A Matter of Time and Space
BREAKING POINT
C-Sec Academy, Lower Wards, Citadel – 08:15 GST – 30thMay 2185 CE
Vereen wound her way through the crowd of C-Sec officers milling around the auditorium. She knew plenty of the C-Sec officers by name back when she worked at the traffic control station on the upper level, but it felt strange to be back in her old stomping ground, especially given the circumstances. Watching Valni and her team escorted away by C-Sec had been baffling enough, but seeing the skycars she'd been shadowing land at the Presidium entrance to the C-Sec Academy left her even more bewildered.
Vereen exited her skycar on the Presidium landing pad and hurried inside the academy.
The elevator ride was as long and boring as she remembered, and had the unfortunate effect of causing her to lose sight of Valni and the squad of arresting officers – they were nowhere to be seen when she arrived in the lobby.
After a brief and fruitless search up and down the spacious rotunda, Vereen caught sight of a couple of turian women dressed in flowing, iridescent robes as she rounded the central turbolift that led up to the Academy's private docking bay.
Stopping to stare at the unusual sight, Vereen was surprised to realise she knew one of the women.
"Tyra?" she called out. "Tyra Peroviss? Is that you?"
The woman in the gold embroidered dress looked up at the sound of her name, her eyes lighting up in recognition. "Vereen! How are you?"
Vereen approached, gazing at Tyra's sumptuous dress. "Spirits. I hardly recognised you."
"You like it?" Tyra asked, running a hand along the golden fabric.
"It's gorgeous."
"Well, at least someone appreciates it," Tyra replied with a quiet glare at a human C-Sec officer standing close by. She turned back to Vereen. "Are you back at traffic control?"
"No, no, my… my sister was brought here. C-Sec arrested her."
Tyra nodded. "Yes, I thought I recognised her colony patterns. She's probably being taken for processing."
"Do you know why they arrested her?" Vereen asked.
"Haven't a clue," Tyra said with a shrug. "But I can try to find out for you. It might take a while, though. If you need to get back to work, I can contact you as soon as I know something?"
Vereen shook her head firmly. "I'll wait."
Lidanya's gaze swept over the team as she silently appraised the disparate group. She gave Valni, Zaalia, and T'Rani a cursory glance before her eyes fell on Erata. The Matriarch acknowledged the asari engineer with a small smirk, and then finally directed her attention to Chaill's scowling face.
Lidanya regarded Chaill's red crest, her expression thoughtful. "You look good in red. Your natural colouring suits you."
"Yeah, thanks," Chaill muttered.
"So this is the team that bypassed the finest security a matriarch's money can buy? Not exactly the master criminals I was expecting. You certainly make for a unique group." She nodded at each of them in turn. "We have a demoted warrant officer, a reassigned Cabalite, a former commando, a maiden engineer with an infamous reputation – good to see you again, by the way, Erata."
"Matriarch," Erata replied quietly, keeping her eyes averted.
"And a krogan willing to go to extreme lengths to complete his mission…" Lidanya finished. "I have no doubts why you were recruited. Your charms certainly worked on me."
Chaill cleared his throat.
"I was given to understand there is also a quarian on your team?" Lidanya added. "Where is she?"
"Huerta Memorial," Valni replied. "She was injured on Omega."
"She saved my life," Chaill put in.
"Indeed?" Lidanya's eyes widened slightly. "I may just have to thank her personally."
"I take it this barefaced bastard told you about Illium?" T'Rani asked, pointedly ignoring Passcal behind her.
"Matriarch Lidanya had a right to be informed of an illegal search of her…" Passcal began, but T'Rani shouted over him.
"Did it sound like I was talking to you?!"
"The Inquisitor did inform me of your actions," Lidanya confirmed.
"Who does this benefit?" Zaalia challenged the Inquisitor. "Leaking classified information to a suspect – with all due respect, Matriarch – in an active investigation?! What were you thinking?"
"I was doing my duty as a member of the Hierarchy," Passcal insisted.
"So were we!" Valni countered.
T'Rani was still glaring accusingly at Lidanya. "You ordered our arrest, didn't you? The Inquisitor doesn't have the authority to interfere with a C-Sec investigation, much less detain a taskforce."
Lidanya smiled. "I may be a matriarch, but I do not have universal jurisdiction in Council Space. Fortunately, a quiet word in the right place helped grease the wheels, as the humans say. I am privileged to have the ear of the Asari Councillor. She and I have a history."
"Who doesn't? That woman has a history with half of Thessia!" T'Rani muttered.
"It took some persuasion but the Councillor agreed to authorise your extradition for crimes committed on Illium."
"And you brought us here so you could rub our noses in it?" Chaill said with scorn. "That's pathetic!"
Lidanya's smile did not falter. "As it happens, I'm here to thank you."
If they had been looking at him, the team might have noticed the expression of doubt flash across Passcal's face as he stared at Lidanya.
The matriarch continued, "The break-in was an audacious scheme. You highlighted serious flaws in my security. I've had to completely review and overhaul my protection detail. Honestly, some of my acolytes will let just about anyone into my home these days."
"You just can't get the staff," Zaalia quipped.
"And if it hadn't been for your ill-advised break-in, I would never have discovered my trusted assistant was a spy. She somehow managed to bypass all my security protocols and used my own computer to arrange the illegal transportation of slaves. She even gained limited access to the Matriarch's Network. Goddess only knows what information she stole. If I wasn't so monumentally outraged, I'd be impressed."
"And where is she now, matriarch?" Erata asked. "I know from experience what happens to people who disappoint you."
Lidanya chuckled. "Yes, I was rather harsh on you, wasn't I, my dear? She has gone to ground. Slunk back into whatever hole she crawled out of – likely with a new identity. Either that or she'd been executed by her paymasters. Perhaps we'll never find her? What worries me is that she was screened extensively before she joined my staff. I trusted her with my personal files for over a decade and she still managed to deceive me! The Network has been investigating, but they still have no idea who she worked for…"
"Other than you," Valni pointed out.
"Just so," Lidanaya conceded. "I suppose it was inevitable that suspicion would fall on me? I may have made some questionable choices in my youth, but I am not in the habit of employing thieves or allowing assassins unfettered access to my home." Her gaze fell on Chaill. "Though as a matriarch, that seems to be an occupational hazard."
"I wasn't there to harm you," Chaill rumbled.
"No, you had something much more pleasurable in mind. The things you will do for the cause. Such dedication," Lidanya purred. "My Illium 'dwelling'" – she flashed Chaill another coy smile – "may never be safe to use again."
"That doesn't change the fact that, unwittingly or not, you employed a slaver," T'Rani said.
Lidanya's expression grew serious. "Believe me, I want this resolved as quickly as you do. The Matriarchs are asking some very difficult questions and I would like to provide them with answers. I am more than willing to cooperate with your investigation."
Valni raised her manacled hands. "You call this cooperation?"
"Spirits! What are you like when you're being obstructive?" Zaalia exclaimed.
Lidanya shrugged. "Curiosity got the better of me," she explained. "I wanted to meet the team that managed to break into one of my most heavily secured compounds. I've read your files. You regularly go above and beyond the call of duty: taking on the merc gangs, fighting in warzones, rescuing a krogan mother and child from marauders." She nodded at Chaill. "Your child, in fact. Your team has liberated upwards of sixty civilians from slavers." She paused to regard the quintet. "Hmmm, you do seem to inspire a great deal of loyalty."
Valni wasn't entirely sure whom that last comment was directed at.
Lidanya turned to Passcal. "And I was also curious why an Inquisitor from the Turian Hierarchy would go to so much trouble to secure the arrest of a C-Sec officer and her team. Or how he learned about the break-in on my apartment in the first place. It is highly doubtful Primarch Fedorian would willingly offer up information of such a sensitive nature to a subordinate."
Slowly, the team turned and all eyes fell on Passcal.
"Well, Inquisitor? Care to elaborate?" Lidanya urged.
"I am not here to answer your questions," the Inquisitor replied coldly.
"And yet you needed my help to secure the team's arrest," Lidanya pointed out.
"An alliance of convenience," Passcal retorted.
"They still need to be processed by Illium authorities. As a ranking officer of Illium's Federal Court it falls on me to ensure their extradition is handled correctly."
"So 'conflict of interest' doesn't mean much to you guys?" Zaalia said wryly.
"The rules are… flexible where matriarchs are concerned," Lidanya replied.
"Well, I'm sure the Turian Councillor would be fascinated to know how you discovered that information, too," Valni told Passcal.
"The opinion of a traitor holds little weight with me," Passcal sneered.
"I don't see a traitor, Inquisitor," Lidanya said. Valni frowned at the matriarch; she was still undecided as to whether Lidanya was an enemy or an ally. "I see a dedicated officer willing to risk her life to complete her mission," the matriarch continued. "And you're veering off-topic. How did you discover their plan to break into my apartment?"
Passcal eyed the matriarch warily, his mandibles clamped firmly against his mouth. "I am not at liberty to discuss that… sharing such information would be a security risk."
In reply, Lidanya turned and ordered her bodyguards and C-Sec officers from the room.
The office doors closed behind the commandos and the lock flared red as it sealed itself shut.
The matriarch turned back to Passcal. "There. Now only those germane to the case can hear us. I repeat: how did you learn of their plans?"
"I've told you all you need to know, nothing more," Passcal said stubbornly.
"Is that so?" Lidanya tilted her head. "Odd that you should order the team's arrest just when the Executor is meeting with the Council," she mused. "And then, instead of the office on the Presidium, you order them brought to the C-Sec Academy for processing – conveniently where you have access to a private dock… And I assume, a ship moored there, ready and waiting. It's almost as if you were trying to fast-track their extradition to Illium. Or were you planning to head directly to Palaven…?"
Lidanya let her words hang in the air.
The Inquisitor was stone-faced.
The team were staring daggers at him.
"The Primarch is going to know about this one way or the other," T'Rani weighed in, keeping the pressure on Passcal. "If the matriarch doesn't tell him, I'll make damned sure the Asari Councillor knows! So enlighten us, how did you learn about the mission on Illium?"
Passcal grunted. He glanced down, snorting through his nose. "The information came in a data packet," he admitted. "It was left on my desk shortly before your taskforce departed for Omega. I don't know who delivered it."
Lidanya frowned. "An anonymous tip-off? It would appear that C-Sec has a security leak."
"Tell us something we don't know," Zaalia muttered.
"And, naturally, you sought authorization for their arrest with the Executor?" Lidanya asked the Inquisitor.
Passcal's face was a rictus mask of barely contained fury. "I did not," he replied.
"But you did inform me – a suspect in the case," Lidanya observed. "That is a breach of protocol, is it not? Punishable by demotion, or even imprisonment?"
"A risk I'm willing to take if it secures Severan's conviction," Passcal replied with feeling.
Valni shook her head in fury. "Spirits! This was your endgame all along? After you used me to try and trap Kenneth, after everything you put me through. You've already decided I'm guilty?"
Passcal screwed up his face as if he'd smelt something unpleasant. "I loathe traitors! You had the chance to redeem yourself by gathering intel from your Cerberus lover, Severan, but you squandered it. You gave me nothing! I can only conclude that your loyalty lies with him. You've shown your true colours. If I could I would personally execute everyone who betrays the Hierarchy!"
"So eager to deal in death, Inquisitor?" Lidanya asked him. "I guess that's to be expected from a member of the hastatim."
Valni and Zaalia looked sharply at Passcal at the mention of that word.
"You're hastatim?!" Valni said aghast.
Passcal's smile grew predatory. He gave the team a salute. "Former Commander of the Hastatim 5th Fleet wet-team."
"A death squad!" Zaalia grimaced. "That explains why you're making my flesh crawl."
It was said that there was no such thing as a turian civilian. Nearly all turian families kept small arms in their homes, ready at any time to join citizen militias if war broke out. To subdue these militias, the Hierarchy had formed the hastatim execution squads. In the event of war, the hastatim travelled from colony to colony and house to house to relocate the civilian population to 'safe camps'. Any citizen who resisted or showed signs of violence was summarily executed. In general, the hastatim were considered to be a necessary evil, acting as they did as a deterrent against citizen uprisings. Without the execution squads, turian militias would continue to fight the ruling governments for years.
"Once a killer always a killer, huh?" Zaalia accused. "Knew you hastatim guys were lifers."
"I will do whatever is necessary to advance up the meritocracy," Passcal said proudly.
"I bet you will," Chaill growled, curling his lip in disgust.
Lidanya turned back to Valni. "Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, maybe you could tell us why the captives you rescued were in those pods?"
Passcal frowned as he glanced at Lidanya. "What pods?"
"The stasis chambers the captives were in," T'Rani explained. "It's not our fault if you spend all your time behind that desk."
"The matriarch does not have clearance …" Passcal started, but Lidanya shot him down.
"You had no problem bringing me into this when it suited you, Inquisitor," Lidanya said curtly. "Whether you like it or not, I am now a part of this investigation." She turned to Valni. "The captives you rescued need to be removed from the stasis chambers. Any information you can give could potentially aid in their release. So, what happened on Omega?"
"Perhaps we could discuss this…" T'Rani began, but Lidanya shook her head.
"If you don't mind, I would like to hear it from the Team Leader."
Valni turned to T'Rani, silently seeking permission from the asari.
After a nod from the Maven and her recommendation to "Keep it short", Valni briefed the matriarch.
She described their meeting with Aria, including the revelation that their turian contact in the Blue Suns had been killed, and the unexpected appearance of a human informant.
"That would be the human who was arrested with you at the docks?" Lidanya asked.
"Yes," Valni confirmed, though she neglected to mention Zaalia'a connection to him. Then she explained how the informant had directed the team to a Blue Suns base in District B; she described the raid and the rescue of two captives. She detailed how they'd detected the electro-magnetic pulse that led them to the captives, and to the Collectors.
Lidanya's expression changed dramatically when the Collectors were mentioned. Passcal, however, remained typically sceptical.
"You're claiming you fought Collectors?" he scoffed.
"We got up-close and personal with dozens of them…" Valni began.
"… They were fairly easy to identify," Zaalia finished.
"You've no doubt Collectors were the buyers?" Lidanya asked them.
"Check the pods. They're Collector technology," Chaill insisted. "Or ask the elcor! Between us, we killed enough of those damned things."
Lidanya nodded grimly. "Well, this puts a different complexion on things."
"You can't possibly expect me to believe…?" Passcal began.
"They're not the only team who have fought Collectors," the matriarch said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Passcal demanded.
"Reports from the colonists on Horizon confirm the Collectors have been attacking human colonies. Commander Shepard engaged them in battle. The Collectors have taken thousands of humans already. Officially, the abductions have been blamed on pirates in the Terminus, but the true culprits haven't been released to the public. The Council doesn't want to start a panic."
"What panic?" Passcal asked. "If they're only targeting humans, what does it matter?"
Valni felt an overwhelming urge to break the Inquisitor's stupid face.
"It matters because Severan's team just proved that the Collectors are not exclusively targeting humans. If they were the buyers for the captives, then the Collectors are a threat to every species they've taken. The humans might only be the beginning. It's possible the Collectors may start to take other species in greater numbers. All lives are at stake."
Passcal waved his hand dismissively. "That is mere conjecture."
"You're not even a little curious why they're being taken?" Chaill asked the Inquisitor.
"That is the real question," Lidanya agreed with a small smile. "I've read reports of previous encounters with Collectors. The aliens are inscrutable. They employ mercs or private companies to supply them with subjects, often in exchange for vast sums. But the groups of people they've taken in the past were so small they rarely merited an investigation. Obviously, the Collectors have stepped up their operation, but Goddess knows what they ultimate goal might be.
"If it wasn't for Severan's team, we wouldn't know the Collectors were involved." Lidanya waved a hand at Passcal. "And here you are attempting to end her investigation without establishing why the captives were abducted or what the mercs are getting out of it. Forgive my cynicism, but I find your reasoning specious…"
"No doubt the mercs are doing it for the money," Passcal replied with a sneer.
"Yes, but did the Collectors contact the mercs or are they working through an intermediary?" Lidanya queried. "These are questions you should be asking." She turned to Valni. "Did you find any evidence the Collectors are working with a third party?"
"No," T'Rani said hastily. "We don't have any leads. The trail went cold on Omega."
"That is… unfortunate," Lidanya muttered.
"If we are done here, I have prisoners to process," Passcal said.
"No, I think this farce has gone on long enough," Lidanya replied. "Now is the time to release them."
Passcal stared at the matriarch as if she'd gone mad. "You may be a matriarch, but you do not have the authority to order the release of prisoners from C-Sec," he pointed out.
"You're right, I don't," Lidanya conceded. With a small beep, the lock on the office entrance flashed from red to green and the doors slid open to reveal Executor Pallin. "But he does!" Lidanya said without turning around.
"What in the Spirit's bloody blue balls is going on?!" the Executor demanded.
Lidanya was grinning at Passcal. "I sent a message to the Executor before our meeting," she explained.
"Inquisitor! Did you sanction an arrest without my consent?" Pallin demanded.
"It was within my rights as…"
"Stuff your rights!" Pallin exclaimed. The normally cool and collected Executor looked apoplectic. The air was suddenly filled with a series of vivid expletives uttered in a variety of different turian dialects, and even the odd asari curse.
Once he'd calmed down, it took mere moments for the Executor to supersede Passcal's orders and demand the team's release.
The officers trailing after Pallin moved in and unfastened the handcuffs. Zaalia rubbed her wrists as the shackles came off.
One of the turian officers approached Chaill warily. "Thank you for your cooperation," he said to the krogan.
Chaill lifted his hands above his head and then brought his arms down with a sharp snap, breaking the handcuffs in two. "Happy to cooperate," he replied.
Then the Executor ordered everyone out apart from the matriarch and Passcal.
"I'm going to the hospital," Chaill announced. "We've wasted enough time here!"
"I'll go with you," Erata offered.
"Get him a skycar," T'Rani ordered an asari officer.
They made for the door. As he reached the threshold, Lidanya called after Chaill. The krogan turned.
"If you're ever in the need of company, be sure to give my office a call … Perhaps you and I could pick up where Grax left off?"
Lidanya grinned.
Chaill backed out of the room.
The office doors closed, sealing Passcal inside with Lidanya and Pallin. Chaill turned and practically sprinted down the corridor, with Erata and a C-Sec officer hot on his heels as they rushed towards the skycar lot.
Valni and Zaalia were about to follow them when T'Rani pulled them over to a deserted corner of the waiting room.
"I don't like this," T'Rani said quietly. "Don't you think it's strange the Inquisitor should order our arrest right after we disrupt the merc's operation on Omega?"
"You think Passcal's dirty?" Valni asked.
"Possibly," T'Rani mused. "But he sounded genuine when he said he didn't know who left the data packet on his desk. Whoever's leaking information obviously wants us, and you especially, Severan, out of the way. And despite what Lidanya did for us, I don't trust the matriarch as far as I could throw her… If the Inquisitor is in league with the mercs…"
"Then who knows how far up this goes," Valni finished. She turned to Zaalia. "Your friend was right: who can we trust?"
Zaalia nodded. "The informant has to be someone in the department."
"Doesn't narrow down the list of suspects," T'Rani muttered as she glanced at the C-Sec officers wandering the halls. "Until we know more, we keep what Officer Blauhorn told us under wraps, and work on the assumption that anyone could be the mole."
Vereen was bored. Tyra had long since disappeared with her friend, so she'd been entertaining herself by watched the milling crowd of officers. But her eyes kept being drawn back to the brown-skinned human C-Sec officer loitering close-by who was sipping at a cup of hot and sweet asari conchol. Vereen had the strangest feeling she'd seen her before.
"Excuse me, but have we met?" Vereen asked the woman.
Officer May frowned and took another sip of her conchol. "Not to my recollection," she replied cagily.
Vereen's attention was drawn by the krogan who had been arrested with Valni and two asari run through the lobby. They disappeared into the main turbolift going up to the Presidium.
A minute later, Valni, accompanied by that T'Rani woman and another turian, hurried down the steps.
Valni spotted her and, after telling T'Rani that she'd catch her up, wandered over to intercept her sister.
They hugged in greeting. Vereen was still furious with Valni for not telling her about the bodyguards watching her every move, but, at that moment, she was more relieved to see Valni was safe.
Vereen disentangled herself and glared sternly at her little sister.
"Mind telling me what's going on?" she demanded.
"I wish I could," Valni replied.
"Next time, how about you warn me I've got two violent psychos following me around?!"
"I was under orders; I couldn't tell you," Valni replied miserably. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"Not me, but they burst into my apartment and mistook Ethan was a mugger, or worse. They wrestled him to the ground and arrested him."
"He didn't say who he was?" Valni asked.
"He couldn't. His mouth was full."
The human spluttered into her conchol.
Valni stared at Vereen. She listened to the C-Sec officer coughing fitfully behind her as she chose her next words very carefully. "Um… So, what… exactly was he doing with his mouth…?"
"He was biting my neck!"
"Ah! Well, that's a relief," Valni muttered under her breath. "I didn't know your relationship had reached that level?"
"We didn't reach any level!" Vereen protested. "Your C-Sec Stormtroopers broke in and ruined the moment!"
"I can see why you're upset."
"Upset doesn't begin to cover it."
"How's your friend?"
Vereen hugged her arms. "I don't know; we haven't spoken since last night. They questioned him for two hours before releasing him. Since then, I haven't been able to get in touch."
"This is a mess. I'm really sorry, Reen."
Vereen caught Valni expression; she looked drained, her eyes shrunken with exhaustion. Whatever she had been through was obviously weighing heavily on her.
"Are you alright?" she asked, placing a hand on Valni's shoulder.
Valni looked up and shook her head. "No. No, I'm really not."
Valni wished she could confide in her sister, she wished she could tell her everything that happened, but it was an impossibility – it would be a betrayal of everything she believed in. And it would put Vereen in unacceptable danger. Knowing that, however, didn't make it any easier to bear.
"I have to get to Huerta Memorial," Valni said finally. "One of the team was hurt badly."
"Can I come with you?" Vereen asked. "You might want some company."
Valni thought about it for a moment – she had to consider if it would be a security risk.
Eventually, she nodded. "Sure."
Vereen wrapped her arm around Valni's shoulder and together they walked to the turbolift.
Valni found Chaill and the rest of the team talking to Dr. Chloe Michel at the far end of the Inpatient Wing of Huerta Memorial.
Valni passed through the decontamination corridor and moved to the group standing outside a private room on the right, its normally transparent photochromic windows set to opaque.
"… Put her in isolation," Dr. Michel was explaining as Valni approached. "We've made her as comfortable as we can, but it will be a long recovery. Her wound was treated properly with medi-gel, but an infection has set in. If it hadn't been for your prompt action, she may have lost her arm. As it is, she will be sick for a while. With a quarian's weak immune systems, her shoulder wound will likely heal long before her body has fought off the infection."
"How long?" Chaill asked.
"One, maybe two weeks," Dr. Michel explained.
Chaill's expression was troubled. "Can we see her?"
Dr. Michel nodded. "She is still in the isolation chamber, but her room has been sterilized so she will be able to move about when she is able."
"Without her suit?" Erata asked.
"Within the confines of the clean room, yes," Dr. Michel said.
The doctor activated her omni-tool and tapped away at the controls. Behind her, the opaque windows of Lia'Vael's private room became transparent.
Inside the room, Lia'Vael's isolation pod was set on a raised hospital bed. They could hear the constant beep of the heart monitors and the gentle hiss of the respiratory equipment.
Within the pod, through the small section of glass that wasn't opaque, the team could just make out Lia'Vael's lavender-coloured three-fingered hand resting on the white sheet covering her legs and body.
Chaill stepped closer to the door. He rested his hand against the glass, staring wistfully into the room.
"Look what happened…"
Author's Note: My thanks to the brilliant Bayzee, who provided valuable insights into the first draft of this chapter and helped shape future events.
I'm afraid we are approaching the final act of the story - only about 14 chapters remain - and I certainly hope you have enjoyed the story so far. More on the way...