"Sir, we've got Shepard in the elevator."

Oseser looked up at the nervous Batarian from the map pinned on the table top. The entire hospital had been searched twice and the alien had brought him nothing but bad news all day. Archangel had escaped. Solana had been rescued. Shepard was killing off half his army with the help of an old, ex-cop turian. He leaned upward, dragging his talons across the blue prints of the next base he was planning on moving to. The hospital would be burned to the ground, just to make sure the evidence that could be used to track them was gone. "And Vakarian?"

He shifted where he was standing, "Supposedly Vakarian succumbed to his injuries. That's what she told us." The room seemed a little too hot suddenly as Oseser stood at his full height. He snapped his fingers at three men who were taking a smoke break a few feet away. They jumped up, moving to have guns trained on the elevator where Oseser's pointed.

"And you just believed her? I didn't know we were running a trust foundation you fucking moron." Oseser narrowed his eyes at him as the redhead was lead from the elevator toward them. There was a hub of computers and guards around him as he glanced at his little timer on his desk. 9:58. Two minutes to spare… now wasn't that punctual.

When things seemed too easy, they usually were. Oseser came down the stairs toward Shepard, "Now I thought Archangel had enough balls to not let his woman come to fight his battles. But then again, I did ask for both of you didn't I." He hummed, leaning a little to get a good look at those green eyes. "Come to turn him in for the winning team?" His voice took a purr, "They told me you were smart. Strange that I heard you retired."

Shepard cracked her face from it's bored expression, lips pulling back into a snarl. "I've killed off more than half of your forces today. How's it feel to have your ass handed to you by a god damn retiree?"

Oseser chuckled, "Ohhh feisty. Lemme guess you volunteered to come in here and distract us while Vakarian sets up one hell of a trap for us?" He walked around her, like a predator stalking prey. His face got disgusting close to her's for a moment and Shepard was certain she could feel her skin crawl. "He's right outside that elevator for whomever I send to look for him, huh?"

Her face fell, her eyes downcast in a pained expression, "No. I'm here to negotiate the release of the last of the hostages you have. Garrus is dead. You bastards nearly beat him to death."

Oseser hissed like a snake, "Then where's the body, Commander? You think I'm that stupid to believe that Vakarian isn't alive? I've tried to kill him before! Archangel- little Garrus Vakarian- is much harder to kill than that." His hand shot out and gripped her by the armor front. Her hands were tied behind her back and she winced at the grip. Oseser shook her. "Where's the fucking body?!" He shouted at her again, shaking her roughly until she felt a little dizzy.

"Downstairs- on the stairwell- where I was-." He dropped her with a shove and he rounded on several of his men who were staring at him from the computers. A little fear mixed with their expressions.

"Find it on the cameras! I want a visual." He ordered as the Batarian from before cleared his throat.

"Sir, should I tell the others to hold on killing the hostages?"

Oseser rounded on him, "Did I tell you to tell them anything? I asked for Vakarian AND Shepard. Until I get both, I don't give a damn if they run out of hostages to repaint every transport we have!" The Batarian nodded, putting down the phone and standing well out of Oseser's way.

Shepard swallowed roughly when Oseser leaned over one of his techs to look at the image on the screen. A turian did lay dead there on the stairwell. His neck broken and lying in a crumbled bloody heap. "Jordi!" He yelled and an Asari stepped out from the other side of the room, "Have two men make sure that's Vakarian." He was suspicious and that had kept him alive this long. Jordi bowed her head to him, whistling to have a few men find the body.

Shepard counted who remained. Oseser, Jordi, the team of three that brought her up, five guards milling about and three techs.

Oseser turned back to her, "So if that is Vakarian… what are you willing to bargain with. Just to humor you in this attempt to make me not slaughter everyone in this building."

Shepard narrowed her eyes at him, "Me. I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy." He shrugged, like this wasn't anything worth having. She continued, "I have spectre status on every port that's heard of the Alliance. No one knows I'm here and I'm on vacation for several months without contact. I can get you anywhere. Much better than Solana's credentials. Not only that, I can only imagine what your boss would say if you had me working for you."

Oseser had his head cocked to the side, "My father told me never to trust a woman who was just as good of a bullshitter as you are." He murmured, running a hand over his cheekbone with the crack in it. "And why would you work with us? You're the posterchild for paragon decisions everywhere."

"Because I'm not getting out of here alive, neither are those hostages, unless you're either dead or alright with it." She gestured with her chin around the room. "And since I can't kill you, I'll have to placate you. That's my terms. Ask Aria if you think I won't work with someone I don't like just to get a job done. Hell, speaking of Aria, I might even be able to get Eclipse off your back permanently."

"And how do you think you can do that?"

"I made out with her once."

Oseser narrowed his eyes at her, getting closer to her to see if she would shy away from him. She didn't, her eyes flickered down to the crack on his face to his black eyes. "I like the way you think. Cold, calculating. Fact driven... Ruthless." He stared at her another second to see if she wavered before backing away. Shouting at the Batarian, "Tell them to slow the killing fields until I have an answer from Jordi."

As soon as the phone was set down, several shots rang out. Shepard was moving now, her hands coming out of the handcuffs and tossed in the face of one of her captors before they were going to have a large bruise on their groin. Her other captive shot at anyone who reacted fast enough to her breaking free, before tearing off his helmet. Garrus crouched behind cover as Oseser snarled, using one of his own men as a shield when Shepard tried to shoot him. Garrus used what grenades Shepard had left to even the odds between them and Oseser's group. Red dust filled the air and they went to move to another spot, flanking those who were still upright.

A figure came running through the flickering lights- sprinklers had burst in the room coating everyone and everything with the fire resistant gel. One soldier let out a gasping sigh of relief, since he had been on fire moments before. The techs took cover, knowing when their job security had almost literally gone out the window.

Jordi came out of nowhere, vaulting over several corpses to kick Garrus so hard he slid back several feet. Her hand to hand skills were almost as good as his were. Shepard tried to give him cover fire, unable to help him now anyway. The few soldiers that remained were disoriented and more likely to shoot each other than the actual targets; yet still managed to pepper her cover every now and then. Shepard chose her targets, but picked the wrong moment to look for Garrus. He was still rolling around on the floor with Jordi who was hell bent on strangling him to death.

Someone knocked into her, taking the gun right out of her hands and slamming it against the wall. There was radio chatter in her ear. "It's a fake- it's one of ours on the stairwell in Vakarian's clothing! Vakarian is still alive!" A shadow came over her as Oseser loomed over her, looking evil with the emergency lights on and sprinkler gel dripping off his features. He pulled her up by her neck, "Good plan." He hissed as her throat couldn't even form a sound. She scrambled for a knife on her belt and he pressed himself against her. Keeping her throat tightly in his hand and his body weight pinning her to the wall now she couldn't squirm. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… I'll fucking kill you!"

"Should have done that the moment I showed up!" She snarled, balling up her fist and hitting him between his jaw and his mandible. When he pulled away from her she jabbed her thumb into his eye. He hissed in pain, giving her enough time to counter attack. Shepard and Garrus sparred often, and she knew how to attack a Turian. Eyes, neck, mandible and underneath their crest were always harsh places to hit. She'd even made Garrus nearly cry once, kicking him in the jaw.

She drove her attacker back until he was tripping over himself trying to get away, trying to get back on his feet as she pushed forward. Shepard knew she didn't have the strength or the reach, but she had the flexibility and speed. While he was close she put a well place boot to the side of his face; while he was still in shock that she had even gotten away from him in the first place. She spun, twisting away from his grip all together. The seconds she used to try to gain distance on him and back toward her weapon; he used to advance and picked her up like a rag doll.

Oseser gripped around her arm to swing her back to him- throwing Shepard to smash into one of the desks that had been thrown by the blast. Her head snapped into it and she felt pain blossom in her skull. He picked her up by the waist and slammed her several more times into the floor then through a row of computer screens. Glass shattered and cut into her exposed skin, but she still moved to get across the floor away from the turian. She shook her head before Oseser was on her again. He lifted her up and threw her halfway across the room into a control panel. The air was knocked out her and she felt the new medi-gel dislodge in her side and it was very hard to breathe suddenly. Blood came up her throat and she rolled off the table, gasping for breath.

Someone screamed her name but she couldn't tell from where or who it was. She could no longer see where Garrus and Jordi were in the room- only Oseser walking toward her. His own mouth was dripping gobs of blue. He picked her up and laid her on the desk- hitting Shepard again and again until her vision was spotted and she couldn't quite think anymore. Oseser's white markings were stained with the blood of his men and his captives. How much suffering had he caused?

"You think I don't know who you are? What you came here to do to me? To take everything away from me? I know everything- every move you make!" His voice was in her ear and she slapped his hands away from her before Oseser punched her across the face. His hands were tight around her throat again, and her fingers gripped at the talons crushing her wind pipe. What was it with these people and choking? "I know everything about this! I know everything about how to keep it safe! I even know child sized organs sell for the best prices! But I bet I'll get an even bigger pay back for Commander Shepard's! I'll skin you alive and mount you on my wall!" He took out the knife from Shepard's belt and held it over her head. "I'll start from your ankles and go towards your pretty green eyes. Make Garrus watch as you screa-!"

There was another roar as Shepard's vision was starting to tunnel. "Garrus!" She gasped as Oseser was practically lifted up and off of her. She sat up wheezing for air and hacking, getting a discarded gun off the floor and tried to aim where Oseser was. It wasn't Garrus who was pushing him off her.

Castis put his full weight into each of his swings, driving Oseser back by a few feet at a time. There was gunfire and Jordi slumped off Garrus. Shepard rose to fire at those soldiers who remained that had only been stalling to not hit Oseser or Jordi. Garrus scrambled to get to Castis, who could only hold back the younger Turian for so long.

"You should have stayed at home, old man!" Oseser was backed against the window paneling of the building. The darker Turian tried to use the knife he'd taken from Shepard, only for it to be taken away from him and thrown away. It stuck into the window, spider webbed cracks coming out of the place it had cut into.

The older Turian continued to push him back until they were up against the rapidly cracking glass. Throwing each other into it- trying to shove one another out of the window. They came at each other like two raging titans and Shepard screamed a warning about the glass as it shattered from Oseser being bounced off of it. The knife spiraled below and Oseser took them down to the floor to avoid being kicked out.

They wrestled on the ground before Castis was flat on his back. There was too much going on all at once- Castis punched him, shoving something into Oseser's opened mouth when he looked like he was going to take a bite out of the elder Turian.

"Choke on it!" Castis yelled and kicked Oseser out with all of his might. Oseser lost his balance being on the edge of the window, and fell backwards pulling the grenade from his mouth only moments too late.

They heard the scream and the explosion on the way down. Garrus slid to a stop beside his father, getting him out of the way of the window just in case the building crumbled apart any further than it already had today. There were sounds of police sirens and transports hovering around outside.

Castis looked up at his son, hugging him tightly, then nearly dropped. Garrus helped support him, more likely holding each other up than just one or the other. Shepard who came closer to them, holding her side. She looked out at the police far below. "It's over." She whispered, looking at the two Vakarians who looked as good as she did.

Garrus huffed a laugh, "And here I had this bad cop routine all planned out."

xXx

When they arrived at the Vakarian home, they were surprised to see that nothing was out of place in the slightest. Vetra greeted them from in the kitchen- with an icepack for Shepard, several piles of medical supplies and extra ammo laid out on the table. She was mopping a rather hideous blood stain off the kitchen floor. "Oh! Good to see you extended your stay after all!" Vetra greeted Shepard as soon as she saw her, an affectionate pat on the arm. "There's some treats in the oven."

Shepard, nor Garrus, could really form words. Castis greeted her with an affectionate head bump and a loud purr. She returned it, placing her arms around him too. "I had some house guests earlier. I stuck them in the basement if you'd like to have a chat with them later about their manners, dear." Garrus looked at his parents, then at Shepard. Vetra handed the mop to him, "Once you've gotten bandaged up would you help me clean that up, Garrus. I'm not as good as I used to be at getting that mess out of the floorboards." There was a sigh, "At least we went with the coated floors when we remodeled." Garrus could do nothing but nod as Castis lead her away, talking softly to her about what had happened.

"Your parents are awesome." She finally said to Garrus when they left the room, who was still holding the mop. Solana was at the hospital with the other civilians that had been rescued. The police had hounded them for information, but she had pushed through the majority with her spectre status. It would hold them off until they thought to come there for statements. She certainly wouldn't be leaving the planet without being held for a statement or twelve. The news had been camped outside, chomping at the bit for any information as to why a dead turian had landed on the police chief's car with his head blown clean off by a grenade blast. "Even the Vakarians who were librarians are dangerous."

Garrus glanced at her, "Some say more so." He leaned the mop against the counter top, coming closer to her. "Let's get a look at you." The turian urged.

Shepard sighed, setting her weapon on the kitchen countertop. It had been practically glued to her hand all day. "Can it wait until after a shower?"

The Turian nodded, "That's not a bad idea. Soon as dad is done explaining what happened to mom, we'll be going back to the hospital to make sure Solana is fine. And you're getting an exam too- you had your medi-gel beat out of you."

She cracked a smile, leaning against him for a moment. "I'm like a twinkie."

Garrus face grew more concerned for her, "I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound good."

"It really isn't." She laughed, "You wouldn't like it as much as chicken."

They took peace in this quiet moment. No gunfire, no cries of pain or scared whispers of hostages. Just them. They had made it. Survived… somehow.

A strangled yell jerked both of them out of their hushed laughter. "Garrus! Help me- your mother just collapsed!"