Arcturus Station, 2181

This wasn't the first visit I'd made to Arcturus. What seemed an age ago now, the battered remains of our Torfan strike force had staggered into the bars here to honour the dead in the only way we could: by drinking the station dry. Now, from a more sober perspective, I could truly appreciate the majesty of what the Systems Alliance had built here. The Alliance fifth fleet under Admiral Hackett was on standby at all times here, a massive conglomerate of vessels able to deploy via the relay systems to any threats posed to Alliance colonies. The interior of the station itself was surprisingly spacious, but seemingly always bustling no matter what the hour of the day. The makeup of the inhabitants was predominantly human, for obvious reasons, but still Arcturus managed to sport a lively combination of the other races, whether for politics or simply traveling through human space.

Rachel led Hallie and I through the corridors of Arcturus, often stopping to exchange greetings with people she passed by. Coming to the end of yet another similar-looking hallway, Rachel turned and announced to us; "Well this is it. Welcome to the office of Admiral Hackett. He may not be the commander of this station, but he does have the fleet surrounding it so that must count for something. Also, it just so happens to be that his side job is for the Alliance Intelligence Service, as coordinator for operations in galactic space." Rachel waved her omnitool in front of the keypad and it flashed green, opening the door with a faint pneumatic hiss. She waves at us, saying "Come on in, he sounds like a lawnmower with vocal cords but he's not that bad really."

The inside of Hackett's office is rather unassuming. He has no grand paintings or displays adorning the walls, nor any medals or records of other accomplishments. Rather, one wall is dedicated to a bookshelf, a collection of real paper novels and other works of writing likely ancient and well preserved - or at least famous and reprinted. Hackett's desk isn't what I would describe as spartan, he had memorabilia scattered about here and there - a small model of an Alliance frigate, a photo of his family back home - things like that. Behind where he sat there was a window, presumably also doubling as some kind of screen or display. Right now he had the now-ancient, but very recognisable to me, photo of 'Earthrise.' In this age of digital phenomena and space travel, seeing a photo from even before my time was a reassuring sight, a reminder of home. There were four chairs around his desk, exactly the right amount for those of us in Hackett's office; he'd prepared for this meeting for sure. Hackett himself was not sitting at his desk but rather coming around it to greet us. He looked remarkably similar to his depiction in the games, carrying lines, wrinkles and scars but still carrying himself with dignity, his gaze sharp and unrelenting. He greeted us both with strong handshakes, keeping his dour face but having quite a friendly tone, saying "Miss Giona, Mister Owens, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you've heard my name bandied about a whole lot on this station by now, but I'm Steven Hackett."

I gulped, this guy was pretty impressive to be around, every inch the Navy Admiral he was portrayed to be in fiction. The fact that he could also be a spymaster of sorts as well was rather astonishing, less for the fact that he had the role, but more that he had the time to play it effectively. I returned his greeting, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Admiral. I'm not sure how or why you came about to rescue us from our situation on Nos Astra, but I'm sure I speak for the both of us when I say that we greatly appreciate it."

Hackett nodded, making a motion with his arm toward the chairs, saying "Please, take a seat." An easy enough first command, we obliged. Settling into his own presumably comfy Admiral-tier chair, Hackett relaxed then addressed us; "To answer a question that is surely on your minds, our reasons for rescuing you from Illium were more than simply altruistic I'm sorry to say. Over the past three or so years your team became almost well known among the special forces circles, well more so from your operation on Bekenstein rather than anything else if we're to be frank. It's not common for the Eclipse to have teams not under the direct leadership of either Salarians or Asari. In particular, your operation on Bekenstein in cooperation with our forces impressed not only Rachel here," Hackett nodded in her direction, "but also that of our Navy, in particular Lieutenant-Commander Shepard. While I do not want to diminish the loss of your comrades back in Nos Astra, having you free of the Eclipse allowed for us to extend our reach to you." None of this was too surprising to both Hallie and myself, we'd put two and two together from what Rachel had told us, though our supposed popularity with the Alliance was a good stoking for the fire of the ego.

Hackett continued; "My position here is not just here as an Alliance Navy officer either. As I'm sure you've been informed about, I am also the coordinator for AIS (Alliance Intelligence Service) operations in the galactic sphere. This is where we would like to have you. You've both shown initiative and motivation in missions that would fall outside the scope of our normal military operations, plus you have experience in working with smaller teams and thinking outside the box in terms of resolving situations. The AIS is not just a network of spies, hackers and informants; we have our own small militant branch for use in deniable operations - a concept I hear you are familiar with. Our sphere of influence branches all the way from here to the Attican Traverse, though I will readily admit that the jaunt out to the Terminus Systems to retrieve the two of you was a stretch, even for us. The risk of discovery out that far would put us at odds politically with both the Council and the Terminus Systems, for obvious reasons. But enough of all the exposition, as it stands we would like you both to join us as field agents for the AIS, unofficially of course. On paper you'll be both junior officers in the Alliance Navy, with pay packets to match. Obviously danger pay will be incorporated into this as well. Knowing all this, are you willing to join us?" Hackett finished his sales pitch, looking impassive and not belying his thoughts through any body language or tells.

I glanced at Hallie, only to find her already staring at me curiously. We'd already decided beforehand that we'd likely agree to any proposition made by Hackett, unless it was insanely farfetched or ridiculous, so this silent exchange was more deciding who would take the lead in speaking. I cleared my throat, answering Hackett the only way I could; "Honestly Admiral, you had us sold at 'would like to have you.' In addition, doing some legitimate work would probably look a lot better on our resumes." Hallie gave me an enthusiastic double-thumbs up, Hackett even cracked a small smile through his stony expression, and Rachel just looked insanely content to be paid by the hour to be at a meeting where she just had to sit there.

Hackett pulled out a data slate, waving his omnitool over it, presumably using his clearance to activate or authorise something. He slid the slate over to us, saying "Interface your omnitools with this, it has your new IDs as Alliance personnel and the corresponding clearance levels for that, plus those of AIS agents." We followed the directions, our omnitools downloading the data. Hackett resumed talking as we had our arms outstretched; "The data slate also contains the details for our first assignment for the two of you. We're sending you to the Citadel to investigate the unexplained deaths of around twenty Alliance citizens over the last six months. Unlike assignments that you've been on before this, you'll have to blend in and exercise your investigative skills for this operation. Provide us with results or concrete answers and it will go a long way toward solidifying your position here in the AIS. In consideration for the ordeals that you've been through in the last few weeks, your visit to the Citadel will also double as shore leave. Once your mission is resolved, feel free to take some time to unwind before returning here for a debriefing." Hackett stood again, giving us yet another round of handshakes, saying "With all that done, welcome to the AIS. Also, I've got some absolute buffoon of a politician named Donnel coming in here soon, so on the way out please act as if there was nothing clandestine going on in here."


Citadel Station, 2181

This was big. Very damn big. Like, sure I'd seen different planets and Mass Relays and the like before. But fuck, this was essentially three times the population of my home country on a damn space station. A blur crossed my vision a few times, and I blinked, hunting for the disturbance. It turned out to be Hallie right next to me waving her hand in front of my face. "Are you seriously telling me that prior to making your way out to the damn Terminus Systems that you never even passed through the Citadel?"

"I.. uh.." I stammered, thinking of some way to explain not visiting the most important centre that every space faring human passed through on their journeys across the galaxy. "I didn't come to Illium by normal means. Definitely not what you would classify as legal travel. So I came to Nos Astra at the end of a long journey. It was never where I intended to end up, but there I was swept up into a mercenary gang, just like that." The sheer mass of the Citadel fell away as we eventually grew close enough that the scale was no longer visible. Our transport, an Alliance cruiser, began its docking sequence. I turned away from the windows on the deck, motioning to Hallie as I began walking toward the airlock. "Home is long gone for me now anyway, nothing to go back to, so I can only go forwards. It's more fun this way anyway, right?" Hallie shrugged at me, deigning to leave the matter to rest for now, but if I was in her shoes I'd damn well be curious too.

Clearing customs on the Citadel turned out to be far easier than I expected. It was most likely due to our military IDs, but even so they still allowed us to openly carry weapons as we walked around as well. If anything, the attack on the Citadel by Sovereign and the Geth would serve as the galactic communities' very own 9/11 moment. It would change everything, from how they reinforced their own security and also to their political stances on other races. The upcoming parallels were uncanny. Then again, this universe was technically built by human game developers, using their own experiences and knowledge of history to build a fictional world. But I tried not to over think that part, knowing that too much contemplation of the logistics of parallel universes would only succeed in giving me more headaches than a hectic night out on the town.

It was amazing how fast a healthy supply of credits (and legitimate Alliance credentials) expedited things here on the Citadel. Within the space of three hours, Hallie and I had secured a lease on an apartment, our own skycar for travel, and a good deal on groceries from the local food market. With a base to work from, we began our investigation into the deaths on the station. Unfortunately, we knew next to nothing about carrying out an investigation, not anything beyond having a quick search on the extranet at least. So, we decided to take the most logical course of action available to us; visiting the actual professionals at C-Sec. The only major catch we found in this tactic was that riding the elevator was quite possibly the largest contributor towards suicides on the Citadel, as by the end of the ride you felt rather on edge and ready to do just about anything to really feel again. I was almost looking forward to Sovereign destroying this part of the wards so we could get a nice and cozy C-Sec office built elsewhere to replace it, preferably on ground level.

Within seconds of mentioning the words 'Alliance' and 'unexplained deaths' at the front desk, we are referred up the stairs and towards the offices. Coming up to the door number, a flickering nametag underneath catches my eye. 'Chellick' is the name on the tag, the Turian detective who would go on to recruit Shepard in shutting down some of the illegal arms trade in the wards. A familiar face, for me at least. Knocking, Chellick responds immediately, shouting "Come in!" through the door. Opening it, I see an extremely stressed Turian behind a desk, resting on those crazy looking elbows of theirs. A plethora of data slates are strewn across his desk, at least three empty cups for what I assume would be the Turian equivalent to coffee and a long discarded meal unceremoniously off in the corner behind his terminal monitor. I don't read Turian facial expressions very well, but this guy looked tired. He waved a hand at us, indicating some thankfully uncluttered chairs, saying "Please, take a seat, there's a lot to discuss."

Hallie took the lead on this one, introducing us; "Thanks for meeting with us Detective Chellick, we are Lieutenants Owen and Giona, with the Alliance. We didn't fully explain at the front desk, but we're here to ask you about the.."

"About the deaths, yes." Chellick cut her off, gathering together a slew of his data slates and passing them across to us. Each contained the photos and files of at least four or five of the deceased people, and there were a lot. Digging further through the slates, we discovered that not all the victims were actually human. I looked up at Chellick, and he cleared his throat, saying "From that look I'm guessing that you've found the non-human victims in this case. It's not just your species that is dying here, there are Salarians, Turians, Asari, everybody. Every death has no plausible cause behind it, just instant heart and organ failure. Now, owing to the fact that all of our species vary drastically in terms of biology, such similar causes eventually raised massive flags once we put the pieces together."

This changed quite a lot. There was a string of murders going on in the Citadel then, studying the data slates, they went back further than six months. Nearly a year of unexplained deaths, from nearly all races and with far more casualties than what had been reported to the Alliance, even amongst humans. I set the slates down, asking Chellick "These people have all been targeted then? Are there any common links between them, work histories, hobbies or anything?"

Chellick searched through his slates, muttering curses to himself until he found the one he was after, passing it to us and saying "This is where things start to get confusing. The victims have almost nothing at all in common. They all work different jobs, often for completely different industries. Some have families, others don't. There's no pattern between male or female, it seems to be at random. Most aren't even from the same wards. The only thing that has come up is from the toxicology tests. Almost every victim had either imbibed alcohol in the twelve hours previous to death, or some other substance, usually party drugs of some kind. Whoever this killer is, they're targeting the nightlife of the Citadel. We've increased our C-Sec presence around the wards known for their nightlife, but nothing beyond the usual idiocy you see out there has cropped up for us. If you want to start looking around, I'd start there."

I flash a wink at Hallie, quipping "Hold on, are you saying that to complete our investigation, we have to go nightclubbing a whole lot? Why didn't I sign up for the Alliance earlier?" Hallie and I thanked the detective for his efforts and excused ourselves. We had some nightlife to peruse.

Flux was nothing like how it was portrayed in the game. It had a vaguely similar layout, lounge and bar at the back, dancefloor to the side, gambling upstairs, but everything was writ large here. The dance floor was packed tight with bodies moving together in unison, jumping up and down, grooving to some crazy beat without discernable words. There was little distinction between the races here, everyone seemed to only be interested in living like it was their last day. Drinks were being smashed back with abandon, lines of unnamed substances snorted or injected in the bathrooms, wide eyed partygoers stared at you with pupils the size of saucers. And in all of this, there was a killer lurking somewhere. Hallie and I made immediately for the bar, since doing this sober was going to be a drag.

Four hours later we stumbled back into our apartment with empty hands and dented wallets. I flopped down on the sofa, which still had that distinct smell of never been sat on. Placing my hands over my face, I lamented "There wasn't anything more dangerous than two Asari arguing over Krogan quad size tonight. How in the fuck are we supposed to find a killer in all of that?"

Hallie looked up at me from the kitchen sink, where she was guzzling water like it was going out of style. Her words were simple, yet inspiring and dreadful at the same time. "Ish s..simple Matt. We gotta go back tomorrow. And every day until we find dat asshole who's killing all those sexy Asari." From my position on the couch, I groaned. There had better be some damn good cures for hangovers here in the future. Aside from just starting to drink again, though I suspected that's what we would end up doing.

And so we went back, each night after the other. Some nights we popped into Chora's Den, others over to the Zakera wards and the more mellow clubrooms of the Dark Star Lounge. Most of the time though, we trawled through Flux. Sometimes we drank, sometimes not. It didn't change the fact that throughout all of it, we didn't manage to find shit. Hallie and I had questioned staff, random partygoers, shaken down a few drug dealers in the streets, but still nothing. We'd even been into the morgues ourselves to look at the bodies to see if there was anything the coroners had missed. Of course, not being trained medical professionals in any way beyond the most basic of first aid on the battlefield made that particular trip rather pointless anyway. And still, there was nothing. No dodgy people spiking drinks, no aggressive morons that would start fights and hold grudges, not even particularly seedy people who just wouldn't take no for an answer. Everything was surprisingly well ordered and peaceful, which to be honest just made me more suspicious.

In the space of a couple of weeks, we had become nightlife veterans. Bouncers were letting us cut lines, bartenders giving us discounts and free drinks, one manager had even offered us access to his wholesalers so that we could source alcohol at cheaper prices. I'd kept that number, just in case. In a surprising turn of events, there actually were some familiar faces present on the Citadel. And not from the games, people that Hallie and I had actually met before. A group of Alliance marines had been chilling in the wards on shore leave during our time here, and we'd made contact partly to alleviate boredom and partly to widen our net of contacts who would fill us in on any happenings in the area. One of the marines was Lieutenant Millar, another survivor of the Torfan raid three years ago. He'd been with us on our final mad charge into Batarian lines, and I hadn't seen him since, not even at the massive afterparty we'd thrown on Arcturus. Word was that he'd been banged up pretty bad and was still in the infirmary at the time. Millar was understandably surprised to see us, more so in Alliance casual gear. Hallie and I had pulled him aside and explained that we were no longer in the employ of the Eclipse and to please not mention our work histories to his colleagues. It'd just raise more questions that would prove difficult to answer.

The marines had procured a few different tables today and slapped them together haphazardly. Drinks and banter were flowing amongst the group, but they were keenly aware of the threat lurking in the night as well. Every one of us was armed in some capacity, just in case. The night, however, grew long and we resigned ourselves to another uneventful night. A group of Asari maidens were flirting with a few of the group, their blue skin picking up the edges of the clubs lights, giving the entire affair a surreal air, it was alien yet no different to clubbing back home. A beautiful dichotomy. Hallie had an Asari on her arm, they were whispering together and giggling about something. I was glad for her, Hallie needed to unwind after what we'd been through recently. I was a little peeved though, since I really did like her banter, plus she was an excellent wingman(wingwoman?) in the bars. Millar also had a crazily stunning Asari sitting on his lap, she was turning around and giving him these come hither looks. Enough to melt the defenses of anyone really. Truly, the strength of the Asari was that they were regarded as attractive by almost every species, their allure was legendary.

But at this, I paused. There was a darker subset to the Asari race wasn't there? A secret so damning that they kept them locked away on monasteries so that the galaxy at large wouldn't know about them. The Ardat-Yakshi, the Asari who killed their sexual partners upon melding minds. True predators, ones who didn't care about race or gender. They became addicted to the high of snuffing out life, some say growing stronger each time. It seemed a long shot, but even the causes of death matched that of the Ardat-Yakshi. No outward physical harm, just sudden death brought about by simultaneous failure of organs. The presence of alcohol and drugs only furthered my suspicions, this killer was taking along her victims willingly, they offered no resistance. This sobering line of thought hit me hard. I stood up, trying to shake of my alcoholic haze. Hallie was still there chatting to her new friend, but Lieutenant Millar was nowhere to be seen. I asked one of his squad members, and had my suspicions confirmed; they'd both left together not long ago. Still not wanting to cock-block (or whatever the girl equivalent was) Hallie, I simply sent a message to her omnitool, saying 'Gone to look for Lt. Millar, think he might be in danger. Follow my comm signal when you get this.' There was a good chance that I was just being drunkenly paranoid anyway, but I still couldn't leave this alone.

Coming up to the door, I pull aside one of the bouncers and ask him "I'm looking for my friend, Navy lad. Stupid, drunk and human, the whole trinity. However he also had literally the sexiest Asari you've ever seen plastered all over him. Seen anyone like that?"

The Turian bouncer chuckles. "Actually human, I have. Your friend was being dragged by that lovely blue thing off towards Chora's Den. Though by the looks of them I don't think they'll make it there before they find themselves preoccupied."

"Thanks buddy!" I yell at him, waving my omnitool to give him a credit tip as I run off through the crowds. There's only one secluded place I know of going through the wards leading to Chora's Den. A strange little alleyway, little traveled and one day to be the place where a young Quarian will be rescued and blow open a case against a Spectre. But that hasn't happened yet. I check myself, drawing my Kessler pistol and turning on the shield generator on my waist. I'd also brought along a heavier Predator pistol, but they were surprisingly unwieldy so I mainly kept it as a backup. Unlike most things that I've seen so far on the Citadel, the alleyway is actually pretty similar to how it's seen in Mass Effect, just a ton more 'real.' Trash lies piled up against the walls, discarded bottles, food containers and god knows what else. Graffiti is dotted all over, tags from various gangs of all species laying their mark on the Citadel. Knowing the age of some of the races here, some of this graffiti could be hundreds of years old. However this is not the focal point of this place. The focus is on the two figures locked together at the bottom of the steps, almost pressed into a dark alcove.

I'm wan't fast enough. The Asari threw back her head in some kind of silent climax, shuddering in rapture yet still fully clothed. Millar began to convulse, blood streaming from his nose and eyes. One of the last survivors of Torfan collapsed to the floor choking out his last, felled by an uncaring and power-hungry Asari. Filled with disgust, I kept a steady pace, leveled my Kessler and began unloading into her side. Every shot was eaten by her biotic barrier, she didn't even flinch. Instead, the Asari lazily turned toward me, holding my gaze with her own. There was nothing recognisable in those eyes, only a true predator could relate with a look like that. She flared her biotic powers, the aura huge and menacing. I had no recourse against this, no counter, except to draw my other pistol and unload both of them downrange at her. The Ardat-Yakshi staggered only the slightest amount, but instead of concern I only saw a manic glee brimming in her eyes. Almost in a sensual manner, she licked her lips, smiling as the threw a writhing ball of biotic energy right at me.

I threw myself sideways, behind a trash dumpster of some sort. The wave of dark energy smashed above my head, the tendrils almost brushing my face. I'd never personally been on the receiving end of a biotic attack before, it was fucking terrifying. The attack had impacted on the dumpster, nearly bowling it over with the force of the attack. Before my eyes, the metal was eaten away and charring ringed the edges of the impact. If that warp had hit me I probably wouldn't have been around to comment on it. Praying that biotic cooldowns were a legitimate thing, I stepped out from behind cover and tried to drill the Asari with as many shots as I could. This time around, her barrier faltered and a few of my shots found their mark, catching her in the stomach with one shot and in her left arm with two others. I didn't have time to gloat, as the Asari raised her good arm and summoned another ball of energy and launched it at me. This one was much faster, and I had no time to dodge away from it, as it punched me directly in the gut. The force of the impact was huge, it was like being simultaneously pounded by at least eight baseball bats. I staggered backwards, hitting the wall behind me hard, head cracking against the cold metal. I could feel a trickle of blood down the back of my skull, matting my hair. Raising a now empty hand to my head, it came away soaked in crimson.

Seeing my disorientation, the Asari closed in on me, biotic flames enveloping her hands. She flew in for a wound up punch aimed right at my head, but I ducked and narrowly avoided the blow. Shockingly, I heard the metal behind me crumple under the sheer force of the punch. 'This bitches biotic ability must be insane' I thought to myself. I couldn't afford to be hit even once by her at close range, even the lightest of taps would shatter my ribcage or collapse my skull without any argument on my part. Having lost my Predator, I raised my Kessler pistol at her to try and finish her off, but she reacted inhumanly fast, firing a swift but underpowered Throw at me from point blank range. Thankfully, I no longer have the wall to my back and I'm instead pushed further toward the stairs opposite to where I came from. There was space between us now, enough that I can try get my footing back and finish her off. With no barriers up anymore, all I need is the opportunity to get the shots in. With uncanny swiftness the Ardat-Yakshi closed on me, I had no time to properly think. I fired wildly at her as she closed on me, not letting up on the trigger until the pistol screamed in overheated protest. The hail of bullets ripped through her, the shots turned her chest into a tangled and bloody pulp. Her inertia carried her forward, crashing into me and pushing me over, landing on top of me in a mess of purple blood soaking through my clothing. Our faces were almost touching, and her eyes fluttered closed, an ironic end to a romantic predator. It would have been easier to appreciate said irony if she wasn't still in her death throws, coughing up blood all over my face and writhing on top of me as she breathed her last. Before I could really take stock of the ridiculous situation that I was in, I heard a dry voice commenting from above me, "Spirits be damned, what kind of weird fetishy crap is going on here?"

The Ardat-Yakshi's body was hauled off of me, and I found myself looking into the familiar visage of Detective Chellick, who looked rather more bemused than concerned at the situation. Hallie and a few other C-Sec officers were in tow, weapons drawn and looking around nervously at the carnage spread across the alleyway. Attempting to wipe gross Asari blood from my mouth, I manage to get out "You're late Detective. I'll forgive you if you give me a hand up though." Chellick extended a hand (talon?) which I happily took, groaning as I found my feet again. All of the blows from this fight were going to smart for a while, I was sure. I wondered how good Alliance medical insurance was. I activated the safety on my pistols and holstered them, a gesture that the C-Sec officers seemed to appreciate, visibly relaxing afterward. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I remembered the blow to my head, so it wasn't just Asari blood that I was drenched in. Grinning sheepishly, I asked Chellick "I understand you'll want me to make some statements here detective, but please for the love of god tell me that you have showers and some clean clothes back at C-Sec?"

Trudging away with the C-Sec officers, Hallie ducked in close to me, giving me a light punch and saying "You know I ditched getting laid to come get you right?"

A drop of Asari blood dripped from the bridge of my nose, and I have Hallie a disparaging look. "I'm sure we all appreciate the sacrifices that you've made for the cause."

"You damn well better." Hallie looked me up and down, suppressing a laugh. "Jesus look at you, this is why you shouldn't try to fuck girls on their periods."

I shrugged back at her, saying "Oh you know me, I don't like to discriminate."

Freshened up, patched up and starting to ache a little bit, Hallie and I sat in Chellick's office. He'd cleaned up quite a bit since our last visit, all of his investigative materials had been tidied into succinct piles and thankfully there wasn't any old food lying around anymore. Having progress on the case must have really brightened his day up. I sipped at a cup of coffee, feeling the caffeine get to me slowly. So many years of progress and humanity still had coffee, praise be. Chellick brought up the display on his terminal, slipping on gloves so he could interact with the haptic interface, presumably to take notes on the conversation. I made myself comfortable, asking him "Alright Detective, where would you like me to start?" Hallie leaned in closer as well, she had no idea about what Ardat-Yakshi were either so this was going to be an eye opener.

Chellick looked up from his display at me. "Start with how you managed to identify this Asari as the killer. We know from surveillance footage that she was responsible for the death of at least Lieutenant Millar but we have no idea how you managed to come to that conclusion in the first place."

I scratched my head, saying "This will sound rather weak but actually I had no clue about the identity of the killer until about five minutes before I pursued her out of Flux. Even then I wasn't fully sure, it was more of a hunch."

"Then how did you manage to narrow it down to this Asari?" Asked Chellick.

"Detective, have you ever heard of an Ardat-Yakshi before?"

Chellick shook his head, saying "Please, just Decian or Chellick. All this 'detective this, detective that is tiring.' And no, what are they exactly?"

I fidgeted with my hands a little. I hoped Chellick believed me here. Space Asari vampires were a little farfetched even for science fiction. "It's a strange story. Also, every Asari you meet will deny their existence vehemently. The Ardat-Yakshi are a genetic mutation of the Asari, a recessive trait if you will with extremely low odds. Think of how regular Asari use their mind-meld abilities to create bonds and links with their intimate partners. Using this same process, Asari that have the Ardat-Yakshi genes will instead kill their partners.

Chellick and Hallie both looked extremely uncomfortable at this. Especially considering that Hallie almost scored with an Asari earlier tonight, and would have been helpless had she been one of these secretive killers. Decian muttered, "Spirits above, if that's true, then how do you tell the difference between them and.. normal.. Asari?"

"You can't." I replied, "The Ardat-Yakshi condition is only discovered upon Asari hitting adolescence, usually once they take their first partner. From what I've heard, most are willing to accept the fact that their condition is highly sensitive and dangerous, and live in secluded monasteries. In cases where they refuse they are likely put to death by the Justicars."

The Turian frowned, "Maybe this is the only way, it seems harsh but if it's for the good of the people then it's essentially a public service to allow yourself to be sequestered away like that." Turians generally had a huge sense of community and public responsibility. It made sense that he'd see it that way.

I shrugged, playing devil's advocate a little bit. "Perhaps, but at least amongst humans, taking away someone's freedoms is extremely taboo. I can understand why some would not want to be kept away from the rest of the galaxy for something that they didn't choose to have. The one we encountered here was likely a runaway."

Hallie interjected here, "But why would she go on a killing rampage? From what I understand, mental illnesses are unbelievably uncommon for Asari, so logically her actions must have been conscious decisions."

I nodded at her. "That's the thing, when an Ardat-Yakshi takes someone's life through melding, it gives them an insane high, a pleasure more intense than any purchasable drug or cocktail. They become addicted to the rush of it, the chase leading to the kill, everything. It's even rumoured, though I can't verify this, that each kill increases the Asari's powers. Certainly, the one I fought here in the wards was crazy strong, defeating her was more luck than skill. I'd imagine that she was also quite young, seeing how indiscriminately she was feeding on the population here with no regard for us finding out and stopping her. Chances are she was operating on pure instinct and greed."

Chellick had been typing nonstop the whole time, compiling notes presumably for a very grim report to his superiors. He talked without breaking eye contact with his screen, "Understandably, I'm going to have to do some digging here to verify this story. It does make sense though, seeing the state of Millar's body compared to those of all the other vicitms. I'll have to be careful with who sees this report though, it could cause some problems down the line." At those ominous words , the door behind us was opened and another imposing Turian stepped into the room. Chellick looked up, an exasperated expression crossing his mandibles. "Look, you can't just come in here, fuc..." The detective gulped and quickly adjusted his tone of voice. "Executor Pallin. What brings you here?"

Pallin simply pointed directly at Chellick, then back to the door, gruffly stating "Chellick. Out, now." We made to get out of our seats as well but he shifted his ominous finger to us, not saying anything and just shaking his head. I saw the detective shut down his terminal, but not before he subtly pulled a data stick from it. It seemed even he didn't fully trust his own people. Walking out, he places a hand on my shoulder in a form of silent solidarity. It's not really that reassuring. Once he had stepped out, Pallin poked his head out the door and said, "They're alone now, I've switched the cameras off as well."

At that, Hallie audibly gulped. That didn't sound pleasant in any way. To accentuate just how fucked we were, at that moment two fully armoured Asari commandos stalked into the room, rifles held loosely but ready to be snapped up at any moment and turn us into mince. Behind them, none other than Councilor Tevos came through the door. Seeing how damaging the presence of an Ardat-Yakshi could be to the public opinions of Asari, this was definitely a political issue. Though it had definitely occurred to me that Tevos might just have us buried in a deep hole somewhere on an uninhabited moon to cover this up. The Asari wasted no time, she swung around the desk and gracefully settled herself in Chellick's chair. She linked her fingers together, somehow managing to engage both of us with eye contact at the same time. Fucking politicians man. Her voice was silky smooth, what you would describe as reassuring and homely, but under the current circumstances it came across as more sinister. "Lieutenants Owens and Giona, let's not sit here exchanging pleasantries. The Ardat-Yakshi, I want to know how you know."

Telling the truth was completely out of the question, and being too vague would likely just bring us under further suspicion. I had to sell Tevos on some alternative facts. "Your dirty little secret isn't quite as under wraps as you think it is. It didn't take long for us to match up all these deaths here to a certain disappearance on Lesuss." Tevos immediately looked sharply at me at the mention of Lesuss. That was the planet where the monastery for the Ardat-Yakshi was located. "The Alliance isn't stupid, we protect our own. For obvious reasons, you can't have the Justicars romping through the Citadel executing random civilians for breaches of the code, so we decided to act independently to end the threat before it grew in scope. We're likely not the only ones that know either, the Shadow Broker surely has eyes and ears everywhere, and he sells to anyone who's buying."

I was hoping to show Tevos that there was no point in trying to silence us, that our presumed superiors knew exactly what was going on behind closed doors in the Asari Republics. Also the little name drop about the Shadow Broker might just make her think that was how we got our information. The councilor relaxed a little, sighing in resignation and saying; "It was inevitable that this would come to light one day. I wonder what other.. points of intrigue the Alliance has information on."

I meet Tevos' gaze, holding it as I say "The Alliance's primary interest is in cementing our place in the galactic community, plus being aware of potential threats before they may arise." I really hoped it sounded imposing yet professional enough for the Asari.

She narrowed her eyes, almost growling at me with that soft voice of hers, "Are you implying that the Asari are a threat?"

Oh boy, maybe I'd pushed that one a little far. Trying to play it cool, I came back with "Humanity has only been in the galactic community for around thirty years. Everyone is a threat, Councilor. We've had the Hegemony breathing down our necks since the moment we walked onto the Citadel, plus there has been no real reconciliation between the Turians and us after the First Contact War. Not to mention the potential for aggressors coming from outside Council controlled space."

Tevos chuckled, "Like what, the Terminus systems ever banding together and crusading into our space? It would be the shortest lived war you'd ever seen. Don't make me believe that the Alliance is so scared of its neighbours."

It was time to lay some real threats at the table. "No Tevos, I'm talking about the Geth. When was the last time anyone saw them? They've been out of the picture for hundreds of years, and I can guarantee you they haven't been idle. Think about the Krogan, they aren't mindless brutes, you know that, I do too. If you believe that they don't have scientists of some kind working on curing the Genophage then you're more naive than the humanity. If it ever does come about you can be sure that they won't be happy with the Turians and Salarians."

Tevos shook her head. "But if the status quo hasn't changed in so long what makes you think it's going to change at all in the near future?"

I sighed at her. "Don't insult me by feigning disinterest in the matter. I know that you Asari take the long view on galactic proceedings. Two generations for us is just a part of your life spans. Plus what you really need to bring these disparate species together is some kind of bogeyman or common enemy at large out there. It'll unite us better than the Council ever could."

Tevos gave us a genuine grin. "And here I thought that humanity wasn't politically minded."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Does this mean that you're not going to have us executed for knowledge of Asari secrets now?"

"Not that secret, no." Tevos stands, walking to the door. "Hopefully next time we meet, it'll be under better circumstances."

The Asari commandos stalked out after their protective charge, making sure to give us the coldest stares they could muster on the way out. Hallie let out a held breath, commenting "You know, I really did feel like we were in the shit there. How did you manage to come up with all that stuff anyway?"

I shrugged back at her. "High school essay writing prepares you for a lifetime of spewing bullshit to convince people of your point. I did slip in some small truths in there though, the stuff about the monastery on Lesuss and the Geth working on something out there in the veil."

Hallie folded her arms, swiveling on her chair and looking directly at me. "And just how exactly DO you know about those things? The whole Ardat-Yakshi thing seems to be a tightly held secret and you're here having a fistfight with one outside a club."

It probably wouldn't help if I'd mentioned any other weird secrets that the other galactic races held, especially ones like the Vendetta AI just chilling on Thessia and the knowledge being withheld from the rest of the galactic community. That one would have almost certainly gotten us thrown into a dark hole with cold meals, the other plausible option just being death of course. The best choice was likely to just try and brush this off. "I wasn't always a mercenary Hallie. It's a stupidly long story, and trying to tell it will result in you calling bullshit on me many times over."

She was not buying any of my shit. "I've known you for a long time Matt, I'm sure that I'd believe whatever whacked out story you threw in my direction."

I decided to compromise. I would have to spill the beans one day about just where I came from, especially when events that I actually knew a lot about began to spring up once we caught up to the timeline of the games. But it wasn't going to be this day, I'd need to plan that conversation out well in advance. "Maybe so, but this is something that I've never told anyone, ever. I promise you that if I do ever change my mind on this, you'll be the first to know about it."

Seemingly satisfied, Hallie uncrossed her arms and stood, stretching out and saying "I'd fucking better be. Maybe I could ask Tevos to use those Asari torture chambers and find out just what other juicy little secrets you have in there."

It was obviously just banter, but the thought alone was unpleasant to entertain. "Please god no. I can't imagine being trapped in a room with a politician would be much fun. Shit we only had ten minutes with the Councilor earlier and it was horrid."

Hallie did an almost comical facepalm, muttering softly "If you think that's bad, now we have to fly back to Arcturus and debrief Hackett and god knows who else about our vampire-Asari discoveries."

"Well, shit."

A/N: There was less action, more dialogue here. Thoughts, criticism, lay it on me. Also longest chapter yet, threw out about two other drafts for this that got really out of hand and a tad crazy.