Ghosts of the person you used to be are so proud of who you are, they live on inside you applauding you for living on despite your scars. – Nikita Gill, Wild Embers

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'
Míngbái wǒ – [明白我 – understand me] Usually put forth as a question, as in 'Do you understand me?'
Qíngfū – [情夫 – lover]
Qíngrén – [情人 – lover]

• GRISSOM ACADEMY · VETUS SYSTEM, PETRA NEBULA •

I stood transfixed in the doorway between the bathroom and bedroom of my Qíngrén's guest suite, simply enjoying the view of a still sleeping—and very nude—Yuán Xiùlán. As I studied the greens and golds of the very large dragon tattoo peeking out from under the sheet lying diagonally across her muscled back and shoulders, it dawned on me that, after all this time, I still could not look at her sleeping form without feeling a nearly overwhelming sense of yearning … bordering on pain … in the center of my chest.

Eyes brimming with moisture, I forced myself to move fully into the room, where I gingerly grasped the upper edge of the sheet and gently folded it down to reveal an exceptionally firm butt at the top of an amazingly toned pair of legs. My careful observation of Xiùlán's face was rewarded as a pair of firmly pressed together lips increasingly frowned; this frown was shortly followed by a hand, blindly reaching out to reclaim her sheet.

Failing in the attempt, slanted eyelids covering a pair of sleepy, sable-brown eyes slipped open just enough for the slumbering woman to view the reason for her suddenly bare … and cold … posterior. "What the 'ell, Sà mi?" she croaked. "It cannot possibly be time to be awake."

Leaning over her, I gently buried my fingers in the cleft of her arse to grab the butt cheek closest to me. This brought a smile to her face, crinkling the skin beside her eyes. "As much as I hate to admit it, the time is 0705, Ai." I slid my free hand under her torso to fondle a breast, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Dammit, Sà mi! You keep pushing my buttons like that, I cannot be held responsible for my …"

Her protest faded to silence as I kneeled beside her and placed my mouth over hers in a passionate kiss. Pulling back slightly to catch my breath, I whispered, "Warning received and understood, my darling." I relocated the hand I was using to hang onto her ass, sliding it across the smooth, taut curve to end up on a prominent hipbone, where I pulled and shoved lightly, rolling her up on her side. I followed quickly, stretching out full length against her with a thigh pressed in between her legs. "This is probably the last time we'll be physically together until you're able to take some leave, Luv." By this time, my groin was seemingly on fire, even as I felt a bit of moisture slicking my inner thighs. "I don't intend to waste a single minute of our together time! I need you to make love to me, Xiùlán … right now!"

An arm came up and over me to pull me in closer; I melted into her embrace as she breathed, "I am yours, Sà mi." Xiùlán wrapped me up in her arms and held on tightly as she used her scarred left thigh to pleasure me; I must have been on the ragged edge when I climbed into bed with her, so was totally unprepared for the intensity of my release. I yelped in surprise as my entire body shuddered from the intense, multiple waves of ecstasy churning through me.

As my body finally relaxed, I became aware that Xiùlán was panting as if she had just sprinted a hundred meters. I cupped her face in both hands and planted a soft kiss on her lightly freckled nose. "Damn, Luv! Soon as I think we've gone over the top, I get surprised. I truly believe we will never reach that pinnacle again, but hell … just gives us both something to shoot for next time, right?" Before she could answer, I tentatively touched my lips to the lush sweetness of my Inamorata's mouth, then eased away to gaze into the inky pools of her eyes.

"Sà mi, měi cì women zuò'ài, wo dū hěn kāixīn! [薩米，每次我們做愛，我都很開心！– Sami, every time we make love, I am very happy!] That we have to be apart so many weeks and months at a time just makes what we do when we're together that much sweeter. There are no words … in Mandarin, or Galactic … that adequately describe how much your love means to me, darling, but you need to know … " Xiùlán's voice hitched slightly and her eyes clouded with moisture; with a bit of effort, she swallowed, but her voice was still squeaky as she concluded, "I would do anything for you, Sà mi … if I had to die to keep you safe … to keep you alive, I would not hesitate to do so."

As always, hearing her declare her love for me … in that way … made my heart ache; I couldn't help but respond in a similar manner. "Xiùlán, I don't intend for you to ever need to go that far for me. I can't imagine a future for me that doesn't include you in it, míngbái wo? You dying to keep me alive? … that would absolutely be the death of me, my love." Holding her close, I poured every bit of my love into the kiss I gave her. Pulling back, I breathed, "Xiùlán, wo de shēngmìng shuyú ni. [秀蘭，我的生命屬於你 – Xiùlán, my life belongs to you.]

Groaning in mixed desire and frustration, she squeezed me tight as she returned my kiss, then let go and slid off the bed to stand beside me, there to place her body fully on display for me. "I have to shower and get dressed, Ai. I have a ship to run … it's time for me to return to work."

I nudged Xiùlán in the ribs as we entered the officer's mess. Miranda and Kaidan were seated across from each other engrossed in quiet conversation as they ate their breakfast. At the other end of the table, Buchanan was sitting across from Kahlee Sanders; both were quietly talking as they enjoyed each other's company, and what appeared to be their second coffees of the morning.

Xiùlán and I filled our trays and went to sit at a different table … the only table with just one diner. Sitting next to her, with Xiùlán taking a seat across from the two of us, we each offered her a good morning. "I was hoping to run into you before I had to leave, Jack. Do you have any questions for me before I head back to the Citadel?"

The woman looked me up and down with an appraising eye; after giving Xiùlán the once over as well, she grinned at me as she spoke in a quiet tone, "You two have been fucking each other's brains out, haven't you?"

I glanced at my Qíngrén, whose face was rapidly turning pink. Cocking my head as I began eating, I fixed the tattooed woman with a hard stare and replied, "As a matter of fact, we have. We're lovers, Jack. That's just one of the ways we express our love for each other."

Jack must have expected me to deny her accusation; her face registered shock that I would so readily admit to having sex with a woman … and an Alliance captain, at that. "Sonuvabitch, Traynor. You don't pull any punches, do you!?" After a few moments, she continued. "Must be difficult … you on the Citadel, or wherever you and that creepy machine call home …" she nodded in Xiùlán's direction, " … and your lover on a Navy frigate. How do you stay sane in between … you know … opportunities?"

I showed my teeth in a wicked grin as I replied, "I don't know about Xiùlán, but me? I masturbate … regularly!" Jack's mouth fell open, as if to say 'Oh-h-h', though no sound emerged. I thought Xiùlán was going to explode from her efforts to maintain a straight face as I finished with a question of my own. "Why do you ask? How do you maintain your sanity, Jack?"

Unfortunately, Jack had just taken a swallow from her mug; she exploded in a coughing fit as a bit of liquid went down the wrong way. Regaining control of her spasming diaphragm, she gasped, "I really don't think I need to answer that question for you, Traynor." After drinking a bit more coffee, this time without choking on it, she set her mug down and eyed each of us in turn before adding, "I've never met anyone like you, Sammy. I wish you lived a bit closer – I think I'd enjoy getting to know you better."

I grinned at her. "In reality, we're only a few hours apart … and I'd like to know you better as well, Jack." I took a bite of jam-covered toast, chewed and swallowed before adding, "Too bad you weren't on the Normandy during the Reaper War. It was a harrowing ride … I spent the entire war and a few months after not knowing if my Qíngfū was alive or dead." Looking at Xiùlán, I concluded, "I can honestly say it sucked, in every way imaginable. Worst time of my life."

Xiùlán added, "I, too, spent the war not knowing if Sà mi had survived the attack – she was on the ground in Vancouver when the bastards arrived." With a loving glance that increased my heartrate, she added, "Not knowing what had happened? It really did suck … for both of us!"

"Qíng … Qíngfū?" Jack struggled to wrap her tongue around the Chinese word. "My translator must have crapped out … you'll have to tell me what that means."

"Nothing wrong with your translator, Jack. It's Mandarin … Chinese language … means 'lover'."

Jack shook her head slightly; finishing her coffee, she set the mug down, looked at Xiùlán and said, "Interesting. You two are able to converse in an ancient Earth language that the best auto-translator computers we possess are unable to decipher. That must really come in handy."

Xiùlán replied quietly, "Tā zài hěnduō changhé duì women hěn youyòng." [它在很多場合對我們很有用ₒ] With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, she explained, "Means 'It is very useful to us on many occasions'. Unfortunately, Sà mi has a ways to go before she can carry on even a simple conversation in Mandarin."

I nodded my head as I said, "I'm just another illiterate Xīfāng rén [西方人] … uh, Westerner … when I visit her parents in Shanghai."

"They survived the war?"

"They did … somehow. Shanghai's a port city, so got pounded pretty hard by the Reapers, same as Vancouver."

Jack's gaze fell on Xiùlán again. "Nice to learn that your parents are alive, Captain." She paused for a moment before abruptly pushing back and standing. "I have to get to work. Classes to teach." Holding out a hand, she said, "It's really nice to know you, Captain Yuán." She pumped Xiùlán's hand twice, then reached out to me; grabbing my forearm just below the elbow, she held on as she reached around with her left arm to partially embrace me. As our shoulders made contact, she placed her cheek against mine; with her mouth beside my right ear, she whispered, "It's really good to know you as well, Traynor … I'll be in touch." Releasing me, she took her tray to the cleanup area, looked at each of us for a moment, then was gone.

"Interesting woman, Sà mi." Xiùlán sipped from her mug. "I know nothing of her background, yet, when I look at her, all I see is pain. There's a lot of hurt—physical and mental pain—buried under those scars and tattoos."

"You have no idea, Xiùlán. Cerberus kidnapped her from her parents when she was a child … made them believe she had died from eezo-induced cancer. They took her to a secret lab … experimented on her … and others … all in an effort to create a human weapon with super biotic abilities." Shaking my head in a sorrowful manner, I added, "Miranda knows her history better than I, but even she wasn't privy to all the shit Cerberus inflicted on her."

"Is 'Jack' her real name?"

"No one knows … not even Jack. Short for Jacqueline, perhaps? She was known as 'Subject Zero' during her stay at the Teltin facility on Pragia; uses 'Naught' as a surname when she needs one." I sighed heavily as I thought of a defenseless child being tortured by so-called adults working for Cerberus. "I'm surprised she's so … calm, after all the shit they put her through."

"That stability is fragile, Sà mi. If not for her position here as an instructor … with young biotics to mentor … I fear what she could become. I'll talk to Miranda once we're back on the ship … learn what I can, just to satisfy my own curiosity." Glancing at a chrono, she finished her tea, slowly stood and said, "I should get going, Sà mi … need to return to the Citadel, submit reports about our mission out here. I'll use the travel time to write them."

With a brief chuckle, I replied, "I probably should grab Buchanan and get going as well."

• INSIDE IRINGÙ-EẞIZKUR, AT LARGE •

"I've never met anyone like her, Sammy." Griffen Buchanan was telling me of his lengthy conversations with Staff Commander Kahlee Sanders during our visit to Grissom Academy. "She was posted to the Alliance research base on Sidon in 2165 … left after ten years for a five year stint as a freelance consultant, before being recruited to a position working with young biotic students on Grissom Station's Ascension project."

"Sounds like you two hit it off, Griff." I took a sip of tea as I thought about Sanders' background.

"I really don't think she's in my league, Sammy. She is just so … scary smart … very much like you in her knowledge of tech. She actually designed and built a special L3 implant specifically calibrated for Jack … boosted her abilities to a level higher than the L5 unit with which she had been previously equipped." Griff took a couple of bites of a sweet roll, followed by some coffee as he thought about the woman.

"Just because she's smart doesn't mean you can't be friends with her, Griff." I finished my tea, set the mug down and fixed him with a sharp stare. "Do you realize how special you are to me? I love you, Buchanan … like the big brother I never had. If I wasn't in love with Xiùlán … I might even have a difficult time maintaining our professional relationship as data brokers."

"Love comes in many varieties, Sammy." He ducked his head in embarrassment for a moment, then fixed me with a steady gaze. "Your love for Xiùlán doesn't mean we cannot love each other as well. I can accept the fact that you and I can never have anything physical between us." With his ears and cheeks turning a ruddy shade of crimson, he added softly, "Well shit … did that sound as weird to you as it did to me?"

"Damn!" I chuckled at his turn of phrase and replied, "I was beginning to worry we were going to have a problem, big guy." I stood and moved past him towards our kitchen area. "I'm glad you see things so clearly." As I started to wash the dishes, he brought his in, then grabbed a towel and began to dry. In a thoughtful tone, I said, "Back to Broker business, okay? While Irin is taking us to the Citadel, I want to follow up on Zaeed Massani's travels in the Terminus … see if he actually made landfall on Sanctum."

"All right, then. I'll look into Kryllê Ghydgryz a bit more."

"Sounds good, Griff … but I'd also like for you to focus on the money trail left by that deal-broker – batarian, name of Ugrolya Rarfenak. He took a cut—over and above the 65-mil Ghydgryz was paid—for arranging the sale of that asari figurine to the Blue Suns, and he screwed K'ath Din'sari out of her promised share once she had set up the meeting. Hell, she would have paid with her life if Paddok Wiks hadn't intervened."

"Okay, Sammy. I'll start turning over rocks … see what crawls out from underneath."

• INSIDE IRINGÙ-EẞIZKUR, BRAVO WARD · CITADEL, WIDOW SYSTEM •

I had been splitting my time between our apartment and Iringù-Eßizkur while Griff and I were pursuing our several existing lines of inquiry … as well as our standard, every day data-mining, the stock-in-trade of the Shadow Broker.

Buchanan continued to impress me with his acumen for uncovering secrets others did not want discovered. I had quickly come to appreciate his highly analytical mind … something the Systems Alliance—for all its so-called expertise in matching service members to jobs for which they were best suited—seemed to have completely overlooked. Their loss was my gain.

I had been running down leads concerning the Blue Suns' illegal purchase of the asari figurine recovered from Mavigon by the turian Septivus Vulpez. While I was looking at the threads connecting the carving's illegal sale, I made a rather startling discovery, completely unrelated to anything we were researching. A man—a term I applied rather loosely—not only survived the Reaper War, but had been given a cushy job within the human ambassador's offices on the Citadel. Lt. Commander Garrett Sutton … even after being relieved of command at Arcturus for malfeasance, you still managed to land on your feet. You Goddamned dirty sonuvabitch! Who's pulling your strings now that the Illusive Man is dead?

I had always believed everyone aboard Arcturus Station had been spaced when it was obliterated by the Reapers at the beginning of the war. Guess he made it off the station before they showed up. Putting that knowledge aside for further investigation when I had a bit of free time, I continued to root through the hidden activities of the Blue Suns, and finally discovered the trail I had been looking for.

"Griff! Take a look at this." I sent the file to his terminal aboard Iringù-Eßizkur. "Turian female, name of Caecidia Verinus … runs the Blue Suns outpost on Sanctum, in the Decoris system. Might be Massani's target, but the only way we have of getting in touch with 'im is to send a text to his omnitool."

"Send him a message, Sammy, without going into specifics … he may be monitored. Ask him to contact us when it's safe for him to do so."

"I'll do that. Have you had any luck tracking our batarian hustler's credit trail?"

"I have. Unlike our pirate captain Ghydgryz, Ugrolya Rarfenak stayed on Omega after getting paid; doesn't appear he's been living large – probably to avoid being noticed by Queen Aria."

"Damn. I need to make a call to Thessia, Griff … see if Lady Liara has, or had, any enforcers on Omega Station. I don't want to go back there again … place is a fuckin' pisshole, and that's being kind."

"Okay, Sammy … I'll finish what I'm doing here, then join you. Want to get something to eat at the Smoke House?"

"Sounds perfect. See you inna bit."

• SMOKE HOUSE CAFÉ, DELTA WARD •

After ordering our dinners—each of us had decided the fresh meatloaf with rice and steamed veggies sounded good—we sipped our drinks as we traded progress reports in quiet voices. "I sent a text to Massani … asked him to call me at 0930 Sanctum local time. That'll be 2145 local." Taking a sip of beer, I added, "Also placed a call to Thessia, but didn't mark it urgent, so should be hearing back in the morning."

Griff used his fork to poke around a bit in his salad. "I finally managed to dig up the account numbers for Ghydgryz and Rarfenak," he said, fingers across his mouth to mask his words. "Ghydgryz is nearly broke … hardly enough creds left to keep his last account open, and I don't expect any will remain once the Council seizes it all on behalf of the Alliance." Taking a mouthful of greens, he chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, swallowed, then took a couple of swallows of beer. "On the other hand, Rarfenak has several accounts, no two of which are held by the same institution."

"Sounds like a smart person … scattered accounts—particularly if they're with unaffiliated institutions—significantly decreases the risk that the entire amount could be seized, for whatever reason." I looked up as the waitress, an asari maiden, brought our dinners to the table. Once she had left to bring each of us another beer, I said, "Are any of his accounts here on the Citadel?"

Griff nodded as he took a bite of meatloaf, followed by a forkful of rice. "Batarian owned … branch of what was a medium-sized state bank on Khar'shan. Comms with the planet are still spotty. Near as I can determine, none of our large mechanical friends have visited since they steam-rolled through the system at the start of the war."

"Very little remains, Griff. People? … Infrastructure? … All decimated. Survivors have banded together with the peoples of Camala and Erszbat … formed a confederacy of sorts. Of course, being batarians, they agree on virtually nothing and seem to be in a state of perpetual deadlock."

Griff nodded as he continued to make short work of his dinner. Polishing off his beer, he set the glass down and shoved his plate away. "End of the war, former Captain Ka'hairal Balak returned to Kite's Nest with the remnants of the batarian military fleet; he's been using his charm and influence since then to keep the confederacy from fracturing the same way as the Hegemony."

"Doesn't really have any bearing on our Mr Rarfenak, other than the blanket amnesty offered by the confederacy to all of the Terminus batarians." Thinking about what I needed to do, I asked, "You say he's still on Omega Station? … any chance he may have left?"

Griff showed his teeth in a brief grin. "He's still on Omega, Sammy. Our agent reports he is seen in the batarian enclave every day. Seems he's been using his many connections to obtain a lot of the relief supplies that are being shipped to each of the three planets."

I had finished my dinner as well. "Come on, then. I don't want to have to rush to get back to the apartment, but I would like to do a bit more research before Massani calls."

• SHADOW BROKER'S RESIDENCE, BRAVO WARD · 2150 HOURS •

I answered the comms call in full 'Broker' mode – a shadowed silhouette with the vocal tones of a monster. "Zaeed Massani. What services do you require from the Shadow Broker?" I could see the old merc was not impressed … or fooled … by my act; still, he played along, which told me he thought it possible he was being monitored.

"I'm callin' fer infawmashun. Need ter know everythin' yew 'ave on Blue Suns operashuns on Sanctum."

"Have you found Caecidia Verinus? … she's turian … runs the Blue Suns outpost there."

"Heard ov 'er … 'aven't seen 'er. Lots ov fuckin' batarian soldiers down there, plus …" a gravelly chuckle, then, "… a bunch ov middle managemen' turians, struttin' all 'round like people should be kissin' their goddamned boots. Blue Suns' soldiers 'ere are scarce, but da ones what are 'ere are mostly turian. I get da impression Verinus don't like squints … can yew believe dat?" Voicing the question, he shook his head as if knowing what my answer would be.

"With Dal'Serah and Santiago in Alliance custody, Verinus is the closest thing the Suns have as an overall leader. She was supposed to relocate to Zorya … a planet with which I trust you are quite familiar. Reports from Zorya claim the Suns' leadership do not want her there … they believe her to be nothing more than a troublemaker … like an amalgamation of all the worst traits of Dal'Serah and Santiago." I paused for a moment; when Zaeed offered no comment, I continued, "She needs to disappear … quietly … and permanently."

"Is da Alliance payin' fer da 'it?"

"The Systems Alliance does not sanction operations such as this, Massani. I am sure they would prefer a capture; if you provide irrefutable evidence of Verinus' demise to Captain Cody, it is possible—though not guaranteed—you may be compensated for your efforts." I paused to retrieve a computer file, which I electronically attached to the carrier transmitting our conversation. "There's all the intelligence I have concerning the turian's known travels between home and office, and her contacts … you should have no difficulty discovering the rest on your own."

Zaeed looked down as his comms unit received the data, then returned his one-eyed gaze to me and asked, "What do I owe fer dis infawmashun?"

Massani was never well-off financially, but I felt sure he still had a major portion of what the Alliance had paid for his capture of Santiago and Dal'Serah. "My standard rates apply for this transaction, Massani. I expect payment within ten days."

"Guess I be'er shove off, then." He reached down and cut the connection; I sat back in my chair as the screen went black. Zaeed was exceptionally good at what he did … I hoped he would be able to quickly finish the hunt for Verinus. Eliminating her would throw the Suns in that region into disarray, as they had no one capable of taking her place on short notice. I had no illusions that the loss of six capitol ships and the disappearance of a highly placed leader would cripple their operations in the Terminus, but it would certainly be a damned good start.

• SHADOW BROKER'S RESIDENCE · 0835 HOURS •

Reading the source code for the incoming comms call, I relaxed slightly as I sat in front of the terminal to answer. The image of a beautiful asari maiden with brilliant blue eyes and a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks smiled at me as I accepted the call. "Lady Liara … it is always a treat for me to speak with you. Thank you for returning my call."

"It is my pleasure to speak with you once again, Ms Traynor. How have you been … and how is Mr Buchanan?"

"We are both fine, and thank you for asking. May I presume you and Rachaél are doing well?"

"We are. It's amazing how relaxing a galaxy-wide peace can be." Her face took on a slightly more serious expression as she said, "Now, tell me how you have really been doing." She actually smirked with her last question. "What troubles have you and your partner gotten up to?"

I spent the next ten minutes relating all that had taken place in our lives since the last time we spoke, including the revelation that Kryllê Ghydgryz had been captain of Dragon's Greed, my side trip to Grissom Station, and my conversation with Zaeed Massani the previous evening.

Liara nodded thoughtfully as she replied, "It is good to know that Jack … and Kahlee Sanders … are once again working on the station. Each was an incredible asset during the war."

"Major Alenko is doing a fabulous job there … repairs and reconstruction are continuing, although I get the impression he feels progress is much too slow."

"That station is huge, Sammy … Cerberus and the Reapers inflicted a lot of serious damage."

"I know." I shook my head minutely at the memories of a galaxy besieged, then asked, "Does it surprise you that I recruited Jack as a Broker asset?"

"That … is surprising … I cannot imagine Grissom Station would provide much information of any value to you, Samantha." Liara glanced off to her side before commenting, "You did not tell me how Jack responded."

I replied with a grim smile. "After I laid it all out for her, I gave her an auto-encrypting transceiver – little something of my own design. It can utilize the station's deep-space antenna arrays without being plugged into their systems. Being my agent won't interfere with her teaching job … all she needs to do is keep her eyes and ears open."

Before she could respond, I brought up the main reason I had wanted to speak with her. "Liara, I need to know … Have you held back any of the Broker assets from me?" Her immediate look of embarrassment actually answered my question, but I pressed on, nonetheless. "I lived with you on board Normandy, Liara … even shared your berth. During our time together, I came to know you as a very caring individual. I also discovered you possess a titanium spine. You may not have relished the … less than civilized aspects of the job you inherited … but you never hesitated to deploy agents to perform wet work when it was required."

"Oh, Goddess," she whispered, hand in front of her eyes, thumb and fingers massaging her temples. After several moments of silence, she dropped her hand and directed her full attention to my image on her terminal, the brilliant blue eyes from before now reflecting a shade of steel. In a tone I had heard only once before—within Žiuk'Durmah, right after I used my fists to drop Javik to the deck—she asked, "Why bring this up now, Ms Traynor? Have you a need for agents capable of performing … wet work? And why would I hold back any other Broker assets?"

Returning her steady gaze without flinching, I replied, "Liara, I am fully committed to my new role as the apex information broker in the galaxy. As such, I require access to the entire network … all the resources you had at your fingertips during your time as the Broker … particularly before the war, in that massive vessel orbiting Hagalaz." Softening my expression and my voice, I concluded, "I believe you were waiting, Lady Liara … to discover if I would somehow fail … fail to live up to your expectations; I have not failed. I believe I have met or exceeded your hopes. Please … I need to have all of the resources that were available to you."

The steely glint in her eyes had faded as I spoke to her; she smiled at me … or rather, my image on her terminal, light years away on the asari homeworld. "You are correct, Samantha … I am holding back … quite a lot, actually, though the numbers are obviously less than what existed before the war … and for that, I apologize; I can see now that you fully intend to rebuild the network to the level that my predecessor enjoyed." She turned her head, apparently studying something … or someone … in the room with her.

With a brief nod, she returned her attention to me, saying, "Come to Thessia, Sammy. Before I do this, I want very much to meet with you … and Mr Buchanan … in person. If I am satisfied, I will encode everything you need on several OSDs … much more secure for me to hand them to you than to transmit everything across space, even on a secure channel."

I knew the surprise I felt was visible in my expression as I asked, "Liara … are you sure?"

"Quite sure, Sammy. You and Mr Buchanan will be our guests at the estate … we will be honored by your presence here."

In a voice expressing a touch of skepticism, I asked, "You have enough space for Iringù-Eßizkur to land nearby?"

"Of course. I'll send landing coordinates to you when you achieve orbit." With an anticipatory smile, she signed off by saying, "We're looking forward to your visit … Shadow Broker."

After Liara's visage faded from the screen, I sat back in my chair, having done my best to conceal my feelings while the connection was still active. The astonishment … the shocking realization … of the subtle shift in her perception of me was hitting me hard. My mind was divided, trying to chase two thoughts at the same time … the first, I couldn't help but wonder if Liara had seen the involuntary shudder I had worked so hard to suppress, and the second … Holy shit! Liara T'Soni had just called me … the Shadow Broker!

She had used my new title nearly every time we had spoken since I had taken over the network, but this time … this time … there was something different in the way Liara said the words—her emphasis, her enunciation, something—that had sent a chill down my spine and made it hard to think about anything else. Before today, it seemed to be merely a title … but something which I could not name had just shifted and it suddenly became … more … much more.

I was actually doing this; an entity that in my wildest dreams—at least not before the Reaper War and the galaxy going completely to hell—I never would have considered … I had just become. Somehow, simply with how she had said the words, it felt as if Liara was finally ready to convey the full responsibility and authority of the job upon me. The Shadow Broker.

• 1305 HOURS •

After a long walk followed by a light lunch, I was finally able to concentrate well enough to return to my info feeds. I thought once again about my discovery that Lt. Commander Garrett Sutton had landed a cushy position inside the human ambassador's offices on the Citadel, even after being relieved of his position at Arcturus Station for malfeasance.

His escape from Arcturus Station—seemingly just days prior to the Reapers pouring into Kite's Nest at the beginning of the war—just didn't sit right with me. The man was a boil on humanity's ass; that he was still alive and able to enjoy his life when so many others had died simply wasn't justice. That he had been a Cerberus directed puppet when he fucked my personal Alliance record with a black mark before having me transferred to the shipyard was all the reason I required to begin plotting his demise. I need to make his death appear like a dreadful accident … the unfortunate malfunction of a personal shield generator will do the job nicely, but only if he knows it is a gift from me, seconds before he dies … need to research the layout of the human ambassadorial wing of the embassies …

I was glowering at my terminal display as I thought about Sutton and Cerberus. The Illusive Man's organization had splintered once news of his death had reached Earth. As much as he had always claimed Cerberus was an ideal … not dependent on any one person … the group rapidly fell apart without the charismatic leadership—and vast wealth—previously provided by Jack Harper. As I scrolled through the enormous amount of data tied to Garrett Sutton, I came upon several transcripts of some of his many comms calls with the Illusive Man.

With increasingly outraged disbelief, I learned my theories of Cerberus' complicity in having me transferred—first, to the shipyard, then to Alliance R&D outside London—actually had validity. It had been Sutton who had attempted—through Kelsey Winters—to have me murdered, after I had nearly sliced Michael Moser Lang's throat open the night he attacked me. It came as a bit of a shock to learn Jack Harper and Sutton had calmly discussed ending my life … all because of Lang's failed vendetta. The transcript also provided proof—not that it would ever see the light of day—that Lang's death due to an equipment failure at the civilian freight docks had not been the unfortunate accident reported by the yard superintendent. Not that it really mattered now … not with the deaths of everyone having any involvement with Sutton's machinations.

As I researched Lieutenant Commander Garrett Sutton's Cerberus-directed actions, I was further amazed upon discovering just how many years he had been working for them. Looking at what might have seemed to be his ancient history—before he had been assigned to his post on Arcturus Station—three names nearly leapt out at me: Heather Gonzales, Marianna Walsh and Darius Holden. Sonuvabitch! He was involved in Heather's murder as well? As I thought back to the days and weeks I'd spent training on Mars, I wondered for a moment if he had known about me back then. Not possible. I couldn't actively investigate Heather's death, nor Walsh and Holden's mysterious deaths in their cells, while still in school. I couldn't even travel to Earth in order to attend Heather's funeral.

I no longer gave a damn about Walsh, or Holden … that they had paid the ultimate price for Heather's murder at the Prothean dig site on Mars was poetic justice. Discovering that Sutton—acting at Jack Harper's behest—had placed Walsh in our SpecOps unit as a 'student' was the incontrovertible evidence I had coveted ever since she had viciously sliced Heather's throat open; learning he had subsequently directed Walsh's murder, along with Holden's, during their stay in an Alliance lockup was a genuine revelation. Whatever reasons I may have had for wanting to see Sutton pay for his mistreatment of me … of my personal record in the Alliance Navy … now paled in comparison to this newly uncovered material. After all these years, I finally have what I need in order to bring Heather some real justice for her untimely death.

As I pondered on all I had just learned, I thought briefly about contacting my Inamorata in order to share my discoveries with her … and mentally kicked myself for even entertaining the thought. No! Smarter to leave her completely ignorant of this discovery … and of what I intend to do. Her love for me would place her in direct conflict with her sworn duty to the Alliance. Better she learns of my involvement after Sutton meets his end … if I even choose to tell her about it at all.

Upon glancing at the chrono, I was a bit surprised at the lateness of the hour; Buchanan would be returning from Iringù-Eßizkur, where he was still researching Ugrolya Rarfenak's financial background. He had grown genuinely accustomed to working alone inside the destroyer-class Repository … claiming to enjoy listening to the ancient melodies she played for her own amusement. It was something I would never have expected from him, as he hadn't been keen on working and living within a former adversary. I wasn't going to tell him of Irin's recent conversation with me, in which she admitted that, after spending the majority of her millenniums-long existence alone, she actually enjoyed his company.

As if on cue, I heard the access hatch unlatch and open, followed by footsteps entering the landing. I locked my terminal and stood to greet him as he descended the circular stairs from our rooftop speeder garage. "Hey, Griff. We're going to take a trip to Thessia in the morning … Lady Liara needs to meet with me … um, us."

"How long will we be staying, Sammy?"

"Now that you ask, she didn't specify … but I imagine it will be just one night." I spoke over my shoulder as I moved to the kitchen. "If all goes well, she's going to release the rest of the network to our control, including the agents that specialize in the less savory aspects of the Shadow Broker's business. We'll leave right after we eat … Iringù-Eßizkur's FTL ability should have us there by mid-morning local time."

Griff yawned before observing, "Guess we'll need to sleep while she's traveling."

"Sure. Our research is partially automated, so it'll continue while we rest. I'm looking forward to visiting Liara and Shepard at the estate … I only wish we could have been there for her bonding ceremony with Spectre Shepard."

Griff chuckled. "That would have been a real treat, Sammy." After a moment, he concluded, "At least now, the place won't be overrun with all their guests. Ought to be a peaceful visit."