Garrus looked up from his console as the doors to the forward battery hissed open. Shepard was standing on the threshold.

"Hey," she said. "Can I come in?"

"It's your ship, Shepard, you can go where you like."

Shepard smiled wryly and came the rest of the way in, moving carefully. Garrus' mandibles twitched in amusement.

"Didn't you used to brag that human biotics couldn't get hangovers?" he asked.

Shepard rubbed her eyes and shrugged. "I guess no one had tested the effects of Serrice Ice Brandy before."

Shepard considered Garrus for a long moment. She took a breath as if she were about to speak, but let it out again without saying anything. Garrus tilted his head inquisitively and waited. She glanced away and smiled an odd half smile. He couldn't remember having seen an expression like it on her face before. He wasn't sure what it meant. She picked up a tool from the bench he used to maintain his weapons and examined it with an unusual degree of interest. When she looked back at him again her face was composed and business-like.

"I've ordered Joker to take the ship to Illium. The dossiers the Illusive Man forwarded me say we'll find a drell assassin and an asari Justicar there." She tapped the tool against the palm of her other hand contemplatively. "I've never heard of a Justicar before."

"Not many people have," Garrus replied. "They don't usually leave asari space. I've heard stories, though. They live by a strict code and travel around righting whatever wrongs they find, killing anyone who gets between them and justice. No politics, no shades of grey; you're either right or you're wrong." Garrus sighed enviously. "Turians need something like that."

Shepard chuckled at his wistful tone. "I dunno, Garrus. You didn't much like all the rules on the Citadel. A strict code doesn't really seem like your style."

"I didn't like the rules that kept me from doing my job," he pointed out. "The asari let the Justicars do whatever they need to in order to adhere to their code. That would suit me just fine. Well, except for the part where they swear to give up all worldly possessions."

Shepard looked around the room dubiously. "What worldly possessions would you be giving up, exactly?" she asked.

"I have stuff! Well, I had stuff. I had to leave most of it on Omega. It was some pretty good stuff though. Nothing as nice as your ship collection but.."

Shepard chucked the tool at him with mock annoyance. Garrus caught it easily.

"Touchy, touchy, Commander."

Shepard shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. "Anyhow," she said. "I just I came down here to say thanks. For before."

Garrus suppressed the urge to tease her again. He didn't want any more tools thrown at his head.

"You know I've always got your back, Shepard."

The odd smile was back on her face.

"I know, Garrus."

She turned and walked out abruptly, leaving Garrus scratching his head.

When Garrus and Shepard stepped out of the Normandy's airlock they were met by a well-dressed, dark blue asari. Garrus' hand reflexively fell to his weapon holster as he eyed the pair of armed LOKI battle mechs who accompanied her.

"Welcome to Nos Astra, Commander Shepard," the asari said with a friendly, almost obsequious tone. "We've been instructed to wave all docking and administration fees for your visit. My name is Careena, if you need any information about the area, it would be my pleasure to assist you."

"Who instructed you to waive the fees?" Shepard asked, with what Garrus felt was a very healthy degree of suspicion.

"The order came from Liara T'soni, who paid all fees on your behalf, "Careen replied smoothly. "She also asked that I direct you to speak with her at your convenience. She's near the trading floor."

At Liara's name Garrus saw some of the tension go out of Shepard's posture. He didn't ease his own hand off his weapons until after the asari had entered a command into her omni-tool and the mechs turned to march away.

"Alright then, Careena. Tell me about Nos Astra." Shepard said.

"It's an exciting city," Careena said with enthusiasm. "We see a lot of new cultures and goods because of our proximity to the Terminus Systems. Illium is a free-trade world, we've had to relax some standards in order to remain competitive. At the same time, Illium is still an asari planet. You should be as safe here as you would be on the Citadel."

Garrus noted the edge of equivocation that had entered Careena's voice as she spoke about the "relaxed standards" on Illium and he snorted.

Shepard just nodded politely and asked, "What does Liara do here?"

"Liara is one of Nos Astra's most respected information brokers. Information is valuable currency and Liara has done quite well. She said she was looking forward to seeing you."

"Thank you," Shepard said, dismissal in her tone.

"Welcome to our city, Commander. Please enjoy your stay." Careena stepped aside and let them pass.

Garrus gazed out the window as they walked through the corridors of the docking area. Lines of hovercars flitted between the tall, graceful buildings lit with blue and purple lights. Against the gentle pinkish glow of the setting sun, the effect was striking. He had to admit that the asari were no slouches in the architecture department, Nos Astra was a lovely city. As lovely as it was, however, he knew looks were deceiving.

"We were always told Illium is one of the safest places in the galaxy," he remarked to Shepard as they walked. "Until you fell off the grid. Sign the wrong contract, join up with the wrong company, or walk down the wrong alley and it's just as dangerous as anywhere else. Don't let this place fool you. It's no safer here than Omega."

Shepard chuckled as she strolled through the busy crowd. Most people took one look at the small arsenal they carried and got out of their way. The fact that almost no one seemed alarmed in any way told Garrus everything he needed to know about Nos Astra.

"Garrus, you would probably see the danger lurking in flower beds," Shepard complained.

"Can't blame a guy for being cautious." He narrowed his eyes at her thoughtfully. "I noticed you didn't seem particularly surprised that Liara was here."

Shepard shrugged. "I told you I asked the Illusive Man for the whereabouts of the old team when I first woke up. He told me Liara was here."

"You haven't contacted her before now?"

"He also told me there were rumors that she was working for the Shadow Broker. He didn't seem to think contacting her at that time would be prudent, lest information about my revival become widespread. Now I think he just wanted time to spread his own rumors first."

Garrus was surprised at the revelation. The Shadow Broker was one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in the galaxy. He and Shepard had both had run-ins with his minions before. Not all of them had ended in violence, but enough had that he would have been wary of anyone working for him as well. But Liara working for the Shadow Broker? It seemed so out of character for the sheltered asari academic he'd known before.

They reached the trading floor. It was a hub of frenetic activity. There were aliens of all races clustered around information consoles, calling out trades. Others were shopping at kisoks or watching the news feeds on the large screens mounted on the walls. They passed an asari and a volus arguing over how the Collector attacks should change their financial decisions. The volus had an odious plan to short sell shares for the supplies that would likely be donated to any refugees. Typical, all tragedies had their financial vultures.

They ducked out of the press of people and into a quieter corridor that indicated it lead to the administration offices. At the top of a flight of stairs they found a reception desk. The asari seated there rose as they came into view to greet them, then waved them into the office.

"Have you faced an asari commando unit before?" Liara asked the man on the other end of a vidcall. Her voice was a lot more threatening than Garrus remembered.

"Few humans have," Liara continued. "I'll make it simple. Pay me, or I'll flay you alive. With my mind."

Garrus blinked in surprise. He hadn't been able to imagine the sweet, shy Liara he'd known as an agent of the Shadow Broker, but a Liara who could threaten to flay someone so casually over payment? He could easily imagine this woman working for such a sinister figure.

Liara terminated the call and turned around. When she saw Shepard, the severe expression on her face crumbled.

"Shepard.." Liara began, but she stopped, she seemed unable to speak. Her arms parted and she reached out to Shepard hesitantly. He saw Shepard hesitate for a moment too before she let out a breath and stepped into them. Liara's eyes slid shut as she closed her arms around Shepard and laid her head on her shoulder.

"Ah.. Shepard.." Liara breathed, nearly inaudible. "My sources said you were alive, but I never believed.." she said, her tone nervous, but joyful. "It's very good to see you."

"You have sources now?" Shepard asked with an amused smile.

"A few. Sources, contacts, even a little hired muscle. I've been working as an information broker." She turned to Garrus and clasped one of his hands in both of hers. "It's good to see you too, Garrus." She reached up to touch the injured side of his face lightly. He ducked a little, feeling self-conscious and Liara smiled.

"I was worried," she said, "And a little professionally embarrassed when I lost track of you after you left C-Sec."

"No offense, Liara, but I'm glad. If you couldn't find me then the other less friendly people probably couldn't find me either." Garrus eyed the office appreciatively. "You seem to have done alright for yourself with this information brokering gig."

Liara nodded and sat down behind the large desk that was set in front a huge window that gave her an excellent view of both the trading floor below and Nos Astra's skyline. Liara seemed much more intimidating sitting with such an impressive backdrop behind her. The tasteful decor of the office reeked of money, acting as a silent testament to the truth of Liara's skills.

"It's paid the bills since.. well.."Liara trailed off uncertainly.

"Since I died? It's okay to say it," Shepard joked.

"For the last two years," Liara said with some chagrin. "And now you're back, gunning for the Collectors with Cerberus."

Shepard took the chair opposite Liara. "If you know that, then you know I could use your help."

"I can't, Shepard. I'm sorry, I have commitments here. Things I need to take care of."

"What kind of things?" An edge crept into Shepard's voice. "Are you in trouble?"

Liara shook her head quickly. "No, no trouble. But it's been a long two years." She stood restlessly and turned to look out the window, her back to them. "I had things to do while you were gone. I have debts to repay."

"What's this all about Liara?" Shepard asked. "Can't you just talk to me?"

"Don't you think I want to, Shepard?" Liara responded defensively. "This isn't because I don't trust you. This is Illium. Anything I say is probably being recorded. It should be about friendship and trust.. But that's not how it works here."

"These debts, are they to the Shadow Broker?" Shepard asked.

Liara looked at Shepard, surprise on her face.

Shepard shrugged evasively. "I hear things too. Cerberus says you're working for him now."

Liara shook her head, frowning. "I'm not working for the Shadow Broker. But it does involve him, yes. So you must understand why I can't say more."

Shepard nodded a little stiffly. "Fine. Okay. Maybe you can help me another way. I find myself in need of information."

Liara seemed relieved to move onto a less fraught topic. "Of course, what do you want to know?"

"As you know, Cerberus has me building a team to stop the Collectors. There's supposed to be an asari named Samara here on Illium. Do you know where I could find her?"

Liara nodded. "Samara, yes. She arrived recently and registered with tracking officer Dara. She should know Samara's current location."

"I'm also looking for Thane Krios. Have you heard anything about him?"

"The assassin," Liara said, nodding. "Yes, he arrived here a few days ago. My sources tell me he may be targeting a corporate executive, Nassana Dantius.

That name sounded familiar to Garrus. "Nassana? Wasn't she a diplomat on the Citadel?"

"Yes." Shepard twisted her mouth with distaste. "She concocted a story about a sister held hostage that turned out to be complete crap. The sister was blackmailing her and the 'rescue' mission was just a way to get me to kill her and take care of the problem for her. I'm not surprised she's made enemies who want to kill her."

"Krios contacted a woman named Seryna." Liara told them. "She has an office in the cargo transfer levels. Perhaps she can tell you where he is."

Shepard eyed Liara. "That was all just off the top of your head?"

Liara smiled a little smugly. "I'm a very good information broker, Shepard. The world of intrigue isn't that different from a dig site. Except that the dead bodies still smell."

"Well, I should go. I have some people to find." Shepard pushed herself to her feet, but waved Liara back when she started to rise.

"I really am glad to see you, Shepard. I wish I could come with you, truly."

Shepard smiled crookedly. "It's okay. I'll talk to you later, Liara."

Shepard nodded to Liara's assistant on her way out of the office and headed down the stairs. She paused at the bottom, silently watching the crowd of people out on the trading floor with her arms crossed tightly. Eventually she blew out a long breath.

"Guess that's it, then. We're on our own."

"Just you and me against all the Collectors?" Garrus chuckled. "I still like our odds."

Shepard arched a brow at him. "Oh really?"

"Look at it this way, the Collectors already killed you once and all it did was piss you off. I can't imagine they're going to stop you this time. It's their loss that the others will miss getting to help us kick their asses."

Shepard laughed and she dropped her arms to her sides. Garrus nudged her shoulder with his.

"C'mon, we have work to do." Garrus turned and started walking. "I think the transport hub is that way."

Shepard put a hand to his chest to check his movement and shook her head slightly. She had that look on her face that meant she was revising her strategy. "You might like our odds against the Collectors but.. It might be time to let some of the others on on the action. Can't let you hog all the glory, Garrus."

She chuckled at his affronted expression, but her voice lost it's levity as she continued, "It's time to start integrating the others into the team. I've been putting it off, I was hoping some of the others might join us but.."

Shepard shrugged. Garrus growled. He would be damned if he'd let someone else watch Shepard's back, especially one of those lunatics.

"I don't see why that means I'm staying behind."

"They're not the only ones who have to get used to the new arrangement, Garrus. We have to get used to trusting them, too. There are bound to be times when we have to split the team up. I'll need someone to lead the second team, and there's no one I trust more to do that than you. Like now," she said with a smile, "I have a different mission for you. Very important. Recon, if you will."

"Recon?"

"Recon," she said firmly. "I need you to investigate the bars in Nos Astra."

Garrus stared at her in disbelief. "You have to be kidding."

"I'm absolutely serious. You deserve a break." She cuffed his shoulder. "We all do. The Cerberus crew has been working non-stop, and the ship could use some repairs. I'll go collect the new people and give some of the others a trial run. Picking up a couple of people doesn't seem that complicated."

"Don't say that. You," and he pointed at her for emphasis, "Have a knack for making things complicated. At least take Jacob or Miranda," he begged. "Don't take all the crazy people out in a group."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Shepard sniffed. "Fine, Jacob. But when I get back, we'll go out. You and me."

"You haven't had enough drinking?" he chided her. He wasn't above being petty.

Shepard winced. "Whatever place you pick, make sure it doesn't have any Serrice ice brandy."

"Okay," he said slowly, still not thrilled with the idea of Shepard going on missions without him. But orders were orders. Jacob was good. Shepard would be fine. Probably. He sighed. "I'll find someplace nice."

Shepard looked aghast. "Nice? No! Find us someplace fun."

She gave him a jaunty salute and turned to slip into the crowd. As she left he could just hear her speak into her comms, "Kelly? Tell Jacob and Grunt to suit up, I need them in Nos Astra…"

Garrus retreated to the cafe near the trading floor. The seating area was open on one side, giving a clear view of the floor and the activity there. There were a few other people seated at the tables nearby, some conducting business over beverages, some solo patrons grabbing a quick meal before presumably heading back to work. One of the lone patrons made him look twice. She was human, brown-haired, brown-eyed, deeply tanned skin, dressed conservatively. It wasn't her appearance that made Garrus give her a second glance, though. She appeared to be casually consuming a beverage, but Garrus could see she was just using it as an excuse to surveil someone on the trading floor. He knew a fellow law enforcement professional when he saw one. Her face looked familiar too, but he couldn't immediately place it. She looked like a number of other humans, and he was sure she wasn't C-Sec. Some sort of private investigator? She was skilled enough that she was almost immediately aware of his counter-surveillance. She frowned quizzically, tilting her head to one side in a silent question. She didn't seem threatened by his attention, perhaps she had also pegged him as the former C-Sec agent he was. Garrus just nodded and turned away. Whoever she was and whatever she was doing had nothing to do with him.

Garrus called up the directory for all the businesses on Nos Astra on his omni-tool and started going through the lists of recreational venues. There were a lot of them. He needed to devise a strategy for filtering all the information. What were the most important criteria to consider? Ambiance? Menu? He tried to focus on the task but he was too irritated. Shepard was out there with Cerberus, no doubt stirring up trouble with her usual flair, and he was supposed to look into bars? His concentration kept wavering as he replayed the conversation with Liara and Shepard in his mind, and every time he did, his irritation grew. The words on the display became a meaningless blur as his temper rose. He had no patience for cloak and dagger nonsense. Whatever games Liara was playing with the Shadow Broker, they couldn't be more important stopping the Collectors. How could all of Shepard's friends desert her? How could they not jump at the chance to be part of such an important mission?

Liara's refusal in particular baffled him. She had been very attached to Shepard. Of all the non-Alliance crew, Liara had been the only one to stay with her on the Normandy after the Battle of the Citadel. The human crew used to joke that the archaeologist had a crush on the commander, but he'd never really paid much attention to the rumors. Gossip seemed to be a popular activity on human military vessels. The Alliance had very strict rules governing the interpersonal relationships of their military personnel and yet they had all spent a disproportionate amount of their downtime speculating about which members of the crew were sleeping with each other. The senior officers were the most popular targets, Shepard in particular. Factions had formed between those who were rooting for Liara and those instead favored one of their fellow Alliance members, Kaidan Alenko. Discussions between the two groups sometimes even got heated. Garrus had never really understood it. The speculation ended tragically after Kaidan's death on Virmire. His loss affected everyone and though she remained professional, they could all see how badly Shepard had taken it. Garrus would have thought those in Alenko's camp would have cited that as proof that they had been right, or that the Liara proponents would have said the field was now clear for their candidate, but instead both groups just seemed to feel guilty that the romance had been discussed at all. Why they should feel bad about encroaching on Shepard's privacy only after the death was one of the many things about human social dynamics that continued to mystify him.

Garrus dismissed the directory and hissed in frustration. Liara hadn't seemed surprised or angry that Shepard was working for Cerberus, so that clearly wasn't an issue for her. She had changed in the last two years and he wasn't sure he liked the results. He'd always thought she could stand a little more backbone but threatening to flay people was a bit much. He wasn't satisfied with her flimsy excuses and mysterious "debts", there had to be more she wasn't telling them.

Well, he wasn't going to be put off so easily. Garrus stormed back up the stairs to Liara's office and blew past her assistant's' attempts to stop him in a storm of righteous indignation.

Liara looked up from the display on her desk, startled by his reappearance. "Garrus, what.."

"Cut the crap, Liara," he growled and slapped a palm on her desk. "Shepard may have bought your story but I worked for C-Sec long enough to know when someone is holding out on me."

Liara's expression darkened but he wasn't interested in listening to any more excuses. "You were there when the Normandy was destroyed," he said. "The Collectors did that. You know what we're up against. Maybe you want to sit in your comfortable office and ignore the threat like the Council.."

"You have no idea, Garrus" Liara said, her voice low and dangerous. She rose from her seat and leaned over the desk with her hands flat on its surface. "You have no idea the lengths I've gone to.. Yes, I was there. Everything changed when she died."

"You've certainly changed, I can't believe you'd abandon her like this. Do you have any idea what it's costing her to have to work with Cerberus?"

Liara flinched as his barb struck home. She probably knew Shepard's history even better than he did, and they had both been horrified by their encounters with Cerberus.

"Cerberus is out there spreading rumors that Shepard has been working with them this whole time, poisoning all her friends against her. Anderson and the rest of the Council kicked her out of their offices, the Alliance disavowed her. D'you know what Ash said after we saved her ass from the Collectors on Horizon? She called Shepard a traitor."

Garrus sunk his talons into the desk leaving deep grooves on its surface and leaned towards her. "You said you had debts to repay? Well we owe her too, Liara. After she died I would have done anything to have her back, I can't believe you.."

"Would have done anything," Liara interrupted him. "I actually did something. These debts are the result."

Garrus felt cold settle into his guts as he considered the implications of her statement.

"What, exactly, did you do, Liara?" he asked. He saw Liara's shoulders hunch slightly.

"Haven't you wondered how Cerberus got Shepard's body?" she asked carefully.

"You gave Shepard's body to Cerberus?" he snarled.

"Was I supposed to let my friend die when someone offered a sliver of hope?" Liara pleaded. "They had intel on how I could find her, they said they could bring her back. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing."

Garrus rocked back on his heels, stunned. Would he have done the same thing? He had been quick enough to join up with Cerberus despite everything he knew about them.. He'd meant it when he'd said he would have done anything to have Shepard back, but his definition of "anything" clearly wasn't as inclusive as hers. He had seen the perverse experiments Cerberus called science. He wasn't sure he could have made the same choice. Liara had taken a huge risk, but it had paid off. It seemed petty to criticize with her decision now. He collapsed into the chair near Liara's desk, feeling slightly deflated as his anger drained away.

"I don't know, Liara. Maybe. Maybe not. Why didn't you tell Shepard this before?"

"I didn't know how she would feel when Cerberus restored her. If she'd feel betrayed or.." Liara shrugged uncomfortably. Garrus nodded.

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm grateful. Shepard found me in a tight spot."

"Is that when you were injured? Your face.."

"Maybe I'll tell you about it some day. Let's just say, if you happen to run into any information about the current location of a turian named Sidonis while you're hunting down the Shadow Broker, I would be very interested." Garrus scratched his face where the plate covering his injury ended. "How does the Shadow Broker come into this?"

"A month after the attack, I started hearing rumors that people were looking for Shepard on Omega. It seemed impossible, but I began to wonder if she had survived somehow. The Alliance had never recovered the wreckage of the Normandy, they never found her body. All we knew was what Joker had told us about Shepard being on the bridge just before it exploded. So I went to Omega to find out the truth. That's when I was contacted by Cerberus. They confirmed that Shepard hadn't survived, but told me the Shadow Broker had people working to recover her body on the Collector's behalf."

"What is it with them and Shepard?" Garrus wondered aloud. "They've got some weird fascination with her."

Liara smiled at Garrus ruefully. "I didn't trust Cerberus, but the Illusive Man can be very persuasive. I couldn't let the Collectors have her and if Cerberus could bring her back.. I had to take the body from him."

"Shepard's alive, so you obviously succeeded. What else is there to do?"

"I had a friend helping me, Feron. The Shadow Broker's people caught us. My friend didn't escape. I don't know if he's dead or being interrogated, but I need to find him. I owe him my life."

"What if we help you find him?" Garrus asked. "You could come with us while we look. You haven't seen the people Cerberus has Shepard recruiting. We could really use you."

Liara shook her head sadly. "I know the odds of you surviving your mission against the Collectors. I can't run off on a suicide mission if there's any chance of rescuing Feron."

Garrus shook his head. "We're going to lose people, no way around that. But don't underestimate Shepard. We'll come back."

Liara smiled. "I hope so, but I need to work. I need to find leads, trace information. I can't do that on the Normandy. I'm sorry. Keep her safe, Garrus. Please?"

Garrus got to his feet. "I will. Promise."

"Are you going to tell her?" Liara stood as she asked, wringing her hands slightly.

Garrus shook his head. "No, but you should. She deserves to know what happened to her. Cerberus has been pretty tight-lipped about the details, and it bothers her. You know how she is. Maybe it will ease her to know you were there looking out for her."

"I just.. couldn't let her go. Maybe it was wrong but.."

Garrus reached out and gently pried Liara's hands apart and held them. "She's not an easy person to let go of. If you change your mind about joining the mission, you know how to find us."

Liara's eyes glistened as they welled up with unshed tears. Garrus cleared his throat with embarrassment and dropped her hands. They both just nodded at each other silently and Garrus left without another word.

In the end, Garrus discarded all of the factors he had been considering in favor of proximity and picked the place closest to where the Normandy was docked that served both dextro and levo beverages. If he had to end up hauling Shepard back to her cabin again he didn't want to have to go very far. He wasn't sure it would fit Shepard's definition of fun, but it suited him just fine. There was a single bar, minimal waitstaff, and no dance floor. Which was a good thing, Shepard was a terrible dancer. Best to discourage the activity all together. It was a fairly small place, nothing fancy except the name. He thought Eternity was a bit pretentious, but that was asari for you. They seemed culturally predisposed towards pretension. There was music playing but it was fairly sedate, more atmospheric than entertaining. The clientele was correspondingly sedate, mostly small groups engaged in quiet conversation, the exception being the group who inexplicably had an asari stripper dancing on their table. Garrus eavesdropped on their conversation with some amusement, it seemed to be a group of co-workers. The human was trying to explain the tradition of bachelor parties to the confused salarian guest of honor. Garrus was pretty sure the human was just using the salarian's reproduction contract as an excuse to hire the stripper for his own amusement.

Definitely more of a lounge than a club, the room was divided up into a few separate areas, each with a couple of tables and dimly lit with soft blue light. Garrus supposed it was to grant the patrons some privacy, but the dark corners of the lounge made him uncomfortable, the visibility was too poor. The bar area was more brightly lit in red, and the walls and partitions that divided up the rest of the room created a natural choke point for any traffic. There was an obnoxious human male haranguing the asari bartender when he arrived, so he took the seat farthest away to wait for Shepard. He fiddled idly with the box he'd brought with him while he waited. He had visited Nos Astra's shopping district to keep his mind off the fact that Shepard probably getting shot at without him. She never seemed to be able to go anywhere without someone trying to kill her.

He could really use a drink, but he didn't want to accidentally get drawn into the drama playing out at the other end of the bar. It was sort of entertaining to watch, though. The man was an odd character. His armor was very strange. At first glance it looked like the kind of high-quality armor that Kassa Fabrications produced for the Alliance special ops, it even had a red and white N7 stripe painted on one arm. After a second look Garrus could easily tell it was just a replica, and a really cheap replica at that. The stripe wasn't straight and the paint was flaking off. Garrus didn't think he would fool very many people with it, the asari bartender was certainly unimpressed. She stood listening to his tirade with her arms folded, growing visibly more annoyed with every passing second.

His attention was diverted from the scene when Shepard dropped into the seat next to him with an audible sigh.

"Everything was a lot simpler before Cerberus, you know? All these freelancers have their own agendas. It's exhausting."

Garrus chuckled at her aggrieved tone. "What a pain it must be when people won't drop everything the minute you ask them to face certain doom."

Shepard scowled at him then looked around the bar. "Could you have possibly picked a quieter spot?"

Garrus shrugged. "I knew you'd make trouble wherever we went, so I thought I should give you as few targets as possible."

"I suppose I've had enough excitement for today anyway. Now is the time for drinks."

"Good luck with that," Garrus groused. "You'll have to get past the guy at the bar."

"You think I can't take him?" Shepard craned her head to look.

The man in the shoddy armor had grown even more agitated as they talked and he shouted loudly enough that they could hear him over the ambient noise.

"You're really holding out on me?" he yelled. "I'm a man on the edge! I have nothing to lose!"

The bartender rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh."

The man pointed at her belligerently and continued his tirade. "I'll do anything to get the job done! I'll go all the way without a second thought!"

"Oh, shit," Shepard said and stood up. "Let's get out of here. Now."

"What the hell?" Garrus asked, but Shepard just pulled him to his feet and tried to tow him towards the entrance.

"You want to see how far I'll go?" the man said. He started pacing in a tight circle in front of the bar, yelling at all of the patrons indiscriminately now. "I learned how to shove a gun in people's faces from…" he trailed off as his eyes fell on Shepard still trying to herd Garrus away.

"Commander Shepard?" he asked, dumbfounded. Garrus watched with great interest as Shepard pretended she hadn't heard him. Garrus looked more closely at his face and realized he was sort of familiar. The man's face lit up with a huge smile and he waved to her enthusiastically.

"Shepard? Is it really you? It's me, Conrad Verner! We met on the Citadel? I wanted to become a Spectre?"

Shepard froze and let out an almost inaudible sigh. She dredged up the most strained, insincere smile he'd ever seen on her face and turned back towards Conrad.

The bartender looked from Conrad to Shepard and her eyes narrowed. "Hey, if you know this idiot can you rein him in before I slap his ass with a singularity?" she asked.

The bartender's comment seemed to remind Conrad of what he'd been doing and he resumed the tough guy act that he had been playing so unconvincingly.

"Oh, uh, and then you shoved a gun in my face!" He pointed at Shepard aggressively. Garrus suddenly remembered Conrad. He was some sort of crazy fan of Shepard's, they'd run into him a few times while they'd been hunting Saren. He didn't remember Shepard shoving a gun in Conrad's face though. He looked at her, hoping she would confirm his memory. Shepard was frowning sharply and opened her mouth to speak but she was forestalled by Conrad's frantic "play along gesture." Shepard folded her arms and scowled at him, but she didn't contradict his version of events.

"You showed me what it meant to be truly extreme," Conrad said loudly, clearly for the benefit of the listening bartender. "I learned that lesson well."

Shepard smiled apologetically at the bartender. The asari appeared to decide that Shepard had the situation well in hand and went back to her work, but she kept one eye on Conrad. Conrad turned his back on her and smiled ingratiatingly at Shepard before leaning one elbow against the bar with an exaggerated casualness.

"So you're alive, huh? I hear it goes like that in the biz. Why don't you sit back and watch how it's done. I've got some asses to kick."

It was all Garrus could do to keep from snickering. He leaned down to speak quietly in Shepard's ear.

"Yeah, Shepard. Let Conrad show us how it's done in 'the biz'."

Shepard elbowed him sharply in the side, or she would have if he hadn't been wearing armor. Her jab ended up being completely ineffectual and he couldn't stop the snicker this time. She turned to glare at him but since he was so close he could see that she was biting in the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling. She turned back to Conrad, and the frown when she took in the red and white stripe on his armor wiped away all traces of her amusement. She asked, without quite masking her exasperation, "Conrad.. Why are you acting like me?"

"What are you, crazy? l'm nothing like you!" Conrad had the nerve to sound indignant. "I'm not a Spectre working for the Council! I'm on my own, backed only by my wits and my nerves! No rules, no laws, just whatever it takes to get the job done." Conrad folded his arms and looked away. "I'm not like you at all."

Was the man actually pouting? He certainly wasn't anything like Shepard, but not for the reasons he thought. Shepard shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Conrad, do you have any actual combat training?"

Conrad waved his arms dramatically. "I'm saving the galaxy! I don't have time for training. You were a big jerk, but you saved the galaxy and showed the other races that humans mattered.." Conrad's voice trailed off and grew subdued. "Then you died. The galaxy needed someone like you, Shepard. We all did. I had to do something."

Garrus couldn't believe it, but he was actually starting to feel a little sorry for the guy. Shepard must have been feeling a little sorry too because she just sighed and asked, "So you just wander the galaxy righting wrongs?"

"Hey, don't say it like that!" Conrad pouted. "I talk to people, you know? Ask them if they have problems that only I can solve. You'd be surprised how many people are just waiting for someone to talk to them."

"Why were you yelling at the bartender?"

Conrad looked around suspiciously and dropped his voice. "This place is actually a front for a red sand dealer. I need the deed to take it over to crack the ring!"

He hadn't been quiet enough to prevent the asari from overhearing him. "What?" she asked. "Who the hell told you that?"

Conrad tried to play it cool. "The owner of that weapon's dealer near the carport. She's an undercover cop! She told me about it when I introduced myself."

"Listen, crap for brains," the bartender sneered. "First, we don't sell red sand. Second, red sand is legal on Illium, you just need a license!"

Shepard muttered under her breath. "Dammit, Conrad.."

Then her face froze as some thought occurred to her. Adopting a serious tone she said, "Listen, this sounds like a really dangerous operation."

"What?" the bartender said looking at Shepard like she was now the crazy one. Shepard waved the asari off, and put both her hands on Conrad's shoulders. "Let me take it from here. You could be killed if you pursue this, and I would feel terrible if anything happened to you." Her voice oozed sincerity. Garrus almost believed her.

But Conrad ate it up. He nodded eagerly as she spoke.

"I didn't know.. I.. I can't risk you worrying about my safety," he said. "I'll stop pretending to be something I'm not. But thanks for letting me help, at least for a little while."

Despite his brave words his head drooped a little and there was a sad, forlorn expression on his face.

"You were a big help, Conrad. I'd never have known about this ring of criminals without you." She gave his shoulders a little shake for emphasis.

"Really?" he asked in a small, hopeful voice.

"Really." Shepard smiled at him. "You did a great job, Conrad. Now please, go home."

"Can do. It's really good to have you back, Shepard." He raised his arms as if he was going to hug her but she quickly dropped her hands from his shoulders and offered one to shake instead. Conrad walked out straight and proud, but far less cocky than he'd been before.

Garrus just shook his head. "You let him off pretty easy."

Shepard took a seat at the bar and rubbed her forehead. "Conrad's an idiot, but.. He just wants to help. There are enough people in the galaxy who wouldn't even bother to lift a finger for anyone else. I just didn't have the heart to crush him."

The bartender put a couple of drinks on the bar in front of Shepard and said, "Thanks for dealing with that crazy guy. Saves me from having to beat him to death with his own spine. Makes the other customers nervous."

"Some places charge extra for that kind of entertainment," Garrus drawled.

The asari laughed at that and replied, "I'd certainly enjoy it, but then my father was a krogan. Let me know if I can get you anything else."

Garrus retook his seat and picked up one of the drinks. He sniffed it inquisitively. "What do you think she brought us?"

"Hell if I know," Shepard said and tossed it back in one gulp. She sucked in a breath and shook her head vigorously. "Whatever it is, it's got some kick" she managed to wheeze out.

Garrus took a much less ambitious swig of his drink and hummed in approval. "Not bad."

Shepard gestured for another drink and the asari slid another one down the bar to her. This one Shepard nursed more slowly. Her eyes fell on the box Garrus had resumed fiddling with idly and raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Oh," Garrus looked down at the box, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. What was the human protocol on gifts? He should have thought this through more carefully. Too late now. "I uh, well I had some time to kill and I.. got you something." He slid the box towards her.

Shepard put her drink down in surprise. "For me?" She picked up the box and opened it. Nestled inside the packing material was a model Alliance cruiser.

"Well, you didn't have one in your collection," he said.

Shepard took it out of the box carefully and turned it over in her hands, examining all the details. Garrus leaned over her shoulder to point at the front of the replica. "I'm impressed with their accuracy, some of the cheaper models don't include all of the little weapon ports."

She glanced at his face and away again quickly. He thought her pale skin grew little redder than usual. Maybe it was just the red light illuminating the bar. But then she chuckled a little ruefully.

"I grew up on a series of naval vessels," she said, her voice quiet. He had to lean in close to catch her words over the music. "After I joined the Alliance it was Jump Zero, Arcturus and another series of naval vessels.. there's never been enough room for unnecessary personal items. I know it's silly but I always wanted these as a kid and now.." She trailed off with a tiny shrug. Garrus was shocked to realize that Shepard was embarrassed. He nudged her shoulder playfully with his til she looked at him.

"The shop downstairs has a few more if you're interested."

"Maybe later." She slowly smiled at him. It was the same odd smile from earlier. It was even more discomfiting this time around.

"But first," she finally said, "We drink."

"Agreed."

He clinked his against hers, glad to be back to a straight-forward activity. The protocol for getting drunk was pretty much universal among all alcohol-ingesting species. Drinking he could do.

"She actually tried to bribe you?" Garrus asked.

"Of course she did. Nassana thinks everyone has a price," Shepard drawled.

Garrus shook his head in disbelief and the movement was enough to upset the delicate balance he was maintaining between his wobbly gait and the packages he was carrying in one arm. Shepard had cleaned out the souvenir kiosk of all it's model ships, as well as acquiring a few new fish for the tank. It had probably been a bad idea to go shopping after the alcohol. In their current addled state it had seemed perfectly reasonable to buy so many items, until they realized that meant they had to carry them all back to the ship.

Garrus staggered and Shepard grabbed his free arm to steady him. He narrowed his eyes at the innocent smile on her face. She had an armful of packages as well but she wasn't listing quite as badly, despite having consumed the same amount of alcohol. He had a new respect for the potency of Doctor Chakwas' favorite drink if it could incapacitate someone with Shepard's apparently prodigious alcohol tolerance.

Shepard curled her arm around his and pressed her shoulder against his to brace him as they resumed their meandering pace towards the Normandy. Though he'd regained his balance Shepard showed no indication that she was going to drop his arm. He decided his dignity could tolerate a little assistance if it meant no more stumbling. Besides, it was rather nice walking with her like this. It had been a long time since he just walked with a friend, no one trying to kill him, nowhere pressing to be. He let the glare relax from his face and he hummed a little in contentment. Shepard's face swum in and out of focus in his inebriated state. He thought he saw some expression flicker across her features but his brain was too fuzzy to make sense of it. He looked up at the windows overhead, the nighttime Nos Astran vista was impossibly beautiful. The buildings glowed with an ethereal light and the hover cars were reduced to little more than lights flickering swiftly through the gloom.

"Uh, anyhow, Nassana never even saw Thane come out of the ducts." Shepard whistled appreciatively at the memory. "He killed her three guards before she even turned around. She was dead before she saw him coming. I've never seen anyone so quick, or make killing so graceful. He's definitely the oddest assassin I've ever met."

Garrus felt some of his good mood souring a little at the admiration in her voice. "Oh? What's so strange about him?" he asked.

"He was so gentle with her after he delivered the killing shot. And when he was done, he prayed."

"He prayed for Nassana? Doesn't sound like she deserved it."

"No, he was praying for himself, actually. 'Prayers for the Wicked,' he said. I wouldn't have expected an assassin to be so spiritual, and he was concerned with the innocent people in the Dantius Tower. I found several groups of workers that Nassasa's guards would have killed except that Thane killed the guards first, left the workers alone. He's interesting. Cerberus offered him the same ridiculous sum they used to entice Zaeed, but Thane's coming for free. He says he doesn't care that it's a suicide mission."

"Really?" Garrus said with disbelief. "That would be a first."

He felt the movement of Shepard's shrug through the arm wrapped around his.

"He's dying," she said, her voice solemn. "He wants to do something to help people on his way out."

"So he's a noble assassin."

"Speaking of noble, you should meet Samara. I can't describe her, she's so.." Shepard fell silent as she groped for words. "Unshakable. Serene. She's very old, normally I can never tell with asari but Samara's eyes.. You can almost see how much she's seen. I like them both already," she admitted.

Garrus hmmmed uncertainly. "Well, they can't be any worse than who we've got already."

Shepard laughed. "So true. We should get back, make sure no one has killed each other while we've been gone." She wrapped her arm a little more tightly around his and pulled him along.