MASS EFFECT: INTERCEPTOR

*Episode Ten*

Executor Pallin's fingers drummed against his desk, filling his office with a jerky, anxious rhythm. His terminal, as always, lay open and switched on but this time his gaze fell past the screen to rest on his office door.

The four members of JSTF who had been at the forefront of the crisis now stood outside, waiting to be summoned. They had each done all they could but despite their efforts, the whole affair had been an unmitigated disaster. C-Sec had protected the Council but at a cost so terrible that everyone, from citizens to journalists, all the way up to the highest political levels, would scrutinise them all mercilessly.

That was why Pallin kept his people waiting. Until he could slip into a more collected frame of mind, he did not trust himself to look on them without throwing angry, even unfair accusations in their direction.

With a deep, exhausted breath, the executor perused the reports that had steadily accumulated in the hours after the Jamestown's destruction. Most of them concerned each and every action JSTF had taken and he scoured the documents carefully, keen to pick out anything that could place blame on them. He had already prepared a cover story for the media, one that could be easily unravelled if he missed just one piece of vital data.

He turned to the personnel reports and after only a few moments of reading, he let out an impatient huff.

Vakarian had acted in his usual, reckless manner. The death of the asari councillor's aide was suspicious at best, yet the subsequent investigation by Chellick had turned up nothing to suggest foul play. In that, Pallin took a measure of confidence. Chellick had no love for Garrus, so if he did not find anything amiss then there was nothing to be found.

Pausing, Pallin reached into his desk to take out a small, hard biscuit before snapping an end off between his lips. The rich flavour filled his mouth and he found his mood lifted as he continued to scroll through the report.

The quarian analyst Lina'Gerrel had proven her worth yet again, he noted. Reams of scripted radio chatter passed under Pallin's eyes and he nodded in subtle approval as he looked over not only her conversation with the panicking I'Layna Naris but the way she reacted to the changing situation without hesitation or deference. She'd even assisted Arlen at the vital moment of the bomb's discovery. Without her, the young man would have been lost.

Pallin frowned as he considered the last person on the list.

Arlen was still young, in more ways than one but his instincts were sound and little else was as important as that. Already he seemed a far cry from the raw scrap of a recruit who had stood in Pallin's office only that morning. With the help of Detective Keller - dereliction of undercover duty notwithstanding - he had achieved much despite the odds. Pallin took hold of the brief burst of optimism and used it to banish all his worries, at least for the time being.

The office door opened with a hiss and the small group filed in, their expressions carefully guarded. It was clear they'd spent the time outside discussing what had transpired, and what the consequences would mean for each one of them.

Garrus took a position to Pallin's left, his view fixed beyond the balcony at the back of the room. The others fell in beside him in a line, with Lina shyly dipping her head as she stood at the end. No one dared speak and Pallin cleared his throat, knowing he would have to be the one to break the tense silence.

'At sixteen-hundred hours the SV Jamestown, a human passenger ship chartered from Earth, was completely destroyed by the Citadel Fleet. There were no survivors.'

He paused to see how his words were received. He only said what they all knew but to hear the facts spoken aloud brought a solemn regret to them all regardless.

'As you know, this is going to create a political nightmare. The vessels that fired those shots were turian and the order to destroy the ship came from turian lips. Due to operational security concerns, we haven't been able to release every detail of the terrorist attack to the media, meaning that without those facts, it will simply look like a case of turians firing on human civilians without provocation.'

Pallin stopped, allowing them a moment to absorb the implications.

'First of all, let me say that I've brought you four here because you have singled yourselves out by responding to this threat with all the speed, intelligence and courage I've come to expect from officers of C-Sec. If it wasn't for each one of you the Council would be dead and even though it doesn't feel like it now, we'd be in a much worse place. The destruction of the Jamestown was an atrocity, one that should never have happened but it did. There's nothing we can do to change that now. What is important is that we bring the Forgotten Legion to justice before they can carry out any further attacks. Detective, I gather you managed to track down a lead in the wards?'

He turned to Keller and the young woman nodded. 'Yes Sir. Arlen and I questioned the salarian merchant Morlan. Through him, we learned the key component used in the attack - that is, the real attack - was sourced from a company operating out of Omega.'

She hesitated as Pallin seemed to wrinkle his nose in disgust at the mention of the place, but went on quickly, 'The company, Bithcon Dynamics, are a private firm that make their way supplying computer hardware to every two-bit organisation in the Terminus Systems. Mercenaries, pirates, slavers, they're all on their consumer list. Still, considering their shady clientele, they've stayed well away from getting involved with groups operating in Citadel space. Until now, that is.'

'So what exactly did this Bithcon Dynamics supply to the Legion?' asked Pallin.

Lina took a step forward. 'Well, Sir, I haven't had the time to form a conclusive opinion but I think I've managed to identify the device Arlen recovered.'

'Already?' Pallin murmured.

He sounded impressed but Lina's mind was too abuzz with information to notice. The words spilled from her suit amplifiers and her body shifted excitedly in her enthusiasm, 'Yes, I had it sent straight to my desk once Arlen had left the area. It's an advanced data storage unit, not of an exceedingly large capacity but capable of arranging complex information in certain patterns.'

'What kind of patterns?'

'Well,' Lina began, taking a few moments to find the right words, 'Thought patterns, to be precise, Sir.'

The group frowned as one, each struggling to see the significance of the revelation.

Lina hesitated at their confusion and inclined her body towards them while raising her hands, as if the motions would hasten their understanding.

'It's difficult to explain. I believe the device contained a virus, though from the little I can gather it didn't 'behave' like an ordinary worm or trojan. The Citadel's systems are incredibly sophisticated and its security protocols are thorough. Any normal virus would have been destroyed within minutes but this one adapted; it learned to bypass those obstacles to reach its target.'

Garrus shuffled closer, his mandibles twitching with interest. 'Are you saying this virus was displaying intelligence?'

'No, not intelligence, exactly,' Lina replied, placing a hand on her forehead as she tried to summon the right words. 'If anything, I would call it instinct.'

'Is that even possible?' asked Garrus as he leaned forward slightly, taking his body out of line with the others. It was a small thing but Pallin cleared his throat softly, reminding him of his position. Garrus reacted, reluctantly easing back and straightening.

'It's still too early to say for sure what all this means,' Lina stressed, 'but what I can say is that we're dealing with a weapon the Legion wouldn't have been able to develop themselves. Turians are fine soldiers but they always outsource their advanced tech requirements, especially when it comes to information warfare. To create something of this sophistication would require a huge amount of money, advanced R and D labs, as well as seasoned programming experts. Those aren't the kinds of things terrorist organisations keep lying around.'

Pallin stirred, his expression troubled. 'There could be more than one faction at play here, if that's the case. What else did you find?'

'Not much else. The virus was purged only moments after the Jamestown was destroyed. We have samples of the code in quarantine but it'll be some time before we'll have a complete picture. All we know for sure is that it entered the Jamestown through Control's tight-beam communications. From the instant the ship came through the relay it became infected via a back door placed in one of the bridge systems.'

'The target wasn't one of opportunity,' Garrus murmured thoughtfully, 'They knew that ship was coming in and they timed the attack to coincide with its arrival. A ship's bridge network is a sealed system. It's all physically sealed, there's no way the virus could've been transferred to it remotely, not under normal circumstances. Only someone with direct access to the bridge could have tampered with the network, leaving it open to attack.'

The executor nodded his agreement and turned his gaze to Arlen, aware he had not yet spoken. 'Do you have anything to add? You were there since the very beginning, after all.'

Arlen's eyes sharpened as if just waking up from a deep slumber. While not unaware, the recruit's mind was clearly elsewhere and it took a couple of seconds for him to force an answer.

'No, Sir.'

Folding his hands neatly, Pallin propped his elbows on the desk. 'Either way, there're a lot of questions and it's our job now to find the answers. As of right now, all four of you are reassigned to the Joint Security Task Force until further notice, reporting directly to Chellick in the command centre. Garrus, your district captain has already been informed. Keller, we'll discuss your loose interpretation of the word 'undercover' at a later date. Until then, you might have a chance to redeem yourself.'

Pallin noticed Garrus flinch but did not think to question it. Instead he straightened in his chair and lowered his voice into a serious growl, 'The political ramifications of this attack are going to be dire, there's no doubt about that. Still, I want you all to put these concerns as far out of your minds as you can and stay focused. The Legion have shown themselves to be a serious threat to the security of the galaxy and we need to act quickly if we're to stand any chance of bringing them down.' He stared at the small group and his confidence rose as he saw the determination in their eyes. 'You are all dismissed. Return to JSTF and await further orders. Detective Keller, you'll be formally transferred to Commander Chellick's staff within the next twenty-four hours. Your captain might request your attention but feel free to point him in my direction if he gives you any trouble.'

Keller smiled and nodded politely. As the team began to drift from the office, Pallin called out Arlen's name, startling him, 'Not you. I want a word with you before you head down.'

Blinking, Arlen shuffled back in front of the desk and drew his hands into the small of his back, standing at ease with flawless precision. As soon as the door snapped shut the office seemed empty and all too quiet, as if the world had drawn still to listen in on them.

Pallin too sensed the sudden calm and he took his time before speaking again, measuring each word with deliberate care before it left his lips.

'After your performance today, I've decided to give you your first true assignment. As of now, you are a Citadel Security Interceptor.'

No answer came. In fact, it was as if Arlen hadn't heard him at all. The young man simply stared past him and with a small growl of irritation, Pallin gestured sharply at the door.

'Dismissed,' he said, his eyes following Arlen until the door closed behind him.

~~ME-I~~

General Krassus took Varn's hand in a fierce grip. He could feel his second in command's strength and pride in the gesture, and despite the tribune's unchanging expression Krassus knew he too was overwhelmed with joy at the mission's success.

'The first step has been taken,' Krassus beamed, his weathered features alive with excitement, 'The Jamestown was an unfortunate target but valuable nonetheless. Now the politicians are at each other's throats, it's only a matter of time before the filthy aliens slip up and our people finally give humanity what it deserves. I can name at least a dozen senior officers who'd leap at a chance to batter them into submission. We did it, Avitus.'

Varn's black markings rippled as he responded, 'Second Century are on night ex for the next ten days. The jungle should harden them well for the coming months. When the next phase of our plan comes, we'll be as ready as we can be.'

Krassus clasped his other hand on Varn's shoulder briefly before letting it fall. 'Nothing can stop us now,' he said, pride flavouring his every word, 'This was what we built the Legion for. We have three centuries of seasoned men - over two hundred in all - and once news of this victory reaches their ears, every one of them will be hungry for more.'

A shadow passed over the general's thoughts, lessening his joy and he lowered his voice as he released Varn's hand.

'We couldn't have done this without him, Avitus. He was a good man.'

'I know, Sir,' Varn replied plainly, 'Any one of us would have made the same decision. My brother may have given his life, but it was a good death.'

Nodding slowly, Krassus turned to the window behind him. He had not left his quarters all day and the rich scenery beyond had imprinted itself indelibly in his memory until he knew every distant jungle-tipped peak.

The sun was now barely a sliver on the horizon, edging the mountains with a single, golden line and plunging the valleys below into deep shadow. The falling darkness was a blessing after the unbearably hot day, and as the weight of the mission's success began to leave Krassus' shoulders he relished the idea of snatching a few hours of precious sleep.

He cleared his throat and paced back and forth across the window, his eyes remaining on the jungle as he spoke, 'We'll debrief the men after first light, once the threat of an immediate retaliatory strike has passed. Until then I want all duty personnel alert and ready.'

Varn did not acknowledge the order and Krassus was forced to look back at him. He was surprised by the rare hesitation he saw in Varn's eyes.

'What's wrong, old friend? Was there something else?'

'Yes, Sir,' Varn replied uneasily, 'It's…him. Comms are ready with the transmission, when you're ready.'

Krassus' light mood soured instantly. He'd hoped the call would have come once the rest of the Legion had been informed and it galled him that an outsider would be given priority over his own men.

Still, he thought with a bitter sigh, I will keep my word.

'Thank you, Avitus,' he said, more wearily than he had intended, and crossed the room to his terminal. The small display was still open from when he'd spoken with Crixus earlier and he eyed the small, flashing icon in the corner with disdain.

'Would you prefer to speak in private, Sir?' Crixus asked respectfully.

Krassus considered sending Varn away but shook his head quickly. 'Whatever's to be said, it can be said in front of my second-in-command.'

Varn nodded and stood rigidly to one side. He would not hide his presence but neither was he one to draw attention to himself. Krassus watched as with a flicker of movement, Varn swept a hand up to the light brown scales of his neck and clasped a small insect between his fingers. Frowning irritably, he crushed it before dusting off the debris.

As Krassus turned back to his desk, a thin red line drew across the terminal display like a surgical incision, spreading to cross the width of the screen before creasing into a series of peaks and troughs which danced erratically.

A voice boomed from the terminal speakers, achingly deep and yet oddly light, a shifting and warping mass of sound that sent the red line into a frenzy of movement.

'General,' it greeted, the cold sound sending a chill through Krassus' spine. 'It appears congratulations are in order.'

There was no accent or brogue to identify, nor anything that indicated a particular gender or species. It was as if speaking to a machine and its words were filled with a subtle malice Krassus had hated ever since their first dealings.

'You're well informed, Yanus,' Krassus replied, the breath catching in the old general's lungs as he worked quickly to cover his shock, 'Care to tell me how you know?'

'Everyone in the galaxy knows by now. Your man couldn't have been more obvious about this whole affair if he'd tried.'

The acerbic tone made Krassus stiffen with dislike. 'Crixus is a turian hero,' he growled defensively.

'An exaggeration, but he did serve his purpose well, I suppose.'

'Enough,' Krassus snapped, 'I want to know why you're risking contact so soon after an operation? If the Citadel Fleet are monitoring their comm buoys there's a chance this transmission could be intercepted.'

Yanus laughed aloud, the terminal rendering the sound as little more than a crackle. 'So timid. I see your trust has waned in recent months, despite the faith I have shown you and your men. You did not seem quite so nervous when I provided you with your weapons, armour and training facilities, did you?'

The general cringed in frustration. Their benefactor was right, no matter how much Krassus despised him. As strong as the Legion was, it was Yanus and his contacts who had provided them with a base of operations and the equipment they needed to carry out their missions. It was a steep debt and Yanus never missed an opportunity to remind him of it.

'You didn't answer my question.'

'Now, now, General, no need for ill manners. I simply wanted to congratulate you. It was a difficult task and your man did well to carry it out. My condolences, by the way, Tribune.'

Varn bristled at Krassus' back and the general's eyes darted about the room, searching for anything that could have given away Varn's presence. Though Krassus had his doubts as to whether or not Yanus could actually see them, the simple idea of being watched was enough to make him burn with anger.

'In light of your sacrifices,' Yanus continued, 'I have given thanks in my own way. Your next shipment will contain several cases of rare quarian fire spirit, a luxury almost unobtainable even to their own people. Your men will certainly find it more pleasant than warm Zoryan rainwater.'

Krassus snorted. 'And what good will that do me aside from getting my men drunk and useless? I need everyone at their best for the next phase of the operation.'

'Ah, but your people have worked so hard, General. Surely they deserve a rest? Besides, this brings me to the true purpose of my call. I am ordering you to stand down until further notice and cease all activity immediately. Recall all of your agents and wait for my word before you move again.'

Incensed, Krassus slammed a hand on his desk, almost shaking the terminal from its perch. 'How dare you presume to tell me what to do with my own soldiers!' he shouted, sending flecks of whitish spittle through the air, 'Nobody gives me orders, Yanus, nobody!'

Another rasping chuckle hissed from the terminal, the red line spiking with every harsh sound.

'Perhaps I've misjudged you then, General. It seems you do not need my help after all, and the fact that you were only able to carry out your mission successfully with technology I supplied was merely a coincidence. If you do not have a use for what I offer then maybe I should come and collect what I have given you, since the debt has not nearly been paid.'

Krassus worked his mouth in silent fury. He ached to defy the voice that spoke to him so insolently, to tell the bastard to go to hell but after a few agonising, indecisive seconds he sagged in defeat.

'Fine. If that's what you recommend, I'll pull my men back for now.'

'This is for your own good, General,' Yanus went on, his tone growing darker, 'I do not make these choices flippantly, or with lack of forethought. The Council are treating your attack as an attempt on their very lives and they will pursue you with everything at their disposal. You will be hunted ruthlessly. Every loose stone will be upturned and everyone you know, your former comrades, even the families of your men will be pressed for any scrap of information. Discretion is key at this moment and if anyone can safeguard your precious Legion from this storm, it is I.'

The voice dipped into silence for a moment and Krassus frowned at as a thin, metallic scratching came from the other end of the line.

Yanus returned quickly, though he sounded strained, 'This is no army you can face with rifles and artillery, General. Your enemy is invisible, relentless and you will need me as a shield against them. That is the real value of my assistance, not the weapons and equipment I have provided you. Without me, the Council will take only days to purge you from your squalid little hole.'

Krassus bore the slight, flinching as if it were a physical blow. His sharp teeth ground together behind his mandibles.

'Very well,' he said reluctantly, 'I'll continue training my men until you give the word.'

'I'm glad to see you embrace reason. Make no mistake, General, the true test is yet to come. I will make contact once the waters have stilled.'

A loud click signalled the end of the conversation and an oppressive silence fell on the room. Krassus stood for a moment, shifting his weight slowly, unsure of what to do. The hold Yanus had over the Legion was galling but for the time being at least, there was nothing he could do.

He sighed quietly and turned to see Varn staring at him intently.

'What?' Krassus asked defensively, chafing under his Second's gaze. He knew Varn saw no honour in the partnership with Yanus and there was no hiding the naked contempt in the tribune's glare.

'Every day that passes, we slip farther under his thumb,' Varn replied.

Grimacing, Krassus strolled past him to the window to watch the moon rise like a baleful wraith from the beyond the hills. Nature was so simple in both its beauty and savagery, he reflected. Both were severe in their extremes and yet it was always simple nonetheless. Beasts killed one another for survival, without worry or care for machinations or subtleties. Sometimes the old general envied them.

'What should I do then, Avitus?' he answered finally, without taking his eyes from the window, 'Defy Yanus? Take his money and hide? It'd be little better than if we hadn't accepted his help to begin with. What good were we doing the galaxy without these weapons or armour? Would you rather we still trained our recruits in Palaven basements and hill camps?'

'At least there was dignity in that,' Varn said quietly.

'What dignity?' Krassus spat, 'Scurrying around like rats, shouting our ideals from the hilltops without having the strength to enforce them? You still see honour in being a barely-tolerated nuisance?'

Varn clenched a fist but showed no further reaction. He stared at Krassus impassively, allowing the silence to stretch until the general felt it as an itch on his back.

Another tiny insect crawled up the scales of Varn's neck but this time he did not reach up to pluck it away. Instead he remained motionless, until eventually Krassus relented with a resigned shake of his head.

'It's too late, Avitus,' he sighed, 'You don't know the man, what he's capable of. Yanus is one of those rare people who can move star systems when they find something they want. With his own hands, he's killed men and women who were supposed to be untouchable, people who thought only old age could possibly take them. If we even thought of leaving, of betraying him, then every one of us would be dead within a month. I can't risk the lives of my men like that, Avitus, you know I can't.'

'He may just decide to do that anyway.'

Krassus shrugged. 'If that's true then there's little point in running from it, not while we can still further our goals with his help. I'd rather die tomorrow as a schaffa than live a thousand lifetimes as a pyjack.'

To his surprise, Varn grinned at the old saying and a touch of the old enthusiasm entered the room. Krassus had first muttered it at the beginning of the Seventh Exodus, when they had all been younger and full of dreams. Time had dulled those turbulent emotions and yet Krassus was grateful for every one of those early memories.

Varn straightened. 'Yes, Sir,' he said, the grin disappearing as quickly as it had come, 'Always the schaffa.'

Without need of an order, Varn turned smartly and strode out of the quarters. He would stand down those who were getting ready to deploy and, if he was lucky, would find a small amount of rest himself.

There's something we all desperately need, Krassus thought wearily. The men's morale would be buoyed by the Legion's victory but Yanus' presence had soiled the occasion for him.

As he turned from the moonlit jungle, Krassus let out a deep breath and wandered to his bunk, drawing out a small bottle of turian whiskey from beneath the mattress. It was a habit that was almost as old as he was, though in these trying times it was more a necessity than a guilty pleasure. In spite of his constant exhaustion, sleep never came easily any more.

~~ME-I~~

'Well, there's the man of the hour,' Garrus said warmly as Arlen approached.

The young turian's step faltered. He had been on his way to a briefing with Chellick and did not expect to see Garrus standing outside the commander's office. For a moment Arlen wondered if they had had their own discussion without him but quickly brushed the thought aside. Even if they had, it was none of his business.

He replied as evenly as he could, not wishing to be drawn into a conversation that would leave Chellick waiting, 'I don't feel all that special.'

'Hey, you did good out there. I don't know anyone else in C-Sec who would've volunteered to disarm a nuclear weapon or fight an assassin on their first day. Except maybe me, of course.'

Arlen swallowed awkwardly, unsure of how to handle the praise. He felt that he had simply been borne along, powerless as events unfolded around him. His own contributions felt hollow and only an instilled sense of duty had stopped him from questioning Pallin's decision to elevate him to full Interceptor status. If wiser men had decided it, then it was not his place to argue.

'Thanks,' he finally said, 'I appreciate your help. With everything.'

His voice trailed off as something nagged at him, a question that had been on his mind ever since he left the clinic to meet Keller in Dark Star. He took a step forward, intending to brush past Garrus without another word but that same doubt stopped him.

His fingers clenched instinctively for a moment and he spoke again. 'What happened exactly with I'Layna Naris?'

His mandibles twitching uncomfortably, Garrus forced a response. 'I got what I...what we needed,' he said sadly, 'I just wish I'd have known...'

'So it's true that she's dead?' Arlen asked as he turned to face him, 'I thought it was just a rumour.'

Garrus sighed and allowed his head to drop slightly. 'It depends on who you ask. The fact is that yes, my actions led to her death and no, it obviously wasn't worth it. I had no way of knowing the bomb was a fake, I just made the call and was the wrong one. I wish I could go back and change it but that's not possible.'

Arlen nodded slowly but his expression did not change. 'So what's going to happen now?'

His interest piqued as Garrus' eyes drifted to the side for a moment before meeting Arlen's once again. 'That's not up to me. All I can do is try and live with what I've done and help take down the people responsible for all this.'

'Even if the bomb was real,' Arlen replied quietly, as if to himself, 'and that information ended up saving the Citadel, you'd still be responsible for the death of an innocent.'

He did not know if Garrus would answer. Perhaps he simply did not want to hear it. Lowering his eyes, Arlen turned and entered Chellick's office, leaving Garrus behind in the silent corridor.

As the door closed, Arlen exhaled deeply, unhappy with both his former partner and himself. He tried to convince himself the matter was simple, that Garrus was wrong and yet he still felt guilt gnaw at him for his own failings. No one was perfect and worse still, no one had stopped the Jamestown attack. Who was he to judge Garrus?

'Ah, Agent Kryik,' Chellick called out in greeting, startling him from his thoughts, 'I believe congratulations are in order.'

Chellick stood behind his seat at the end of a large conference table, leaning over to casually tap a few commands into a portable terminal sitting on the edge. It was obvious the office was used only when Chellick needed the privacy. Dust lined the chairs and the table itself had only recently been cleaned, wrapped as it was in the sweet scent of furniture polish.

Stepping forward, Arlen glanced at a bank of shuttered windows to his left. The view encompassed the entire command centre, though only thin slits were visible in the shutters, drenching the room in shadow. Behind them he could make out the bustling figures of JSTF staff, appearing as black and blue-clad spots flowing between the stripes of orange light.

'Thank you, Sir,' Arlen replied as he stopped at the other side of the table. His brow furrowed as Chellick waved a hand dismissively.

'It's just Chellick to you. Now you're a full agent I consider us equals. Within reason, of course.'

Arlen bobbed his head in appreciation, though he still wavered as he spoke, uncomfortable with speaking on even terms to a superior. 'Thank you…Chellick. Executor Pallin told me to report to you for my briefing.'

'Yes,' Chellick sighed, 'though this is the first time I've had to brief an Interceptor, so I'll have to beg your patience.'

'But this isn't an Interceptor assignment, Sir-' Arlen caught himself quickly and corrected, 'Chellick.'

The commander shrugged. 'Even so, my people usually know what to do so I'm used to only having to reinforce their goals from time to time. In any case, I've had the team put together a dossier that should contain everything you need for your mission. Anything new will be relayed to you as and when.'

Chellick pulled out a seat and lowered himself in, shifting uncomfortably as his armour pressed against his back. He motioned for Arlen to do the same and the agent obliged, sitting to face him directly. Chellick's terminal blazed with sudden flashes of information, casting flickering shadows across the wall behind him.

'First of all,' he began, 'I'll need to explain a few things. You're now an Interceptor, one of C-Sec's elite. You'll be working in much the same way as you have today, that is you'll be carrying out investigations with the help of a support team based on up-to-the-minute information. Interceptors work alone, or in small teams if more than one fugitive is to be apprehended. For the most part however, they work best by themselves. Having too many C-Sec agents in one place tends to draw unwanted attention and capturing a target requires the element of surprise above all else.'

Pausing, Chellick took a moment to tap an unseen command into his terminal, his mouth firming in annoyance at the interruption.

'Your main mission objective,' he went on, looking up at Arlen once again, 'Is to apprehend General Jardan Krassus and bring him back here to await trial. You are to avoid killing him at all costs. A terrorist he may be, but he's still a popular figure in turian space and only the shame of a public trial will be enough to dislodge any remaining support for his organisation. If the Forgotten Legion gets in your way, consider them expendable.'

Arlen blinked away the sickening sense of being lost. The task was beyond impossible, even for a veteran agent and certainly for one who had seen as little action as him.

Chellick seemed to sense his apprehension. 'That's only the final step. First you'll have to find him. As you know, the key component of the Legion's virus delivery system was provided by a tech company named Bithcon Dynamics, operating out of the deep space station known as Omega. You are to go there and follow the trail. In the meantime, JSTF will continue to analyse the Jamestown Virus and if we get any breakthroughs, we'll let you know.'

'The Jamestown Virus?' Arlen asked curiously.

Chellick grunted in amusement. 'The techies came up with the name and it's stuck. Reminds us all why we're doing this, I guess.'

'Will I be operating solo?'

'No. As you said yourself, this is not an Interceptor assignment and you've been officially released by Pallin to work with us here in JSTF. I've assigned Lina to you since you two seemed to work well together earlier, and she of course has her team at her disposal. She will be your personal contact here and will be responsible for filtering intel through on a regular basis, as well as any mission updates.'

'She sure knows what she's doing,' Arlen replied with satisfaction. He felt somewhat more assured with the quarian on his side and was glad to know that her advice would be readily available. 'What about on Omega?'

'After what happened with Crixus, I'd be a fool not to send you some kind of backup. You're going to be accompanied by Detective Keller on this.'

'Wh-what?' Arlen stuttered, his eyes widening, 'Sir, she's no more trained for this kind of operation than I am!'

'She can't go back undercover on the Citadel, at least not for a while. It's far too risky. She'll be of more use to all of us on Omega. Don't underestimate her, Arlen, she's experienced and as tough as they come. She could certainly teach you a thing or two, if you're okay with taking advice from a human.' He cocked a brow at Arlen's stunned expression. 'Is there a problem?'

Blinking, Arlen composed himself as best he could, though his rushed answer threatened to betray him, 'No, no problem, none at all. I'm…just surprised. Will she have any authority outside Citadel space?'

'No,' Chellick laughed, 'but then again, technically neither do you so you'll have to rely on the goodwill of the locals. Remember that you're a part of C-Sec and any action you take reflects on us as a whole. Gunning down Terminus residents won't look good on the Council and could fuel tensions in the area if your identity is uncovered.'

Chellick's nostril slits flared as he paused for a moment. 'There's one more thing.'

Arlen raised his brow plates questioningly.

'The Council are under pressure from the Alliance. The humans see what happened earlier as an ethnically-motivated attack, something that deserves immediate action. As we all know, the Council don't do 'immediate'. They want to let us run our investigation in our own time but the Alliance aren't satisfied. They want their own people in on this, people who answer directly to the human ambassador.'

'Is that why Keller's being sent along too?'

Chellick shrugged. 'Because she's human? Unlikely. The Alliance wanted one of their N7 special forces teams dedicated to the hunt for Krassus but, of course, the last thing anyone wants are human soldiers parading around a turian prisoner. Not only that but if the general is hiding in Hierarchy space then, well, their presence could start a war.'

'So what's the Council going to do?' asked Arlen.

'As a show to the Alliance that they're taking the threat seriously, they're sending out a Spectre to help you, goes by the name of Olansi, Kotah Olansi. His details are classified, as you can imagine but I know they've pulled him away from an on-going assignment just to assist us. That should give you a little confidence boost going out, am I right?'

'To say the least,' Arlen replied, his voice heavy with relief. It was a good solution for all of them. The move might allay some of the Alliance's anger toward the Council while Arlen, being only a rookie agent, would find the Spectre's expertise invaluable.

'Well,' Chellick announced, raising his hands, 'I guess all that's left are the specifics. You and Keller are booked on a civilian flight to Ilium, and from there you can get a shuttle to wherever you need to go. Olansi will contact you when you arrive on Omega. I'd advise against broadcasting your presence too much so stick to public transportation and avoid flashing your credentials. Oh, and don't worry about finding the Spectre either; he'll find you.'

'That's a little vague,' Arlen grumbled, 'Are things always this cloak-and-dagger?'

A hoarse chuckle growled through the air and Chellick shook his head. 'You'd be surprised. If you thought catching a wanted fugitive would be a simple case of strolling up and slapping on the cuffs, then prepare to be shocked.'

A small grin creased Arlen's features and, to his surprise, he found that he had grown calmer while Chellick was speaking. He began to relish the idea of using his wits to take some measure of revenge for the Jamestown, and with the confirmation that not only would he have company, but that of a Spectre, his spirits had been raised immeasurably.

'All right then,' he said, rising to his feet, 'I'll download the mission dossier from Lina and get ready. Is there anything else I need to know?'

'No, not yet at least. Just make sure you run a comms check with Lina's team before you leave. Your omni-tool will have to be upgraded to handle extra-solar communications. Keller will meet you at the docks when you're ready. Good luck, Arlen.'

Arlen inclined his head respectfully and seemed to stand straighter as the reality of his new position sank in. Though his grief over the lost civilians had not dulled, he found he could focus it into a hot, driving spike of desire to see justice done. General Krassus and the Forgotten Legion were his responsibility and he would not fail.

As he left the office, he felt each stride grow longer and more powerful. He was afraid, but would show his enemies nothing. He was now a C-Sec Interceptor, and he would bring Krassus in alive.