Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, but both Sarge and I have been swamped with school, and finals are only days away so we'll probably not be able to update again for a while. For those of you who have stuck by with us, thanks for the support! We'll be trucking on with (hopefully) quicker updates as we enter the break. So without further ado, here's the next chapter. And if it so pleases you, read and review!
Daniel stood at the weapons kiosk, scanning the crowds of people that seemed to wander aimlessly across the Upper Markets area. He was still on edge after the earlier fight with the would-be assassins, and was alert for another attempt. Thankfully, it seemed as if Saren's hitmen had learned their lesson. He turned back towards the merchant, but kept his eyes on a piece of reflective glass he had planted up ahead to watch his back.
"Hello Earth-clan, you've just returned from the colonies?" the short creature craned its neck to look up at him. Daniel's hand flickered closer to his recently...borrowed...pistol, as a group of armed beings walked past him. He relaxed slightly as they passed by without any trouble.
"Uh…yeah. We could use some supplies." Daniel motioned for Tali to join him. She stepped up next to him, just as tense as he was. There were here now because Daniel knew exactly what would happen when they went to Fist, and he wasn't about to go in with only Tali's shotgun, an undercharged Cain, and a merc's crappy pistol as their only weapons. He had been saddened to part with his old weaponry, but he knew it was necessary if he wanted to survive in this world.
"Excellent. I have a great selection of armors. My weapons are of a high quality as well." the volus took in deep breaths between each sentence, slowing what would normally be a quick exchange. His weapons had fetched a price far more reasonable than he could have ever hoped, nearly nine million credits. He had decided to let Tali keep the laptop, seeing as she was the rightful owner now. All he wanted to do with it was copy his music library from it to his omni-tool, and then she could do with it whatever she wanted.
"Have you got any quarian armor?" he asked, looking at the ragged and worn condition of Tali's current suit. This prompted her to turn her head sharply towards him, but she didn't say anything. The volus seemed startled for a moment, but quickly recovered.
"I believe I have a few sets in at the moment, allow me to check." It waddled towards the back of the kiosk. Tali turned to speak to him then.
"I don't need any-"she began, before Dan cut her off with an abrupt wave of the hand.
"Yes, you do. It's alright to let someone get you a gift every now and then, you know. That suit of yours isn't much good for combat. Anyway, I was gonna get you a better one regardless," he said firmly, indicating that there would be no compromise. Tali sighed in defeat.
"Well, if I can't convince you otherwise, I may as well thank you, Daniel. I appreciate you doing this for me," she told him. Daniel's response was a face-lighting smile.
"I have two different sets in stock, Earth-clan. One is a basic model, the other is one of the Colossus series," the volus informed him. He could see Tali looking over at him, shaking her head.
"I'll take the Colossus," he said cheerfully, causing Tali to gasp.
"Don't you know how much a set of that armor costs?" she exclaimed. He turned to her with a shit-eating grin.
"Of course I do. Your point is?" Tali was rendered speechless. Daniel handed over the credit chip as Tali looked on in shock. The volus passed over the armor crate, and Daniel handed it to Tali. "We can head back to the Clinic in a minute so that you can change suits. I'm going to get us a few weapons," he said, turning back to the volus. Before he could speak, another voice piped up.
"Well my boy, that's not quite necessary!" a cheerful and aged voice spoke up from behind the two of them. Daniel groaned and face palmed, but turned to face Tom.
"And why not?" he asked, waiting for the old man to astound him some new way.
"Because of this." Tom gestured to the small floating cart—or whatever it was—that he was pulling behind him. He pulled it up next to Dan, and stepped up alongside him and Tali. A large, no, a very large crate took up the space on the hovercraft. Tom entered a complex code into it, and the top half hissed open. When Daniel saw what was inside the box, he turned pale and grabbed the cart and its owner and dragged them both over into the shadows.
"Do you know what you have here?" he hissed, staring down at the arsenal below him while Tali looked at the two from the stand in confusion.
"I know very well what I have, Daniel. Let's not forget it was me who brought you here," Tom said seriously, looking down at the weapons. Daniel slowly reached down and pulled out the one he recognized so well. The ACR felt different in his hands, somewhat lighter, with a new balance. It looked almost the same, but it was slightly bulged at the center of the weapon, where he assumed the mass accelerator was located.
"Rebuilt them myself. Gave me something to do," Tom said pleasantly. Dan stared at the cool blue status lights dotting the newly-refurbished weapon. His gaze drifted over to the other weapons, from the Saiga 12 auto-shotgun to the Barrett .50, the .44 Magnum, and a sniper rifle that was so strange that he didn't recognize it at first. All had the same oversized feature in their chambers. After gazing at the unknown rifle for a moment longer, he realized it was a SR-25, a sturdy and compact rifle, used by SOCOM forces for special operations.
The reason for the temporary confusion was a very valid one. This rifle was most definitely custom-made, sporting a deep purple paint job with black swirled lines, and inscribed symbols that Dan had never seen before. Now this gun was indeed a truly beautiful one.
"What's going on over here..." Tali started, but her voice trailed off as soon as she set her eyes upon the arsenal. Dan could say for a fact that he was surprised that her eyes didn't pop out of her head. "Oh..." was all she could manage, not even blinking. Dan looked back to Tom, who seemed to be enjoying the fruits of his labor.
"They're all high-quality weapons, as Daniel here can vouch. I completely overhauled each of them. In fact, I even have a special one for you, Miss Zorah." he said, taking the SR-25 out of the case and handing it over to her. She fumbled with the unusual weapon, gripping it in her hands. She stared down at it inquisitively, then looked back at Tom suspiciously.
"Where exactly did you get these?" she asked.
"I've been around awhile, seen a lot of things, and I hold onto things that could prove valuable." he said, another one of those smiles that said 'I have a joke going that only I know about' on his face.
Daniel groaned in annoyance. This guy was getting really creepy...just who was he?
"I'll admit, those are pretty good weapons. I don't know how they'd stack up with these mods though," he said slowly, gauging the reaction of the other two individuals. Tali seemed even more interested in the weapons...but as usual, Tom's face was unfathomable.
"You don't need to worry about that, my boy. These weapons are about on par with Cerberus Skunkworks equipment, if I do say so myself," Tom remarked, eying the weapons again. Daniel thought back, to what else he'd read about PC command suppliers. Skunkworks weapons were of very good quality, right up there with H&K Shadow Works and Spectre Master Gear, if behind by only a little bit.
"Cerberus?" Tali said curiously. Daniel turned to Tom, who only offered him a tentative shrug.
"I get the feeling my dear that you'll be very familiar with them by the time this is all over. All you need to know for now is that they're a top secret Alliance black-ops organization, with the highest level of secrecy and clearance," Tom said. And with that, Daniel marked him higher on his 'who to watch out for' list.
The old man seemed to stare off into the distance again, something that was really starting to unnerve both Daniel and Tali, but he snapped back to the present after just a moment.
"Well, I've got to get on my way. I'll be talking to you later, Dan, Tali. Keelah Se'lai." and Tom turned and vanished back into the crowd of pedestrians of various races. Dan shook his head, and turned back to Tali, who was still staring at the SR-25 in her arms.
"I've never used one of these." she said bluntly, holding it awkwardly. Dan chuckled, before hitting the compaction button on the ACR and slipping it into its magnetic holster on his back.
"I guess I'll be teaching you, then." he said humorously as he finished holstering the rest of his weapons. The weight of firearms he'd trained with comforted him more than he'd ever expected them to, and he popped his neck. Tali finally slipped the sniper rifle over her shoulder, and it automatically locked onto the magnetic plate.
"Until then, I believe we have a meeting with Fist?" she asked, crossing her arms. Daniel nodded, and the two stepped out of the shadows and returned to the vendor to pick up Tali's armor. Their next stop was the med clinic, where Tali stepped into the clean room to switch suits. Daniel took up a seat outside, keeping a watchful eye on the clinic door.
30 minutes later…
"Whadda ya want?" a gruff human voice echoed in the small side room. Daniel stood tall, not intimidated. Tali stood behind him, a wary eye watching both the bouncers and the patrons themselves. Daniel's hand rested on the grip of the .44, just in case things started going downhill.
"I'm here to see Fist. We've got information for the Shadow Broker, high quality stuff," he responded curtly. The man seemed to think over it for a moment, before turning to the door and unlocking it. He turned back to Dan and Tali, and gave them a mistrustful look.
"Any funny business and you two disappear, forever. Understood?" Dan nodded silently, and the man motioned for them to follow him. They walked behind him down the small hallway, taking a turn and arriving at another locked door. The man stepped up to an intercom, and pressed the button.
"Boss, we've got potential sellers. Want to see 'em?" The three waited for a moment before a voice responded.
"If they're being straight, yes. If not, have Dax bury them in the deck. And you'll be right next to them," the harsh response came. The guard visibly paled.
"Of course, boss." The door turned green, and Dan stepped up, only to be stopped by the guard.
"You're gonna have to leave those guns here, boy," he said, trying to be threatening. Daniel stared down at him, unimpressed.
"If you think you can take them, go ahead and try," he said coldly, before shouldering past him into the room. The guard wisely decided not to, and waited behind them. The change in light was instant, as they stepped into a darkened office. Daniel spotted the two hidden defense turrets quickly, and marked their location for later knowledge. A chair sat behind a polished wooden desk, facing the window where it looked out on the Wards. This guy's seen too many mob movies, Daniel thought. The chair swiveled slowly to face them, where Dan was faced with a rather ugly man with some facial scarring.
"So, you've got some information, do you?" Fist asked, eying Dan and Tali equally curiously. His gaze stopped abnormally long on Tali though, and Dan narrowed his eyes at the crime boss. Fist returned the gaze, but soon shirked from its ruthless intensity.
"Yes, we do." Tali said, stepping up beside Dan. "Evidence linking Saren to the geth attack on the human colony of Eden Prime." she told Fist. The criminal's eyes obviously widened.
"Well, that's worth quite a deal of money." he said casually, twirling a cigar. Dan had to refrain from laughing aloud. Is this guy serious? "I'll tell you what, give it to me, and I'll deliver it to the Shadow Broker. He'll reward you greatly for it." Dan smelled the trap already. Should he let this continue?
"No deal. We need to meet the Shadow Broker in person if you want the data. In exchange, we need protection from Saren's assassins. Deal?" Tali prompted. Daniel observed a sudden grin on the face of the scarred criminal, but it quickly vanished.
"You've got yourself a deal. Give me just a moment." Fist excused himself, walking into a back room. Daniel assumed he was contacting Saren and his men to let them know about the 'meeting'. A very short while later, he reemerged, with a Cheshire grin on his face.
"Alright, I've set up the meeting. There's a back alley not too far from here, the two of you are to come alone. Here's the location." he passed over a data pad, which Dan quickly took and scanned. The same back alley as in the game, with a map and directions on how to get there were what was on the small reader.
"This sounds...acceptable." Tali said, after Dan passed her the data pad. Fist nodded, the grin never leaving his face. Daniel couldn't help but stare at Fist knowingly. The bastard was happily setting this young woman up for a trap, one that without interference from Shepard and his team or himself would certainly get her killed. "It's okay," Dan said finally, still looking at Fist darkly. Fist's eyes narrowed, as if he knew that Dan knew.
"Well then, he'll see you soon. As for me, I've got work to finish. You're going to have to leave." he motioned them towards the door. "Try not to get yourselves shot on the way there, okay?" he said wittily, as the door shut behind Dan and Tali. The former Ranger quickened his pace, hastening his way out of the establishment. Tali had to nearly jog to keep up.
"Why are we moving so quickly?" she asked, walking beside him.
"Because I don't trust that guy, he's lying about something," Dan replied, eyes flicking from one being to another, watching for a tail.
"I got the same feeling from him, but are you sure?" Tali asked nervously. Daniel nodded swiftly.
"I'd say our best bet would be to take this to the human embassy up on the Presidium. They've got the clout to deal with this, and the security to keep you safe. Sound good to you?" His eyes locked with the bouncer standing casually next to the main door, which they approached rapidly.
"Fine with me, it's a rather good idea. We'd best hurry if your instincts are right though." Tali said, as they stepped out of the main door and exited the bar.
Little did they know that a so-called 'patron' had been observing them. He raised a hand to the headset he wore.
"The target's suspect. Advise you eliminate them very soon, they're planning on heading for the embassy." he said, watching as the pair left the building.
"Understood. Hit teams are being dispatched now, good job."
A few minutes later…
Dan saw the moment they'd picked up a tail. He cursed under his breath, and Tali turned to look at him strangely.
"What?" she asked. He subtly nodded his head back towards their followers.
"They're after us already. I thought we'd have a bit more time, but it looks like our luck's run out," as he sped up, so Tali was forced to follow suite. The people around him looked at him angrily as he elbowed his way through the crowds, but a shout from the tailing hitmen forced Dan's hand.
"Come on!" he shouted, breaking into a full-out sprint. Tali followed, and the two raced down the corridor. Gunfire sounded, and a round chipped some paint off a nearby wall. Bystanders screamed in panic, and the crowds surged away from the source, past Tali and Dan. The Ranger suddenly stopped and turned, dropping to his knee as his hands found the ACR. A flick of the activation switch, and the balanced rifle unfolded in his trained hands. One controlled squeeze of the trigger later and three bullets screamed downrange in a three-round burst, taking out the lead gunman, whose kinetic barriers were unable to stop all three rounds. He smiled; the rifle was as good as ever. Dan rose up again, and sprinted after Tali, who had reached the elevator leading to the Wards Access corridor.
They bolted into the elevator amidst more gunshots, which cracked the elevator's glass. Dan flipped the ACR's fire mode lever to full-auto, and poured some suppressing fire downrange. The two pressed their backs against their respective sides of the elevator until the door slid shut and they felt the gentle ascension. Dan sighed in relief, leaning against the elevator wall. He looked over to Tali.
"Chances are they've got a team waiting for us on the other end, and they'll be after us as soon as the elevator returns. We'll probably get pinned down. If I tell you to do something, you're going to have to do it, "he said, his former combat experience coming back to him in a surge. He checked the ACR. It was indeed an incredible blend of the new and old; Tom had apparently rebuilt the magazine into a heat sink, saving Dan any need to get accustomed to new positions or equipment. He checked his other weapons and saw that it was the same with the rest of his weapons. He made a mental note to congratulate Tom on the amazing job he'd done with these antiques.
The elevator soon slowed, and the two once again readied their weaponry, waiting for the door to slide open. They burst out in a flash, running down the corridor, past startled civilians, and more gunshots landed all around them. Dan risked a glimpse over his shoulder, and saw three armed men emerge from a door near where they had exited the elevator. He couldn't return fire—innocents were still blocking his range of view. He abhorred unnecessary violence, and accidentally shooting any clueless bystanders simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time constituted just that.
They rounded another corner, and made it to the Presidium level elevator. Dan smacked the button, and the door closed. He was glad Tali seemed to be in very good physical condition, it was much more complicated to escort an out of shape person than a fit one, as his past mission experience had proven. He replaced the ACR with his Barrett, struggling slightly with the heavy sniper rifle before getting it into a comfortable position. Tali seemed startled by the size of the gleaming chrome weapon, but didn't say a word.
"Longer ranges," Dan explained, checking the gun's status, "I can take them out quicker from range than if they get close. I was always a great sniper," he said, and he was about to go down memory lane before Tali caught the look in his eyes.
"No time for old memories, right now we've got to make sure we survive to make new ones," Tali reprimanded him, crossing her arms. He nodded sheepishly, raising the rifle to his shoulder and facing the door.
"Follow my lead," he instructed, as the doors slid open. Just as Dan had predicted, a squad of hitmen had gathered on the Presidium, and spotted them as soon as the elevator doors opened. Assault rifle fire began closing on their position, and Dan sighted the Barrett in on one of the thugs, his head coming into focus through the crosshairs. One pull of the trigger and ear-shattering bang later, and the head exploded like a ripe melon hit with a sledgehammer, drenching the other hitmen in blood and gore. The fire stopped momentarily as they stared in horror, but quickly remembered what their situation was and resumed the barrage.
Dan had taken the time to grab Tali and slide into cover behind a nearby bench. It wasn't much, but it was stopping the rounds...for now. He retrieved the ACR and started targeting the mercs, rounds hitting close enough to make them duck back into cover. He rode the recoil expertly even though his shoulder was a bit sore from firing the .50 standing up. One merc was stupid enough to stand up to try and retaliate, and took half a dozen rounds directly to the chest, tearing through his poor shielding and ripping past his armor.
The elevator nearby dinged, and another small squad stepped out of the elevator, weapons raised. Daniel swore under his breath, and ducked as supersonic projectiles passed over his head. He had to come up with something, fast. A peek over his cover revealed an all too familiar scene. The mercs had bunched up...just like he and his squad had gotten the terrorist insurgents to do in Afghanistan. A perfect way to take them out presented itself to Dan's mind...
He ducked back down, and slid the ACR back. The gun was soon replaced by the large and extremely bulky Cain. He checked the charge, reading a 78% on the display. Shrugging, he activated the weapon. Over three-quarters charge on the nuke launcher was more than enough to take out a group of mercs wearing crappy armor. He slid his hand into the grip, selected the 75% power option, and pressed down on the trigger, squeezing it against the back of the guard.
The effects were almost instant. Unlike the lower power settings that Tali had integrated from her modification of the weapon, the Cain began its charge-up sequence. A high-pitched whining noise filled the small courtyard, and light began gathering at the end of the barrel. A small klaxon began to blare, and warning lights flashed up and down the weapon that it was nearly fully spun up. Dan counted the seconds left in his head, and then rose up swiftly, aiming the Cain into the midst of the group. Weapons fire began to hit Dan, and his shields began steadily dropping. He couldn't resist the words that popped out of his mouth as he put on his best Cuban accent.
"Say hallo to my leetle friend!" he shouted.
Then, the Cain finished charging up, and the light flared to an intense level as one of the loudest reports Dan had ever heard sounded as the twenty-five gram slug was launched out at near relativistic speeds, hitting the ground near the mercs. An enormous explosion ensued, instantly incinerating most of the mercs as the infamous mushroom cloud rose into the air, and the entire deck shook underneath the force of the blast. A part of Daniel's mind idly speculated that someone could probably have felt that up in the Council Chambers.
The remaining mercs were thrown to the ground from the concussion wave. Slowly they got to their feet and stumbled around, blinded and deafened by the blast. Suddenly, gunfire erupted from a side passage and the guns for hire were mowed down quickly, brutally, and efficiently. Dan saw the telltale signs of these arrivals being professionals, and hoped to God that they were on his side as he saw a man get slammed by biotics into a wall hard enough to turn his insides to jelly.
From the smoke and flames, three figures emerged with assault and sniper rifles raised. The leading one in a dark armor with a blood-red stripe down the right arm lowered their menacing looking AR. Their helmet swung to face Dan and Tali.
"Who the hell are you?" it asked. Dan felt himself freeze. Commander Shepard had arrived.
