A Dish Served Too Hot
Somewhere in the Chilean mountains, a scared little man digs a shallow grave while three commandos watch and laugh at him. He doesn't know why they picked him. He's only an information broker and doesn't use mercs to get the information his clients require. The scared little man wonders who sent the commandos. His biggest client is dead, died three months ago in a gruesome way. The info broker wipes his brow for a moment and gets a kick in the ass for his effort.
"Dig!" yells the commando leader.
The scared man turns to face the leader, "What do you want from me?"
The leader answers, "I want you to dig a hole in the ground. Now dig."
The other two commandos laugh at the little man. The youngest one taunts the man while he digs. "My mom can dig faster than that and I'm fairly sure she's much older than you are." All three commandos laugh at the comment.
The older commando whispers something to the leader. A grin appears on the leader's face. Motioning with hand signals, the three commandos back up a few meters before the leaders throws the scared man into a stasis field and the other two commando simultaneously hit the stasis field with a warp field causing the man to explode into unidentifiable pieces.
"We need to clean this area up quickly, so we can leave," orders the leader. The commandos without haste clean the area up and fill in the small hole the man dug. The three commandos get into their skycar, fly it low over the area to scatter dirt to cover their tracks, then they head east to meet with another information broker in Argentina.
Vicuña
Since Pablo's death, Zippy renamed the Grey Fox Cantina. It's now called The Foxy Cantina. Zippy and Momma have found a few people to help run the cantina. The bar is their biggest money-maker for the past three months. The numerous businesses Pablo's sister, Cristina, owned were sold except for one retail store which a cousin took over. The crime family took a major hit after Cristina's death and to this day has yet to fully recover from it.
The extortion money has dried up because no one is afraid of an old man and old woman making threats. People are afraid of the police chief, but only because he's the police chief. Not the man behind the badge, Vicente Navarro. He's old too, but nowhere near as old as Zippy, but he can't overtly break the law and get away with it. Not after having Spectre Alenko investigating Pablo Araya months ago. Plus with Captain Shepard being stationed in Rio and is a short ride to Vicuña.
Having a Spectre on Earth is making it hard for the Araya family to regroup their strength, but Zippy is working on that. They've yet to find where Alenko hid turncoat, Jaime Pizarro. Maybe he died from his wounds because it's like poof, gone. So, either Alenko has hid him well and off the grid, or Jaime died. Momma wants him in a bad way, but wants to kill him by her own hands. If he's dead, good riddance to bad rubbish.
Momma has paid a handsome fee to the information broker in Santiago named Hector. She hasn't heard from him in several days. Chief Navarro knocks on Momma's front door. He has some news about the information broker and feels he need to tell her in person.
"This better be important, Vicente," says Momma in a rude manner. She only deals with Navarro if she must. She'd rather have Zippy deal with him. Before everything went to hell, it was Luis taking care of that end of things, now it's only Momma and Zippy.
"Trust me, it is," says Chief Navarro. "I found some news about the info broker, Hector. It seems he hasn't been seen in a few days and his family has filed a missing person's report on him."
Momma has a serious scowl on her face. This is not good news, not good at all. Hector's skill at getting the family the information they need has helped them several times throughout the years. She wonders if this has anything to do with her son Pablo and what happened three months ago. "Still nothing on Jaime's whereabouts?"
"Nothing. If Hector had anything, it's gone," replies Navarro.
"Thanks. I appreciate it, Vicente. I need to think about things. I'll contact you soon. I might have an idea on how to find Jaime. I want to make sure it will work before discussing it with anyone," comments Momma. She escorts the Police Chief to the front door. After watching Chief Navarro leave, Momma runs a hot bubble bath and soaks while thinking about her plan.
She believes only a handful of people know Jaime's whereabouts. Spectre Alenko, the Alliance soldier with Alenko, and Captain Shepard. Messing with Shepard is not part of the plan. Plus, she still fears going after Alenko will cause Shepard to become involved. Momma has found out a few things about the soldier with Alenko. He's stationed on the Normandy and is the ship's shuttle pilot. Getting him to come to Earth is a problem, just like getting Alenko to Earth is a problem. The only one stationed on Earth is Captain Shepard and her asari wife, Dr. T'Soni.
So far, they've stayed in Rio and not ventured far from home. Which Momma finds odd. Dr. T'Soni is an information broker, but she is also an archeologist. Maybe being an info broker is taking all of T'Soni's time or is something else keeping the asari scientist close to home? Momma needs to find out and without their trusted info broker, finding what she needs just got more difficult.
SSV Thermopylae
Major Kaidan Alenko holds Jaime Pizarro in the ship's brig. Jaime's been on the ship for his own safety since Alenko moved him from the hospital in Vicuña to the Thermopylae. The criminal wants off the ship, but doesn't know where to go if the Spectre does let him leave. There is a lone guard watching the brig. Since he is the only one there and not considered a threat, Kaidan is trusting Pizarro to behave while under protective custody.
The Major motions for the guard to take a break while he talks with Jaime. "How are you doing today, Jaime?"
"Bored out of my mind. How much longer are you going to keep me here?" asks Jaime.
Kaidan isn't sure what to do with Jaime. He worked for Pablo and his crime family. He swore his allegiance to Pablo's sister, Cristina, the day before she killed her brother. Since Jaime is the only survivor from the explosion at the farm house, Alenko keeps the criminal locked away on his ship's brig. He will either turn him over to the local authorities or the Alliance. Jaime wasn't part of the crew who killed Chief Fallis, which is why Kaidan isn't sure what to do with him.
He knows if he turns him over to the Vicuña police, they'll kill him. He got that feeling from Police Chief Navarro when talking to him that eventful evening at the Araya's farm house. Kaidan gives Jaime a slight grin, "I still don't know what to do with you. If I turn you over to the Vicuña authorities, they'll kill you. But I can't just let you go either."
"You can't keep me here forever." remarks Jaime. The civilian is tired of being locked up in the brig. He's bored and the guard on duty rarely speaks two words to him their entire shift.
"Actually, Jaime, I can. I already know they are looking for you. As far as they know, you've fallen off the grid. Maybe they think you died. But I'm keeping you here for your own safety. Unless you want to help me prove their criminal activities? Then I might consider letting you go," says Alenko calmly to the criminal in his brig.
Sighing, Jaime says, "I'll do what you want, Spectre. Just let me go."
A grin appears on Kaidan's face. "Let me think about how to proceed. I've let them cool off enough and I know they are looking for you. I think you talking to me has pissed them, Jaime. I want to keep you alive."
"I appreciate your concern, but I am quite capable of handling myself when it comes to the old fucker Zippy and Pablo's mother. It's the police I'm most worried about. Chief Navarro is as dirty as Luis if not worse," says Pizarro. The look in his eyes plead let me go free. Or worse be transferred to an actual jail with other people he can talk to. Talking to Alenko once a day isn't cutting it.
Kaidan starts laughing, "What makes you think I'm letting you just walk away? If anything, I'll hand you over to an Alliance court. Or you can sit here and keep me company. You were involved in an ambush to kill Captain Shepard and a few other Alliance personal, me included. Jaime, I already have your statement. You've already confessed to that crime. I want you to help me clean up Vicuña and maybe I'll show you some compassion and let you walk away."
"There's no cleaning up Vicuña unless you plan on taking on the entire police department. It starts with Chief Navarro. Get rid of him and the rest of those fools should fall into place. I'm not worried about an old man or old woman," retorts Jaime with his arms folded across his chest.
"There more going on than you know, Jaime. You'll have to trust me on this," says Major Alenko as he walks away from Jaime's cell and heads to the vid comm to contact Liara. She's been feeding him intel about what is going on in Chile for the past few months.
Rio
Dr. Liara T'Soni sits in the break room with Biekka and her squad. They've returned from the assignment she sent them on last week. Liara asks, "So, everything went well?"
"Yes, ma'am. Everything is taken care of. Hector won't be a problem and Rey is fully on board. Don't worry, Dr. T'Soni, no one will find Hector because there isn't anything left to find. We made sure of that," replies Biekka with a prideful grin on her face. Killing the scared little man was the highlight of their mission. T'Soni pays well and working for her beats working for Aria T'Loak or who ever is in charge of Eclipse now days. Biekka hasn't bothered to check in with Eclipse since Aethtya asked them to work with Liara to aid in the war effort.
"I don't want to know the details on that, Biekka. Thank you. Take the next few days off. I might have another assignment waiting for you. I've been bouncing ideas back and forth with Spectre Alenko about Vicuña," comments Liara with her hand up to let the commando know she's not interested in the details of Hector's death.
Biekka and Metis exchange glances when Liara mentions Vicuña. Metis especially wants to finish off the rest of the crime family. The age of those remaining means nothing to the asari. In human years, they are old, but to an asari, they are still young like Liara. Their actions got Vel killed and put Biekka in the hospital for a few weeks. The squad wants to finish what they started months ago, but Liara assured them, they would get their chance. Theia wants a piece of the action because she stayed behind because she broke her foot.
Now it's looking like they are going to get their chance to finish things in a more satisfying manner. Liara knows enough about what happened to know both Kaidan and the commandos want to set things right. Kaidan's reasoning is polar opposite from the commando's reasoning. Biekka nods so subtly, Metis is the only one who noticed. "I want to be part of the planning, Dr. T'Soni."
"Don't worry, Biekka, you will be. I'll make sure of it," says Liara. The Shadow Broker sips on her cup of hot tea. The buzzer for the front door buzzes when someone walks in. Liara had it installed shortly after opening so she would know if someone walked in. She doesn't always work in the office downstairs. Liara gets up when she hears the door buzz, "Excuse me, I need to see who it is."
Captain Leia Shepard smirks when she sees Liara exiting from the break room. "I got a call from the Council. I'm headed to London to help with a treaty with the krogan and colony rights. I don't know what the hang-up is, but it looks like I'm going to be gone for more than a day or two."
Liara kisses her love's lips. "You're leaving now?" asks T'Soni.
"Yes, I have to leave now. I guess Wrex asked for me yesterday, but no one bothered to contact me until an hour ago. I'm sorry," says Leia before she kisses Liara again.
"It's okay, we both knew this would happen." Liara wraps her arms around Leia and squeezes. While in their embrace, the baby kicks and both parents feel it. "Looks like our little one doesn't want you to go though. Or maybe she's saying goodbye." A sly grin appears on the asari's face.
Shepard kneels down on one knee then places a soft kiss on Liara's ever-growing baby hump. "You be good to your mom while I'm gone. I love you, little one." Standing up, Leia kisses Liara again, "I have to go. I'll call you later tonight. I love you, T'Soni." She flashes the smirk Liara adores so much before heading out the door and into the waiting Alliance shuttle.
"I love you too, Shepard," replies Liara as she watches her love leave for London.
Biekka grins as she overhears the couple's interaction with each other. Shepard is such a bad ass and it shows in the way she carries herself, but when she's with Liara, she's the softest person in the galaxy. It's good to see someone like Shepard have a soft side too. Far too often the hardest soldiers are the hardest people in general, but then her employer's bondmate isn't like most people either.
Liara returns to the break room and the commando unit. "So, Biekka, like I was saying, I'll make sure you are part of this. I understand revenge all too well. I also want to make sure everything goes smoother than it did a few months ago."
Metis says, "I agree." She shrugs her shoulders at Biekka when the squad leader shoots her a nasty look.
"I understood what we were doing before and why we were not in contact with each other. We paid for that lack of communication in the end," comments Lieutenant Biekka.
"We need a tighter plan this time. Alenko agrees with me. He's still holding the lone survivor from the farm house on his ship," says Liara. She pours herself another cup of hot tea.
Biekka nods in approval, "Sucks for that guy, but we should go. I may go lounge on the beach for the rest of the day. Who's with me?" She looks at Metis and Theia both grin at her.
Liara says, "I'll contact you when I hear from Spectre Alenko. Enjoy the rest of the day."
Theia grins mischievously. "I'm sure I'll enjoy myself, ma'am." Even in the winter months, Theia can find a companion for the day or two. It depends on her mood. She rarely sees anyone longer than two or three weeks at the most. Usually, it's a few days.
Laughing at the look in Theia's eyes, Liara says, "Oh, I'm sure you will, Theia."
The commandos leave Liara's office. She watches them get into their car and head east to the beach. Or that is where Liara thinks they are going. She never knows with them. They say one thing then do another. She is thankful they decided to stay and work with her on Earth. So far, they've done their job professionally and they haven't caused any problems. Their willingness to do the dirty work is much appreciated and needed.
The war took a toll on Liara's agents and mercs and she been debating with herself how she wants to rebuild the network for the long-term. The Shadow Broker's agents who are in contact are busy helping the area they are in rebuild. Finding, scrounging, and salvaging as much raw materials as possible is a high priority for all agents in all corners of the galaxy. Liara doesn't care who they are help as long as receive the help they need.
Liara goes upstairs to work when she receives an incoming call from Kaidan. She hits a few buttons on the communication terminal and a holo of the male human Spectre appears. "Hello, Kaidan, what I can I do for you?" asks the asari.
Alenko stands with his hands behind his back, "I have an idea or two about Vicuña. I'd like to discuss it in person, if that is okay with you, Liara."
"That's fine, Kaidan. Tell me when, so I can contact the commandos about the meeting," replies T'Soni.
"Are you sure they are ready for this, Liara? I know Lieutenant Biekka had serious injuries from the explosion." The Spectre will accept their help if they are physically ready. He's sure they want some payback for losing Vel and for Biekka's injuries.
Liara feels Kaja kicking again and puts her hand over her lower abdomen. Well, little one, you're being active today. She focuses her attention on Kaidan instead of her unborn daughter who is being active during the call. Smiling at Spectre Alenko, Liara replies, "Yes, all three have been working for about a month now. Biekka assures me, she's ready for anything."
"How about I stop over this weekend? Noon on Saturday? I'm meeting Steve for the weekend. He has a forty-eight hour pass starting at 0800 on Saturday. I can have him meet me in Rio then we can head to Vancouver." A smirk appears on Alenko's face when he talks about his weekend with Steve.
"1000 instead of noon. Gives you more time to spend with Steve," replies Liara.
"Thanks, 1000 it is then. See you Saturday, Liara. Alenko out," says Kaidan before his holo form disappears. The Spectre has an idea and with the commandos helping, it makes his plan a little easier and safer. The only thing he really needs from Liara is to pass a few bits of information to Chief Navarro in Vicuña. He plans on using Jaime as bait to lure Navarro out or another corrupt cop out into the open and do something stupid. Keeping Jaime alive is a priority for Kaidan, but he gets a feeling they'll attempt to kill him on sight.
Dr. T'Soni sends a text message to Biekka, letting her know about the meeting with Alenko at her apartment at 1000 on Saturday. The Shadow Broker works uninterrupted for the entire day and into the evening. It isn't until Shepard calls at 1720 that Liara decides to call it a day and head home. She talks to Leia for a few minutes then promises to call back when she gets home. Liara has noticed one thing, when Shepard is away, she works longer and loses track of the time.
Saturday Morning
Liara is in the kitchen cooking breakfast for Leia and Biekka. The commando stopped over an hour early, so she could talk to T'Soni about Vicuña without Spectre Alenko being present. Shepard is in the shower and Biekka is sitting on a stool in the kitchen. "Thanks again, Dr. T'Soni for seeing me before the meeting with Alenko."
"You're welcome, Biekka. What is your concern?" asks Liara as flips the banana/pecan pancake. The aroma from the warm pecan fills the air near Liara.
"It's not really a concern, ma'am. More like a problem. From my understanding, Spectre Alenko still has in custody the one who survived. What's his name?" Biekka has it on the tip of her tongue but can't think of it.
Leia walks into the kitchen in time to hear Biekka's comment. "Jaime Pizarro. He's the one who was spying on us when we were at staying at the cottage on the beach. Kaidan needs to turn him over the Alliance and be done with this nonsense." Shepard sits on the stool to Biekka's left. "How are you doing, Biekka?"
"I'm good, Shepard. And yourself?" responds Biekka. The commando sips on her coffee.
"Glad to be home. The Council and their ineptitude at seeing outside their own little world is frustrating to deal with. Then add in the krogan. So yea, Biekka, I'm glad to be home." Leia drinks her glass of orange juice.
Liara brings over two plates, sets the one with pecans in front of Shepard and gives Biekka the one with only bananas. "What's the problem, Biekka?" asks Liara when she sets the commando's plate in front of her.
"Jaime is the problem. As much as I want to finish what we started months ago, the only one left as far as we're concerned is Jaime. He was the only one to survive that day. And your Spectre friend is holding him still." Biekka takes a bite of her pancake. Chews and swallows before turning her head to the left, so she can look at Shepard. "I want him dead, Shepard. I won't lie or bull shit around. I know neither you or Alenko will allow me that."
Leia nods as she eats her breakfast. She sips on her coffee. "I think the police chief got under Kaidan's skin and he won't let it go. He needs to turn Jaime over to the Alliance for prosecution. No, Biekka, I won't let you murder him, but if he's in prison...anything can happen." The first human Spectre winks at the commando with a grin to go with it.
Biekka understands Shepard's meaning and thinks about it. Hell, that works out better. Might even be able to get one of us on the inside as a guard and off the fucker ourselves. I just want that guy dead. I wasn't even there when the authorities showed up, so what ever that issue is, I'm not getting my squad involved. I have a bad feeling about this after talking to Met. Bad feeling. "These are really good. Thanks again, ma'am."
Liara brings her plate and sits at the end of the counter. "I don't know what Kaidan has in mind, but I know this much. He still has Jaime in his ship's brig and the police in Vicuña are looking for him. Kaidan has done a good job of keeping him off the grid."
"How much have you helped in that, Liara?" asks Shepard. Her tone is stoic, but she thinks it sounded a little to accusatory. Leia doesn't like this one bit. She hasn't talked to Liara about it because she didn't want to argue over it. As far as Shepard is concerned, what happened in Vicuña is over. The police chief is a local problem and he is not a galactic threat.
"A little. Is there a problem, Shepard?" asks Liara. Her eyes move from Leia to Biekka then back to her bondmate.
Shepard shakes her head in response to Liara's question. She's not going to argue this now. Leia is waiting until Kaidan shows up to give them all a piece of her mind. He's worried about something a Spectre doesn't need to worry about. Unless he's been given orders by the Council or the Alliance. For some reason, she doubts the Council or the Alliance knows what Alenko is planning. The Council is neck-deep in negotiations with several species and the Alliance is busy rebuilding not only Earth, but it's fleets as well.
Which is what every other species are doing too. Rebuilding their homeworlds and their fleets. So far, everyone is still working together and the biggest issues are in board rooms. Earth is the human homeworld, but every species was either on Earth or in its orbit when the war ended. Most have gone back to their home system, but some have stayed to help rebuild Earth. Leia hopes she can get the others to see the larger picture. What is going on in Vicuña isn't going to tip the balance in galactic affairs and that is what she feels people need to focus on. Not some dirty police chief in a small city in Chile.
Biekka notices the unspoken words between Shepard and T'Soni. The commando gets a feeling this meeting won't go as Spectre Alenko planned. Neither the younger asari or the human say anything to each other, but both are communicating non-verbally. There is a tension in the room that wasn't there before Shepard joined them in the kitchen. Biekka is tempted to leave before Alenko shows up, but she wants to see what the Spectre has to say. She smiles at Liara then to Shepard and thinks of something to say to break the silence and tension. "Have you been to the Rio Diamond Lounge? It's a nightclub not more than a few blocks from here."
Shepard gets what Biekka is doing and appreciates the gesture. "Nah." She leans in closer to the commando and says with humor in her voice, "Liara doesn't think I can dance very well, so we don't go out dancing very often."
"Well, you can't dance, Shepard. Everyone who knows you, knows this." Liara grins at Leia.
"Yes, we've been there a few times. It's a nice club. Liara's right, I can't dance. Maybe some day I'll stop dancing like a soldier. I doubt it though," laughs Leia.
The two asari chuckle with Shepard and they continue the small talk about some of the cities hot spots. Liara mentions the few parks she likes going to on a regular basis. The war has only been over for a few months, but every few weeks a new business either opens or reopens for business. Liara tries to keep up with all the happening in Rio, but is finding that a steep hill to climb.
As the comm buoys come back online, the more intel she has to go through. The less time T'Soni has to spend on Kaidan's request, but she did take care of one problem. Liara knows what Leia is thinking when it comes to Chile and the local authorities versus the big galactic picture. Which is why she's never brought it up. Looking at Shepard, Liara sees a woman who has her mind made up on the topic. She is the calm before the storm. Once, Kaidan shows up, the storm will unleash. Liara can also tell that Biekka senses the pending storm but she will ride it out.
There is a knock on the front door. Liara starts to get off her stool, but Leia waves her off. "I'll get it." She gives Liara a faux smile. Shepard opens the front door, "Morning Kaidan, Steve. Please, come in." The red-haired human extends her right arm towards the living room. She is very good at keep her emotions in check and this morning is no exception.
"Good morning, Shepard," says Steve as he walks to the living room to sit on the couch.
Kaidan follows Steve to the couch. "Morning, Shepard. How are things?" asks Alenko when he sits down.
Liara and Biekka join the others and sit in the two chairs on either side of the couch. Shepard remains standing, pacing. The tension in the room grows with each step Shepard takes. Leia keeps her stoic demeanor when she answers, "Things are going well. The N6's don't care for the new simulation I created for them." A grin appears on her face when she thinks about look on their faces when they fail the simulation. It's her going toe-to-toe with a Reaper on Rannoch. Once she showed them they are able to bring it down, the grumbling stopped.
Kaidan asks, "What is the simulation?"
A beaming smile appears on Shepard's lips when she says, "My stand-off with the Reaper on Rannoch. I've even beaten the simulation with several N6 and N7 present. So, they know it can be done."
"Damn, Shepard. That's a rough simulation. How has Vega done on it?" asks Steve. He turns to look at Shepard.
"Vega needs to earn his N6 first. It's for those who are N6 or N7. It's not required to earn the N7, but it helps the N6 understand what it takes to put everything on the line to complete a mission. It's a good simulation for the N7 to hone their skills on," replies Shepard. She moves around the couch and sits on the arm of Liara's chair.
"I want to see this simulation, Shepard. Just watch. I wasn't with you on that mission. I know the Normandy was shot at it a few times before it stayed down. I can only imagine what it was like up close," comments Kaidan.
Biekka says, "I still can't believe you did that, Shepard. But Dr. T'Soni says she was there and I believe her. Anyone get through it yet?"
Shepard shakes her head. "Nope. Not one. Some get hit by the beam quickly, others last a little longer. No one has been successful at it. I've done the sim more than once and I always manage to complete it." She shrugs her shoulders in a failed attempt at humility . A dry grin appears on her lips.
Kaidan gets right to business. "I have an idea on how to draw out the corrupt police in Vicuña."
Sighing, Leia says, "Let it go, Kaidan. You need to turn Jaime over to the Alliance for prosecution and start worrying about galactic affairs and not some two-bit corrupt local cop."
Taken back by Shepard's comments, Kaidan asks, "You don't think taking out Chief Navarro is important?"
"Not hardly. Dammit, Kaidan, you are too stubborn some times. Navarro is a tiny fish in the galaxy and not worth a Spectre's time nor effort. If you think he's such a problem, let the Alliance handle it. You need to worry about the big picture. Not the small ones," replies Leia. The first human Spectre looks at Steve, the look on his face tells her, he agrees with her assessment of Kaidan.
Kaidan glances at Steve then looks at Shepard. Both are giving him the same vibe and Steve's been saying similar things as Shepard for weeks. Alenko says, "I still think he is worth my time. What makes you think he's not worth it?"
"Really, Kaidan? You think Navarro is worth your time? He didn't believe you were a Spectre. I get that. But you are not looking at this clearly. You became a Spectre when communication to Earth was already cut off. Think Kaidan!" Shepard moves from the Liara's side then gets in Kaidan's face and points her finger at him, "Listen to me Kaidan. Take my advice and let this go. Navarro isn't worth your time. You've held on to Jaime for far too long and you need to turn him over before his case gets tossed." She walks into the kitchen shaking her head in disbelief. When she gets to the kitchen she leans against the counter with her arms flat on the counter top.
The two asari watch Shepard leave the room. Biekka turns her head to look at Kaidan, she says, "Spectre Alenko. I told this to Shepard before you got here. The only person I care about is Jaime. He's the only one left from the farm house." The commando turns her attention to Liara, "I'm going to leave, ma'am. This doesn't involve me or my squad. Thank you again for breakfast. I'll have to make those some time for Metis and Theia."
Liara nods with a somber look on her face. "That's fine and you're welcome. I'm sure they'll like them. I know I do." She walks the commando to the front door. "I'm sorry about this Biekka."
"Don't be, ma'am. I needed to tell him what I had to say. I do agree with Shepard. He's not looking at the big picture. Contact me when you have something for us," says Biekka as she leaves the apartment.
Dr. T'Soni ignores the two men on the couch and heads to the kitchen to talk to Leia. Shepard turns around when she hears footsteps behind her. "Please, don't help him with this, Liara. There is no need for you or Biekka's squad to get involved."
"What's the matter, Leia? Something seems to be bothering you," says Liara.
"What's more important? Galactic peace or some two-bit corrupt cop in a small city in Chile?"asks Leia.
Liara sees Shepard's point, so she doesn't bother to answer her question. "I'll go and talk to Kaidan."
While Liara is talking to Shepard in the kitchen, Steve says, "Kaidan, you know Shepard is right about this. Turn him over. You said it yourself, you want him off the Thermopylae."
"I'm trying to save his life, Steve. Even the commandos want him," comments the male Spectre.
Steve smiles then kisses Kaidan on the cheek, "I know you are and I admire you for it. You know you can't keep everyone safe and he was involved in what happened at the farm house."
Leia and Liara return to the living room. Liara returns to the chair she was sitting in. Shepard remains standing with her arms folded across her chest. The is a long awkward silence between the four friends. Liara looks at Leia, who still looks annoyed, but has kept her feelings in check. The asari says, "I agree with Shepard. We need to focus on the big picture, not small ones."
Major Alenko sits and thinks about what both Shepard is saying but also his boyfriend, Steve. Steve's been trying to get him to turn Pizarro over to the Alliance for a few weeks without success. He sees the point both are trying to make, but he doesn't like being disrespected by a corrupt cop. Especially one in Navarro's position. However, Shepard is right more times than she is wrong.
"Okay, I get it," replies Kaidan as he stands to face Shepard. "Maybe you're right, Shepard. Maybe I am focused on Chief Navarro because he was disrespectful to me. But I also know he is corrupt. Besides, Steve has been saying the same thing for weeks."
Shepard responds calmly, but really wants to yell at Alenko, "I know he is, Kaidan, but he's a small fish. You need to worry about the big stuff. That is what Spectres do. If they become a bigger problem, which I highly doubt they will. Then you deal with them. I'm surprised you have time to worry about them. I know I don't have the time nor energy to worry about what is going on in Vicuña."
Alenko nods to his friend. "I do have other things I need to focus on." He scratches his unshaven chin then looks over to Steve. He gives his boyfriend a sympathetic look. "I'll head back to Thermopylae so I can turn Jaime over to the Alliance. I have everything they need to prosecute him and he did confess. I have a signed statement from him."
Cortez says as he stands to take Kaidan's hand, "We should go. Come on, Kaidan. Thanks for having us over."
Shepard softens not only her stance, but her facial expressions. The red-haired woman says as she grabs Alenko's arm, "Kaidan, wait. Enjoy your weekend with Cortez. Pizarro can wait until you get back."
Liara smiles at her friends, "You're welcome, Steve. Next time you're on leave, we'll have to do something."
"That sounds like a plan, Liara. You and Shepard have a good weekend," comments Steve as he leads Kaidan to the front door. The couple leave the apartment building, heading to Vancouver so Steve can meet Kaidan's mom. The Spectre takes Shepard advice and puts off turning Jaime over until Monday.
Leia flops down on the couch, leans against the arm with her feet on the couch. She rubs her temples. Liara moves Shepard's feet and sits with Leia's feet in her lap. They sit in silence for over ten minutes before Leia asks, "Do you want to do something?"
"Sure, I'd love to. How about a walk around Campo de Santana?" responds T'Soni.
Shepard sits up, kisses Liara's cheek, then says, "Okay, sounds good. It's a nice day outside." The human stands and pulls Liara in for a loving embrace, "I'm not mad, Liara. I'm disappointed Kaidan doesn't see the big picture. Keep tabs on Navarro if you feel you must, but I don't see much point in it. Or find some shady evidence on him and send it to the mayor or city council. Maybe they'll fire him."
Dr. T'Soni squeezes Shepard and a happy, content moan escapes her lips. Liara loves having Leia's arms around her. "I have thought about doing that. Blackmail is a powerful tool if used correctly. I do have things on Navarro, I've not shared with Kaidan." Liara kisses Shepard's lips. The couple checks the apartment to make sure all the lights are off before leaving for Campo de Santana.
Vicuña
Three Months Later
An ominous looking package sits on Chief Navarro's desk when he arrives to work. It's too early in the morning for any deliveries and the package wasn't on his desk when he left his office yesterday. Navarro walks over to the dispatcher, "Did you see who left a package on my desk, Angel?"
"No, sir. I only got here an hour ago," replies the dispatcher, Angel.
"Thank you," says the Police Chief. Navarro reenters his office and looks at the package. No address on it. He scans it with his omni-tool. The scans shows nothing out of the ordinary, so he gingerly picks the package up and opens it. It contains three data pads. One is a note while the other two contain different video footage of the Chief committing crimes and other decadent activities. The note says:
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
You're a dish that is still too hot,
but this should cool you off.
We are watching.
"We who? What is this shit?" asks Police Chief Navarro out loud as he looks at one of the vids of him extorting a food market owner last week. The color in his face disappears when he watches the vid on the second data pad. It's a vid of him with a high-price prostitute in Santiago from three weeks ago.
There is another note attached after the vid:
Leave Jaime Pizarro alone or we will send this and the dozen others we have to your wife and the extortion videos we have to the proper authorities.
Remember
We are watching
Navarro drops the data pad on his desk. The color is still absent from his face and his hands start shaking. Before the he gets a chance to sit down, two Alliance officers with their weapons drawn bust through his office door. "Chief Vicente Navarro, you're under arrest for extortion and conspiracy. You have the right to remain silent," says a third officer, who starts frisking Navarro. He puts the Police Chief's gun and badge on the desk. He continues frisking and finds a second pistol in an ankle holster. The Alliance officer puts handcuffs on Navarro's wrists with his arms behind his back and escorts him from the building. Another officer takes the three data pads before leaving. They also arrest two other lower ranking officers.
When Navarro gets outside he sees Spectre Alenko watching the Alliance officers take him away. Now, Navarro knows who's been watching him. The Spectre he pissed off months ago. He wonders if the Alliance also picked up Zippy and Momma or even Alex? Or was this just about him and his dirty police department. The Alliance officer leads him to a large transport vehicle, Vicente Navarro sees familiar faces when he enters the vehicle.
Zippy and Momma both sit staring at Navarro. The trio has no idea how Alenko got enough evidence to make this type of arrest, but they got it. Can they get the charges to stick in court? That thought is on everyone in handcuff's mind. Zippy and Momma feel they'll walk away from this unscathed. Navarro isn't so sure. If the vids he watched are allowed in court, he's going to prison. The other two officers mostly likely will talk to the Alliance and work out some sort of deal. One Alliance guard stays in the back with the five criminals.
There is a signal from the arresting officer for the transport to leave. Alenko talk to the officer briefly about the arrest and the nature of the charges against Chief Navarro. He assures them, the charges will stick. They planted a few undercover agents in town and one opened a new business which Navarro extorted. They planted the business with bugs in hoping to catch someone from the crime family attempting to extort money. Alenko goes with the Alliance officer to help fill out any necessary paperwork.
In the end, Kaidan got what he wanted while going about it the way Shepard and Steve wanted. Handing Jaime Pizarro over to the Alliance ended up being the right call. Jaime worked with the Alliance to take down Navarro and the corruption in his department. By focusing on Navarro, the Alliance also made the connection to the Araya crime family and got enough evidence to arrest the last surviving members. By helping the authorities, Jaime Pizarro walks away with a new identity and moves to a new location far away from South America.
Too bad for Pizarro, the asari commandos know all too well the virtue of being patient. They have also learned the human saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." With their employer being a powerful information broker, Biekka and her squad are sure, they'll know where he moved too when they inquire about it. The one thing Biekka wants is to make sure this dish is ice-cold before serving.
–
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story. I know some didn't like the Pablo arc, but I did leave a cliffhanger and I wanted to tied that up. No more about Pablo, I promise.
The story for next week is a story about ME3 MP. I've spent so far well over 400 hours playing MP and I got an idea for the story while playing MP.
See everyone then. Enjoy your week.