9 October 2183, Taranis Colony

Much to my surprise, I found that I remembered how to play poker.

We did indeed find a casino on Taranis. Quintus and I immediately went into our act: the arrogantly confident (but probably addicted) gambler and her turian bodyguard. At first I thought to make a great show, flamboyantly losing a few thousand credits at the quasar machines or the roulette table. But then I saw a familiar-looking card game out of the corner of my eye. Before I realized it, I found myself sitting with six other players and playing the game as if I had known it for years.

I remembered watching Shepard play poker at a table on the Citadel. At the time I hadn't understood the game. Now his memories made me a fairly skilled player. I found that simply understanding the rules and mathematics of the game did not suffice. I also needed the mental discipline Shepard had imposed upon himself while he played. Be patient. Watch the other players, but give nothing away. Do the math rather than guessing at the odds. Don't try to bluff when there's enough information already on the table to prove you're lying. Wait for your opportunity.

After an hour or so at the poker table I realized my change of plans had worked. An icy demeanor, a slowly growing pile of chips, an occasional willingness to pay for drinks for everyone at the table, all of this attracted attention more gradually but just as effectively.

While I collected eyes and cameras, Quintus could play his part, the bored bodyguard, used to being treated as part of the furniture. Without ever wandering out of sight, he could look around the casino, order a non-alcoholic drink and chat with the wait staff, and perform a cautious dance of dominance with the other guards in the room.

After about two and a half hours, I had won a few thousand credits and had the respectful attention of half of the gamblers in the room. Quintus chose that moment to approach the table. "Kalliste, you're needed back at the ship."

"Damn, and this was just starting to be fun too." I gathered my chips, skimming off about five hundred credits for the dealer, and then flashed a wicked smile at the other players. "Duty calls. Maybe I'll come back and let you all give me some more money later."

Instead of going to the ship, we met Vara and Arin at a restaurant not far from the casino and the agora. Arin checked for listening devices, and used his omni-tool to smother them with white noise.

"Report," I commanded once we were secure.

"No problem finding informants," said Vara. "This place may make a big deal out of its neutrality, but everyone is on the take. I already have three or four good prospects, not to mention some juicy gossip to package up and send home."

"Enough to satisfy Analysis?"

"Not yet, but give me a couple of days and I think we'll be there."

"A couple of days are all we have," I reminded her. "Arin, how about you?"

"I haven't been so lucky," said the quarian. "This place has really good cyber defenses. They're a lot tighter than I would have expected for an industrial outpost way out in the Terminus Systems. I've had to be very cautious."

"That's fine. At this point it's more important that we not set off any alarms."

"Has anyone else noticed anything . . . just a little odd about this place?" asked Quintus.

Vara looked thoughtful. "The security."

I cocked my head, silently inviting her to explain.

"It's like two different worlds," she said at last. "Cameras everywhere, networks firewalled so well that even Arin can't easily get in. Yet I had people almost throwing themselves at my feet in their eagerness to inform for pay. Even Port Authority personnel, which implies that their oversight regimen is terrible."

I nodded in understanding. "The sheer density of security cameras implies many personnel watching the camera feeds. Tight network security implies an active team of network defenders. Yet if their personnel can't be trusted, all the technical security measures are useless."

"Maybe Eclipse is handing that side," suggested Quintus.

"It would fit their usual operating procedures," said Vara. "They like running technical security."

"What about Sederis?" asked Arin.

"Her presence is strange," I observed. "Eclipse operates all over the Terminus Systems and even on a few worlds in Council space. Sederis is usually headquartered on Omega, and if she leaves there it's normally to oversee an Eclipse operation on some high-population world. Taranis is wealthy for its size, and its political position is significant, but I would not think it enough to attract her attention."

"This may be an opportunity," Vara mused. "How many of our customers might be interested in some insight into what Eclipse is up to?"

"I was thinking the same thing. I believe I see a way to find out more."

Quintus stared at me, looking uneasy. "You're not considering . . ."

"Of course." I smiled brightly at all of them. "I'm going to join Eclipse."

Vara sighed. "Aspasia is going to shit bricks when she hears about this."

When Jona Sederis was not in residence, Terapso's Eclipse garrison normally fell under the command of a mere captain. Sederis had disdained to take over her subordinate's office, and had instead seized an entire floor of the Taranis Republican hotel, directly above the casino where I had been gambling. A few rooms, close to the lifts, did look like a military command post. I saw a number of Eclipse troopers on duty, some of them working with communications or security equipment, others simply deployed as security guards. They relieved me of all my weapons, but let me keep my commando dress.

Then I passed between a pair of burly human troopers, into the colonel's lair and another world entirely.

Well, you wanted some insight into what Sederis is thinking. Now you have it.

Decadent is the only word I can find to describe it, even all these years later.

Eclipse had stripped every room, rebuilding them for pleasure. One could fill a plate at an open-air buffet, then lounge on a couch and gorge while listening to music and watching dancers at play. I saw one room set up solely for wine and other intoxicants. In another, a human Eclipse officer indulged in a narcotic, possibly cocaine or red sand. Dark corners and closed doors provided privacy. We passed one closed door, through which I could hear bestial noises: grunting and desperate moaning.

I saw hardly a single uniform, a piece of armor, or a weapon. Everyone wore tunics or gowns, sheer or completely transparent, if they wore anything at all. Only their manner, the look in their eyes, distinguished between Eclipse officers and hotel staff. The soldiers had a predatory appearance, like carnivorous beasts resting in the sun. The servants, dancers, and courtesans all looked uneasy. Like prey.

Walk like Miranda. Chin up, eyes flinty, don't gawk. You are Kalliste Renai, and you've seen much worse than this. None of it touches you.

Jona Sederis occupied a large suite, at the far end of the floor from the lifts. My escort abandoned me at the outer door, sending me inside alone. The rooms were decorated all in crimson, gold, and white. I could hear a small musical ensemble, flute and kithara accompanying an asari voice, performing an ancient melody of simple purity.

Sederis emerged from the master bedroom, pausing on the threshold to watch me for a moment. I got a much better look at her this time, since she was out of her bulky Eclipse armor. In fact, she wore nothing at all aside from a little jewelry.

I saw a tall asari, built like a runner, all long legs and slim athleticism. I found her not exactly beautiful; her face was too bony, as if some inner fire had burned away all its softness. She had skin of a deep cobalt blue. Her markings looked odd, a faint white starburst, centered between her eyes, sprawling across most of her face. Her eyes themselves shone silver, and they had a glitter in them that disturbed me.

"Kalliste Renai," she said softly. "What a surprise. Have you decided to join us after all?"

I dropped into a parade-rest posture. "Maybe. I'll admit it has been rough the last few months, with the geth and the humans fighting back and forth across half the galaxy. Been thinking about finding a crew to run with. A regular paycheck wouldn't hurt."

Sederis crossed the room to pass to my left, and then began to walk slowly around me, examining me closely. She trailed a languid hand across my shoulders as she moved.

Odd. She was much more crisp and professional out on the docks. Is she under the influence of some drug?

"Little maiden in commando gear," she murmured. "Where were you trained?"

I snorted, trying not to flinch at the sound of her voice. "I wasn't. Grow up motherless in Armali, and the huntress companies turn up their noses at you. I've managed to teach myself a few things over the years. Enough to stay alive."

"What skills do you have?" she whispered in my right aural cavity, sending a chill down my spine.

"Light and heavy pistols, submachine guns, a little work with rifles. Some small-unit tactics. Wilderness survival. Piloting, although I haven't been a combat pilot very often." I made a sharp-edged smile. "Plus enough biotic power to send most Matriarchs running for cover."

"Really?" Sederis stood before me again, her face mere centimeters from mine, her breath hot on my cheek. Her fingers trailed across the line of my jaw. I prayed silently that Vara's cosmetic work would stand up to her examination. "How very exceptional. I must arrange for a demonstration."

"At your convenience."

"So, little maiden. Have you killed?"

I glanced into her eyes, and immediately regretted it. The glitter was there in greater force, her face was flushed, and her breath was coming fast and deep.

This asari is not sane.

"I've killed," I told her.

"How many?" she breathed, stepping back and tilting her head, watching me like a serpent watches its prey.

"More than I can count," I said honestly. "What does it matter?"

"There is Eclipse, and then there is Eclipse," she said. "Most of my troopers are ordinary mercenaries. Gangsters, truth be told. Filth fit only for garrison duty and other routine chores. But there is an inner circle, the lieutenants and captains who receive the best assignments, who command my forces on the most demanding missions. If you are as powerful as you claim, then you might be a candidate for that inner circle."

"I'm listening."

"Being a member of my elite is risky, but it can also be most rewarding." She made a sweeping gesture, indicating the den of vice that surrounded us. "What you see here is only a beginning. Do you want wealth, power, glory? All of that can be yours. But only if you demonstrate that you are worthy of it, that you have placed yourself beyond any puerile considerations of good or evil. Go and kill for me."

"Isn't that what you're going to hire me to do?"

"You don't understand." Again she glided closer, ran her fingertips gently along my crest, just a hint of biotic power behind the caress. I shivered helplessly, and she smiled. "Don't kill for pay, or for profit. Don't kill for any reason at all. Simply kill. Go out and commit a murder, the more public the better, and dedicate it to me. My people will not lift a finger to prevent you. And when you return, you will be a sister in the Eclipse, with a uniform of your own and nothing to hold you back ever again."

"I'll think about it," I told her, keeping my voice under strict control.

"Good." She turned her back on me and walked away, back toward the master bedroom.

I turned to go, working hard to keep my stomach from rebellion.

"One more thing," said Sederis from the threshold, her voice gone flat and cold. "You have no more than ten hours. Come back to me by 0600 local time tomorrow, your hands bloody and your heart ready to join Eclipse. Otherwise the offer is withdrawn, never to be extended again."

"I understand," I said, and walked out of that place wanting nothing more than a fiercely hot shower. I wasn't sure the places where that madwoman had touched me were ever going to feel clean again.

"Where is Vara?" I asked as soon as Quintus and I returned to Themis.

Arin looked up from his workstation. "She left an hour ago. She said something about talking to a potential informant."

I shook my head. "That's too bad. Can you drop tools for a few minutes?"

He looked at his workstation and sighed. "Sure. It's not like I was making great progress anyway. I swear it's like the Port Authority networks are toying with me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know I haven't raised any alarms, but it's like fighting a ghost. I see a flaw in their defenses, I take two minutes to build an exploit tool, and then when I try to use the tool the opening is just gone. Back to the starting line again."

I frowned. That sounded familiar. "Are you sure you haven't wandered into a honeypot network?"

"Positive. A honeypot is designed to trap novice hackers and keep them busy chasing false data. They can't be too hard to get into and move around in, or the victims get bored and wander away. This one has been shutting even me out."

I thought about that for a minute, and then was struck by a moment of enthousiasmos. "Which segment of their network have you been trying to get into?"

"Port transit records," he said. "Cargo in and out, passengers arriving and departing, that sort of thing. That's first on the Analysis department's wish list."

"I know. Do me a favor. Try to get into the surveillance systems."

I could see his eyes, oddly luminescent through the faceplate of his suit, as he peered at me. "What do you have in mind?"

"Call it a hunch." I sat down on the floor of the galley, inviting him and Quintus to listen. "But first let me tell you what happened when I went to Jona Sederis for a job interview."

I told them the story at length. When I was finished, Arin made a long, low whistle.

"You said it," agreed Quintus. "That woman is as crazy as a box of broken glass."

"What worries me is that oddly specific time limit she gave me. What happens at 0600 tomorrow?"

"Maybe she's getting ready to leave Terapso and head for a new mission?" Arin suggested.

"Perhaps," I mused, "but she didn't show any signs of getting ready to abandon that perfumed garden of hers."

Quintus nodded. "None of the Eclipse troopers out in the streets seem to be getting ready to depart either. If anything there seem to be more patrols around than when we arrived."

I raised my voice in command. "VI, query the Taranis public network. Are any significant arrivals or departures expected between 0400 and 0800 tomorrow?"

"No, Doctor," said Themis.

I shook my head. "All right, let's wait for Vara to return, and then we can figure out our next move."

10 October 2183, Taranis Colony

I spent the next two hours writing a set of reports for the Analysis department back home. If nothing else, an account of my experience with Jona Sederis would be extremely useful for our dossiers on Eclipse. Once I finished, I hesitated for a few moments, and then decided not to send the finished work back to Illium just yet. The situation still felt fluid, undetermined.

Besides, Aspasia is going to worry enough already.

Wherever Vara was, she continued to send her "all safe" signal about every hour as scheduled, but nothing more. Knowing she might be deep in covert negotiations, I didn't want to interrupt her with a call . . . but as local midnight came and went, I became increasingly uneasy. In the small hours of the morning I found myself pacing up and down the main corridor aboard Themis. Quintus sat in his cabin with the hatch open, automatically checking and maintaining his weapons, glancing up at me every now and then as I passed back and forth.

"Hmm," said Arin.

I stopped. It was the first thing any of us had said in over three hours. I turned and stepped into the quarian's workspace, leaning over his shoulder. I found his hands idle in his lap, as he stared at one of the windows he had opened.

The window had been showing a waterfall of raw data. Now there was a gap, and a line of text at the bottom in standard asari script.

Who are you?

"What's happening?" I asked him quietly.

"I was trying to get into the surveillance network, like you suggested. I wasn't having much more luck than before, but I was at least able to get into some of the nonessential parts of the network and start looking around. Then this . . . message popped up."

The window moved slightly. Another gap, and then the message repeated itself: Who are you?

"Should we answer?" Arin asked, rather plaintively.

"Who could it possibly be? An Eclipse technician? One of the Port Authority's network-defense specialists?"

"Couldn't be. If it was, they wouldn't be texting us questions, they'd be locking down their network and sending a squad out to find the intruders."

I thought for another moment, and then touched Arin's shoulder. "Here, let me talk to them."

He glanced at me uneasily, but he got up from his seat and let me take it. Quintus crowded into the doorway of the tiny space to look over our shoulders.

I typed: A friend. Who are you?

The answer was immediate, with no discernible hesitation. I don't know.

Do you work for the Port Authority?

Yes. I watch. I think about what I see. I report.

I thought about that for a moment. What do you see?

I see everything.

"Someone monitoring the surveillance cameras?" suggested Arin. "All of them at once?"

"Could be some kind of savant," said Quintus.

I felt a cold chill. "Gentlemen, these are the Terminus systems. What does that suggest to you?"

"Pirates," said Arin.

"Warlords and merc gangs," said Quintus.

"The common element I was looking for is people outside the law," I told them. "There are many ways to be outside the law. Down on Chalkhos, in this same star system, they dabble in genetic engineering of sentient beings, technology that the Citadel Council would never approve. Here, maybe they're doing a different kind of illegal research."

Arin got it first, as I expected he would. "Keelah. They're experimenting with AI. That's how they're managing all of the security cameras everywhere. That's how I was getting shut out of the Port Authority networks."

I typed: Are you a machine?

I don't know. I don't know what I am. I am a thing that sees everything. Hears everything.

I frowned, trying to think of my next question.

The next line of text appeared before I could come up with one. Are you with Eclipse?

That I could answer honestly. No, I am not with Eclipse.

One of you met with Eclipse.

None of us are with Eclipse. We talked to them, but we are here on other business.

Good. I don't trust Eclipse.

Why?

For the first time, the other side of the conversation hesitated. Three or four seconds passed, an eternity if what I suspected was true. Then: Eclipse talks about me. They want me to work for them. I don't trust them.

Just like that, all the pieces of the puzzle locked into place. "Goddess! We've got to find Vara now!"

Quintus didn't ask questions, simply turned and began to assemble his armor and weapons.

"What's wrong?" asked Arin.

"We're in the middle of a flashpoint," I told him. "Go arm yourself."

As the quarian hurried away, I typed another line of text. I have to go. Can you communicate with an omni-tool?

Yes. Which one?

I opened my omni-tool and connected to the Taranis public network, reading the dynamic network address it was given. I typed the address into Arin's window, double-checking every keystroke.

A text message appeared on the omni-tool. Is this correct?

Yes, I typed into the tool. Please stay in contact with me. Don't tell anyone else that we are communicating.

I will comply. If I told anyone, they would prevent me from communicating with you.

Thank you.

Then I was up and running for my own cabin, to put on battle dress and weapons. Arin remained confused, but he did the same and met the rest of us at the main airlock.

As we hurried out of the landing bay, I sent an emergency signal to Vara's omni-tool. I got no response.

"Damn it, Vara. Now is not the time to go silent."

"Will someone please explain to me what's happening?" Arin pleaded.

"Eclipse is planning a coup," I told him.

"That doesn't make sense," objected Quintus. "They have to know they can't hold this place against an alliance of Terminus warlords. Aria T'Loak alone would be on them like ugly on a vorcha."

"You're assuming they plan to hold this place for very long," I said. "What if they captured Taranis just long enough to secure a specific objective? Such as the very interesting person with whom we were just conversing?"

He saw it then. "Spirits. We had better hurry."

My omni-tool chimed. A text message appeared. I see your friend. She is in the Mykonos Lounge, talking with a male human.

"Where's the Mykonos Lounge?" I asked.

"I think it's down the street from the hotel and the casino," Quintus said. "Up here and to the left."

We hurried, spotting the club up ahead. I gestured to Quintus, who blocked the bouncer while Arin and I brushed past without stopping.

"Hey!"

I drew my Shuriken and called up a biotic flare around my left fist. Arin produced his shotgun. The bouncer decided to practice discretion.

Inside, the lounge seemed loud and busy, dozens of people gyrating on the dance floor, clustering around the bar, chattering and laughing at tables set around the perimeter. A few of the customers glanced our way and stared at our drawn weapons.

"There," said Quintus.

Vara sat at a table with a stocky male human, each of them with a drink at one elbow, obviously deep in conversation. I stepped out to cross the floor . . .

A vast crash sounded from somewhere just outside the lounge, an explosion so loud it was more felt than heard. Then we heard gunfire in the street.

Sederis had moved up her timetable.