, many Templars are fanatics.
“In the end, what difference did I make”
By herself, Elsa could only accomplish so much. She later decides to work with Hein.
“a handful of lives saved that went on to save others”
He Who Saves One Life Saves The World Entire.
“…and many others more in this tent alone”
Quoting Schindler’s List: ‘There will be generations because of what you have done.’
“And then, out of nowhere…you came along”
Thousands, maybe even millions of Krogan have pledged their loyalty to Saren…
“like a legend come to life”
The Quarian pilgrims in the Durendal feel indebted to the Deep Eyes, and Tali feels indebted to Jensen and Garrus. (looks at Brea) Ha!
“something legendary came and helped them in their darkest hour”
…does Saren intend to do the same for other people? In his mind, humanity is the enemy and has to be stopped for the sake of the rest of the galaxy.
“the only thing that can stop a tragedy are heroes”
In the end, the Sima family, through treachery, deceit, bloodshed and brutality, end the civil war and unite China under the Jin Dynasty.
“heroes know best when to disobey”
Spec Ops: The Line.
“so much apathy in reaction to such naked cruelty”
It isn’t the criminals or the monsters. It’s the indifferent masses.
“if she had done it to demonstrate a point”
Ramsus told Ashley that humanity will do absolutely nothing in retaliation for Noveria.
“the SSC is definitely hiring”
Someone like Elsa would have no trouble finding work, and the Europeans know it.
“more than a bit jealous”
She is a very lonely person. Her military buddies aren’t enough to completely stave off the loneliness.
“The gears inside Elsa’s mind creaked and turned”
Elsa isn’t a legendary soldier for nothing.
“in exchange for my recommendation”
…Elsa is dead now.
“our ranks have yet to include an elite Wanzer pilot”
Hmm.
“Yes. I’m glad you understand”
I love Jondum Bau.
“Purchasing Dosadi”
…yeah. No way Europe won’t capitalize on this opportunity.
“not there with the full power and authority of the UNAS to back them up”
Methinks the UNAS would be more of a hindrance than a help to Hein.
“its full of fish at the moment”
Ha!
“I suppose you have all the angles covered”
I wonder what Elsa would think of Alliance Admiral Hackett or Alliance Captain Anderson. Segal represents Europe. Anderson is driven by vengeance.
“his processing core had survived”
I STILL need to play Titanfall 2.
“Zev had gone in and recovered on Hein’s orders”
Zev is a Quarian infiltrator and assassin…what was he doing in the Citadel before the Deep Eyes on Tali’s request brought him and the other pilgrims into the Durendal?
“brought an end to her plans to bring about a world of silence”
Aleph’s journey seems to be somewhat similar to Jensen’s…or Saren’s. And it still isn’t over.
“Hannibal’s tone became more agitated”
His love for Fiona has never waned. Just like Jensen’s for his family in Elysium.
“By living, I defy the will of those that tried to erase us”
Ramsus convinced Hannibal to live, and to find a reason to keep living.
“Hahne-Kedar’s synthetic intelligence”
Is Daro’Xen aware of this department?
“Templars hated Artificial Intelligence with a passion”
If not for their racism, the Templars would probably consider allying with the Quarians.
“Yes…well, we all have our quirks”
Hannibal has tasted human flesh as well.
“I think he’ll get a chuckle out of unleashing a killer robot upon the Templars”
Caim is currently surrounded by a LOT of people who would gladly kill him at the drop of a hat.
“He had to have her right away”
Zoller has a passion and love for music.
“Vega sat down next to him at the dinner table and sang along”
Vega has been through a lot, but has not allowed it to get him down. He was right there in the thick of it with everyone else during the Dosadi invasion.
“could not sit still and listen for very long”
Mjrn must have her hands full trying to keep him from getting into trouble.
“Bah, guitar’s for bloody gypsies!”
I miss Taggart.
“pre-collapse”
This made me think of the term ‘pre-war’ in the Fallout game series.
“Zoller realized that he was the center of attention now, and felt a bit awkward”
Why? Garrus enjoys sharing tales of his and Jensen’s (mis)adventures with groups of people.
“a slight case of puppy love”
Elsa is used to people developing crushes on her. The only man who took the time to approach and get to know her was Jensen. No wonder she grew attached to him. Unfortunately, many men are intimidated by Elsa’s demeanor. Vega is attracted to Brea but nevertheless keeps his distance.
“She was sick?”
Does Vega now know that Elsa is dead?
“had my fill of those for a lifetime”
There’s going to be more, Vega…
“special cargo”
Would anyone start to suspect that Bau may be operating independently from the Council? He doesn’t share everything with them, after all.
“Those didn’t seem like hallucinations to me”
How much does Vega know about hallucinations?
“Demons devoured their spirit”
Vega has had experiences at a young age that convinced him that the galaxy is a strange and mysterious place and that supernatural forces and entities may be real.
“he had me kill this goat with a knife”
FBI Agent Clarice Starling: ‘The lambs…they were screaming.’
“since then I haven’t been the same. No more video games, no more watching Oz”
What was the first living thing that Jensen and Garrus ever killed? Jensen has witnessed his former SWAT buddy gun down a child. Would Garrus have done the same, or would he have wavered?
“I am also a firm believer in medical science”
ALL of the characters in this series are fascinating, even the one-chapter-or-scene ones.
“We did pretty well on our own”
Zoller does not repeat these words after Bekenstein…
“plenty of LAMs around Wreav’s face to ensure that his would be a brief escape”
Bau has taken Krogan in alive before, hasn’t he? Lord knows what missions he has had in the past.
“dropped off at the nearest refueling station, where a Salarian STG team would be ready to receive him”
If the Krogan wish to rescue their leader, they would need to move fast.
“I’m being paid handsomely, but…I’m hoping my service to him won’t last much longer”
Jenkins is not motivated by money. Also, Wrex wants answers from Bau regarding an as-yet-unrevealed topic.
“that’s what the Salarians specialize in”
Are there other Salarian Spectres?
“not like Williams”
Ha! Now I want Williams and Brea to be stuck with each other. The exchange of one-word insults would be glorious.
“when you meet someone famous, and they don’t seem to measure up in some way in real life”
Ashley’s first impression of Ramsus was of uncertainty.
“I meant what she was like as a person”
When was the last time someone asked the same of Elsa?
“she’d follow a train of thought that”
Shepard was clearly an awesome character. But nobody is safe in this series…
“he only gave me”
The quartermaster is a moron.
“well, F-K YOU, Ayn Rand!”
This is still my favorite line from Shepard. I’ve read Atlas Shrugged. All of it. I didn’t like it. The first half was decent. Then John Galt showed up and the entire story fell to pieces. Bioshock in my opinion is an example of what happens if someone actually tries to follow Rand’s beliefs and philosophies.
“earnest and treated her squadmates like real people – family, even”
I wonder what Vega and Jenkins would think of Hein.
“Bau? We’re all just assets to him. He didn’t so much as bat an eyelash when Bren died”
Bau believes in his cause, and prioritizes his mission above all else. Unfortunately, this affects his dynamics and relationships. Would he undergo character development in this series? He has already realized that he envies Edward Grey.
“unlike some Spectres”
Bau’s worst enemies are probably other Spectres.
“his lips matching his speech even less than before”
How would one interrogate or spy on a Salarian?
“I saw no reason to stop him”
I love Bau. He’s one of my favorite characters of this series.
“without getting the full picture”
Bau prefers to act only when he has as much information as he could gather.
“I see no reason why you could not be made into the second or third”
THANKS, SPARATUS.
“but not before asking a question”
The name had been in the back of her mind the instant that Bau told her that one of the two contractors who worked with him had an objective of his own that involved Elsa.
“chase away all memory of Jake Armitage, her clockmaker…Her Dark Knight”
Ramsus may smile and say that Jensen is more similar to him than he would ever want to admit.
“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey”
This nearly made me laugh out loud in the library.
“My partner”
The Shadow Broker has, well, remained in the shadows even as of Chapter 89 of this story. Brea is his direct subordinate, currently on loan to Hein, and Wrex is one of the Broker’s multi-time independent contractors.
“Garrus sat with the Deep Eyes”
Garrus has grown closer to the Deep Eyes over time.
“She even had an apron on”
Goto is adorable.
“Those five were all girls”
…yeah. I’m not looking forward to that scene. All that effort and sacrifice to protect and rescue them…
“We still have four eggs in the fridge”
I’m guessing that Neil now keeps his own stash of eggs elsewhere.
“Adam took note of”
Detective-Sergeant Jensen.
“Grey merely nodded at Adam”
This made me smile.
“He was regaling us with his fifth retelling of how Saint Garrus of Palaven slew the mighty beast that nearly ate us all”
Oh my God, if that becomes Garrus’ actual title, I’m going to squeal with mirth. Also, in their first real conversation, after Grey walked away, Garrus claimed that Grey likes him. In my opinion, Garrus is right.
“going into them and causing them to seize up so hard they tore themselves apart”
Goddamn Reapers…
“vulnerable to energy weapons, Unfortunately, I had the only one”
Who in the galaxy has the largest supply or stockpile of energy weapons? The Reapers may have already targeted them…
“killed it over, and over, and over again”
…this is the power of the Reapers.
“replied Garrus, his face on the table”
You enjoyed writing this scene, didn’t you?
“flew into the creature’s mouth and cut up its insides”
Garrus Vakarian is crazy.
“The monster kinda panicked”
Grey is a good story-teller!
“He then addressed Garrus”
I love this.
“Did you withhold valuable intel from us?!”
According to Aki Ross, Grey finds it very, very difficult to ‘switch off.’ Hein is frustrated at him being unable to relax in Nos Astra.
“our last Shadowrun session with Conrad”
Hmm.
“we were responsible for keeping the Geth out from the Acheron’s Command and Control”
The Geth are an utterly terrifying enemy. Perhaps they could have destroyed Jensen and Hannibal if they had chosen not to hold back.
“Help from Tali”
The Alliance and Europeans may decide that they need

(Part 5 of my review of Chapter 46)

“I will NOT become a spectator”
Ramsus is a narcissist too.
“Adam rose again”
He is a survivor. He’ll keep fighting and chasing you to the bitter end.
“Well that’s not fair”
People like Scholar tend to say this when they are the ones at a disadvantage.
“I WOULD RATHER SEE HER DEAD THAN BE YOUR SLAVE FOR ONE SECOND MORE”
Ramsus absolutely refuses to even consider the possibility that Annah could be just as twisted and manipulative as he is.
“The shot shattered Annah’s forehead, and the nightmare, at last, collapsed”
Would the mystery of Annah Ramsus ever be solved?
“he felt himself drowning”
Jensen fears fire. Garrus fears the dark. Who in this series would have a fear of water?
“the mother of all acid trips”
Has Jensen ever taken too many stims or painkillers?
“They were all dead”
Elsa later sees a young girl in a hospital in the Citadel…
“somewhere far enough to be safe from HIM”
Ramsus will never stop searching for Annah.
“I’ve just outsmarted you both”
Have I mentioned that I love Hein?
“Rich men, men of means – like ME – get to live on and on”
Takeshi Kovacs: ‘They’re not gods, no matter how much they listen to their own propaganda.’
“my many, many resources”
Whoops, all your money’s gone, Scholar!
“He cried, cried like a little boy”
I wonder if Ramsus would grow closer to Hannibal in this series. What if he were to abandon a possible lead or chance at retrieving Annah for the sake of protecting Hannibal?
“laughed bitterly”
…yeah. This is one hell of an ending to all of Jensen’s struggles up to this point. And it’s not even over…
“It was all for nothing”
I remember the first time I read this last line of this chapter; I leaned back in my seat and said out loud, ‘This is the greatest thing I have ever read.’
“Spectrehood and politics await”
I love that several of the Spectre candidates have joined forces with the heroes. Maybe Anderson would be getting the replacements for his team that he so desperately needs.
“Missed Moment of Awesome”
Grey gets a lot of off-screen moments of awesome, and for some reason that only makes me love him more.
“all his talk of rebelling from the Illuminati, Scholar’s knee-deep in their imagery and beliefs”
Caesar in Fallout: New Vegas likes to talk about the hypocrisy and ineffectiveness of the NCR while ignoring that he is arguably the biggest hypocrite in the entire Mojave Wasteland and that his Legion is doomed to fall apart in less than a handful of generations.
“You can join them. I won’t stop you”
The galaxy would be better off it has more people like Damien. The problem is that the galaxy itself is rotten, and treats people like him with scorn and disdain. For everything they have sacrificed, for how much they have bled, Jensen and Garrus are rewarded for their contributions to peace and justice in the Citadel by being unceremoniously fired from C-Sec and later branded as criminals who deserve to die or be imprisoned for life.

(Part 4 of my review of Chapter 46)

“When it was just the two of them, Garrus spoke to Jane”
Jensen has noted their relationship. It seems that Garrus and Jane don’t quite know what to make of it themselves.
“for a guy with a dislike for Turians”
Probably because they remind him too much of himself.
“without making a sound”
Ramsus stated that it would be easy for him to kill Garrus and Brea, but not Jensen.
“Vega’s hand unconsciously hovered above the gun controls”
All the combat skill in the world won’t save you if you are inside a ship when it is destroyed. Thankfully, Vega has more composure than Zoller.
“These questions racing through her head made her realize how crazy this plan was”
…maybe the Geth knowingly let them pass.
“what he knows about Saren’s operations”
Even if he has valuable intel, would the Salarians choose to share it?
“Vega looked to Anderson for confirmation”
Bau may had decided that he needs at least a reliable and trustworthy NCO. The problem is that he is used to working alone.
“Wrex gave Ramsus a strange look”
Ramsus may remind Wrex of certain Krogan or other people whom he has met.
“It took a moment for Brea to react”
She is a synthetic.
“Yeah, right there with ya”
Jane’s reaction is so laidback.
“What’s the big deal?”
I love Turians.
“snapped Williams quietly”
Ha!
“I am curious”
The Salarians frequently conduct studies and experiments on biological living beings.
“it’s a f-king waste!”
This made me laugh. Wrex knew exactly what he was saying.
“I suppose you’re going to blame me for this, too?”
How many atrocities had been blamed on Saren and/or the Geth that were not their doing?
“Speak not…Draw not”
No records, nothing to spread any knowledge or awareness of these ‘Phantoms.’ Tuchanka is a strange place.
“From the mess came a winged centipede made of red and orange light”
Everyone witnessed this except for Elsa, who will later see horrors in the hospital in the Citadel.
“a feeding and breeding ground for Reapers”
Could the chips have contributed to the Reapers’ infiltration of Dosadi?
“creatures forged from sorrow and madness and rage”
Magic…or technology? What in the hell ARE the Reapers?
“quipped Garrus”
He was in Caleston. He saw the Reaper with his own eyes.
“She cut herself off from the channel, unwilling to hear any more”
…she saw something similar in the past, didn’t she?
“Why aren’t we walking away from this?”
Garrus knew the answer before he asked the question.
“this time, I’m more than ready”
Unfortunately, he isn’t. Garrus struggles with this all the time; being unable to catch up to and be more of a help than a burden to his friend.
“Good. You’re learning”
I smiled at this.
“who didn’t seem to express any sort of reaction”
Jane was terrified when she was being mauled by a Snatcher. Can’t say I blame her.
“It’s just not our lucky day”
When would that day come, if ever?
“Okay, new rule!”
I like Vega. You’ve got every character’s manner-of-speech perfectly captured.
“looking none the worse for wear”
This is the man who took control of the Krogan Clans that had pledged their service and loyalty to Saren.
“Wrex’s reply came at 2500 rounds per minute”
He’s not a fool. He isn’t going to fight Wreav up-close, not after seeing Wreav easily defeat Bren.
“the man that had led the raid that had killed hundreds of thousands of people”
Wreav is a mass murderer who would have happily killed even more thousands if he could.
“Everyone save Bau”
Bau wants him alive.
“Everyone obeyed him”
If Grey ever turns bad…
“Bau was about to protest this savagery”
Hmm.
“Elsa was particularly happy at his sorry state”
I really cannot blame her after everything Wreav had said and done.
“caressed his face…It is I, my husband”
Ramsus’ reputation is going to spread because of this.
“Don’t be scared! Don’t be scared!”
Who knows…maybe Wreav would have been a good father. Dong Zhuo for all his monstrosity was apparently a good grandfather to his grand-daughter Dong Bai.
“I’m not entirely convinced the Geth made this thing”
Anderson has met Saren personally in the past, and has some idea of what the Turian is capable of.
“somewhat alien to him”
I always love when moments like this happen. Also, Bau and Anderson have worked together longer than Anderson has worked with Hein.
“a private Volus super-freighter”
Hmm.
“you’re only telling me this now?!”
Bau may have decided to take a closer look at the Volus.
“worse than Caleston”
In my opinion, dealing with the Snatchers in the Citadel may be an even more dangerous task. And who knows; something else other than Snatchers may await the heroes. For all I know, the Citadel may become a blood-soaked battlefield.
“Or any of yours”
The Deep Eyes and Brea have barred anyone from entering save for Jensen, Garrus, Ramsus and Hannibal, aka the four people who explored and escaped Peak 15 with Brea.
“said Garrus sarcastically”
He really, really, really does not like the dark.
“I don’t like this”
The last time this happened, Ramsus was captured and held captive by the Omar.
“you haven’t gone primal again”
Wait, what?
“Only I can protect you from my sister’s influence”
It seems that nobody told Scholar about this, if they knew at all.
“And a glass of fine Garrafeira to wash it down with”
Benedict Cumberbatch playing an intelligent and cannibalistic psychopath. I can only hope that someone in the media industry does that one day.
“our means don’t match up with our dreams”
What are your dreams, Scholar?
“trying to lead him astray”
Scholar needed to stall them long enough to prepare for his escape with Annah.
“Adam was only six”
How much does Hein truly know about Adam Jensen; about his childhood and upbringing? Jensen was born over a century ago.
“He was big and strong again”
Does Garrus have any strong memories of his own childhood, considering his memory loss?
“Garrus ignored Ramsus and pursued his partner”
(sigh) Garrus does this over and over throughout the series.
“How do you like a tragic past?”
What is Scholar’s past like?
“climb on a pile of dead”
…
“HERE RESTS THE LAST OF A GREAT HOUSE”
In a sense, House Valerius IS dead; Garrus has taken another name.
“BELOVED CONCUBINE”
Wait, what? Turians have those?
“Results may vary”
They always say stuff like this very quickly at the end of the advertisement.
“I’m sorry I lived”
…maybe losing his memories was the best thing that ever happened to Garrus.
“A liability”
Garrus was never a good soldier despite being an excellent marksman. He decided to try a law enforcement career instead. Thanks to Pallin and Jensen, he finally found something positive and uplifting to keep him going. He stays on the case and on the mission with his partner, because what else is there for him to fall back on?
“the place where men like Adam and I must walk”
Does Saren walk this place too?
“while your betters kill the beast in its lair”
And then Ramsus fails and Scholar gets away with Annah. Garrus then shocks him.
“leaving Garrus all alone”
Ramsus is a terrible person.
“Classic strategy”
They have killed Benezia, and Wreav is now held captive. But Saren still has other allies and resources to draw on.
“The black beetles dispersed”
This chapter is so terrifying. Considering what happens to them here and later, the other heroes may feel that Jensen, Garrus and Ramsus may be losing their minds.
“I never actually left Arcadia”
That would have been a gigantic (and in my opinion lousy) twist, and it is negated due to Jensen being far from the only POV-protagonist in that time.
“Focus it well enough and you can break them”
Scholar is addicted to Annah’s power. Who’s to say who is controlling who?
“In dreams we are gods, but in nightmares, we are but helpless children”
I thought of Book 2 of the Bloodsword gamebook series by Dave Morris.
“Ramsus merely closed his eyes, and let them try”
In his arrogance, however, he believed that no dream-trick could affect him.
“letting his mind dip in the Dark, where the flow of Colors were at their brightest”
In my opinion, the heroes cannot rely solely on Ramsus. Could there be other psionics out there somehow?
“Remove all the ceremony and the mystique, and all you had was a child playing with remote controlled toys. How like the Illuminati, to create something in their image: a rich man, using slaves to fight for him”
I love this.
“They are not my friends”
Yes they are, Ramsus. Even Garrus. Oh look, he’s shocking you again.
“Seven months along and the both of you could generate a Barrier that would have required a tank round to breach”
Jesus Christ…
“My sister can barely talk”
Why?
“And only to me”
Would she talk to Jensen?
“You think you’re the evil twin”
…maybe the only difference between Johann and Annah is that Annah is better at hiding what she is.
“let’s make it fair”
Ramsus does not fight fair.
“Adam didn’t recognize her”
He may ask Hannibal about it. Hmm…I wonder what it would be like if Hein had been present in this building.
“a great deal of gunfire”
Jensen probably had to wait until Garrus’ weapon emptied or overheated.
“Your proof, Turian”
Hannibal doesn’t like Turians, does he?
“Adam and Garrus burst into the room by shoulder checking the double doors wide open”
This made me think of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.
“He fared no better”
I thought of Count Dooku.
“To hell with this!”
Garrus would rather shoot you than to fight you fairly in melee.
“shouting ultimatums at each other”
Grey and Hein have really not endeared themselves to a lot of people.
“their necks were torn open”
…
“Williams knew what that thing was”
This is making me wonder if the in-universe Judeo-Christian bible is based on something that was present in Earth thousands of years ago.
“This is the Day of Wrath”
What does Ashley Williams think of the Order Church and the Templars?
“The Barghest. The Red Knight. The Power”
Are there mythic creatures or legends in Salarian lore? Do they even HAVE dreams? They pride themselves on being people of logic, reasoning and science.
“all broken by terror and blood”
This is the power of the Reapers, and Saren wields that power against humanity.
“seized up so hard he broke his own spine”
…
“The resulting creature was downright pathetic”
I don’t know why, but this only made them more scary in my eyes.
“Tarukaja program loaded and active”
How long has Hein been researching and studying the Reapers?
“His barriers were useless. His biotic Throws were easily deflected”
I wonder how Ramsus would fare against Jane Proudfoot without his biotic or psionic powers.
“But Theodore was better”
Why?
“when we rebuild your personality”
Theodore is a monster.
“the violent, drug-addled, nicotine-addicted, drunken mess that she was”
Elsa is self-destructive and self-loathing.
“fueled by hate and desperation and love”
Ramsus is a very dangerous man who carries so much anger and fury beneath the mask of a calm and bemused monster-in-control.
“And maybe just as disappointed”
Ha!
“a pile of salt”
Without assistance from Hannibal, Jensen or Garrus, Ramsus managed to defeat Theodore.
“Are those names supposed to mean something to me?”
Man, Garrus is going to be SO smug and insufferable when/if this story shifts to focus on Turian history and mythology.
“Ramsus barely acknowledged him”
Hmph. Fine. Next time you’re trapped in a nightmare, Garrus leaves you to it. Only fair.
“a cloak of unbelievability”
Grey later tells his fellow Deep Eyes not to dismiss anything they see or find.
“You began to falter at the edge of Hell”
When time itself began to shift, Garrus did not even give Jensen or Ramsus any chance to rebuke him; he dove after Jensen.
“against this…corrupting evil”
That’s one of the main strengths that Ramsus has; he is already evil. Scholar wouldn’t be able to manipulate him and Jensen into attacking each other.
“conflicting feelings of loyalty and jealous anger”
Garrus may already hate people with powers and abilities like Scholar does.
“Come, Garrus”
I think this is the first time Hannibal says Garrus’ name.
“without a word nor even a glance”
He did not want to delay, lest he do or say something he’d regret. I love that it didn’t take nearly as much to convince Hannibal to leave Ramsus’ side.
“Sandal’s black bullet”
…Sandal is a mysterious person.
“Better to take it into the Archeron”
…
“I’m half the reason why they didn’t have enough men to keep Wreav and the Geth at bay”
Bau instead opted for the stealthy approach. Ramsus’ blood-thirstiness could be seen as a weakness. He wants to instill fear and terror in his enemies rather than to just shoot them in the back of the head.
“he could be replaced with another”
I thought of Kai Leng and Lawson.
“reality had been torn open and turned inside out, and everyone was pulled deeper into something unfathomable”
The Reapers are NOT gods, nor are they angels. They need to consume other living beings to survive. They are mortal, and they CAN be killed. Nothing is invincible.
“The entity inside the Maul, unlike Naamah in her mask”
Hmm.
“her part in the Great Betrayal”
I thought of the Age of Heroes in A Song of Ice and Fire.
“I can’t quite get your sister to lock onto him”
Aleph…or something else?
“All they have to do is talk. You should know that better than anyone”
Scholar is an arrogant, smug narcissist here. And then later Hein steals and destroys all of his money and finances. I love Hein.
“a testament to his work”
Yep; narcissist. I’m guessing Scholar has pictures of himself all over the place too.
“to Ramsus’ annoyance”
Ramsus is the rarest type of narcissist; the self-aware one, like Gregory House. Psychopaths like him are the rarest of the rare. But like the rest of the heroes, he still has much to learn and a long way to go.
“Adam was very good at figuring them out. Ramsus? Not so much”
He is too caught up in his anger and impatience.
“Scholar sounded almost bored”
He wants something that he sees as bigger than the desires of the Illuminati.
“Gathering that thing, controlling it…that is the path to greatness”
…Scholar wishes to become a Reaper. Unfortunately for him, he isn’t nearly as smart, intelligent, wise, charismatic or manipulative as he likes to think he is.
“Some of my finest biotech work”
I wonder if there are Salarian or even Krogan scientists who conduct the same research and studies as Scholar did.
“They’re not people, they’re clones, and blank ones, at that”
I thought of Aya Brea.
“forgot about it all in the time it took to yawn!”
Hein has a machine in the Durendal that he refers to as a Dreamcatcher.
“Gimmel, the third of the Prometheans”
It seems that the Prometheans worshipped or at least venerated certain individuals of their race.
“Annah showed me how to Reap it”
…how much does Ramsus really know about Annah?
“Upper Dosadi”
Figures that Scholar would have his home be one of the highest areas of Dosadi. What is it with rich people and wanting to be physically ‘above’ people?
“here you are, a creature of death and darkness”
Ramsus decided that the only way to survive such a life was to learn to enjoy it.
“Maybe Scholar didn’t even know himself anymore”
He worships a mortal being. Annah is NOT a god.
“You thirst for answers to the unknown, as any detective would”
(looks at Detective Anaya in Nos Astra) Hmm.
“vids put up on the net by Mr Weltall”
Are Weltall’s vids being confiscated now that Jensen is a fugitive from the Council, or are they being circulated more wildly than ever? Or both?
“nice revolver, by the way”
It really is a nice revolver. Sasha is a classically awesome gun.
“I connected them to something greater than themselves…surely, a bit of Anima is not such a steep price to pay…I had no choice”
Scholar is a sociopath.
“I can forget…I can forgive”
Nothing is ever Scholar’s fault and he never makes a mistake. It’s everyone else who is wrong and mistaken. And yet, when he discovers that all his money is gone, he throws a temper tantrum like a child. I love Edgar Hein so goddamn much.
“Look at me and see the spirit of David Sarif reborn”
Sarif, please throw a baseball at Scholar’s groin.
“makes us friends”
Tell that to the mind-screwing games he played on them, Garrus and Hannibal earlier.
“I regret that, believe me”
He sounds like a politician.
“if he had simply stayed in his prison”
You mean just let the Illuminati kill him? Typical sociopathic crap from Scholar; it’s always someone else’s fault. For all his genius and his intellect, he is a CHILD.
“caused Annah fits of insanity”
Not exactly the behavior of an invincible, unshakable goddess if you ask me.
“You know what? You’re right. I DO give men what’s coming to them”
Adam Jensen is one of the best protagonists ever, and I am so happy that you chose to combine his series with that of Mass Effect.
“you piece of shit”
Scholar never even considered mentioning Draven.
“I do like your style”
Ramsus likes Jensen even more now, doesn’t he?
“I don’t think Annah will be happy to see you”
Jensen is an investigator, and a very good one. The evidence points to the truth.
“Adam fired five shots from Sasha”
What if he had gotten off the last one?
“filled with sorrow only the betrayal of a great love could cause”
…maybe Jensen is right. Maybe Annah was using Scholar just as much as Scholar was using her.
“When denied his favorite drink – blood – Ramsus’ spirit waned”
Why is he like that? Why does he need blood to sustain himself? Could he even survive without consuming it? What if he just eats foods like bread, eggs, noodles, vegetables, fruit or military rations like protein cubes?
“Ramsus was now alone and vulnerable”
Scholar had plenty of time to prepare for Jensen and Ramsus. They are fighting on his ground and on his terms.
“Why aren’t you DEAD?!”
Ramsus has stated that he is terrible when it comes to technology.
“You depend on your psionics for everything”
Crippling Overspecialization. What if Jensen’s augmentations are disrupted or disabled? Jensen was successfully captured in the Citadel and brought to Bekenstein.
“You’re nothing but a rabid animal, Jack! And you know nothing about your sister”
The same is true for Scholar himself.
“Now, how do I get out of here?”
I love Ramsus. I wonder what he would do if he is stuck in a childrens’ cartoon. Probably make all the characters cry.
“a regal hall of ruby walls lined with gold”
I wonder if it was even worse for Jensen to witness Blacklight murdering his neighbors.
“screamed the Scholars in unison”
He thinks he has all the knowledge and unlocked all the secrets, when in fact he knows very little. How many Illuminati members had betrayed the rest of the group?
“Anything you can do”
Scholar is talking to try to calm and assure himself while Jensen is silently but steadily cutting through his defenses.
“How does it feel to be the only one left?!”
(looks at Garrus) …
“the size of two houses in the shape of a tarantula”
I wonder what dark place you had to go to in order to create horrific concepts like this, Ignusdei. I need to watch documentaries on the making of Horror genre stories like Silent Hill 2.
“barely had time to enjoy the warm red tones of the rococo-style theatre”
Do the Krogan have theatres?
“I have a grand vision for the world”
Maybe, but his execution is awful.
“not looking forward to the man’s inevitable snark”
Pritchard is my favorite DE:HR character. He reminds me of Edwin Odesseiron.
“petty morality”
People like Jensen would make this galaxy better. It is why the galaxy doesn’t like him.
“DON’T LEAVE ME!”
And this is why Leng remained a jackboot thug under Scholar’s heel while people like Hein, Anderson and Grey are able to inspire loyalty in others. Even Ramsus was able to gain a genuine friend in Hannibal. Jensen and Garrus need not be mentioned.
“Ramsus had experienced it as a boy”
Hmm. So he was in England during his childhood.
“the order’s only true secret”
You sure about that, Scholar?
“Ramsus kicked Kai Leng awake repeatedly”
God damn it, Ramsus is such a jerk. Why do I love him? Oh, yeah, Cumberbatch.
“There could be big money in that”
I thought you said you wanted a world that isn’t ruled by money, Scholar.
“I will NOT become a specta

(Part 3 of my review of Chapter 46)

“you should avoid close-quarter combat”
The Krogan have fueled jetpacks, and there are Geth with flamethrowers. I’d say Hannibal’s option is the right one.
“In order to be victorious in hand-to-hand combat, one must tap into something deeply primal…They lack brutality”
Hmm…what about CQC fighters who feel no emotion when killing up close?
“not your intellectual equal”
Professor James Moriaty: ‘Come now…you really think you’re the only one who can play this game?’
“the one with the strongest will, and the power of the will is tapped from the fury of the soul”
The Reapers have fought countless civilizations, including the Protheans, and defeated every single one of them. I wonder if Javik would be in this series, and if he would encounter Aleph.
“a fury that cannot be controlled”
House Baratheon’s motto: ‘Ours is the Fury.’ I hope that the ASOIAF books would do justice to Stannis’ character.
“the unkempt face of the Alliance helmsman”
Joker is going to grow a full beard in this story, is he? Also, the first Alliance officer to tell him that his appearance is disgracefully shabby is getting shot in the leg.
“Wreav must really want me dead”
Not you, Elsa. Not anymore. He wants the Dark Warrior.
“Smart robot”
She likes the 108 already. Heh. Wonderful. Elsa’s best friend is a robot.
“easily tearing his way into an SSC emergency weapons locker”
Jensen may be prudent to consider an augmentation that would allow him to fire a rechargeable projectile weapon. Unfortunately, his cybernetics are mainly designed for close combat. For range, he needs to obtain his own weapons.
“they’re trying to disable us”
This may be the only reason that Jensen, Hannibal and Elsa survived this battle; the Geth were holding back.
“one of Wreav’s Elites”
If the Krogan were to regroup under a new Warlord…
“a fusion of Terran engineering, Geth technology, and Krogan Artillery”
The Council may seek to impose sanctions and bans on the Krogan after this, though the galaxy may now fear that the Second Krogan Rebellions could now be underway.
“a Khel acent”
I like Clan Khel already.
“She was herded back into the main street”
Cutting off the enemy so that the only direction they could turn is right back to you. They are in serious trouble now. Renk is not the Geth. He will have no compunctions with destroying Jensen or Hannibal.
“a trio of Wanzers”
I wonder what the monetary cost of this battle was.
“almost oblivious to”
I’m going to miss Taggart.
“Rafale wing Beta, this is Drake 3!”
Zoller has learnt his lesson from his terrible mistake earlier in space. He now has no problem with taking up a support-role rather than one in the vanguard.
“the Zhuk’s mechanic”
Thanks to foreknowledge, I smiled knowing who this is.
“To everyone’s astonishment”
NOBODY was prepared for the incredible leaps that the Krogan have made in military technology. Just because they are brutes with a warrior culture doesn’t mean they are intellectually stunted.
“breached plumbing”
Disease and infection would spread rapidly throughout Dosadi’s population if it is not contained.
“This is a fight between giants”
Jensen even without the 108 has already destroyed enemy Wanzers. Still, this is no Wanzer. It’s a goddamn Krogan tank.
“USELESS! USELESS! USELESS!”
Muda Muda Muda!
“We don’t have that kind of time”
They never do. In a way, I can understand Brea’s constant disapproval of delaying the accomplishment of their primary objectives to help ‘non-essentials’. Still, Jensen’s heart-of-gold has won him loyal and reliable allies and comrades. I wonder if Hein would lend/loan some of his own team to the Normandy. He did lend Tali to Elsa after all, though without Tali’s knowledge or consent.
“They are Krogan. They’ll use it point blank”
Hannibal has knowledge and experience in fighting Krogan.
“And just like Ramsus, Hannibal did not hesitate to follow Adam into danger”
Garrus may feel cognitive dissonance towards Hannibal. On the one hand, Hannibal has risked life and limb to protect Jensen. On the other hand, he is the only friend of the notorious and monstrous Ramsus.
“I told you to stand back!”
This may be cited as a problem; that the 108 is not completely subservient to whoever it is programmed to obey.
“FULL SPEED BACKWARDS!”
I don’t know why, but this made me laugh. Also, I now want a movie or TV series of a Krogan tank crew, ala Fury (2014).
“Do you even need to say that? No”
Oh my God, Ignusdei, TOO MUCH. These battle scenes are already amazing enough without the awesome dialogue! You’re spoiling your readers rotten! ARGH.
“screamed Zoller”
First he fought Geth fighter-ships, now he’s fighting a Krogan tank. And this is only the beginning for Ensign Zoller.
“Wait! You’ll hit the mechs!”
Elsa didn’t even realize how attached she had already become to the two machines that saved her and Lees’ lives.
“the only thing left aware was the animal’s soul”
Hannibal may be driven by vengeance, but he also has compassion and empathy. If he could have those, could the Geth have them as well?
“his Sentinel health system”
If it is ever disabled…
“what the point of that charade was, now”
I don’t know why, but this made me smile.
“resume music”
I’m listening to Black Blade (Two Steps from Hell) now.
“intent on mauling him”
Renk lost focus on everything else, so intent was he on claiming credit for defeating the Dark Warrior.
“zur HOLLE!”
In my opinion, Germans are some of the toughest people in all of Europe, perhaps even the world. They fought the whole world, including the Soviet Union, and lasted a whopping six years. And in my opinion, if not for Hitler, they could have WON.
“Small. Tiny. Insignificant”
This is no heroic death for him.
“forced him to stare down”
Jesus Christ…
“It tapped the 108’s head with its nose, then licked its golden visor”
Would Hannibal react the same way if Ramsus were to die or be critically wounded?
“Maybe I should take this back to”
I really cannot blame Hermes. Heck, he wasn’t the only person who wanted to capture the 108.
“she opened up her cockpit and rappelled down to the ground”
I wonder if she even realized what she was doing.
“her eyes were wide with terror”
Yeah…Elsa went crazy here. She had just seen what Hannibal can do to a goddamn Krogan. The ‘dog-mech’ would cut her in half in a second.
“Gold…”
His love for Fiona hasn’t lessened at all in the years that had passed.
General Nikolai Alexandrovich Zakarov: ‘You lose someone… it is like the world has ended.’
“You’re a good person”
Is he? He’s done so many terrible things since. He said to the Templars, ‘Look At The Monster That You Made.’
“Sunny?”
He doesn’t talk about his most cherished memories of Elysium with anyone. It wasn’t slavers who burned his family alive…
“And French”
I laughed.
“Tali towered over her”
At that moment, Tali for some reason felt happy.
“he hadn’t spared a thought for either of them”
There simply was too much to concentrate on; too much responsibility. When was the last time Hein thought of his daughter?
“an oddly affectionate Hannibal”
Note to self: when encountering dog-mech-AIs, dye one’s hair blonde.
“Was he sent by Hein to approach her?”
Elsa may now suspect that it was Hein’s idea for ‘Armitage’ to approach, maybe even seduce her.
“Shadow never broke stride as he casually drew a revolver”
I wonder if the Krogan have revolvers of their own. Are there people who, due to Jensen’s fame, wish to acquire high-powered revolvers like Sasha?
“Are all Krogan men this sexist?”
Maybe Elsa would like Wrex. Or maybe she wouldn’t.
“as a weakling”
Dude, you’re the one who LOST.
“your human mercy will not stop me”
If Wrex were present, he would probably have executed the radioman himself.
“Zoller!”
Zoller did not hesitate to obey Elsa’s order to execute an unarmed prisoner.
“The mechanic started to bawl like a baby. A big, half-ton baby”
I still remember this particular line from when I first read it. It instantly made me like Kell Charr.
“I was on Illium taking it easy with my girlfriend…a good life on Illium is hard on the bills”
Would Charr ever see his girlfriend again?
“Some kind of sensor pylon”
Through Charr, the heroes may learn that the Krogan working for Saren are much, much more advanced in technology and engineering than they realized.
“Shall I kill this one too, Leutnant?”
Zoller barely survived being thrown off a building. He is not in a merciful mood here. War usually brings out the worst in people.
“Charr nodded desperately”
He is no warrior…not at this point. But after seeing what his people had done to Dosadi, Charr for some reason decided that he should do something to set things right. I wonder what he thinks of the Genophage, the Krogan Rebellions and of lab-breeding Krogan like Okeer does in Mass Effect 2. Does the Genophage affect mating with Asari?
…I just thought of something; Krogan Snatchers.
“Can you cook, too? Yes”
Hein is already reputed to be an eccentric person at this point.
“The Burger Town”
For some reason, I imagined a Krogan who had gotten rich from creating a fast food brand that has spread throughout and even beyond Tuchanka.
“Grey had mentally tracked the kills”
Hein has stated that rather than a ‘hero’, Grey is a ‘killer.’ And he needs both if he is to succeed against Saren and the Illuminati. I wonder if Grey would find common ground with Ramsus.
“They went on to take out”
…this is what the Deep Eyes are for Hein; pure muscle. And by God do they carry out that role well.
“The messier the kill, the stronger his biotics seemed to get”
Ramsus is a literal Blood Knight. He enjoys the sight of blood and gore. If I were Saren, I would send synthetics against him.
“when the corvettes prepared to fire their bombs at them”
Unfortunately for the French in WW2, it doesn’t matter how good a rifleman you are when it’s planes and tanks that are coming at you.
“You Deep Eyes are very good”
Bau may decide to look into the training programs in the UNAS and compare them to those of STG.
“The best”
Grey may disobey an order from Hein to preserve the lives of his team. He probably already has at some point.
“the big guy’s been quiet”
Wrex is not a happy person.
“he shouldn’t have tried to strangle the Salarian”
In my opinion, if Wrex was whole-hearted in wanting to kill Bau, he would have shot at or taken a swing at him with the Templar axe.
“Probably down in Lower Dosadi”
…in times of war and natural disaster, civilians are often abducted by human traffickers.
“She hugged herself reflexively”
She had just been through so many life-and-death struggles, and seen bloodshed and suffering on a massive scale. Elsa is shellshocked. (looks at Grey and Ramsus) Hm. Ross and Grey ended their romance for a reason.
“the occasional ungodly scream”
Saren has to pay for what he has done. If he is not stopped, more catastrophes like this will happen, over and over.
“move on to the Citadel, where she would fail to become a Spectre, and she could move on with her life”
Have I mentioned that this series isn’t kind to its characters?
“that dishonorable discharge she had been courting”
Garrus and Jensen weren’t even surprised or outraged when they were kicked out of C-Sec. Chellick probably had that mass salute planned months or even years in advance in anticipation of that. Also, Elsa is an incredible character.
“the oddest hard-suit she had ever seen in her life”
Most people would refuse to be Hein’s guinea pig. Grey is not most people.
“It stood in sharp contrast”
I suspect that Hein has strong feelings towards the unfair and unjust treatment that the Deep Eyes suffered through after Akuze.
“Shadow said coldly”
Jensen has a lot of respect for Grey. Also, I’m listening to ‘Terran Theme 4’ from the Starcraft: Brood War soundtrack.
“Elsa Devereaux. Pleasure to meet you”
Elsa is normally dismissive or rude to other military people. Here, upon meeting him for the first time, she is nothing short of respectful and courteous to Grey. Grey just has that charisma about him. (looks at Georgy Zhukov) Huh.
“her Watchmaker”
Elsa, what do you mean ‘your’ Watchmaker?
“What that reason was, however, she was dying to know”
Cue Kasumi snickering and saying that Jensen may have succeeded all-too-well in charming Elsa, and Ramsus agreeing with her and saying that Jensen may be a better seducer than HE is.
“The marine cleared his throat”
Was Grey taking it all utterly seriously, or was he fighting back the urge to laugh despite himself? Ignusdei, this is your fault for making Grey into such a great character.
“Hmph. Maybe”
Sheesh. Elsa and Grey are both patriots.
“The painfully slow elevator ride”
Advancements in weapons and armor technology have been staggering, yet even centuries later elevators are still agonizingly slow. I love it.
“pawed at the window…made everyone in the crowded cabin a bit uncomfortable. Maybe because it was wagging its tail a bit”
I wonder what was going through Hannibal’s mind during this scene.
“If the Geth manage to hack into him”
They nearly succeeded in taking over the suit…
“an antique!”
The Geth may have analyzed the Copperhead as well.
“she wasn’t a Colonel”
I don’t think Elsa would ever want to have Hein’s job. Hein’s rank is even higher than Anderson’s, though Hackett is an Admiral.
“to his likewise dressed but smaller, bald companion”
Vega and Jenkins have become fire-forged friends. Neither of them have any love for the AIA after Lawson abandoned them to die at the hands of the Geth.
“He’d still be alive if that Salarian hadn’t insisted so hard on capturing Wreav!”
…yeah. I don’t know if Bau is to be blamed for Bren’s death. Still, it is clear that he does not have the loyalty of his team.
“Don’t you Alliance chucklef-ks have knives?”
Ashley may brand Jane as a knife-nut. Now I’m imagining Jane picking out and buying a knife for Garrus.
“proper swapping technique”
I thought of John Wick.
“The aliens won’t lay a finger on Earth”
That may be Saren’s strategy; instigate a war between the various nations of Earth so that they would destroy each other.
“Colonies, rising up against their Empires. History, repeating itself on a larger, bloodier scale”
I wonder how much Saren knows about Turian history. Also, Elsa may consider if she should have become a cop instead of a soldier.
“I’ve also tweaked your brain’s chemistry”
…are the Krogan doing something similar with the Geth?
“I’ve come up with a few potential upgrades”
Burroughs is essentially like Hein having his own Geth.
“A lab would be more suitable”
Only when they have the time, and they don’t have it.
“before the French marines start assaulting”
Ramsus has his own personal stake in this, and Bau has his own mission to carry out. Everyone has a reason for coming to Noveria.
“It wasn’t made of real beef or real bread or even real grease”
In Nos Astra, Jane found that she misses the food from back in Earth.
“Adam grabbed his hand, and lightning crackled”
I love this.
“that little blonde pilot you came with. She was giving you that look”
Is Garrus constantly trying to set Jensen up with somebody?
“Krogan don’t like being tied up in small spaces”
I’m guessing Jensen and Garrus found out the hard way.
“Maybe I don’t care about money anymore”
Seeing Wreav having now become maddened by rage and grief, screaming about his son melting through his fingers, gave Wrex something to think about.
“She has been trying to figure out a cure for the Genophage”
Okeer on the other hand looks for a way to bypass the Genophage completely by breeding the ‘perfect’ Krogan.
“His two finest men, dead”
Perhaps. Or perhaps they were the two men whom Wreav THOUGHT were his best warriors.
“Wreav?! WREAV! ANSWER ME!”
This is one of the most horrifying moments in the series; Saren actually being afraid.
“it would not be enough to make up for this mess”
Saren has suffered a major setback. Good. This may give the heroes precious time and breathing room.
“the greatest of Feasts”
This chapter is now halfway over; the epic and adrenaline-fueled battles are done. Now comes the Horror and Psychological. Ignusdei, you are a Grand Master-writer.
“Colonel Nicholas Gadolt was born in Gibraltar some 40 years ago to a Welsh mother and Indian father”
…Ignusdei, stop making every single character so interesting. It’s too much!
“Would anyone here appreciate”
Gadolt’s got a chip on his shoulder.
“show their gratitude”
Several nations in Europe took a big risk in supporting the Allies against the Axis. After Germany’s surrenders, the Allies ‘thanked’ them by leaving them to be occupied by the Soviets.
“what he hoped would be the final assault”
The heroes had major support in Noveria. Not so much in the Citadel. Worse still, they had been branded as criminals, fugitives from justice and outlaws.
“with Captain Anderson and Johann Ramsus”
Both men are famous in the Alliance and beyond.
“by virtue of the fact that he had 2400 trained soldiers at his back”
I thought of Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao.
“Middle Dosadi is being secured as we speak”
Thanks to air superiority, the humans have managed to defeat the Geth and Krogan invaders in Middle Dosadi. However, the invaders seem to have diverted all of their attention to Granada Island.
“He nodded to Anderson”
Gadolt is a fair man. He gives credit where it is due.
“No intention of occupying the city”
This wasn’t an attempt at a takeover. It’s a terrorist attack, only with the entire city being the target.
“Geth forces fortifying Granada are estimated at 12000. Krogan forces are estimated at 7500.”
They are cornered; their backs are to the wall. They will fight with everything they have.
“I do not make jokes of that kind”
I love Zoller.
“Oh, and my dog”
I love Ramsus too.
“then he wouldn’t have sent some of his own men to their deaths”
He’s done too much of that over the years. Gadolt has a tribal mindset; he looks after his own. Everyone else didn’t matter. He certainly wouldn’t have hesitated to claim the 108 for himself.
“one of the few strange Krogan mutants that didn’t find happiness in combat”
Why?
“he had preferred to use his hands to fix, modify, and even make machines”
Renk didn’t want anybody who was already in Tuchanka to help operate his Zhuk. He wanted Charr.
“to find his happiness in the stars”
Would Charr find that happiness? If the Reapers win, then the Krogan along with everyone else are dead.
“he had quickly learned his way around a Wanzer”
Wait, what?
“I wasn’t finished!”
Charr likes to talk about mechanics and tech. He has a passion and love for those subjects.
“said the Krogan cheerfully”
I wonder if Charr had tried to build his own car.
“he cut his tongue, and let the blood wash over the inside of his mouth”
Are all psionics like Ramsus, or just him?
“much undeserved praise for what Gadolt considered a ‘fairly average performance’”
Gadolt may be a fair man, but he also has a big chip on his shoulder and carries much resentment and bitterness in him. Saren may target him personally…
“jealousy boiled inside him”
Garrus has never tried to put Jensen in an extremely risky situation out of the hope that Jensen will get killed. Gadolt may not be all that different from Wreav. (sigh) This is why Saren still has a good chance of destroying humanity. Even in desperate times like this, people will still be people.
“because you Krogan are just one big happy family?”
Wrex committed patricide in Tuchanka.
“It seemed someone had spread the idea that was somehow the ideal way of killing a Salarian”
Why do I get the feeling that a Salarian is responsible for that?
“suddenly became a bit odd”
I thought of Jenkins, Vega, Bren and Wrex talking about Brea.
“Vega took a glance at her and waved his hand dismissively”
Ha!
“Boy could have been a fighter pilot”
I’m now trying to imagine Vega in a fighter-ship with Jenkins as his navigator.
“Hein killed our discipline”
I grinned at this.
“He practically saved you”
Garrus has never been a good soldier and has given Pallin a lot of headaches as a cop.
“When it was just the two of them, Garrus spoke to Jane”
Jensen has noted their relationship. It seems that Garru

(Part 2 of my review of Chapter 46)

“Pressly was getting fired up for a second there”
Charles Pressly was at Elysium during the Blitz.
“only a flak jacket for protection and wielding his light machine gun…without assistance from a hardsuit”
I love Anderson.
“Privates Olsen and Leslie”
Hein is an amazing recruiter, but has a tendency to instill wariness in his people (not even Grey trusts him all that much, and he has been with Hein longer than most). Anderson can lead and command, but scouting and recruiting talent is another story. Bau can scout talent and convince them to work with him, and come up with unorthodox strategies, but his leadership skills are lacking. Meanwhile, Saren can not only find and recruit talented people, but also gain their trust and loyalty AND lead and command them well.
“with the woman at his side”
Brea is still in the role of babysitting Ramsus.
“Ramsus’ pet offended her on two levels”
Williams may remind Ramsus of the Templars who murdered Fiona.
“welcome to Highwind Airlines”
What is it with military pilots and pretending that they are flying commercial?
“being a smart-ass is a prerequisite to being a pilot”
I thought of Happy Valley, one of several stories in the Battlefields comic series by Garth Ennis (in my opinion, Battlefields is Ennis’ best work, though the Punisher MAX series is my personal favorite)
“There’s rappelling gear”
Taylor seems to have more knowledge of ships and shuttles than Williams does.
“She wondered if Ramsus enjoyed pushing people’s buttons”
He has caught her interest at this point.
“20 kilometres and found its mark”
Stealth frigates like the Normandy…what if the Geth study the ship?
“Pressly was adamant about the troop transport”
Pressly is in charge when Anderson is not around. He was at Elysium and bore witness to the carnage inflicted on the planet surface.
“keeping the mountains between it and the Geth squadrons”
It would be terrifying to try to track down and destroy a stealth frigate that can fade in and out of detection.
“used to very comfortable rides in their shuttles”
Hein sacrifices comfort for efficiency; every advantage is necessary against his enemies.
“which did not even have artificial gravity”
I love that Anderson is clearly the protagonist of his own story; his life was already interesting before he even met Shepard.
“the worst possible position to be in”
Not long ago, Ramsus was being held captive by the Omar in Peak 15.
“Yeah! Good times!”
My love for this series is just too much.
“no match for the millions of processes of the Geth invasion force”
The Quarians really did too good a job. The Geth are probably the most terrifying example of the capabilities of AI.
“they would have taken over the suit”
…Ignusdei, you are planning to have Jensen get into serious trouble fighting Geth in the future, aren’t you? Hein and Tali have taken pains to prevent the 108 from being hackable…but this is the Geth we’re talking about.
“European multi-lock technology”
Hmm.
“keep their best toys to themselves”
Unless the galaxy unites, it will burn. Heck, it is burning already. The CITADEL has been invaded, and covertly at that!
“Reloading had to be done by hand”
I thought of the Fury (2014) movie.
“FIRE EVERYTHING!”
Pressly distinguished himself in this battle, providing valuable back-up to the Copperhead.
“You get those men where you need to”
In this era where space-flight is essential to so much, skilled pilots are like gold dust. Elsa is considered to be one of the finest pilots of her generation in all of humanity. Now I’m imagining Jensen and Garrus struggling to pilot Wanzers while Grey has no trouble with his own.
“from above and below”
In real-life, air power is everything now. If you have air superiority, you have the battle in your grasp.
“never meant for full blown warfare”
Security and/or military forces in Noveria may be undergoing reforms after this battle.
“you mercs”
Taylor joined the AIA for a reason.
“Saren’s going to pay for this”
Would he? I’m prepared for the story to go in the direction that Saren may just get away with everything; all his crimes, atrocities and sins.
“Noveria is a backwater far, far away”
And Saren knows it.
“Humanity stood by while atrocities took place on its very soil”
Ramsus is a psionic and an ex-AIA operative. He has not only witnessed many horrible atrocities done and sanctioned by humans, but has committed many of those horrible atrocities himself.
“I suppose they’ll have to do”
I love Elsa.
“a distant voice that sounded suspiciously like Sergeant Vega’s”
I love this so much.
“Neil shot back”
The Durendal are a tight-knit bunch. (looks at Ramsus) On second thought…
“The tall, curvaceous woman”
Tali and Jane are jealous of Brea’s physical beauty while Manah is envious and possibly even attracted to her. I’m guessing Ashley is envious herself. Now I want Hein to play Weird Science in Ashley’s ear.
“Anderson hated these decisions”
Too bad for you, Anderson. You are now an RPG protagonist.
“put a gun to his head”
Anderson does NOT mess around. Like I said, he’s old-school.
“they were Hein’s lapdogs”
As of Chapter 89, that is a moot point for Anderson now; Hein is one of the only allies he has left.
“you didn’t leave Marines behind”
I love Anderson. A soldier to the core.
“he had to make the call”
There WILL come a time when Hein will have to make a similar decision, and unlike this time, someone will die and another will live depending on his choice. Anderson made a decision earlier in Caleston, and Jenkins lost his natural eyesight as a result.
“This is DARPA Combat Mech Shadow 108”
I GRINNED at this. Ignusdei, this is simply the most awesome and epic chapter of anything I have ever read. I am not kidding. Noveria – Finale is bloody, brilliantly beautiful.
“What the f-k is this?”
I love Williams. She’s such a great character.
“said Neil, coyly”
Neil is a jerk. I love him. This series has far too many great characters.
“you always were a sucker for blondes”
…huh. Why DID Hannibal wish to assist Elsa?
“I lost my squad to Eden Prime’s own LOKIs”
The Geth are an absolutely horrific threat. Now I’m imagining a settlement’s defenders destroying their own mechs upon realizing that they are being approached by Geth.
“Williams stared daggers at the closing seat”
Williams later learns that the 108 and dog-mech not only successfully carried out the task of assisting Elsa but did so with flying colors.
“Neither its shields nor its polymer frame withstood the blow”
What if, instead of mass-manufacturing large numbers of their own kind, the Geth pour resources, effort and time into creating ONE single, super-Geth?
“Try and keep up”
Hannibal is one of the fastest characters in this series.
“He was a bit displeased”
Ha!
“This. Is. Shadow. 108. Beep boop!”
Garrus just couldn’t resist, could he?
“Need my help?”
Garrus and Jensen still have one of the best relationships in this series. No wonder Tali wishes to romance BOTH of them instead of just one.
“Ah, yes, of course”
Oh my God, how many awesome and hilarious moments are in this one chapter?!
“if he would let her win this one”
Jensen is constantly butting heads with Brea. When would they find common ground and mutual agreement?
“a bit offended at not being wanted”
Hannibal is such a great character. THIS SERIES HAS TOO MANY GREAT CHARACTERS.
“Ramsus laughed”
He’s having the time of his life, isn’t he?
“every emergency weapons cache in Middle Dosadi”
Anderson desperately needs someone like Brea in his team. He is seriously lacking in reliable manpower as of Chapter 89. His situation is even more desperate than Hein’s, and Hein currently is in critical condition after a failed assassination attempt.
“Just follow your bloody NAV point”
Brea continues to be one of my favorite characters.
“Give them hell!”
For all his love for battle and gunplay, Garrus prefers to be a cop rather than a soldier. He states in the Mass Effect games that he is not one for following orders without question nor for military discipline.
“he gripped his mother’s hand a bit more tightly”
People like Damien may seem small and unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but there is a reason that people like Jensen, Elsa, Garrus and the other heroes fight and bleed for their sake. Brea needs to learn and understand that. (looks at Ramsus) Goddammit.
“There were just ten of them…He was no older than 20”
War is not glorious. It is horrible. And I love reading stories of it.
“None of them were really soldiers”
I thought of Jenkins. Christ did he react violently upon recognizing Caim.
“infantry regularly got crushed underfoot”
…
“I’m not losing another Drake”
Taggart and Elsa both later die in Bekenstein.
“a dinky mech was of no use to her”
I grinned again.
“we’re going to DIE here”
For millions of people throughout the galaxy, the Geth appearing means death.
“tore out the primary processing core”
I wonder if anyone would find that core later.
“he shoved a CQC-11 shotgun in Adam’s face”
Yep, this is how heroic people are typically treated.
“One look at him”
Jensen has seen too many people who have not rightfully earned their ranks or titles. Udina has no business being an ambassador.
“This unit is confiscating this weapon for your own safety, citizen”
Garrus recorded all of Jensen’s mech-dialogue, didn’t he?
“small, triple-barrelled, hand-held cannon”
A schematic on Geth weaponry may fetch a high price in the black market.
“Adam quickly got to work on the other Geth Wanzers”
Brea would have disapproved of Jensen delaying his assistance of Elsa to help local defenders along the way, if not for the fact that Jensen needs to expend the energy lest he overloads and explodes. I wonder how many Approval Points Jensen has lost with Brea.
“one of the flechettes struck the GEP magazine”
Hollywood should hire you to choreograph shoot-out and battle scenes.
“black knight and his white wolf”
And thus a new legend is born in Dosadi.
“REVERSE ENGINEER TECHNOLOGY”
…
“will you show us the way…?”
I wonder if Brea of all people could attempt to communicate with the Geth.
“Pull the big yellow lever-“
After this, Neil probably resolved to always lead with the phrase ‘On my mark’.
“screamed Ashley in disbelief as Anderson and Jacob cursed the foolish marine”
…they really, really need better people.
“cursed Williams”
She lost a lot of friends and comrades in Eden Prime.
“Geth armored vehicle…A Krogan trooper manning a heavy high-caliber machine gun”
The Krogan may now have a reputation as the only alien race to have had close, non-hostile contact with the Geth.
“bisecting a Krogan wasn’t enough”
This is a major battle, and Ramsus intends to enjoy every bit of it.
“his own bewilderment”
Ramsus is even more powerful than Anderson believed him to be.
“The Alliance Marine’s hesitation at shooting a former comrade had cost him his life”
Wrex did not hesitate to fight Husk-Bren, moments after dueling his brother Wreav.
“hundreds of Husks, coming from all sides”
Dosadi has been transformed into a living nightmare…
“Adam could feel the Geth trying to resolve the encryption”
This chapter really conveys how terrifying the Geth are as an enemy…and they don’t even have malice or sadism.
“the young Quarian engineer”
Perhaps no other race knows more about the Geth than the Quarians. Still, it has been centuries since the days of the Quarians who actually designed and made the Geth.
“their strategy had always been to rely on a multitude of cheaply-made units rather than focus on making groups of elites”
(looks at Teg) When numbers don’t work, however, the Geth may decide to go for quality over quantity.
“Geth being so poor at CQC”
The Geth have general advantages over the biological races, but they have severe disadvantages as well. Elsa has done her homework on the Geth. She will have more trouble fighting the Krogan.
“just to save a handful of peons”
How do you reason with a madman? I don’t think STG are ever going to let Wreav leave captivity alive.
“They can’t even kill a WOMAN”
I wonder if Saren was trained by a woman.
“trophies both old and vey recent”
The Genophage has driven so many of them mad with rage, hate and grief, and they are now unleashing all of those emotions in all their fury on Dosadi.
“Grenade launchers, shotguns, machine guns, hatchets”
Where are the Krogan getting their arms and munitions? One would think the Council would be keeping an eye on them. Then again, the Council has had a lot on its plate lately.
“Krogan infantry with Jet packs”
This is a well-equipped, trained and highly motivated invasion force led by Urdnot Wreav. If not for the support provided by the Normandy, Durendal and Europeans, Dosadi and perhaps even the entire planet could have fallen. Still, it could be argued that credit should be given to Annah. Wreav’s men were right on Scholar’s doorstep.
“It took a full second before he finally died”
Krogan are incredibly tough, and that’s not even counting their regeneration.
“Krogan flesh and blood splattered the entire room”
Moments like this tend to stay with people forever.
“This is DARPA Mech Shadow 108. ETA: One minute”
I’m listening to Strength of a Thousand Men (Two Steps from Hell) as I type this.
“bellowing challenges”
Most combatants wouldn’t charge head-on at an enemy Wanzer. No wonder the Krogan Rebellions were so hard-fought.
“the honor of taking it would not be tainted by the interference of others”
The Krogan have always been their own worst enemy.
“they had gotten wise to her game”
It is not advisable to use the same strategy twice when fighting Geth.
“Lees’ other gun ran out as well”
This is how Germany lost the Battle of Kursk; they ran out of ammo.
“he roared into his headset”
In just one chapter, this story made me care about Nathaniel Lees.
“How incredibly like a WOMAN”
I wonder if Wreav is trying to convince himself more than Elsa considering his constant taunting, perhaps due to Elsa’s fierce resistance against his forces.
“A couple of mechs would make no difference”
I suspect that after this battle, both the Alliance and the Europeans decided to take a closer look at DARPA and/or the UNAS’ mech-related projects.
“Every time she tried to take a shot and give Lees a chance”
The Geth and Krogan have successfully prevented Elsa and Lees from supporting each other, forcing them to fight on their own.
“probably wondering how”
Legion: ‘Does this unit have a soul?’
“There was no time for”
I have little doubt that Saren’s Geth would be back, stronger and better than ever. Victory makes the Geth weaker. Defeat makes them stronger.
“instructions to capture the mech”
Not just his designers and programmers. Like the Geth, Hannibal over the years has taken effort to improve and upgrade himself. Now I’m imagining him being drugged/disabled, waking up and being annoyed with Hein for upgrading him without his permission.
“DISTANCE 0.05 METERS”
I wonder if there would be a Geth protagonist-character in this series.
“The Geth would be one step closer to perfection”
…augmented Geth. That is a terrifying thought.
“through another window”
This made me laugh.
“GIVE ME A PAIN KILLER FIRST YOU STUPID LIMEY F-K-UP!”
I have yet to find a fanfic more epic than this one. My God is this series amazing.
“For some reason, the Geth had lost all interest in Elsa and focused on the newcomers”
…if the Geth manage to capture Jensen or Hannibal, it could mean disaster for the entire galaxy. The last thing anyone needs is Geth that are as versatile as Jensen and as fast as Hannibal.
“She was a bit offended”
I love Elsa.
“didn’t rate quite as high as a US combat mech”
Methinks Elsa’s got some patriotism.
“completely ignoring her”
The Geth seek perfection. Hmm…that could be a viable strategy against them. I imagined Krogan cursing as their Geth comrades abandon them and ignore orders to stay and provide support due to preferring to pursue and attempt to capture Jensen or Hannibal.
“gathered the bullets that orbited him”
This seems a bit similar to what Ramsus did at Peak 15.
“Chief Kull”
I don’t know how you do it; effectively use POV-perspectives for characters who won’t last past a single chapter or scene. I don’t know if this could work for movies or TV shows. But it damn well works here in written form.
“Clan Blood Comet”
So many Krogan clans…I love Mass Effect.
“the first battle of Agessia”
I need to look this up online.
“to the left pair of kidneys”
Jensen has experience in fighting Krogan up-close.
“flying 6 meters into a nearby wall of cement”
Krogan scientists and developers may be looking to create battle-suits and Wanzers of their own. The problem is the resources and funding; where are they going to get those? In Mass Effect 2, Okeer is financed by the Blue Suns mercenary company.
“Thinking on his feet”
Kull did not survive the first battle of Agessia for nothing.
“the chance to make it a very personal kill”
Urdnot Bakara despises the warrior culture of her people and claims that it is what is truly destroying them, not the Genophage. The Krogan were uplifted by the Salarians for one purpose; war. It makes sense that they wouldn’t want to stop after the Rachni were defeated.
“An honorable death! A death worthy of song!”
During the riot in Upper Zakera, Wrex chose to walk away.
“silence from both his men and the Geth”
I love this.
“Honor demanded”
In a way, Wreav is a slave to his own people. He has to obey their laws, or he will be put down.
“He turned to the Geth drone”
The STG may now be attempting to interrogate Wreav on his commanding of Geth. I wonder…would the Migrant Fleet attempt to kill or capture Wreav themselves?
“Ad- I mean, SHADOW’s”
A blind person could tell that Brea cares more for Jensen than even she realizes.
“I am not equipped with a hose”
I love Hannibal.
“JUST DO AS I SAY!”
If Brea were biological, this story wouldn’t be doing wonders for her blood pressure.
“to keep his spine from breaking any further”
Christ…Grey and Anderson nearly suffered a similar fate in Caleston.
“you French son of a”
Some things never change.
“Hein’s machine”
Colonel Edgar Hein has made one hell of a name for himself in the Battle of Noveria. He may now be seen as a crazy-but-brilliant genius. The Europeans grudgingly acknowledge that while also trying to play up their own involvement in repelling the Krogan-Geth invasion force.
“providing the Acheron with targeting data for orbital shots”
Aerial superiority was crucial to victory in this battle.
“Now, where is this dark knight in bloody armor?”
If this level of quality keeps up…I’m already sounding redundant in saying that I love this series.
“the many people that died on Elysium”
He had never seen anything on the scale of Elysium before or since…but I suspect that in the future he would witness something even worse. Jensen wasn’t in Eden Prime. Williams was.
“every woman that he had ever loved, and ever hated, and ever forgotten”
Jensen avoids physical intimacy and is celibate, refusing to pursue romantic or casual sexual relationships with anyone.
“Ah…you’re awake. Good”
Tsundere.
“and you went berserk”
Fire is Jensen’s weakness. He has yet to overcome it as of Chapter 89. Hm…why is Garrus afraid of the dark?
“Great, now whenever you talk all I’ll be able to think about is a cold shower…what the hell is that supposed to mean”
Oh my God, I love this dynamic too much.
“That had been Hein’s idea”
Of course it was. I think even Grey would have to fight to keep from laughing.
“He still felt like a tit, though”
Hence why Hein came up with it.
“This unit has been ordered to follow your instructions”
Later in the Citadel, Elsa chose to work with Hein. I wonder if she considered asking Hein to make her a 108 suit of her own.
“WOOF. WOOF”
I snickered. Poor Hannibal.
“…Yes.”
I’m in a public library now and am trying not to laugh.
“Sniping isn’t my specialty”
Jensen cannot rely on Garrus all the time. Similarly, when Garrus tried to storm a nightclub by himself, he was captured and tortured.
“you should avoid close-quarter combat”
The Krogan have fueled jetpacks, and there are

“Technology: Illegal”
I wonder if the Council keeps track of the viewing of such codex entries.
“A Universal Constructor, or Molecular Assembler, or a Nano-Factory, is an immense machine that uses nanites to rearrange substances to on the molecular and atomic level”
I wonder if the Turians had ever encountered (or used) a similar device/weapon in their own history. Also, this series continues to have some of the best world-building I have ever seen.
“enough power to operate”
In the Splinter Cell game series, Anna Grimmsdottir is able to track factions and individuals by searching for unusual concentrations or spikes in electrical power. In Panana, she is able to warn Fisher that a laser system had been activated in the lobby area of the bank he is infiltrating due to detecting a power spike in said lobby.
“could be made in a matter of seconds”
I’m guessing that high costs, unreliability and instability rendered UCs to be rarely if ever used.
“by the Asari”
Hein has shared with Manah T’Soni his skepticism that the Asari Republics are a peaceful, diplomatic people considering their assimilation of the cultures of other races. I wonder if there is an ultranationalist Turian faction. The majority of C-Sec and the Citadel Fleet is Turian, and the Turian Hierarchy has the largest military force in the galaxy. Even then, they and the rest of the Council had to resort to the Genophage to put an end to the Krogan Rebellions. (looks at the Greyjoy Rebellion in A Song of Ice and Fire) Hmm. Would something similar to the War of the Five Kings happen in this series? There would doubtless be people who would see the conflict with the terrorist Saren Arterius as an opportunity for themselves. The fact that Saren, a rogue Spectre, has other Spectres working with him within the Council…if word of that gets out, how would it affect humanity’s position in its desire to appoint a human Spectre?
“constructing a UC in any environment would have legal consequences”
UCs are just too dangerous and unpredictable…for now.
“with disingenuous enthusiasm”
The Normandy is a stealth ship, designed to infiltrate enemy lines and move deep into enemy territory. Its pilots, crew and team would have to have nerves of steel.
“even quicker (and rather unsatisfying) meal”
The Durendal team got to have some R&R in Nos Astra, although that was punctuated by a major hostage crisis. The Normandy team on the other hand has had no time to rest or relax. The few times in between their hard battles were spent being harassed, threatened and attacked by the AIA.
“stood over the stasis pod that preserved the corpse of one of the three women that had defined him”
Who knows…maybe Ashley Williams may become an important figure in Ramsus’ life.
“Two out of three”
Jensen has lost a lot of friends and loved ones too.
“watching his every move for a hint of betrayal”
They NEED to learn to trust each other, at least for as long as this war against Saren is raging.
Vernon Roche: (pointing at Letho) ‘Watch this man, and you won’t be watching the enemy! Why is the Kingslayer so important?!’
Letho: ‘Eredin is a king, ain’t he?’
Vernon Roche: ‘…f-k you both.’
“far more useful than a bunch of grunts”
The snag is that Ramsus may be growing to care for Jensen more than he wishes to. He participated in the rescue mission in Bekenstein and was badly wounded in the effort.
“Speaking of grunts…in no mood for protocols”
Ramsus leaves an impression on others wherever he goes. You just don’t forget someone like him.
“approach from behind”
Williams approached him, not the other way around. I love that Ramsus is the ONLY AIA operative/officer to have not harassed, threatened or attacked the Normandy team or crew.
“Perhaps he was not commanding enough, because she was still there, much to his annoyance”
He is distracted, wishing to be alone with Shepard, and thus did not turn his full attention onto Williams.
“In every sense of the word”
She chose Kaidan Alenko over him.
“you’re not what I need in my life”
If she had chosen Ramsus, would she still be alive?
“The bore”
In my opinion, Alenko is an underrated character who sadly only was given a small amount of screen-time to truly shine in Mass Effect 3. Unfortunately for him, he dies early on in this series, murdered by Shepard’s killer.
“fixed her with his gaze”
Yeah…that got his attention; Williams stating that she wants to become an AIA operative. In my opinion, she could very well have ended up becoming just like Corvin and the Blacklight operatives who murdered Jensen’s neighbors.
“Men, in other words, should be manly”
This is one of my favorite scenes in the entire series, and it is not an epic battle or duel scene, but simply one of a conversation between two people. I absolutely love it.
“not manly”
You won’t find him intimidating, not until it is too late.
“suddenly reminded Ash of the sight and scent of wood shavings in her father’s garage”
Ignusdei, if you do not become a published writer in the future, I’d call it a tragic loss of what could have been.
“made something inside her resonate”
Charisma plus wisdom plus observational skills plus psionic equals one of the most dangerous humans in the entire galaxy, and the one whom Steven Hackett proposed to send against Saren but who was voted down by Anderson and Udina due to their claims that Ramsus would have caused even more destruction than SAREN, a Spectre who wishes to destroy all of humanity.
“It curled itself around her legs”
Hannibal was provoked by Williams’ insinuation that she wishes to join the AIA.
“She would not be intimidated”
She has had to put up with Lieutenant Corvin.
“serve humanity best”
As of now, Williams is still in the Normandy under Anderson, who has decided to throw in his lot with Hein.
“Would. You. Surrender”
Self-sacrifice. Humiliating herself for the sake of others. Ramsus knows what this is like.
“Then you are useless to me”
Later in Bekenstein, while infiltrating the PMC that had taken Jensen captive, Ramsus volunteered to go undercover as a prostitute. He probably had to go through even worse during his time in the AIA. If Williams truly wished to work for him as a subordinate, chances are she would have to do similar things. A spy/intelligence agency and a military force are not quite the same thing.
“They are more than enough for the task that is to come”
I hope that Ashley gets to meet and spend more time with Garrus and Brea later.
“a Turian”
(sigh) Williams is still salty about Shanxi.
“some bimbo”
(looks up at Williams’ reaction to Ramsus looking at and speaking to her directly) Yep, she’s jealous already, and she doesn’t even realize it.
“I trust the judgment and motivations of these mercenaries”
Ramsus has more respect for Garrus, Jensen and Brea than he would ever want to admit.
“what I know bores me”
He is aware that Williams could become an accomplished soldier and a great person, but is held back by her own flaws, insecurities and self-doubts.
“send her career down the toilet”
As of Chapter 89, Williams’ career may already be in the toilet…
“Nobody cares about your name. Nobody ever did”
The only person who is holding a grudge for her grandfather’s surrender is Ashley herself.
“Or what to feel”
She isn’t likely to forget him any time soon.
“It made them more delicious. He knew he probably would not have time to bed Williams, but one never knew”
See, Ramsus, this is why Jensen’s the one whom several women wish to spend their whole lives with while you are just the casual fling.
“What the hell was that for?”
Jensen may had used his CASIE on Williams.
“she hates dogs and loves poetry”
Ashley immediately loses points in my book due to disliking dogs.
“she backpedals at surrendering”
I’m always going to love that scene. It’s probably the most important one of Williams in this series so far.
“for the sake of the one I love”
He is a psychopath and a narcissist, but he had done at least one selfless thing in his life, and that choice has stayed with him since.
“I want you ready for battle”
In my opinion, the heroes should be ready for battle at all times. There’s no telling when they might come under attack.
“I’m using one to replace…Sorry”
I laughed at this.
“that energy draining trick”
I love that Garrus AND Jensen do not have full knowledge of Jensen’s capabilities.
“Joker had gone through the checklist”
The Normandy cannot rely on Joker ALL the time. What if he is incapacitated? Who could substitute for him?
“Going in and out of the stratosphere”
Speed is crucial in a war like this; if Saren can move faster than them, he would always be two or more steps ahead.
“Damned Turian aerodynamics”
In my opinion, the Normandy ought to consider bringing in at least one experienced Turian pilot and/or navigator.
“Draven at her Sensor Station”
The Battle of Noveria was hard-fought and brutal for all who endured it. The Krogan and Geth gave everything they had, but ultimately fell to the tenacious Europeans, Alliance and UNAS troops assisting the local defenders.
“no sane man should ever do”
I love this.
“said Joker, disbelieving”
Joker hasn’t really explored the galaxy yet.
“This is Williams! The Turian mercenary just forced open an airlock and jumped ship!”
I wonder if anybody would attempt to follow in Garrus’ footsteps by acquiring a similar armored suit.
“of all things, a flying Turian”
This made me laugh. How long were you looking forward to bringing this into the story? Now Garrus can fly!...and crash as well.
“two weapons in each hand”
Garrus has seriously stepped up his game since the start of this series.
“Wait a minute. Did I just”
I love Garrus.
“SO going to rub that in Grey’s f-“
I love that Garrus has brought out Edward Grey’s competitive side. I still find it hilarious that Grey protested at receiving less points than Garrus and Jane in the Armax Arsenal game.
“The four of them did not last long”
Tali’s combat drone is quite the formidable one. I wonder if the Migrant Fleet ships have defensive drones of their own, or fighter-class ships.
“not letting Hein fit chaff launchers in the suit”
He spent so much time working on the suit before finally going into action over Peak 15. Yet it’s still not complete in his eyes.
“barked Anderson”
So much rides on Anderson’s command and leadership. The Normandy needs a leader like him. Anderson has made his decision; Corvin may now brand him as a traitor and fugitive to the Alliance.
“screamed Ashley”
She is close to panicking. She has never encountered enemies like this before.
“childless, and with no one to carry on the tradition”
Man, Williams comes from an old family.
“casually stepped up to the shark”
I love Brea.
“Bimbo, am I?”
I love this series.
“You can’t be”
Williams now knows that Ramsus works with synthetics.
“Only Joker and Anderson were keeping it together”
The Normandy NEEDS capable officers, NCOs and grunts.
“GET! OFF! MY! SHIP!”
This is one of Anderson’s best lines in the whole series so far.
“Your elevator”
Ha!
“the loud report of his revolver”
I imagined Sasha’s roar echoing throughout a Citadel Ward and a criminal leader looking up, frowning and saying, ‘I know that gun.’
“more than a bit confused”
Poor Neil. Also, Steve Buscemi will never not be awesome. I watched The Death of Stalin (2017) recently.
“I can’t focus on him”
Ramsus does have his own glaring weaknesses. If his biotic and psionic powers are neutralized, he would have lost his primary weapons.
“Main gun, load Tungsten!”
I imagined Anderson taking charge of and commanding a Krogan tank.
“THE POWER OF THOSE TOUCHED BY THE REAPERS”
As of Chapter 89, nobody, not Hein, Anderson, Jensen, Garrus or Ramsus, has encountered Saren in person since Shepard’s death.
“as it devoured”
The Reapers see humans and other intelligent beings as food.
“it could not be human”
Jensen in my opinion is still human, albeit heavily augmented.
“Does it matter?”
Jacob may be familiar with high-powered revolvers.
“annoyed at Ramsus’ apparent calm”
He’s been in absolutely perilous and horrific situations before. When engulfed in madness, there is an option to just embrace it.
“Ramsus shouted right back”
I love the moments where Ramsus shows that he is not as calm as he is trying to be.
“something else was behind her will, and it was even greater than his”
The Reapers are very, very old and ancient creatures. They have been around for a long, long time. They destroyed the Protheans, and now they seek to carry out a mass harvest on the galaxy once again.
“the handful of technicians”
Seriously, at this point, the Normandy may need to start hiring non-Alliance personnel. Considering that the crew and team have now been outlawed, I’m guessing they would. Their mission is NOT over. Sanctioned or not, Saren still has to be stopped.
“he had Breached the entirety of the Normandy’s wireless network”
The Normandy isn’t nearly as secure as the Durendal.
“it’s like I’m part of the Normandy now”
Hmm…could Jensen be technically categorized as an AI like Hannibal?
“that is what gives you power over machines”
The Protheans mastered such a skill…but it wasn’t enough to save them from the Reapers.
“the full potential of such a machine”
I wonder what Tali would make of the Normandy.
“time slowly began to catch up”
It’s like Aleph is sending and receiving information between himself and Jensen at an extremely fast rate.
“the lone Marine were shocked by the sudden appearance of a glowing, transparent figure”
Williams’ opinions on aliens may now be changing dramatically; humans have caused more suffering and death to the Normandy crew and team than any non-human.
“something wonderful”
I like Addams.
“felt like he had just been swatted away like an insignificant insect”
I wonder what Jacob feels about the AIA attacking and killing some of the Normandy crew, including Chakwas.
“Red Raven could no longer maintain”
The Reapers gave her power…but Aleph has given Jensen power as well, along with something better; knowledge of how to use that power against Raven’s.
“she reached out to the mind”
Edgar Hein: ‘Bad dog! Bad!’
“woman-shaped tangle of limbs”
I laughed.
“Joker and his seat were once again shoved”
Is Joker going to be moved around in a wheelchair at some point in this series?
“That would be lovely, yes”
I love this dynamic.
“You insane psycho!”
Joker and Draven are never going to forget or forgive Ramsus for this, are they?
“Something came closer”
Garrus is not going to take any chances with an enemy like her.
“from heaven above to bring judgement”
I absolutely love the climax of the Caleston arc. You are an amazing writer, Ignusdei.
“the lowest level of the seven hells”
Garrus has no sympathy or compassion for her, and won’t feel the least bit guilty or remorseful over killing her.
“tell them Garrus Vakarian sent you there”
How many people have died cursing Garrus’ name?
“a nasal, male voice”
Steve Buscemi!
“You uh…you passing through?”
I’m starting to feel that Joker is the unsung star of this chapter.
“being stretched forward into infinity”
Travelling at light speed has to be terrifying.
“Garrus did not understand what had just happened”
By Chapter 89, he had given up on trying to understand, which has to be traumatizing for an investigator.
“PULL UP! PULL UP!”
There are more epic moments in this one gigantic chapter than there are in entire novel series that I have read. THIS is what science fiction is capable of.
“We just made a six thousand kilometer short jump with no relay”
If word of this gets out…Joker, Anderson and the rest of the Normandy team may become among the most wanted people in the galaxy.
“Requisitions officer Corso”
Smuggler Drebin is currently working as a requisitions man for the Durendal. The Normandy is going to need a replacement for Corso.
“Lieutenant Taylor had effectively taken over the marine detail”
I thought of the scene in the Durendal elevator in which Hein and Grey discussed potential recruits to the Durendal team.
“Chakwas might want to have a look at them”
…Jesus Christ, this chapter has made me realize just how badly the condition of the Normandy crew is as of Chapter 89.
“the only human in existence”
She could not be controlled by the Alliance, and in their fear and paranoia, they decided to get rid of her.
“all four of these people at once and yet none at all”
I could never write anything like this, not even in a hundred years.
“Are we still good for battle”
I do not envy David Anderson. He has been through so much in this series and things are only getting even worse for him. When was the last time he saw Sanders?
“Ramsus’ unmistakable voice”
I smiled at this. Ramsus, Garrus, Jensen and Brea have all personally been aboard the Normandy. I wonder what their impressions and opinions on the crew are. Williams called Brea a bimbo, but then again, everybody calls her that.
“the remaining few of them, himself included, were now preparing themselves for battle”
Vega and Jenkins may not have enjoyed their time working for Bau, but the experience may have been valuable for them.
“God does not come from a machine”
Billy Butcher: ‘If there’s some geezer up there with a big white beard, he’s a world heavyweight c-t. He’s got a hard-on for mass murder an’ givin’ kids cancer an’ his big ol’ answer to the existential clusterf-k that is humanity is to nail his own bleedin’ son to a plank. That is a c-t move. We should lob a f-kin’ nuke at ‘im, get it over an’ done with.’
“It’s coloured my view on a caring, loving God just a little bit”
I thought of Malcolm X’s early life before he joined the Nation of Islam.
“Earth is Perfect. Aliens are evil and want to ruin it”
Williams’ beliefs and convictions are undoubtedly going to be tested throughout this series.
“you’re more likely to shoot it rather than listen to what it has to say”
WHY ISN’T THIS SERIES ALREADY PUBLISHED AND ADAPTED FOR TV.
“Olsen! Leslie! Kaplan! Mallory!”
In Mass Effect 2, the three companions who are best suited for being team leaders are Miranda, Jacob and Garrus. In this series, Grey is undoubtedly the best team leader of the Durendal, and Garrus has NOT spent an extended period of time leading his own group of vigilantes in Omega.
“his entourage of mercs and a dog mech”
I wonder what the Normandy team think of Ramsus not having any fellow AIA operatives with him and employing mercenaries and a mech instead. I wonder how Anderson would react if he were to learn that Ramsus had been working for Hein since Noveria.
“Yes. You are”
OUCH.
“his gaze never quite leaving the Turian”
…Jacob suspects that the Turian is Detective-Sergeant Garrus Vakarian, doesn’t he?
“asked Anderson, curious”
Taylor is a trained AIA operative. He’s not just a soldier; he’s an intelligence agent. The Lieutenant is talented in various skills.
“A drop of blood came out of his nose”
The Normandy team probably assumed that Taylor got banged up fighting the Dayaks.
“as long as you don’t go about waving modified Templar technology”
Come to think of it, that could cause misunderstandings. (looks at Wrex wielding a Templar axe) Uh-oh. Hm. Last thing the galaxy needs are religiously-fanatical Krogan.
“I only caught glimpses, but that was fascinating”
There’s no way Ramsus wouldn’t want to know more about what happened in Caleston.
“said Brea, all business”
Who knows…maybe Brea and Hannibal are correct. Leaving Jacob alive may be bad for them in the long run.
“he has instructions to take over the ship should Anderson try anything”
But Jacob is not an idiot; he’s not going to try to do that, at least not without having people to replace guys like Joker or Draven who undoubtedly wouldn’t go along with him committing mutiny.
“I can kill him right now”
Ramsus knew even as he suggested this that Jensen will refuse. Yet he asked anyway. He HATES the AIA.
“They always want to settle things on the ground”
This could be a weakness in the Normandy team. Anderson often prefers to be on the frontline.
“Draven considered it for a moment, and shrugged”
This made me smile.
“Pressly was getting fired up for a second there”
Charles Pre

(Part 2 of my review of Chapter 45)

“Go. Fatten him up. Wound him. Make him slow”
I wonder if Hein would order his team to pull back and abandon/fail a mission rather than risk being killed or captured.
“I’ve faced worse”
In Human Revolution and in this series. I like it.
“Do you believe me now? Or is your brain scrambling for another explanation?”
Hmm. Maybe Aria T’Loak is a psionic?
“Ramsus blinked twice in disbelief…I saved your life. What else do I need to do to convince you”
I love that Ramsus is unable to manipulate Jensen and Garrus. This forces him to actually be a team player in the Durendal.
“asked Ramsus, glibly”
Benedict Cumberbatch. No wonder Ramsus is my favorite character.
“If you make so much as a peep”
I wonder how Grey would handle Ramsus.
“the rogue operative”
Essentially, Ramsus is an AIA operative who has turned against his own organization.
“He tossed the case”
Ramsus realized immediately that he would need to convince Brea in order to retrieve his weapons.
“going to get sanitized”
No wonder Ramsus and Hannibal despise the AIA.
“Twenty minutes, and nothing”
I grinned at this.
“He called for an extraction”
Neil’s job is an important one. If I were Saren, I would consider luring the team off of the ship and then attacking the Durendal directly. I wouldn’t have to destroy or capture it; damaging it would be enough.
“This is a decent place to make a stand”
Garrus has been in many, many firefights.
“If only the snowstorm hadn’t calmed down…”
I thought of my favorite video game; Spec Ops: The Line.
“Blacklight’s calling in frigate support”
Ramsus was unable to avoid being badly wounded in Bekenstein.
“the braced cast on his leg”
The Normandy team and crew have been through absolute hell in this series, mostly at the hands of the AIA.
“made out of barb wires and scalpels”
Joker has undergone character development in this series. He is now much less prone to cracking jokes or wisecracks. If the enemy, be it Geth, Saren, the AIA or someone else, decide to send one or more ships against the Normandy, Joker may show them why he was hand-picked to be the Normandy’s main pilot.
“Hazing ritual”
Christ, I hate those.
“real clever stuff”
Ramsus would have done worse, Joker. He would have become your closest and most trusted friend.
“taunting and laughing at you in the shadows”
Joker has resentment and bitterness at how he was treated in the Flight Academy. It drove him to become one of the best pilots in the Alliance.
“He had never smiled. Never tried to socialize”
In the Punisher MAX comic series, a USA Delta Force Colonel states that what sets Frank Castle apart from other special forces operatives is that he never, ever takes breaks or goes off-duty. Imagine how much more dangerous people like Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne would be if they devoted every waking moment to vigilantism; no double lives, no relationships. Just exercise, training, preparation, recon, investigation and fighting.
This is why Jeff ‘Joker’ Moreau is such an amazing pilot. He has that obsessive drive. (looks at Neil) Huh.
“He had endured while others burned out and quit”
In Vengeance, the book that inspired Steven Spielberg’s Munich, Avner is told by his team-mates that he is crazy, and by his handler that he was chosen not because he is the strongest or the smartest, but because he keeps going when anyone else would have given up.
“nearly pushing some girl to suicide”
Joker is the protagonist of his own story.
“If he was not the best pilot anymore, what was he?”
Neil could not out-fly the Normandy, so he used the ship’s flaws and drawbacks against it.
“so that me and my two little brothers could”
I thought of Kell Charr, and of the AIA operative whom Ramsus manipulated into becoming paranoid about losing limbs.
“with budgets too low to have the stunts done digitally”
Some of the best movies, TV shows and video games ever made had relatively low budgets.
“He simply vanished”
People disappear all the time. This is a terrible galaxy.
“being sixteen and being the man of the family”
Jensen dreams often force him to relive his memories of everyone he had lost. Garrus does not even remember his biological family. Ramsus…has issues.
“He had never been responsible for another person”
But he is now. The lives of everyone aboard the Normandy depend on him. Also, I wonder if Joker would be assigned a co-pilot.
“The AIA would have all our heads”
As of Chapter 89, Anderson may no longer care about that. When was the last time he made contact with Hackett?
“self-mutilation”
…Corvin, what have you done?
“drinking her brandy straight from the bottle”
I’m going to miss Karin Chakwas.
“She laughed bitterly”
How many people ever got to achieve their dreams? What dreams did Saren and his brother Desolas have?
“The bleedin’ French”
Will the French in real life ever be free of that frankly stupid stereotype that’s been slapped on them since the Second World War? From what I have read of both WW2 and French Indo-China, the frontline soldiers were as skilled and brave as any other, but were plagued by terrible commanders and leaders. Where the hell was France’s air-force when Germany invaded? When it’s tanks and planes that are coming at you, it doesn’t matter how good a rifleman you are.
“an independent colony outside the borders of the Alliance”
Would the Europeans decide to take advantage of the victory in Noveria?
“They were meant for greater things”
When Chakwas died, Anderson decided that enough was enough. He made his choices and declared himself the AIA’s enemy. Let the Alliance brand him a traitor. Let them take away his military rank. Anderson would never allow anyone to threaten or harm his crew again.
“If you don’t obey me right this f-king instant”
Corvin has become like Wreav, obsessed with his one goal and uncaring of anything else.
“Blacklight will be paying a visit to Ms Sanders”
I hope Kaylee would have had the sense to disappear after the news broke that Anderson is now considered a rogue Alliance officer.
“Where did things go wrong? How did we lose our way?”
So far in this series, Hein has yet to do something that has caused his people to say the above lines.
“not the worst thing one could do in the name of the Alliance”
I wonder what Hein would have to say to Anderson now that the latter has irrevocably made himself an enemy of the AIA.
“You know who I am”
This is what Corvin has done; he pushed Anderson so much that the latter chose to ally with Ramsus of all people.
“I am giving you a choice”
Hein did the same to everybody whom he recruited. I wonder how many people he has attempted to recruit decided to refuse.
“He should walk away from this”
If not for Anderson, the Durendal’s (and Bau’s) mission in Noveria would have ended in failure.
“sniping from the high ground”
Private Jackson in Saving Private Ryan (1998): ‘That’s where I’d be.’
“the rest of the small army arrayed against him”
He could escape, but that would mean abandoning Garrus, Brea and Hannibal (and Ramsus).
“constantly on the brink of overheating”
The Durendal team are frequently outnumbered, and they need superior weapons, armor, equipment and technology in order to keep up. Raven sent the mercenaries in first to soften up the enemy before moving in herself.
“And just like that, the tide turned”
Numbers are not an advantage against someone like Ramsus.
“He was not paying attention to his shields”
Garrus is very much aware of Jensen’s phobia of fire.
“Brea, I’m going in!”
Garrus Vakarian is predictable when it comes to Adam Jensen.
“Give me my weapons! Shouted Ramsus”
Ramsus is starting to panic. For all his apparent bravado and confidence, he IS afraid to die.
“something as banal as men with guns”
Ramsus could not hold anything back; they were all seconds away from being killed.
“the power surging back into the suit”
I always love seeing battles in which this happens; taking and using the weapons and equipment of the enemy. Of course, the enemy could do the same to you. I’m sure Grey has drilled it into the Deep Eyes’ minds; do not lose your weapons or your equipment.
“blood flowed out of it”
I feel sick…
“a Warp field that bypassed the shields completely”
Ramsus was angered at not being allowed to wield his biotics nor carry a weapon, rendering him near-useless as he, Garrus, Jensen, Hannibal and Teg followed not-Conrad Verner.
“some of the splatter made its way onto his waiting tongue”
This seems to literally invigorate him. Also, the difference between Ramsus and the bloodthirsty Templars and Wreav is that he doesn’t hide behind religion or retribution. He is a monster and he knows and likes it.
“ready to be torn apart and devoured”
This is the person who is now one of Hein’s team…
“he fired all of his weapons at him”
I wonder if there are Krogan cannibals.
“no longer suppressed…The blue one would not stop flying around, while the black one was even better at teleporting than Jack”
I love this.
“Despite all of his training, he just could not contain the terror in his voice”
Johan Ramsus. Archangel. The Shadow of Elysium. Saren is not the only person who could sow fear and terror. Many Krogan warlords hope to be the one to defeat Jensen. I wonder how many Turians are envious or jealous of Garrus’ reputation. Now I’m imagining an accomplished and brilliant Turian General, victor of many battles for the Turian Hierarchy, who is also a skilled fighter and marksman. Also, Pallin is still one of my favorite characters of this series. He is the real reason that Jensen and Garrus were both able to become the super-cops that they are now. Would Jensen and Garrus follow his word over Hein’s?
“tossing the poor bastard’s severed head back at Corvin’s feet…Stay in formation!”
They panic, they die.
“a turian, of all things!”
This made me smile.
“a quick reloading trick with Thermal Clips instead of a heatsink”
I love this.
“a drill shot in the heart”
Never let it be said that Corvin is not a skilled fighter. By the way, as I type this, I am listening to Flight of the Silverbird (Two Steps from Hell).
“No doubt to try and resuscitate him”
This is why Hein wanted to recruit Jensen. It isn’t Jensen’s strength. It’s his heart.
“in a way that ensured maximum blood splattering”
He instils fear and horror in his opponents and enemies. It’s a weapon to him. It helps that he enjoys doing it too.
“screamed, or roared, or screeched”
Does this particular ability cause Ramsus great pain?
“perforated and roasted corpses, and the burned wounded”
Colonel Walter E. Kurtz: ‘The horror…the horror…’
“Oh god…the smell”
Jensen was in Elysium. He’s seen and smelled worse.
“choking back screams”
Every single person that died here was a person. But it was life or death. Either the heroes kill them or be killed themselves. Thanks, Corvin.
“screaming as the house was devoured by Wildfire”
Jesus Christ…
“It never did”
It never does for anyone. Hein knew that when he set out on his campaign of vengeance.
“Perhaps it was not wise”
He’s mocking Corvin now, and rightfully so.
“Is that not heroism?”
Oof. Yeah…loyalty to a government or nation? That’s just a group of people, like any other.
“What about you, Corvin?”
It would have been merciful to kill Corvin. But Ramsus is a sadist. He wants Corvin to live. I wonder if Corvin and Anderson would meet again. If so, I suspect that the only thing Anderson would have to say to Corvin is a double-tap to the head.
“said Ramsus, disappointed”
He wants to be their friend already, doesn’t he?
“a quick glare from Ramsus”
Ramsus is getting annoyed with Garrus’ continued refusal to accept the existence of psychic powers. I wonder what it would be like for Ramsus to try to de-convert a fanatical Templar. Cue Hein snarking that he thought Ramsus could manipulate anyone.
“He could push into Brea and Vakarian’s minds”
Ramsus is a very dangerous person.
“This was going to be so much fun”
I love Ramsus.
“Jacob Taylor”
Taylor to me is one of the more underrated characters of this series. I still love the moment in which he ordered Ashley to stop with the ‘self-flagellating’ and to get out of the prison cell and back to her post.
“wearing little else against the cold”
Anderson is a tough old bastard and an old-school veteran of many battles. He is also one of few Alliance marines to have personally met and interacted with Council Spectre Saren Arterius.
“the heavy hitter of the group, no doubt”
Ha!
“after a moment’s consideration”
I love this scene so much.
“If your VIP is in there, then he’s not long for this world”
I thought of the mission in Hue City in Call of Duty: Black Ops. I hate that Black Ops 3 went full futuristic. (looks at Titanfall 2) That game is awesome on the other hand. I need to play it one day.
“Suicide missions are what I do best”
Aka he forces or even manipulates his enemies to commit suicide.
“he felt a tingle in his teeth and a shiver down his spine”
Edgar Hein: ‘It’s NEVER the wind!’
“sent her charging forward towards the Alliance frigate”
What will come in the next chapter is one of just many memorable battles in that chapter alone.
“we might be looking at a 20k one, folks”
…you liar. It’s over 60k. I’m getting a headache already.

I’ll be honest, Ignusdei; Chapter 41: Noveria – Finale is going to be the longest chapter of ANYTHING I have EVER reviewed. It will probably take me two if not three weeks to finish it, maybe even longer. I’ve got a public holiday (possibly two) coming up, so I’ll use those to try to focus on the review. But I wouldn’t expect the review to be finished any time in the near future.
And because it’s so epic, I wouldn’t expect any reviews for War of the Outer Rim either; I’ll have to focus fully on Chapter 41 (46 in FF net) of ME:HR.
This is your fault for writing the most epic chapter I have ever read, published or no. It’s going to be a nightmare to review that one. I can’t imagine what it was like for you to write it. But I’m gonna review it.
Do more promotion and advertising, Ignusdei. Get your stories and artworks out there. Get ME:HR serialized and published like Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. (Kyn on this website (and at Archive of Our Own) is an incredible writer, one of the best I have ever seen, and is pursuing her own dream/ambition while also writing more chapters of her current ongoing series at Archive of Our Own)
Keep on writing, and I’ll keep on supporting. Go for it!
Now that this review is done, I’ll be spending the rest of the day reviewing Chapter 18 of Sage-of-Eyes’ Oregairu/Danmachi crossover…