Mass Effect Betrayal Act 1- Shepards Revenge

Chapter 39

Shepard gazes out of her viewport, taking in the sight of her troops arriving. It's been six days since she and Garrus shared the story of how Sara became the Director of Alliance Intelligence with the crew. The blizzard on Noveria is still going strong, adding to the challenge they face. Hackett, Garrel, and their troops are busy preparing for the invasion of the Norverian Tundra, leaving Shepard with lingering doubts about the situation of their mission. The intel they have on enemy numbers and capabilities is scarce, with the only certainty being Sara's control of a pet Reaper. Shepard withdraws to her room, waiting for the briefing to begin. The presence of three different factions adds to the complexity: the Coalition forces, Phoenix operatives, her own Battered Bastards and the Alliance. She takes a moment to go over some reports, reminded of her promise to return to her troops, only to find that circumstances have now shifted, with them coming to her instead.

The weather, which should have calmed down days ago, has actually intensified, confirming the reports of the Reaper's influence. As Shepard reads, there's a chime at her door, and she grants Garrus entry. He walks in, holding a padd in his hand.

"Shepard... My sister has sent a... peace offering," he says, handing her the padd. Shepard takes a look, seeing a video of Sara on Akuz, engaged in some activity involving a Reaper.

"What am I seeing here?" Shepard asks, her curiosity piqued.

"What you're witnessing is what changed her mind about helping you," Garrus explains, pressing the play button.
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The video shows Sara in her office at the old research building on Akuz. Her mask is off, and she seems visibly disturbed, pacing back and forth. She approaches the workstation, pressing a few buttons while muttering to herself. The human reaper husk lies on the table. Suddenly, she doubles over in pain, gripping her head and screaming in agony. Shepard recognizes that pain, having felt it herself. She continues watching as Sara looks up at the camera, her once dark and cold eyes now glowing with a mechanical and even colder light. The screaming stops, and she stands up, glancing over at the husk. Her demeanor becomes rigid and mechanical. She emits a beep chime, checking a message on her wrist. Then, she heads to her armory, her eyes still radiating a faint, mechanical blue.
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The video ends after Sara leaves the armory and the building. Shepard hands the padd back to Garrus, gets up from her seat, and walks over to her desk. The realization of how Sara became enthralled by the Reapers hits her, and a single tear falls onto the table. She had hoped that Sara was still herself, but now she knows she's lost.

"So... She was indoctrinated during her business trip after Faros..." Shepard says, wiping away her tears.

"Shepard... The video is time-stamped weeks before you bombed Alliance HQ in London..." Garrus clarifies. Shepard turns to face her best friend, shaking her head in disbelief. The beep and chime she heard could only mean one thing: it was Shepard's message asking for Sara's help. Shepard breaks down, and all Garrus can do is offer a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"How did she even get hold of the video?" Shepard asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern, as Garrus looked at her.

"We're not sure. She mentioned that an interested party sent it to her... but we don't believe it was Phoenix," Garrus responded, his tone reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the source of the video. Shepard wiped away her tears and, activated her Omi-tool to send a quick message to Liara. She trusted Liara's expertise in finding information, especially in uncovering hidden or hard-to-reach sources. The response came back swiftly, confirming her suspicions. Liara had indeed discovered the video buried deep within the security cameras' memory banks and immediately sent it to Solona Vakarian, along with other emails and videos that confirmed Sara's indoctrination by the Reapers. What caught their attention was the forceful nature of the indoctrination, rather than the subtle whispers in her mind. Shepard couldn't help but wonder if she had been wrong in her assumptions. However, the way Sara had acted, moved, and seemed constantly watched and influenced hinted at the manipulative grip of the Reapers. She now firmly believed that Sara was no longer herself, merely a puppet controlled by the puppet masters who were still alive and thriving.