Keenah awoke to the sounds of crates being moved and the crewmen moving them. Gently shaking Tali awake, he looked out into the cargo hold from their hiding place. He could see several large humans and a number of turians all gathered near the open bay doors, calling out orders to each other. The two quarians moved closer to the doors, waiting for a chance to bolt once the crew were turned away.
"We got stowaways!" A turian shouted, startling the pair. The crew members formed a body wall across the bay and began to advance, not allowing a single escape route for Keenah and Tali. They ran, hid, and scurried to try and avoid the crewmen but were eventually grabbed and subdued. The captain came to them, a look of disgust on his face. The crew looked to him, waiting for his order.
"Give them to C-Sec. These suit-rats aren't worth the bullets." He stated, then turned back to his duties as the crew escorted Tali and Keenah to the nearest C-Sec officer.
******************************ME: The Gift*********************************************
Brandon awoke with a start, sitting up to find himself in a hospital bed instead of slumped on a devastated street. He pulled the sheet off himself, and looked at his left shoulder. Skin will require more time to heal, muscle damage repaired, lost blood replaced, pain relievers and mild depressants present in bloodstream. Status: Active for duty. The mechanical voice explained as Brandon extracted himself from the bed and machines attached to him. With numb fingers, he pulled his armor from a nearby cabinet top and began to armor up piece by piece. When he finished puling his armor on, he looked for his bag and found it in the corner of the room. With his bag slung over his shoulder, he looked for a way out of the room. The door was clearly not the easiest way to escape discreetly, so he went to the window and opened it. He looked out and saw that he was on the second floor overlooking an alleyway. He didn't hesitate as he fell out of the window and landed in the alley. With the pain relievers still in effect, he couldn't tell if he had hurt himself but the voice hadn't told him that he had so he figured he was fine. He activated the nav-point in his omni-tools and headed to the spaceport, knowing that it was where he could find out where Tali and Keenah had gone on that freighter.
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To say Tali was mad would be an understatement. She had tried to get the officers at C-Sec to listen to her but instead she got rebukes and told that if she and Keenah didn't leave the Citadel in the next day, they would be arrested. She led the way up to the Presidium, ignoring the glares and insults. Keenah followed quietly, trying to come up with a plan. Tali and Keenah tried to go to the Citadel Tower to meet with the Council, only to be denied. They questioned Avina for an explanation.
"But we need to see the Council! We have evidence of a Spectre betraying the Council!" Tali exclaimed.
"Do you have an appointment with the Council?" Avina inquired, unfazed by the quarian's outburst.
"No, but…"Tali started to reply, only to be cut off.
"If you do not have an appointment with the Council, the current wait is seven months." Avina explained, ignoring Tali's pleas.
"Tali, we can't reason with…" Keenah interrupted by a gunshot. He fell to the ground, clutching his midsection. Tali reached for Keenah, and felt fire carve a line through her arm. In pain, she dragged Keenah to his feet and they joined the masses of people fleeing the area, alert for any sign of pursuit.
***********************ME: The Gift****************************************************
Brandon could barely sit in the shuttle, his senses ablaze with an overload in the public shuttle transport. He had found out that the freighter was on its way to the Citadel and he had immediately inquired about how quickly he could get there. He had to buy off the spaceport official and the customs officer, but he shortly found himself on his way to the Citadel. His only hope at this point was that Jacobus been grabbed by the Illium security, but he couldn't be sure. To keep his mind off what was happening, he devoted his attention to the financial records from Illium. By the time the shuttle had arrived at the Citadel, Brandon knew that the Illium account was only a part of a vast financial network. He passed through customs using his fake ID and tried to contact Tali.
**************************ME: The Gift*************************************************
Tali couldn't focus anymore. She and Keenah had tried going to the embassy for help, only to be turned by a turian assistant. The assistant didn't even seem to notice that they had been shot and instead told them to leave or he would call C-Sec. Tali and Keenah left the embassies and headed for the Wards. They barely slipped by Jacobus and his goons only to be pursued throughout the Wards. Tali and Keenah had managed to lose them for the moment by hiding in an incinerator, but they both knew they were going to be caught sooner or later. Keenah groaned, then slumped to the floor of the incinerator.
"Keenah, stay with me!" Tali pleaded, her words as weak as her body.
"I…I'm sorry Tali, but that's an order I can't follow…" Keenah said with his last breath. Tali felt the tears begin to run, and she quickly stopped herself from crying. She couldn't quit now; First Brandon, and now Keenah had given their lives trying to make sure that she lived so she could deliver the information. She started to hatch her plan on how to finally kill the man who had stolen her newest and now her oldest friends from her.
Jacobus could hear one of the quarians talking, stopping himself so he could pinpoint the sound. Carefully sneaking up on them, he came around the corner, ready to fire. He saw one of the quarians, recently dead. He lowered his weapon, searching for the other quarian as a small holo spoke near the dead quarian. Jacobus realized he had been tricked a moment too late. His scream and body were consumed by the fire of the incinerator. Tali didn't remember much of what happened next, only that she found her way to a med clinic and was now receiving treatment.
************************************ME: The Gift***************************************
Brandon tried contacting Tali and Keenah and still couldn't get either one to respond. He went to C-Sec and when he started asking for help, he got shut out. He was wandering the Presidium when he heard a public news broadcast:
"Today's top story: The end of the Brandon legacy? With Brandon the Sixth now dead and buried, the search for the heir to the massive business empire has begun. The stocks of Brandon-owned companies have consistently dropped in price since the business genius's death three days ago. If no heir steps forward by the close of the week, several companies will be forced to close their doors."
Brandon didn't feel his knees collapse, he didn't feel the group of people trying to help him up. All he could feel were the tears flowing his eyes. He could feel himself trying to speak, only for it to be lost in his sobs. When he finally calmed down, the group dispersed except for an older human in a suit.
"What got you that upset boy?" He said, mixing concern and contempt.
"That news broadcast. I've been away for a while and now my father is dead." Brandon, feeling himself on the verge of total despair.
"Wait, you mean you're Brandon the Seventh. I…I'm sorry sir." The man practically bowing to Brandon, "My name is Burs and I was your father's secretary, now your secretary technically, sir. I'll send you the things your father was working on immediately, sir. Do you want to meet with the heads of your various companies and departments, sir?"
"Uhm, no thanks Burs. And feel free to call me Brandon. Just tell them that I will eventually meet with them once I've taken care of some things." Brandon said, then left as the secretary started calling all the various chief officers,
****************************ME: The Gift***********************************************
When the human doctor introduced herself as Dr. Michel, Tali couldn't stop herself from telling her story as the doctor worked. When the doctor finished her work, she asked Tali if she had somewhere safe to stay. A volus chose that opportune time to enter their conversation.
"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear you two. My name is Barla Von and I happen to work for… a powerful information broker. I would be more than willing to help arrange a deal." The volus explained.
"Tali, Barla Von works the Shadow Broker. Do you know who that is?" Dr. Michel inquired.
"Of course. Can the Shadow Broker protect me from Saren though?"
"He can Tali. When you're ready to talk business, go to Chora's Den. Talk to Fist. He can set up the exchange." Barla Von said. With a cheerful goodbye, the volus left. Dr. Michel and Tali talked for some time and then Tali left to go find Fist.
*****************************ME: The Gift**********************************************
Brandon knew the only way he was going to find Tali was to find someone who already knew where she was. With C-Sec being uncooperative, that left information brokers. Using some of his father's records and asking the right people, Brandon found the Citadel's lead information broker. He entered the office, slightly surprised when the information broker verbally engaged him.
"I wondered when the mysterious heir to the Brandon mantle would enter my office." He said. Brandon took a seat across from the broker, taken by surprise.
"News travels fast here. If you know who I am then you should know I expect the same amount of cooperation you had with my father." Brandon told the broker. They stared at each other for a moment before they spoke again.
"I had no dealings with your father."
"Don't lie to me, he has enough records linking you to several…. unsavory trades and I still happen to have the evidence. I came to you for two reasons. You're part of the Shadow Broker's network and if this got out it would jeopardize your entire operation on the Citadel, so you now have motivation. The second reason is that I also found that in my father's records that he noted you knew more than even C-Sec about this station. I'm looking for someone and you're going to help me, out of the… goodness of your heart, Barla Von." The volus was silent for a moment, clearly looking for options.
"Very well. You understand that you won't be using my services again?"
"Do you understand that I don't care? Tell me where Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is."
"Interesting coincidence. I sent her to another agent of… my boss. She is likely to be at Chora's Den, down in the wards."
"Pleasure doing business with you." Brandon stood up and left, headed for the nearest Citadel Rapid Transit.
**********************************ME: The Gift*****************************************
Tali was leaving Chora's Den, her satisfaction at completing the deal made bittersweet by the blood spilled over the information. She was too busy thinking of her fallen friends to see Brandon appear from around the corner. As soon as he saw Tali he started running. He didn't stop as he pulled her into a swinging hug. Tali thought she was being kidnapped so she punched her would-be attacker, knocking them to the floor. She turned and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Brandon, holding his jaw but still smiling a wide smile. He got up and threw his arms back around her, this time she eagerly returned the hug. For how long they held they didn't know but they didn't care. They were alive and they had found each other. Brandon disengaged first, and Tali just stared at him. Brandon eagerly launched into his story, telling of his fight with Jacobus, his wounding, and desperate search for Tali. Tali started to tell her story of her time on the Citadel, but she choked up as she told Brandon that she and Keenah had fled to the Wards from Jacobus.
"Yeah, where is Keenah anyway? I took care of the Rayya. It'll be there waiting for the three of us."
"Brandon, Keenah died before I killed Jacobus." Tali hung her head, feeling like a failure.
"Tali, you did the best you could. I didn't know him that well, but I could tell he was your friend. I'm sorry but we can mourn him later, when we can do it properly. Barla Von told me you were here for a deal. What did he mean by that?"
Tali explained the deal she had struck with Fist and how she was meeting the Shadow Broker in a few hours for the exchange. Brandon immediately insisted that he be there for the deal and was not going to take no for an answer. Though she didn't admit it to him, she was glad he wanted to come along.
When they arrived at the meeting point, two salarians were waiting alongside a turian. Brandon carefully rested his hand on his pistol but made no move to draw it. Tali instantly became suspicious.
"Where's Fist?" she asked, uneasy about the missing man. The turian reached out, his hand running across her faceplate. Brandon edged his pistol out, feeling an uncharacteristic burst of jealousy. He was confused by the emotion but he didn't let either show on his face.
"Relax, he'll be here." The turian said nonchalantly. Tali smacked his hand away
"No way, the deal's off." She said, starting to turn away. The turian signaled the salarians, who were lounging behind Tali and Brandon. They made moves for their weapons as they approached. Tali threw a proximity mine between them, causing it to explode. Brandon leaped forward, tackling the turian and pulling his pistol free. The turian fell, but punched Brandon in the head, stunning him. Tali ran to cover as gunfire erupted another group. The salarians fell without firing a shot. Brandon wrestled with the turian, rolling around the floor. When he managed to get on top of the turian, he punched him, and pointed his gun at the turian and fired. The bullet went through the turian's eye, instantly killing him. He stood up, facing the group that had taken down the salarians. A human was leading a turian and a female human alongside him. Brandon lowered his weapon as the group did too. Tali came out of hiding to talk to the new group.
"Fist set us up! We shouldn't have trusted him! Who are you?" Tali said.
"I'm glad to that you both are okay. I'm Commander Shepard." The lead human introduced himself.
