Chapter 2: Fist

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya approached the krogan with caution. When he held up his hand to stop her from passing, she said, "I have an appointment with Fist."

The krogan activated his omni-tool and typed into it lazily, taking his time. After confirming the appointment, he stepped aside and let her pass.

The sounds from the club faded as Tali quickly walked down the hallway. She did not feel comfortable trading her data with a criminal, but had decided that she would do what she must in order to ensure her safety. No matter how powerful the person was who was hunting her, the Shadow Broker could provide a safe haven.

The door to Fist's office slid open as Tali approached. Entering, she glanced around the room and instinctively memorized positions of cover and escape routes. Moving further into the room, she could see a man sitting on a couch. He had short, dark hair, a wide jaw, and looked like he meant business.

As Tali cautiously approached, Fist said, "So, what brings a quarian to see me?"

"I need protection," Tali replied. "I understand you have connections with the Shadow Broker."

"Yes, but protection doesn't come cheap."

"I have data to offer in return."

"Show me the data, and we can get down to business."

Tali took a step back. "No. This data is for the Shadow Broker alone. I want to meet him in person."

"No one meets the Shadow Broker and lives, quarian."

"Then I'll take my business elsewhere."

As Tali turned to leave, Fist said, "Wait, wait. Can you at least tell me the nature of the data you have? It will help me gauge its worth."

Tali thought back to the recording she took from the geth unit and shuddered. "I took it from a geth unit. That's all I will tell you."

"Interesting," Fist said, as he pondered his options. Saren had been clear; kill the quarian and wipe all traces of the data she held. But, if he played his cards right, he could kill the quarian and recover the data in secret. That way, he held power over Saren, and that could come in handy further down the road. "I'll tell you what. Since geth data could be particularly useful to the Shadow Broker, I'll contact him for you and try to set up a meeting. No promises, though."

Tali nodded quickly, and Fist proceeded to activate his omni-tool. He typed out a quick message, but instead of pressing send he pressed the button labeled 'save draft'. After making a show of waiting for a reply, he said, "He has agreed to meet you."

Tali let out a sigh of relief. "When and where?"

"You know the alley just outside the club? Head out the door, cross the bridge, and turn left. The Shadow Broker isn't on the Citadel, so he has to fly in. He'll meet you there in five hours."

"Thank you for helping me."

Fist almost felt bad that he was sending Tali to her death as she exited his office, but quickly shook the feeling when he thought of the immense power that Saren had promised him. He activated his omni-tool once again and typed out a new message. Satisfied that the assassins would show up on time, he swallowed the remaining whisky in his glass and settled back into the couch.

Tali hurried out of Chora's Den and boarded a taxi. She entered a destination in the wards into the shuttle's navigation system and settled back into the seat. As the shuttle made its way through the Citadel, Tali made a mental list of the items she needed. Incendiary rounds for her shotgun were a must. When dealing with mercs and other unsavoury characters, rounds that burned quickly through armour were invaluable. She could also use some grenades, as they provided an easy way to end a firefight quickly, but they were expensive. Instead, she would have to settle for proximity mines.

The cab let Tali out in front of a small store in a drab back alley. The sign on the front of the store advertised omni-tool upgrades and other tech, but Tali knew better. Entering, she approached the salarian at the counter.

"What can I do for- you again!" said the salarian.

"Hi Tolik," Tali replied, trying to sound cheerful.

"Are you in a merc group or something? You go through ammo faster than a vorcha!"

"Something came up. I need my shotgun modified to fire incendiary rounds, and a bunch of proximity mines."

Tolik shook his head. "This stuff doesn't come cheaply you know! I had to sell my soul to get you that shotgun last time. Nothing more for free."

"I have credits this time, and enough to repay my previous debt, like I promised."

Tolik tilted his head sideways and said, "Interesting. Honest person in the wards. Most interesting."

"I don't have a lot of time, Tolik."

"Of course, I'll get started right away. Pass me your shotgun."

Tali removed her shotgun from its holster on her back and handed it to him. Tolik took it and silently disappeared into the back of the shop. From where she stood at the counter, Tali could hear the salarian cursing under his breath as he made the necessary modifications. After what seemed like an eternity, Tolik returned with Tali's shotgun and a crate full of proximity mines.

"Sorry for the wait," said Tolik. "Proximity mine almost went off. Faulty detonator."

Tali took her shotgun and re-holstered it. She eyed the mines warily and said, "They won't go off on me, will they?"

"No, no. I checked them all. How many mines do you need?"

"Five should be enough."

Tolik took five proximity mines from the crate and carefully laid them out on the counter, being careful not to press the activator button. "That's going to cost a lot."

"All I have is three thousand credits," said Tali. "How much can I get for that?"

Tolik looked down at the ground and then back at Tali. "You have been kind. Give me the three thousand and we will consider it even."

Tali nodded and passed Tolik her credit chit. "Thank you."

"Yes, yes. Now get out before C-Sec comes in and finds all this."

"Thanks again, Tolik," Tali said as she exited the shop.

As Tali headed towards the transportation terminal, she realized that she didn't have any credits left for a cab ride. Sighing, she began the long walk back to Chora's Den. As she walked, Tali replayed the conversation with Fist in her head. She already distrusted him because he was a criminal, and after remembering how eager he was to help her after hearing about the geth data, Tali decided that she was glad she had bought the shotgun upgrade.


Tali's legs were burning as she finally arrived outside Chora's Den. Heading up a small ramp, she unholstered her shotgun and entered the alley that Fist had mentioned. She was three hours early, but wanted to scope out the meeting place before the Shadow Broker arrived.

The first thing Tali noticed was how narrow the alleyway was. Making mental notes of escape routes and tactical positions, Tali walked the length of the alley twice. Finally satisfied that she could escape if need be, she walked towards a pile of crates in a corner. Checking that no one else was present, Tali removed the OSD containing the geth data from a pocket in her enviro-suit and stashed it behind the crates. This way, even if something happened to her, the data would only get to who she wanted.

Satisfied that everything was in order, Tali exited the alleyway and found a bench nearby. Sitting down, Tali began to wait.


A/N: One the reviewers mentioned that they wanted more custom content, so I wrote this chapter. After I get further into the plot, there will be a lot more of these. Please, write a review and let me know what you think so far. It means a lot and really helps!

Just to clarify: this takes place during the attack on Eden Prime, which will be the next chapter