Word spread quickly throughout the prison and beyond in regards to Rage's outburst. She had been sedated and taken to Thymore's Psychiatric Ward. There was one at the prison but it lacked expertise in humans who were pregnant with hybrid children.

Rage required special medicines, doctors, and equipment that could've been shipped to the prison; only the warden thought it cheaper and less of a hassle if she was transferred. The warden would've been lying if he said that he had Rage's best interests at heart. And because she was his prisoner, Rage as well as the rest of the prisoners were treated like cattle. Therefore, it was easy for inmates to get lost in the bureaucracy fog. And that's exactly what was happening to Rage.

#

It was late, there were a dozen messages left unanswered on Nyreen's omni tool. After entering her main condo, she let the door close behind her; releasing a huge sigh. The turian was overwhelmed, feeling the crushing weight of what she had done, pressing down on her. Nyreen had spent her ladder time searching for her psychotic cousin, and it was to no avail.

She ebbed back, breathing heavily, armor feeling like tons of bricks glued to her less bulky form. Her hands were trembling from lack of nourishment: fueled greatly by energy bars and stims. Thoughts of her life had been flashing before her eyes like a crescendo. And since Garrus had been admitted to the hospital, she hadn't gone to visit him. She couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to face what she had done, or failed to do.

Yet, the sickening part about her actions was that she still felt like she had control.

All I have to do is find her before 'they' do, and everything will be okay.

In her hand remained the shuttle ticket: a one-way flight to Palaven. Just send the crazy bitch back to her father and everything would be okay. Quin's dad was a powerful man who'd managed to keep all of his skeletons in the closet, all but one.

Nyreen padded into the fresh darkness of her home, ambling down the slight drop before her feet met hard wood that was level with the rest of the space. Her kitchen was further off in the distance, having to past the dining room and the bar first.

She did so, walking with bent but not yet broken, authority. Nyreen was just arrogant and naïve. There was light, soft, rounded, yellow hues of it that lined the bar. Nyreen was so wrapped up in thoughts that she wasn't even aware of spaces to the left or right of her.

Nyreen was moving past the bar when she blurted out, "If I were a dumb-crazy-bitch, where would I go?"

"Funny! I was wondering the same thing."

The female turian not only jumped out of her plates, but her heart punched her chest, flirting with cardiac arrest. Nyreen didn't even realize how high she had jumped, only aware of her feet smacking solid ground. Her hand was over her clavicle, as if making a pledge; breath caught in her throat along with her words.

Nyreen's eyes were forced by the other voice which had ungraciously been bestowed upon her ear canals; to focus in the direction of the bar. There, sitting behind the curvature of the mocha, Parlespine wood-wood that was similar brass, found only on Palaven-was the dark, jagged figure of a male turian.

The yellow, almost silent glows of light were just enough to chisel out the male turian's sharp, daring fringe, glowing green eyes; his vanilla colony markings and long mandibles.

"Nihlus…?" Nyreen shrieked, her voice sounding shrill and depleted like a child who'd been scared to death.

He didn't answer, casually taking a sip of her turian scotch. No telling how much he'd drank, or how long he'd been sitting there, waiting for her to arrive. There was no scent, no tell-tale signs of a break in. He didn't know her passcode. Yet, here he was.

Nyreen suddenly got the sick feeling that this may not have been his first time in her home. And if it wasn't, then he may have seen… no, he may have known about Quin. But if he did, why hadn't he said anything?

"… ha-how'd you get in here?"

He popped his neck, casually like he usually did before and after a fight. Then he spoke. "Surprised to see me?"

Nyreen knew she sounded stupid, jumping and now stuttering like a drunken clutz.

"… nnno-I mean yeah, Nihlus," finally recovering her voice, she spoke with greater authority in an attempt to downplay the shock. "What the hell are you doing here, in my house, at this hour?"

He completely ignored her question with a vicious sneer, grimacing as he replied, "Where is she?"

Her worst fears had been met. He knew about Quinoleya! He knew what she'd done!

Nyreen's brain may have overstepped its boundaries. Maybe he didn't know as much as he seemed to be putting on: acting like he knew in order to get her to confess. She took a step back in her mind, giving herself room to breathe and the think.

Okay, just because he knows about Quin, doesn't mean he knows everything.

"I know everything!" Nihlus spat, causing Nyreen's heart to palpitate again.

It was as if he were in her head. Nyreen couldn't hide her scared sub-vocals; her shorter, less intimidating mandibles clapped against her face. Nyreen's mouth opened but she had to force the words out.

"What are you talking about?" She still sounded pathetic.

Nihlus stood up at that moment, shrouded in near darkness, moving around the bent table, but he did not stalk up to her, standing in front of the bar, green eyes beaming with accusatory anger.

"You paid the Shadow Broker to hide this," he suddenly tossed a data pad at her.

She had been so heavily occupied on his eyes that she failed to realize he had that in his hand.

Nyreen caught it, like a clutz, taking two attempts to catch it securely in her hand. It was humiliating for her to be broken down this much in front of someone she had once considered a friend.

Still trying to play it off; she activated the data pad, seeing vid of her at Gypsie's Gold Gym: the morning before Garrus was shot. This would've been nothing hadn't she tried to hide it from the department.

But even more telling was the damning evidence of Quinoleya. Nihlus knew it was Quin. He just needed her to confess it, but Nyreen wasn't stupid. Dumb… yes but not stupid.

Finally holding his gaze with her own, her sub-vocals mellowing; mandibles relaxed, she responded with an equally sneering tone. "You got vid of a turian woman at the gym, big deal."

"It's you, Nyreen." That wasn't the damning evidence. Nihlus just wanted to gage her reaction.

"I was there, so what?"

Nihlus took a few small steps in the darkness, moving as if everything were familiar; confirming her suspicion: he'd been here before. "Why hide it, Nyreen?"

She tipped her head to the side, steeling herself. He wanted a confession, she wasn't going to oblige him. "What does it matter," beating around the bush to test his reaction.

"Answer the question!" Nihlus sharply hissed, sparing her the analytics of police investigations.

Nyreen nodded her head up and down with bull-headed compliance. "We met up to ease some tension on the mat… things got heated. He left first, and… I decided to give him some space."

Nihlus let out a small chuckle before saying, "We've known each other since we were kids." His comment, coming from far left field, caught her off guard. "And you've always been an outstanding… turian. Sometimes you can be a major bitch, but you've always been the better turian."

Nyreen didn't like this new tone of voice he was using. It was calm, yet direct, and borderline facetious. There may have been a hint of malice as well. She felt her foot take a step away from him; silently annoyed by the fact that they were still talking in relative darkness, like two idiot burglars who'd just broke in, trying to find the safe.

"Is this really how you want to go down?" Nihlus then, confidently asked, breaking her train of thought.

Nyreen didn't respond.

"The corrupt C-Sec officer who aided in the attempted murder of another C-Sec agent, and then tried to frame a drug dealer?"

"… wait, what?"

He ignored her immature stammering. "Or do you want to go down with some integrity?"

His words told her that he possibly had more evidence than some measly footage of her at the gym with Garrus. But it was impossible to be sure. His central tone was too placid.

Nyreen couldn't speak. His words were too troubling.

Nihlus wasn't just going to stand around there for long. He soon about-faced, marching to the exit. Stopping just short of the door, he turned around in the dull, lemon hue. "I thought you were better than this, Nyreen."

She still said nothing, mandibles falling.

"If you have a grudge against the human, that's fine, but Garrus doesn't deserve this."

Nyreen's head dropped as shame washed over her.

Turning toward the door, he stopped again saying, "Don't bother showing up. It's not likely you'll receive a warm welcome."

Nyreen's heart skipped a beat, breath becoming labored.

With another step, the door whooshed open, Nihlus stepping through.

The door closed behind him, leaving Nyreen frozen in the bitter chill of silence. Left to digest his heavy words.