Chapter 47: Sins of the Father

Thane was enjoying a quiet day meditating with Samara, despite being an assassin and her being a justicar; they got along quite well, due to their similar personalities. Thane had noticed a change in his friend ever since she came back from Omega, she more calmed, and there was less tension in her aura, whatever happened it had a profound effect. Just as he was about to question her change, there was a beep from his omni-tool. When opened it, his eyes went wide. Samara looked at him

"Thane, is anything wrong?" Samara asked.

Thane regained his composure. "No, my friend, just someone's idea of a joke" he lied. Samara looked at him, not really convinced, but left it alone. Thane got up. "If you excuse me, I think I will be finishing my meditations for today"

"Of course" She said with a nod. Thane walked back to his room, and opened his omni-tool.

"Yes? Thane is something the matter?" Kelly asked.

"Is Shepherd back? I wish to speak with him" Thane asked. "It is urgent" Kelly nodded. Moments later, Shepherd met up with him, he was at his desk deep in thought.

"I got Kelly's message, what's wrong?" Shepherd asked.

"It is difficult to talk about" Thane said.

Shepherd frowned. "Is it your disease?"

"No, though I suppose it is part of it. Mortality has a way of making you dwell on things" Thane said.

"Like?"

"My family, or what's left of it, I have a son, one I haven't seen for a long time" he said. "His name is Kolyat" Shepherd was surprised, Thane never talked about himself or his life, he mostly kept to himself. Thane had checked in on his only remaining family member, his son, Kolyat who he haven't seen in ten years. Apparently ten years was enough for his son to be disconnected, at first Shepherd thought his son was injured but it was a term from the Hanar religion, meaning his soul and body are in conflict Kolyat apparently wants to practice the same profession as his father, which greatly troubles Thane. Shepherd sat down next to him.

"That's not good…"

"I agree this is not a path he should walk" he said. "I would like your help if possible"

Shepherd nodded and raised his omni-tool. "Joker, get us to the Citadel"

"Right Commander, ETA four hours"

"Thank you, hopefully we won't be too late"

Shepherd and Thane exited the Normandy went to Bailey's office; hopefully he would some info on Kolyat's whereabouts. For once, it seemed to be a slow day at C-sec, as he was at his desk watching vids of a football game back on Earth. He saw the two men approach and went up to greet them.

"Ah Shepherd, good work on catching Fade, I should have known it was that snake Harkin" Bailey said. "Even when we kicked him out he's still a pain in the ass"

The spectre smirked. "No problem, it was fun to scare the hell out of him" he said. "So, where is our good buddy, Harkin?"

"Doing forty to fifty behind bars, along with his buddies from the Blue Suns" he said. "They won't be happy with him, so it's a good thing I separated him, bloodstains tend to be bitch to clean" He then looked at Thane. "So I take it you need something?"

"My friend here is looking for his son; we think a local criminal may have hired him"

"Should be easy, drell are a rare sight on the Citadel" he said. Bailey went back to his desk and typed into his terminal. A beep. "Aha, one of my men spotted a drell recently, and he was talking with Mouse, interesting"

Thane looked at him. "Mouse?"

"A criminal, pretty small time, knowing him he's probably not the guy who hired your boy, but a messenger, he's a former duct rat, they run errands for anyone who'll pay." Shepherd tiled his head, and Bailey explained they were the poor, homeless children of the Citadel who travel in the ventilation system of the station.

Shepherd frowned. "Aren't the ducts dangerous?"

Bailey sighed. "Every couple of months, we pull a small body out of them, cut up by the fan blades, broken by deadfall. And those are just the ones accounted for" he said. "Most just disappear, sucked into space or fall into the protein vats the keepers run"

"Mouse survived long enough that he can't fit in the ducts anymore. He was one of the smarter ones or the luckier ones"

"Where can I find him?"

"Mouse is usually upstairs, outside the Dark star. He works out of a public comm terminal" Bailey said. "It sounds like your boy's running with the wrong crowd"

"Yes, I agree"

"If Mouse can't get you in touch with your son directly, he'll know who can. I'll help you if you need it"

"Thanks" Shepherd walked away. Thane stopped him.

"You didn't tell him that Kolyat, plans to assassinate someone" he said.

"I also didn't tell him what you do for a living. Do you normally discuss assassination with the police?"

Thane blinked. "I see your point" Shepherd and Thane when upstairs. They saw a tanned skinned man, barely out of his teens. He was wearing a nice suit, something he earned from all work he did for various contacts. As they got close, they could hear him talking to someone on his omni-tool.

"Yeah, yeah. I can get that no problem" he said. He then frowned. "Well, okay. That might be more difficult"

"No it's fine. I've got some Quarians who can strip the copy protection. Just costs more"

"Yeah, I got the package" he said. "It'll be there. Don't worry, I'll deliver it myself"

"Yeah sure, I can get you to cases by the end of the day"

"You Mouse?" Shepherd asked. Mouse turned around.

"What do you want…oh shit! Krios? I thought you retired!" He then looked at Shepherd. "Commander Shepherd? I thought you died! What do you with me?"

Shepherd smirked. "I like him, he squirms easily" Mouse gulped, as he paled from his words.

"Be still, Mouse. You can change your pants in a moment" Thane said.

"How do you know Thane?"

"Kiros? He didn't…? Uh, if he didn't say anything, I ain't either" He said with crossed arms.

"When we heard the name, I didn't think it could be the same Mouse" he said. Thane explained about a decade ago, Thane used Mouse and the other children to gather information on his assassination targets. Shepherd frowned and looked at him; he didn't like what he heard.

"You put kids in danger to spy for you?" However, Thane was unfazed by his reaction, just shrugged his shoulders.

"Children, the poor. My people's word for their kind is drala'fa", the ignored. They're everywhere, see everything, yet they are never seen" Thane then grabbed Mouse. "You gave another drell instruction for an assassination. Who's the target?"

I…I don't know, I didn't ask. 'Cause the people I work for? They can make me disappear" he said I'd like to help you, Krios. You always done right by us, but I ain't going to die for you"

"You know Thane; he wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. Do it for him"

Mouse sighed. "I want to, he was always nice to us, but these people ain't nice, Krios"

"No one will know you talked" Shepherd said. "I can use my spectre connections to protect you"

Mouse looked at him. "You would do that?" Shepherd nodded.

"Mouse, I swear you won't be named"

"All right…all right. He came with that halo you of me, said he wanted a job" he said. "I ran through your old contacts to see who might give him a shot. The guy who offered was Elias Kelham"

"Tell me about Kelham"

"Human, moved to the Citadel about ten years ago. He was little people when you were here, Krios" Mouse said. "He got big after the geth attack, lots of guys from before they got cacked. All in them big fancy apartment up on the Presidium"

"He now runs the rackets on the lower end of the ward. Shin Akiba. He's seriously bad news"

Shepherd cracked his knuckles. "Sounds like fun" he said with a smirk.

"You did good Mouse" Thane said.

"Yeah right. When Kelham finds out, I won't live long. I won't be able to do anything but hide" Mouse said grimly. "Krios if you got any kindness for me, but a bullet in Kelham before you go" Mouse walked away. Thane lowered his head.

"You alright?" Shepherd asked.

"Mouse knew more about my life than Kolyat ever did" he said. He then went into a trance. "He smiles up at me, broken teeth and scabby knees, bare feet black. A dead end future looking up at me. Worshiping the petty gifts I offer"

"I was the only good thing he had, back then, but I left him, like I left Kolyat" Shepherd put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself"

"If I don't who will? We must carry the weight of our decisions, Shepherd" Thane said. "You of all people know this" Shepherd and Thane went back to Bailey about Elias Kelham.

"Well that was quick, I take it Mouse gave up the name"

"He did, Elias Kelham" Shepherd said.

Bailey groaned and palmed his face. "I thought so…" he said. "Goddamn it"

"Is something the matter, Captain?" Thane asked.

The officer sighed. "There's no easy way to say this, but Kelham and I have a…truce of sorts."

Shepherd crossed his arms. "Meaning?" The C-Sec captain explains because he and Kelham have an arrangement—Kelham bribes Bailey and he looks the other way. Shepherd sighed. "I can't believe this, this is like a bad detective movie" he said annoyed. "So what now, is it too inconvenient for you?"

"I can still bring him in, I just can't help you, and he'll expect me to bail him out"

Shepherd smirked. "Well he's just shit out of luck then, get your people to take him in and I'll introduce him to my version of 'tender loving care"

"Alright, just don't too much damage; I don't need a war between my people and his"

"Got it" Bailey went to get his people ready.

"So how are we going to do this?" Thane asked.

"The classic good cop, bad cop routine, it never fails" he said. Thane nodded. Moments later Kelham was brought in by C-sec. A turian came up to him.

"Sir his lawyer is here, Elias had his VI set to page him if C-sec gets within ten meters"

"Tell him this is Spectre business, not C-sec's, and if that doesn't work, tell him that if I even smell him coming, he's got a bullet waiting for him" Shepherd said.

"Yes sir!"

"That should give you a good hour with him at least" Bailey said.

Shepherd smirked. "Good" They went inside. Kelham was bound to a chair, he was well-dressed, well-groomed man in dark suit, such was the advantage of leeching off of the helpless for two years. The man was cocky bastard, but they were always cocky before Shepherd was through with them.

"Get me out of these restraints, Bailey. Pretty funny, bringing me down like this…" he said. Kelham looked to his side and frowned. "Who the hell are you two?"

"The name's Shepherd, spectre" He said. "Here's how it works, I ask a question, you answer the question and you speak when spoken to"

Kelham scoffed. "Prove it"

"Have it your way…" Shepherd smacked him hard. "Do we have an understanding?"

Kelham growled. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Thane crossed his arms. "Just tell us what we need to know, my friend is not gentle" he said. "You gave another drell a hit on someone, who's is the target?"

"Fuck you frog boy" he said. "You going to bore me into confessing? You ain't shit"

Shepherd smacked him again, giving him a black eye. "Apparently you ain't either"

Kelham gave a murderous glare. "Do you know what I'm going to do when I get out of here?"

Shepherd crossed his arms. "Do you?" Thane came to him.

"This isn't working; we'll kill him before we get anything"

"I got an idea, but I may hate myself in the morning"

Shepherd went to face Kelham, he was eerily calm. "What the fuck you looking at?"

"You know, before you got here, I took the time to read your file, I'm a pretty fast reader." He said. "I found something pretty interesting on you"

Kelham scoffed. "What?"

Shepherd looked him dead in the eye. "You like to play the hardass criminal, but lo and behold you are actually a loving husband and a doting father" he said with a cruel smirk. Shepherd went to the desk to reveal a photo of an two asari, one in the Matron stage in a grey dress and little asari in a sundress and a human girl, with dark skin that was a little more tomboyish.

"Where did you get that?!" Kelham asked outraged.

"Oh friends in very high places, the type of people who hates your kind" Shepherd said. He looked at the picture and chuckled. "I wonder what your beautiful wife, Asinia would think about the man she married, and your two daughters, Kori and Amanda, the poor girls are just so young…so vulnerable" Kelham glared at him.

Shepherd whispered in his ears. "Better yet, how about I pay them a visit? "

"You son of a bitch!" Kelham growled. He tried getting at him, but the restraints held him back and Shepherd chuckled.

"You know before I became a Spectre, I had a rather unflattering, but fitting nickname, 'The Butcher of Torfan, I'm sure you've heard of me"

Kelham's eyes went wide. "Impossible, you died two years ago!" Shepherd smacked him hard again, causing a small trickle of blood flowed from his mouth.

"Please Mr. Kelham, I'm telling a story here. Now where was I? Oh yeah! Your loving family. Do you know why they call me the Butcher? Well if you don't give me a name in the next few minutes, your family will know firsthand, with you having front-row seats" he said. He eyes grew cold and so did his voice. "And the best thing? There is not a fucking thing you can do about it"

"You goddamned monster…"

"Damn right I am, I want a name now" Shepherd said coldly.

"Jorim…Jorim Talid, he's a turian in the eight-hundred blocks" he said in defeat.

Shepherd smirked and pats him on the head. "Good boy, Kelham, you're learning" he said. He and Thane began to walk away.

"W-wait, you'll leave my family alone, right?!"

Shepherd looked back at him. "Don't know, that all depends on you in the future" Shepherd and Thane left the broken, crying man. His lawyer came to him and quickly released his shackles, he then glared at Shepherd.

"What did you do to my client?!" The lawyer asked angrily.

"I do believe I just put the fear of god in him" Shepherd said. The door closed behind them, and Shepherd took a deep breath. He did what he had to, but it still didn't make him feel any better, he hated invoking the Butcher even if it was bluff.

"Your interrogation technique was quite interesting. I almost believed you would carry out your threat" the drell said.

Shepherd shuddered. "For a moment there so did I…" They went to Bailey, waiting outside of the interrogation room.

"That was quick, so what's the story?"

"A turian named Joram Talid. You know him?" Bailey nodded and pointed to a poster on the wall, it had a picture of a turian with pale white markings on his face, shaking hands with C-sec members with the words 'Fighter of the people' at the top.

"Yeah, his posters are everywhere, he's promised to end organized crime on the ward."

"Ambitious but noble, I can see why Kelham would be worried" Thane said.

"Except, his candidacy has an anti-human platform" Bailey said. ""The election is in a few days, he's trying to get people stirred up about 'human aggression'."

"Things are so bad that he can openly campaign as anti-human?" Shepherd asked.

"Look around, a human council seat, and add in the fact that half the cops they're seeing are human and it goes downhill from there." He said. "Anderson is doing the best he can, but the aliens still think we're thugs, staging a coup"

Shepherd shook his head. "Politics…"

Bailey snorted. "You said it…" He then looked at one of his men. "Sergeant! Get a patrol car. These two need to get to the eight-hundred blocks"

The officer saluted. "Yes sir!" The two made it to the eight-hundred blocks, or the business district of the Citadel. People were out doing their shopping or just going out for some fun. They saw Talid, talking to salarian, a volus, a hanar and another turian. To his side was a krogan, wearing the colors of the Blood Pack, a bodyguard for when another one like Kelham attempted to get rid of him.

"There he is, how do you want to play this?" Shepherd asked.

"We need Kolyat to reveal himself, if we just go in and tackle Talid he'll just disappear before I can talk to him. It's risky but we have to wait for him to make his move." Thane said. "Follow Talid on the catwalks; tell me what he's doing. The krogan should make him easy to spot"

"Where will you be?"

"In the shadows with the best view" Shepherd nodded and gets into position. Thane lowered his hand and clasped his hands. "Amonkira. Lord of Hunters, grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift" he prayed. "And should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness" He disappeared in the crowd.

Shepherd got in the position overlooking the turian and his bodyguard. "It's been wonderful talking to you all; I hope to see you on Election Day"

Shepherd opened his com. "In position"

"Understood" Thane replied. Talid and his bodyguard walked forward and Shepherd followed, until he stopped when the turian stopped to talk with two asari, and some elcor,"What is he doing?"

"Looks like he's talking to some more voters, no sign of him"

"I'm moving to another position, ahead of him"

"Roger that" He finished his talks and went on his way, and Shepherd follows.

"Talid is waiting outside, the bodyguard is going inside. Do you have a better view, Shepherd?" Thane asked.

"Got it" Looking on the other side of the catwalk he saw the large krogan that had just entered a small hardware shop. The krogan and human shopkeeper seemed to be arguing until the larger alien leaned over the counter threateningly; the human capitulating and sliding what looked like a credit chit across the surface of the counter.

"Son of a bitch, it seems our good politician is shaking down local humans for protection money"

"That would explain the Blood Pack merc" Thane said. Shepherd then noticed a shot ringing out, the people scattered and a drell came in and took aim.

"Thane!"

The krogan charges him, but the young wounds the bodyguard. "I see him, Kolyat!" he yelled. The younger drell turned and Talid made a run for it.

"Shit" he said as he went after him. The krogan protecting him got off the floor and attacked Thane mistaking him for Kolyat. He charged Thane, pinning him to the wall.

"Crap, Thane!"

"Go after Kolyat, I'll catch up" Thane said. Shepherd was reluctant at first. "Go!" Shepherd nodded and ran after Talid and Kolyat. Luckily, it wasn't hard to keep track of him, as the crowds were dispersed when they saw the chase. They made it to the building, and Shepherd raised his com.

"Thane he's heading for Talid's apartment" Shepherd said. "How are things on your end?"

"A setback, but not difficult, I'll meet you there, call Bailey, just in case"

"Got it"

At Talid's apartment, Kolyat is ready to execute Talid when Shepherd, Thane, Bailey, and a C-Sec officer arrive. "Kolyat…"

Kolyat frowned. "Now? You show up now? Is this a joke?" the younger drell said.

"Help me drell. I'll do anything you want"

"Put the gun down, son" Bailey said with his weapon raised.

"Get out of my way. I'm walking out, and he's coming with me" Kolyat said.

"They'll have snipers outside, son" Thane said.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" he said raising his weapon at Thane. "You haven't had the right to call me that in ten years"

"I'm putting an end to this…" Shepherd then fired at the lamp to distract Kolyat and went to disarm him. "Talid, get the hell out of here, and you better remember it was a human that saved your ass"

'Yeah, yeah I will"

"You son of a bitch!" Kolyat went to attack Shepherd, but he was too fast, and flipped the young drell on to the floor.

"Take your head out of your fucking ass, and listen for goddamn once" Shepherd said. "You're wasting your time and your life, while your dad is dying"

Kolyat blinked. "W-what?"

"He has Kepral Syndrone, and doesn't have long, he wanted to talk to you" he said. "Your Dad and I have killed, Kolyat. You haven't. There's no reason for you to start"

"I read his files. What made okay for him to kill all those years?"

"I was six when the hanar began my training. I've known nothing else in my life. But your mother... she woke me from my battle sleep."

Tears fell from his face. "Then why did you leave her? Why weren't you there when she died?!" Kolyat asked angrily.

Thane lowered his head. "Because her death was my fault" he said. "She died because she loved me"

"W-what?"

"After her body was given to the deep I slipped into my battle sleep once more. I hunted them. The trigger men. The ringleaders. I hurt them. Eventually killed them. All of them. And when I finally came back to see you... you were older. I should have stayed with you."

"I guess it's too bad that you waited so long." He said bitterly.

"I know you hate me, and I don't blame you, but please believe me when I say this" Thane said sadly. "I have taken many bad things out of this world, Kolyat. You are the only good thing I have ever added to it." Kolyat dropped his gun and fell to the floor, broke down and cried.

"Damn you, damn you…" he muttered.

Bailey sighed. "This isn't a conversation you should have in front of strangers. I'll have my officers escort you and your son to C-Sec. We'll give you one of the interrogation rooms, take as long as you need."

"Thank you, captain" he said, he walked away with C-sec and Kolyat.

"You surprise me, Bailey; you stuck your neck out for us despite your truce with Kelham" Shepherd said. "Why?"

"You think he's the only one who screwed up raising a son?" Bailey asked sadly. "The only difference is he did something about it, before it was too late" Shepherd nodded and they walked away. Shepherd was waiting for Thane in the lobby, it had been a while since they got back to C-sec, and Bailey was nice enough to give Thane and son a private place to talk.

"They've been in there a while"

"Kid's been through a lot" Bailey said. "I ran some searches in the archives, about ten years back, some real bad people were killed, someone was really cleaning house, and the main suspect was a drell"

"Leave it alone, spectre orders"

Bailey smirked. "Someone has to deal with it, doesn't have to be me though" Thane then came out of the interrogation room.

"How's the kid?"

"Our problems is not something we can fix in one day, we'll keep talking, see what happens"

"Good news, Thane, we were talking and Bailey said he would give Kolyat a job in C-sec" Shepherd said.

"Provided, he does community service and basic training, your kid has the skills; he just needs to hone them the right way" Bailey said.

Thane smiled. "Thank you…"

Thane has dealt with his son. He should be clear of any further distractions from the mission.

Thane's personal matter revealed troubling issue with Citadel politics. May have to support Elias Kelham and similar criminals to counteract anti-human bias. Bailey at C-Sec offers a possible recruiting opportunity.- Mission Summary.

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