After the phonecall ended, Lauren felt a little lightheaded. It wasn't from the phonecall, it was because she hadn't eaten. She stood up and grabbed her jacket, zipping it up and pulling the hood over her head. She knew where a human-run food stand was. It was dingy and kind of a dive, but they made huge quantities of good food. Not food grown from a vat. She picked up her pistol and hid it in her jacket pocket, hoping she wouldn't need to use it while she went out for food.

She locked her apartment door behind her and took off down towards the marketplace. It was rather early, so the markets were devoid of people. She didn't have to worry about bumping in to anyone and rubbing her tattoo the wrong way. As she walked around the corner to the food stand, her senses were bombarded. She could smell the food cooking, hear it cooking, and finally she could see it cooking. She walked up to the counter and watched the chef as he prepared a batch of fries.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

Despite the fact that he was speaking english, it took her a minute to figure out what he was saying with his accent. She looked at the wall menu. "Yeah, I need a lot of food."

"Biotic?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Can I get two number three's?"

He nodded. "Both with fries?" he asked. "Or one with fries and one with onions?"

"One with fries and one with onions," she tilted her head at the menu. "And water."

He nodded and punched in the total on his omni-tool. "That's fifteen credits."

She handed him her card and he swiped it before handing it back. "Thanks."

"Most people around here don't use the swipe-chit. They prefer to use the actual chits." He commented.

She shrugged. "It's easier for me to keep track of."

He turned away and began to busy himself with cooking, leaving Lauren alone at the counter. She decided to go on the extranet and turned on her omni-tool. She hadn't checked the news recently - mostly because it didn't matter this far out in the terminus system. She scrolled through a few pages until she found something that almost stopped her in her tracks.

Commander A. Shepard - first human appointed Spectre: Today after a meeting with the Council, Commander Aeron Shepard of the Alliance was promoted as a member of the Spectres. This makes Commander Shepard the first human Spectre ever in Council history.

Lauren blinked. "That...How did that?"

I'm not going to come after you - I've got bigger problems. Her father must be involved with this. She brought up her inbox and fired off a message to him, asking if he knew about this. The man behind the counter set down a paper bag in front of her and she glanced up. "Thanks."

"No problem." he said, moving away to another customer.

She picked up the bags and started back towards her apartments. Her omni-tool beeped at her and she clicked on the new message, jumbling her bag around to her right hand.

I recommended her file to Ambassador Udina. Talked to her about a mission - she asked about you.

She looked at her food and back at her omni-tool. There was no way she could type a response until she made it back to her apartment. When she made it in her door and set her food down on her desk by her terminal, she began typing a message back to him.

What did you say? You didn't tell her I was out in the Terminus systems did you?

Her father's message was almost instant. I didn't know where you were when she asked. I called you a few minutes after. Do you want me to tell her where you are?

No thanks. Rather not get dragged back a hospital. I've learned that lesson. She turned to her food and opened the first container, taking in the smell of what she ordered. Good burgers with imitation beef - not varren meat - with real vegetables. It was hard to come by, even on Earth. She dug into her food, trying to forget that Shepard had just been promoted to the highest military authority in Council Space, and reminded herself that she was on Omega. Even if Shepard showed up here - there was no way that she could - she had no authority here.

I went back to Aria the next day was greeted by Liselle, who was in her mother's spot. She handed me a datapad and told me Aria was busy doing her own personal business around Omega and that I was supposed to come back in a few hours. So I wasted time at the bar with Derimus until I saw Aria walk back into Afterlife. She looked pissed as hell and for a minute I wondered if it was a good idea to go up there. But a jobs a job, no matter if the boss is pissed or not.