"Did you tell everyone on the bloody ship what was going on?" I muttered to Kasumi as I walked in.

"Word kinda spread quickly."

"Yeah, thanks. Now I'm going to have to let her get some hits in so she doesn't get humiliated as badly." I muttered as I teleported into the ring.

Raptor looked up from her omni-tool and did a double take. "What the- I thought you said we were doing this in full armor."

I fastened the front of the jacket, and made one last check of the sleeves to make sure I hadn't missed a knife or two. "I told you to put the armor on cause you'd need it. I will not need it." And if I do need protection, the extra padding I put in this thing and the biotic barrier oughta be enough. "I figure you needed a handicap anyway. Also, just to be clear, I'm not going to be using the Lashes or Dreadshot, just cause that's tech not skill."

"The Dreadshot?!"

"I will, however, use on anyone else here who is stupid enough to mock its name within earshot of me while also having glass bones."

"Shutting up." Joker slid behind Garrus.

I had to fight a grin. "So, don't suppose you were able to talk someone into actually reffing this thing?"

"Only because nobody else was brave enough to." Miranda muttered as she walked in, addressing both us and the rest of the crew. "The terms are simple. Whoever gives up first, loses. Whoever is rendered unconscious first loses. If either combatant is no longer able to continue-"

"Yeah, I think we get the picture." I interrupted..

"Maybe stick to cheerleading if you wanna be here!" Jack taunted her.

I teleported over to surprise her with a fistbump before teleporting back to the ring. "Last chance to call this off Dinolady. Hate for you to end up extinct."

"...Jason, that was just plain awful, and I'm going to kick your ass for that alone."

"Lawson, you doing a countdown, or can we just get to the fun part?"

She backed up several meters, and raised her hand. "On three...two...fight."
"Wow, way to make even that boring." I sighed.

As I'd expected, Raptor took advantage of my apparent distraction, tossing a throw orb my way. I planted my feet as I poured energy into my barrier, and it dispersed without any real effect.

"I thought you said you'd gotten better at this!" I taunted. She responded with a shockwave. I sidestepped it with a teleport. "Come on, are you even trying?"

She put both hands together and tossed a slightly larger orb at me. I snapped my fingers, and a domed orb appeared around me, absorbing it. I teleported behind her and poked her in the back, which sent her stumbling as she tried not to fall over.

She wheeled around, tossing a blind throw orb which managed to clip me, making me take a step back.

"Seriously, brave effort and all, but-" I was caught totally off guard by her warp, and though it didn't do anything thanks to my barrier, it was enough for her follow up throw to set off and send me flying against the far wall.

"What were you saying?" She growled.

I got to my feet, cracking my neck as I did so. "Thanks, that knot'd been there all day. Now I can save on the chiropractic bills."

I teleported out of the way of her next attack, and pushed her in the small of the back, putting just enough biotic force behind it to knock her to the ground several feet away. She rolled to her knees, but I just stomped my foot and dropped her again with a nova.

"Raptor, this is idiotic." I hissed quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. "Seriously, I feel like Superman fighting Batman here, except you don't even have kryptonite."

"I don't need it." She pushed off up the ground and hit me with a biotic uppercut, which due to her actual fist connecting, sent me against the ceiling, and I barely managed to catch myself before I hit the ground face first.

I stood back up, rubbing my jaw where she'd hit me. "Well, that wasn't really biotics so much as you just punching me, which we all already know is impressive." I teleported as she threw a shockwave at me.

"Although, you don't have your weapons, so that should make your recharges a bit faster. Might be able to set up some combos if you're smart." I flicked my fingers, and a singularity appeared next to her. Her kinetic barriers absorbed some of it, but she was still knocked off balance.

I took a step back, then sprinted at her and charged, punching her in the gut and knocking her clear across the room. "Of course, they won't be as good as my combos, but still better than having them on their own."

She got back to her feet, one hand on her gut for a moment as she stumbled before she was back upright. "You've got the skill, you've got the experience. I've got the stubbornness, and I've got armor."

"And I applaud you for how well you've done so far." I said, sarcastically clapping. She rolled to the side as I slammed my hands together, and the massive orb that shot forth didn't even clip her.

"You expected me to fall for that? We've worked together a long time- I know how you fight. You have no idea what I'll do though."

She's got a point there...but there's more than one flavor of biotic. I hit her with dark channel, and though it didn't do much against her kinetic barriers, it clearly stung. I created a pair of throw orbs in my right hand, and hurled both. She dodged one, but the other set off the explosion.

"You don't know all my tricks."

She spun around as I teleported, and suckerpunched me as I reappeared behind her, knocking me to the ground."I know that trick." She slammed me into the ceiling, then into the ground again with a single movement. "You don't know all mine either. You're not the only one I can learn from."

I flexed my back and arms and flipped up so I was back on my feet. Okay, so that's a bit trickier with the robot arm having to be unsymmetrical, but glad I practiced with it...still need to upgrade the artificial biotics in the thing though. I charged her and slammed my fist down for a nova, knocking her to the ground. "And the tricks of mine you do know, you know because they work."

I teleported as she tossed a shockwave where I'd been. She doesn't give up, gotta give her that.

She stood up, but as she prepared another move, I snapped my fingers and put her in stasis. I then slowly and deliberately walked up to her, doubting she could warp out. "And this is the part where you fall down." I didn't put all my energy into a flare, just enough that it'd be big, and I dropped it at her feet.

The drop in energy forced me to release the stasis field, but the flare on its own still had enough punch to send her flying without needing to make a combo.

Of course, I doubt it'll be that easy. She forced herself to her feet, fire in her eyes.

I was glad I hadn't put everything into the flare, as my biotics were back by the time she was on her feet completely.

"So, wanna call it a draw here?"

She answered by crouching down, and planting her feet like a runner.

I set my own feet, pouring everything into my barrier. There's no way she could really charge, right?

She pushed off the ground, sprinting at me.

So, I could teleport out of the way, hit her with a charge of my own, or...well, this way is most likely to fail and make her feel like she actually accomplished something.

She jumped as she reached me, slamming her knee into my face with a lot of biotic force behind it.

Barrier or not, I definitely felt it, though I didn't let it show. "Huh, actually got me to take a step backwards. You'll have to teach me that one." I kicked her across the room biotically, barely able to keep from wincing. That no-sell had better have been cool looking, cause I'm pretty sure my grandstanding just broke my nose...yeah, that's broken. Goddamnit, now I gotta have Chakwas set it again, and then the bone-medigel stuff that itches like hell...Should've just teleported.

"If you want to know how to do it," She said as she got back up, "I suggest you watch closely."

"You know, Scorpion is my favorite MK character." I said casually as she did the running stance again. As she ran, I ran at her as well. As she started to jump, I leaned back, almost letting myself fall, and I charged. I shot forward along the ground, taking out her legs and sending her crashing to the ground, but I was past her and behind her before she hit. "Doesn't mean I can't borrow a few moves from Sub-Zero though." I said as I stood back up.

She wiped blood from her lip as she got back up, and I did the same thing, sliding along the ground and knocking her legs out from under her.

She forced herself back up, glaring.

"Oh for crying out loud, will you just stay down?" I charged her normally this time, and went for a followup biotic punch.

Instead, my fist ended up impacting her palm as she grabbed it, her reflexes equal to mine. Ohshitthisisgonnasuck!

She punched me in the gut biotically and sent me flying into the wall, hard enough to actually dent it. I pressed a hand to my stomach and forced myself not to wince. Wow, I am glad I had the reaction time to put up a barrier...still hurt like a bitch.

"Here's the question Jason. Who can hit harder? And who can take more hits?" She tapped her armor. "Feeling stupid about that handicap about now?"

My answer came in the form of a stasis field. "Can't catch my punch if you can't move." This time the biotically enhanced punch hit, and set off the stasis field, sending her flying against the wall. She didn't dent hers though, to my slight chagrin. She also was far quicker to recover, getting in that knee-slam stance.

Oh for- am I actually going to have to knock her out with the pyschomancer to get her to quit?

I charged at her as she started sprinting, and this time she didn't have enough time to avoid it, or the nova that followed it up and sent her back where she started. She pushed herself to her feet, wiping blood from her nose this time.

I threw a singularity just to the side of her head, and the pull made her stumble, knocking her off balance so my throw knocked her on her ass.

"Seriously, we're all impressed you've lasted this long. But enough is enough. Stay down before I have to make you." I flared my biotics as she stood back up.

"The only way I'm going to stay down, is if you go down first."

"Okee doke." I half-dashed so I was laying on the ground. "Your turn."
I probably deserved to be slammed into the wall for that. I mused as I got back up.

"Alright then- have it your way." My biotics went red and I saw her hesitating. I took the opening and charged, slamming into her with my shoulder and knocking her down; I felt something crack as I hit her. I stepped on her stomach as I let off my nova, bending the metal beneath her, and visibly denting her armor.

I teleported as she swiped at my leg. Chivalrous thing would be to wait for her to get back to her feet. Smart thing is what I'm about to do. I lifted her into the air and slammed her into the ceiling, then back into the ground.

She still was struggling, forcing herself to sit up.

Hell with it, at this point I'm going to kill her on accident, or she'll do that to me. I raised my hand as if I was ready to slam her into the ground again if she didn't go down, biotics flaring around my hand. Well, I managed to knock out that merc on Zorya. Good thing I'm not trying this for the first time, or I'd hate doing this even less. I channeled my biotics through the device on my palm.

She visibly tensed as I made contact, and I quickly applied pressure to the right areas, hoping she wouldn't realize what I was doing. A moment later her eyes rolled up in her eyes as she passed out, and I caught her so her head didn't slam into the ground again.

"And, Bourne won. Big surprise." Joker commented.

"Yeah, but she definitely made me work for it." I said, rubbing at my stomach. "Armor and cybernetics should've absorbed the worst of that, but Chakwas should still take a look at-"

Raptor suddenly groaned, and her eyes flickered open.

"Oh come on!"

She got back to her feet, obviously woozy, but biotics nonetheless flickered around her arm.

I went to throw her again, then sighed. "Okay, you know what? Fine. I'll throw in the towel just so she doesn't kill herself over this." I threw my arms up in exasperation. "Christ!"

She smiled weakly, then fell over, and I caught her again so she didn't slam into the ground.

"...So, Garrus, I believe since he just surrendered, you owe me a hundred credits?" Kasumi broke the silence. "Actually, a lot of people do."

"Yeah, you're welcome." I muttered, popping my back. "And if they don't pay you, you have my permission to just steal the proper amount of credits when they're not looking... Except Garrus, steal twice as many credits from him."

The turian glared at me.

"Never underestimate Shepard." Tali commented smugly. "Told you she'd win."

Of course, being that she was knocked out she technically should've had to forfeit, but being as I cheated to do that, I'll allow it...also, she did kinda beat the hell outta me, even if she's the one that's on the ground exhausted right now.

"So, which of you wants to go up against me?" Jack cracked her knuckles.

"Ask me tomorrow...no, actually, ask me a week from now. No, on second thought, don't call me, I'll call you." I responded, turning towards the door, and teleporting before she could respond.

So, do I let my ego get bruised, or...nah, if I'd been trying to kill her, I could've, so it's not like she's better, just more stubborn. Not like I could actually put a singularity in her brain or give her an aneurysm or something just for something like this. And if I'd gone full force, I would've been too drained for later, not to mention the damage I might've done to the ship or something. I mean, with the stuff they say about Jack, and me being able to dent that piece of Sovereign, no sense taking chances with my own ship.

But, now, time to get ready for my big *diplomatic* meeting...after I get my nose fixed.


As the door opened and the person I'd been waiting for walked in, I slunk a little more into the shadows I'd found, making sure she'd come alone.

As she sat down, I considered my options a moment. Surprising her by emerging from the shadows would be kinda cool and dramatic, but it could also get me thrown through a wall. Coughing and then walking out could have the same effect, as could speaking suddenly...Screw it, might as well go with the cool option.

As I walked towards her desk slowly, silently, she glanced at the movement before looking back at her datapad, then did a double take.

"Hello Councilor Tevos." I said casually, as if I hadn't snuck my way into her secure office.

"What- how did-"

"Don't worry, your security was actually really good, took me like an hour to get in here." And that was with the teleporting, but no sense telling her that...though she did see me do it at that one hearing...meh, if she figures it out, fine, if not, even better. "Few minor things, but I wasn't able to exploit them so I doubt many others could either."

She took a deep breath. "I assume this is important, or you would not be here. But if this is for some mere prank, or-"

"Tevos, let's get something straight. I don't like any of you original three you on the council, but most of the time I hate you less than the other two. If I were going to prank any of you, you'd be my last priority, between you also having biotics and well...yeah, I'd probably just get Sparatas twice." I shrugged. "So no, this is not a prank, and it is important."

"If it is so important, why did you not contact all of us? Unless you simply want to make a point, and get me to arrange the meeting?"

"Believe me, if I had solid proof on the reapers or something, I would've sent it to all of you seven different ways so you couldn't ignore it...unfortunately, I'm still working on that proof...I have footage of one of the collector's ships, from the interior, but unfortunately, didn't think to bring it. Wouldn't really convince you anyway." And I'd probably want to edit out the parts about me and the other Alphas.

"Then why are you here? And know that Spectre or not, if you are just wasting my time, I will have a team of commandos here in under six minutes."

"And in half that time, they would all be unconscious or dead, and I would continue this conversation with you as if nothing had happened. No, I am not wasting your time Councilor." I paused. "I did find out one interesting little factoid though. We managed to get a DNA sample from a collector, turned out to have a quad strand genetic structure, not unlike the guys who you think built this station."

She paused. "I don't follow."

"The only other species known to have DNA like that would be the Protheans. Ergo, the collectors are evidently descended from the protheans, though highly...changed. Cybernetics, brainwashing, genetic rewrite- done by those 'dismissed claims' of Sparatas."

"If you think that is proof enough...it could rewrite galactic history, and would certainly be of note, but I hardly think you needed to tell me that in person."

"No, but I thought it might be a good segway to the real reason I'm here." I brought up my omni-tool for one final bug check, but I was positive by now nobody would overhear us. I was also pretty sure this could either be the dumbest thing I'd ever done, or the ballsiest, and it sure as hell was in the top five riskiest.

"I am about ready to call those commandos, so I suggest you make your case compelling."

"I'll make it in just one sentence." My eyes went red behind the visor. "I know what your government has hidden in the temple of Athame on Thessia."

The silence could've been cut by even the dullest knife I'd ever held.

"I'm sorry, I think I misheard you." She said calmly. "Can you repeat that?"

"I don't think I need to. I think you heard exactly what I said. Your people have hidden a prothean beacon right in plain sight since...well, that part I'm a wee bit sketchy on, but at least since before you discovered the citadel or made contact with the salarians. Big one too- way larger than the one I got blasted with on Eden Prime."

"And what proof do you have of this outrageous claim?"

"...really? That's the route you're going to go with this?" I raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'd be in here if I wasn't sure I could prove it to the galaxy at large? I mean, what's the point of threatening you with the info if it'd just be my word against yours?"

"So you're planning to blackmail me." She said, voice tight, controlled, and angry. It actually reminded me of Samara's tone a bit.

"Well...no. Blackmail is when you want money in exchange for threatening to release information about someone. I think this is more along the lines of extortion."

She glared at me silently, biotics flaring faintly around her.

"But I don't plan to release the information. Not quite. With the threat of the Reapers- a threat the beacon probably would've warned you about, had you allowed others to study it rather than covet it for yourselves-" I steamrolled right over her response- "A threat like that will take the might of every single race to even have a hope of vanquishing. And if I were to blab about this information, well, even if you managed to play it off as a hoax- which frankly, I doubt you could, I was pretty thorough in the information gathering- even a hoax like that would strain relationships with you and the other races, and even then there'd be doubters."

"...What do you mean by doubters?"

"Even up to the twenty-first century, there were conspiracy theorists that thought the apollo moon landings were faked, that humans didn't actually land on earth's moon in 1969."

"I don't-"

"Even if you were able to cover up what I said, others would wonder, would dig for the truth. The Turians, The Alliance, The STG, other Spectres. Your own people on Thessia might wonder. Those others in your government that know might crack and spill the information, and if that happened you'd really be screwed."

I flared my biotics around me, a hint of red coloring them.

"Your predecessors made it illegal to hide prothean technology, while the whole time they were guilty of the laws they put forth. The galaxy's greatest hypocrites, laughing behind the backs of everyone else...imagine what the Asari Republic would be thought of by the Alliance, the Salarian Union, the Turian Hierarchy, the Vol Proctorite, the Illuminated Primacy, the Courts of Dekuuna...hell, even the Quarian Admiralty Board or Batarian Hegemony would want retribution for something like that, or even the Krogan. Not to mention your fellow councilors. Any one of them could make your life a living hell, and your people? Reparations, penalties for generations to come, even as long as your life spans are. Maybe even galactic civil war. Or they could decide to throw the Asari off the council, or even the citadel itself- hell, they could even welcome the Quarians back just to replace you. Or the Volus or Elcor could take advantage of it to petition for spots on the council. Everything would change pretty much overnight. And you- the face of the Asari- it'd fall right on you."

"...What do you want?" She sighed, defeated, biotics fading.

"First off, know that just sending assassins after my head wouldn't work. The few who gathered the info for me were...persuaded to be silent, or just silenced. Something fishy happens to me though, they might blab. And since you don't and never will know who they are..." because they don't exist. "That, and well- I'm me. Assassins and mercs tend to die when they fight me."

"So what do you want then?"

"The Reapers are coming, Councilor, whether or not you like the idea. Nine months, a year and a half, tops. When they get here, they'll start with their biggest threats- hit Earth, and Palavan, try to take us out of the running early. But at some point, they're going to hit Thessia. And you can't win a war like that on your own. I've fought Asari Commandos, even been impressed by them. But without the Turians backing them? Or Humans, or even Krogan? They don't have the sheer numbers- they'd be wiped out, and Thessia will fall. And at that point, you'll get desperate, admit what you have, in hopes of finding something, anything to help. Beyond that, it's a whole big mess I don't want to get into. But if we do win, and the Reapers are gone...you'll be weakened. Your world will be ravaged, torn apart by the war. So will the rest of the galaxy, and they'd want someone to blame for what happened. Your military will have been worn down to almost nothing, and you'll have to answer for hiding the one thing that maybe, just maybe could've prevented all of this."

I crossed the room, standing right in front of her desk. "So, I've told you what I believe to be worst case scenario. But you're the politician here. So tell me, can you figure out a way to let the galaxy know, let them at the information in that beacon without dooming yourself in the process?"

She pursed her lips, and after a minute collapsed backwards into her chair. "I've always hoped it wouldn't come to light in my own lifetime."

"Well, it has...or, it will, rather. So, I have basically two demands. One, don't move the beacon, leave it in the temple. I don't want to have to hunt it down later." Though if she did move it, since I already know the Citadel is the Catalyst...reality warping shouldn't let her move it, but if she does, I can punt and just make something up. "Secondly- you will look into some way to let others study it. Not just asari either. Find a way to get that information beyond just the asari, but without letting the galaxy at large know. Don't pretend you've just discovered it, you'd never be able to explain how you already have so much of the info from it."

"Do you even know what that would involve?"

"Honestly, no. I don't know that you even can- and obviously don't do it if you think it'll just lead to the shitstorm I already described. But what I want- for dramatic effect demand- is for you to try. And I don't think I need to tell you to be careful, and discreet. If Cerberus finds out, if there's a mole somewhere, it'll be even worse than if you do nothing and let events play out."

I could see wheels turning in her head.

"Beyond those two things...well, I could move to blackmail, or get you to owe me something, but unfortunately, I'm just not able to bring myself to do that. Not with what's at stake...but I'll say again." A light biotic aura appeared around my right hand, and she tensed as I reached for her with the psychomancer."Do not try to take action against me for this information." I phrased it as a command, and tried to implant it as one, just for extra insurance.

She nodded wearily as I released it, and I wasn't sure if she was even aware what I'd just done.

For effect, I turned and started to walk away, then paused."One other thing. When the time comes that the Reapers are here- just remember, I've got one hell of a threat to hold over you. I could alienate you from any help with a few words. So instead, I *recommend* that when we suggest standing together- you stand with us. Or you will stand alone, and you. will. burn."

With that, I spun on my heels and teleported out of the room, right into a janitor's closet. So, now I just need to retrace my steps to get out of here...should be faster than getting in, but I'm still not looking forward to this.

Also, really hoping I didn't just like, doom everything...meh, at least if I did just fuck things up, and I doubt I did, she's not a complete idiot, it'll screw over Slade and Isaac as well. And if she ignores me and puts it somewhere else, TIM might have a harder time finding it...actually, maybe I should tell Liara, well, something, so she can try to hide the data before he ever gets near it. Not guaranteed to help, but definately would help more than just standing around twiddling my thumbs waiting for Thessia to fall...ah, there's the patrol, just gotta wait for them to pass, then to the other spot...yeah, this is gonna be real annoying.


T117: Okay, so...yeah, can't really think of anything to say here.

(AKA, you want to get back to the Dark Below since you finally got it.)

T117: Pretty much. Sayonara.