Garrus and his men were squatting outside Mordin's dilapidated hospital. They arrived less than twenty minutes earlier, with Krul's life hanging by a thread. When they abruptly appeared, banging on the clinic doors, the salarian was shocked by the state of their comrade. Though it took him less than half a second to recover and begin shouting orders at his assistants. Given how crowded the clinic was, his squad was loitering on the steps, unsure of what to do or where to go.
The silence dragged on, and to be honest, the turian was at a loss for words. Something was gnawing at the back of his mind. And he couldn't place a talon on it. No matter how many times he went over the day's events, he couldn't flush the idea out of darkness. He was missing something. He was certain of it. Yet, whatever lurked in the back of his mind refused to come forward.
An hour passed before Ripper finally broke the silence. "Not sure 'bout the rest of yous but I needs a drink."
Garrus pushed off the wall he'd come to lean against. "I couldn't agree more. Drinks are on me, in case anyone was wondering. And, well, you two are invited." He nodded to Mierin and Weaver.
The pair exchanged a look. And Garrus wasted no time in reassuring them. "I wouldn't blame either of you if you decide to head back to The Citadel after this mess. But let me treat you as thanks for helping. It's the least I can do."
Weaver glanced at his younger counterpart. "I need to talk it over with my partner, but if he's still in, so am I."
"You didn't know he was a separatist?" Mierin was regarding him carefully.
"No." Garrus sighed.
"But you stood by him anyhow..."
"He earned my trust. And Thralog got what was coming to him. I complete my own research on every target. Although, I'm with Ripper. This conversation is in desperate need of alcohol."
"Here's to that." Ripper spat, already on his feet. "Krul's one of us. Don't care no how what the bird government says."
They chose a booth at the back of Afterlife. It was private, secluded, if a bit cramped. But the table was large enough to support their gaggle of drinks. It's not like they were here for entertainment, merely some alcohol that didn't taste like stale piss – an attribute other bars on Omega lacked. The somber group crunched into the booth and quickly placed their orders. When a scantily clad Asari dancer approached their table, Garrus quickly waved her off. A reaction that lead to Ripper's clear disappointment.
After demolishing a couple pints, shared between the protein-compatible companions, Sensat gave voice to the elephant in the room. "Batarian Separatists are considered rogue terrorists. The Turian Hierarchy has scorched-earth policy on them. Supposed to be very nasty group. Much to discuss. Interesting development."
"Salarians don't beat around the bush, do they?" Weaver chuckled.
"Interested in mystery. Low alcohol tolerance. Dissolved inhibition."
"My first concern is him surviving the pile of poison he dove into." Garrus responded. "It'd be significantly easier to be upset with the man if he hadn't just attempted suicide."
Ripper, the only one who opted for hard liquor, had been delivered several bright, yellow shots. "Hey Sensat, they's the same color as your markings."
"Point being?"
"You need at least one. Put some hair on that chest."
"Prefer to remain upright."
"None of you's are any fun." Before Butler could offer to pick up the Salarian's slack, Ripper turned to his eager eyes. "Nuh uh. I ain't sharin' with you's. You get sick."
"Aw, that was one time!"
"No way. You's sitting across from me. I ain't gettin' a shower."
Garrus gulped down the remainder of his pint, reached for the pitcher, and refilled his glass. As he brought the mug to his mouth, he froze. That inkling from earlier hit him like a crashing wave, with alcohol serving as the catalyst to his epiphany. After all, he'd been a couple shots deep the night he and Krul argued. The night Jane approached him. That's what was bothering him, that conversation he completely dismissed.
But I know him.
He'd be missed. And not just by me.
It was the way she had said it, the emphasis placed on those simple sentences. Jane hadn't been talking about the past few months, nor his team. Had she? Given what she survived, one would think he'd stop underestimating the girl. Suddenly, he couldn't shake the feeling that she knew Krul before The Ubralle. Had she recognized him? Initially, he had written it off as caution. But over the past few months, there were a few times he caught her openly staring at the batarian. She'd immediately glance away, apologize, and blame it on the myriad of medications Mordin put her on. It seemed like a plausible excuse. But her face was practically stone in those unguarded moments. He meant to ask if the batarian made her uncomfortable and reassure her that she was safe. Yet, instinct stopped him when he noticed how that small frame relaxed in his presence. The tension seemed to melt away. And once her and Krul struck up a friendship, it slipped his mind entirely.
Then again, he was always conflicted with what to say or how to act around Jane. Her facial expressions were different from other humans as was her body language. And he struggled to discern if she was uncomfortable, scared, or couldn't care less about his presence.
Glass cracked in his talons. "Crap."
Butler, with his elbow practically shoved into Garrus's side was the first to notice his commander's sudden change in demeanor.
He shot the turian a puzzled look. "What? Mordin talkin' in your ear? Krul dead or something?"
Every face snapped to his, their various drinks forgotten.
"What? No! I just… realized something… possibly. But it's absolutely insane." Garrus was still trying to wrap his mind around the concept.
"You's not gonna keep it to youself now." Ripper responded quickly. He was downing shots like there was no tomorrow, periodically fidgeting with the strange glass he'd taken to wearing around his neck. Despite being human, he had a fairly high alcohol tolerance. It rivaled Shepard's.
"For once, punk, we agree." Weaver plopped his mug down on the table, foam dripping from his mustache.
"Like I said, I'm not sure. But I think Jane was trying to tell me something the other night." Garrus began.
"Who's Jane?"
"Someone you's not gonna meet til we have a talk pig."
The budding animosity between Ripper and Weaver was something Garrus knew he'd have to keep an eye on. However that matter could be shelved for the moment. "She's the younger sister of a good friend and an ex-slave we rescued a few months back. Right now, she doesn't have anywhere to go. So, she's staying at our base. And Ripper's right. If you two want to become fully fledged members, we need to go over some ground rules about her. We're no ordinary gang."
"Hey now, we're not like that." Mierin spoke quickly, bringing the palms of his hands in front of his chest.
"If I had the slightest inkling you were, trust me, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Still, I run my place like a military operation. Expect harsh speeches, drills, and me whupping you into shape at a moment's notice. Jane, on the other hand, is different. Our base is her only home. And unlike the rest of us, she didn't choose to be on this shit-hole station. I expect everyone to be considerate of her. She's still new to the galaxy and it's a personal mission of mine to see her safe. We pulled that girl from hell itself. Anyone harasses her, and they'll face far worse punishment than being kicked out."
"Boss here likes to pussy foot 'round. Me? I'm more direct. Anybody messes with her, I'll introduce 'em to the business end of 'Ol Bessy." Ripper patted his shotgun.
Butler chuckled while nodding in agreement.
"We're here to put guys like that down." Weaver met his gaze. "You have my word."
"And mine." Mierin assured him between gulps.
Garrus nodded to his new team members before continuing. "Anyhow, I'm probably wrong but it's bugging me. Jane approached me a few nights ago when I was… well Krul and I had a disagreement."
"A loud one." Ripper snorted.
"Wait, what? I didn't hear shit!" Butler whined.
"Yeah. That's cuz you snore like a god damn buzz saw. Probably can't hear a fuckin' bomb over that noise. It's also why's yous sleep in the corner bunk."
"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever you two. Like I said, I'm not positive but I think Jane might have known him before we found her. It's just … I don't know. Now that I think about it, the whole conversation was strange. But she's hard to read." Garrus continued while mulling over the idea.
"That girl wastes no words." Butler spoke up. "She's probably said two sentences to me. One was to critique how I trained. The other was basically, just 'hello.'"
"Oh? I never heard about this."
The pudgy man shrugged. "Didn't seem important. She told me to stop running on the treadmill until I lost another 20 lbs or I'd ruin my knees. Told her they went bad a decade ago. Then she handed me an entire dietary and exercise plan before disappearing back into her room without another word. Next day, there's some weird muffins tagged with my name on the kitchen counter. Asked my wife about it, said it wasn't her. And whatever grain it was, Nalah had never seen it before. Nice girl but a bit strange. The regimen is working though. I was stuck at 270 for months before trying it out."
"I've only had one conversation with her. The rest of the crap we talk about has to do with guns and how to use or practice with them. I know she's eager to start training but little else."
"She plays Galaxy of Fantasy with me." Ripper chimed in. The entire table turned to the ex-merc, shocked. "What? If she sleeps, I don't know when. I'm up half the time playin' cuz none of you losers will join me. Best group fights happen on Citadel time."
"Only because you're a sore loser." Sensat chuckled.
"Whatever. Girl's a fast learner, not too bad at healin, and way more fun to play with. Don't faze her none when I yell at the TV, unlike you pussies. We brought down three legendary bosses last week. But she don't talk much unless it's about tactics. Only thing she asked me that had nothin' to do with the game was how we met Krul."
"Did you tell her?"
"Yeah. Whole story. But she wanted every detail. Names of those who were beatin' on him. Dates. Everything. Thought it was just cuz they's friends."
Garrus was drumming his talons against the table, deep in thought. "Spirits, how to ask her about this? Gently I guess. Normally, I'd have Krul talk to her … how ironic."
"You know. Krul don't treat her with kid gloves and she gets on fine with him. Don't think she's scared or bothered by us. Shy maybe."
"That's… a fair point."
"Couldn't hurt to ask boss. And I think you's onto somethin. Didn't think about it much, but she was hangin' by his bunk one night. We's was comin' back late from that market job 'fore she got that cast off. She was lots slower and louder then. Prolly the only reason I walked in on her. Anybody else, Idda asked why they's nosin' around in Krul's stuff. I wasn't gonna say nothin, but she told me he owed her some shard wine and left."
"While that's odd, this whole notion is crazy right? I mean, Krul would've said something."
"He is a separatist. The spirits only know what else he's hiding." Mierin interjected, his gaze fixed on the mug of Denoviroan Ale grasped in his talons.
Before Ripper could tear the turian's head off, Garrus interrupted. "No. If it weren't for Krul, we never would have found Jane. If they knew each other, why not mention it? And I've learned the hard way not to believe everything the government feeds me. I'm not sure about you, but I've certainly never had a conversation with a separatist. Like every soldier, I shot when told to shoot. Orders are orders and it's not like I'm one to care about the political machinations behind them."
That earned him a sharp look from his turian companion. "You know, I was in the military around the same time as you. We've both fought separatists. Weren't their slaver rings preying on Volus colonies? That sounds pretty worthy of retaliation to me."
"So we were told."
"Maybe she knows him, but Krul didn't recognize her." Butler spoke softly. "I mean, what? How many hundreds of thousands of slaves are there on Kar'Shan? Remember the first time we met? He was bitching how slavery can't be abolished easily. Sounded to me like he was arguing for it."
"Wait, you're not saying..."
"He could've owned her many years back. Fuckin' batarian. Knew I couldn't trust him."
"C'mon Butler, he's earned the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Jane is clearly comfortable around him."
The man just huffed, crossed his arms, and leaned back. "Ever hear of Stockholm Syndrome? I'm telling you, no matter how cuddly batarians may seem, they don't view us as equals. We're lessers to them. I've lived with batarian neighbors my whole life, even the kids believe it. They teach 'em young."
"I'm not jumping to conclusions before I speak with her. For all we know, she's simply curious and where she's from it isn't rude to rummage through other people's belongings. Batarian culture isn't something I pretend to understand. But we're not going to figure this out sitting around here and it warrants attention." Garrus waved down the waitress making her rounds. "Bill please." With a swing of her omni-tool, the Asari brought up their bar tab. "You guys go on ahead. I'll take care of this." As his men began to inch out of the booth, Garrus nudged Mierin under the table.
"I'm going to hang back if it's okay. Finish off this pint." Thankfully, the turian caught onto the fact he wanted to speak privately.
"It's fine. Everyone else good with heading to the markets and buying some food to soak up that alcohol? I'd prefer to keep the rowdiness to a minimum tonight."
Ripper was the only other squad mate who sussed out his true intentions" Sure thing boss. I'll make sure these light weights get some grub."
When his men had vacated the club, he turned to Mierin. "Before I give you the grand tour, I need to know if you're still in this. We've both fought separatists. But unless something terrible is revealed tonight, there's a good chance Krul is coming back to the base. Whether to simply recover or rejoin our squad remains to be seen. While I may not be thrilled with him at the moment, I need to know if you'll be comfortable with this."
"Figured you'd be more concerned about Butler."
"Frank's never fully trusted Krul, old prejudices can be hard to put down. It's nothing I can't handle. But we've both served in the military. Harboring this guy will be considered treason by The Hierarchy. Are you certain about this?"
"Not really. But, well, I trust your instincts. I doubt you remember me, I was just some rookie when you were in C-Sec. Weaver and I used to guard Pallin's office. I remember how hard you railed on Saren. And look how that turned out. When you first started ranting about him, I'd have eaten my right boot before believing what you were saying."
"And that's enough for you?"
"You were also right about that massive red sand operation yet wound up disciplined for killing the leader over risking the lives of his workers to arrest him."
"C'mon man. We're talking about treason here. My government, well, my trust in them has been waning over this past year, while Krul has been working to gain it. And still, you saw me hesitate. We both know it. You've only been a part of this squad for a month. And I'm still not certain why you want to join up."
"The plan on going after The Blood Pack remains in motion?"
"Definitely."
"Then I'm in. And honestly, even if we're caught…." Mierin trailed off, a quiver spread through his dark mandibles. "The only family I have left is Weaver. He's gung-ho on this, and I'm not letting him go it alone. If we left, he'd just wind up back here in a few months. My only ask is that we do something about the ridiculous amount of weapons these Krogan vagabonds smuggle around the galaxy. They've caused enough pain."
"Well, it's certainly on the agenda." With the bill paid, they began making their way towards the exit.
"Do you really think this girl knows him? That he was a slaver of sorts?"
"I think there are too many coincidences to ignore it. But no, I don't believe he was some nasty piece of work collaring slaves out in The Traverse. Even if there's a lot more to him than meets the eye."
"Sounds like there's more to Jane too."
Garrus paused. "I know. And if I'm being completely honest, I'm kicking myself for writing her off that night. She doesn't know the most basic things about the galaxy, and I … Well, we'll know soon enough if there's anything to this."
"Guess so."
