Chapter Fifty-Two:
In Which Our Hero Witnesses an Arrest
Garrus couldn't understand why Shepard wanted him along on this early-morning visit to the Noveria administrator. Yesterday, Shepard had told the turian in no uncertain terms that his disdain for red tape had factored heavily into the decision not to make him part of the Noveria ground team.
"Chief Williams, would you please explain to me again why the commander wants us to come along?"
"Vakarian, I don't know what you've heard about me, but mind-reading is not one of my many talents. Shepard told me that he thought you'd get a kick out of this mission, that's all."
"But I hate bureaucrats. We're going to see this Administrator What's-His-Name—"
"Anoleis."
"Right. We're going to see the top bureaucrat on this planet, and I hate bureaucrats."
"You said that already. And anyway, the commander just told me that we were going to speak to the administrator's assistant. You may not even have to meet the administrator."
"That would be terrible," Garrus quipped. "I was secretly hoping we'd become best friends, get drinks at that bar we went to last night, maybe get a couples massage in the hotel spa…."
Williams made what Garrus recognized as a repulsed face. "Why, why would you curse me with that mental image? In any case, even though I hate to destroy your dreams, I gotta tell you that there's almost no chance of you two becoming friends. Even though you're a pain yourself, Anoleis was a real asshole—"
"—Watch your language Chief." Shepard ordered, stepping into the decontamination chamber and hitting the 'SEAL' button.
"Sorry, sir." It was interesting to watch Williams transform from a jocular fellow soldier to a respectful subordinate. Garrus had a hard time turning his professionalism on and off like that. Fortunately, Shepard didn't seem to mind a little bit of good-natured insubordination.
Their group was forced to stop before they could enter the main building. A human woman stood between them and the entryway, gun drawn. The fact that she hadn't pointed her weapon at the group didn't reassure Garrus. She showed no signs of moving, and Garrus shifted uncomfortably; he did not like the cold.
"Oh, I've got a bad case of déjà vu," Williams muttered.
"Captain Matsuo," Shepard nodded to the woman.
"Good day, Commander. I wonder… how have you been spending your time?"
"Oh you know," the commander shrugged, "Spectre business." He would never have admitted it, but Garrus envied Shepard's easy confidence. Where Garrus always struggled to find the right words and then spoke them awkwardly, Shepard merely lifted an eyebrow and breezed through. In a moment, the woman would smile and wave them on, completely won over by the commander's indefinable qualities.
To Garrus' astonishment, Captain Matsuo frowned. "That does not exactly answer my question." She paused. "My apologies for subjecting you to another security clearing, but there was a break-in at Sythetic Insights yesterday. Several of my officers were killed."
Shepard didn't quite flinch, but Garrus caught the guilty look that flashed across his face. C-Sec officres were trained to notice those sorts of things. If this Captain Matsuo was a member of Noveria law enforcement, she had probably observed it as well.
She had seen it. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" the captain asked. Her posture stiffened, and her grip on her gun tightened. Out of the corner of his eye, Garrus watched Williams nonchalantly ease into a combat stance, hand on her sidearm.
"I… that was me, actually," Shepard said quietly.
Captain Matsuo's eyes narrowed. "I see," she said, after a long moment. "Would you care to explain?"
"Anoleis bought them off." There was real sorrow in the commander's voice. Garrus couldn't understand it. Corrupt law enforcement agents—mercenaries, really—had attacked Shepard. Shepard had killed the mercenaries. What was there to regret? "He had them ransacking the Synthetic Insights office for his own interests."
Waiting for Captain Matsuo's response put Garrus on edge. His superiors at C-Sec would not have responded kindly to accusations of corruption. "That is all too likely," she said finally, coldly. "Sergeant Sterling was highly mercenary. If what you're telling my is true, I bear no ill-will towards you." Her voice changed, taking on a more natural, regretful tone. "I warned my people against taking jobs on the side," she said, half to herself. "This is what comes of it. I appreciate your honesty, Commander.
"If you'll excuse me, I must compose the letters to notify their families." With a final, professional nod to Shepard, the captain stepped aside.
The number of turians on Noveria was astonishing, if you considered the fact that it was snowing outside. Garrus couldn't understand it. He wouldn't say that the weather made him miserable, exactly, but… it did. He couldn't imagine living on this planet; it would be torture.
"Ah, Spectre," a human woman stood behind the large reception desk in the antechamber outside the administrator's office. Seeing her, Shepard grinned. Seeing Shepard's expression, Garrus nearly fell over in surprise. Even after spending yesterday evening getting to know the commander and seeing him in the company of his old friend, Garrus had a hard time reconciling his conception of Shepard as an affable but stern commanding officer with the Shepard he was now getting glimpses of.
"Officer Parasini."
The woman smiled. "It's silly for a war hero to call me 'Officer.' 'Gianna' works fine, Commander."
"In that case, it's 'Shepard.'"
"Fair enough."
"Officer Parasini?" Williams asked. She sounded startled.
Parasini lifted one eyebrow and indulged in a tiny, smug smile. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs."
Noveria Internal Affairs, Garrus thought. At the administrator's office—Oh. He suddenly understood why Shepard might think Garrus would enjoy this trip.
"So, have you given any more consideration to my offer?" Parasini asked Shepard.
"It took some persuasion, but Qui'in has agreed to testify."
Parasini's smile was predatory. "I appreciate it. That's a world of stress off my back." She extended a hand to Shepard. "I'll take the evidence for safe transport." The commander handed her an OSD.
"You know, Shepard," Parasini mused, tucking the disk away in a fold of her skirt, "I almost didn't think you'd help me. Being a Spectre and all." She smiled at him. "I guess some of you can be all right."
"I try," Shepard smiled. "And anyway, doesn't this help you? You don't seem particularly happy," he teased.
"I'm ecstatic," Parasini snapped. "But right now, I just feel like a long day of work is ending." She picked something up off the desk and handed it to Shepard. "And it's not like I've been sitting around braiding my hair and hoping the nice Spectre would do me a solid. While you were working on Qui'in, I got you a garage pass."
"I appreciate it."
"Just be careful up there." For a moment, Parasini met the commander's gaze and smiled him. Then she sighed and looked away. "I have an arrest to make." She glanced down at herself and frowned. "Wish I had a chance to change into something easy to move in. I hate working in skirts."
"I hear that," Williams muttered.
"Would it be all right for us to hang around here for a little while?" Shepard asked.
Parasini grinned. "And watch the perp walk? Oh, he'll hate that. Feel free." Still smirking, she made her way into the administrator's office.
"I like her," Garrus said.
Shepard grinned. "Me too. When she told me she was undercover yesterday, I didn't react well. She told me to act natural; when I asked her what she wanted me to do, she said, 'You're meeting a beautiful woman for drinks. Smile and laugh. Pretend that you're flirting.' You've got to admire that kind of confidence."
After a few minutes, Parasini reappeared, pushing an angry salarian—the administrator, Garrus assumed—ahead of her.
"This is an outrage!" Anoleis yelled. "I'll see that you never work in this sector again!" He wrenched against his handcuffs and nearly tripped. Parasini hauled him to his feet, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, get a move on."
Anoleis caught sight of their small group. "You! Shepard!" he snapped. "I demand that you place this bitch under arrest!" True to form, Shepard frowned slightly at the administrator's language. Before he could say anything however, Parasini jerked the salarian to a halt and spun him around to face her. Garrus wasn't typically attracted to females of other species, but he was quickly realizing why this Parasini made Shepard smile so broadly.
"You have the right to remain silent," Parasini retorted. "I wish to God you'd exercise it.
"See you around the galaxy, Commander," Parasini called as she marched a now-silent Anoleis out of the office. At the door she turned back to toss Shepard one last smile. "I owe you a beer."
Author's Note: Yeah, Kiss has a bit of a crush on Parasini. What? He likes kick ass women who've got a sense of humor and love their jobs.
