SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE & CHARACTER PAGES
-CHAPTER START-
Normandy II, Deck Three – Port Observation Room
Shepard walked into the room with a view of space, finding Samara staring out the window, watching as the Quarian Migrant Fleet passed through the system's Mass Relay.
"I am glad you are here, Shepard" she said. "There is an important matter to discuss. When we met on Illium, I told you about a very dangerous person I was pursuing. Using the information you obtained, I have located her. She's going by the name 'Morinth'. I would like to apprehend her before she disappears again."
"Where is she?" Shepard asked.
"Omega. A night club called Afterlife… which seems a perfect place for her to hunt."
"How important is this?"
"Killing her has been my focus for 400 years. It is the most important thing in my life, and the reason I became a Justicar."
"Tell me about her."
"She is an Ardat-Yakshi. It is a term from a dead Asari dialect. It means 'demon of the night winds'. But that is mythology. She is simply a very dangerous woman who kills without mercy."
"So is an Ardat-Yakshi a special kind of murderer?"
"It is the name of a rare Asari-specific genetic disorder that Morinth suffers from. When she mates with you, there is no gentle melding of nervous systems. She overpowers yours, burns it out, hemorrhages your brain and overloads the neurons. You end up with irreversibly fatal brain damage, and death comes quickly."
"Why isn't this ever mentioned in Asari literature?"
"When we were primitive, there was much fascination with Ardat-Yakshi. Some cultures worshipped them as goddesses of destruction. Now the Asari have a place in the galaxy, and they don't wish this dangerous defect to be widely-known. As far as I know, less than 100 exist today, the vast majority confined to monasteries. I personally know of three; two chose a life of seclusion… and the third ran."
"Morinth."
"She ran, and I am sworn to kill her."
"Can't she abstain?"
"Each melding grants her strength. The effect is narcotic; the more she does it, the more she needs to do it. She will never stop. She can't."
"So these Asari are hunted down just because they're born with a genetic defect?"
"It manifests with sexual maturity. When one is diagnosed, she is offered the chance to live in seclusion and comfort. If she refuses, it shows her addiction to the ecstasy she gets from killing her mates. There is no redemption for such a person."
"They have to choose between prison and death?"
"It is an addictive condition. Remember how adaptive we are. If Morinth does not want to be cured, she won't be."
"This is definitely worthy of our full attention."
"She confuses her victims, twists their feelings. They will do anything for her favor."
"We need to stop her."
"Thank you, Commander. There are no words to express what this means to me. …There is one more thing: this creature, this… monster… She is my daughter."
"You said this is genetic. How many children do you have?"
"Three. And I mentioned there are three Ardat-Yakshi I know of personally. …It is as it sounds. Mirala was always the wild one – she was happy and free, but selfish. Then she cast aside that name and became Morinth – became a monster."
"I can't imagine what this is like for you."
"Please do not pity me for this, Shepard. My daughter's condition is my fault. And my redemption lies in killing her."
"How did all this happen?"
"I spent my youth on the move, adventuring. I killed people, mated with them, or just danced the night away. I learned so much, experienced so much… and then my Matron days came. I could finally sit back, relax, and enjoy my family. But in one moment, it was all taken away."
"It sounds terrible."
"I sat in a med-lab while a near-sighted doctor droned at me. And I learned that nothing was as I thought it would be. I gave up all that I possessed. I own nothing, claim nothing. All my knowledge will die with me. Now my purpose is to destroy my own child."
"Those moments change you."
"And I've hundreds of years left to live with that. …I say too much. Forgive me. Help me find my long-lost daughter… and kill her."
"We'll head for Omega right away."
"Thank you."
-SCENE BREAK-
Omega Station, Afterlife Club (Upper Section), Aria's Lounge/Throne
"What do you need?" Shepard asked, looking over at Mana K. and Samara. "And how is a Justicar involved?"
"An Asari fugitive is hiding out here" Shepard replied. "She's an Ardat-Yakshi. We need to find her."
"I knew it. Nothing leaves a body quite so… empty… as an Ardat-Yakshi does."
"You haven't taken steps to kill her?" Samara asked.
"She hasn't tried to seduce me, so I've had no reason to. Her last victim was a young human girl. Pretty thing. Lived in the tenements near here. That's where I'd start looking."
"Thanks for the help."
"Good luck finding her. Better luck catching her."
"I'm a bit surprised you helped us."
"Ardat-Yakshi who've chosen to become serial killers are one of the biggest embarrassments to our species. Helping you put her down is its own reward. That, and I don't really want a Justicar making a scene. …No offense, ma'am."
"None taken" Samara replied.
The trio made their way through the club and the marketplace, heading for the apartment complex outside the entrance to Mordin's old territory. They soon found their goal: a small apartment occupied by a distraught-looking woman.
"Are you here about my daughter?" she asked. "My Nef died a week ago, and no-one seems to care. The medics said it was a brain hemorrhage, but that's not true. It was murder. Someone killed my Nef – my baby!"
"We believe she was murdered, too," Shepard replied, "and we're hunting her killer."
"Oh, thank you! It's so hard when no one believes you. I'm all alone now. Are you… one of Aria's people?"
"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance N7 and Citadel Spectre. This is Samara, an Asari Justicar. We're here to help."
"No one else on this hellhole station gives a damn that Nef is dead. If you can do something about it, I'll help however I can."
"What kind of girl was your daughter?"
"My Nef had a fire inside her. She was shy, but she was creative and driven, and… the best girl a mother could hope for."
"She was creative?" Samara asked. "How so?"
"She was a sculptor. Several galleries were interested in her, said her work was fresh."
"Did Nef hang out anywhere in particular?"
"She was always quiet, working here at home. Then, a few weeks ago, she started going out all the time, to the VIP area of that club down the street. I think you need a password to get in there. The change was so sudden. She just seemed… tired and distracted when she wasn't around that one Asari…"
"Did your daughter have a lot of friends?"
"Not a lot, no. She was shy, spent most of her time making sculptures, not hanging out with friends. Something did change in the last few weeks, though. She started talking about an Asari named Morinth. I didn't like her. She kept dragging Nef out to clubs, and I'm pretty sure she gave my daughter drugs."
"What kind of a person was this Morinth?"
"I never met her, but Nef talked about her like she was a queen. You'd swear there was no one else alive when she talked about Morinth."
"That sounds familiar" Samara said.
"Samara, does Morinth control her victims with drugs?"
"She controls them through sheer will. The drugs are just a lifestyle. She loves the club, loves the bass. She's a hedonist."
"So this Morinth did hurt me daughter?" the woman asked.
"Morinth is a skilled and experienced serial killer" Shepard said. "She's been killing people like your daughter for over 400 years. And Samara here's been hunting her for that long."
"A s-serial killer… Oh, God…"
"We swear to you" Shepard said. "Nef and all of Morinth's hundreds of other victims will rest easy soon."
"I hope so…"
"Do you mind if we examine Nef's room?"
"I didn't want to disturb anything – her clothes, her art, her sculptures. Everything is the way she left it. The way it will always be. My baby is gone…"
She started to cry, and Shepard moved forward to give her a comforting hug.
"Thank you…" she sobbed out after a few seconds. "I'm sorry. I just miss her so much."
"It's okay" Shepard said. "We've all suffered loss."
"I know what it means to lose a daughter" Samara said. "I will avenge her."
"Thank you. Please, if it helps you find her killer, look through her things."
"We will be respectful."
Shepard and Samara stepped into Nef's room, with Nef's mother and Mana hanging back. Shepard found a note referencing an Elcor artist named Forta, as well as a statue of Nef's own sculpting on the desk. On her bed was an audio diary with three logs. Shepard triggered the oldest entry, and Nef's face appeared on the screen.
"Hey, diary. Cycle 34, Orbit 671. There's a lot to talk about! I dropped Jaruut's name, and they let me into the VIP room at Afterlife. I was sure everyone was staring at me. Then the most beautiful Asari starts dancing near me. She moves like water, form and volume but shifting, changing. I'm in a trance. Then I'm dancing with her. Later, we went for skewers, and I'm supposed to see her again tomorrow."
"Play the middle entry" Shepard ordered.
"Cycle 36, Orbit 671. Am I a freak? Morinth is a girl like me, and she's definitely not human. Just… when we dance, and the Hallex is flowing through me… They way she looks at me – with a hunger, a longing… No one's ever looked at me like that. We kissed tonight."
"Play the newest entry."
"Cycle 42, Orbit 67. She's going to take me to her apartment tonight. Whatever happens, I want to be with her forever. She can sell my pieces. We can live somewhere glamorous, like the women in Vaenia, that vid Morinth likes. How did this happen to me? I'm just dumb trash from Omega."
"This is Morinth's work" Samara said. "She is attracted to artists and creators. Someone with a spark, slightly isolated from their peers. She impresses with sophistication and sex appeal. Then she strikes. The hunt interests her as much as the conquest."
"Anyone who's successfully hunted sapient beings for 400 years warrants caution" Shepard said.
"Morinth speaks to you on many levels. Her body tells yours that she'll bring unimaginable ecstasy. Her scent evokes emotions long hidden. Her eyes promise you things you were always scared to ask of another. Her voice whispers to you after she is done speaking."
"She sounds less like a genetic mutant and more like a highly-evolved apex predator."
"The Ardat-Yakshi condition has been present since my people huddled around fires at night. Perhaps it is symbiotic, rather than a defect… Storming her den would be a mistake; she will have a hundred escape routes planned. She will go to ground and disappear for 50 years or more. This is the closest I've ever been."
"So we have to lure her out."
"Exactly! Shepard, you read my mind. Afterlife's VIP section seems her preferred hunting ground. You must go there alone and unarmed."
"She'll come after me."
"You can draw Morinth out. She'll certainly flee if she catches sight of me. But she won't be able to resist you. You are an artist on the battlefield. You have the vital spark that attracts her. Your power will draw her in."
"Let's get over there, then. Mana, stay with Nef's mother, but be ready to come in if things go FUBAR. I've gotta radio the ship and have them get my suit ready."
-Mini-Break-
Omega – Outside Afterlife VIP
Shepard, wearing the fancy suit he'd kept since Hock's party, walked up to the Turian bouncer guarding the door to the VIP room.
"What do you want?" the bouncer said.
"Someone told me the rest of Afterlife is nothing compared to this place" Shepard said.
"Sounds like a smart person. Who was it?"
"Jaruut."
"…Go on in. Word to the wise: start a fight, and we'll hurt you. But if someone attacks you, it's okay to defend yourself."
Shepard nodded and walked in, making his way toward the entrance. Behind a pile of crates in the corner, he saw Samara, and walked over to her.
"You must go in alone" she said. "Morinth will be watching. Like any predator, she is cautious. You must pique her interest enough that she will approach you. When you are face-to-face, subtly encourage her to invite you to her apartment. I'll follow discreetly, and when you are alone I'll spring the trap. Know this: until I get there, you are in great peril. She will be planning to inflict horrors upon you. If you are not careful, you will want her to."
"How can I spark her interest if I'm not even talking to her?"
"Courage or suicidal bravery could attract her. Hurt someone in defense, and she will be excited; but pick a fight, and she'll be bored. Show skill at working smoothly through a nightclub crowd. She will be intrigued. She'll want you the moment she sees you. The rest is just a matter of overpowering her caution."
"How do I convince her to take me home?"
"She admires strength, directness, and vigor. Modesty, chivalry, or meekness frustrate and bore her. Violence excites her. You've killed, Shepard; she'll like that."
"I'll get started."
"Shepard, we only get one chance at this. Any mistake, and Morinth will disappear. If you're the least bit unsure, come talk to me. I will wait here. And Shepard… thank you. I do not share this burden easily, and you are the only soul I can imagine sharing it with."
Shepard nodded and walked into the club. Just inside the entrance, some guy waved him over.
"Hey, do you know where I can get tickets for Expel 10?" he asked. "I heard this amazing Asari say they were her favorite band. I want… I just want whatever she wants. I gotta find tickets! Expel 10 is playing tomorrow."
"What kind of music do they play?"
"They're a sensory band. Like they crawl into you and make you feel things. And this Asari digs them like you wouldn't believe. I could score way outta my league, y'know? You gotta help me."
"I don't have any tickets, sorry."
"If you score some, I've got some credits for ya."
Shepard moved into the club, walking along and acting casual. As he passed a lounge area, a man came up to him.
"Um, hi. I need help right now, and I don't know who to ask. You're human, and you don't look high, so you're it. Can you help me out?"
"What kind of help?" Shepard asked.
"My friend Moirall is doing a piece on Omega gangs. She's hanging with Florit – he's the worst of the worst."
"What is she doing?"
"A vid piece. She's an investigative reporter. She's trying to profile gang leaders."
"Your friend could get seriously hurt."
"Yeah, and she's going to. See, Florit's on to her. His gang is on the way here, and they're gonna make a mess of her. I have to get a message to her, and fast."
"What do you want me to do?"
"She and I have a code. If you go over and say two words to Florit in a certain order, my friend will get the message and get out of there. The two words are "terminal" and "eternity". In that order. Please tell me you can do that; she's going to die."
"I can do that."
"Thank you! Thank you. Remember, "terminal" and "eternity", in that order. Just work them into a sentence."
Shepard walked across the club, to where a shift-looking man was sitting with a young woman.
"Something I can do for you, man?" Florit asked.
"Is there a public extranet terminal around here?" Shepard asked.
"In a club? You don't have an Omnitool?"
"That is a pretty strange question" Moirall said.
"I get by on public terminals. My Omnitool's been broken for an eternity."
Moirall's eyes widened.
"That's a tough break" Florit said. "I'm done talkin' to you now."
"Hey, Florit" Moirall said. "I need a bathroom break."
"Yeah? Hurry back, Moirall. I'm ready to head out."
The incognito reporter got up, shooting Shepard a clandestine look as she left. Shepard moved on, heading to the dance floor, where a tipsy Turian was harassing one of the Asari dancers.
"Don't be like that, baby?" he said. "I got creds. We'll got back to my place. I got simple tastes."
"Back off, asshole" the Asari replied. "I'm a dancer, not a hooker."
"You got a mouth on you! I'll enjoy watching you use it."
"The lady asked you to step away" Shepard said.
"Back off, asshole! This ain't none of your business! I'm just after a good time!"
He then went for Shepard, throwing a punch… and Shepard effortlessly whooped his ass, sending him flying across the dance floor.
"Good times are over" Shepard said.
"Thanks for that" the dancer said. "Security was asleep…"
Shepard moved on, heading for the bar. "What'll ya have?" the bartender asked.
"These people look bored" Shepard replied. "Bored people don't buy many drinks."
"And you got an idea how I can fix that?"
"A round of drinks shows your customers they appreciate your business. They'll come back for more, spread the word, and you'll make more money in the end."
"You better be right… Listen up, everyone! We love havin' ya here, so one round of drinks on the house!"
The crowd cheered in response. As Shepard walked away, a lone Asari leaning against the wall, clad in a black bodysuit, caught his attention.
"My name is Morinth" she said. "I've been watching you. You're the most interesting person in this place. I've got a booth over here in the shadows. Why don't you come sit with me?"
The two headed over to the booth in the corner of one of the lounges.
"Some nights I come here and there's no one interesting to talk to" Morinth said. "Some nights, there's just one person. Tonight, it's you. Why is that?"
"I know what I like" Shepard replied.
"Do you?"
"What do you think of the music here?"
"Dark rhythms, violent pulses… It stirs something primitive in me. What about you?"
"I'm curious about a band called Expel 10."
"They get in my head and tear it to pieces. They're in concert soon; maybe we should go together. You can lose yourself in the music here. There are ways to enhance that. You know?"
"What do you think of Hallex?"
"It slithers through my soul. Seems like we share some interests."
"Do you know anything about art?"
"It speaks to the darkest places of me. What about you?"
"Do you know the artist Forta?"
"I didn't think anyone around her knew him. He's sublime. Art comes in many varieties. I've seen vids that were more powerful than a sculpture sitting in a gallery."
"Do you know Vaenia?"
"My favorite. The two actresses in it are so glamorous."
"I'll have to watch it sometime."
"Maybe we could to that together."
"I've traveled all over the galaxy."
"It changes you, doesn't it?"
"Real travel means going to dangerous places."
"Where you can see and do things most people can't imagine."
"Yes."
"When I travel, I find myself drawn to dark, dangerous places."
"Violent places?"
"Violence is the surest expression of power."
"Violence is a means to an end. Power is that end."
"…Do you wanna get out of here? My apartment is nearby, and I want you alone."
"Lead the way, milady."
-SCENE BREAK-
Morinth's Apartment
"I love clubs" the dark Asari said, as Shepard sat down on the couch near her. "People, movement, heat… I can still hear the bass, like the drums of a great hunt out for your blood. But here, it's muted, and you're safe. Is that what you want?"
"People feel safest right before they die" Shepard replied.
"It's true. We're never safe. I've never understood the fascination with safety. Some of us choose differently." She moved over next to him. "Independence over submission. I think we share that, you and I."
"We've both killed many times, but that's where the similarities end."
"Why do you say that I've killed? What do you know? …Who are you?"
"You really don't know who I am?" Shepard said, as the Prothean Cipher within his mind made his eyes glow green. "Perhaps I should show you."
Although an Ardat-Yakshi's melding with someone, 'reaching' into their mind, fries the other person's nervous systems, someone can reach into their mind and be alright so long as their mind is powerful enough. Thus it was that Morinth saw and heard a flash of images and sounds and memories – snippets of the Prothean Warning, learning of the Reapers, Benezia and the Rachni Queen, speaking with Sovereign, fighting Saren, dying in the Collector attack and then coming back, fighting on Horizon, people, places, events, names.
Morinth gasped as she pulled away, breaking the connection and seeing the man whom she'd thought was prey smirking at her.
"Shepard" she whispered in shock and anger.
"Surprise" Shepard replied.
Morinth leapt back away from the couch, and then Biotically grabbed hold of a table and flung it at him. Shepard used his own Biotics to deflect the attack. Seconds later, another person walked through the door, glowing with Biotic power.
"Morinth" Samara hissed.
"…So you're behind this, mother."
"Do not call me that!"
"I can't magically alter my genes to stop being your daughter, mother."
"You made your choice long ago."
"What choice?-! My only 'crime' was being born with the gifts you gave me!"
"The trail of bodies and grieving families you've left in your wake says differently" Shepard replied. "It's over, Morinth."
"You can't escape this time" Samara said.
"…Who says anything about escaping?" Morinth smirked as she flared with massive Biotic power. "With every feeding I've made, I've grown in strength! And now I'm finally strong enough, mother, to take you down!-!"
Shepard and Samara looked to each other, and then their Biotic energy surged around and through them.
Morinth threw a pair of Warps at them, and Samara blocked them with a Barrier. Shepard then countered with a Biotically-launched high-velocity flowerpot, which shattered from a focused pulse of power from Morinth. Morinth then narrowly dodged a Reave from Samara, and returned fire with a Shockwave Chain that Samara & Shepard rolled out of the way of.
Morinth grabbed the old sword she had mounted on display on the wall, channeled Biotic power through it, and rushed at Shepard. As she brought the blade down, however, Shepard quickly pulled out and activated one of his gifts from the DDF: a Sangheili plasma blade. The dual prongs of superheated plasma were enough to slowly cut/burn/melt through Morinth's blade even though it was sheathed in Biotic energy. Morinth leapt away just before the sword was cut all the way through, and lunged at Shepard with a Biotic Punch, only to be blasted away by a Throw from Samara.
Morinth Biotically shattered a window of her high-rise apartment and then launched the sharp glass shards at Shepard and Samara, who blocked them with Barriers. Shepard then Biotic-Charged at Morinth, knocking her out the open window; the two slid down the side of the building, firing Biotic blasts at each other as they used their Biotics to slow their descent and cling to / slide along the 90-degree drop. Several stories later, they hit the streets below, using their Biotics to transfer the kinetic energy of the landing into the pavement instead of their leg bones, causing it to buckle and crack. Samara landed a second later, as Morinth and Shepard got into a Biotic shoving match, with Morinth slowly winning… until a Biotic-charged kick from Samara pushed her back. Morinth growled as she got to her feet, charging two Heavy Warps in her hands. But before she could fire them, she was blindsided by a Biotic Punch to the face from the side that sent her tumbling, as a new, Biotically-powerful, and furious combatant entered the field.
"You twisted mutant bitch…" growled a certain Asari kingpin, her body flaring with considerable Biotic power. "My daughter Liselle and I had been too busy to speak to each other for the past two weeks, but an hour ago I finally caught up with her. And I learned that you tried to seduce her shortly before you found that human. You tried to feed on my Liselle! …You've broken the One Rule of Omega, Morinth: you fucked with me, when you tried to go after MY DAUGHTER!-!"
Aria punctuated her shout by releasing an explosive pulse of Biotic power that fractured the concrete and shattered a few nearby windows. Her eyes were glowing bright blue, her teeth bared in Mama-Bear rage. Morinth actually felt a twinge of fear as she realized she'd enraged one of the five most powerful Asari Biotics in the entire galaxy. She then noticed that Shepard and Samara were still present, both of them displaying their own considerably high Biotic power.
"End of the line, Morinth" Shepard said.
"No… Never! I will not fall here! I am the genetic destiny of the Asari!"
"You say that despite knowing your condition renders you sterile?" Samara asked.
"S-Shut up!"
Morinth let out a shockwave-pulse of power that briefly knocked her three opponents back, and then rushed Shepard while he and the others were stunned. Shepard allowed himself to fall backward to dodge a Biotic Punch aimed at his head, and then hit Morinth in the torso with a rising double-kick once she passed over him. She landed on her feet a few meters away, and was immediately snared by a Biotic Lash from Aria, wrenching her towards Aria and into a Biotic Punch from Samara that broke three ribs and sent her tumbling.
Morinth staggered to her feet, one arm holding her midsection, and then with an enraged roar she unleashed an all-directions pressure wave of Biotic power. She Biotic-Charged at Samara, who was knocked back by the blow, but a Throw from Aria saved the Justicar from the follow-up blow. Shepard Biotically launched chunks of broken concrete at Morinth, forcing her back, and then Aria shouted out as she used her most powerful attack: a Biotic Flare. The huge explosion blasted Morinth back into a wall with great force, and she slid to the ground heavily wounded. Samara walked up to her.
"H-How can this happen?" Morinth wheezed out. "I'm a goddess…"
"No" Samara replied. "You're a monster… and a victim of the greatest curse of our species. …Farewell, Mirala."
She then struck with a Biotic Punch that splattered Morinth's head all over the wall. After four centuries, her hunt was over. Samara stepped back, head bowed, as Shepard and Aria walked up.
"I am ready to leave this place and get on with my life" she said.
"Would you like to talk about this?" Shepard asked.
"What do you think I will say? What can I say? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters. There are no words. I will try another time. For now, show mercy on a broken old warrior and let us leave."
"Very well. Aria, thank you for the help."
"No problem. I'll deal with the cleanup. You two head on out."
-SCENE BREAK-
Normandy II, Deck Four, Engine Room
"Hey, Tali. Have you got time to chat?"
Tali looked up at Shepard. "Sure! Let me just…" She fiddled with her Omnitool. "Come on, you little bosh'tet! Oh, sorry, Jason. I've got a small fever, and I'm taking it out on the poor drive core. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I got sloppy while doing some suit repair."
"How'd it happen?"
"I got grazed on the Alarei. Nothing serious injury-wise, but it was enough to trigger a slight infection."
"Hm. I don't know if I could live inside a suit my whole life."
"We're in our suits even among family. The most intimate thing we can do with another Quarian is link our suit environments. We get sick at first, but then we adapt. It's our most important gesture of trust, of acceptance. I haven't trusted anyone enough for that, though. Well, except for… well, no Quarians. Um. If you know what I mean."
"I appreciate the thought, Tali… and I feel the same way. But you don't have to prove anything to me."
"I know." She started fidgeting. "Well, not that I know, but I-I didn't mean it like that. It's, um… W-Wow, it is really hot in here. It's just that the tradition also signifies a willingness for, um… intimacy. I wasn't trying to… It's not always like that. It's more… How did we even end up talking about this?"
He grinned. "It sounds like you're suggesting something, Tali."
"What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman alone in the galaxy gets rescued by a dashing man who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any interest in him?"
"You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Tali. …To be honest, I feel the same way about you."
"Really? I didn't… You never… W-Well, good. A-Anyway, I should get back to work. But… thanks. For coming by. And talking…"
"Commander, Thane has something he needs to talk to you about" Joker said over the nearby speaker.
Shepard sighed. "On my way."
-CHAPTER END-
Next Time: Thane's Loyalty Mission
NOTE FOR MY HAVEN'T-PLAYED-MASS-EFFECT READERS: In original canon, there was no epic boss fight involving Shepard, Samara, Aria, and Morinth. There was just a quick cinematic showdown between Samara and Morinth that ends in Morinth's death… unless you're a big-time Renegade, where you can choose to kill Samara and recruit Morinth.