The host and I made eye contact and he gestured me forward. "Ah, Commander Shepard." He had a French accent. "Your table is ready."

I looked around the host and saw Joker. He had his arm in the air. I raised my hand to show I'd seen him. I made my way through the restaurant to Joker's table. It was in the far back corner.

"Hey, Shepard. Not bad, huh? This sushi place is serious. Like, 'French guy at the door' serious."

I sat down.

"Only had to save the galaxy twice to get a table here. You've seen the line outside?" We both looked to the front. Yeah, it was some line. Someone was waving their arms and tried to dart around the host. I almost felt bad for the host.

"But here I am, drink in hand." Joker lifted his glass high. "Best piolet in the universe and a rock star."

"Any news from the Normandy?" I asked. I couldn't decide what I wanted to drink. Get drunk off my ass or be good and drink something boring.

"Ah, you know. Maintenance stuff. It's hard knowing a bunch of strangers are poking around in my ship. I mean…your ship."

"The best we can do right now is park her, and let the techs do their work."

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe an oil change, space tire rotation."

"Right. Trust me, it'll do her some good." I really wanted to ask Joker if he was actually worried about EDI and all those techs touching his 'girl'.

"Oh, I trust you. Not sure about those shifty aerospace engineers. Always stealing the silverware."

Was our silverware even worth stealing?

"Let someone else do the work for once. Hackett's orders. You're on shore leave."

"Yeah, whether we like it or not."

"I'm sure you'll manage." I took a drink. Oh, God, it was awful. What the hell was this?

Joker looked at his empty glass. "I may need a drink that comes with an umbrella."

"I'm the first human Spectre. I'll get you two umbrellas."

"Awesome use of power, boss." He nodded in approval. "So…your email said it was important?"

"My email?" I furrowed my brow. "I'm here because I got a message from you."

"The hell? I didn't send anything." He gestured around us. "Do you really think they'd give me a table here? I'm just the piolet rock star. You're Commander Shepard."

I'd just drained my glass when I heard someone call me.

"Commander!" It was the woman the host had stopped. "Excuse me. Sorry." She ran into a patron dropping her datapad. She quickly scooped it up and hurried over. "Alliance business. Commander, this is urgent."

"I don't think that's the umbrella lady."

"I don't think that's a thing."

"Commander Shepard, I'm Staff Analyst Maya Brooks. Alliance, excuse me." She saluted. "Alliance intelligence."

"Obviously, you are wearing an Alliance uniform." I said.

She either didn't hear me or ignored me. "There are people trying to kill you." She was trying very hard to keep her voice down.

Joker and I shared a look. Was she being serious?

"Yeah, I think Shep's aware of that."

"Did you just call me 'Shep'?"

"No, I don't mean Cerberus and the Reapers! I mean, other people! New people! They're…it's…"

"I'd be concerned if someone wasn't trying to kill me. It'd be weird. I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"Someone is hacking your account! Comm channels, personal records…They're hunting you, specifically."

"Big mistake." I narrowed my eyes.

"Oh, man!" Joker leaned away. "There's the angry face."

I leaned forward. "From the top. What do you know?"

She opened her mouth to speak when the host did.

"Excuse me! You don't have a reservation!"

We all looked. A group of men in armor and carrying guns forced their way in. I flinched when one punched the poor host.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." I'm guessing the captain said. "Tonight's performance is brought to you by random acts of violence." And they started to shoot the ceiling.

Awesome.

When the shots came in our direction, I grabbed Joker. "Get down." And we dropped to the floor. I knocked the table over. It wouldn't make the best cover, but it was better than nothing.

"Man, I love show business." The merc captain laughed. "Spread out, boys! Find me Shepard!"

I saw Brooks hiding behind a divider "Stay there." I ordered. "I'm coming." I turned to my piolet. "Joker?"

"Ow." He grabbed his side. "My pancreas."

"I don't think that's where the pancreas is."

A merc grabbed Brooks by the arm and yanks her from her hiding spot. "Got one, sir!" He dragged her back.

Damnit!

I needed a distraction…

"Joker, find the crew! I'm going after her!"

Why did I leave my gun behind? The one time I don't have my M-16.

Joker got to his feet. "Find the crew. Got it!"

This was going to be hilarious.

As Joker was making his way towards the door, one of the mercs saw him. He pointed his gun and I made my move. I popped up from behind the table, grabbed him, flipped him over the table, and stabbed him good with my Omni-tool. I took his gun. It felt good to have a gun in my hands again.

"You used me as bait?" Joker snapped. The look of disbelief was worth it.

I waved him away. "Go." I had some shooting to do.

I could hear Joker grumbling as he made his escape. Something about the great Commander Shepard using brittle bone guy as bait. The big baby.

Brooks was on the other side of the restaurant and there was 5 mercs between us.

"Brooks." Yeah, head shot. "Stay down."

"Staying down." She called back and then started to chant. 'Don't shoot me'.

I slid to her side. "You'll be fine." I helped her to her feet.

Brooks must have noticed the red beam seconds before I did because she reacted first and shoved me. I landed on the glass fish tank. "Brooks?" I sat up finding her on the ground.

The culprit now turned his attention towards me. He took several shot at me, missing every single one, breaking the glass.

Oh fuck.