'The Goddess is coming home to us; she brings wealth to our houses and hearts.' This is how I see my sisters. Pure as fire, the greatest wealth I could ever know, finally, finally, bringing me home. ― Nikita Gill, Dragonhearts


Irin – Pronounced similar to the girl's name 'Erin' – Zaeed Massani's shortened form of 'Iringù-Eßizkur'
Ø7 – An allegedly discontinued vocational code in the Systems Alliance military.
· · · · The Ø designates covert operations; the 7 refers to the highest level of proficiency.


• T'SONI COUNTRY ESTATE, ARMALI REPUBLIC · THESSIA •

I arose early in order to exercise, bathe, and perform a cursory inspection of my data feeds before breakfast; taking a quick look around the large dining hall, I spotted Garrus Vakarian enjoying his mealtime. Of some surprise, General Park was seated across from him, not allowing her own meal to interfere in the least with all she had to say to this big Turian.

I loaded a tray with various fruits and cheeses, then added something that looked and smelled like scrambled eggs. After pouring myself a large mug of Kaffe, I took my meal to the table occupied by General Park. Nudging the turian's shoulder, I asked, "Mind if I join you?"

Crystal blue eyes looked up at me as he dropped his mandibles slightly and answered. "There you are … I was beginning to wonder if you would be having breakfast with us."

I chuckled slightly as I responded, "I would have to be an invalid to miss a chance at having breakfast with you, Garrus! You're my favorite turian!"

RaeLee spoke up, saying, "He wasn't my favorite when I met him, Sammy, especially after our first meeting regarding the Anixara, but I have to say, in the short time I've known him, his charm has become obvious. It's easy for me to see why he's so highly regarded by everyone."

Sitting next to him, I asked what the pair had been discussing, then began eating.

"The financial health of the Systems Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy," RaeLee replied. With a quick glance at Garrus, she added, "Our economies have not recovered from all the destruction. That there is any progress being made in reconstruction on Palaven … or Earth … can only be attributed to assistance being provided by the Repositories."

"Which is why receiving reparations for the loss of the Anixara is so important," Garrus said. "The number of credits we receive is not as important as actually receiving them. The Primarch needs to know that humanity takes responsibility for their actions."

"Even if that so-called humanity was a minority, humanocentrist group of people led by a man that espoused his point of view because of his treatment and the death of his friends at the hands of the Hierarchy?" I asked. The look of surprise on General Park's face at my question was exactly what I wanted to see.

Turning my attention to Garrus, I clarified by adding, "The Illusive Man's views on human superiority were not shared by humanity as a species, Garrus. Jack Harper turned a personal hatred for turians into a rabid hatred of every other species in the galaxy, and he had a great deal of success in spreading his poisonous beliefs. It should not come as a surprise that he would condone collateral damage … deaths, even … to accomplish his goals."

I continued to eat as I thought about the Anixara; thankfully, Garrus continued to eat as well. I could see I had made RaeLee uncomfortable with my declaration concerning Harper and Cerberus. I added, "It's truly unfortunate for everyone that Admiral Fletcher's gambling addiction was not treated as the disease it was; he propped up his lavish lifestyle with creds provided by the Illusive Man."

General Park interjected, "And I'm going to push to have whatever remains of his estate returned to the Alliance as partial repayment for allowing himself to be so successfully blackmailed by Cerberus." She paused to sip some of the tea from her mug, then added, "There's also the matter of the forced, early termination of the Ø7 program, Sammy. At the very least, everyone that was part of that program deserves 'correction to record' actions. Current Service Members—like Captain Yuán—may even be eligible for some specialty back pay … possibly even a boost in grade, or at least time in service."

"She just might welcome that, General … but it's not something she has sought. Hell, I seriously doubt she would approve of what I'm trying to accomplish by meeting with you and Garrus."

"She doesn't know?" RaeLee chuckled as she realized what she'd asked. "Of course she doesn't … how could she?" Shaking her head slightly, the general continued, "Just one of the many things I love and respect about that woman, Sammy … her integrity as an officer … and as a human being."

I smiled as I listened to General Park. 'That woman' is the love of my life, for a great many reasons! "Do you think the Alliance might wish to restart the program? … maybe reinstate those that were terminated from Ø7? Perhaps some would welcome the chance to return to their former jobs."

Park held her hands up, saying, "Don't get ahead of yourself, Sammy. We still have to see what happens when Spectre Shepard presents all the evidence you've so painstakingly gathered."

"Evidence I'm happy you uncovered, Samantha." Garrus reached around behind me to grasp my upper arm and pull me slightly into his side. "To finally know the fate of the Anixara, even if the Hierarchy never sees a single credit for the loss, is something for which I cannot thank you enough. I know you had personal reasons for doing this, but … Spirits!" His arm across my back felt good … this turian had always been a solid anchor for me, ever since I met him in the skies over Menae during the early stages of the war.

"Thanks, Garrus. I just wish we had been allowed to save that ship, and to hell with what Jack Harper wanted." I stared hard into a pair of caring eyes as I added, "I'll be looking for ways to get at some of the credits the sonuvabitch had stashed around the galaxy. This isn't over, by any means."

He drew back minutely at the vehemence of my words. "If it was anyone else saying such, I'd have a hard time believing them." He squeezed me slightly, dropped his arm and said, "Be careful out there, Samantha. Don't get yourself hurt or killed over this … any of it."

I looked at the general as I rose from the table. Picking up my empty tray and mug, I said, "We should be leaving, RaeLee. I have to meet someone on Eden Prime on my way back home."

She downed the rest of her now lukewarm coffee, set the mug on the tray and rose from the table, then picked up her tray as she nodded. "I'm ready to get back to Earth, Sammy. I'm sure there are people on that base out beating the bushes looking for me."

I grinned with my reply. "I'll meet you outside, then," then placed my tray in the collection area.


I had barely seen Liara during my stay, having spent the majority of my time here in meetings with Spectre Shepard; as expected, Rachaél enveloped me in an embrace that seemed to belie our ofttimes turbulent past on the Normandy. She kissed my cheek as she released me and said, "I'm glad you chose to have your meeting here; I believe it accomplished a lot. It's been a pleasurable experience. Fly safe, Samantha … and try not to stir up any more trouble out there, eh?"

I replied with a laugh. "No promises, but I'll do my best, Spectre."

I turned to Liara; taking her hands, I drew her close and whispered, "No matter the reason, being able to spend time here is like being on vacation. Thank you so much for allowing Garrus, the general and myself to invade your sanctuary for a couple of days."

"It was our pleasure, Sammy." After pausing briefly, she asked, "May I presume that you will keep us updated on everything going on in your life?"

"Of course, Liara. You may think this sounds strange coming from a human, but I give thanks to the Goddess each day for your continued support. Be well, Lady T'Soni."

The momentary grimace at my use of her title was quickly replaced by a huge grin as she gathered me in her arms for an intimate embrace. She gave me a lingering kiss, every bit as passionate as the previous time she had bid me farewell; she pulled away only slightly, keeping me firmly in her arms and, with her lips so close to mine I could feel her breath, whispered, "You as well, Shadow Broker," then released me—reluctantly, it seemed—and rejoined Shepard, who had just finished bidding farewell to General Park.

Garrus took the opportunity to step up in front of me; leaning down slightly, he carefully embraced me and said, "Stay safe out there, Sammy. I truly believe you are so much more than a simple data broker now, but your secret is safe with me." He released me and made a quick entry on his omnitool; this caused mine to momentarily activate. "I just gave you my personal contact information … something I should have done when I left Iringù-Eßizkur to return to Palaven. If you ever need turian assistance, of any kind, contact me directly. I'll do whatever I can to help."

His eyes told me everything I needed to know about this turian. I reached a hand up and gently caressed a mandible as I replied, "Thank you so much, Garrus. Words are inadequate to express how much I value your friendship."

He closed his eyes and leaned his head into my palm as I spoke; when I withdrew my hand, he reopened his eyes and replied, "That goes both ways, Sammy. Spirits protect you."

He turned and took the few steps necessary to rejoin Rachaél and Liara, prompting me to look at RaeLee. "Ready to go, General?"

She tilted her head back to look at the 'face' of the ultra-black construct that would be taking us home before answering, "No, but we should be off and on our way back. I guarantee there's no one doing my work while I'm away, Sammy."

I walked up to Irin's null-gravity tube and waved her in. "After you."

With a heavy sigh, she walked past me, stepped into the opening and disappeared. I waved at our hosts and followed her back into my guardian Repository. With both of us inside, Iringù-Eßizkur activated her massive eezo core and silently lifted off from the landing area.


• CONSTANT, EDEN PRIME · UTOPIA, EXODUS CLUSTER •

I had contacted Oriana just before leaving Vancouver, after touching down long enough to see RaeLee Park back to her office. The general had hugged me while thanking me for arranging the meeting on Thessia … she was more than ready to see the Alliance drop the hammer on Lt. Commander Garrett Sutton and the late Admiral Owen Fletcher.

All this ran through my mind as I waited for Oriana Lawson to arrive from the city; Irin had set down at the edge of the spaceport, as instructed by the port authorities. I had explained to several people, each a bit higher in the command chain, that Irin was my personal spacecraft; none of them were convinced until I exited the null-gravity tube at her feet.

I was leaning against one of her massive claws with my arms crossed under my chest when the colonel in charge of the combined military/civilian spaceport came roaring up in a speeder. The man slowly climbed out of the X3M, looked up at Irin's 'face' in fearful astonishment, then looked at me in stunned amazement. As I continued to lean on my support, he slowly walked up to me, stopped, then gulped as he finally found the words to ask me, "How in heaven's name is it that you ride around inside this … this … ancient machine?"

I would have sworn I heard a heavy sigh from above me as I uncrossed my arms. I rubbed the claw on which I had just been leaning as I said, "She's my friend, Colonel. Her name is Iringù-Eßizkur, and she's every bit as alive as you and me. She has chosen to provide me with transportation … and protection, for as long as I have need of her. For now, I would recommend that you have your defense system stand down. I seriously doubt anything you could fire at her is capable of disabling her, and she would certainly retaliate in her own defense … and mine."

I saw another speeder heading towards us from the terminal building; the colonel activated his omnitool, entered a couple of command lines, then dropped his arms to his sides. The approaching speeder slowed as it drew near, then stopped a few meters from the colonel's. I was glad to see the reason for my stopover climbing out of the machine; Oriana Lawson grabbed a couple of packs from the rear as the driver picked up another, and together they walked towards me. Oriana surprised me by walking right up to me while saying, "Damn, Traynor! You sure know how to ride around in style!"

I showed my teeth in a huge grin as the colonel and the driver both looked at us as if we had lost our minds. I took the bag the driver had brought, said, "Shall we be off?" and took the few steps needed to reach the null-gravity tube.

Ori grinned back … it looked to me as if she thought this was all a grand adventure … something I'm sure Miranda had done her best to shelter her sister from having. "Can't wait, Sammy! What's it like to fly around inside one of these?"

I nodded to the colonel and Ori's driver, then turned and stepped into the translucent tube. She quickly followed, then let out a low whistle of surprise as she floated upwards below me. Inside the small reception compartment, I stepped aside as Oriana was gently impelled out of the tube, then set her packs down by the bulkhead and walked past the entry to the lounge.

She jumped as Irin welcomed her. Lawson-Oriana. I am happy to meet you. As for flying around in a Repositorywhat you think of as a ReaperI believe it to be no different than traveling inside any small to mid-sized interstellar vessel.

I grinned at the flustered woman as I responded to the greeting by saying, "You startled her, Irin."

I walked back to where Ori had stopped in her tracks upon hearing Irin's voice. "You didn't hear my explanation to that dock manager, Ori. Iringù-Eßizkur is every bit as alive as you, or me. She's an intelligent being … very much her own person, and unlike the many Repositories I've encountered since the end of the war, considers herself gender-feminine."

Oriana had looked all around herself as she listened to my description of Irin, as if looking for the source of the feminine voice. Leveling her gaze at me, she replied, "I guess I never really gave the matter any real thought, Sammy." Shaking her head slightly, she finally took a few steps towards me while concluding, "It surprises me that they speak! Stories I've been told … and seen … of the destruction during the early months of the invasion and war … the news vids all depicted them as simple, mindless weapons, intent on obliterating civilizations galaxy-wide!"

"Follow me … have a seat in the lounge. I'll give you an abbreviated history lesson while Irin takes us home." Quickly forming the words in my mind, I sent a text to my huge friend. »Activate the view screens and let's get going, Irin.« I thought about the two men we'd left on the ground below and added, »Just, make sure anyone standing nearby won't be affected by your liftoff.«

I motioned Oriana towards the chair closest to the entrance. I sat beside her and explained as the monitor came to life, the split image showing a view straight 'down' … soon to be a rearwards view, with the other half of the screen showing what was ahead of us. Lawson watched with great interest as the dual chronometers came to life with Irin's liftoff from the planet's surface.

I explained, "The upper chrono is destination ETA." I felt the subtle shift of artificial gravity as Iringù-Eßizkur reoriented the apparent 'down' inside her structure to account for her attitude change into a weightless environment; I could tell that Ori felt it also. She looked at me, her expression of amazement obvious as she said, "No vibrations, no engine noise, no … anything!"

"You ain't seen nothing yet," I quipped. With a thought, I directed Irin to bypass the relay and set out across the void at close to her top speed. I looked at my guest and said, "We're going to bypass the Utopia Relay and fly straight back to Ahn'Kahar Station. It's really only a short distance—a hundred light years or so less than from Earth to Utopia, so about 1400—and Iringù-Eßizkur really enjoys the opportunity to stretch her legs, so to speak."

The upper chronometer in the virtual viewport began incrementing downwards as Irin accelerated, finally settling on a mark of just under three hours. Oriana blurted out, "My God, Traynor! What's the top speed of this bloody thing!?"

"She's capable of a sustained velocity of 3.2 trillion kilometers a second, so just over eleven and-a-half quadrillion kilometers an hour. Of course, the ETA displayed will increase as we get close and Irin has to begin decelerating, but …" I laughed as I thought about it, "… when she begins braking for arrival, watching the speed numbers fall makes me think she's tossed out an anchor or two … and her inertial dampeners are so efficient, you never feel it!"

With a shake of her head, she replied, "Miranda shared with me some of what Shepard discovered about them at the end of the war. And this … construct … Iringù-Eßizkur … is just a destroyer-class Reaper. Is it true the big ones, like Harbinger, are even faster? With that kind of speed, why did they need the relays?"

An ancient voice sounded through the compartment. Repository, if you don't mind, Lawson-Oriana.

I retorted, "Irin's a bit touchy about how people refer to them, Ori. Each one carries the knowledge of civilizations they, um—harvested, to use their description—in the past, thus they think of themselves as Repositories … archives, if you will. A similar term would be libraries, I guess."

I crossed a leg, ankle over thigh, as I continued, "The … intelligence, as it was called by Leviathan when it spoke with Shepard … had the Reapers create the mass relays in order to speed the time between cycles for greater efficiency. The really scary thing was the Citadel … they'd enter the Widow System from dark space and spread out from there. I think this last attempt, where they were forced to enter through Kite's Nest, really slowed them down."

The Citadel, being so close to the Widow Relay, increased our efficiency by a substantial amount, Iringù-Eßizkur explained. When we were forced to enter through the Harsa Relay instead of the Bahak Relaydestroyed by The Shepardwe first had to travel through Exodus before we could enter the Sol system.

Ori sat silent for a number of minutes as she processed all that had just been revealed. When she turned to look at me once again, it was to ask, "Do the Leviathans still live?"

"Unknown, but the probability is high. Harbinger assigned a number of destroyers to locating and gathering their artifacts, galaxy-wide; 2181 Despoina is quarantined and the planet is being monitored from a safe distance." I shrugged. "It's an ocean planet, and I can't imagine anyone—from any race—purposely violating that quarantine."

Returning her gaze to the monitor, Lawson fell silent for several moments, before standing from her chair. She stretched as she asked, "Anything to eat or drink in here?"

I stood and moved towards the dining area and its small kitchen. "Follow me. What would you like? There's a small selection of beverages, but I'm afraid our food stocks are limited to frozen 'heat'n'serve' meals. The only time Iringù-Eßizkur was inhabited for any length of time was during Liara's search for Cerberus-created clones of Shepard."

There was also Massani-Zaeed's trip to Raheel-Leyya and back, Samantha.

"That was for a much shorter duration, Irin," I pointed out, "during which time Sandra Patton and I became guests of Huerta Memorial." At Ori's questioning look, I sighed. "That's a bit of a story as well." I heated water for a pot of tea, adding, "We can return to the lounge with our tea. I'll share why we were working with Massani."


• AHN'KAHAR STATION, STRENUUS SYSTEM · HORSEHEAD NEBULA •

Oriana stared at the image of the station as it rapidly grew in apparent size on the monitor. "This is where you live now? It seems kind of … I don't know … gloomy is the only word that comes to mind." She was standing close to the virtual viewport, studying the station's image as it grew in size. "So, if it was originally a research outpost for Cerberus, there must have been a lot of equipment left behind when the people left, right?"

I chuckled. "Not nearly as much as you would imagine. Station logs show Cerberus personnel arriving within a week or so of their departure and removing everything that was easily portable."

A worried look crossed her face as she asked, "Cerberus doesn't exist anymore, right? I mean, there won't be a group of their soldiers showing up to reclaim the place, will there?"

"The Illusive Man is truly dead, Ori … his ideals may live on in scattered remnants of his followers—mostly in Alliance-controlled space—but the organization itself died when he did, of that I'm sure." I chuckled as I added, "And a gloomy appearance is a good thing for us. Trust me … there are lights and atmo where it counts. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

Oriana's comment about the gloomy appearance of the station put a thought in my mind … the salarians had managed to overcome the problems of applying cloaking technology to structures the size of interstellar warships; I believed their technology could be adapted to the station's exterior, making it even more unlikely that anyone simply traveling through the system would inadvertently discover us. I decided to research adapting a cloaking system to the station's hull as soon as possible.


"This is amazing, Samantha … Sammy. An entire suite? … with an attached office area?" She was standing in the center of her small lounge, her expression one of astonishment. "This was a Cerberus facility? How much remodeling did you have to do in order to accomplish all this?"

I chuckled. "Less than you think. Jack Harper, for all his anti-alien ways, took good care of the people he employed. His only expectation was complete loyalty." My omnitool lit up as it received a text from Griff, to which I responded by requesting he join me to meet with our new accountant.

Returning my attention to Oriana, I motioned towards the kitchenette. "Would you care for some coffee? … or tea? My partner is on his way up from the hanger; he wants to meet you, and we need to have a discussion about your duties."

Ori replied, "A cup of tea would be wonderful, Sammy."

I grinned as I set a kettle on the stovetop to heat some water, then nodded to indicate a nearby cupboard and said, "Dry goods are stored inside there."

I heard a slight gasp as she opened the door I'd indicated. "You placed all this in here? … just for me?"

I smiled in response. "I wanted to make sure you'd have all the basics. After you've had a chance to settle in, take stock of the supplies you have, then give Griff or myself a list of the things you need so we can obtain them for you."


• NOS AEDELOS, ILLIUM · TASALE SYSTEM, CRESCENT NEBULA •

Captain Roshida B'Sayle looked intently at each of her team members—her friends—as she outlined their planned assault on the warehouse that was home to Jona Sederis, along with twenty Eclipse sisters that formed the core of her most trusted protectors. "Each of you will have to hit your marks precisely if we expect to still be standing when we leave this planet."

She directed her attention to her sniper. "Joy, you're on overwatch. With the exception of the small apartment where Sederis lives, this warehouse is fairly open top-to-bottom. In the past, it was used as a secure staging location for high-value cargo before it was distributed to locations in the city. It's also been used to warehouse mechs … Erin noted there are several LOKI Mechs walking around on the second and third levels."

"How am I going to cover multiple levels, Cap? … I'm good, but …"

"The floors aren't solid, Joy. There's a catwalk that runs around the perimeter inside, with a view down and across the lower levels; you'll be able to access it from the roof. All the intervening platforms are open mesh, so you'll have a good view of anything and everything moving around below your position. Use AP-rounds in that big-ass rifle … bullets will plow right through any obstructions. The mechs will be easy to target just by the noise they make walking on metal surfaces."

Upon receiving a nod from S'Raxia, Roshida turned her attention to her lieutenant. "Celia, you, Cat, and Del need to eliminate Jona's soldiers."

Celia frowned, "Won't they be cloaked as well?"

"Eclipse sisters look down on anyone hiding behind a cloaking generator … they all feel it's a cowardly way to do business." B'Sayle grinned. "I expect they'll wish for cloaks of any kind before we leave here." Sweeping her eyes across her team, she said, "Let's get this done."


It was a precision strike; Roshida B'Sayle and her teammates, with expert assistance from a well-placed sniper on overwatch, overwhelmed the LOKI mechs and twenty Eclipse sisters as they swept through the warehouse in a coordinated assault.

Upon reaching the entrance to Sederis's apartment, they found it had a non-hardened, unarmored hatch; once the Haptic lock was released, Cat and Del were through the opening before the hatch segments had completely retracted. Moving fast and staying low, Cat took Suvanni D'Klan's life with a biotic charge that culminated in a precision strike from her sword; Suvanni's lifeless body spun about and collapsed where she had been standing as her head fell to the floor.

Condella chose to quickly envelope Sederis in a Stasis field, in case she needed to be questioned by B'Sayle before she died.

With the two Huntresses then guarding the entrance against any possible reinforcements, Roshida and Celia moved through the apartment, searching through all of Jona's records concerning the many business dealings of the Eclipse.

While they were so engaged, Joya's voice whispered into their comms. "Reinforcements just entered the warehouse … group of twelve … no, fifteen. They've split up and are heading for your position. I'll need a bit of help to take them all down."

B'Sayle nodded at Celia. "Take Del … Cat can stay here, just inside the entrance."

The Adept nodded, glanced at Condella and moved, the pair engaging their cloaking generators as they left. Roshida watched them go, then addressed Sederis, still bound by a Stasis field. "Too bad you chose to ignore T'Loak's one rule, Jona. It's gonna be the end of Eclipse here … and on Omega Station."

The insane asari could do nothing but glare in impotent rage as Erinna Thyria methodically hacked into and opened every file stored on the Eclipse computers, accompanied by the sounds of armed and biotic conflict filtering in through the open door, with the most prominent sounds the echoing reports coming from Joya's Black Widow; the cries of pain and fear from the overmatched Eclipse reinforcements gradually lessened, then ceased altogether. Moments after silence descended on the warehouse, Celia reentered the apartment. "Threat neutralized, Cap'n."

"Good. Stay vigilant … Erin's almost done here."


• AHN'KAHAR STATION, STRENUUS SYSTEM · HORSEHEAD NEBULA •

I watched Griff closely as he greeted our new accountant … I could see in his eyes he was immediately taken—maybe even besotted—with this virtual twin to Miranda Lawson. After making some coffee for myself and Griff, the three of us sat in Oriana's new lounge, there to discuss in a bit more detail what we needed her to accomplish for us.

I leveled my gaze at Lawson's violet-blue eyes as I said, "Your position here will evolve over the coming weeks, Ori. I cannot imagine a woman as intelligent as yourself not becoming bored with your job, once you have all the numbers lined up to your satisfaction." I sipped from my mug as I thought about her additional tasks. I waved my free hand around above my head as I said, "This is the new headquarters for a galaxy-wide data collection operation. We've just hired eight people that once performed research for a data miner I'm sure you've heard of … the Shadow Broker?"

I watched her mouth drop open and eyes go wide. After a few moments, she said, "The Shadow Broker was eliminated by Commander Shepard near the end of the Collector campaign. Miranda told me as much, just prior to the Reaper invasion."

"Did she tell you who replaced him? … who took over the network and redirected all that data harvesting ability towards finding a way to stopping the Reapers?"

"She didn't … she knew who it was, of that I'm certain, but wouldn't tell me … probably in order to protect me … or them."

I smiled grimly. "That desire works both ways, Ori … and I'm in total agreement with her. There are a lot of really bad people out there … people that would stop at nothing to discover the true identity of the Shadow Broker." I finished my coffee and rose from the chair; crouching in front of her, I grasped a cool hand and said, "Truth be known, Ori … Griff and I … we're the lead researchers, and agents, for the Shadow Broker." At the instant look of fear in her eyes, I grasped her other hand as I added, "We're rebuilding the Broker's network, galaxy-wide. Despite his fearsome reputation, the Shadow Broker does nothing immoral or illegal … or I would never have agreed to work for him."

Pulling her hands gently as I stood up from my crouch, I continued to explain. "The Broker made me an offer I didn't feel I could refuse, Ori … it's why I left the Alliance Navy." I stared hard into a pair of fearful eyes. "You are in no danger from the Shadow Broker, Griff, me … or anyone else on this station, Oriana Lawson. I personally guarantee you will be safe from harm as long as you live here, especially since I made that promise to your sister."

Her expression gradually relaxed at my soothing tone. Finding her voice again, she said "I never dreamed you were working for the Shadow Broker, Sammy … or that I would be working for him as well." She glanced at Griff before focusing on me. "If I chose to leave here now, this minute? … would you take me back to Eden Prime?"

"Yes, I would! … or wherever else you might wish to go, Ori … even though you now have knowledge that could place our lives … and yours! … at great risk." At her puzzled expression, I added, "You know the location of this facility. I'm placing a great deal of trust in your discretion, Oriana; that said, you wouldn't need to ride back in Iringù-Eßizkur … we can use our shuttlecraft." I looked at Griff, silently imploring him with my eyes.

"Would you care to see the rest of the station, Ms Lawson?" Griff finished his coffee and added, "I'd be happy to show you around … introduce you to our researchers … our systems programmer, let you see all the amenities that are available … and planned."

I couldn't be sure, but I felt she wasn't completely serious when she asked, "Does that include an introduction to the Shadow Broker?"

"Not right away, and never in person," he responded. "The Broker will introduce himself when he's ready to meet you … through a vid-call. He doesn't reside on this station; truth be told, we really don't know where he lives." Griff shrugged and glanced at me, then looked back to Oriana. Holding out an arm crooked at the elbow, he asked, "Shall we?"

Oriana hooked her hand onto his arm, prompting the big man to lead her out of her quarters. I was confident that Griff would be able to sooth her apprehensions about living and working here. I just hope he doesn't promise her unlimited wealth and power! If he does, it'll be coming out of his personal comp! I chuckled.


When I returned to her quarters at the end of the day, Oriana had unpacked and put her clothing and few personal possessions away in her modest suite, assuaging my fear she would demand an immediate trip back to Eden Prime or the Citadel. Oriana's decision to remain on the station and work for us—even if her stay proved to only be temporary—had me feeling more hopeful than ever about our ultimate success as a data mining organization.

"Getting settled in?" I smiled. "Anything you need us to provide?" The grin I received in return made my heart flutter. Why does she have to be so damned attractive?

"Everything I'd ever need seems to be here, Sammy." She gazed around her, then redirected her attention to me. "So, when can I get to work?"

"Tomorrow morning, right after you join us for breakfast. There are a few additional tasks we need you to accomplish … which I will explain while we eat. Sleep well tonight, Oriana."


• NOS AEDELOS, ILLIUM · TASALE SYSTEM, CRESCENT NEBULA •

Captain Roshida B'Sayle grinned as she looked around what was now the former home of Eclipse founder—and insane leader—Jona Sederis, currently residing inside a specially prepared stasis chamber the Broker squad would be using to transport the crippled asari to Omega Station.

B'Sayle would use subterfuge to get the chamber past the authorities to the Desorspar, the small vessel that would return them all to Omega Station; the chamber was sealed inside a specially constructed shipping crate bearing forged diplomatic seals from the galactic council, ensuring it would not be opened for inspection. The Broker squad had placed all their specialized weaponry inside the crate, thus ensuring any physical scans of them would turn up nothing more than the standard hand-to-hand weapons—such as Cat's and Del's swords—most asari commandos carried.

Thinking of the team's Huntresses, she frowned for a moment. With the home locations provided by Jona's records, and accompanied by Celia and Erin, they had set out to eliminate the several remaining Eclipse sisters still in the city. When they departed Illium this evening, an Eclipse presence would no longer exist in Nos Aedelos.

B'Sayle grinned at a new thought. It would be up to Omega's pirate queen and her station's security forces to eliminate Eclipse from the station, a task that should be easier without the leadership of Jona Sederis. Wonder if she'll actually place Jona's head on a spike outside the entrance to Afterlife, she mused. Ah well, it's nothing I need to worry over Aria T'Loak will be able to deal with Sederis however she wishes. Probably won't be happy we're bringing her back alive, but that's not my problem. We're not murderers for hire.

Roshida was so ready for this assignment to be over.


• AHN'KAHAR STATION, STRENUUS SYSTEM · HORSEHEAD NEBULA •

I had just returned to my bedroom after enjoying a relaxing shower. As I was finishing blotting the excess moisture from my hair, my desktop intercom unit quietly trilled, to be followed by a terse message from Buchanan. "Sammy, you need to see this."

Buchanan never summoned me from the sanctuary of my quarters unless there was some really important—or dreadful—new information about any of the many paths we were investigating. I palmed the ACCEPT control and replied, "Before breakfast, Griff? How bad is it?"

As the comms unit was audio only, I knew that even though he was unable to see my nudity, the embarrassed tone of his voice left no doubt in my mind the man knew my pre-breakfast routine – wake up, pull on exercise clothes, go to our shared gym for an hour of intense exercise, then return to my quarters for a leisurely shower before getting dressed for the day and joining him for breakfast. Dammit! My schedule is too regular if he knows when I'm getting dressed.

As if he really could see me, he replied, "Bad enough for me to call you out before you're dressed, Sammy. Join me in the research area as soon as you can … I'll meet you there with a cup of strong coffee. You're gonna need it."

"I'll be there in fifteen, Griff." I cut the connection, finished drying and brushing my hair, then pulled my clothes on. Taking a last look in the full-length mirror, I grabbed the length of my brown hair and secured it at my neck with an elastic tie. Looks almost as long as Xiùlán's, I thought. Probably ought to get it cut, but I kinda like it and it's actually a bit of a disguise, since no one expects to meet Samantha Traynor with long hair. Wondering what could be so dire that Griff would need my immediate presence, I walked quickly to our research center.