Disclaimer: Still don't own anything here.
Chapter Four: Misguided Miscreants
***
"So let me get this straight" Ambassador Udina began. "Word of the beacon got around long before a few days ago, and Saren used this knowledge to attack Eden Prime?" Takashi nodded. "Then to cover his tracks, he's hired a bounty hunter to kill everyone who knew he was involved?" Takashi nodded once again. Udina pulled a scowl. "Son of a bitch!"
Admiral Hackett just laid back and scratched his chin. "I wonder who the leak was? I find it rather depressing that one of our own may have betrayed us..."
"It may not have been someone in the military Admiral" Anderson quipped. "It could have been someone on Eden Prime who discovered the beacon in the first place. People will do anything for money" he finished with a sigh.
"Still, it doesn't hurt to check. God forbid the leak is someone important..."
"That's not the problem right now" Udina growled out. "Right now, we should be worrying about finding this bounty hunter- this Wrex." He looked to Shepard. "I don't suppose Barla Von told you where we could find this krogan did he?"
Takashi shook his head. "No sir. I believe he meant for me to do all that. He just gave me a name, no description other than telling me he was a krogan."
Udina let out a frustrated sigh. Hackett was the one to speak up. "So what do you plan to do about it?"
"If there are people turning up dead, Citadel Security should be on it. Perhaps one of their agents found something for me to go on."
"If that's the case, there's a man you should look out for" Udina said. "He's a C-Sec officer named Harkin."
Apparently, Hackett and Anderson found that too distasteful. "Harkin?" Anderson exclaimed. "That drunken ass? You expect help from him?"
"We may as well ask a pig for aid" Hackett added snidely. "It'd be a lot better than going to that dick with ears."
Udina was not amused. "Unless either of you know anyone else from C-Sec who will help us out, this is what we got." He turned to the Commander. "You can ask for Harkin at the C-Sec headquarters. They'll tell you how to contact him."
With that, the meeting ended. It was already 1600, well into the Presidium's night cycle. Udina and Hackett went about more business, burning the midnight oil, while Captain Anderson and Takashi headed back for the Normandy to rest. The day's events took a lot out of both of them.
***
Several hours later, a refreshed Takashi strolled down one of the Presidium's many walkways toward the tram station that would take him to the wards. After speaking with one of C-Sec's representatives at their headquarters, they told him that Harkin had been suspended from the force for some violation. And since he wasn't on duty, they didn't know his current whereabouts. However, they mentioned that he liked to hang out at many of the Wards several clubs. A place called Flux had been mentioned, and so here he was.
No longer required to wear full military dress, he went out in military issue 'civvies'. Black t-shirt, black denim/silk jeans, and a simple pair of white sneakers. To top it off, he wore a white flight jacket that displayed his rank and call number N7.
In terms of weaponry, all he had currently were -aside from the twin atomic blades hidden in his sleeves- two Kassa Fabrication manufactured Edge 57 heavy pistols. The Citadel did not allow automatic weapons on the station without proper permits. As such, only specially licensed companies- like Norlo-Finch, and government agencies like the embassies and C-Sec had guards equipped with them. Anyone else with automatic weaponry was criminals and gangsters, and C-Sec showed no mercy to those who disturbed the peace.
Not that it mattered to him anyway. With his biotics, the twin blades, his high quality pistols, and his spec-ops omni-tool, Takashi needed nothing else.
That and the fact that people looked at you kind of strange when you go gallivanting around giant cities like the Wards and Presidium decked out in full armor with automatic weapons on your back. He didn't need any extra attention.
As he arrived at the train station, he thought back to his visit to C-Sec Central. While they had been helpful in explaining about what happened to Harkin, they were rather mum and evasive about any reports about a series of murders over the past few days. This meant that there was probably something going on, but no one was saying anything about it. C-Sec protocol demanded that no officer comment about ongoing investigations, but practically everyone in the force broke this rule, for one reason or another. So the fact that Takashi hadn't managed to get anything out of the representatives he spoke to said volumes.
Someone high up must be making sure as few people as possible know about this, he thought. It could be the Shadow Broker; he stood to gain the most by keeping this under wraps. It was bad for any kind business when word got out that your agents were dying.
Regardless of who it was, he made every intention of watching his back for the duration of his stay here. He was delving into the secrets of powerful people, and when threatened, they tended to throw that power around to ensure survival.
Soon enough the tram arrived, and Takashi got on board with the throng of other passengers. Declining to take a seat, he stood with his back against a glass panel, choosing to look out at the passing Presidium. It was amazing to see an entire city placed in such a lush forested area. Placing skyscrapers in the middle of a forest without disturbing the surrounding environment was still something new to humanity.
It was as the tram began to make the transition from the Presidium to the Wards; Takashi felt the hair on the back is neck stand up on end. He knew the feeling. Something's wrong. Without turning around and giving himself away, he used the window's reflective surface to scan the train car. Nothing leaped out at him; the car was filled with seeming ordinary passengers on their way to their destinations.
That did nothing to assuage him. He knew to trust his instincts. These guys must be good if they can be this discrete.
It wasn't all that difficult to assume that he was being watched and followed. A lot of people had a stake in what he was doing. Could it be some of the Shadow Brokers men? Was the Council keeping an eye on him to see what he would do? Or were they Saren's men, hired to take him out before he could cause trouble? None of those options offered any solace.
Regardless of whom they were or what their intentions were, nothing good could come out of being followed like this. He needed his full attention on his investigation, and couldn't afford to keep peering over his shoulder to see who was there. Neither could he simply ignore them, lest they interrupt at some critical point.
He had to lose them. Or kill them. This would be difficult seeing as how he didn't know who they were. They could be anyone on this train. Takashi sighed to himself. It's never easy is it?
It took about twenty minuets for the train to reach its destination. Calmly walking out in front of the other passengers, he brought his omni-tool up and began his work.
He didn't have to look over his shoulder to see who was following him. Far better for him to simply hack into the surrounding security cameras and use those as his eyes. It took him only a few seconds to bypass the camera's weak anti-intrusion systems, and soon he was rewarded with several different screens of the tram terminal.
Most of the people there seemed to pay him no mind. The cameras showed that the vast majority were too busy trying to navigate their way through the mass of people on their way to their respective destinations.
Multitasking by navigating the throng and watching his omni-tool, he kept scanning the screens for what was following him. It took a few seconds but he got it: two turians who despite their best efforts gave themselves away by focusing solely on him. The sheer mass of people made it impossible for them to keep track of him while appearing inconspicuous. A few more scans showed four additional turians mirroring their motions.
Six turians? Takashi's first thought was Saren, but he wasn't so sure. Plenty of people hired turian mercenaries to do their dirty work. There was only one way to find out at this point. Best to lead them off someplace secluded before I can interrogate them. He didn't want to cause a public disturbance by slaughtering them in public. Last thing I need is C-Sec after me.
Moving threw the entrance to the Tramway terminal, Takashi immediately took off to his right, slipping around the multitude of people with practiced ease. He had his time on Omega to thank for that, allowing him to weave around people without so much as a bump, while subconsciously scanning nearby alleyways for a good ambush point.
He didn't bother looking over his shoulder to see if they were following him. He was going to keep moving until he found a comfortable place to strike. If they lost him, it would be just as well. If not, they would die. One way or another, he would lose them.
After a few more minuets of running, he finally found a suitable alleyway- one with a wide space between two moderate sized buildings with lots of random objects he could exploit. Perfect. Turning into the alley, he went a few feet in before biotically jumping up twenty meters to one of the roofs. Once there, he crouched down and waited for his prey.
He didn't allow himself to admire the 'open' space above him that showed the entirety of the Serpent Nebula. As beautiful as it was, his full attention was needed here. Chances were that these turians knew who he was, and also knew that he wouldn't run without specific reason. They had to know they were walking in a trap. They would be cautious, looking for ways to turn his trap against him.
Traps work both ways, he thought. It was a principle he used for as long as he could remember, and it had always proved true. Takashi had no desire to see that fact turned against him.
His patience was soon rewarded as two turians he recognized from the terminal quietly slipped into the alleyway, pistols drawn. He noted that only two of six were moving in, the others most likely were taking up positions around the two buildings as to try and trap and surround him. It would prove to be a useless gesture, as he had a plan to turn their discipline against them.
From the way they moved, to the way they tracked him; everything about them screamed 'military training'. And one thing about the turian military was that they didn't abandon their comrades for any reason. He would use that to draw the others out.
The two turians were moving down the alley back to back, eyes and pistols sweeping the area for where he might be. When they were deep enough in the alleyway, Takashi struck.
Bringing his omni-tool to bear, he brought an algorithm program to the forefront. In an instant, his wrist device had successfully managed to infiltrate and alter their shield systems. He didn't bring them down all the way, as the two would physically notice something was wrong. Takashi just brought them down to the edge of nonexistence, while fooling their systems into thinking everything was green.
They were helpless and they didn't even know it.
Biotically picking up a small baseball sized piece of shrapnel he found in the alley earlier, he telekinetically sent it hurling towards the second turian sweeping the alley. The merc turned just in time to see it slam its way into his throat. Coughing up blood, and letting out a death gurgle, he fell over dead in moments. His companion turned to see what the problem was. Only to find another piece of shrapnel lodge itself into his brain moments later. He slumped forward, just as dead as his companion.
All too easy. It was time for phase two of his plan.
Working his omni-tool, he hacked into the two dead turians omni-tool systems. Using theirs as a proxy, he sent out a distress signal to the other four turians, saying that the two were down but still alive. Once again, it became about patience.
Soon enough, his radar detected the remaining four: two coming up from the opposite end of the alleyway, and two taking up position on the roof of the building opposite of his. Now exposed to him, Takashi made his move.
Telekinetically taking hold of the two turians on the opposing building, he pulled them forward violently, sending over the edge. They cried out for a short time, before they splattered on the pavement twenty meters below. Their two remaining comrades looked on in surprise, before turning skyward to see what happened.
They looked up just in time to see Takashi descend from the sky like a bird of pray, atomic blade in hand. The leftmost turian opened his mouth in shock, just before Takashi sunk his blade in the merc's throat. The turian spewed out a stream of black blood and collapsed to the ground, dead.
The last merc raised his pistol, but soon found himself hurled violently into the building wall behind him. He slumped to the ground dazed. Both confused and defeated, he raised his head to face the white haired human.
"So" Takashi began. "Why don't you sing a little for me? About who sent you." When the turian made no reply, Takashi, just sighed. "Guess we have to do this the hard way."
***
Twenty minuets later Takashi emerged from the alleyway, hands in his pockets, and looking like he didn't have a care in the world. If one had looked behind him, they would have seen a sight that made strong men tremble: a turian that looked like it had been thrown in a giant blender. Blood and gore where everywhere; Takashi had been merciless to the alien.
His turian friend did not give up his secrets easy. Indeed, Takashi had to cut several tendons and telekinetically slice a few internal organs before the merc began to speak truth. What was disappointing was that the turian didn't know much. The turian and his buddies were typical low level mercenaries that were found everywhere in the galaxy. They had been on the Citadel when they received an initial payment along with his description, with the orders to find him and kill him. If anyone knew who made the payment, it wasn't this guy: among the six, he was the new chap.
As he made his way down a wide active thoroughfare, Takashi's thoughts turned to who sent the thugs after him. It has to be Saren, or one of his lackeys. No one else right now wants me dead. Well that wasn't entirely true. There were plenty of people in the galaxy who would love nothing more than to see his head on a stick. But even still, the timing was certainly pointing to Saren.
Taking a few minuets to consult a few area maps, Takashi eventually found himself standing in front of a bustling club with the word 'Flux' shining in neon lights. This place is certainly lively, he noted to himself. From the multitude of people going in and out, to the loud 'flip' music playing inside, it was easy to see how popular the place was. He made his way inside.
Immediately he was bombarded by flashing lights and all kinds of different sounds. Taking a few moments to familiarize himself to his new surroundings, he took a look around the club.
In front of him was a colossal open space, filled with what had to be dozens of tables, all of which seemed to be occupied. To his right was an enormous dais, of which was covered by various species dancing to the loud music. Above him on the second floor, was an entire casino, likewise filled with people placing bets and having a good time.
Forget lively, Takashi thought, this place is vigorous'. Sadly though, it was going to be difficult finding Harkin in this mess- if he was here at all. He didn't bother checking the crowds; even with his enhanced eyesight, keeping track of who came in and who left while simultaneously scanning the joint would be impossible.
Takashi sighed to himself. Why couldn't Harkin like to hang out at small quiet teahouses? But if that were the case, Harkin probably wouldn't have been a drunken loser, and that was apparently part of his 'charm'. Shaking his head, Takashi made his way over to the long bar at the other end of the club, while keeping an eye out at the tables around him. Harkin could be sitting close by after all. That proved fruitless as Takashi didn't see him, and as such walked up to the bar.
If Harkin was known enough by C-Sec reps to hang out at clubs like this, perhaps someone who worked here could provide more information as to his current whereabouts. He was about to go up to the salarian who was working this section of the bar when he felt someone coming up on his back. Turning sharply, with one hand moving towards one of his pistols, he confronted his shadow. Said shadow turned out to be a small, cute Oriental human woman who looked rather shocked at Takashi's sudden movement.
"Um, I'm sorry…" she began in a timid voice.
Takashi didn't let up his stance. He had already been attacked once today. "Who are you? And what do you want?"
"My name is Emily Wong" the woman said quickly. "I just wanted to talk to you for a few minuets."
The woman didn't look threatening, but that didn't tell Takashi much. All the same, he humored this Emily and relaxed his stance, though he kept his guard up. "So talk" he said.
Emily looked visibly relaxed, and moved to join him at the bar. "As I said, my name is Emily Wong. I'm an investigative journalist here on the Citadel. I was hoping you could help me."
Takashi raised an eyebrow. "I assume you know who I am. What could I help you with?"
"I'm investigating reports of criminal syndicates here on the Citadel. However it's been slow going; there are places I can't go without putting myself at risk, and those who may be connected won't talk to me. I need help."
"That's a shame, but why should I help you? I have my own problems."
"I know you're looking into your own investigation, that's why I came to you. If you're here on the Citadel, it must be for something big. I was hoping that you would share whatever you came across with me."
Takashi looked hard at her. "What makes you think I'm investigating anything?"
Emily just waved him off. "I'm a journalist Commander, word gets around." When Takashi's stare didn't let up, she sighed. "I know you were involved in what happened on Eden Prime, and I know you meet with the Council. I also know that afterwards you meet with the Consort and one Barla Von." She paused to look him straight in the eye. "You're into something Commander, and I'm not the only one who knows it."
Takashi didn't say anything for a while; once again, it was disheartening to know how fast news got around here. "So what if I'm looking into a few things? What does that have to do with you?"
"As I said, you wouldn't be involved if it wasn't something big. And here on the Citadel, that would be wide spread corruption. Let me in on it, and I'll pay you for your services."
Takashi suddenly had an idea. "I might be able to do something. However, I have a question. Have you heard anything about a series of murders lately?"
"What kind of murders? People die all the time, even here on the Citadel."
"There would have been several, perhaps committed by one person. They would have been killed very recently, a few days ago at most."
Emily looked thoughtful for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I've heard a few whispers that a couple of people have been killed in the last couple of days. People have been rather mum about it though."
"Is it peculiar that no one's saying anything?"
"Yes and no. Yes in the sense that people who usually talk aren't doing so now. Either there is some incentive to keeping their mouths shut, or something's got them very scared."
"Or someone" Takashi finished for her. "You said yes and no. What's the no portion?"
"Well from what I gathered, the murders have been assassination style. Very brutal. People are scared, so in that sense it isn't unusual. But still…"
"Something's abnormal" Takashi once again finished for her. This was it; perhaps this attractive reporter could be of use to him after all. "You know where these murders took place?"
"They were all over the place. Some in the Alpha Wards, others in the Gamma section. The only thing weird is how no one is saying anything."
"What about the victims themselves, who were they?"
"I have the names written down somewhere, but I don't have the information on me." Emily paused, and a smile slowly made its way on to her face. "I could get the information for you… if you help me out. Favor for a favor?"
"Done. Where and when do you want to meet up?"
"How about here, tonight? We can trade info and details over dinner."
Over dinner, Takashi thought. Is she asking me out on a date? Regardless, the names of the previous victims would help him track Wrex and kill him. "Sure. Dinner sounds fine to me."
Emily beamed. "Great! I'll see you there!" With that she gave a small bow and made her way out. Takashi watched her go with interest. What a strange woman.
Though now he wondered what his next move should be. If Emily was to be believed, she had the information he wanted from Harkin, and as such Takashi didn't need to track down the bum. However it was still around 1200 and his date with Emily didn't start until tonight. If there was one thing he was bad at, it was killing time. He was pulled from his musings when a rotund volus behind the bar moved opposite of him.
"Hello sir, what can I get you?"
Takashi just slumped forward. "Got anything non-alcoholic? Like Juma-Cola?"
The volus nodded. "I'll get you a bottle." He was about to walk off when a turian took his place right next to Shepard and stopped him.
"Get me a glass of elasa as well" the new turian said.
"Um… sure" was all the volus said before moving on. Takashi took the moment to study his new drinking buddy out of the corner of his eye. He was a young turian male with golden-silver scales, and blue markings on his face. But what really drew Takashi's attention was the clothing he was wearing. The turian was garbed in the dark blue and black of C-Sec. On the turians jacket, he could make out the insignia, as well as the gun holster he kept under it.
Oh crap. He really hoped this wasn't about those six turians he butchered a little while ago. He really didn't fancy ending up in detention, nor did he want to stir up shit with C-Sec. He had enough on his plate already.
Maybe he has nothing to do with me, Takashi thought. But that was shot down when the turian turned to look at him. "Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian, Citadel Security Investigation unit. I was hoping to talk to you for a bit."
Takashi let out a chuckle. "Everyone seems to want to talk to me today. What is it you want to discuss?"
"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Ms Wong, about a couple of recent killings in the Wards. That was interesting, as I am also interested in that particular area. However, I'm a detective here with C-Sec, so my interest is justified. I can't help but wonder, what's your interest in all this?"
Takashi kept his face nonaligned. "Oh I'm just a concerned citizen worried about the safety of the denizens on this great station." Maybe that will make him go away.
Unfortunately that wasn't the case. It could not have been physically possible for Garrus to sound less convinced. "Really? You're that generous and munificent?"
"Sure. Don't bother to believe those nasty rumors about me. For the record, I don't like to rape nubile women, kill innocent kittens for fun, nor do I eat newborn babies for breakfast. I actually quite pleasant."
"Hmm" Garrus replied. "So you're not an assassin Barla Von hired to kill someone?"
If he was expecting a reaction, Shepard wasn't going to give him one. "Why would you think that?" How the hell did he find that out?
Garrus shrugged. "I have my sources. Don't get the wrong idea; if you are what I think you are, I'm not going to bring you in."
Now that was interesting. "Hypothetically speaking, if I were an assassin about to commit murder, would it not be your duty to bring me in?"
"Technically yes" Garrus said as he turned back towards the bar. "However I've been around C-Sec enough to know that sometimes our policies and procedures can sometimes be a detriment to keeping the peace." Though his face remained the same, Takashi could pick up trace amounts of irritation and bitterness in the young turian officer. Interesting.
"So is that all you came here to talk about?" Takashi asked out of curiosity. "What's your interest in these killings; you the detective working the case?"
"No, I'm just following a hunch" Garrus replied. "The council rejected my last investigation due to lack of evidence, so maybe this will prove fruitful enough to reopen the case."
"What was your last investigation about?"
"Believe it or not, I was looking into Spectre Agent Saren Arterius recent actions for the Council."
Now that got Shepard's attention. "You were looking into Saren? What for?"
"I can't go into specifics, but suffice to say, my superiors made it clear that the Council was very interested to see the result of what I could bring up."
Now things where starting to make sense. That was the reason the Council wasn't all that surprised to hear the Alliance's accusations against Saren at the meeting: they already had their own suspicions about him.
"So you couldn't find anything concrete, and now your hoping that this case will be enough to force the Council into action. Am I right?"
"Basically" Garrus answered with a shrug. "This is why I'm eager to see what Miss Wong turns up. My fellow C-Sec officers won't divulge anything pertaining to the case, so perhaps she can provide the next step."
Takashi just raised an eyebrow. "Plan on inviting yourself on my date huh?"
Garrus just smiled in response. "I wouldn't dream of it. I'll just be close by, listening in like a pervert."
Takashi was about to reply when a gun shot rang out behind the bar in the kitchens, followed by a female scream. Takashi and Garrus, followed by a few others, jumped over the bar and rushed to the back room to see what happened.
It wasn't a pretty sight. The volus bartender that had taken their orders was lying on the ground, bleeding from a wound to the forehead. Kneeling next to him was a young red headed human woman, crying profusely. And standing over both of them was a menacing krogan holding a large pistol.
Even though he didn't know all the details, something told him just who this krogan was. Urdnot Wrex. His prey was at hand.
The krogan reacted to their presence instantly. He raised his pistol, preparing to fire. Mirroring his actions, Garrus went for his own pistol, while the brave souls who followed the two of them in dropped to the ground. Before the two aliens could act however, Takashi moved forward. With a sharp jab of his hand, he sent a telekinetic blast hurling towards the krogan. In the enclosed space Wrex had no place to maneuver, and as such was blown right out the door and into the street.
Takashi turned to Garrus. "I'll deal with the krogan, you take of these two." Without waiting for a response, he dashed out, drawing his two pistols in preparation for combat. However as he stepped outside, the krogan Wrex was already moving away out the back alley and into the main streets. Takashi immediately sprang into action and gave pursuit.
For a large lumbering beast, Wrex moved rather quickly with surprising grace. And for the krogan's benefit, the crowd jumped out of his way as he plodded through the mass thoroughfare. That meant that Takashi was left to trudge through the clumped mess left in his wake. Not for the first was Shepard thankful for his time spent free-running on Omega. He was still able to slide his way threw the crowd, eyes locked on Wrex's back.
Wrex, perhaps sensing that Shepard was catching up to him, blindly fired his pistol behind him. In response, Takashi had to roll and evade while the crowd around him went into a panic. As if things weren't hard enough, now he had to track Wrex through a panicked mob. Springing to his feet, he shot after Wrex once again, relying on his 'undercover' kinetic shields and his enhanced reflexes to help him evade Wrex's gunfire.
When the krogan finally moved out of a busy street and into a large open plaza, Takashi took the initiative and opened fire.
Duel wielding was not a difficult thing in the late twenty-second century. With genetic enhancements, recoil dampers, and other forms of technology, duel wielding small arms was easily possible, unlike several centuries ago. With his enhanced strength and his biotics to mitigate whatever recoil his gun let off, firing two pistols at the same time was child's play for Shepard.
Not caring that there were civilians around the krogan, Takashi continued to pour fire down the krogan's back as it tried to escape. He was rewarded when a few shots finally manage to slip threw the krogan's shields and pierce his armor. Even though he was a meters away, Shepard could see the dark blood spilling to the ground. Sensing weakness, Takashi increased his rate of fire, ignoring the fact that Wrex had slipped back into a panicked running mob eager to get away from the violence. A few civilians looked like they were hit from his and Wrex's exchange, but he paid them no mind.
Dodging Wrex's blind fire, while simultaneously weaving through the crowd, Takashi got a bead on the krogan's back. Pulling the trigger, he was surprised to see a blue translucent field spring around the krogan, stopping his hyper-kinetic rounds in their tracks.
A krogan biotic, he though. Huh. This makes things more interesting.
He had to admit, this whole chase was proving to be quite the rush for him. Getting into a gun battle in the midst of a busy city street wasn't something that happened everyday on the Citadel. Indeed, in the background he could hear the sound of several sirens announcing C-Sec's coming presence.
I have to move this fight off the street, lest we both get arrested.
Apparently Wrex was thinking the exact same thing, as he changed course and made a bee line straight for the nearest Tramway station. Reaching the steps, the krogan turned, produced another pistol, and let loose fire in Takashi's general direction. All the while, he moved backwards up the steps, in a calm steady retreat.
While he had no trouble avoiding the krogan's erratic fire, the crowd around him wasn't so lucky. One human had his head blown off, and he could see an asari and a hanar not far from him riddled with bullet holes. C-Sec better not blame me for this… Chances were that when they found out who and what happened here, they weren't going to show him much in terms of leeway more than they would Wrex. As he took brief cover behind one of the walls next to the stairwell, Takashi made a mental note to give Wrex a few swift kicks to the balls. Bastard's probably numb down there, just like the rest of his neutered species…
Taking a few seconds to let the gunfire move past him, he turned out of cover guns at the ready to fire. But Wrex had already reached the top and was already rushing into enter the now departing train. Takashi pulled a frown as the tram began to depart the station.
Accessing his biotics, Shepard began making telekinetic jumps to bound up the stairs as quickly as possible. Reaching the top, he made one final jump, landing on the very last tram-car's roof. Taking a few moments to orient himself, he crawled forward and slid down between the car gaps.
A quick peer into the car in front of him showed Wrex calmingly leaning against the wall, probably thinking he was safe from harm. Getting a good line of fire, Takashi brought his pistols to the window and opened fire.
Much to his pleasure, the giant lizard didn't even know what hit it. Most of his shot's were absorbed by the krogan's recharged kinetic barriers, but a few seemed to slam home and penetrate the light armor. Takashi's victory was short lived however; as the krogan brought his own guns to bare and returned fire, forcing the Spectre hopeful to take cover. After a few seconds of remaining in cover, Takashi sprang up and into the tram car- only to see the krogan force open one of the side doors and jump out.
Rushing to where Wrex had been, Takashi arrived just in time to see the krogan use his biotic abilities to slow his rate of descent and drop into a roll on a nearby platform. The krogan then sprang to his feet and speed down the new alleyway.
Preparing to jump himself- he had to, lest the speeding tram get to far from Wrex- he noticed a small beeping sound at his feet. Looking down, he saw what he could only describe a small bomb wrapped with appeared to be a bandolier of grenades. And it looked as if it were about to go off.
Takashi narrowed his eyes and pulled a frown. Shit.
The tram car exploded a few seconds later; sending flaming shrapnel everywhere and sending the civilians bellow into a panic.
***
All things considered, Urdnot Wrex was having a humiliating day.
It had been a simple matter killing the volus named Doran; the weak, simpering entrepreneur only managed to turn and look in fear as Wrex put a round right between his eyes. He had been about to kill the weak human girl next to him, but the arrival of the turian C-Sec officer and the white haired human changed all that.
At first he thought to just killing them all; a feat such as that would greatly boost his reputation. But when the turian matched him move for move, and then finding out the human was biotic… Wrex knew when he was outgunned. And so he chose to flee the scene and move on to his next target.
Much to his annoyance, the white haired alien was hot on his tracks. And to add to his chagrin, the alien even managed to draw first blood on him. Him! He felt disgusted with himself as he was forced to take flee into a tram to get away. As he leaned against the train wall ignoring his few injuries, he suppressed the feeling of shame and humiliation. He had two more targets to kill, and he needed focus.
So imagine his surprise when the white haired alien suddenly pops up and draws even more of his blood. Deciding to retreat once again, the krogan leapt out the tram, but not before leaving a gift for his alien pursuer.
And so as he ran down the back alleyway, a smile stretched across his face when he heard his 'package' go off.
Take that you white haired turian's bitch, he thought.
Deciding he was in the clear, he brought his omni-tool up and activated his vehicle's autopilot function, and called it to him. The sooner he moved on to his next target, the better.
Filtering through his omni-tool, he looked at the file he filched from Doran's office before he killed him. Not only did it have the names of his two final targets, but it also had some of what his client had asked for him to find.
Glad to see that whole Flux fiasco had some upside to it, he thought as he closed the file. He turned…
…only to get a telekinetic blast in the gut for his troubles.
Wrex was hurled like a leaf caught in a hurricane gale, and was flung several meters out of the alleyway and into an empty street. Landing heavily on his stomach, the krogan let out a pained grunt.
Felt like I just got hit by a truck, he thought. He looked up, and dropped his jaw in surprise.
Walking towards him was the white haired alien, looking none the worse for the wear. Apparently, his gift didn't do what it intended to do.
"Urdnot Wrex, I presume" the alien drawled out.
Wrex didn't respond. Instead, he unleashed as much biotic power as he could. Biotically lifting a nearby car, he hurled with as much force as he was able at the human. It made a bee line straight at it, and Wrex felt hope spark in his system.
The white haired alien just held up a hand, and the car stopped midair just a few feet from the human. With a dismissive flick of his hand, the alien sent Wrex's projectile flying away into the distance. So far even that it left the Citadel's atmosphere and started floating away into the Serpent Nebula. Wrex felt his jaw drop even further.
What the hell have I run into?
His thoughts were interrupted as the human sent another biotic burst into his chest, slamming him into one of the cars on the street. The car shuttered under the pressure, and Wrex felt the hump on his back rupture slightly.
He didn't have much time to react any further, as the human walked up to him and held up a hand. Wrex felt a telekinetic grip tighten around his throat, and he was lifted off the ground. Wrex could only gurgle as oxygen was being cut off. To make matters worse, the human pulled out a pistol and fired two shots.
Straight into his groin.
Wrex would have cried out in pain, had the human not have him in a telekinetic chokehold. How the hell am I going to get out of this? he thought. The answer came quick: his car! It was arriving on auto pilot. He just needed a few moments to wait for it to arrive. He needed to buy some time.
To his surprise he felt the hold on his neck lessen, and air rushed back into his lungs. He was still held up in the air though.
"So you mind telling me what you're after?" the human asked.
Wrex gave the human a sardonic smile. "I was hired to do a job. What about you? A good citizen?" It was only then did Wrex notice the human's clothing. On his jacket, Wrex could make out several distinguishing icons. "Alliance Special Ops?"
The human ignored his remark. "I was asked to take you out. You pissed off some powerful people."
Wrex only snorted derisively at the human. "Never thought I would see the day an Alliance officer would take up arms with that bastard Saren" he said.
"What are you talking about?" the human asked. "You're the one who took up arms with Saren, not me."
"What gave you that impression? The Shadow Broker hired me, not Saren." Just a little bit longer. He could see the car coming towards him. He gathered his biotics for one final effort.
The human narrowed his eyes at him. "What? The Shadow Broker?" It was then that Wrex saw his chance. Throwing his arm out, he sent a telekinetic push out to the human. The white haired alien was distracted, and as such was thrown back a dozen feet before tumbling to the ground. As the human rolled to his feet, he looked up just in time to see Wrex escape in his vehicle.
To Wrex's final surprise, the human did not give chase.
***
Takashi soon found himself at the back entrance to Flux, his thoughts racing.
The krogan said he was working for the Shadow Broker, not Saren. He could have been lying, but for some reason Takashi believed him. But why would the Shadow Broker hire a bounty hunter to kill his own agents?
A startling thought came to him. Unless however…
His thoughts were broken as he saw Garrus coming towards him, with Emily Wong in tow.
"You get that krogan?" the turian asked.
"I caught up to him and we exchanged a few words, but in the end he managed to get away" Shepard answered him. "Said he was hired by the Shadow Broker to take those people out."
"That kind of matches up to what I found out" Emily quipped. "I found some intel on those people you wanted looking into."
That got Garrus and Takashi's attention. "What did you find out?" the turian C-Sec detective asked.
"I was going back to my apartment when I got a call from one of my informants. Apparently, there was some kind of chaos going on at the crime scene of the victim before this one. I went to check it out, and found out that there had been some kind of gun battle. Apparently, there was some young quarian girl involved."
"Go on" Takashi urged.
"I don't know all the details, but C-Sec found some kind of OSD in the vic's crime scene." Emily adopted a sly smile on her face. "When they weren't looking, I copied the files. Most of it's still encrypted, but I got some of it off. Supposedly, this guy worked for the Shadow Broker, and was set up to meet with a quarian woman today. Of course he was killed yesterday, so the meeting never took place. But what's really interesting is that he wasn't buying this info for the Shadow Broker but for someone else. At least that's what I gather from what he put down"
"He was working for Saren then" Takashi remarked. "Did it say anything else?"
"The rest is still encrypted" Emily answered with a shake of her head. "It will take me a bit longer to crack the data."
"Even still, this gives us the next step" Garrus remarked. "This quarian is involved; we need to find her."
"That won't be easy" Emily imputed. "This station is huge; she could be anywhere."
"Not quite" Takashi answered her. "If she was there to meet a contact with the Shadow Broker, she might still be trying to get in contact with him." He turned to Garrus, "Is there any place in that area where one could go to set up a meeting with a Broker agent?"
"I think I might know just the place" he said with a small smile.
***
"You should have told me you were taking me to a strip club" Takashi remarked.
"And ruin the surprise?" Garrus replied with a smirk.
Chora's Den was one of the liveliest places to be on the Gamma Ward. Owned by a rather scrupulous human by the name of Bartholomew Fist, the place was a popular watering hole for sex crazed men all over the Citadel. It was known as a place where guys could relax with cheap drinks and get good views.
Indeed, as soon as they entered, Garrus and Takashi were bombarded with loud music and the smell of cheap booze. Only the sight of near naked human and asari woman kept him from rising to much trouble with his turian partner.
When this is over, I might just come back here for a private show, he thought. His visit to the Consort's residence only temporarily satisfied his sexual hunger. I wonder how much it cost to sleep with these women? Probably not much, if the cost of everything else here is to go by.
Still, according to Garrus, this place was also a good meeting place for those on the down low, and it was relatively close to the last place the quarian was spotted.
He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he and Garrus walked up to the bar in the middle of the club. To his surprise, the woman working there looked identical to the red headed woman he saw in Flux. Twins maybe?
"Excuse me miss" Garrus greeted. "But have you seen a young quarian woman around here recently?"
"A quarian woman?" the female bartender asked. "Yeah, she limped in here a few hours ago. Why?"
Garrus and Takashi exchanged a glance before turning to the woman. "Where is she now?" Shepard asked.
She was about to answer when she got a ring from her omni-tool. "Excuse me for a minute" she said before walking off.
"Garrus Vakarian" a voice said next to them. "And what appears to be Takashi Shepard. Huh."
The two men turned to see a balding middle aged man slumped over the bar with a bottle of alcohol in his hands. Takashi recognized him straight away. "Officer Harkin."
"You know me?" Harkin replied.
"Your reputation precedes you."
"Huh, figures. It's what I get for joining the goddamned Citadel Security. Biggest mistake of my life."
"I hear you got suspended from the force, something about 'recurring violations'."
"It was damn witch-hunt is what it was" Harkin replied with a snarl. "C-Sec was keeping a file on me, can you believe that? You have a little drink on duty; note in the file. You rough up a few suspects in custody; note in the file. You skim a few credits of a drug bust; note in the file. You get caught jerking off at your desk; note in the file. It's a load of bullshit if you ask me."
"You got off easy if you ask me" Garrus snarled out.
"What would you know about it you simpering lackey" Harkin shot back. "Besides, shouldn't you be looking for that quarian woman?"
"You know her?" Takashi asked.
"I helped her out when she came through here a while ago."
"So where is she now?"
Harkin turned back to the bar. "Now I could tell you. But you have to make it worth my while" he finished with a smirk.
Both Garrus and Takashi looked at him with narrowed eyes. "What?"
"You heard me" Harkin said. "You want the info, better fork over some cash."
"We're not paying you anything you drunken asshole" Garrus ground out as his fists tightened.
"Well I guess your not going to find anything out now, are you bitch?" Harkin said with a laugh.
That was the last straw for Garrus apparently.
Moving forward, he grabbed Harkin's head and slammed it into the countertop. As Harkin slumped to the ground, he picked him up by his collar, threw him on to the countertop, and drew his gun.
"Listen you piece of krogan-shit" he snarled out as he put the gun to Harkins head. "You're going to tell me what I want to know, because if you don't, I'm going to blow your fucking head off!"
The other patrons of the bar were decidedly ignoring them. They knew better than to get involved.
"Easy man" Harkin said through a bloody nose. "That quarian you're looking for came in here with a gunshot wound, was looking for a place to patch herself up."
"Where is she now?" Takashi asked.
"I told her to go to Dr. Michelle's clinic near here. She left without another word."
With that, Garrus let him go and turned to Takashi. "I know where that clinic is, let's go."
The two men exited the bar, leaving Harkin on the ground and a host of confused patrons in their wake.
***
Thanks to a ride from Emily, the three arrived at Dr. Michelle's clinic in minuets. But as they got close, something seemed off.
"That's strange" Emily said as she pulled up to the curve. "I'm pretty sure the clinic would still be open…"
Garrus pulled out his pistol. "It should be."
Emily looked at the gun with widened eyes. "Uh… are we expecting trouble…?"
As they got out of the car, Takashi drew his own pistols. "We're always expecting trouble." With that, the three moved up to the clinic to see what was wrong.
The first thing they noticed was that despite the clinic looking shut down, the front door was unlocked. Trading glances, Takashi and Garrus moved forward into the clinic with Emily in tow. The front lobby was completely shrouded in darkness. The only source of light came from upstairs in the back. With saying a word, the three moved silently up, and soon enough they began to hear voices in the back room.
Motioning for Emily to stay put, Garrus and Takashi moved into the room ninja-like, as not to announce their presence. Garrus moved to the left, crouching down to get a good shot. Takashi stood in the middle, standing perfectly to get a bead on the three to the right.
An attractive red headed woman in medic dress was standing behind a desk, facing two men with guns drawn. Next to them, three additional men stood as support.
"But I didn't say anything to anyone, I swear!" the woman pleaded.
"That's smart" one of the thugs said. "And if a white haired human and a turian cop come sniffing around here, you stay smart. Or we'll…" He never finished his sentence. Garrus opened fire, and he and his companion slumped to the ground dead with holes in their head.
Dr Michelle gave out a startled cry as the other three turned to Garrus. That was a big mistake, as they didn't notice Shepard coming up on their side. Bringing his pistols up lazily, he fired three shots, and was rewarded with the sight of seeing their head explode in a shower of blood and gore.
Just like that, it was over.
"That's it" Shepard said, putting his guns away. "Bag em' and tag em'."
"Wow" Emily remarked as she came in behind them. "That was fast."
Garrus moved to Dr. Michelle. "Doctor, are you hurt?"
Michelle shook her head in the negative. "No, I'm fine." Her voice had a shaky feel to it, no doubt due to the last few minuets. "Thanks for the help."
"I know those men threatened you" Shepard replied as he an Emily joined the other two. "But if you tell us who they work for, we can protect you."
"They work for Fist. They wanted to shut me up, to prevent me from telling you about the quarian."
"And the quarian? Where is she now?" Garrus asked.
"When she told me what happened to her, I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker."
"But is he an agent for the Shadow Broker, or for Saren I wonder?" Takashi thought.
"Probably Saren" Emily quipped. "If these thugs came by to threaten Doc Michelle here, that means they're probably with Saren now. They betrayed the Shadow Broker like the others."
"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker" Michelle said in surprise. "That's stupid even for him. This Saren must have made him quite the offer."
"Saren is somehow causing a lot of people to betray lately." Takashi told her.
"She must have something Saren wants" Garrus inputted. "Did she say anything about evidence or Saren?"
Dr. Michelle was quite a moment before speaking up. "Geth!" she exclaimed. "She said her evidence had something to do with the Geth!"
"That quarian must have something that connects Saren to the Geth" Garrus said excitedly. "There's no way the Council can ignore this!"
"But we don't have anything yet" Emily countered. "Fist is the one who has her."
Shepard and Garrus just shared a look. Takashi gripped his pistols. "Time to pay Fist a visit."
Emily just looked at the two of them and sighed. "Oh dear…"
***
Emily parked her car around the corner of Chora's Den as Takashi and Garrus got out. "We'll be back in a little while. Just stay and wait for us" Shepard told her.
"You know this makes me an accessory right?" Emily told him. "You owe me big time for all this Takashi."
"When this is all over, I'll take you out to the most expensive restaurant on the citadel for dinner, ok?"
"I'm going to hold you to that. In the mean time, I'll see if I can crack that informant's file. Might lead to some juicy info." Shepard nodded, and moved to walk off. "Hey Takashi" Emily called out. "Be careful."
Shepard just gave her a small smile as he and Garrus moved to the bar.
As they moved to the entrance of the bar, they noted that it looked much the same as Dr Michelle's clinic: shut down.
"I thought this place was open twenty-four seven?"
"It is" Garrus answered grimly. He drew his gun. "Fist knows we're coming."
Takashi drew his own pistols. "Well then, let's not shirk his hospitality." With that they moved to the door and kicked it in. Inside waiting for them had to be fifty armed thugs, ready and waiting.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then all hell broke loose.
***
For warehouse workers Bob and Dave, it was not a good day. All day, Fist had been own their tails about getting his latest shipments unpacked. That meant working overtime. It also meant that they were currently in the bar when the fighting started.
"You hear that out there?" Bob asked. "It sounds like a warzone."
"Shit yeah" Dave agreed. "Hard to believe it's only two of them."
"Yeah, but there are fifty guys out there, there's no way…" he never got to finish his sentence as a white haired human and a C-Sec turian officer came through the back rooms. They were drenched in blood, but were otherwise unharmed. Bob and Dave shared a look of terror. Oh shit…
Both men raised their arms in surrender. "Hey look we're not-" They never got the chance to finish their plea; Takashi and Garrus simply gunned them down where they stood. The two simply continued on as if they weren't even there.
"Fist's private office should be behind this door" Shepard remarked.
"Let's do this quick, we need that quarian alive" Garrus remarked.
In a quick breaching maneuver, they burst into the office with Garrus using his omni-tool to neutralize Fist's two turrets, while Takashi sent Fist hard into a wall with a biotic shove. Just that quick, it was over.
Dressed in an expensive Armani suit, Fist didn't look like your typical low life scumbag crime lord. But lying on the floor, dazed and confused, he looked down right pathetic. Takashi pointed his pistol at him.
"No… Wait… I surrender" Fist managed to get out.
"Tell me where the quarian is, and I won't have to shot you in the kneecaps" Takashi told him.
"I don't know where she is, that's the truth." That was a lie and everyone knew it.
Takashi responded by firing two shots next to Fist's head, and the downed man let out a terrified shriek. "Where is the quarian?" he repeated. "I won't ask you again."
"The quarian isn't here, said she only meet with the Shadow Broker himself" Fist stammered out.
"Impossible" Garrus refuted. "The Shadow Broker only works through his agents."
Fist slowly got to feet. "Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever" he said with more strength in his voice. "Even I don't know his true identity. But she didn't know that. I told her I set a meeting up. But she get's there, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her."
Takashi moved forward and grabbed Fist's collar, pulling him in close. "Give me the location. Now" he said in a low voice.
"It's in the back alley by the Third Side Markets. You can make it if you hurry." Thinking it was over, Fist turned to leave, only to find Takashi's gun to his brow.
"Too many people died here Fist. You don't get to walk away." He pulled the trigger, and what was once Fist's head was now a pile of gore.
***
"We're too late" Emily cried in dismay.
They had rushed to Emily's car and drove as quick as they dared to get to the meeting place. But when the arrived, all they found was a patch of blood and traces of explosives.
"Your quarian friend got captured" a voice rang out. Takashi and Garrus drew their guns to the sound of the voice, only to find the bounty hunter Wrex standing in the shadows with his arms crossed.
"What do you mean she got captured?" Garrus demanded.
"It was only coincidence that I found out" Wrex answered. "I was on my way to Fist's place when I saw an explosion in this alley. When I went to check it out, I saw a bunch of heavily armed mercs tacking her captive. She put up a fight though" he finished with a smile.
While Garrus and Emily looked dismayed, Takashi got a dark look in his face. "Can you describe the mercs to me?" he asked. When Wrex gave his description, his mood further darkened. "So it is as I was beginning to suspect. Son of a bitch."
"What?" Emily asked. "What's wrong?"
"I know who those mercs work for. And I know where they've probably taken her."
"They work for Saren" Garrus said. "Fist told us that."
"Not these mercs. Not directly at least. It all adds up. The informants turning traitor, me hunting Wrex, why the quarian is running all over the place- it's all due to one man, one who I should have seen through before. But I was to busy focusing on Saren that I couldn't see his lackey right in front of me."
"And who is this lackey?" Wrex asked.
Takashi looked them all in the eyes. "It's the man who asked me to find Wrex, the man who controls the Shadow Broker's network on the Citadel: Barla Von."
***
AN: Damn, this took a long time to get out. But I hope you enjoy it none the less. So please leave a review; they make my days a little bit brighter.