One Eye Open - Chapter Seven

Ayuda was glad he had decided to get out of the barracks again. The Citadel was proving to be far too interesting to stay holed up in his room trying to deny his predicament. The turian had heard stories about the place before of course, but nothing had prepared him for it's sheer size, nor the vast scope of it's varied population. Races he couldn't even recognize congregated in every courtyard and corridor, dozens of unknown languages buzzed through the energized air. The constant busyness made him feel alive, and the anonymity of being a small piece of such a large puzzle made him feel daring. He moved along unnoticed, taking in the conversation and commerce that he passed with each footstep.

Being so far from the confines of a turian battleship had embarrassed and angered him at first, but the more exposure he had to the Citadel, the more he found himself thrilled by the opportunities present there. All turian raised their sons to be soldiers, and it was a role that he easily took to, but it had begun to feel empty to him during the time before he'd injured his leg. It bothered him to take orders without guidance, to attack, defend, or even die without a sense of purpose. For the turian race, they'd told him, but what was the turian race? A bunch of blind, duty-bound fools with no greater ambition than to make life as mechanical as possible? To drain out individuality for the sake of a bland but unchallenged unity?

He wondered bitterly if his life would have been different had he not been born to a turian general. If, instead, he had been raised in the Citadel, not an ever-changing venue of colonies that he could call home for only as long as it took his father to end engagements in the area. The whole lot of them together couldn't begin to compare to a single district in the massive spaceport where he now found himself. Perhaps if he had been here, in this bustling metropolis, he could have made his own way, not simply be forced along the rungs of the elaborate turian hierarchy.

These ruminations instilled a sense of newfound freedom in Ayuda, followed by an eagerness to experience the new things that his change in circumstances made available to him. Unlike when he was in the military, he now had some time to himself, and even at work things were looking up. It seemed that his first few days on enforcement patrol with Shanxi had just been a brief downtime in what was a normally busy schedule for the human investigator. Despite her shy nature in casual settings, he was pleased to discover she was in fact a quite competent officer, and he hoped that the rest of his stay at C-Sec would be as active as today had been.

For the first time in a long time, personal satisfaction bubbled up in him, free of his usual malice and caustic cynicism. He pulled a tapered scarf from his cowl and rubbed it along his ridged face, leaving behind a greasy, sage green stain. With an exaggerated air, he threw the end of the cloth back over his shoulder, hoping that the little paint smudge would take away all his unhappiness with it. A passing turian slowed to eye his odd behavior, but Ayuda's mind was made up.

"I spit on the meritocracy!" he bellowed. Before the other turian could even drop his jaw in shock at the outburst, Ayuda was halfway down the corridor, striding along with a sense of urgency. Today, he would put his past behind him.

.oO-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oo.

Shanxi was encouraged by the friendly faces and nods of acknowledgement that greeted her as she ascended the main stairwell to the C-Sec Academy. It had been nearly five years since she'd left the multifunction training compound and headquarters to sign on with her division in the Wards. She was glad to find that her return to the illustrious institution offered a comforting new perspective.

Her early years here had been troubled ones. Both instructors and the other candidates in training had expressed resentment of the special circumstances that had allowed her such an early entry into the prestigious organization, but she hoped that the respect she saw in the gazes turned towards her today meant she'd finally earned her place among the elite. The young woman tried to remain dignified as she reached the platform in front of the sliding double doors that lead to the public foyer. While she waited for them to open, a hand brushed up her back and across her shoulders. She jumped and her arm shot up in defense only to smack harmlessly against Chellick's chest plate.

"You scared me!" she scolded, "Have you been following me this whole time?"

"Not the whole time," he admitted with amusement.

Despite herself, Shanxi couldn't help but smile at the senior officer. Chellick had been her weapon specialization instructor when she was enrolled in the Academy, and while he made his living in subterfuge, he was the only person in C-Sec that had always been honest with her. He was also the only turian she'd ever met that didn't have problems with personal space. She figured it was because of the unique demands his job in undercover work required. After all, intimidation, charm and simple body language could be just as effective as an assault rifle if one knew what they were doing. In fact, it was always the first lesson Chellick taught his students: Controlling a situation with words was always preferable to controlling a situation with guns. You couldn't get answers from a corpse.

"I assume you're here to see me though, right?" he asked after she'd relaxed once more. She nodded. "Let's head up to my office, then. I've got some information for you."

Together, they passed by the guards and into the lobby, where secretaries were hard at work answering phones and directing civilians to recruits who were available to hear their reports or complaints.

It was busy as always, but the turian detective deftly threaded them through the sea of chaos to one of the side wings where ranking officers had their private offices. One of these coveted corners belonged to Chellick.

"Come in," he said, ushering her inside of his well-lit work space and offering a chair, "I'm glad you came to see me. There are some things I've been wanting to speak with you about."

"There are a few things I hope I could learn from you, as well," she replied genially.

Chellick smiled and took his seat behind his desk.

"Do you know the value of those amps you recovered, Shanxi?" he asked her. When she shook her head slightly, he chuckled. "Well, let's just say that as far I'm concerned, you can have anything you want."

"How about info on their source?"

"Ah, but I was going to give you that anyway. You should drive a harder bargain."

"So, you know where they came from?"

"I do," the turian nodded, "It's one of the regulars working out of Chora's, but I'm afraid any attempt to collar this man is out of the question. At least in this point in time."

"What?" Shanxi started, "Why?"

Chellick held up a single talon to indicate patience before he began typing quickly on his keyboard. Shanxi bent forward on the edge of her seat to watch him.

"My network went quiet a few weeks back," he explained as he booted some files, "I couldn't meet with many of my contacts and other informers dropped off the radar completely. For awhile, I wasn't sure what was happening, but some new intel came in a few days ago that indicates there's been a recent shift in the balance of power."

"Fellow named Fist has been moving up the ranks in the Den's little ring and he's looking to seat himself at the head of it if he can. From the looks of it, he's going to come out on top of this little coup and settle in to take over operations with a retinue of krogan cronies. Tensions are high and any arrests now would only end in a bloodbath."

"What do you suggest, then?" Shanxi asked him.

"I was hoping to use the confusion to plant a spy within their ranks," the turian contemplated, "They'll be plenty of thugs making bids for power while the regime changes hands, as well as those willing to change sides to save their hides. I think the odds are good that we could slip someone in unnoticed among the commotion."

"And who do you suggest? It'd be dangerous to send in an established officer," the woman argued, "What if they're recognized?"

"That was something I was hoping you could help me with," Chellick said slyly.

"You want me to do it?" she replied in disbelief.

"No," the turian dismissed with a shake of his head, "I know you wouldn't be comfortable in a place like that, and I respect you entirely to much to ask it of you."

He clicked a few keys on his pad and turned to the holographic photo that appeared on the back wall.

"I want him," Chellick said bluntly.

Shanxi peered at the turian in the picture, and the surly scowl on his face left her speechless.

"Ayuda?" she croaked in confusion.

"Precisely."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am," Chellick rebuffed, "Look at him, Shanxi. You don't think he fits the role? That's not someone you might be suspicious of had you met him elsewhere?"

She looked up at the photo again, unable to deny his rough exterior. Ayuda's plating was coal black over slightly lighter scales, and his prominent eye ridges came together in a tight point right above his nose, from which his tribal markings radiated outward in angry spikes of emerald. Parts of his chitin covering were cracked, and an entire spike form his crest had fallen away. The turian's most unnerving feature, however, was his pair of blazing yellow irises that almost swallowed the onyx pupils set within them. His was a quick and piercing gaze, like the faint prick of a thin needle, needing contact only once before his subject was infected with his presence. Chellick was right; people could fear Ayuda. Even so, she couldn't help but shake her head.

"Chora's is dangerous, and he just got here," she said.

"That's why he'd be perfect for the job," Chellick countered, "No one knows who he is, and any new punk on the Citadel would be wise to curry the favor of the local ringleader, especially one as paranoid as Fist. He'll prefer people he believes have no other ties here. It's easier to simply cut out the competition than to crush them."

Shanxi frowned. Chellick's plan had merits, and Ayuda was a turian of unorthodox methods that had already gotten him into hot water, but as the officer in charge, it was her responsibility to look out for him.

"I don't think Pallin would approve this," she said, trying to find a tactful way turn down the detective's idea. Chellick was her superior, and her friend, she didn't want to risk upsetting one of the only people in C-Sec who had always accepted her.

"I can handle Pallin," he assured her, "I know he gives you a lot of guff because you're a human, but he can't pull that punch with me."

She sat silently, brow furrowed, struggling with what was placed before her. Meanwhile, Chellick was becoming impatient.

"How about we leave the decision to him?" the turian offered.

"That's not fair," she said anxiously, "Ayuda doesn't know any better. He'd have no clue what he'd be signing up for."

"Then we'll have a conference tomorrow to discuss it, all three of us."

"I won't lie to him."

"I would never expect you to."

The human shrank back into her chair, pulling her legs up to her chest. She threw her hands around them and rested her forehead on her knees childishly. After a few moments, she looked up again.

"Would he be going in there alone?" she asked.

"No, there are other contacts already in place among the establishment's staff," Chellick informed her, "I even pass through from time to time myself, and if things get bad, we can always pull him out."

Shanxi nodded absently, still balled up in Chellick's chair. Her mind was already playing through the horrible things that could happen to her new partner. The slightest slip up and she'd have two deaths on her hands.

"Alright, we can have a meeting," she finally agreed, "But should he say yes, I want a part in preparing him for the job. I can't let him go without knowing he's as ready as I would be."

"Of course. I'll schedule it with my secretary."

Shanxi rose from her chair to leave, and the turian caught her by her arm.

"I know you don't like this, Shanxi," he said, "But I promise you, everything will be fine. Is there anything else you need before you leave?"

She paused and tried to think.

"You don't happen to know a turian named Carrick do you?" she asked him.

"Doesn't sound familiar, but I can look into it for you if you like."

"No, that's alright. Just a turian my mother introduced me to. It's not a big deal, I was just curious."

They walked back outside the station and stood on the entry platform.

"Get some sleep, Shanxi," Chellick told her, "You made a huge catch day, and everyone here is proud of you."

She just nodded and headed for the barracks. The detective's omission of her partner in his parting comment irked her for some unknown reason. It rang in her mind like a bad omen, and she walked just a little quicker…