Spectres

The Spectres, formally the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch and abbreviated ST&R, were agents entrusted by the Citadel Council with extraordinary authority, including the power of life and death over the inhabitants of the galaxy. Drawn from a number of different species, they formed an elite group whose primary responsibility was to preserve galactic stability by whatever means necessary. Generally regarded as being above the law, they had complete discretion over their methods, though a Spectre's status could be revoked by the Council in cases of gross misconduct.

Origins in the Krogan Rebellions#

The Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch was founded in 693 CE, shortly before the Krogan Rebellions began, at a time when the Council was uneasy about the unchecked expansion of the krogan into Citadel space. The first Spectres were chosen from the finest salarian Special Tasks Group operatives and asari huntresses. They were intended partly to function in an observational capacity, but also to serve as the Council's first line of defense.

When the krogan finally turned against the Citadel, the Spectres were ready. They used guerrilla tactics such as computer viruses and devastating sabotage to slow the krogan down before the turians joined the conflict. For years their activities remained a Council secret, but their role was made public after the Rebellions were over. All records of the Spectres were sealed and granted only with the Council's permission, and it was never even clear how many there were; outside intelligence estimated fewer than a hundred.

Selection and standing#

Each Spectre was hand-picked by the Council after proving themselves an individual of exceptional ability and self-reliance. In theory a Spectre could be chosen from any race, but in practice they were usually selected from the Council races, and having one chosen from their kind often raised a species' profile on the Citadel. Many alien races had been part of the Citadel for centuries without ever producing a Spectre.

Candidates typically had years of military or law enforcement experience before they were even considered. The screening process involved background checks, psychological evaluations, and a long period of field training under an experienced mentor. Because of this rigorous selection, Spectres might use unorthodox methods but rarely went rogue. When one did, the only solution was to revoke their status and send another Spectre after them, for no one else would be up to the job.

Organization and authority#

Spectres had no command structure. They answered only to the Council, which in some cases preferred not to know the exact details of how a mission was accomplished. They were free to act in any way they saw fit, whether with careful diplomacy or ruthless force, being officially above any law. The dispatch of a Spectre was often less contentious than a military deployment, yet it signaled that the Council was aware of a situation and prepared to act.

The Spectres were modeled on the salarian Special Tasks Group, but with crucial differences: where the STG operated within a command structure and under common law, the Spectres were granted supralegal authority and declared exempt from oversight, selected in recognition of a history of superior capability rather than trained for the role. Some, such as Executor Pallin, regarded the Spectres as a potential risk precisely because they were not constrained by law, while others held them in awe. Spectres also appeared to be stripped of their status once declared legally deceased, requiring reinstatement upon proof that they were alive.

Humanity and the Spectres#

For the rising human nations, a place among the Spectres carried great weight. Ambassador Anita Goyle and later her successor Donnel Udina were both eager to see a human inducted, as this would mark a first step toward humanity gaining a seat on the Council. The first candidate was David Anderson, but his observer, the turian Spectre Saren Arterius, sabotaged the evaluation, falsifying his report to make Anderson appear responsible for casualties caused by Saren's own ruthless tactics. On the strength of that report, the Council refused Anderson entry.

The second candidate was Commander Shepard, whose exposure of Saren as a renegade Spectre led to Shepard's own induction in 2183. This event preceded humanity's attainment of a Council seat, which followed Saren's attack on the Citadel a short time later. Spectre status was not without precedent for refusal: in the previous thousand years only two people, both asari matriarchs, had declined an offer to join. Following Shepard's death and later resurrection, the Commander could be reinstated by the Council, or could decline reinstatement.

Notable Spectres#

Among the most renowned agents of the modern era were the turians Saren Arterius and Nihlus Kryik. Saren was the youngest turian ever appointed by the Council and was once called its "top agent" and a "living legend," before his status was revoked in 2183 when his rogue activities were confirmed; he was killed during the Battle of the Citadel. Nihlus, one of the most decorated turian Spectres, was killed by Saren during the attack on Eden Prime in 2183.

The first Spectre was Beelo Gurji, appointed in 693 CE. Formerly a salarian operative accused of using thirty civilians as bait to flush out a target, he was offered the chance to establish the Spectres rather than be incarcerated. Other notable agents included the asari Tela Vasir, later exposed as an agent of the Shadow Broker, and the salarian Jondum Bau, who investigated an indoctrinated hanar diplomat on the Citadel in 2186. Commander Shepard became the first human Spectre in 2183, and after Shepard's example a second human candidate could later be nominated by Councilor Udina.