Thane
"Kepral's syndrome, caused by cumulative long-term exposure to a humid climate" he said, "erodes lungs ability to take in oxygen, non-communicable."
"So, you know a lot." I stated.
"Yes, but more importantly, we need to adjust your plan." He said.
"How so?" I asked.
"Well, while your plan is good, but it's unrealistic." He pointed out, "there's too many steps and not enough time, and the same can be achieved in an easier manner. Taking over the Shadow Brokers network, we can simply leverage information about the companies, forcing them to pay us off. We can also use it to invest in companies, depending on which way the market goes, using the proceeds to fund ourselves, and stay completely hidden. This isn't even including the funds that he has now, and continuity of his business will bring in more credits."
I just shook my head, "You've clearly given this more thought than me."
"Not necessarily, I just have more experience from STG, and a different point of view. Anyways, I'm dropping you off at Arcturus, correct?" he asked.
"No, I've decided the quicker we do this, the better. I'll go with you to the Citadel, but you should still buy the information, just so we can stay off the radar." I said.
"Very well, tell me about the Shadow Broker, and how we're exactly taking over one of the most powerful people in the galaxy." He said.
"Yeah, he's based on a ship that travels through the atmosphere of Haglaz, making it virtually undetectable. We'll have to board on from the outside, make our way to a hatch near the rear of the ship, all the while fighting through a small army. When we get in, it's just the task of going to the shadow broker, and kill him. We'll need three rocket launchers for that. And recruit Thane Krios."
"What are the launchers for?" he questioned.
"He's a yahg, and has a nearly limitless shield, so we'll need the launchers for him."
"A yahg? I was not expecting that. Thane Krios? I'm familiar with the name, assassin for hire, very good, maybe the best." He said, "what makes you think that he'll join us?"
"For one, the shadow broker provided information to Batarian slavers that killed his wife, and I think we can give him a way out, give him a different life to live." I said.
"You have a lot of confidence in him." Mordin stated.
"As I did you." I responded, and we pretty much stayed quiet the rest of the trip towards the Citadel.
*Hey Chase! Just checking in, see how you're doing. It's been a couple days since you left out of nowhere. I'm making some real progress with my biotics. When are you coming back? It's different when your gone, at least when I don't know where you are or anything about what you're doing. -Shepard*
*Hey Cass, just seeing some old friends, I should be back in a week or two, and don't worry, I'm in good hands. Though you should probably get used to not knowing where I am or what I'm doing, especially since you tricked me into the 'N' training. No hard feelings =]. It's good to hear from you. Stay safe, see you soon. -Chase*
"Alright Mordin, I'll transfer some credits to you, that's Barla's office right there."
"No need Jarrett, I have enough credits to purchase some information, here are some good armor stores, you need some armor if we're taking on the Shadow Broker. You should pick up some weapons and those missile launchers you spoke of."
"Alright," I said, "I'll drop everything off at the ship, we'll meet at that coffee shop where we entered the presidium." He nodded, and walked away. I can't help but fell he's taking control of, well, this mission. We should name it, Nostradamus, after the French astrologer who published prophecies back in the 1500s.
Buying armor is pretty fun, I went and bought me some Medium Jannisary armor, with a custom helmet modeled after an ODST helmet. That cost me 250000-credits, 75000-credits alone for the helmet, totally worth it. I had that delivered to his ship, as well as 3 ML-77 rockets launchers. I also purchased a Mattock, with an extended barrel mod to increase damage, magazine upgrade, and a recoil dampener, and a Harpy X pistol. I then made my way to the coffee shop, where Mordin was already waiting.
"Did you finish purchasing everything?" He asked.
"Yes, I had it delivered to the ship, how'd your little meeting go?" I asked, sipping my coffee.
"It went well, got the info we needed, he's here on the Citadel." Mordin replied.
"He's here? On the Citadel?"
"Yes, that is what I said" he replied. "Apparently, he was hired by some small-time gangster named 'Fist', to go and kill his boss, he's having a little 'Hostile Takeover'."
"Huh, interesting. Let's go grab a drink, my treat." I said.
"A drink, shouldn't we find Thane first?"
"We are" I replied, "so let's go grab a drink." I then got up, and walked towards the nearest skycar and typed in for Chora's Den.
"Chora's Den?" Mordin asked, "how did you know that was where Fist's boss was based out of?" I just grinned at him. "Ah, yes, it must be nice to have knowledge of future events."
"Well, more of an educated guess." I said, sitting down in the skycar. We quickly reach our destination, but instead of going into the club, I went looking for a maintenance hatch used by the keepers. I quickly find it, go in and see the ladder I was looking for.
"Why are we in here?" Mordin asked.
"Thane kills people up close, but he's not going to just waltz in there, so he's going to probably take the catwalks into there." I replied.
"Catwalks? Good idea, almost no one uses them, and they're unmonitored, how did you know?" he quizzed.
"I've used them before, kind of, long story I can't tell you right now." I said, trying to avoid this conversation about Garrus's revenge. We walk into the nightclub, and this is quite the vantage point, I can see the entire club, and the Catwalk goes straight to where Fist's soon-to-be office is.
"Let's go, Thane's target is in the next room through that door." I said.
"Do we have a plan if he proves to be hostile?" Mordin asked.
"Uhh" is all I could muster out as we walked through the door, and there was Thane. He looked over to us, and immediately drew his pistol, as did Mordin. "Wow there, put down your pistol Mordin," I look over to Thane, "Mr. Krios, we have no intention to stop or interfere with your job, would just like a moment of your time, when your finished of course." He just looked me up and down.
"Very well" he said, then jumped down to where his target was, not making any sound at all, in perfect silence. He pulled put a knife, grab the guys head, and slit his neck so deep that it started to hang there. He then disappeared in some backroom that I didn't even know existed.
"Where'd he go?" I asked, not seeing him.
"I'm right behind you" said a voice from behind us.
"FUCK!" I screamed, looking behind me, I see Thane in his classic position, hands behind his back. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Cause you almost succeeded."
"I had no intention of doing that. You said you wanted to speak, perhaps somewhere bettered suited to conversation" he said. He walked away, and Mordin and I followed. We ended up in the same alley that Tali gets ambushed in.
"You wanted to speak?" He asked.
"We're here to help, and I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" he questioned.
"I know about what happened to your wife, I think we can come to an arrangement, you help us, and we'll help you."
"I've already killed everyone involved with my wife's murder. This conversation is over." He said, turning around to walk away.
"Not everyone" I said. "You forgot the most important person involved", he turns around and looks at me dead in my eyes. It felt like he was piercing my soul.
"Who?"
"The person who gave them the information on you and your wife, the Shadow Broker." I said, and he just cocked his eyebrow.
"I figured that they went to him, but that's a fruitless endeavor." He responded.
"Not only do I know where he is, we're going to take him down and take over his network. We could use some help." I said. "And it would give you a chance out."
"A chance out?" he questioned.
"You don't need to be an assassin, you have a son to think about. If you stay in your current field, I can guarantee that Kolyat will try to become an assassin, but, if you become the Shadow Broker, you can still stay in contact with your son while he stays with his Aunt and Uncle. Who knows, maybe he can become a C-Sec cop or something,"
"How do you know any of that? More importantly, why would you want to make me the Shadow Broker?" he asked.
"Reapers." I responded
"What?" Thane asked.
I was about to speak before Mordin Spoke up. "Perhaps I could better explain this Jarrett, not to be rude, but you lack a deft touch on certain topics" I just looked at him, "you're a bit blunt" he said. I just waved at him, even if it's true. Mordin grabbed thane and walked to the corner and was talking. They talked for about 30 minutes, about half way through I just sat on the ground, getting bored.
Thane and Mordin finally walked back up to me. "I'm in, but on a few conditions." Thane said.
"And those are?" I asked.
"First, after we take down the current Shadow Broker, you're going to tell us how you know all of this information. Secondly, in order to deal with the Reapers we'll have to move fast, and we need defined goals to ensure our mission is successful. We need to flush out the plan."
"I completely agree, and man I have to say that I'm glad I choose you two, I don't know what I would've done without the both of you." I said.
"Alright," Mordin said, "we should head out. Haglaz is about a three days journey from here, we already have weapons and armor, do you need gather anything before we head out?"
"Yes, I'll have to gather a few items, I'll meet you at your ship." He said, walking away.
"SSSoooo, what did you two talk about for thirty minutes?" I asked.
"I had to convince him about the reapers, and to trust you temporarily until we fully know your involvement."
"My involvement?" I questioned.
"Yes, it's clear to me that your holding back a lot of information, and we won't be able to work with you if we're in the dark. That is why one of his conditions was to know how you know all of this." He said.
I nodded in understanding, and we left. When we got to the ship, we found two crates of deliveries, and Mordin helped me unload it into his ship. We finally unloaded the weapons and armor, and it was awesome. It was a matte black Janissary armor, with a custom helmet that was modeled after an ODST helmet. It also does that thing where it turns from clear and black at a touch of a button.
"That's an interesting helmet, what make is it?" Mordin questioned.
"I had it custom made, thought it'd look cool, and make me stand out a bit."
"Well I think it's going to work," Mordin said, "I've never seen a visor like that, and the matte black does give an intimidating look."
We waited there for about an hour until Thane came, carrying two cases. We took off to Haglaz, on a long three-day Journey. It's a small ship.
"So, what's are game plan?" Thane asked.
"Well, we'll have to land at the front of the ship, it's the only landing spot big enough, then we'll have to fight our way to the back. We'll have to deal with maintenance drones, and the brokers agents. Also, there's lightning capacitors all over the ship, if you shoot it it'll discharge the electricity, so be cautious around them while in combat. We'll eventually reach a hatch that Mordin will have to hack into. Then we fight through the interior, not as big as you'd think, and take out the Shadow Broker. I'll take the lead, Mordin will follow close to me and provide me with tech assistance, and Thane you'll hang in the back and cover us, plus provide any Biotic support. If you use pull while we're outside on the ship you should be able to make them fly off the ship."
"Very well" Thane said.
"That's all, no questions or comments?" I quizzed at him.
"No, not really. It's a sound plan, and Mordin already informed me about the plan with the Rocket Launchers." He said, "But perhaps now's the time to go over our plan. Mordin gave me the overview about the Reapers and taking over the Network to gain resources, but what's our roles in this group of ours?"
"You'd run the Shadow Broker network, keeping the information and credits flowing. Mordin would use those credits and resources to research at his private lab, to give us as big of an edge as he can for when the Reapers come, and I guess he can help you with running the Brokers network as well, if need be. And I would stay in the Alliance to ensure that events to come don't change."
"Events to come?" he questioned.
"Yes, and once we take out the Broker I'll explain that and everything I know, and how I know it, as we agreed to." The rest of the ride was small chats and such, we also played some Skyllian 5, and Thane has an unbeatable poker face, and I can still barely read Mordin. They took me for a thousand credits.
-Two Days Later-
"We're approaching Halgaz, we should be entering the atmosphere in 20 minutes, we should suit up." Mordin said.
"This ship has stealth systems, right?" I asked.
"Yes, it comes with passive stealth systems, so as long as we don't use any intrusive scanners, we should be fine."
"Would we be able to find it without those scanners?" I quipped.
"Yes, I've already located it. It's nearly impossible to detect, but if you know where to look, it's very easy to find." Mordin responded.
"Alright, let's moveout" I said, and Mordin moved the shuttle, and the Brokers ship came into view, it was impressive to see, lightning going off everywhere.
"Three minutes till we land" Mordin said.