The Citadel Space Station, which is the political, cultural, and financial center of the galactic society of the Mass Effect world.
It has a total length of 44.7 kilometers, a diameter of 12.8 kilometers, and a total weight of 7.11 billion tons. It is the largest man-made celestial body in the entire galaxy, bar none!
At this time, the Normandy 2 spacecraft is on the same orbit as the Citadel space station, and is flying synchronously with the Citadel at the same speed... Because, it needs to wait for authorization before it can enter the port of the Citadel sanitation area. Otherwise, those defensive cannons are not a joke. Any unknown ship that dares to approach without permission will not have a better ending than being bombarded to pieces!
Especially after Saren's surprise attack on the Citadel, although on the surface it doesn't seem to have changed much, privately, the Citadel Council has secretly enhanced hidden security measures, such as more patrol fleets around it. Come back anytime for reinforcements, or more star cannons, missiles, pulse weapons, and more.
"Wow~!"
"It's amazing...Is that the Citadel space station we are going to? It looks really big..."
o(?Д?)っ!
Speaking of which, this seems to be the first time that Annie has seen such a big space station!
Even in her Federation of Heroes and her Koprulu sector, there was no man-made celestial body as large as this one.
That's because the development model of Keprulu sector technology is completely different from the core technology of this world!
The current Federation of Heroes has mastered the fusion energy core and the convenient and fast long-distance jump technology. Of course, there is also the space gate technology that the protoss race is good at. There is absolutely no need to imitate the intelligent life forms of this world. It is also necessary to go to the trouble of building fixed and large-scale Mass Effect relays in the galaxy to serve as transmission nodes, and there is no need to rush to the largest Mass Effect relay like the huge Citadel in front of us. Build a huge city above it that can accommodate people.
After all, compared to man-made space stations and the like, except for military ports and other special-purpose space stations that have to be built in space at key points of defense, the various races in the Koprulu sector still prefer to directly occupy a planet. , and then building colonies one by one on the surface will be more cost-effective!
Moreover, when a war breaks out, the planet will be more resistant to beating than the space station, right?
"By the way, Sister Shepard!"
"Can that Citadel space station, which looks like an octopus, really close up and turn into a warship?"
(??????)?
Lying on the window of the command room of the Normandy No. 2 bridge, she was staring at the big Citadel space station in the distance with her big eyes. After looking at it for a long time, Anne hurriedly asked what was happening not far behind. asked Captain Shepard, who was coordinating the various tasks of the crew and preparing to wait for permission to enter the port.
If she were the captain, she would have ordered the rush in long ago. Why would she have been waiting here for so long?
"Annie..."
Turning to look at the little girl in the distance, the commander with short red hair had to sigh.
"If you want to have fun, please go to another more fun place outside, or go to the second floor below, where there is the crew entertainment room... This is the bridge and combat command room, you are not here. A place for trouble!”
Shepard has been a little confused from the beginning: Who brought this little guy here? She never remembered that she had given an order to give this little guy permission to enter the most critical place on this kind of ship!
Could it be...
Is that Miranda? Was it that guy who, after being annoyed by the other party, threw the other party here without authorization? !
"Of course I know!"
"But……"
"Compared to the entertainment room down there which has nothing interesting, I now feel that... this place is more fun than down there!"
(?????)?
Regarding the Normandy 2 spacecraft, when Anne was on her way to the castle yesterday, she was given a tour of all four floors from top to bottom, whether it was the captain's room, combat command center, crew cabin or engineering department, etc. Go through it again.
This broken spaceship is far worse than her original magic battleship Führer!
Therefore, Annie doesn't want to go anywhere now. She just wants to wait here to fly to the Citadel space station that looks very big, and then have fun all day long!
"..."
"Hasn't the port of the Citadel issued permission to enter the port yet?"
He was choked up by the other party's seemingly reasonable words, and could not utter any rebuttal. After that, Shepard, who didn't want to pay attention to the brat in the distance, could only shake his head and let the other party lie there. Xuanchuang continued to look outside, and then asked the port navigator on the other side.
Just like the little girl said, they have been waiting here for a long time.
"I'm sorry, sir!"
“The Citadel’s reply message shows: They are still checking our information, please wait patiently!”
After the navigator operated on the blue holographic interface screen for a few seconds, he finally turned to Captain Shepard behind him and explained with regret.
Without permission to enter the port, they could only wait and watch other spaceships and warships coming in and out and just stare.
"Keep waiting and enter the port as soon as you get permission!"
"Yes! Sir!"
"..."
Shepard shook his head and vaguely knew why, so he had no choice but to turn around and walk towards the little girl who was still lying on the window.
Although her spaceship clearly had invitations from the Star Federation Council and the Citadel, it was obvious that it would still be blocked by the port for so long!
In fact, it's just because: her spaceship, the Normandy II, is actually an improved version of the Normandy that Cerberus stole the Star Alliance and Citadel data to produce and replicate, and it is the same as hers that was blown up before. The original Normandie was so similar, and it had not yet been registered. It was truly a "black ship", so it was understandable that it would be reviewed for a longer period of time.
It would be damned if a ship like theirs without registration information could sail directly to the port area of the Citadel without verification and inspection!
If anyone could go in casually, the one who came now was not Shepard, but some other terrorist who had packed up a boatload of antimatter warheads or ordinary fission and fusion warheads and ran to the Citadel. If there is a suicide attack internally, the defense of the Citadel space station in the distance will be useless even if it is high, and it is even less likely to survive until now.
"Sister Shepard, when can we go in? We've been waiting for more than twenty minutes!"
(ー`′ー)
After watching for a while, Annie was already a little impatient.
Just entering a port would waste so much time... She almost wanted to teleport in alone! In that case, all you have to do is run inside in a swish, and you won't have to wait for the spacecraft to dock!
"Don't ask me, I don't know either!"
Shepard stood next to Xiaojia, and looked with him at the huge space station in the distance that he had fought for... Looking at the Citadel in the distance with its arms open, it was so quietly moving... His orbit is moving among the blue-light nebulae of the Serpent Nebula.
The castle in the distance is divided into a ring area and a guard area. The core castle council and related military and government departments are all in the ring, while millions of residents from all over the galaxy live on the inner wall of the guard area. There are blocks of urban areas...
Once upon a time, this was a gathering place for the rich and powerful from all races in the galaxy...
Of course, it definitely still is!
However, Shepard felt that what those guys definitely didn't know was that the Citadel was the most dangerous place in the entire galaxy, right?
If she hadn't fought tooth and nail to stop Saren's conspiracy, those guys from all races in the galaxy who think they have houses and status in the Citadel Space Station would have become the first targets of the Reapers. Got it!
"It should be soon..."
"How soon is soon?"
(???)?
"..."
(′?_?')
"Did you build this space station?"
(*??????)?
"no!"
"Then who built it?"
⊙(?◇?)?
"have no idea!"
Although he said that, Shepard actually knew it.
Based on the information obtained through her investigation, she guessed that this Citadel space station was not actually built by the technology of the long-extinct Protheans in the previous era, as the official said... because she did not think that the Protheans The technology can create a repeater as big as the Citadel!
Also, those mysterious races called "caregivers" inside are proof that the Citadel was actually created by the Reapers! Those biochemical Zerg who only work step by step and maintain the Citadel have many similarities with the modified objects of the Reapers or Collectors that Shepard has seen!
If there was no connection between the two, she wouldn't believe it!
According to records……
When the Asari of this era were the first to discover the Citadel, they also discovered the defenders who filled the entire Citadel - caregivers! They seem to be a very docile multi-legged insect race, and their purpose of existence seems to be just to maintain and repair the huge Prothean space station.
Records in the Citadel Space Station show that previous attempts by multiple council races to communicate and research on the 'Caregiver' have all failed.
Therefore, in the end they had to declare that any behavior that interferes with or hinders the activities of the 'care workers' is illegal! They just acquiesced and allowed the eight-legged insect-like biochemical robots that were not under their control to perform diligent maintenance and repairs on the castle day and night.
And Shepard still remembers that before she was 'killed', she had completed a mission. Then, the Salarians sent her an email and told her that they found that it took 50,000 years for the 'Caregiver' to activate. A hidden switch?
If combined with the harvesting cycle of the reapers she investigated, which takes almost 50,000 years...
It is obvious that the construction of the Citadel Space Station must be related to the Reapers!
Also, Shepard learned from a beacon that the Prothean VI said: They had previously changed the settings of the Citadel's guardians and cut off contact with the Reapers. Now, in addition to maintaining the Citadel, the guardians Otherwise, it is completely useless! And this can also be consistent with the way Saren had to raid the Citadel and planned to open the repeater to let the reapers come to the galaxy!
To sum up, as far as she knows, the Citadel Space Station should be made by the Reapers!
However, as her mind raced, she didn't want to talk to the little girl in front of her about this kind of thing, nor did she want to waste words with the politicians in the Citadel!
If they were not about to die, they would definitely not believe her.
"Is there such delicious food in that castle?"
(?ω?)?
Annie didn't care what Shepard next to her thought, she just continued to ask the questions she liked.
"Of course there is!"
Not only is it delicious, the Citadel space station, which is the political, cultural and financial center of the galaxy, has countless dignitaries or rich people of all races inside! Under such conditions, if other people try their best to get something that pleases them, then it simply doesn’t take too much!
Whether it’s eating, drinking, playing, or even other illegal activities, there are simply countless! In that decadent city, the rich and powerful can literally do whatever they want!
"What about the fun stuff?"
(╯▽╰)?
"..."
"Yes!"
Shepard's eyelids twitched, and she didn't understand. Did this kid have nothing else to do besides eating, drinking, and having fun?
It seems that we have to find a way to quickly find a place to settle this guy who is not good at learning, and then let him go to school properly! Of course, the Citadel Space Station is definitely not possible. Shepard cannot afford for the other party to live and study here.
"Great! I will definitely go there for a big meal later, and then have a good time!"
<(￣︶￣)↗[GO!]
"..."
"Annie, of course it's okay if you want to play, but do you have the money?"
Although he didn't want to dampen the other party's enthusiasm now, Shepard still reminded the other party in a funny way. Going to the Citadel space station to eat and drink, this kind of thing, even Shepard would not dare to think about it!
"Money? Gold and gems, okay? I have lots and lots of those things!"
U.S. dollars or something, that’s definitely not possible!
That kind of green banknote, here in the Milky Way, is just a piece of waste paper that no one picks up when it is dropped on the ground. It has no monetary value! Therefore, Anne herself only has those golden pieces of gold, which are common in most of the world at least.
"..."
"There is no junk collector in the castle, nor any minerals... all they want is star coins!"
Knowing that this would be the case, Shepard was almost amused by the other party's innocent thoughts! If gold and gems could really be used as currency, she could just find a rich ore planet or asteroid and get a lot of them!
In the entire galaxy, the most indispensable and least valuable thing is various minerals! On the other hand, the most valuable and scarce thing is the magical element zero! They are the hard currency in the entire galaxy besides star coins!
They are even easier to circulate than star coins and more popular!
(lll￢ω￢)
"……."
"Star coins...what are star coins? Are they gold coins?"
?(?????)?
If it were gold coins, Anne said she had them too, and she had many more, which would definitely be enough for her to eat, drink and have fun for a long time.
"Star coins are money, a virtual cryptocurrency that can be circulated throughout the galaxy. When placed in their respective general tools, they are just a string of numbers!"
Shepard raised her left and right hands. There was a universal tool module on her wrist. She could check the number of her star coins or use them whenever she wanted.
"Ah? Then slide it a little bit and show it to me. I'll see what the star coin looks like."
?(????)
After thinking about it, Annie immediately raised her hand.
There is also a light and elegant multi-purpose tool on her left wrist. It was made for her by an uncle with a doctorate in the engineering department. It is very light, not clumsy, and a little beautiful. Everyone needs a multi-purpose tool in this world. In the galaxy, she reluctantly took it with her.
And now, its first use has appeared, that is: collecting protection money from the great Captain Shepard!
"..."
"for you!"
The corner of his mouth twitched, and after hesitating for a while, Shepard silently manipulated his universal tool and transferred a little bit of star coins to the other party.
"Eh? Why are there only ten?!"
￣へ￣
"Sister Shepard, please don't be so stingy. Give me tens of thousands more stars without killing anyone!"
(｀へ′)σ!
Annie was angry. How stingy does this person have to be to only give herself ten star coins? Although she doesn't know the specific value of star coins, ten star coins or something is definitely not a lot of money! I remember when she first joined the defunct S.H.I.E.L.D., Uncle Colson and the others gave her several wads of green bills all at once, for fear that she would be hungry and have no money to buy anything to eat!
But now, look at this bad guy Shepard... he only gave himself ten star coins? This is simply unreasonable!
"..."
"This is the operating capital of our Normandy II. I don't have much myself. If I pay tens of thousands, you should stop dreaming!"
"Ten star coins are a lot, little one, you have to be satisfied!"
As soon as he reached out, Shepard pushed away the other person's little head.
Because the money in her hand does not belong to her alone, and she does not dare to spend it randomly, let alone give this little guy too much! And once the overdraft affects subsequent expenses and supplies, it will be difficult for her to continue the mission she shoulders.
Moreover, she is not the parent or guardian of this kid. Now she is providing food and drink for him, and also looking for opportunities to make arrangements for him. This is very good. How could she still send money to him randomly to squander it?
"But... what's the use of only ten star coins? Can they allow me to have a big meal?"
(?_?)?
Anne, who was a little unclear about the purchasing power of star coins, could only ask again after wondering for a while.
"..."
"Don't even think about a big meal! When the time comes, just buy a few candies or some snacks!"
If it were on another planet or a cheaper space station, the purchasing power of ten star coins would indeed be enough for this little guy to have a big meal or something, but... here at the Citadel Space Station, there are no thousands of star coins, that's Don't even think about it.
After all, this place is a high-consumption super interstellar city, and the prices of various things are simply ridiculously high!
"But, I don't like sweets!"
"Amorin's mother told me that if children eat too much sugar, it will be bad for their teeth!"
(?_?)……
This bad guy only gave me ten star coins to buy a candy... Annie thinks she has the urge to use the reality gem to manifest 10,000 candies and smash them to death! She finally arrived at this place called the Citadel Space Station. How could she just buy a candy?
What does this mean for her great Lady Queen Anne? Is her ladyship, Queen Anne, the kind of brat that can be dismissed with a piece of candy? !
Only a big meal can satisfy her; only a big meal can make her feel happy; and only a big meal can give her the mood and desire to continue playing happily in this world!
In short, a delicious and extremely delicious meal can give her the motivation to stay well!
"Whether you like it or not is your problem. Anyway, I won't give you any more star coins."
After turning off his multi-tool, Shepard hugged his arms and looked down at the little guy who was still unsatisfied and pouting angrily.
Everything else is easy to negotiate, but if you want money, that’s definitely not possible! She, Shepard, will never give another penny to the other party!
"Sister Shepard, you are not only poor, you are also a miser!"
(??.???)
"Hmm? Then what?"
If the provoking method was useful to Shepard, she wouldn't have been fighting the Reapers for so long.
"..."
"Let's do this, Sister Shepard. I have many Big Ivans here. How about... I'll sell them to you for 10,000 star coins each, do you want them?"
(?乛?乛?)?
"It's great value! I have a lot of this stuff. I can barely sell you ten or eight of them, no problem!"
Anne, who had a paranoia of being persecuted, couldn't sleep without bringing a hundred boxes with her when she went out. Fortunately, after unifying the Koprulu sector, she had such a high prestige that she even let the Federation's The Academy of Science honestly gave her those scary things and the little fat robot.
"??"
"What is Big Ivan?"
Shepard wasn't sure what the other party was talking about, but she seemed to have a vague impression of 'Big Ivan' or something like that. It seemed like it was the weapon code name of a country on Earth?
But what exactly it was, she kind of forgot.
"It's a good thing that is activated, launched, and then exploded, destroying half of the planet!"
(‵▽′)ψ
Annie raised her little fist and made gestures.
Her Big Ivan not only has a short-range jump device, suitable for launching strikes against enemies from long-range visual range, but it can also be launched within visual range! However, the guy who does that must be mentally prepared to die with the enemy.
"Ha! Are you talking about that kind of super nuclear weapon? How could you have such a thing?"
After being stunned for a while, Shepard finally remembered what 'Big Ivan' was.
"I really do!"
ヽ(`Д′)?
"Okay, okay, you have it!"
"Hmph! Do you want it? If not, I will sell it to someone else!"
"Haha! Whatever you want, little guy!"
Of course Shepard would not believe that this kid had dangerous items that stipulated in the Citadel Convention for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)! Even the Star Alliance is very strict about the management and use of nuclear weapons, let alone the little girl in front of them.
"..."
"Sir! The authorization identification number for the port has been received. Do you want to enter the port?"
At this time, the navigator suddenly turned around and asked.
"Enter port immediately!"
After hearing that the matter he had been staring at for a long time was finally resolved, Shepard, who didn't want to continue to be entangled with someone, turned around and walked towards the captain's position. She didn't want to continue to tangle with that little guy who wanted to take advantage of her star coins!
That money is their working capital. Where can they use it for the other party to eat, drink and have fun?
Also, the consumption level of the city in the Citadel space station is so high. No matter how much I give, how can the little money given by Cerberus be enough for this brat to squander?
So, it’s better not to give it at all!
"As you command, sir!"
"Normandy 2 has issued a docking request...The request has been approved, now entering the port!"
"Attention all crew members, prepare to enter the port. If you need to leave the spacecraft, please prepare in advance and accept the review of the port staff in turn..."
"receive!"
