Chapter 11

RRW Gallena

"Entering standard orbit over Illium." Joker announced as the cloaked Romulan warbird took station over the capital city. His lips turning up in a smirk, the Alliance pilot quipped, "This is cool. They don't even know we're here right under their noses."

"Planetary communication channels show nothing but regular traffic." Specialist Traynor declared, supporting the helmsman's statement. "They're totally unaware of our presence."

"Good." Subcommander V'lana Avesti, sitting in the warbird's center chair, responded. "Maintain standard orbit and cloak. Traynor…Satra…Ms. Lawson…Mr. Taylor…you're with me. Report to transporter room one in thirty minutes. Wear civilian clothing over your armor…Satra will show you how to make the armor transparent. Also, pick up some of those retrofitted phaser ones from the armory and set them on stun unless otherwise necessary. We don't want to attract too much attention."

"Yes, Subcommander." Satra replied as she gestured for the others in the landing party to join her.

As her science officer's relief took over the station, the subcommander requested, "Can you find us a location to beam down unobserved?"

After making a scan, the relief science officer responded, "Yes, Subcommander. There's a location near what appears to be a market area. You can beam down there undetected."

"Excellent." V'lana replied as Satra led the others composing the landing party away. Turning to her executive officer as she rose from her chair, the lovely Romulan smiled. "You've got the bridge, Big Brother."

"Aye, Little Sister." Tovan replied with a grin as he took the center chair. "Watch out for yourself down there. Don't forget our briefing on this planet. While it might look better than Omega, parts of it are every bit as dangerous and it's just as corrupt—if not more so."

"I'll keep that in mind, Big Brother. Comm me if anything happens."

"I will. You do the same. Jolan tru."

"Jolan tru."

Nos Astra—Illium

Rematerializing in what appeared to be a storage area. V'lana, with a wicked grin on her face, addressed the humans who had accompanied the landing party. "Congratulations! You're no longer transporter virgins. How do you feel?"

"Damn!" Jacob gasped as he felt his body. Seeing the amused look on the faces of the two Romulans, he quipped, "Just making sure everything's still there."

"That was fantastic!" Samantha Traynor grinned, "It beats having to take a shuttle."

"It was a fascinating experience." Miranda agreed, "You say that you do this all the time?"

"Pretty much so." V'lana nodded her head as she and her party exited the storage area and entered a wide corridor. "Sometimes we have to take a shuttle but beaming down is much more convenient and really just as safe." Quickly getting back on task, the Romulan subcommander declared, "All right…first item of business…we find Liara T'Soni. Jacob, do you or Miranda have any suggestions?"

"Her office is probably in the administrative wing." Miranda speculated as the party found themselves in a spacious area filled with shops and kiosks.

"Asela Square." Jacob announced. "One of the city's prime retail areas."

"Makes sense." Traynor noted, "It's located near the shuttle docking areas so that it can take advantage of arriving and departing traffic.

"We also might want to see if we can get any more up to date information on two more individuals that the Illusive Man had tagged for Shepard's team." Miranda advised, "The latest reports on both of them indicated that they were headed for Illium."

"That would be the assassin and the vigilante." Satra, now holding Samantha's hand as the pair walked close together, interjected.

"Correct." The dark-haired biotic replied with a nod of her head. "Thane Krios is rumored to be the most skilled assassin in the galaxy. His stealth skills are phenomenal and besides being highly skilled in any number of weapons and hand-to-hand combat, he is also a most talented biotic."

"Would he be willing to sign on with us though?" V'lana queried, adding, "Most assassins work for latinum or credits."

"The profile I worked up for him indicates that he would be." Miranda answered back. "Krios is suffering from a disease—Kepral's Syndrome…"

Shaking his head, Jacob muttered sympathetically, "Damn, that's rough." Seeing the questioning look on the faces of the two Romulans, the dark-skinned biotic explained, "Krios is a Drell."

"His species originated on an arid world." Miranda elaborated, smoothly interjecting herself back into the conversation. "Their homeworld was suffering from a combination of pollution and overpopulation. His species was headed for a catastrophic collapse when the Hanar…"

"They're the jellyfish." V'lana interrupted.

"Right." Miranda nodded her head, continuing her narrative. "The Hanar transported as much as they could off of the Drell homeworld and relocated them to their world. The problem is…the Hanar homeworld is humid and mostly oceanic…"

"That could be problematic for a species adapted to an arid environment." Satra commented. "I take it this Kepral's Syndrome is a condition that results from the humid environment of the Hanar homeworld."

Answering in the affirmative with a nod of her head, Miranda acknowledged, "Correct. The disease erodes the ability of Drell lungs to take in oxygen. It then spreads to other areas of the body."

"Is it communicable?" V'lana inquired.

"No." Miranda replied. "But it is fatal and there is no known cure—although the Hanar are working on creating a genetic adaptation."

"We should pass this information on to Medical." Satra suggested. "While it's doubtful we will have the facilities to effect a cure, should we find a way back home, the facilities we have in the Republic, as well as those of the Federation, might be able to arrive at a solution."

"Good idea." V'lana nodded her head as she made a request of Miranda, "We'll need all the information you have on this disease."

"That should be no problem." The dark-haired Australian replied. "The information is widely available on the extranet."

"What else do you know about this assassin?" The Romulan subcommander queried as the tiny group walked through the market district, the two Romulans drawing attention thanks to their pointed ears.

"He seems to be seeking redemption for his life as an assassin." Miranda opined, "That might be a possible avenue to use in reaching him."

"Perhaps." V'lana responded as she pondered her options, "Normally, I wouldn't need him, but, if he attracted the attention of your Illusive Man, then there's a strong probability that he will try to recruit him either by using the redemption angle or through other means." Pausing for a moment, the Romulan officer inquired, "Does he have any living relatives or loved ones that could be used to apply pressure on him?"

"Hmmm…" The former Cerberus operative pondered the subcommander's question for several moments before replying. "His wife is dead, but he does have a son who, it seems, has recently embarked on the same career as his father."

"As you humans say, like father…like son." V'lana noted wryly. "If I were your Illusive Man, I would seek to play father off against son. Assuming Krios is willing to sign on with us, we'll have to move quickly to secure his son before your old boss does."

"I concur." Miranda agreed as Samantha pointed to a kiosk.

"Do you two mind if Satra and I take a look?" The communications specialist pleaded.

"If it's okay with you, Subcommander…" Jacob ventured, "I'd like to check out that weapons kiosk over there."

"Looking for a new gun, Jacob?" The lovely Romulan woman laughed.

"Just curious about their merchandise." The dark-skinned biotic answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Go ahead." V'lana replied, giving her permission. Eying a bar named Eternity, the subcommander instructed, "Miranda and I will be at that bar. Meet us there in…oh…thirty minutes."

"Understood, Subcommander." Satra acknowledged as she and Samantha broke off from the group and made their way to the kiosk.

"Yes, Ma'am." Jacob replied with a respectful nod of his head. "Thirty minutes."

As her team dispersed, the Romulan starship commander turned to Miranda. "So…why don't we grab a drink at the bar and you can fill me in on our second candidate. What's her name again?"

"Samara." The former Cerberus operative responded. "And yes, a drink does sound good right now."

Satra and Samantha

As the pair approached the kiosk, currently being attended by an attractive young asari maiden, the words of a young krogan male reciting poetry could clearly be heard.

"Oh Blue Rose of Illium…"

Stifling her laughter as she cringed in horror, Satra quipped to her companion in a low voice, "Elements! This is awful."

"I know." Samantha bantered back as she squeezed the other woman's hand. "But it's sweet at the same time—don't you think?"

"Yeah." Satra replied as she squeezed her paramour's hand in turn. "It is."

"Can I help you?"

"What's his story?" Samantha asked as Satra browsed through the merchandise.

"Huh…" The asari maiden, startled, responded. "Oh…he's Charr. We are…were…involved with each other. We're taking a break."

"Oh." Samantha replied with an embarrassed look. "I didn't mean to pry."

"It's all right." The asari smiled back. "He's a good person and he means well…" She sighed, "It's just that he wants to get bonded and then move to Tuchanka."

"Tuchanka's the Krogan homeworld—right?" Satra interjected, entering the conversation.

"Yes." The asari answered back and then questioned, "I don't believe I've seen your people here before…"

"You could say we're new to this region of space." The Romulan science officer replied. "We're called Romulans. I'm Satra."

"And I'm Samantha." The human communications specialist chimed in as she took her companion's hand in hers.

"Oh…I'm sorry." The asari's lips turned up in a shy smile. "My name's Ereba."

"I can't blame you for not wanting to move to Tuchanka." Samantha remarked sympathetically before explaining to her companion, "It's pretty much a wasteland now. The krogan had a nuclear war just after they learned to split the atom…"

"I understand." Satra heaved a mournful sigh, "We've seen similar on a few worlds. The first few decades after a civilization discovers nuclear fission are crucial. All too many don't make it through those years."

"Yeah." Ereba agreed, "Pretty much everything on that planet will kill you and the krogan don't like outsiders." Shaking her head, the asari remarked sorrowfully, "I'd seriously consider bonding with him if he'd choose to live almost anywhere else. Here…Thessia…the Citadel…wherever. I'm pretty much open. But he wants to go back to Tuchanka and I don't."

"Have you told him that?" Samantha gently inquired.

"Yes." The asari shopkeeper nodded her head, "Repeatedly. But he doesn't get the message."

"I wish I could give you advice." Satra consoled in a gentle voice, "But I'm kind of new at relationships myself."

"You're doing quite well, Sat." Samantha remarked as she kissed the Romulan woman on the lips. "I've got no complaints."

"Neither have I." Satra replied as she returned her girlfriend's kiss.

Heaving another sigh, Ereba shook her head, "I guess I'm going to have to tell him that unless he changes his mind about us living on Tuchanka, we're through."

"Try to let him down easy." Samantha advised.

"I will." Ereba declared with forlorn look. "I hope he changes his mind because I really do like him."

"He's not insisting on you leaving at once—is he?" Satra inquired.

"He wants to leave as soon as we're bonded." Ereba answered back. "He says he can't wait for us to have children. I keep telling him that any children we have will be asari…"

"Asari don't reproduce sexually as we do." Samantha explained. "So their children will all be asari."

"Right." Ereba nodded her head as she explained the process of asari reproduction to the fascinated Romulan science officer.

"I see." Satra replied. "What did he say when you told him that?"

"He said he didn't care. That he'd love our daughters just the same."

"Well…that's points in his favor." Samantha noted.

"True." Ereba agreed. "Like I said, if he didn't insist on living on Tuchanka, I'd seriously consider bonding with him."

"Maybe give him some time to make up his mind." Samantha suggested.

"I can do that." Ereba replied. "So long as he agrees to quit reciting poetry here. He's driving my customers away."

"I'm sure he'll agree to that if he feels like there's still some hope for him." Satra pointed out.

"Perhaps. No harm in trying right?"

"Right." The Romulan woman smiled as she pointed to the figurine. "How much for the sculpture?"

"Oh…you can have it for free." Ereba replied with a smile.

Embarrassed, Satra demurred, "Are you sure? I don't want to cheat you."

"I insist." The asari shopkeeper importuned as she carefully wrapped the statuette before placing it in a secure box. "It's the least I can do for the two of you."

"Thank you." Satra grinned as she handed the box to the woman standing next to her. "Here, Sam. Take it. It's to celebrate our…what is it you humans call it…one month anniversary?"

Flustered, Samantha stammered, "Are you sure, Sat? I mean…"

"Please." The Romulan woman insisted, "Take it. It reminds me of a bird I saw on Mol'Rihan…New Romulus."

"All right." Samantha responded with a grin as she took the gift and gave her girlfriend a tender kiss. "Thank you." Giving Ereba a smile, she waved, "We've got to go now. Take care and good luck with Charr!"

"Bye!"

Jacob

Looking up from her table at the Serrice Technology booth that she was staking out, Gianna Parasini scowled as she observed the asari woman at the booth flirting with a volus customer. Taking a swig from her beer, the dusky skinned woman took a healthy swig of the beer in her glass before setting it down. "Looks like you're gonna get away with it again, Hermia."

Hearing the attractive woman's lament as he walked by her table, Jacob turned about. "Something I can help you with, Ma'am?"

Rolling her eyes at the dark-skinned man's obvious pick up line, Gianna frostily replied, "Not unless you're a Spectre."

"I'm no Spectre." Jacob replied, ignoring the hard look the woman sitting at the table was giving him, "But it looks to me like you've been casing that shop. Now…there are only two reasons why you'd be doing that. One…you're planning on either robbing it or doing something to the woman running it like kidnapping or killing her—in which case, I'll tell you right now you're not gonna succeed 'cause if I don't stop you, I've got friends who will—and you really don't want to mess with my friends. Or two…you're a cop and you're trying to get evidence to bust that woman you've been watching. Now…which one is it—or do I tell that woman you've been watching her and ask her if she wants me to notify the Nos Astra police."

Giving the man standing in front of her a second appraisal, Gianna gestured for him to take a seat at the table next to him. "All right. I'm taking big chance here, but it looks like I've got little choice. That asari at the Serrice booth…her name is Hermia…my employers on Noveria want her for smuggling the schematics for a prototype biotic amp. She knows me so I can't approach her. I need someone to get her to show them the schematics and record the deal on their omnitool."

"Nos Astra's a free port." Jacob noted, "Even if she did smuggle those schematics, you can't legally touch her or have her extradited."

"Oh…I don't plan on arresting her." Gianna replied, her lips now turning up in a wicked grin. "The schematics she stole are worthless anyway. The prototype doesn't work—but she doesn't know that. All I need is proof that she took them. Once I have that, then my employers can put a lien on her assets and freeze her accounts. So…is your offer to help genuine or were you just looking to pick me up?"

"The offer's genuine." Jacob answered back. "I don't like con artists."

"Excellent." Gianna smiled. "Just tell her you represent a buyer looking to purchase experimental technology and get her to show you the schematics while your omnitool is recording. I'll be monitoring the recording and once she snaps at the bait, be there to confront her. And…" She added with a note of genuine sincerity in her voice, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Jacob grinned as he walked away and towards the Serrice booth. "By the way…the name's Jacob. Jacob Taylor."

"Gianna Parasini." The dark haired woman replied as she gestured at the beer on her table. "You pull this off, I'll buy you a beer."

"It's a deal." Jacob grinned. Approaching the asari standing behind the kiosk, The former corsair smiled his winningest smile. "Hello."

"Hello." The asari responded with an insincere grin, "What can I do for you today? We have a wide range of amps and tools to meet your every biotic or technological need."

"So I've heard." Jacob replied. "I represent a consortium. However, my employers are not interested in the standard amps and tools currently available—they already have plenty of those. They're looking for prototypes."

"Hmmm…" Hermia murmured, as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I'm not sure I can help you there. All of my products meet Council regulations and standards."

"That's a shame." Jacob replied with a sigh. "My employers have authorized me to make a very generous payment…but…"

"How generous?" Hermia interrupted, her greed getting the better of her caution.

"This generous." Jacob replied as he typed in a very large sum on his omnitool and showed it to the asari.

Her eyes widening at the figure, Hermia found the offer too good to resist. "All right. I guess I can trust you. It so happens that I did come across a prototype amp while I was on Noveria. It's top secret, but I can let it go for what you're offering. So…do we have a deal?"

"You get enough, Gianna?" Jacob called out as the corporate security officer approached with a smug grin on her face.

"I did indeed." Gianna replied as she smirked at the asari. "Gotcha Hermia."

"You can't touch me here, Parasini." Hermia responded with a smug grin of her own.

"Don't have to." Gianna answered back as she typed on her omnitool. "I've already sent the recording of your deal to Noveria. By the time you get back to your suite, you'll discover that all of your assets have been frozen. Good luck trying to get off planet before a wet works team from Armali or one of the corps you swiped stuff from arrives here."

"Shit!" The asari smuggler gasped as she dashed away from her kiosk.

Watching as the frightened asari dashed away, Jacob murmured to the woman standing beside him. "I hope you were just trying to throw a scare into her with that hit team comment."

"I was." Gianna confessed with a wicked grin. "I've earned a little payback after chasing her around most of this cluster for weeks." Laughing, she joked, "I think she shit her pants. Come on, Jacob…" She chuckled as she grabbed the former corsair by the arm, "I owe you a beer."

V'lana and Miranda

Entering the bar, both Miranda and V'lana looked askance at the sight of a blond haired human wearing Alliance marine N-7 armor arguing with the asari tending bar.

"This bar is a known front for red sand!" The N-7 announced in an almost whiny voice.

"We're not selling red sand here." The bartender bit back in a gravely tone. "And even if we did—which we're not—there's nothing you can do about it anyway. The Alliance has no authority here and red sand is legal on Illium as long as you have a license."

"Red sand?" V'lana whispered to her companion.

"It's a stimulant made from refined element zero." Miranda explained. "It's snorted through the nostrils and gives the user a brief high and short-term biotic abilities."

"Okay…what are the side effects?"

"The user's vision is tinted red, their teeth are discolored, and the drug is highly addictive both physically and psychologically with a long and painful withdrawal period." The Australian biotic replied with a frown. "Asari and batarians are immune to it, while humans are very susceptible."

"Bad shit then." V'lana declared as she discreetly took out her tricorder and did a quick scan of the bar—focusing on the N-7. "That man's a fraud." The Romulan whispered to the woman standing next to her. "His armor is purely cosmetic and that pistol not much more than a toy. If he gets involved in a real situation, he's dead."

As the conversation between the phony N-7 and the bartender grew more heated, Miranda asked the subcommander. "She looks like she's about to throw him out of the bar and since she's asari…"

"By throw you mean a solid telekinetic toss from the bar and out of the door." V'lana finished as the Australian biotic nodded her head. Heaving a sigh, the lovely Romulan quipped, "I guess we ought to save his ass before he's tossed out on it. Come on…let's get this over with."

Approaching the bar, V'lana called out, "Can we get a couple of drinks here?"

"Sure." The asari bartender replied as she quickly broke away from the nuisance that had been plaguing her for the last several minutes. "What'll you have?"

"Scotch and soda." Miranda replied as the Romulan seated at the bar next to her ordered a whiskey straight up.

"Here you go ladies." The asari announced as she delivered the drinks. Eyeing V'lana with a curious expression, she remarked, "I don't think I've seen your kind around here before."

"You might say that my people are new to this part of space." V'lana smoothly replied. "We're called Romulans."

"Romulans, huh?" The bartender responded, smoothly hiding her startlement at the alien woman's statement. "So…where are you from?"

"A long way from here." V'lana laughed as she swallowed her drink in one gulp. "Smooth."

"Thanks." The bartender replied with a grin as she handed another shot to her customer.

"So…" Miranda interjected, inclining her head at the strange man who was now peering into waste receptacles. "What's the story with him?"

"Oh." The bartender rolled her eyes, "Him. His name's Conrad Verner. "Arrived here about a week ago and has been nothing but a pain in the ass ever since."

"He's obviously not Alliance." Miranda declared. "That's not real armor he's wearing…"

"I know that." The bartender interrupted in a testy voice. "Think I was born yesterday?"

"So…how do you want to handle this, Subcommander?" Miranda asked as Verner began questioning customers at the bar receiving mostly glares or laughter."

"He seems harmless." V'lana responded, "But sooner or later he's going to piss off the wrong person and…" As one of the turians the faux N-7 was 'interrogating' shoved him to the floor laughing, the lovely Romulan finished her statement, "…that is going to happen." Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the subcommander rolled her eyes, "Come on. Let's get him out of here before he gets himself hurt…or worse."

Walking up to the human, still sitting on the floor as the turian and his friends stood laughing, V'lana spoke up in a commanding voice, "Fun's over, boys. Go back to your drinks."

"You want some of this too?" The turian, obviously inebriated, responded threateningly.

"My people are new here…" V'lana warned, "Take my word for it. You do not want to piss me off."

"Or what?"

Without saying a word, the Romulan woman struck, felling the turian quickly with a blow to his chest. As another turian drew what appeared to be a pistol, Miranda fired her phaser, felling the gunman where he stood.

"He's just stunned." V'lana declared to the two other turians. "And your friend will be okay too. Just pick them up and go…now."

As the two still alert turians picked their friends off from the floor and carried them off, V'lana extended her hand to the human still sitting on the floor. Here…let me help you up."

"Thank you." The man sheepishly replied. Looking up at his rescuer, his eyes widened as he gasped, "You're her!"

"Who?" V'lana replied with a quizzical look on her face as the man rose to his feet.

"Her!" He repeated in an awestruck voice. "You're Commander Shepard. You're alive."

"Sorry." V'lana shook her head as she pointed to her ears. "Unless your Commander Shepard has green blood and pointed ears, I'm not her."

"Green blood…" The confused man repeated. Then, noticing her ears, a forlorn look appeared on his face. "You're not her. You're just an alien"

"No." V'lana retorted. "I'm not her and from my perspective you're the alien. I'm Subcommander V'lana Avesti of the Romulan Republic. And you are…"

"Ummm…I'm Conrad Verner and I'm after a red sand ring that's operating from this bar."

"Are you an Alliance officer?" V'lana inquired with a skeptical look on her face.

"Uhhh…well…uhhh…" Conrad stammered before truthfully responding, his face reddening in embarrassment. "No…not really. My wife bought it for me before I left home."

"Your wife bought you that armor and weapon…" The Romulan subcommander sighed as she declared in a cautionary tone. "That 'armor' is worthless. I could probably penetrate it with my knife. Granted, my knife is made of a material that can penetrate a Tholian's thick skin and Tholians are a silicon based life form, but still…that 'armor' of yours is tissue thin. And as for that pistol—if you're lucky it'll just freeze up on you. If you're not…"

"It'll blow up in your face." Miranda chimed in, picking up the narrative, "Also…Illium's not under either Alliance or Council jurisdiction. The local authorities are more likely to arrest you than whoever's dealing."

"That wouldn't stop Shepard!" Conrad protested, "She'd tell them all to fuck themselves and then go after the dealers. I know! I was her friend. When she was tracking down Saren, she would always talk to me!"

"Shepard mentioned in her reports that she had encountered a 'fan' who would constantly ambush her while she was on the Citadel." Miranda whispered in a low voice, making sure that Conrad couldn't hear her. "She'd humor him whenever he asked her for her autograph or to take a picture with him, but when he started suggesting that he might help her in her work, she politely refused him and tried to steer him on to something safer. In her last log entry regarding him, she'd thought he'd returned home to his wife."

Inclining her head slightly in acknowledgement at the intelligence Miranda had given her, V'lana cleared her throat. "Conrad? Didn't Shepard tell you that you should go back to your wife?"

"Uhhh…yeah." Conrad stammered, "But I told my wife that I wanted to continue Shepard's work after I found out that she'd have died. I told her that was what Spectres…what heroes…do! She agreed with me and she and Danny, her boss where she works, paid for my gear and for me to come here."

"In other words…" V'lana whispered in a low voice to Miranda, "…his wife's having an affair with her boss and they both paid to get him to leave and hopefully get himself killed. Lovely domestic situation."

"Quite so." Miranda whispered back. "He thinks he's living up to the ideals of his hero. He might go off half-cocked and do something stupid if we're not careful in what we say and get himself—or more likely himself and other people—killed in the process."

"Conrad." The auburn-haired Romulan sighed. "I get the impression that Shepard was someone who wanted to help people more than anything else. Am I right?"

"Yeah!" Verner nodded his head enthusiastically, "She was! She was always nice to me and I heard stories about how she helped the people around her. That's why I have to continue her work!"

"Okay…from what I've heard about Shepard…" V'lana responded, carefully choosing her words as she spoke, "…she was the sort of person who would not want anyone to do anything that might harm themselves or innocent people…right?"

"Uhhh…yeah." Conrad replied, scratching his head.

"Right then." V'lana continued, speaking very much as she would to a child. "She also wouldn't want someone doing what she did who wasn't trained properly…correct?"

"Yeah." Verner reluctantly admitted.

"I bet it took years of training and time in the Alliance military to get as good as she got—wouldn't you agree, Miranda?"

"Definitely." The raven-haired Australian affirmed. "She had to serve several years in the Alliance marines before even being considered for N-7 training. And very few of those who enter that training make it all the way through. It's a very grueling and demanding program—academically, physically, and emotionally. Those who make it through that program truly are the best the Alliance military has to offer."

"So…" Conrad declared, gritting his teeth, "You're saying I'm not good enough to take up Shepard's work."

"No." V'lana quickly responded, "What I'm saying is that Shepard would want you to help people in the way that works best with your strengths. One thing I've noticed since I've come into this section of space is that there are a lot of refugees and homeless…a lot of orphans. I was a homeless orphan refugee once and I was saved by someone who offered me a chance at a better life. A home…education…a reason to go on living. Wouldn't you say that someone who does that…who helps those who are helpless like the homeless and orphans…wouldn't you say that person was doing Shepard's work too?"

As he listened to the lovely Romulan's words, a smile slowly broke out on the man's face. "You know…" He enthusiastically exclaimed, "It would! And I know exactly what I'm gonna do!" He further declared as he handed his pistol to V'lana and then dashed out of the bar, shouting as he left. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome…I guess…" V'lana replied softly as she gripped the pistol the man had just given her. Looking at the now closed door, the Romulan warbird commander sighed, "I hope we did the right thing."

"He'll be fine." The bartender, who had been silently observing the scene as it played out, remarked with a knowing look on her face. "You talked him out of getting himself and innocent people hurt or killed and you got him out of my bar. As far as I'm concerned, you're batting two for two. This round's on me."

"Thanks." V'lana grinned as she picked up her whisky. Noticing Satra, Samantha, and Jacob entering the bar, she waved them towards the table that she and Miranda had taken. Smirking as the rest of her landing party arrived at the table, the Romulan quipped, "Have fun?"

"See what Satra bought me?" Samantha grinned as she presented the gift her girlfriend had given her.

"We also played relationship counselors." The Romulan science officer chuckled as she related her and Samantha's experience at Ereba's shop.

"What about you, Jacob?" Miranda asked as she made room for her fellow ex-Cerberus operative at the table next to her. "Meet someone new?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." Jacob laughed as he recounted his encounter with Gianna and his part in her undercover bust of Hermia.

"Looks like we've all been busy." V'lana remarked before getting down to business. "Are we ready to go see a certain information broker?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Miranda replied for everyone else.

"All right." The Romulan subcommander declared as she finished her drink. "Let's go."

Watching as the little group left the bar, Matriarch Aethyta called out to the human woman assisting her behind the bar. Alys…keep an eye on things, will you? I've got work to do in the back."

"Sure thing, Aethyta." The dark-haired human replied.

Retiring to the back office, the asari matriarch, after glancing longingly at the two-dimensional photograph on her desk, activated the monitor that connected her to a bug in the office of the information broker. "All right, Liara…let's see what sort of trouble you're going to get into this time."

Liara's Office

"Just a moment, please." The asari receptionist sitting behind a desk in the foyer to Liara's office announced to her unusual guests as she tapped a button. "I'll see if she's available."

"Yes, Nyxeris?" A female voice responded.

"You have guests who wish to see you, Liara." The receptionist declared. "A Subcommander V'lana Avesti representing something called the Romulan Republic…" Before she could finish, the voice at the other end interrupted the secretary.

"Did you say Romulan?"

"Yes." Nyxeris replied, "I did."

"Send them in." The voice quickly commanded.

"Yes, Liara." Nyxeris acknowledged as she looked up at her unusual guests and smiled. "Liara will see you now. If you'll follow me, please."

As they entered the office, the group saw an asari woman, her back turned to them, addressing in a threatening tone of voice a human male on her large viewscreen. "Have you faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have and survived." Seeing the cowed look on the human's expression, V'lana barely repressed a snicker as the asari closed the channel after her parting remarks. "You have twenty-four hours. I want that information."

Turning about, Liara smiled a polite grin as her receptionist introduced her guests. "Subcommander. I have heard so much about you" Liara nodded courteously. Then, turning her attention to the dark haired woman standing next to the subcommander, the asari's manner grew distinctly cooler. "Ms. Lawson...I must admit to some surprise at seeing you here. The last I heard, you and Mr. Taylor were hiding from Cerberus. It is good to see that you have survived your encounters with them."

"I take it the two of you know each other?" V'lana inquired of the woman standing next to her.

"Dr. T'Soni and I negotiated an…arrangement…where she would turn over Shepard's body to Cerberus in exchange for our efforts to potentially revive her."

"Project Lazarus?" V'lana raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Liara nodded her head. "Unfortunately, as you know, it was to no avail."

"I am sincerely sorry." Miranda replied in a genuinely contrite tone of voice. "I did not anticipate Wilson's actions—and I should have."

"What's done is done." V'lana firmly declared, "No use wasting time on recriminations."

"You are correct, of course." Liara acknowledged as she turned to her secretary, dismissing her, "You may go now, Nyxeris."

"Yes, Liara." The office assistant acknowledged as she left the room.

Addressing her guests, Liara began to speak only to be silenced by V'lana's upraised hand and command. "Satra?""

"Aye, Subcommander." The Romulan science officer replied as she took out her tricorder. She then held up a hand with two fingers raised. Responding automatically to her commanding officer's raised eyebrows, Satra nodded her head as she made the necessary adjustments on her instrument. "We can speak freely now. The devices have been masked. Anyone monitoring them will most likely assume natural interference or electronic failure."

"What the…" Liara sputtered only to be again interrupted, this time by the Romulan science officer.

"I detected at least two different monitoring devices in your office." Satra explained. "As I told the Subcommander, they've been masked so whoever has been eavesdropping on you shouldn't realize that they have been discovered."

"One of the devices must belong to whoever is acting as the Shadow Broker's agent here." Liara assumed.

"And the other?" Miranda further speculated, "It could well be Cerberus or a government or corporate intelligence agency."

"Regardless…you're being closely monitored." V'lana remarked before addressing her science officer, "Are you sure it's safe for us to talk here?"

"Yes." Satra nodded her head. "All emissions have been blocked. "Of course…" She added, glancing at the door, "That does not preclude old fashioned eavesdropping."

"Quite correct." Miranda agreed as she gave V'lana a querying look. "Subcommander? It might be the most secure way we can talk."

"I agree." V'lana replied as she hit her comm badge. "Landing party to Gallena, do you have transporter lock on us?"

"Aye, Subcommander." Tovan responded.

"Beam us and one other…an asari…up on my command." Speaking to Liara, the Romulan subcommander motioned for the asari information broker to join her and the others. "I know a place we can talk freely without anyone listening in."

Cautiously, Liara approached. "All right. Lead on."

"Tovan?" V'lana again spoke to her executive officer, "Beam us up."

R.R.W Gallena

"Goddess!" Liara gasped as she found herself suddenly…somewhere else. Her biotics flaring, she exclaimed, "What just happened? Where am I? I suggest you answer before I…"

Reacting to a signal from the subcommander, the Romulan subaltern at the transporter console pressed a button. As a yellow glow permeated the room, the asari information broker, to her horror, found her biotic powers dwindling. "What did you do to me?" She cried out, her voice now taking on a pleading quality as her eyes darted about the room, noticing in alarm a male and female Romulan entering with weapons drawn.

"It's a biotic dampening field." V'lana replied in a calm, steady voice as she motioned for the security team to lower their weapons. "Its effects are strictly temporary. I had it installed as a defense measure against biotics. No one here is going to hurt you, I assure you."

"You're perfectly safe, Dr. T'Soni." Miranda interjected, her voice also taking on a gentle tone.

Forcing herself to calmness, Liara inquired in a strained voice, "Where am I and how did I get here?"

"You're on the R.R.W. Gallena, my warbird." V'lana answered back, maintaining her calm tone. "You were transported here along with us by a matter transporter. It's a common means of transportation where my people are from."

"You're telling me that you're capable of transporting people from a ship in orbit to the surface of a world?" Liara queried, her voice tone reflecting both astonishment and skepticism. "I find that difficult to believe."

"You're here on my warbird, right?" V'lana responded with a smirk, "And you didn't arrive here via shuttle…"

Nodding her head, Liara conceded, "Correct. So…" She inquired as she gradually regained a measure of composure, "You didn't take a shuttle to the surface. You…"

"Beamed down." V'lana affirmed, "Yes. Had we arrived by shuttle; would you not have known of our arrival immediately?"

"Yes." The asari admitted, "I would have. My agent monitoring shuttle arrival and departures would have informed me at once." Now noticeably more calm as she adjusted to her surroundings, Liara inquired, "Why did you…beam…me up here?"

"Because my ready room is one place I know for sure where we can talk freely. Don't forget…" V'lana pointed out, "…we found at least two different eavesdropping devices in your office. You know, you really do need to tighten up on your security. My science officer picked up on those devices with a basic scan. Be glad you weren't being bugged by someone like the Tal'Shiar or Section 31. You never would have found their devices."

"Apparently so." Liara wryly replied as the Romulan subcommander instructed the transporter chief to lower the damping field.

"A sign of good faith on our part." V'lana explained, answering the asari's unanswered query as she ushered her guest out of the transporter room and into the warbird's corridor. "I want us to be allies."

"As do I." Liara affirmed as the group walked down the corridor to a turbolift. However, before entering the lift, the asari information broker heard a familiar voice calling out to her.

"Liara?"

Turning about rapidly, a brilliant smile appeared on the asari's face as she at once recognized the woman calling her name. "Dr. Chakwas! You're here?"

"Yes." The former doctor of the Normandy replied with a grin of her own. "I got roped into serving on the Gallena. There are a few other familiar faces here too—Garrus and Alenko and…"

"Hey, Liara!"

"Joker!' Liara exclaimed, her smile growing even wider. "You're here too?"

"You're talking to this 'bird's best pilot." Joker declared with a smug grin. "Oh yeah…Kellana thinks she's better, but she doesn't have quite the pizzazz that I do."

"You're walking unassisted?" Liara commented as she saw that Joker was moving about without any visible aid.

"Not really." The helmsman admitted. "I have to wear some doohickey that's supposed to keep me from breaking my bones every time I move…"

"It's a biopulse resonator." Dr. Chakwas explained. "We haven't figured out yet how to completely cure Joker's Vrolik's Syndrome…there are certain minor genetic differences between humans in our universe and those in the universe V'lana comes from…"

"Universe?"

"We'll explain all of that later." V'lana interjected.

"It's a lot to take in." Dr. Chakwas added. "Anyway, it allows Joker to move about safely on his own."

"Yeah." Joker exclaimed jubilantly. "Now I can dance without having to worry about shattering my legs. Too bad Garrus and Kaidan aren't here now. I know they'd love to see you."

"Oh?" Liara inquired, "Are they all right?"

V'lana interjected apologetically, "They're off on assignment. I'm hoping to hear from them soon though." She added in a tone of voice that immediately caught Liara's attention.

"Maybe I can see them when they return?" Liara pleaded, a smile coming to her face when she heard the subcommander's affirmative response.

"Of course you can." Turning to Dr. Chakwas, V'lana requested, "We're on our way to my ready room. Care to join us, Doctor?"

"Thank you." The physician replied, "It's slow in sickbay right now, so Dr. Aven ordered me to take some time off."

"Well…" V'lana indicated gesturing towards the open turbolift, "Let's get going."

Arriving in the Romulan subcommander's ready room, Liara could barely suppress her excitement. "From the little I saw of your ship, Subcommander, I must say that it is remarkable. I know someone who would be ecstatic at the opportunity to take a tour of your vessel."

"Would her name just happen to be Tali'Zorah nar Rayya?" V'lana quipped as she motioned for her guests to be seated.

"Why yes!" Liara exclaimed. "I believe you met her at Freedom's Progress a few months ago."

"We did." The subcommander affirmed as she perched on the edge of her desk. "She's one of the reasons I asked to speak with you."

"Oh?"

"Yes." V'lana replied with a single nod of her head. "Besides wanting her to join us on our mission, I have some concerns…"

"I see." Liara responded with a thoughtful expression. "You've discovered that she has been sending Geth components back to her father in the Fleet."

Cocking her head slightly to the left, V'lana inquired, "How did you find out about that? Only a few people outside this ship know that."

"I'm a very good information broker." Liara quipped with a slight smirk on her face. "Don't worry. It wasn't a slip up on your part and none of your people leaked it to me. But I do have sources and they are very good at their jobs and yes…I am willing to put them at your disposal. Like you, I am also concerned about increased Collector activity as well as the recent actions of Cerberus. The possibility of a Geth-Quarian war also has me worried. The galaxy can ill afford that at a time like this. Added to all this, there is the issue of the Shadow Broker…"

"Didn't he play a part in your efforts to recover Shepard's body?" V'lana asked.

"Yes." Liara confirmed, "He hired Blue Suns mercenaries to prevent me and Feron from recovering her body which was in a stasis pod."

"That's where I came in." Miranda interjected. "I led a team that took out the mercenaries and introduced Liara to the Illusive Man."

"Correct." The asari affirmed. "The Illusive man wanted to know why the Collectors wanted Shepard's body…as…to be honest…did I."

"Understandable." V'lana acknowledged. "But do go on, please."

"After several adventures, Feron and I track down where they were keeping Shepard's body and discovered that the Shadow Broker's agent was about to transfer her over to the Collectors. We stopped the transaction and I recovered her body, but I…"

"You lost Feron in the process." V'lana interjected with a note of sympathy in her voice.

"Right." Liara confirmed with a grimace. "He was ultimately an agent of Cerberus, but in the end, they wrote him off. They told me his rescue was my business."

Responding to the looks given to her by both the asari and Romulan, Miranda explained, "The Illusive Man wasn't ready for a confrontation with the Shadow Broker. As you've seen with me and Jacob, he has no problems cutting his losses whenever he feels it appropriate to do so."

"So…" V'lana announced to Liara, "…you're wanting help in rescuing your friend?"

"Yes." Liara confessed, "So far, all of my leads have led to dead ends…in all too many cases…" the asari further admitted, "…literally. I have lost too many good people on this chase. I don't want to lose anymore."

"Understandable." V'lana responded, "So…what can we do to help?"

"I need to find the mole that the Shadow Broker put into my organization. All I know is that the agent goes by the code name Observer." Liara explained. "My assistant, Nyxeris, has narrowed down the list of candidates to one of the following: a turian, a salarian, a krogan, a batarian, and a vorcha. I just need to know which one. I have also found out that there are five terminals in the market area of Nos Astra. Each one has a fragment of text which, when put together, will tell me who the Observer is. The problem is…I can't do this personally."

"You're too well known and your movements are being monitored." V'lana concluded as the asari nodded her head once in acknowledgement. "Satra?"

"There should be no problem hacking the terminals." The science officer reported as Samantha nodded in agreement. "We can do it from the Gallena."

"You have the technology to do that?" Liara exclaimed as her heart raced at the news.

"Yes." V'lana replied as she gestured for her science and communications officers to proceed with their plan. "It shouldn't take long before Satra and Samantha have what we need. While we're waiting, would you like something to drink? I'm for Tarkalian tea myself—I find it calms me when I'm feeling stressed." Smiling, she added, "It's safe for asari consumption. Miranda? Jacob? Dr. Chakwas?"

"Coffee for me." Jacob pleaded as Miranda and the doctor both requested the same with Dr. Chakwas offering to help the subcommander carry the drinks.

"Thank you." Liara responded with a smile, "I would appreciate something calming right now." As the subcommander walked to the replicator and ordered the drinks, Liara gasped when the beverages appeared—almost as if by magic. "How did…"

"The same basic principle that we use to transport people and goods." V'lana explained. "I can have Satra explain it in more detail later if you'd like."

"Yes." Liara answered back as she took a sip of tea. "I would like that very much. This is also very good tea."

As the group engaged in small talk, Satra and Samantha returned from the bridge. "We have what you need." The science officer reported. "I'll let Samantha explain. She's the one who tied it all together."

"Thanks, love." Samantha responded with a bashful look on her face. "All of the suspects were male, but…as you can see from this excerpt…" The communications officer then showed everyone the text in question, "The Observer is female. Therefore, the Observer has to be…"

"Nyxeris!" Liara interrupted with a scowl on her face. "She's been feeding me misinformation." Looking up at the subcommander, the asari woman set down her tea. "I need to take care of this."

"Understandable." V'lana affirmed as she motioned to Samantha. "Take this. It's a comm badge. When you've completed your business, let us know and we'll beam you back. Satra and Samantha will accompany you to the transporter room."

"Thank you." Liara replied as she rose to her feet. "This shouldn't take long."

Watching as Liara walked out of her office, V'lana's reverie was broken by a chirp coming from her console. "What is it, Big Brother?" The Romulan subcommander inquired.

"We just received word from the runabout." Tovan declared with a hitch in his voice. "The mission was a failure. Cerberus recovered Jack and…"

"And…" V'lana pressed as her heart began to race.

"Staff Commander Alenko was injured."

"How bad?" V'lana gasped as Dr. Chakwas rushed to her side.

"He's alive, Little Sister…" Tovan reported, "…but barely. They had to put him in stasis."

"I see." V'lana, quickly regaining her composure, responded in a level tone of voice. "Thank you, Big Brother. Keep me updated."

"I will, Little Sister…and…I'm sorry."

"We'll take care of him." Dr. Chakwas consoled in a gentle voice. "I can't even begin to count the number of times that Kaidan ended up in my sickbay back on the Normandy."

"Probably as often as I have here." V'lana forced a chuckle. "Dr. Aven has a biobed reserved just for me."

"I know." Chakwas responded with a laugh as she guided the subcommander to her chair. Walking to the replicator, the human doctor remarked, "You look like you could use something stronger than Tarkalian tea. Might I recommend some brandy?"

"Thanks." The subcommander responded with a wry grin, "Join me?"

"Don't mind if I do." Karin responded as she ordered the brandies and returned moments later. "If you'd like, I'll tell you a funny story about Kaidan and Corporal Jenkins."

Chuckling, V'lana answered back, "Sure. Go ahead. I could use a good laugh now."

Nos Astra, Illium

After rematerializing in her office and patting herself down to make sure that everything was still there, Liara tapped a button on her desk, "Nyxeris?"

"Yes, Liara?"

"Can you come in here for a moment, please?"

Several minutes later, as she looked down at the twisted corpse of her former assistant, Liara wiped the blood from her nose. Tapping the comm badge she had been given, the asari called out, "T'Soni to Gallena…T'Soni to Gallena…is this thing working?"

"This is the Gallena, Dr. T'Soni." Samantha Traynor's voice responded through the tiny comm badge.

"Can you connect me with Subcommander Avesti?" Liara requested as she again glanced down at Nyxeris' body, barely repressing a shudder.

"One moment please." Moments later, V'lana's voice came through the comm unit.

"Dr. T'Soni? I take it you took care of the issue with your aide."

"Yes." Liara responded, her voice a mixture of steel and gloom. "She gave me a few tense moments, but her barriers needed work."

"I see." The Romulan drawled. "Do you need help cleaning up?"

"No." The asari answered back, "My people will take care of it."

"Very good, then. Stand by for beam up." As she heard a buzzing sound, Liara took a deep breath as once again, she disappeared in a green pillar of light only to reappear moments later in the Gallena's transporter room where she was met by a Romulan security officer.

"Dr. T'Soni? I am to escort you to Subcommander Avesti's ready room. She and the others are waiting for you."

"Yes…" Liara replied with a sigh, "Thank you."

After hearing Liara's message, V'lana's laughter at Dr. Chakwas' story faded as she inclined her head at the physician. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but…"

"That's all right, Subcommander." The human physician replied, "It's time I reported back to work anyway. I'll keep you updated on Kaidan once we get him in sickbay."

"Thanks, Doctor." V'lana smiled back at the healer. "I appreciate it." She then tapped her comm unit. "Miranda…Jacob…Satra…Samantha…report to my ready room."

A few minutes later, Liara, seeing that the subcommander had already called the other members of her landing party together, inclined her head in greeting. "Thank you for the use of your comm unit, Subcommander." She said as she handed the badge back to the Romulan.

"You're welcome." V'lana replied as she took the badge and placed it in her desk. "So…Tali and the other two…"

"Thane Krios and Samara…" Miranda interjected.

"Right." Liara nodded her head as she sat down on the couch with Jacob and Miranda. "When Tali left, she told me that she was headed to a system in the Far Rim…Haestrom, I believe. She didn't tell me why she was going…only that it was very important."

"I see…" V'lana mused as she gestured for the asari to continue.

"It's also very close to Geth space." Liara continued as V'lana again interrupted with a question.

"So…you think this might have to do with the quarians possibly preparing for war against the Geth?"

"Yes." Liara nodded her head in affirmation. "I think it might."

"Right." V'lana decided. "We need to make that our first priority once our runabout returns." Again addressing the asari information broker, she asked, "What about the other two?"

"My latest intelligence indicates that they are both enroute to Illium but haven't arrived as yet." Liara replied. "Thane Krios had just left Noveria and Samara was last seen at the Kallini monastery. In both of their cases, it will take some time for them to arrive at Nos Astra."

"Plenty of time for us to get to Haestrom, pick up Tali, and get back." V'lana concluded as she hit the comm button on her desk, "Tovan? When are the Telara and that Alliance courier supposed to rendezvous with us?"

"The Telara should be here in a couple of hours." The Romulan executive officer replied. "As for the courier…it should be here in a couple of days. I believe they ran into some problems. They had to dodge a band of batarian pirates according to their last message but are now back enroute."

"Very good." V'lana affirmed. "We'll wait for the Telara to arrive and then be ready to use the mass effect relay to take us to Haestrom in the Far Rim."

"Acknowledged, Subcommander."

Taking a deep breath, V'lana dismissed the group gathered in her office. "I think we've covered everything for now. Dr. T'Soni? If you wouldn't mind being our guest for a while, I'll show you to your quarters…"

"Thank you." The asari smiled back. "It would give us a chance to talk." As the others filed out of the room, Liara walked up to her Romulan host. "I heard about Kaidan. Tali told me that she believed that you and him seemed…" smiling bashfully as the pair walked out on to the bridge towards the turbolift talking in low voices, "…rather close. And just a little while ago, while I was talking to Samantha and Satra…"

"The Gallena's new in-house gossip network confirmed it." V'lana interjected with a sad smile.

"Don't be too hard on them." The asari chuckled, "As I said, I'm a very good information broker." Smiling at her host, Liara declared, "He's a good man, but he's been through a lot."

"I know." V'lana responded as the pair entered the turbolift, "I just haven't decided if I'm gonna kiss him or kick his ass for getting hurt when he recovers."

"Why not do both." Liara laughed as the turbolift carried the pair down to the deck where the living quarters were located.

"That's not a bad idea." V'lana chuckled as the turbolift doors opened on the living quarters deck. "But which should I do first. Yeah…kissing him is fun…but then I really do want to kick his ass all over the station for making me worry like this. Hmmm…" she smirked as the pair reached one of the guest quarters doors. "…decisions…decision."

"Well…" Liara smiled, "Let me know what it's gonna be and when so I can take pictures."

"I will." V'lana promised as she ushered her guest into her new room. "Oh…welcome aboard. I think…I hope…we can become good friends."

Nodding her head in agreement, Liara replied, "Yes. I think I'd like that. But for now…" The asari yawned, "I think I need to get some rest. It has been a long…and eventful…day."

"I'll leave you to it then." The subcommander replied with a smile as she made her way to the door. "Just comm if you need anything."

As the door slid shut behind her, V'lana tapped her comm badge. "Big Brother?"

"Yes, Little Sister."

"I want to know the moment we rendezvous with the Telara.'

"I'll inform second watch of your orders." Tovan replied in a reassuring tone of voice.

"Thanks, Big Brother." V'lana answered back with a sigh, "And…when you get off duty, can you join me in my quarters."

"Sure, Little Sister." Tovan responded, "And I'll bring over a bottle or two of saurian brandy."

"Looking forward to it." V'lana declared, "See you in a few."

"Later, Little Sister." Addressing Joker at the helm, Tovan instructed, "You heard…"

"Don't worry, Big Man." Joker replied, this time in a serious tone of voice, "I'll let you and the Subcommander know the moment we rendezvous with Kaidan's ship." His humor returning, the Alliance pilot quipped as a female human Starfleet officer wearing an 23rd century red miniskirt entered the room, "I believe Lieutenant Commander Oudekirk has arrived to relieve you and…no offense, sir…her legs are nicer than yours, and the Subcommander will have your ass if you don't get down to her with that brandy pronto."

"Understood, Joker." Tovan acknowledged as he turned command over to his relief. "Good luck, Lieutenant Commander…" The Romulan stated in a dry voice as he gestured towards Joker, "You're going to need it with that one at the helm."

"Don't worry, Centurion." Cilla Oudekirk smiled back as she brushed back a lock of blonde hair. "I'll keep Joker in line. Now…you better get down to your little sister." Lowering her voice, the Starfleet officer advised, "I think she needs her big brother right now."

Several minutes later, Tovan, after being admitted into his old friend's quarters, smiled warmly as he held up a couple of bottles of saurian brandy. "I have a feeling tonight's going to be a two bottle night." Setting the glasses down on a table with the bottles, he poured amber liquid from one of the bottles into the glasses. "Drink, up, Little Sister. Big Brother's orders. Then…we talk."