(Two weeks later, somewhere in Space)
Liara was asleep in the back room of the Normandy's infirmary. She sat in a chair, and leaning forward, rested her head on the desk. It wasn't the most comfortable arrangement, but it was better than being confined to those suffocating sleeper pods. Hell, this entire experience was terrible: she was essentially a prisoner, being kept on a warship destined for certain doom, at the command of a council spectre. What could be worse?
She was jolted awake by a loud clanging on the door. She groaned loudly. She didn't need to look at a watch to tell that it was way too early for it to be morning already. "Come in."
Shepard appeared, standing at the door. "We need to talk."
Liara sat up in her chair, straightening her back. "About what, commander?"
The door closed behind Shepard, and he leaned against the wall next to it, his arms crossed. "Your mother," he stated simply.
Liara's eyes widened a bit. "Commander, I've already told you everything I know about her. If I had anything else, I would have already told you." So this is why he woke me up at 3 in the morning, to ask for the millionth time about my mother? "What does 'I haven't seen her in decades' mean to…"
Shepard let out a loud sigh, indicating that he wasn't too keen on listening to her whine any longer. "Intel is telling me they spotted your mother on Noveria. We're headed there now. But I thought I'd ask you before we get there: any clue why she's there?"
Liara still couldn't get over the fact that her mother was working for Saren. But, was she any better? She'd seen the commander's mind the day she was rescued from Therum. Sometimes, it got difficult to tell which hazy visions were those from the beacon and which were the commander's. John Shepard could be summed up in three words: murderer, despicable, and most of all, evil. He was the kind of person that belonged in a jail cell, barred from ever seeing the light of day. Actually, make it solitary confinement in a jail cell, because she wasn't sure his cellmate would be safe. Nevertheless, she couldn't just get up and leave. She was in the custody of a council spectre. He hadn't said she was a prisoner, but when she was told "you're not leaving" the message was pretty clear. But she couldn't say anything, not a word. She didn't want to end up dead, or worse… She had to learn to hide what she was thinking and act like everything was okay, when in reality, she was scared and disgusted. Unfortunately, hiding her thoughts involved answering the commander's question.
"Noveria? It's a corporate world outside of council control. A lot of companies rent out space to conduct experiments and research. But I don't know why my mother would be there."
Shepard's hand went to the bridge of his nose, rubbing it with three fingers as he closed his eyes. He was pissed. He was flying around the galaxy on the basis of a rumor, without any information, potentially walking into a trap. Why did he bother? Why not just let them all die? Wars happen all the time, and so does people dying. He'd seen it all.
"Was she ever involved in any research before, maybe somewhere else?" he asked. Yes, maybe he had seen it all. Maybe he was a nihilist. Maybe the galaxy didn't deserve it. But he wasn't doing it for the galaxy. He decided that he was doing it for himself. His motives were complex, but given almost a week with nothing to do aboard the Normandy other than sleep, eat, and wait for any news, he'd had a lot of time to think. For starters, he wished he had a time machine, gone back, and fixed everything before it all went so wrong.
"No, she was a political and religious figure. She worked at an asari temple on Thessia. She wasn't involved in anything that would involve labs. At least, that's as far as I know." She gulped, her heartbreaking in two. "But after what she's done, I'm not sure I knew her as well as I used to believe I did." The woman she knew as her mother was no longer there.
Now, Shepard just stood there, staring at the floor, his mind lost. He'd always been too late. For his parents, almost 30 years. For Akuze, about a week. For Eden Prime, less than an hour. But now, he had a chance to do some good, to save the galaxy. He wanted to save them, not because he cared about them, but because he was scared. He was scared that he'd die the man the world had made him become, and not the man he wanted to be. No, it wasn't the world that made him this way. The world had just given him a series of tough choices, and he'd always chosen wrong. He had been the one to make himself this way. But maybe, just for once, he could try and do something he would be proud to tell his parents. He could try and stop the reapers before they came. And he knew that on the slim probability he ever completed this mission, he would again feel empty, devoid of purpose. He'd still failed to answer the question of what to do with his life, so he'd decided to put his skills to use towards something nobler. All he knew was killing, but maybe if he took the right lives….
No, he knew it would never be enough to make up for the things he had done; he didn't even deserve the chance, because there was no coming back. He was never a hero, he would never be called one, and he didn't want to be one. He just wanted to look at that photo, to look at his parent's eyes, and not have to look away in shame and guilt. Every time he tried, they were always watching him, judging him in shame. They probably always would, but he at least wanted to say, "I tried." He did not know why he cared so much for people he could not remember. Maybe it was because he was all that was left of them.
Unfortunately, even he knew that his thoughts and hopes of change were ephemeral. Sooner or later, he'd return back to what he was. Probably sooner than later, because he had no control during the rush of combat. And to think that one, half-burnt photo would reverse 30 years of habits was ridiculous. No, people never really change. There would be no hope. His only sure guarantee was that this mission would probably kill him, although he wasn't sure if his body or his mind would go first.
"Commander?"
Hearing Liara speak, his trance was broken. He blinked his eyes rapidly, as they were getting watery from having been open for so long. "Yes?" he said in a hoarse whisper. No, there would be no coming back. Just get the job done. Do what you've always done. It's all I know.
She wasn't sure what scared her more. The commander when he was rude and angry, or the commander when he looked genuinely afraid and lost. "Is there…anything else?"
He cleared his throat before speaking. "Ya, um… If we do run into your mother, I don't know how it's going to turn out. I'm giving you the choice, because if it were me, I'm not sure what I would do, but if you want, you can come along. I'm not sure if you want to be there, you know, when we face your mother. I'm not going to lie to you, it can, most likely will, get ugly." Well, Shepard only partially cared about Liara and her mother. What he was secretly hoping was that Liara would come along because she would prove useful in stopping Benezia. Having that asari bitch face her daughter might distract her in combat or help to pry information out of her.
Liara stared at the floor, unable to meet the commander's gaze. She'd noted the change in his voice, his stuttering and the somewhat incoherent syntax of his sentences, the quivering weakness in his voice as he finished. Something had been very off about the commander lately; he was actually… no, caring wasn't the right word… indifferent, that was it. Why, however, she couldn't possibly fathom. "Yes, I would like more than anything to face my mother again, to put a stop to her. If it is anyone, it should be me." Unfortunately, the strength and determination she conveyed in her words were nothing but for show. She did not know how she would face her mother and ask her why she was doing all of this. She questioned if she even had the strength to do what needed to be done if it came down to it. Would she be able to kill her mother to save the galaxy if that's what needed to happen? No child should have to make such a decision.
Shepard nodded his head, pleased with her decision. He was just bringing her along as a tool to use against her mother. It was sad and manipulative, but bigger things were at stake than a daughter-mother relationship. I mean, he grew up without parents, so it couldn't be all that bad, right? At least he was giving Liara one last chance to say goodbye before he interrogated, and probably killed, Benezia.
The armor she wore was heavy on her delicate frame. The slight weight of the sidearm at her hip made her feel like she was walking off balance. But these were the minimum precautionary measures that had been taken to keep her safe. Shepard had tried giving her a spare set of heavy armor, but she couldn't even walk in it, so she was given this set. It was human military armor, so the fit wasn't perfect, but it was close enough that it would provide adequate protection and still allow movement.
They all stood in the airlock as it ran its decontamination protocol. Shepard stood closest to the door, his arms crossed, impatiently waiting for the doors to open. Tali and Garrus were on her left, while Ashley was at parade rest on her right. Soon enough, the Normandy's airlock opened, and the team was hit with a cold blast of air. None of them really felt it, except the Turian, who had insisted on walking into every engagement without a helmet. But the humidity in the air rapidly condensed on all their armors, covering them in a thin veil of frost.
Shepard started marching forward undisturbed. His suit's climate control had taken care of everything, and that was that. The rest of his team tentatively followed him, looking around the quiet space dock for any signs of life. But it was quiet, except for the howling of the wind outside. It was the calm before the storm.
John continued to walk down the gangway. He placed his right hand on his hip, preparing for the occasion that he would need to draw his sidearm. And, as always, his combat instincts were right. There were hostiles; well, sort of. Alarms started to blare, and flashing red warning lights turned the bluish of the cold metal surroundings into bright red. A trio of armed officers rushed towards their position, weapons drawn, ready to confront them. John was a soldier, and he was always ready to defend himself. But most of all, he was a killer, and he had no qualms about murdering others. He did not like having to tolerate a weapon being pointed at his face.
"Put your hands in the air, now!" they barked at him. But his hand was already at his hip, caressing the handle of his pistol.
His mind processed the situation, trying to find a possible solution, but there were only so many options he had to choose from. The officer's weapons were standard stock assault rifles, probably unmodded. They would be unable to seriously harm him, especially if they were 'dispatched' in a timely fashion. One of the officers was clearly new at this; her stance was uneven, the way she held her rifle left much to be desired, and he could see the slight shaking in her hands. The second officer was rather…generic. Nothing he had to worry about in the grand scheme of things. However, the clearest threat was the tall Asian officer, the one who had been barking orders at him. She was older than her comrades, and clearly the person in charge; it was possible that she had military experience, but he only had enough time to tell that she had experienced tough situations before. He calculated all the possibilities that could break out, and he decided on one: knocking them off their feet with biotics while he and his team dispatched them. Well, that was what he usually did anyway, but that didn't mean he didn't consider other possible scenarios for killing the officers. His mind always worked like this, towards one goal: inflicting maximum damage.
The officers saw the rest of Shepard's team behind him, in addition to his already imposing figure. They held their ground 4 meters from him, guns pointed, fingers on the trigger. "You are not authorized to enter this Port with weapons. Put your hand's in the air, now!" the lead officer repeated.
Shepard was feeling pretty confident about the situation. "First of all, I, nor my team, are giving up our weapons. Second, I suggest you reconsider where you are pointing those weapons. It would be a terrible day to shoot at us."
"Ha! Do you think I listen to lawbreakers? If you don't comply, we will be forced to use lethal force! That! Is final!"
The first officer shuffled her feet, slowly retreating backward. The second officer looked at the lead, almost as if he were silently questioning her orders.
"If you shoot us, it would be terribly painful," Shepard stated. The Asian woman furrowed her brow, a little confused. Shepard caught on to this, and didn't miss a beat with his reply: "painful for you, of course."
The two sides stood facing one another on the walkway, waiting for the other to make the first move. The officers didn't want to make the first move, because they were almost certain about how it would end. And Shepard, well, he just didn't care enough. However, he knew sooner or later that if these cops didn't let them through, there would be a problem, and probably a violent one.
Shepard's team was less than enthused about all of this. Garrus wasn't all too keen on having to get into a fight with officers, even though he knew that they could sometimes be assholes. Ashley believed that this situation could be resolved without anyone dying. Tali was scared, but she would follow whatever actions those around her would take; she did not want to die or put them at risk. Liara was feeling rather helpless; she was armed only with a simple pistol, as she couldn't handle anything else. She only had her biotics to protect her and possibly, the team. But she wasn't looking forward to using them in the services of killing police officers. She had seen Shepard's mind, and she had a faint feeling of what he was thinking of doing.
But thankfully for both sides, no bloodshed would happen. A screech echoed down the hallway, painfully garnering their attention; a loudspeaker had been turned on. "Captain Matsuo stand down! Commander Shepard's identity has been confirmed. Council Spectre's can carry arms on Port Hanshan."
The officers lowered their weapons and Shepard's team allowed themselves to relax a little bit. Shepard retracted his hand from his hip, although somewhat reluctant. He was sure he was going to have to use his weapon, but for now, he'd been stopped. He felt it wrong to simply come to terms with people that had pointed weapons in his face only seconds ago. But he consoled himself in the fact that there would probably be plenty of violence today. Many people would die: Saren's henchmen, innocents caught in the crossfire, and many, many more people. There would be violence and death today, he wasn't so sure he needed to add to that over a misunderstanding.
"What do you mean I need a garage pass? Can't I just go now? I don't have time for this," Shepard insisted.
"Commander, I wish I could help you, I really do, but I don't run this place. I don't have the ability to give you access, and if administrator Anoleis won't give you one…" she trailed off.
Shepard smashed his gauntlet on the counter in front of him. "I need to get to that facility. If not, you and everyone on this planet, are probably as good as dead. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Gianna Parasini gulped as she tried to pick her next words very carefully. She was a spy, and one wrong step could completely ruin her entire plan to bring down Anoleis. But she also had to consider who could be helping her: John Shepard, plus his odd, but apparently competent compatriots. She decided now was the time to play her hand. "Commander, while I cannot help you directly, I may know someone who can. Go to the lounge and look for Lorik Qui'in. He just might be able to help you find what you need."
The commander sighed, but it came out as more of a growl than anything else. A relatively inhuman sound that he somehow produced, and it was frightening. He slowly lowered his helmet back on his head, causing the face of John Shepard to gradually be replaced by the red skull etched into the front of his helmet. A truly terrifying sight indeed, she decided. It was a blessing that he may unwittingly help bring down Anoleis. She could only hope he was too dumb to notice that she was using him. But to be fair, wasn't he trying to use her too? No, this was a mutually beneficial exchange. She should have nothing to worry about.
The turian stroked his mandible, contemplating his options. If Anoleis found that evidence, he might as well be the one convicted. He sure as hell couldn't go into his office and fight the cops for it. But a council spectre? He will do nicely. And all it would cost himwas a stupid garage pass. With it, the spectre and his team would head to almost certain death, but it wasn't his problem. "Listen Commander, I think we can come to an arrangement. What's that human phrase? I scratch your toes you scratch mine? No that can't be… Never mind. I need you to get something for me. From my office."
Shepard immediately knew that something was off. After all, why couldn't the turian walk into his office himself? "What exactly are you sending me into here?"
The turian chuckled nervously, trying to pass off the task as a light burden. "Well, my office is being ransacked by cops. I can't exactly stroll in there. There is a file on my computer." He fished a memory OSD from his pocket and put it on the table. "Take this, it will automatically find and download the file once you connect it to my computer."
Shepard snatched the OSD and got up abruptly. Always favors, always more favors! Why doesn't anyone just do anything for free if it doesn't cost them anything? He was grumpy and looking forward to getting this job over with; but then once he got the OSD returned, he would have another job. He was increasingly seeing life as an infinite regress with no end in sight. But Tali wasn't so comfortable walking into a shootout with cops; at least, not without a good reason. "What's on your computer, and why are the cops looking for it?" she demanded. The rest of the team wanted to ask a similar question, but couldn't work up the courage to do so.
John whipped around, shooting daggers at her. Sometimes, you didn't ask what the job was for, you just did it. It was simpler that way. Before he could open his mouth to reprimand her, the turian answered her question: "I have evidence that the Administrator of this port has been artificially raising rent prices to benefit himself. I got this evidence, and he doesn't want me to have it. So, he had me fired and put me under 'investigation'" he mocked with air quotes. "Now, he has his corrupt cops in my office!"
John started to laugh quietly to himself, shaking his head and smiling. Yep, these were cops all right. Corrupt as ever. And this turian was clearly very upset about it. "Come on, guys. We have an office to storm."
The door opened, revealing a vast, two-floored area, complete with walkways, stairs, and marble architecture. Whoever that turian worked for, they clearly had cash. Several officers were visible, and the nearest ones turned to face him, palm outstretched. "Halt! This area is under investigation. Visitors are not allowed."
He could see that two of the officers that had confronted him earlier were also here. I guess they will die today anyway. Shepard wasn't going out of his way to kill them, but if they were in the way, what was he supposed to do? "Not a visitor. I'm council spectre John Shepard. You are going to let me pass."
One of the officer's crossed her arms, clearly the one in charge of this corrupt operation. "You are not going anywhere but out the door you came from. This area is under investigation, and I can't have you interfering."
Shepard sighed. Looks like they would get in the way. A pity. But at least he gave them the chance. "Okay, I don't have time for your fucking corrupt schemes. I'm going to get what I came here for. You're going to have to tell Anoleis or whoever the fuck is paying you that you failed. But you get to leave with your lives. How's that sound?" His helmet, which had been tucked under his arm so he could show his face, was now placed on his head.
One of the officers equipped her weapon and pointed it at them. "You know what we did with cop killers from the town I came from?" One of the officers at her side turned and ran away, taking Shepard's offer. "Coward," she whispered under her breath.
Shepard signaled for his team to get ready and equipped his shotgun. "I wouldn't know. They never showed up unless it was a murder. At least where I'm from!" he yelled back. He slowly started to walk down the steps, his gun pointed at the floor, still signaling that these people could leave. But the cop wasn't budging.
"Kill them!" she roared as she started to spray bullets with her rifle.
Shepard jumped high into the air, clearly showing off, before punching the ground with his biotics as he came back down. A wave of energy lifted three of the cops off their feet and into the air. His team stormed the area, making short work of them. But there were still more of them, and this place was vast; they could be hiding anywhere.
Two powerful shots echoed around the room, and a body came tumbling from a second-story railing, landing with a sickening crack. "Hostile's second floor!" Garrus yelled
"Williams, on me! Garrus, Tali, Liara, secure this floor!" Shepard ran down the hallway with his shotgun, making his way towards the second floor's stairs. Another officer was running down towards him, fumbling with his weapon, but John simply body-slammed him. Williams finished him off as Shepard reached the top of the stairs. There were three cops. All pointing weapons at him from different directions: they were trying to set up a kill box. Well, Shepard was going to throw a wrench in that plan. He jumped towards the officer on his left, who was the closest. She had pulled down on the trigger of her weapon, but Shepard was already on her, and he easily deflected her aim with one arm. With the other arm, he fired his shotgun at her stomach at point-blank. Her cheap armor was useless against such a powerful blast, and a chunk of her abdomen was missing. She instantly collapsed to the floor, still in shock, but the life was rapidly draining from her eyes.
By now, Williams had reached the top of the staircase. She crouched behind a wall and started firing her sniper at the remaining cops, pinning them. Shepard used this opportunity to close the distance. He hopped over the cover they were using and started the process of killing them. One had tried to fire her sniper at him from down below, but he grabbed the weapon by the barrel and pointed it away from him. The shot went off, narrowly missing his head. John fired his shotgun at the other cop. And then there was one.
The last cop let go of his sniper, rolling backward and reaching for the sidearm strapped to his waist. Shepard jumped after him, tackling him. They started fighting each other on the floor, but it was no use: Shepard was clearly bigger and stronger. He kept landing punches and elbows at the man's helmet. Bit by bit, it started to chip and crack until it could no longer protect him. The impact of his strikes was now hitting the cop full in the face, turning Shepard's gauntlets bloody. Ashley approached the situation, her gun still raised and ready to fire. But the endeavor was quite useless, as she could easily hit Shepard; and the way things were going, it looked like he didn't need the help. Eventually, the man could no longer fight back. His face had been completely disfigured, and he could barely breathe. Shepard got up, staring and slightly admiring his handiwork.
Ashley could only shake her head in disgust. She approached the body, aimed at his head, and fired. She had put him out of his misery. He was dead anyway; two more minutes wouldn't have mattered; and there was no reason to let Shepard enjoy this.
"Garrus, top's clear. How about you guys?" Shepard asked over the comm.
"Ya, we subdued a bunch of them. Only had to kill two. Get this, used their own handcuffs to tie them to the railing."
Shepard internally questioned Garrus' judgment. His instincts and years of combat told him that it was much better to just kill them in case any tried to escape. He opened his mouth to reply back with his orders. But as the adrenaline of combat began to fade and his mind cleared, he was afraid to say them. Was he really going to order others to commit murder? Why not, it's not like I haven't done it before. "Uhhhh…." Was Shepard's reply as he deliberated with himself.
"Shepard?"
Get a hold of yourself. "Club them over the head or something. Make sure they don't wake up within the hour. And send Tali up here so we can transfer this fucking crap."
Tali walked down the corridor. She passed a lone body surrounded by a pool of blood on her left. Maybe in the middle of a fight, she wouldn't really care about the gore. But when the dust had settled, she had to make a concerted effort to hold back her stomach; the last thing she wanted to do was vomit in her suit.
When she had reached the top, she found the two soldiers waiting. Ashley remained on guard, ready for any threat that might appear. Shepard, however, was less cautious. He nonchalantly leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Tali looked around and noticed the dead bodies that lay everywhere. The two soldiers looked so unfazed by it, as if it were a normal, everyday occurrence. Well, I guess it is. If I stay here long enough, will I become like them?
"Hey Tali, catch," Shepard said as he tossed the OSD at her. She barely had time to react as the OSD hit her forearm and fell to the ground.
Tali shook her head in disbelief. "You should be more fragile with this thing," she warned as she picked it up from the floor. "It doesn't take that much force to break one of these."
"Commander, wait." It was Gianna Parasini again. Why she was here, he couldn't possibly fathom.
"Can I help you with something?" he spat. First, she sends him on a wild goose chase for a garage pass, and now she came to bother him again. What the hell could she possibly want?
Gianna cleared her throat before speaking. "Before you hand Lorik Qui'in the evidence, I wanted to ask if you could convince him to testify against Anoleis."
One of Shepard's hands balled into a fist. "Listen lady, I don't have time for this bullshit. Get out of my way."
Given his reputation, she knew that trying to convince him wouldn't be easy. Nonetheless, she had to try. "Commander, thousands of people are suffering because of the administrator's actions. If you convince Qui'in to testify, Anoleis will be put on trial, and his crimes will be put to an end.
Shepard started walking forward, forcing Parasini to take a couple of steps back. "Wait, just for one second, please!"
Shepard stopped to face her. "You sent me to Lorik Qui'in specifically because it would help you! I don't have time to play your stupid games." The anger in his eyes was impossible to miss. "Why on Earth did you ever think I was going to help you?"
"Because you know it's the right thing to do." She jabbed him in his shoulder with her index finger. "If all you care about is getting the garage pass, you might as well hand the evidence over to Anoleis. I sent you to Qui'in because it helped more than just you or me. Hundreds are homeless, thousands live in poverty, all so he and his buddies can get even richer than they already are." She paused for effect before continuing. "Is that really what your upset about stopping?"
Shepard continued walking, forcing her out of his way. Why can't anything ever be simple?
Lorik Qui'in downed another glass of turian whiskey. These last few weeks had been… stressful. Between losing his job, being put under a sham investigation, and getting on the administrator's bad side, it couldn't have been going any worse. Although, when commander Shepard walked back in the room, a villainous grin spread across his face. "Commander! How went your mission?"
Shepard tightly clutched the OSD in his right hand. "I have the data. There are a few dead cops, but whatever," he shrugged.
He sat down opposite from Qui'in and placed the OSD on the table. The turian was literally licking his lips at the sight of the OSD, and he quickly snatched it off the table and pocketed it. He then retrieved the garage pass and handed it to the commander. "Pleasure doing business with you."
Shepard accepted the pass on his outstretched palm. "Why'd Anoleis let you keep this thing anyway?"
The turian chuckled venomously. "Why would he take it away? Where would I go with it? Into the frozen wasteland out there? It's useless to me," he explained.
Shepard remained seated. He was still debating with himself on what he should do. He'd handed over the evidence, and therefore, had lost his leverage. But the mission had to come first. However, he decided that this fact did not mean he shouldn't try. How to go about it, however, was a complicated matter.
"Uh, listen Qui'in, I wanted to know if you'd do me a favor."
The sneer plastered on the turian's face rapidly disappeared. He knew that here, favors were never favors; somebody always had to pay. "And what would that be?" he asked cautiously.
Shepard cleared his throat before speaking. "Think you could testify with that evidence?"
The turian's features grew cold. "We made a deal. Now, you want to mandate how I use the evidence? I don't think so!"
Shepard realized the irony of the situation. He had been just as stubborn to convince as the turian was being. He still questioned what the point of even trying was. Even if Anoleis was taken down, somebody just as bad would take his place. So why bother trying? Well, he really wasn't, considering he had nothing on the line; he'd already gained possession of the garage pass.
"I don't care what you do or don't do with the evidence. I'm just a messenger. With the evidence and your testimony, you can put an end to Anoleis. Even he fucked you over." Shepard started to get up, leaning heavily with his forearms on the table. "I don't pretend to have a stake in this. But at the end of the day, maybe you could get his old job." He turned to walk out of the lounge. He had bigger problems to worry about than corporate politics, problems where the answers weren't so clear cut and simple.
Lorik Qui'in only had seconds to decide. He would be putting his ass on the line. He might get killed. And all for what, so a few people would be living in houses as opposed to the street? It was useless, there would always be homeless people. Even so, he knew it was the right thing to do, and that's all that should matter. The possibility of a new, cushy job was an added bonus. "Commander, wait!" Shepard was almost at the exit of the lounge. Within seconds, he would walk out that door, probably to never be seen again as he would die at Peek 13. He abruptly got up from his chair and ran after him in his drunken stupor. "Shepard."
John turned around, having heard his name being called. "What?" he spat.
"I've…I've made up my mind. Just tell me who to give it to." The turian stood lopsidedly. He'd clearly had more drinks at the bar than he had intended.
"Find a woman named Gianna Parasini. She works at administrator Anoleis' office as an undercover investigator. She'll know what to do with it." The justice system was so complicated and arbitrary; it failed so often as to render itself almost ineffective at its task. Shepard knew only one form of justice: death. It was random, and in an unfair world, random is the only fairness. He could probably just walk up and shoot Anoleis. Nobody would stop him. Maybe he would get a warning from the council, as if it were the worst thing he'd ever done, even though the council only cared because they had financial interests at this port. But that was true justice to him.
"Thank you, commander."
"For what?" Shepard asked, confused. He'd never done anything to warrant thanks. Even when his actions produced positive outcomes, they were always for the wrong reasons. There was nothing to thank here. He'd only bothered to get the evidence because it benefited him.
"For giving me a chance. Maybe justice will finally have its day because of you."
Shepard swallowed hard. He did not like contemplating the thoughts of justice and himself. Mostly because he deserved far worse than any legal system had to offer.
Before Shepard had time to respond, the turian spoke again. "And one more thing. I've worked here for years. I've heard some pretty crazy experiments. But there are rumors about recent events… I would advise caution. And on the off chance you have an army of krogan, I'd bring them too."
"For what reason? What the hell have you guys been doing?" A krogan was one thing. But a whole army of krogan? Qui'in was either exaggerating, or whatever the hell Benezia was up to in the hot labs was beyond even the wildest imagination.
"Only playing with the laws of nature commander. Did you expect anything nobler from a city full of greedy corporate executives under no regulation?"
