"Told you that whatever the Council knew, Saren would know it too," I snorted as we walked down the stairs, "I was just hoping Captain Anderson wouldn't tell them about my vision…"
"It didn't help, but we didn't have a lot of time to plan for this either," Kaidan said quietly.
"No, we certainly didn't," I said, "Although, to be fair I expected it, he did say that we needed to report it."
"So, what now?" Ashley asked.
"We find Garrus, and then I go hide on the ship for a day or three," I said.
"Are you going to explain why you're hiding from us?" she laughed.
"Personal reasons," I said, "I can't say more here, I don't want to have to look over my shoulder on my own ship."
"Alright, your loss, Commander," Ashley teased, "We were planning to hit some clubs when we were off duty later."
"I'll just have to take a reign check on the clubbing until a later date guys," I smiled, "Really, I'm fine. Let's go find Garrus, then we can go relax."
"Right behind you, Commander," Ashley said. We got to the bottom of the stairs and Ashley whispered in my ear, "That guy's up to something."
"What guy?" Kaidan wanted to know as he turned to look where she was pointing.
"The one over by the keeper," she said. I looked and noticed a Salarian kneeling beside the keeper. When I walked up to them he quickly stood and moved away from it and started to fidget nervously. "What? Oh, no I wasn't… Never mind," he stuttered. I just stood there and waited for him to talk. He would eventually, nervous people always do. "Um yes, is there something you want?" he finally asked.
"What are you doing?" I asked curiously, "Why so interested in the keepers?"
"The keepers?" he repeated, "I have no interest in the keep—"
"Don't get coy," Ashley interrupted him, "I know what I saw!"
"Easy Ash," I said gently, "The guy didn't do anything yet, the thing didn't explode so it can't be that bad."
"I'm uh… I'm not sure I should be talking to you about this," he said, still very nervous.
"Relax," I said giving him a warm smile, "Just tell me what you're doing; I'm not here to get you into trouble. What's your name?"
"Alright, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you," he said after a few seconds' deliberation, "My name is Chorban. I'm using a small scanner to gather readings on the keepers. So far I've had mixed results, I find it difficult to get near the creatures."
"Why be so secretive about it though?" I asked gently.
"Well, technically we're not supposed to disturb the keepers," Chorban explained as he started to fidget nervously with his hands again, "I don't really think my scanning disturbs them, but the authorities might disagree. I'd like to do it more openly, but it isn't really worth getting arrested over." I decided to help him. I knew he couldn't be the only one who was curious about the keepers, even if I wasn't especially interested. "I could help you out," I said with a smile, "I'm not worried about the authorities."
"Skipper, are you sure this is a good idea?" Ashley asked, looking at me like I was nuts.
"It would help, yes," Chorban admitted, "But I don't even know who you are…"
"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Military," I said.
"Hmm. Well, I could use the help. You'll need this," he said, handing me a small electronic gadget, "It's the scanning device I developed. Activate it each time you see a keeper, and all collected data will automatically be uploaded to my database. I'll even send a few extra credits your way for each unique scan."
"Well, I should get to it then," I smiled, accepting the scanner.
"Yes, I have much work to do myself," Chorban said, "So long, and good luck with the scanning." As Chorban walked away Ashley looked at me like I was completely out of my mind. "I would have turned him in, Skipper," she said flatly.
"Oh come on Ash," I teased, "Nothing fun or useful comes without a little risk. Who knows, this information might save our lives one day."
"You're being melodramatic on purpose, Commander," she said, but she laughed.
"You'll get used to it Chief," Kaidan chuckled as I keyed in the codes for a shuttle to take us down to Chora's Den. The shuttle ride was a long one, long enough to make us feel like we'd been folded and packed for a vacation. When the shuttle stopped at the transit hub we all crawled out and stood there stretching for a couple of seconds. "Well, that was sure a long ride," I said, "Does anyone else feel like we just got unpacked from storage?"
"That's exactly what I feel like," Kaidan said as we started toward Chora's. The club was situated on a hub of intersecting skyways over the shuttle lanes. If I had to guess I would say that was the plan, it looked a bit sad and run down to me. "This place looks shady," Ashley said.
"She's right, Commander," Kaidan said, "I don't like the look of this."
"What, not going to add it to your clubbing list?" I teased them, then we all ducked behind the guard rail as a bullet ricocheted off a pillar and whined over our heads.
"Great, a welcoming committee," Ashley grumbled. I took a quick peek over the rail to see three assassins, all turians, closing in on us and I ducked again. I barely avoided another bullet. Ashley lost no time in pumping one of them full of assault rifle rounds and Kaidan threw another against a wall, then he and Ashley finished him off. The last one took a few shots at me from behind a low guard rail, then ducked down out of sight. I planted an overload on the wall behind him and waited for it to fry his shields. When that worked somewhat, I planted a grenade in the same spot and the blast vaporized the assassin. "When are people going to learn not to mess with us?" I grumped as we continued toward the club.
"Judging by the way things have been turning out recently, probably never," Kaidan said.
"Yeah, you're probably right," I said, "I could hope though." The first thing I was presented with upon walking into Chora's Den was an Asari stripper's ass. "A million light years from where humanity began and we walk into a bar filled with men drooling over half-naked women shaking their asses on a stage. I can't decide if that's funny or sad," Ashley commented.
"What? You don't think they're here because of the food?" Kaidan joked, but I noticed he was looking up at the stage himself as he added, "Although, I see why this place is so popular. It's got quite the, uh, view."
"Hey, Lieutenant," Ashley hissed, and when Kaidan turned to look at her she continued, "Put your tongue back in your mouth before you trip on it."
"Consider it funny, Chief, I see more than just human men drooling over these girls," I giggled, Good to know some things never change. There were two more strippers, one human and one asari, and they both tried to get our attention. I tipped them and told them to pick somebody they liked and give them a show, not really wanting to try having a talk with this Harkin guy while he was distracted. Assuming we could even find him. We almost ran into an angry krogan with a scar on his face as he stalked away from another krogan who was working as a bouncer. I also noticed a half drunk turian holding a glass with both hands and staring into the bottom of it like he expected it to have the answer to life. I finally asked the girl tending the bar where Harkin was and she pointed to a table in the very back of the club. I thanked her and walked over to him with the others trailing behind. "Hey there, sweetheart," Harkin said, his face lighting up in a very drunken grin when he saw me, "You lookin' for some fun? 'Cause I gotta say, that soldier get-up looks real good on that bod o' yours." Kaidan glared angrily at the man and I thought he might punch Harkin before I could say a word. Yeah, he definitely had a crush on me. Why was a complete mystery to me, but I would definitely have to tell him about Nihlus sooner rather than later. If I didn't he'd just fall for me and get upset when I had to reject him. Harkin just smirked a little as he saw Kaidan's hand ball up into a fist and continued, patting his lap, "Why don't you sit your sweet little ass down beside ol' Harkin? Have a drink; we'll see where this goes."
"Beside, or on?" I asked, grinning in amusement, though I noted that Kaidan was not at all pleased, "Sorry, but I'll have to pass for now. Maybe another time."
"Suit yourself princess," Harkin shrugged, "You know, if more marines looked like you I might have joined the Alliance instead of C-Sec."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," I smiled, "I have a couple questions, if you don't mind."
"I can't promise it won't cost you," he smirked.
"I was told you could help me find someone," I told him, "A turian C-Sec officer named Garrus."
"Garrus? Ha! You must be one of Anderson's crew," Harkin said. I had to hand it to the guy, for being so drunk it was comical, he was still pretty sharp. "Poor bastard's still trying to bring Saren down eh?" Harkin continued, "Yeah, I know where Garrus is, but you gotta tell me something first. Did the captain let you in on his big secret?"
"There something I should know about the captain?" I asked. I failed to see how this had any relevance to what I needed, but I figured it couldn't hurt to play along for a little. "The captain used to be a Spectre. Didn't know that did you? It was all very hush-hush. The first human ever given that honor, and he blew it, screwed up his mission so bad they kicked him out!" Harkin said, then he went on sarcastically, "Of course, he blames Saren, says the turian set him up."
"I hate to burst your bubble, Harkin, but that's exactly the kind of thing Saren would do," I told him quietly, then I asked, "How did you find out?"
"I spent twenty years working cases here on the Citadel. You'd be amazed what you hear just by buying a round and listening," Harkin smirked, "People on this station love to talk. Everyone's got a secret and most are willing to share if you can pay the right price. Secrets are like herpes: if you got 'em, might as well spread 'em around!" I couldn't help it, I laughed aloud and poured myself a shot. "Here's to herpes," I giggled, raising the glass then downing it, and Harkin obliged by following with his own glass. "So, Garrus?" I asked with a smile.
"He was sniffing around Dr. Michel's office," Harkin said, "She runs the med clinic over on the other side of the wards. Last I heard, he was goin' back there, but that was a while ago, two hours or more. Probably back at C-Sec by now."
"Thanks Harkin," I grinned, "I have to go."
"Good, go," Harkin sighed in what sounded like disappointment, "Let me drink in peace…" I shook my head, still smiling, then made my way to the bar. "Hey there," I smiled to the girl serving drinks, "Get Harkin over there another bottle, on me. Tell him 'Princess' says thanks. He'll know who you're talking about." She looked at me like I was crazy, but nodded. I transferred the credits then headed out with my team. "Why didn't Captain Anderson tell us he was asked to be a Spectre?" Ashley asked.
"Maybe it's not true," Kaidan said, "Harkin's an ass, I bet he was just messing with our heads. And honestly, Commander, did you have to encourage him, and his drinking too?"
"There was a reason, Kaidan," I explained, "If we need to ask him more questions I don't want him to stonewall me. Think positive, we're a lot closer now than we were, we know where to look at least." A quick glance at my OT told me that I had 4 messages from Nihlus, and two and a half hours to kill before lunch. Ok make that 5, I thought as the omni-tool bonged at me again. I sighed and shook my head, there was no way I could stop by the ship and get back in time for lunch. It would take me an hour just to get to C-Sec, then another hour to get back to the embassies. I need a few more hours in my day, maybe then I wouldn't always run out of time when I need it the most. I decided that I would just have to go see Anderson and hope I had some time off after we rounded up Garrus. "Hey," Ash said gently, interrupting my thoughts, "You ok, Commander?"
"Yeah I'm good," I said, "Just thinking. I want to go talk to Captain Anderson though, see if Harkin knew what he was talking about or if it was just something some idiot told him to make him shut up."
"Want us to go with you, Commander?" Kaidan asked.
"No, I want to go alone," I said, "I want to break it to him gently that I know, if it's even true at all. You two go ahead and take a break, I'll meet you over at that cute little café a couple of blocks down from the embassies in an hour and a half and we'll see if we can track down Garrus." They saluted and left while I keyed up a shuttle for the Presidium. Once I had some privacy, I finally opened up my OT again and read Nihlus' messages. I wasn't too surprised to find that I'd had him worried; I had thought I would be back on the ship by now. I dialed his OT and he picked up on the first ring. "Hey, Marley," he said with a smile in his voice, "How did it go with the Ambassador?"
"Well, he was crabby, to say the least," I laughed, "Unfortunately we also got stuck meeting with the Council immediately after. They decided to call a hearing, but for some reason they didn't wait for the C-Sec officer to finish his investigation."
"A hearing? For what?" Nihlus asked.
"Udina pulled a typical politician stunt, he tried to get Saren disbarred from the Spectres," I explained, "I don't think the Council were pleased, they called the hearing and C-Sec had to scramble to even begin an investigation. Officer Vakarian only got about halfway through before the executor shut him down."
"What about you? Did they ask you any awkward questions?" he wanted to know.
"No, I don't think they even thought about it," I said, "Saren and I had a bit of a disagreement, to say the least."
"Did this 'disagreement' happen to involve our relationship again?" Nihlus asked, sounding annoyed.
"We didn't get that far, the Asari Councilor stopped us before we could shred each other through the extranet," I said, "I'm sure we would have gotten to it though, and it wouldn't have taken long."
"You shouldn't have had to take that from him, Marley," Nihlus sighed.
"I'll live, Nihlus," I said softly, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," he said, the smile coming back, "Chakwas is still convinced I'm made of glass."
"Well good, she's keeping you in bed where you belong," I teased him.
"Hey now, you're supposed to be on my side," he protested, laughing.
"I am on your side," I smiled, "That's why I want you to be in bed, I want you to get better."
"I know," he said, and I could tell he was smiling too, "I guess you'll be on duty a little longer than you thought now?"
"Yeah, no one really had any time to prepare for the hearing, so there might be another one later," I said, "Captain Anderson asked me to help out with some things in case they do call for a follow-up."
"Then I should let you get back to work," he said quietly, "I miss you, Marley."
"I miss you too, Nihlus," I said, "I'll see you as soon as I can." We hung up and I almost cried. I just hoped this would be the last time I would have to make him wait like this for a while. A few minutes later the shuttle finally parked at the transit hub. I climbed out and decided to walk the five blocks to the embassies. "Hey Saphyria," I called, walking into the building.
"Commander, it's good to see you again," she said with a smile.
"You too," I grinned, "Listen, do you by any chance know if Captain Anderson is in Udina's office?"
"I'm sorry, Commander," she said, "Neither one of them are in at the moment. I can take a message for you though if you'd like to leave one."
"Nah, it's fine," I said, then I looked to the left wing of the embassies, "I know this question should probably be directed to Avina, but I feel like talking to a person right now rather than a VI. What is to the left, over there?"
"That's where you'll find C-Sec Executor Pallin's administrative office, and also the embassy bar, which you need clearance in order to enter," she explained, adding, "You have the clearance if you want to go in by the way."
"I'll pass on the bar for now, but is Executor Pallin in?" I asked.
"Yes, he'll be in for the next—" she checked her time-log, "hour and a half."
"Thanks," I smiled to her, "I'll see you later." She waved and I headed up the stairs. Hopefully the Executor wouldn't mind talking about Garrus. I knew I wasn't likely to be the Executor's favorite person in the galaxy though. I just hoped he would at least hear me out before tossing me out on my ass. He was typing away at his computer when I walked in, but looked up as I entered. "Commander Shepard," he said, politely if a little coolly, "I didn't expect to see you here. Did Ambassador Udina send you?"
"Nope, I came here on my own," I said, "I was hoping I could ask you a few questions if you didn't mind."
"You humans are always so curious," he growled, giving the classic annoyed eye-roll I usually got from my father when I started begging, or whining, "Always sticking your fingers in someone else's pie. Is that the right human saying?" I had no idea what he was trying to say, it was a phrase I hadn't heard before, but that didn't stop it from sounding dirty to me. It must have shown on my face because he shook his head and groaned, "Never mind, forget I asked. Please, take a seat. What can I do for you, Commander?"
I accepted his offer and nodded my thanks before getting to why I was there, "I was just hoping you could tell me a little about one of your officers, Garrus Vakarian."
"Good officer, very good in fact," Pallin admitted, though he sounded hardly pleased with admitting it, "But he needs to learn some patience. You'd think that an officer of the law would be a little more mindful of rules and regulations. Honestly I think the kid could have stood to stay in the military a little longer before transferring here."
"Is he a good soldier?" I asked.
"Damn good," Pallin said, "Best sniper I've ever seen, knows his way around an assault rifle as well, and even a pistol if the situation calls for it." Well, that was a few points in Garrus' favor. I was a sniper myself, and sometimes having another to back you up helped loads when things went to hell. "I overheard you talking with him about Saren," I said, "I know you probably can't talk about the investigation, but can you talk about Garrus and his relation to it?"
"He was the head investigator for that case, I can't give you anything else," Executor Pallin said.
"You mentioned he's not one for following rules or regulations?" I asked. This kid sounded like he had potential. Even though he wouldn't likely be a voice of reason, the ride would probably be fun. "He breaks the rules very often, and I think he does it just to spite his father and me," Pallin groaned, leaning back in his chair.
"His father?" I asked.
"Fideris Vakarian, he's a very decorated and highly respected C-Sec officer," Executor Pallin explained.
"Do they not get along?" I asked.
"You could say that," Pallin growled. Well if Garrus' father was anything like mine, there wasn't much that didn't set the man off. My own father still wasn't speaking to me over Nihlus. "What has Garrus done?" I asked the executor.
"The right question is, what hasn't he done," Pallin grumbled, "Reckless driving, flying patrol shuttles over the Presidium, and countless other things ranging from merely annoying to absolutely dangerous, though mostly to himself." I smiled a little to myself, Garrus sounded like he'd be fun to have around. I was sure that Executor Pallin would not agree with my assessment though. "Can you tell me where I can find him?" I asked.
"Well, he was in his office at the Academy a little over a half an hour ago, but it's not likely he stayed there. You might check Dr. Michel's Med Clinic down in the lower section of the wards," Pallin said, "The investigation is officially closed and I've told him at least a dozen times to drop it, but I think he's still trying to find dirt on Saren. What he lacks in discipline he certainly makes up for in energy and pure stubbornness. Anything else, Commander?"
"Nope, that should do it," I said, "Thanks for your time Executor." I stood and walked out, leaving Pallin to his work while I headed for the café where I'd told Ash and Kaidan to meet me. Surprisingly they were already there waiting for me when I showed up. "You two are early," I told them.
"We got bored," Kaidan shrugged, "Shopping isn't really my thing."
"How did the captain take finding out Harkin knew he was asked to be a Spectre?" Ashley asked, her voice full of concern.
"I didn't get to talk to him, he wasn't around," I said, "I did talk to Executor Pallin though, apparently even though the investigation is officially closed Garrus isn't ready to give up yet."
"He might find something then," Kaidan said, "Couldn't hurt to find out what he's turned up so far."
"Alright then, so do we go to the clinic or do we go to C-Sec?" Ashley asked.
"Med clinic," I said, "Executor Pallin said Garrus would most likely be there." We ate a quick lunch then took a shuttle down to the markets and walked the rest of the way to the clinic. As we walked in we saw the doctor surrounded by thugs. Garrus was hiding behind the med counter and slowly working his way around toward the end. Clearly the thugs had no idea he was there. "I didn't tell anyone, I swear," Dr. Michel whimpered.
"That was smart, Doc," the leader smirked, "Now if Garrus comes around, you stay smart. Keep your mouth shut or we'll…" At that point he saw me, grabbed Dr. Michel and held her back tight to him, using her as a shield. "Who are you?" he demanded angrily.
"Let her go," I ordered coldly. I was only going to say it once. Garrus took the chance and slipped out from behind the counter and drilled the man right in the head with a pistol shot, then grabbed the doctor and pulled her down behind her desk. "Three left," Ashley said.
"I've got the one on the left," Kaidan said, pulling the man out from behind the pillar and filling him full of pistol rounds.
"I've got right," Ash said, taking that one out with her assault rifle.
"Looks like it's leftovers for me," I said. I planted an overload over on the floor beside the merc, since he was hiding behind some crates. It fried his shields, and blew up what looked like a propane tank that had been sitting there beside him. That tank must have had some heavy chemicals in it though because there wasn't anything left of the merc but a pile of ashes. "Perfect timing, Shepard," Garrus said, "Gave me a clear shot at that bastard."
"That was some damn good shooting too," I grinned.
"Sometimes you get lucky," Garrus smirked, then he turned to the doctor, "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"