Her mother told her she could grow up to be anything she wanted to be, so she grew up to become the strongest of the strong, the strangest of the strange, the wildest of the wild, the wolf leading wolves. — Nikita Gill
Ai – [愛 • love] (whether spoken by Xiùlán or Samantha, the meaning is 'luv')]
Inamorata – A woman with whom one is in love; a female lover (Italian)
Irin – Pronounced similar to the girl's name 'Erin' – Zaeed Massani's shortened form of 'Iringù-Eßizkur'
Qíngrén – [情人 – lover]
• INSIDE IRINGÙ-EẞIZKUR, ON ELYSIUM · VETUS SYSTEM, PETRA NEBULA •
The pirate ship's main drive and weapons systems had been crippled by several well-placed shots during its ultimately unsuccessful attempt to elude the mobile planetary defense cannons orbiting the planet, forcing it to make a none too gentle belly landing at the spaceport. Having decided the Marines aboard the Hong Kong would be better suited to breaching Dragon's Greed, Griff and I opted to remain within Iringù-Eßizkur and asked her to set down within view of the settlement's colonial spaceport, but far enough away from the facility so as to appear harmless.
Vid-coverage of the ground-deployed Reapers during their final assault on Earth had featured many of the relatively less powerful Destroyer-class machines, so I was willing to bet that none of the locals, and certainly no one aboard Dragon's Greed, were aware of the accuracy she possessed with her face–mounted, heavy-duty beam weapon. Standing at less than ten percent of the height—but possessing a numerical advantage of roughly 20-to-1 compared to the many Nazara class machines we had faced that day—Iringù-Eßizkur was more than capable of living up to her classification and, even at this distance, was anything but harmless.
The Hong Kong had followed Dragon's Greed nearly down to the surface; coming to an eezo-core assisted slow orbit over the crippled corvette at an altitude of some 30 meters above the field, the frigate deployed a Marine squad in a UT-47a, which performed a combat landing beside the downed ship. As the shuttle lifted off for a return trip to the Hong Kong, the Marines boarded through the main airlock by blowing first the outer hatch, then the inner, thus insuring the vessel would not be returning to the airless vacuum of space. Successfully inside, they met virtually no resistance; every member of the small crew was injured, some seriously so. As soon as the squad leader confirmed that neither the crew nor the downed corvette was any threat to the Hong Kong, the frigate—still orbiting the field—sent the shuttle back down with an intelligence gathering team, led by a fully armed and armored Specialist Miranda Lawson.
Captain Yuán Xiùlán had offered to share some of the recovered data after their search of the light corvette was complete, but her call to Iringù-Eßizkur included some amazing information.
"Iringù-Eßizkur? I'm reasonably sure you didn't leave my Qíngrén on the Citadel. Please … I really need to speak with her."
Smiling in spite of myself, I took a seat in front of the comms terminal, relatively confident Xiùlán was by herself. "What can I do for you, Ai?"
"It's what we can do together, Sà mi. I have the identity of Dragon's Greed's captain … it's someone I'm sure you'll recognize. Remember a squint by the name of Kryllê Ghydgryz?"
An expression of shocked surprise colored my response as I said, "What the bloody 'ell? … that's an incredible discovery! So, what are you going to do with 'im? I hate to sound like a predator, Captain, but is it possible he still possesses any of that illegitimate 65 million credit payday from the sale of a stolen asari artifact?"
The throaty chuckle I received made my heart flutter in longing. "Haven't had a chance to ask him, Ai … Med techs are treating his injuries—nothing really major, fortunately … all caused by the ship being tossed around by weapons fire from the orbital defense platforms—before we transfer him to the brig. I'll have Sergeant Decker ask him a few questions after he's locked down … see what he can shake loose."
"Sounds good, Captain." I paused, glancing at Buchanan as I thought about what I needed to say, and how I needed to say it. "Just a reminder … Ghydgryz getting paid for the sale of that figurine was completely against galactic law in general and asari law in particular. We busted our asses recovering that ugly little statue … a mission that would have been totally unnecessary if that four-eyed bastard hadn't destroyed the Crystal Scarab." Thinking back to that time in our lives, I glanced back over at Griff to find him watching me with a somber expression.
"Do you have any thoughts about what we should do if we're able to recover any of the credits the Suns paid Ghydgryz? Sixty-five-million doesn't go very far these days, and he was paid eight years ago."
"If he was smart, he'd have invested it. My bet is he bought a newer ship, outfitted it with lots of pirate goodies and crew, then went raiding in the Terminus … at least until the Reapers arrived. Pickings would have been rather thin during the war." I cupped my chin for a moment, then said, "Xiùlán, you need to go into that corvette … hack into Ghydgryz's files. I need numbers … locations. If we can find his credits, galactic law permits confiscation for good cause."
"Sà mi, ni yào wo ràoguò liánméng de guīdìng ma? … [薩米,你要我繞過聯盟的規定嗎?– Sami, do you want me to bypass the rules of the league (Alliance)?] she asked, amazement coloring her voice. "… and to what good cause are you referring?"
"Not sure what your first question was, Xiùlán, but I need to ask you … do you remember K'ath Din'sari?"
Xiùlán immediately replied, "How could I not? She was trying to make a better life for herself … got totally screwed by Ugrolya Rarfenak, after setting him up for a meet with the Blue Suns. Would have paid with her life if it hadn't been for that STG agent … Paddok Wiks."
"I've checked on her current situation, Xiùlán. She's still working as a waitress in Krieger's Tavern … still living in that tiny apartment in the Echo Ward foundations on the Citadel. I would like to recruit her as an agent … a task that would be easier with some financial help."
"I offered to share some of the info we recover from that ship, Ai … but as an Alliance Naval officer, my sharing any financial data of a personal nature that's recovered from that ship would be violating every rule and regulation I swore to uphold. I cannot do that … not even for you, Sà mi! I am sorry."
I looked down at the counter behind which I was sitting and sighed heavily. Returning my gaze to the eyes of my Inamorata, I attempted to keep the disappointment from coloring my voice as I answered her. "Understood, Captain Yuán. Even though the Alliance has declared the Blue Suns a terrorist organization, it was inappropriate for me to even ask such a thing of you. Please forgive my thoughtlessness."
Yuán smiled. "I can hear the disappointment in your voice, wo de ài. [我的愛 – my love] I know your capabilities, Sà mi… I have every confidence you'll be able to track Captain Ghydgryz's financial transactions back to just after his disappearance from Omega Station."
"Having his account numbers and banking locations would be a huge help, Luv. It'll take significantly longer for me to track those credits without that data, but I guarantee I will find that trail, no matter how cold it has grown." After pausing for a moment, I added, "We'll be leaving in a few hours, Captain … I want to be sure the Hong Kong and her crew make it back into orbit without any problems."
"Thank you, Sà mi… I'll contact you when we're ready to depart."
With a nod of affirmation, I terminated the connection, stood from my chair and turned to face Buchanan. "All of the crew on that ship, including Kryllê Ghydgryz, will be moved to the Hong Kong for transport back to the Citadel. Alliance will most likely have the Hong Kong finish what the orbital defense stations began … Marines will place some charges, destroy that ship where it crash-landed." I paced about between the double row of terminals as I thought about my inability to intervene in the recovery of whatever credits that batarian pirate had managed to hang onto.
"She's right, you know," Griff offered softly. "You … we … are probably considered by the Alliance to be outlaws, probably just as much as the Blue Suns. You must realize she places her career in jeopardy every time she speaks with you, Sammy."
I stopped pacing in order to study the grey-green eyes regarding me before admitting, "I know that, Griff. Damn Alliance rules and regs! Didn't do either of us any favors after Cerberus infiltrated their top ranks and fucked our service records, did they." Cupping an elbow in my left hand, I placed the knuckles of my fisted right hand under my chin as I thought about the problem. "If I could just get aboard that ship for thirty minutes …"
"Forget it, Sammy … I won't let you risk your life that way!" Griff stood up and planted his fists on his hips as he waited for my reply.
"You think you can stop me without being seriously injured, possibly maimed? You know what I'm capable of doing, Griff. You really willing to risk it?"
"I do, Sammy … and I am willing to risk it, if it means keeping you safe. You're not in SpecOps anymore, so you'll have to board that damned ship over my dead body, Samantha Traynor! There's no one we can call to extricate your ass from whatever trouble will most certainly find you and grab onto both cheeks."
I stared at the man in amazement for several long, uncomfortably silent moments before slowly stepping up in front of him, where I gently reached out to grasp his upper arms. "Griff, next to Xiùlán, you're the most important person in my life now." I pulled him down until his eyes were level with mine. "Thanks for keeping me focused … and for being my friend." I squeezed his triceps, placed a kiss on a scarred cheek, then released him as I whispered, "Let's use what we have learned about Ghydgryz … start looking for the credit trail that got him into the command chair of Dragon's Greed."
"Sounds good, Sammy."
Several hours had quietly passed by the time I received another call from Xiùlán. "Sà mi, we've got the crew of Dragon's Greed locked in the cargo hold, and we've retrieved everything of any possible value to the Alliance from their data banks. We'll be leaving in thirty."
"What about the other corvettes up there, Luv? Or that cruiser?"
"Asharru disabled the Vigilance … took out their engineering and weapons control systems. They're effectively dead in space, but in a stable orbit around Sidon. Alliance will send a cruiser here to retrieve the ship and crew. Esiz'Qür chased the other four corvettes through the relay … where he assisted Normandy and Žiuk'Durmah in stopping them from getting away."
"I'll just bet their captains are screaming bloody murder … it's always the shits when the bad stuff you're supposed to be doing to others happens to your own sorry ass." I added with a smirk, "It's really too damned bad for them there's no one in the Alliance that will listen to their complaints."
Xiùlán bared her teeth in a grin. "Oh, I'm sure there are a few people listening. Doing anything about it is another matter. The Suns are terrorists … their possession of those five warships, plus the Guardian—and their intent to use them for their slave trade—should be more than enough to convince most governments of that."
"Agreed." I wanted … needed … to say more but decided to wait. "We'll stay on the ground until Hong Kong is back in orbit, Luv. When we do leave here, I may pay a visit to Grissom Academy … see how Major Alenko and Jack are getting along; and I never did hear if Kahlee Sanders ended her self-imposed exile and returned to the station."
I saw Xiùlán's eyes narrow in suspicion. "I can see the thought just as clearly as if you were telling me, Ai. I'm warning you, in no uncertain terms … stay clear of that ship. Dragon's Greed is rigged; the demolition team just returned."
It wasn't a stretch for me to paint an indignant expression on my face; I sent Buchanan a warning glance and replied, "Really, Captain? That wounds me, Luv … painfully! You actually think I have so little regard for my own well-being these days?"
Xiùlán appeared to be embarrassed at my question, which she chose not to answer. After several moments, she finally said, "Sà mi, ni de ài ràng wo de shēnghuó biàn dé wánzhěng. Women hěn kuài jiù huìtán." [薩米,你的愛讓我的生活變得完整。 我們很快就會談。– Sami, your love makes my life complete. We will talk soon.]
I didn't even have to think about my reply; I poured every bit of the conviction I was feeling for her into my words. "Méiyou ni de ài, wo de shēngmìng shì bù wánzhěng de, Xiùlán! Fēi ānquán! [沒有你的愛,我的生命是不完整的,秀蘭! 飛安全!– Without your love, my life is incomplete, Xiulan! Fly safe!]
Nodding my head once, I cut the transmission, then stood and moved around the partition to our lounge, where I watched the Hong Kong's lazy orbit of the field. I could see that Xiùlán, despite my reply to her accusation, was making sure Dragon's Greed would meet its end without interference from me or anyone else. Probably recording the entire process for Admiral Hackett.
A pair of gentle hands softly grasped my shoulders. "I know how bad you wanted in that ship, Sammy; I'm glad you chose not to go through me in order to get inside the damned thing."
I placed my hands on top of his. "Griff, you've always had my back … it's why I wanted you along for this ride." We stood there, my back against his chest and my hands on top of his, watching and waiting for the charges placed by Hong Kong's demo team to detonate; when it happened, it was really anti-climactic. The hull seemed to shudder from bow to stern; a few sections were breached, followed by a bit of smoke that dissipated quickly in the cold air.
With a sigh, I turned to Griff and said, "That's it, then. Port authorities will wait a few hours, then secure the drive core to prevent any eezo contamination of the area and haul the rest of the hull away to the scrap yard." I moved to the internal comms terminal to speak with Iringù-Eßizkur. "Has Hong Kong reached orbit?"
›Asharru reports the ship is now on its way to Sidon. Yuán-Captain intends to survey the Vigilance in order to insure the pirates are unable to repair the damages Asharru inflicted on the vessel.‹ After a brief pause, she added, ›I am ready to leave the planet, Shadow Broker-Traynor.‹
I already had our next destination in mind. "Very well, Irin. Take us up to Grissom Academy."
• GRISSOM ACADEMY, ORBITING ELYSIUM · VETUS SYSTEM, PETRA NEBULA •
Iringù-Eßizkur had touched down on the approach/departure ramp from hanger bay Foxtrot-Two, located close to the station's main operations center. Griff had decided to stay with Irin in order to research Kryllê Ghydgryz's recent history while I deployed on the hover-bike, a conveyance whose appearance would be quite familiar to Major Alenko. Once I was inside the climate-controlled hanger, Irin grounded the small transport and dissolved the kinetic bubble within which I was riding, allowing me to step off the evil-looking machine and walk up to the station's entrance hatch; it opened before I was within five meters to reveal a smiling Kaidan Alenko.
"Welcome, Ms Traynor. What brings you all the way here from the Citadel? … and riding around in a Repository?" Kaidan Alenko grasped both of my hands in an enthusiastic greeting; he was totally unprepared when I returned his greeting with a tight embrace.
Changing my position, I grasped both his arms as I said, "It's really good to see you again, Major. And I should think you'd recognize that Repository … we spent some time transferring equipment from Liara T'Soni's quarters while we were docked inside Žiuk'Durmah."
Kaidan's warm chuckle became a cheeky grin as he replied, "Damned things all look alike to me, Traynor. Nightmares, from the black abyss of hell."
I grinned right back at him. "I need to speak with you concerning my conveyance."
His happy expression of welcome gave way to a look of curiosity mixed with concern. "We don't keep up with galactic news much these days; too damn busy … virtually every waking minute, and most of the reporting is total rubbish." After pausing for a moment, he asked, "Has something bad happened, Specialist?"
"Nothing bad, Major … though I will tell you I am no longer in the Alliance Navy, so you can simply refer to me by my name." I gave his sassy grin right back as I concluded, "Can we go somewhere private? I have a lot of news to share with you, none of which I care to do publicly."
I sipped fresh-brewed tea from the mug Alenko handed me as he remarked, "Somehow, I'm not surprised to learn you're no longer in the Alliance, Samantha. What does surprise me is your appearance. Your hair is longer—and a bit more unkempt—than I remember, and that dark grey cloak, along with the armor and weapons underneath it … certainly not standard Alliance issue."
"Captain Cody allowed me to keep my armor and take my weapons when I left the ship … well, he didn't specifically say I could keep my weapons … they are Alliance issue, but were all customized for me, so of no real use to anyone else. The armor and duster are all from my time in Spec Ops, and pretty much my standard form of dress anytime I'm ashore."
"You still haven't told me why you chose to resign from the Navy, Samantha."
Rising from my chair, I activated my omnitool and used it to scan the office for listening or recording devices. Returning to stand in front of the major's desk, I replied, "Please, call me Sammy … or Traynor, Sir. As to the reason for my resignation, it's simple." I returned to my chair, finished my mug of tea and spent the next thirty minutes telling the major all that had transpired since his transfer off the Normandy, beginning with my mission to assist Sandra Patton and Zaeed Massani in chasing down Vido Santiago, and ending with my resignation.
"As I said, my reasons were simple … and complicated, Major. Before I say any more, I need to have your solemn vow that what I'm about to tell you will not leave this office." Adding, "It's literally a matter of life and death, Sir … my life, and the life of my partner."
Alenko's eyes narrowed at my statement. "Samantha … Sammy … I swear on my honor as an Alliance officer that anything you say to me will be held in strictest confidence."
I chuckled lightly at that. "Major, it's been my experience that very few officers in the Alliance have any honor at all, but …" I paused a moment at his instant expression of unhappiness. "… that said, I always found you to be an exceedingly honorable officer … and a man of your word." Looking down at my hands, I swallowed hard, then looked into the whiskey-brown eyes solemnly regarding me and said in a near-whisper, "I am the Shadow Broker, Major. It's the reason I resigned from the Alliance."
Kaidan immediately sat back in his chair to mutely contemplate me, as if I were some newly discovered form of alien intelligence. After a lengthy, uncomfortable silence, he finally spoke. "I never would have guessed you would abandon your Naval career in order to become an info broker, Sammy, especially after your recent promotion. Who else knows about this?"
With a grim smile, I replied, "Spectre Shepard and Lady Liara, obviously; it was Liara who set me up – gave me access to the resources I needed. My Qíngrén aboard the Hong Kong, Captain Yuán; Captain Cody … he approved my resignation. Admiral Hackett. Iringù-Eßizkur still had all the equipment we transferred from the Normandy … all of which I've since upgraded."
Alenko continued to regard me, amazement and worry vying for dominance in his expression. When he finally did speak again, it was to ask another question. "You mentioned a partner?"
I smiled at this. "Yes … I found my former SpecOps teammate, persuaded him to partner with me … he's inside Iringù-Eßizkur doing research as we speak." Crossing my arms across my middle, I added, "Griffen Buchanan … he was seriously injured at the end of the war – during the final push in London. Alliance doctors couldn't return him to a hundred percent, so rather than fly a desk, he took the medical discharge and monthly disability payment they offered. He was working on a salarian freighter when I found 'im."
Kaidan nodded his understanding. "A lot of soldiers were crippled during the war – some terribly so." Tilting his head slightly to the left, he asked in a soft voice that managed to convey concern. "So, does Mr Buchanan have feelings for you, Sammy?"
I had to really concentrate to keep my mouth from falling open. "Really, Major?" Shaking my head slightly, I tried to explain something I was no longer sure of myself. "Griff is my partner, and he loves me as if I were his sister, Mr Alenko … maybe more so. That's as far as our personal relationship goes … or has ever gone. He would never violate my trust in 'im that way."
Even as I tried to explain, I knew I needed to sit Buchanan down and have a discussion with him, but that could wait. Right now, I needed a favor. "Major, if it's not too much trouble, I would like to meet with Jack. I know she's here – tracked her from Earth, shortly after you stopped in on Elysium to talk to Kahlee Sanders. I believe Sanders accompanied Jack up here from her ruined home on the planet's surface."
Kaidan's look of surprise was followed by smirking admiration. "I guess you really must be the Shadow Broker if you're aware of my visit … and Jack's … to the Commander's home on Elysium. And your information is accurate – Kahlee did accompany Jack up here from the planet." He opened his omnitool, made several entries, then closed the tool as he stood and motioned for me to follow. "I'll have Jack meet with you in a secure room down the passageway."
I rose from my chair as I replied, "Thank you, Major. I really appreciate your help … and your discretion."
The small meeting room was comfortably furnished with a trio of upholstered chairs and a couple of tables. Additionally, it had a viewport that looked out onto several of the close-by hanger ramps; of particular interest to me was the view it allowed of Iringù-Eßizkur, standing near the hanger bay door that had been my entry to the station. I could faintly hear some of the sounds being generated by construction equipment, probably a level below me; I hadn't seen much of the station, but the small sections I had seen appeared to be in good repair. After scanning the room for listening devices, I returned to gaze out the viewport.
In less than five minutes, the entrance hatch—the reflection of which I could observe in the clear surface of the viewport—slid open to allow entry of the main reason I had wanted to visit this station.
Turning as she cautiously entered far enough for the panel to auto-close behind her, I waited for the woman to approach me a bit closer before saying, "Hello. I'm Samantha Traynor … but you may call me Sammy … or Traynor, if you prefer. How should I address you?"
The woman's appearance seemed not to have changed much as I mentally compared her to a vid-still taken from the security footage I had hacked—her head was still mostly shaved to show the tattoos on the sides and back, with the short hair on top lengthening in the rear to form an insouciant ponytail. However, the black eye-liner and bright red lipstick that had previously served to harden her features had been changed; the colors were softer—muted, even—although the distinct scars in the skin about her neck remained.
The biggest change to her appearance was the clothing she now wore – the unfastened long-sleeve leather vest with the pair of cloth strips that crisscrossed from her neck down across her chest were gone, replaced by a short sleeve, open-neck blouse. A pair of regulation-cut trousers were tucked into a pair of heavy, knee-high boots equipped with thigh encircling, electronically-enhanced braces.
"Hello, Traynor … you can call me 'Jack' – simpler that way." She walked up to me as she stuck out a hand, which I grasped and pumped twice. "Damn! You have some real strength in that arm, Traynor. I seem to recall you were some kind of specialist aboard the Normandy during the war. So, why are you here to see me?"
Motioning for her to sit in one of the chairs, I sat in the one closest and turned towards hers. "I was a comms specialist on the ship … stayed on 'er through end of the war." I smiled at her as I observed, "Compared to vid-stills I've seen of you from shortly after you joined Shepard on the Normandy for the Collector campaign, you look really nice, Jack. Please excuse me for asking, but did the Alliance ask you to tone down the 'biotic bitch look' for your students?"
Stifling what I guessed was an impulse to smear me all over the walls and overhead, she gingerly took a seat as she responded with just a bit of heat, "Is that how you see me, Traynor?"
"Not at all, Jack … and I meant no offence. But, you have to admit your provocative dress and makeup during the war was meant to shock people." Seeing her relax ever so slightly, I added, "I came up here to meet with you, Jack, because I have a proposition for you." She did a good job of keeping her expression neutral, but I could see a subtle shifting in her posture. With a smile, I added, "It's not what you think, Jack."
"What do I think, then?"
"Relax, please … I'm only here to ask you to occasionally do some work for me." At the sudden frown, I added, "Nothing too difficult for a woman of your talents; I'm an info broker … resigned from the Navy after an assignment went sideways … landed my ass in a hospital for a month."
"Would that hospital stay have anything to do with a recent assault on the Blue Suns in Delta Ward?" she asked with a knowing smirk. "It's all ANN carried for three days after."
It was my turn to look surprised. "Alenko told me there wasn't time for watching the news up here … and I'm surprised to know ANN would report that kind of thing so extensively, Jack. What was the gist of their story, exactly?" After listening to her reply, I took the time to explain the rationale that had led to me and Master Gunnery Sergeant Sandra Patton breaking into and eliminating a bunch of batarian members of the group, spoke of an explosion I mostly could not remember, and told of Zaeed Massani's capture of the Suns' number one and number two on Susskind Station … something ANN had completely left out of their extensive coverage.
She ratcheted the smirk up several notches as she said, "I wasn't aware the Alliance trained lowly comms techies to be stone-cold killers, Traynor. You really did all that?"
"I didn't do that much, really," I murmured. "Sandee's a Marine. She did all the heavy-lifting … I was just along for the ride."
"Uh-huh … save that fake modesty shit for someone that'll believe you, Traynor." With a shake of her head, she added, "I have to think that a fucking macho-assed shit bag like Vido Santiago wasn't told that a couple of non-biotics—a pair of women, at that!—plowed through his Citadel HQ like an entire squad of Marines." Shifting in her chair, she crossed her arms over her chest and asked, "So, I can't imagine the financial rewards of brokering information are that great … and yet, your attire … hell, your attitude … your confidence? It doesn't speak of someone that's living hand-to-mouth."
"Jack, I need you to swear that you will keep what I'm about to tell you strictly to yourself." I looked into her eyes, trying to determine if there was any subterfuge or dishonesty behind her hard stare. "If my identity were to ever go public, my ability to do the work I do would not only become impossible, my continued personal safety outside my secure residence would become incredibly difficult to maintain."
Surprising me, she arose and moved to stand in front of me; I stood as well, facing her close enough to catch just the faintest hint of eezo as she gripped my upper arms. Speaking softly, she answered, "I'm sure you must have heard every wild-assed story there is about me, Traynor … Sammy." She didn't blink or look away as she added, "Anything you tell me, Sammy … anything! … will be safe with me. I'd rather die than reveal a shared confidence. I swear it."
I believed her. This wasn't the same woman Shepard had rescued from the Blue Suns prison ship Purgatory; fighting the Collectors as part of Shepard's team … leading her kids against all kinds of Reaper spawn after Shepard's help in kicking Cerberus off this station … it had all changed her … molded her into a slightly more civilized adult. Taking the plunge, I whispered, "I am the Shadow Broker, Jack. My ride is just outside, parked on the hanger bay ramp."
After taking the few steps to the viewport, I felt her arm brush mine as she quietly moved to stand beside me; her voice held a touch of awe as she quietly replied, "Helluva way to fly around the galaxy, Sammy." Turning her head to look at me, she continued, "You must have kicked the previous Broker's ass if you've taken over his whole operation."
Returning her steady gaze, I replied, "Didn't have to do more than ask for it, Jack. I'm the third Broker in the past several years … worked with the previous Broker for a time; that person assumed the position after eliminating the long-time predecessor in his ship orbiting Hagalaz." Looking back at Iringù-Eßizkur, I added, "I have a partner … former teammate from my SpecOps time in the Alliance. He watches my six, steers me down a straight path when I attempt to stray." I went silent as I thought of Buchanan … of just how much he meant to me as a friend.
"So, what are you proposing?"
"I'd like to employ you as an agent … someone I can trust to gather data for me, from this station and from Elysium." Before she could turn me down, I added, "You're not Alliance, Jack. You can certainly take care of yourself, and you have a degree of independence from oversight that will be advantageous."
"I already have a full-time job, Traynor; it's really rare for me to have any free time."
Surprised that she hadn't simply turned me down, I replied, "My needs won't interfere with your job here … I only need you to keep your ear to the ground, so to speak. Anything out of the ordinary that you see or hear could be valuable info, Jack … and our arrangement will never be disclosed to anyone, not even Sanders or Alenko."
"How will I communicate with you?" she asked. "Everything received or sent by this station is monitored, and recorded."
"I'll give you a secure comms device … something I built; it's similar to the one I gave to my Inamorata, except it uses a different frequency. It auto-encrypts each message you enter prior to transmission, and the encryption key auto-changes after each message is sent. Any messages I send back are only decrypted after you enter your personal ID code. It transmits everything in a micro-burst, so transmission times are minimal, and," I nodded towards the Repository outside, "it will only transmit to my own receiver inside Iringù-Eßizkur."
Hoping to sweeten the offer, I had saved the best for last. "I'm not asking you to help me out of the goodness of your heart, Jack … you will most certainly be compensated for your time."
She returned her gaze to Iringù-Eßizkur; her facial expression—reflected in the clear panel—made me think she was contemplating everything she'd just been told and my offer of part-time employment as an agent for the Shadow Broker. Turning back to face me, she said in a half-mocking tone, "You wouldn't be shittin' me, would you? You're really the fucking Broker?"
"I wouldn't travel all this way just to yank your chain, Jack." I needed to do something that would convince her I was serious. "Tell you what … I'll leave the device with you. You can think about my offer … if you decide to accept, send me a message, and I'll respond."
Jack's expression underwent a subtle change … from slightly mocking disbelief to thoughtful contemplation. She finally looked down at her arms as she once again crossed them over her chest. Turning away from me, she stepped slowly back towards the entry, there to stop, turn back to face me and say, "That's really funny. No one's ever offered to pay me for being a snoop." With a heavy sigh, she said in a near whisper, "I don't need to think about it, Sammy. I believe you're being straight with me. Where's this … device?"
With a smile, I activated my omnitool, its deep purple and ultraviolet glow casting strange shadows around the dimly lit room. "Hey, Griff. I need you to bring the package and meet me at the hanger entrance." Closing the tool, I looked up to see Jack's expression of disbelief.
"That's a Serrice Council omnitool, ain't it?" Her tone sounded accusatory. "Those fuckers cost a small fortune!"
"Given to me by Serrice Council, during my SpecOps training on Luna. Keyed to my DNA, so totally worthless to anyone else, unless they need their hand amputated." I walked up to the door, which slid into its recess at my approach. "Come on … let's go to the hanger bay. I'll tell you a bit about my training."
After giving the transceiver and access codes to Jack, I accompanied Buchanan back into Iringù-Eßizkur, there to grab a snack and send a message to my Qíngrén aboard the Hong Kong.
When she answered the call, she first told me about their actions at Elysium. "We're pretty much done dealing with the Blue Suns out here, Sà mǐ." She looked down for a moment, as if reading from a datapad. "The Red Serpent tried to make a run for it as soon as they cleared the Utopia relay … big mistake. Noble Wyvern and Eva's Smile capitulated after seeing that Cody meant business; Normandy blew the Serpent all to hell and damaged Dragon's Avarice, probably beyond any hope of repair."
"Sounds as if Normandy's captain is dead serious about eliminating the Blue Suns from the galaxy." I paused for a moment, then suggested it might be useful for an Alliance representative to pay the station a courtesy call and visit. "You would be able to give Admiral Hackett an unbiased report on the progress being made to return Grissom Academy to full functionality." I added in a slightly snarky tone, "Want me to see if there's private accommodations here for the two of us?"
Xiùlán's reply was preceded by a throaty chuckle. "Let me make the request, Ai. A place to stay the night there just might be a bit more spacious for a ship's captain than it would for a civilian." Xiùlán smiled in an uncharacteristically wicked manner as she added, "When I speak with Major Alenko, should I also offer to have the ship's communications specialist accompany me to, oh, I don't know, inspect the deep space comms systems?"
Totally unaware of the mutual interest between Miranda Lawson and Kaidan Alenko, I replied, "That sounds like a good idea, actually. Shouldn't be hard to convince the major to have an Alliance comms specialist inspect that gear." Pausing a moment to think about Xiùlán's proposal, I added, "Give Alenko a call … let 'im know you plan to stop over for a day."
After another chuckle, she confided, "If Miranda comes ashore with me, she just may be sleeping in Alenko's quarters." Before I could gather my wits to comment on that little bit of information, she concluded with, "See you soon," and cut the connection.
Shit! I guess even the Shadow Broker cannot possibly know everything!
