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Shilah Xen nar Rayya checked the thermal clip of her Predator heavy pistol, "What's the turian's name?"
Behind his stout desk, Captain Bailey glared at her. "Tedaris Lukaren. You're not planning on shooting up my wards, are you?"
Shilah retracted the gun and put it back on her belt. Hands on her hips, she glared right back. "I thought this job was meant to ensure no one shot up your wards. I won't cause trouble, I just need assurances of my safety."
Bailey eyed the gun, "Right, well, just try to avoid it. I like you Shilah, you're dependable and you know when to keep your head down. Doesn't mean I'll hesitate to throw your ass in a holding cell."
She leaned over and gave him a reassuring smile. He couldn't see this, however, so she patted his shoulder. "Don't worry Captain, I'll have him out of the wards before those mercs even pass through customs."
Shilah stood up straight and looked out into the bustle of the 27th level of the Zakera Ward. The bright neon glow of shop signs and Galatic News broadcasts danced off her helmet, giving a warped reflection to anyone who would look. All different races passed under the neon lights, either shopping, talking or being otherwise engaged. In the crowd, Shilah saw no more than seven turians. Still, finding just one would be difficult.
She looked back at Bailey, "Any idea where I can find this Tedaris?"
Bailey leaned back in his chair and scratched the side of his head, thick fingers running through short white hair. "All my contacts say Dark Star, so start there. They seemed kinda edgy though, so they might be lying. It's as good a start as any though."
Shilah gave a curt nod, "That's all I need. I'll send you a message before I hit the relay jump."
Bailey leaned back forward, "Thanks again Shilah. I'll see what I can do about those vagrancy charges."
Shilah swallowed hard, but said nothing. Another nod, and she was gone into the bustle of the wards.
She worked her way through the crowds to the empty staircase and took them two at a time. Once on the 28th floor, she went straight to the Dark Star lounge. Going through the first set of doors, she paused in the short stretch of hallway leading to the club itself. Heavy bass pounded through the doors, any other music stifled by the thick steel doors. Beside her a pair of humans talked in hushed tones, their foreheads rubbing together as they held each other. Shilah raised an eyebrow but said nothing, she just needed a few moments privacy.
Standing away from the couple, Shilah pulled up her omni-tool and opened a blank document. On the virtual keyboard, she typed in a short message:
Mother found me a great man! I wonder if he's the one?
She saved the document to her network and closed her omni-tool. With a reassuring pat to her weapons, she went up to the club's door and pressed the centre button to let her in. The green hologram shimmered and disappeared, and with a hiss, the doors opened.
The heavy bass found its accompaniment in high pitch synth notes, the full force of the music hitting Shilah square in the gut. She strode into the club a few steps and looked around slowly, getting a feel for the quantity and temperament of the crowd. What people were there seemed interested solely in having a good time, dancing and drinking their concerns away.
Shilah stepped from the cold blue light of the club's edges into the warm glow surrounding the bar and leaned her elbows against the counter. She waited with her head down while the music ebbed and flowed, getting louder then softer in a steady current.
A voice interrupted her thoughts, "You alright?"
Behind the counter, the turian bartender shook a drink while looking at her over his shoulder. The drink properly mixed, he poured it into a glass for an asari patron and took her credits. He walked towards Shilah, and with hands on either side of her elbows, leaned forward. He waited.
She nodded, "But I'll be better with a drink."
The bartender chuckled and leaned back, satisfied. "What'll it be?"
"Shot of turian whiskey, thanks."
He crooked an eyebrow then shrugged. "Alright."
He fixed her drink and slid the glass along the counter toward her. She caught it and forwarded the credits from her account to her tab on the Dark Star network. She included a significant tip, and made sure that the bartender noticed.
After eyeing her payment, the turian went about his business and served other patrons each clamouring for booze to keep their buzz going. Shilah stayed at the counter and nursed her drink, occasionally glancing around to get a count of turians in the room. Including the bartender, she counted just six. Turians never were much for dancing, so she wasn't entirely surprised. She was happy that her pool was that much smaller, actually.
After a minute, the bartender returned. "So, how's that drink treating you?"
Shilah downed the rest and slid him the empty glass. "Well. Now I'm just hoping you can do the same."
He sighed, "I knew there was a catch. Nobody tips for my service anymore." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "What do you want, quarian?"
"A turian named Tedaris Lukaren is here. You know him?"
The bartender laughed, "Yeah I do. Why do you want to know?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I don't like selling my customers out, not even for other ones that tip well. Like yourself."
Shilah sighed and glanced around, "It's a favour for Captain Bailey of C-Sec, alright? That good enough?"
The bartender straightened up. "You're Bailey's man? Er, woman?" Shilah nodded, and the turian shrugged. "Better to be on C-Sec's good side, I guess. Tedaris is the barefaced one near the back," the turian jerked a finger over his shoulder. "Can't miss him."
Shilah looked past the bartender, and saw the back of a turian's head. With a lead to follow, she thanked the bartender and made her way through the crowds to the back wall. She tapped the Galactic News panel there and listened to the news with the screen off. The lights of the club made the blank display like a mirror, and through it Shilah watched the lone turian at the rear table slide a glass between his two hands. Back and forth, back and forth. Unfortunately, the image was too blurred to make out any facial marks. Shilah sighed. No more sneaking around.
She stopped the news replay and headed for the table. She watched the turian as she approached, and when she got close enough to pull back a chair, he looked up from his sliding glass. His face wasn't bare, thin markings covered it in an intricate pattern that could only be a clan symbol. Shilah cursed under her breath, and looked the turian in the eyes.
"Oh, sorry, um… did you need this?" she asked, pointing to the chair she had pulled back from the table.
The turian shook his head, "Nah, it's all yours."
Shilah thanked him, her mind racing to find a place she could bring the chair without looking like a total fool. She looked one last time at the turian and noticed something strange.
His markings weren't coloured. At all.
She squinted and leaned in closer, which caused the turian to pull back slightly, "Something wrong with my face?" He grinned nervously, mandibles extended, "If there is, I'd really prefer to not know. Not a whole lot I can do to change it. Genetic modification is a bit above my paygrade."
When he smiled, the light caught the markings on his mandibles, and Shilah realized what was wrong. They weren't markings, not anymore. They were lines of scar tissue.
Shilah plopped down onto her chair, and leaned forward on the table, "Are you Tedaris Lukaren?"
He laughed, a sound that eased in between the notes of the booming music. "Yeah, that'd be me. What's the trouble?"
Shilah leaned back, "I'm a friend of Bailey, from C-Sec. He wants you off the Citadel."
Tedaris sighed, "Alright. Can't it wait though? I have one last meeting I want to attend before I get shipped off somewhere."
Shilah shook her head, "No. We have to leave, now."
"Okay, well, there's the door," Tedaris said, pointing over his shoulder. "I'll meet you as soon as I'm done."
"Didn't you hear me? C-Sec orders, we have to leave the station now."
Tedaris rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, orders, I know the drill. But I already said I'd attend this meeting, and I don't want to back out now."
Shilah growled and rested her helmet in her palm, "How long will this take?"
Tedaris glanced over his shoulder and looked back to her with a smile. "They just arrived. Don't worry, it'll be quick." He downed the rest of his drink and stood up.
Shilah stood as well, and looked to the door of the club. Standing there, in full body armour, were five well-armed mercenaries. The batarian at the front of the group looked around in irritation, point a finger in Tedaris' direction once they'd been spotted. The other mercs followed his gaze and began to close in.
Shilah's hand shot out and grabbed Tedaris' shoulder, her voice on edge. "What type of meeting is this?"
He stopped to think. "Well, I don't really know if it has a 'type', per se," he said. "They're here to kill me, if that helps."
At the head of the merc group, the batarian pulled a M-12 Locust off his back. "Tedaris! I didn't think you'd show!" he screamed over the music, his top right eye looking down the barrel. In an explosion of noise, the patrons of Dark Star bolted to the sides, and moved behind the mercs toward the door. Behind the bar, the bartender sighed and crouched out of sight.
Tedaris shrugged, "I said I would, didn't I? Now come on, I have a flight waiting. Let's make this quick."
1. [Talk it over]
2. [Grab Tedaris and run]
3. [Point gun at mercs]