Chapter 14: The Most Expensive Rock in the Galaxy

Welcome to Illium.

The crowning jewel of the Asari Republics and the galaxy, or its dirty little secret. Where dreams go walk down the street, clad in pounds of flesh bought, borrowed or stolen. Where fortune and misfortune have illicit affairs every hour of every day. Where temptation and corruption are always on sale.

The sun is always setting here, mocking inhabitants and tourists with one last flicker of hope for the bargain price of your soul. The neon lights are ever-present, illuminating that incredible deal and all its seductive allure while obscuring the fine print in the shadows they cast. And no one would have it any other way.

You can find anything you want on Illium, if it doesn't find you first. Illegal tech, addictive pleasures, sex and death and everything in between. More sin and depravity than you can shake your credit card at, in all its sophistication and glory. Just remember the golden rule: buyer beware. If you can't spot the sucker in the deal, it's almost certainly you.

Welcome to Illium. Don't say you weren't warned.

Illium was developed as a commercial hub between the Asari Republics and the Terminus Systems. Officially, it was not an asari world, just one colonized, owned and operated by asari corporate interests. As a result, it was infamous for its labour practises, legalization of virtually everything and the production and trade of just about every legal and illegal item out there. Unofficially, it's still considered an asari world and thus considered safe, cultured and exotic. Naturally, such a reputation lured thousands of celebrities, corporations and tourists each year—that and its glamour, luxury and elegance. In many ways, it's the evil twin to both the Omega and Citadel —it had all the crime, corruption and depravity of the former cloaked in the wealth, splendour and cosmopolitan modernity of the latter.

Unlike most worlds, we didn't have to take a shuttle to the surface. Despite her size and weight, we could actually fly the Normandy into Illium's atmosphere and land her at the starport without the whole thing plummeting out of the sky, crashing and causing all sorts of property damage—oh yeah, and loss of life. Proof of how cutting-edge Illium was. As we flew towards the starport at Illium's capital, Nos Astra, we were greeted to a breathtaking cityscape of skyscrapers clad in glass, steel and neon—all lit up against a stunning sunset.

The squad was greeted outside the docking bay by an asari in an expensive-looking dress, backed up by a pair of LOKI mechs. "Welcome to Nos Astra, Commander Shepard," she greeted us. "We've been instructed to waive all docking and administration fees for your visit."

Very generous. What's the catch, I wanted to know.

"My name is Careena," the asari introduced herself. "If you need information about the area, it would be my pleasure to assist you."

"Who instructed you to waive the fees?" I wanted to know. Some bigshot politician? Some up-and-coming CEO?

"The order came from Liara T'Soni, who paid all fees on your behalf."

Either that was a very common asari name or archaeology had gotten much more lucrative in the last two years. I wasn't the only one who'd noticed that.

"Liara paid for all that?" Tali repeated.

"Since when did Liara have that many creds to throw around?" Garrus asked.

Ignoring our questions, Careena ordered the mechs to leave us with her omni-tool. Looking up, she added "She also asked that I direct you to speak with her at your convenience. She's near the trading floor."

"What does Liara do here?" I asked. Trading Prothean goodies, perhaps?

"Liara is one of Nos Astra's most respected information brokers," Careena replied.

...

"Information broker?" I repeated incredulously. Young, innocent, wet-behind-the-ears Liara had switched career tracks to a life of dealing secrets and data? I had half a mind to pinch myself.

Careena misunderstood my surprise. "Nos Astra is based upon trade," she explained. "Information is valuable currency and Liara has done quite well. If you're curious, you can find her near the trading floor. She was looking forward to seeing you."

"What can you tell me about Nos Astra?" I asked, trying to deal with this surprise by changing the subject.

"It's an exciting city," she smiled. "We see a lot of new cultures and goods because of our proximity to the Terminus Systems. At the same time, Illium is still an asari world. You should be as safe here as you would be on the Citadel. For your own safety, however, I recommend against signing anything."

So it was safe and unsafe. Good thing that wasn't confusing—oh wait. It was. "What's so dangerous about signing something?"

"Illium is a free-trade world, Commander," Careena elaborated. "It's a wonderful world for those who can afford it. In order to remain competitive as a Terminus Systems port, we've relaxed many of the contract term requirements and standards of living that you'd find on other planets. It's a small price to pay for keeping our competitive edge in goods from the Terminus Systems."

"You mentioned trading," I said. "What gets traded on Illium?"

"Anything you can imagine, Commander," she replied. "Most drugs are legal, provided they are labelled properly. You can buy almost any weapon or technology. You can even buy indentured servants."

That raised an eyebrow. "An asari world allowing slavery. Now I've heard everything."

And that brought another smile. "We try to avoid calling it slavery. All indentured servants on Illium have voluntarily agreed to a term of service. Most choose indentured service as a means to pay off debt or avoid imprisonment." (1)

Uh huh.

"A contract holder is responsible for the well-being of her servants and a servant's duties are agreed upon before the contract is signed."

Which made it all better, didn't it?

Regardless of my increasingly ambivalent views on Illium and the culture it had fostered, it was hard to take it out on Careena. She was just doing her job with the sanitized meet n' greet infomercial. Besides, she hadn't screwed me over yet. Still, it was clear that she wouldn't be able to provide much help regarding the various missions I had here, so I said my goodbyes.

"I still can't believe Liara could afford to pay our fees," Garrus said.

"Much less start a new career," Tali agreed. "She seemed so happy with her life as an archaeologist."

"And why would she start a new career on Illium, of all places?" Garrus wondered.

"Perhaps Liara can provide some answers when we see her," Miranda suggested. "Besides, if she's as powerful an information broker as Careena says she is, she may be able to help us find our prospective squadmates."

EDI seemed to agree. "Customs records indicate a justicar named Samara is visiting this port, Shepard. Your former teammate, Liara T'Soni, may have more information. Her office overlooks the trading floor. You may wish to speak to her regarding Thane Krios, the assassin on your dossier, as well. Also, I have a message for Miss Lawson. Lanteia has reserved a room at the Eternity bar and will be waiting for you."

"Thank you, EDI," Miranda said. (2)

We walked over to the trading floor, an open-air market full of computerized kiosks with a stunning view of Illium's cityscape.

"You have to give the asari credit," Miranda said, noting my admiration. "Illium is a cultural marvel. Humanity can learn a lot from their ingenuity."

"Towers, traffic, lights and asari, everywhere you look," Kasumi chimed in. "I thought about living here for a while, but everyone's so tight-ass. It's all about money to these people. I do what I do for the love of it. These people do it because they don't know any better."

Garrus had a different take, however. "We were always told that Illium is one of the safest places in the galaxy... until you fell off the grid. Sign the wrong contract, join up with the wrong company, or walk down the wrong alley and it's as dangerous as anywhere else. Don't let this place fool you—it's no safer than Omega."

"I just want to know if these people have anything worth buying," I said. "Or any skills that could help the mission. Let's get moving."

I didn't get ten metres before getting sidetracked. "Excuse me!" an asari called out. "Excuse me, are you Commander Shepard?"

"Yes," I said slowly, turning to her.

"I saw your... I guess you would say your aura. I'd recognize you anywhere."

Okay...

"I was asked to give you a message if I saw you. It's from a friend you made on Noveria."

"I met a lot of people on Noveria," I told her. "Could you be more specific?"

"I believe the message itself should make it clear," she replied, taking a step forward. Her eyes rolled up in her head. I had a sudden urge to reach for my pistol, but since she wasn't levitating in the air or talking about direct control, I figured I might be okay.

"Shepard," the asari said. "We hide. We burrow. We build. But we know that you seek those who soured the songs of our mothers. When the time comes, our voice will join with yours, and our crescendo will burn the darkness clean."

Noveria. Musical references. Gotta be rachni.

"Thank you, Shepard. The rachni will sing again, because of you."

Damn, am I good or what? "I'm glad to hear that you are rebuilding," I replied. "Are you somewhere close by?"

The asari shuddered and blinked. When she opened her eyes, they were... well, back to normal. "The rachni queen is not here," she said. "That message is one of many memories I carry from her. I encountered her on an uncharted world. She saved my life. More than that, she gave me a purpose.

"They are an amazing people, Shepard. The galaxy owes you a great debt for giving them a second chance."

"How did you find the rachni?" I asked.

"I was working as a courier," she explained. "Pirates ambushed my ship and I was forced down on an uncharted planet. I was badly injured, alone and near death... then they found me. They saved me."

"You obviously got off-world again," I said, stating the obvious. "Did the rachni give you a ship?"

"No," she shook her head, "countless workers repaired my ship. It runs better now than it did before. They remind me of the keepers on the Citadel, in a way. All working together, each with a purpose."

"And the pirates who attacked you?" I continued. "What happened to them?"

"They were obliterated. As they should have been. The rachni are not aggressive, but they do what they must."

Oookaaaay. "You said the queen gave you a purpose," I said, recalling her earlier words. "What do you mean?"

A look of awe and reverence swept over her face. "The queen shared her song with me as I recovered. I saw the rachni as only an asari could. They are so beautiful... and so vulnerable. They needed someone to purchase things they cannot make themselves. Someone to work within the system. An agent, if you will. I am happy to help. My life as a courier was empty and shallow. Now I'm helping a great race rebuild itself."

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You were really comfortable walking away from your old life? Just like that?"

She immediately twigged to my suspicions. "You're concerned that the queen is controlling me. I understand, but it doesn't work like that. Our minds were in perfect harmony. I saw their beautiful spirit and their need. I knew what I had to do. If some part of that is suggestion, then it was a side-effect from their efforts to save my life. I am happy."

She sounded like one of those 'born-again' believers, in my opinion. Still, she wasn't acting all 'holier-than-thou,' or trying to 'save my soul.' Which probably needs a lot of saving, but not from her. "Can you tell me where the rachni are?" I asked.

"I'm afraid not," she said regretfully. "I don't even have that information myself any longer. After I met the rachni queen, that information was... removed. It's not painful, but I simply don't remember. I'll remember when I need to. And her caution is understandable. The galaxy isn't yet ready for the return of the rachni."

On that, we could agree. There was just one more thing I had to ask: "I got that she was grateful. What else was her message trying to say?"

"That the first Rachni War was a mistake. Something soured the voices of her people."

Was that like the opposite of a lozenge?

"In rachni psychology, that would be like mind control, I think. It doesn't really translate. Anyway, she believes you are fighting the ones who did that. And she promises to help."

Whoa. So that meant... "She thinks that the Reapers caused the Rachni War?"

"I can't say for sure," she shrugged. "But she was certain that her ancestors were forced into war against their will. Her people aren't naturally aggressive. If they made war, it was not of their own doing."

Well, my past encounters suggested otherwise, but I'd be the first to admit that people did things that were completely out of character when they encountered the Reapers and their indoctrination tricks. "Thank you for giving me that information," I finally said. "I'm glad my friend on Noveria is doing well."

"Be well, Commander Shepard."

We went our separate ways; the asari off to do... whatever it was she was going to do and me off to find Liara.

"Holy crap! Shepard? I thought you were dead!"

Or not.

I turned around to see a woman sitting at a nearby table, drink halfway up to her mouth. Somehow, the way the pink fabric around her collar blended with the chocolate hue of her skin triggered an old (well, two years old, at least) memory. I'd met her on Noveria, as I recalled. Some undercover agent pretending to be a secretary. Gianna something-or-other.

"The news reports said you were dead? What happen—no, wait," she interrupted herself. "Probably classified. Forget I asked. You'd just have to lie."

She wasn't supposed to know that. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was losing my touch.

"It's been a couple of years," she said. "I'm Gianna Parasini, Noveria Internal Affairs."

Right. That was her name. Well, at least I got half of it right.

"You helped me nail Administrator Anoleis," she reminded me.

"Happy to help," I smiled. "As I recall, he got caught with his hands in the cookie jar."

"Exactly," she grinned. "The one mistake Noveria won't tolerate."

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"He's doing a few years in white-collar prison."

"That's it?"

"I agree that isn't much by itself. I'd be upset as well if it wasn't for the fact that he's been black-listed. He won't work in the field again."

That's more like it.

"Sit down," she invited. "If I remember right, I owe you a beer."

Now that she mentioned it, I do recall her saying that before hauling Anoleis off to the slammer. There was just one problem: the table only had a couple spare seats and all the other tables were full.

Garrus came to my rescue. "Miranda: Shepard, Tali and I met Ms. Parasini when we were investigating a lead on Noveria."

Miranda immediately caught on. "No doubt the four of you have a few things to catch up on," she said smoothly. "Jacob and I can take the others to look around the rest of the trading floor."

"Thanks," I nodded gratefully.

Garrus, Tali and I sat down while the rest of the squad wandered off. After placing an order for drinks, Gianna leaned forward. "What brings you to Illium?" she asked. "You know, that you can talk about?"

"I'm just fumbling through an investigation right now," I shrugged. "Top-secret. Mostly putting together a team and doing research right now."

"Sounds vague," she chuckled knowingly.

"I try," I grinned. "No offense."

"None taken: I've been undercover enough to know how it goes."

I figured as much. That's the advantage of dealing with professionals, even corporate ones.

Gianna looked off somewhere to the right, then quickly looked back. A look of frustration briefly flashed across her face, followed by a "Eureka" look that disappeared just as quickly. "Hey, listen, I just remembered something," she said hurriedly. "I've got to go. Talk to you later?"

Without waiting for my reply, she stood up, just as our drinks arrived. "Don't forget to drink your beer," she added before walking off.

I looked down at my drink. There was a datapad tucked underneath. Very neat sleight-of-hand. I picked up the drink, casually opening the message window that was flashing at the bottom:

Shepard. Had to leave. Target saw me. Couldn't break cover. Asari merchant at Serrice Technology smuggling schematics from Noveria. Can you talk her into showing you good stuff?

I gave myself ten minutes or so to finish my drink before wandering back and forth between trading booths and kiosks. Eventually I wound up at the Serrice Technology booth. I took my time browsing through the electronic catalogue, mentally noting the ones I would've wanted to buy even if I hadn't been helping someone out, before looking up and catching the merchant's eye.

"Welcome!" she smiled. Her voice sounded very... young. Funny, I know, since she was probably old enough to be my grandmother. "You look like someone who needs high-quality equipment! My store has the best tech and biotic equipment on Illium."

"I'll say," Tali said, playing along. "Any one of these items would make a fabulous Pilgrimage gift."

"I just wish they weren't so expensive," I sighed. "I'd planned to drop a lot of credits today, but my bank account isn't that large."

She took the bait. "Really?" she said eagerly.

"Really," I nodded. "I'm outfitting a team for a dangerous mission. I need the best and I'm willing to pay for it... as long as you work with me."

"Well... perhaps I could give you a preferred rate at the kiosk," she offered. She turned around and entered a few commands. "Here. A small discount—and when I get special items in, you can take a look."

She wasn't kidding when she said it was a small discount. Still, paying 25 000 credits for a bypass module that could help me open up safes instead of 30 000 credits was better than nothing. Ditto with the medi-gel capacity upgrade. I then paused and looked at another item. "What do you think?" I asked Tali and Garrus. "15 000 credits off the original price."

"But you still have to pay 75 000," Tali murmured. "Isn't that a little pricey?"

"The biotics on the squad would definitely appreciate the upgrade to their amps," Garrus pointed out. "So would the rest of us when those augmented biotics save our asses in a combat situation."

"Those biotics currently consist of Cerberus terrorists and a crazy psychopath," Tali reminded.

"Good point," I conceded. "But... I think I'll get it anyway."

The merchant was trying—and failing—to hide her grin. Can't blame her: I'd dropped 125 000 credits within four minutes. Time to reel her in. I leaned towards her. "Out of curiosity, what kind of 'special items' are we talking about?"

She tried to act cagey. "Oh, you know, schematics, designs. Nothing illegal, but I may not have all the licenses to sell them."

I waved that off. "Dangerous mission, remember? Licenses are the last thing I'm worried about. Listen, do you have any of them right now? Anything not listed on your main merchandise kiosk?"

"Well, there is one thing," she admitted.

There we go.

She took a datapad out of her pocket and thumbed it on. The schematics for some doohickey were displayed on the screen. "Very advanced design. Not publicly available yet."

"That's because it's still in development on Noveria," Gianna said, strolling up to the kiosk right on cue. "And illegal for export. Hello, Hermia."

I snatched the datapad out of Hermia's hand and passed it over to Gianna. Hermia barely noticed, too busy looking back and forth between me and Gianna and trying to decide who to get mad at. She finally settled on Gianna. "Parasini! You set me up!"

Now she really sounded like a kid.

"But this isn't Noveria," she pouted. "You don't have the authority to arrest me!"

Gianna smiled sweetly. "I don't care whether you go to jail. I've got all the evidence I need to fine you out of business."

"Not to put a damper on things, but do you have the authority to seize the schematic she's trying to sell?" I asked curiously.

"I don't have to," Gianna replied. "Hermia was under suspicion from the beginning. We leaked a faulty device to her. All this thing will ever do is blow up in your face."

I'll pass, thanks. I get enough of that by accident. Last thing I need is to actually pay for that.

While we were talking, Hermia was slowly edging away. "I... I need to go," she blurted out. "I have to talk to my lawyer." With that, she quickly started to walk away.

"Talk fast, Hermia!" Gianna called out behind her. "When the fines hit, you won't be able to afford him!"

That prompted Hermia to start running—fast—and Gianna to laugh. "Ah, that was good," she sighed after a couple seconds. "I've got to go file a few papers. Well, a lot of papers, actually. Come by my table when you've got a minute?"

"Sure thing," I agreed. "Maybe in a couple hours?"

After finalizing the details, we parted ways. Checking in with Miranda, Jacob and the others, I found out they were only halfway through the kiosks. Since they wouldn't be done any time soon, I figured that now was as good a time as any to go find Liara.

We soon found her office. Apparently she was in the middle of a vid-call, so we chatted with her assistant. An asari named Nyxeris. Who either was Liara's biggest fan ever or was permanently stoned. Or both. Somehow, though, she managed to handle all the administrative stuff for Liara and dig up supplementary data for her, the latter of which added to the intel that Liara gleaned each day from a 'sizeable network of connections.' It seemed Liara had acquired an incredible amount of influence and respect over the last few years, and could have even more if she wasn't distracted by personal issues. Whatever they were.

I soon got tired of Nyxeris's fawning. At least, that's what I would say if anyone asked. Deep down, her mindless worship was freaking me out. So I barged into Liara's office, seeking refuge behind a set of thick, expensive doors.

"Have you faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have."

So much for refuge. The last time I'd heard those words was when Liara's mother Benezia, then under the control of Sovereign's indoctrination, was threatening me.

Hearing them again from Liara's mouth was just a wee bit disconcerting. She was standing in front of a holo-projection. The bald man on the other end was shuffling nervously. I couldn't blame him.

"I will make it simple," Liara concluded. "Either you pay me or I flay you alive. With my mind."

She terminated the connection with an emphatic stab of her thumb against the comm controls. It was only at that point that she noticed my presence. "Shepard! Nyxeris, hold my calls," she said hurriedly, before giving me a big hug. I think it would have been more comforting if I hadn't heard her threaten someone. After a long minute, she let go and went over to her desk, which was buried under computers and data pads. "My sources said you were alive, but I never believed... it's very good to see you."

"Good to see you too," I said, crossing my arms. "Too bad that guy you were talking to would probably think otherwise. You're threatening to flay people alive now?"

"Oh, that. That was just a customer unhappy with the information he received. He will pay. They always do."

Because she always threatened to flay her clients with her mind?

"Ever since I helped you stop Saren, people have wanted to be my friend... or not be my enemy," she explained. "I have set up a respectable business as an information broker. It has paid the bills since you... well, for the past two years. And now you are back, gunning for the Collectors with Cerberus."

"Impressive," I said. "That's not exactly public knowledge."

"Neither is you being alive," Liara shrugged.

Okay, I decided. Time to see what other kinds of intel she could offer. "I'm looking for Thane Krios. He's supposed to be here on Illium."

Liara recognized the name. "The assassin. Yes, he arrived here a few days ago. My sources tell me he may be targeting a corporate executive. Nassana Dantius."

That name sounded familiar for some reason.

"He contacted a woman named Seryna. She has an office in the cargo transfer levels. Perhaps she can tell you where Krios is."

I raised an eyebrow. "That was all just off the top of your head?"

"I am a very good information broker, Shepard," Liara replied.

Clearly.

"The world of intrigue is not that different from a dig site. Except that the dead bodies still smell."

Yes. Because bodies from dig sites are so much more considerate.

"Okay, cards on the table," I suddenly said, leaning forward.

Liara looked at me with a blank look. Guess she hadn't run across that idiom in the midst of gathering intel, selling information or flaying people with her brain.

"It would be nice to have you back on the squad," I told her. "I could use your help on this mission. Between your biotics and all the intel you have at your fingertips, you'd be a great asset. Not to mention that having another familiar face around would be great."

"I cannot, Shepard," she replied. "I am sorry. I have commitments here. Things I need to take care of."

"What kinds of things?" I frowned. "Are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

"No, no trouble," she said, abruptly rising to her feet and staring out of the floor-to-ceiling window behind her desk. "But it has been a long two years. I had things to do while you were gone. I have debts to repay.

"Listen," she said, whirling back just as abruptly, "if you want to help, I need someone with hacking expertise, someone I can trust. If you could disable security at key points around Illium, you could get me information I need. That would help me a great deal."

First she said she'd flay a customer with her mind. Then she couldn't join the squad. Now she wanted me to go play gofer? I didn't know whether to be confused or really creeped out. "Hacking a terminal sounds pretty easy. (3) Why do you need me?"

"I do not know anyone else I can trust," Liara replied. "Hacking the security nodes won't get you the data. It just creates a minor glitch in the system. You'll have a short time to find a local server left vulnerable by that glitch and upload the data to my system. I'm leaving my own system vulnerable so that the data can be imported during that short time."

Right. So she wanted me to hack some system so I could find some server to find some data. That was vague. "What's this all about, Liara," I sighed. "Can't you just talk to me?"

"Don't you think I want to, Shepard?" she burst out. It occurred to me that this was the first time I'd heard her use contractions. "This isn't because I don't trust you. This is Illium. Anything I say is probably being recorded."

You'd think that a hotshot information broker could afford to have some countermeasures installed to prevent that. But what do I know? I'm just a grunt-turned-hacker-turned-cybernetic zombie ninja. "If it will help you, I'll take care of it," I finally agreed.

"Thank you, Shepard," she smiled. "This may help me pay a great debt."

For a moment there, I thought I'd be spending the next few weeks helping out Liara. I mean, 'disabling security at key points around Illium' implies that you'd be doing some traveling, right? Nope. Turns out those key points could all be found within one of the courtyards at Nos Astra, one floor down from the trading floor. Looked like I could complete Liara's job within a couple hours.

I was just about to start when an asari got up from a nearby bench and approached me. A green asari. Just like all those asari clones the Thorian pumped out on Feros two years ago. This déjà vu thing was starting to get really freaky.

"Shepard! I... I don't suppose you'd remember me," she said. "I'm Shiala. We met on Feros during the geth attack."

"At Zhu's Hope," I nodded.

"Exactly," Shiala said. "After you saved me from the Thorian, I promised to help the colony recover. I'm actually here on Illium for just that purpose."

"How is Zhu's Hope doing?" I asked.

"We've done a lot of rebuilding," she replied. "We even salvaged some useful material from the geth ship you destroyed. The ExoGeni researchers got called back to their headquarters, however... along with what was left of the Thorian."

Just as well. The only reason ExoGeni was interested in the colony was because they were using the inhabitants as test subjects to gauge the Thorian's abilities. Mind you, knowing that they left with the Thorian's remains wasn't the most reassuring news I'd heard in... well... the last few hours, but at least they wouldn't be screwing over the colonists. "Sounds like ExoGeni's up to business as usual," I snorted. "Leaving you guys high and dry. Unless they're pushing you around. Is that why you're here?"

"No," Shiala shook her head. "While the researchers may have left, ExoGeni has been very supportive of Zhu's Hope. They actually seem to want to help us survive. I fear that after our adventure on Feros, my purpose on Illium will seem mundane by comparison."

"Is there something I can do to help?" I offered.

Her shoulders sagged in relief. Not much, probably less than a millimetre, but enough for me to notice. "I'd appreciate it," she said gratefully. "I've reached the limits of my diplomatic abilities and I'd prefer not to start trouble.

"Some of the colonists had health problems as a result of the Thorian control. We hired a colonial survey group to do some medical scans. But the medical contract apparently allows the company to perform invasive procedures without our consent. That's why I'm here."

"Tell me more about the contract you signed for these scans," I said.

Shiala gestured over her shoulder at a kiosk behind her. "Baria Frontiers was interested in our problem; they offered to perform medical scans and deliver treatment for next to nothing."

And that didn't raise any eyebrows?

She knew what I was thinking. "I should have known it was too good to be true, but we were desperate. In the fine print, we apparently agreed to let them perform invasive follow-up procedures if they deem it valuable. Which they have."

"Can they actually force these procedures on you?" I asked.

"No," she shook her head, "but they can declare us in breach of contract, which means we're responsible for the full price we would have paid normally. Zhu's Hope just got back on its feet. There's no way we can afford that, Shepard."

"What kind of health problems did the colonists have?"

"Headaches or muscle spasms similar to what they experienced while under Thorian control," Shiala replied. Sometimes, the colonists shared sensations like heat or pain. It has to be a result of trace amounts of the Thorian's parasitic spores. You can see why we'd want it studied... and cured."

That might explain something that I'd noticed. "Did your... skin tone change as well after the Thorian died? You were only green when the Thorian made clones of you. The real you was blue, like most asari."

"Yes," she admitted. "Those health problems I said were related to the Thorian control? This is mine. A few months after the Thorian died, my skin pigment changed. My biotic abilities are unstable as well." She paused to rub her forehead. "I'm also having vivid dreams," she added "about my time with the Thorian. It is... disconcerting."

I made a snap decision. Liara's job had no set time frame. It could wait for a bit. "I'll talk to the survey group," I told her.

"I appreciate it, Shepard."

Shiala went back to her seat and plopped down while the three of us went to the Baria Frontiers representative. She was waiting for us.

"I saw your conversation, human. You're here to complain about the medical contracts those colonists from Feros signed. I suggest you leave. Your life is short enough. Do not waste what time you have bothering me."

Hostile and antagonistic right from the start. Interesting.

"Why are you insisting on these tests?" I asked. "What use could they possibly be?"

"Their use is not your concern," she sniffed in contempt. "A legal binding contract was signed. Nothing else matters. All of you, humans, salarians, turians... you come to our planet, then complain that our laws don't suit you. The galaxy would be a better place if nobody but the asari had ever dragged themselves out of the primordial muck."

A brief detour to legal technicalities, then back to hostility with an added dose of xenophobia and hatred. I might have decked her, but I did have my rep to maintain in front of witnesses. For old time's sake if nothing else. Besides, even if I didn't care about my rep, two of those witnesses might. More importantly, her venom sounded curiously emotional. And I'm always a sucker for indulging my curiosity. "Perhaps we could work out different tests—something that will work for both sides."

"If the colonists were not willing to abide by the terms of the contract, they should not have signed it," she said calmly. "The onus is not upon me to accommodate them."

Was this really because she was a stickler for contracts?

Her earlier tone implied otherwise. Playing along, I raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You really think this is legal? Maybe Illium's contract analysts should look it over."

"You ignorant yokel," she sneered. "I was negotiating contracts when your ancestors were still burning witches and enslaving each other."

Somehow, I refrained from making any comments about her age and the potential for senility.

"I haven't lost a contract dispute in 70 years. Try me."

I decided to test my hunch: "You seem to forget that a human saved you from Saren and the geth."

That set her off. "The geth created by the idiotic quarians? That a rogue turian Spectre led in an attack?"

Thankfully, she turned her back to stare at the Nos Astra cityscape for a moment, so she missed Tali step forward. No doubt she was going to protest the insult against her people. I gave her a look to stay back and keep quiet—I was sure I was onto something with this woman and I didn't need Tali screwing it up, however good her intentions. Garrus also motioned for her to do the same, which was reassuring—clearly we were of one mind on that subject.

The asari continued. "The geth didn't start with the Citadel. They attacked your human colony, Eden Prime, first. You humans brought the geth upon us. You, and the turians, and the quarians. My people's deaths are on your hands!"

So it was personal. I had to admit, I was hooked. I just had to find out what was at the root of all this. (4) "I thought asari preferred to mate with other races for genetic diversity," I said. "Like humans, turians and quarians."

"A short-sighted mistake perpetrated by the same self-hating malcontents who spawned the hateful term 'pureblood,'" she glared. "We hardly need your alien DNA to randomize genetic material. A little radiation would work just as well."

Somehow, I doubted the rational members of the galactic community would accept radiation therapy as a valid fertilization procedure.

"You provide no diversity, no new insights, no advancement," she ranted. "You bring only chaos and senseless deaths."

Right. Because all asari certainly offered diversity, insights and advancement by stripping away in bars. And they did a bang-up job of avoiding chaos and death when hiring themselves out as mercs.

All of that passed through my mind in a nanosecond. "Why are you so prejudiced against aliens?" I asked without another beat.

She huffed in disgust. "Where do I begin?"

Here's a 'short-sighted' idea: from the beginning.

"With salarian explorers unleashing the rachni upon us, then unleashing the krogan to correct their mistake? Or the turians, so eager to bomb every problem away? Or humans, the new arrivals who already think they should be in charge?"

She ran a hand over her head fringe before finishing: "Every war that has plagued this galaxy has been caused by your people. My people's deaths are on your hands."

Somehow, I doubted she was speaking on behalf of all asari. "Whose deaths are we talking about, exactly?"

For the first time, tears welled in her eyes. I had the sudden feeling that they weren't tears of anger. "The mother of my daughters was killed on the quarian homeworld during the initial geth uprising," she said quietly before turning away. "My daughters died on the Citadel when the geth attacked. One worked in one of the embassies. The other was a greeter for the Consort."

Turning back, she looked at us with a calm, but dull, expression on her face. No, not dull. Numb. Tired. "I am not speaking in hypotheticals, human. The aliens will never be my allies. The best they can do is give me useful medical data."

I would later learn that she was a 'pureblood.' Her partner was asari, which would make her daughters purebloods as well. For the moment, though, all I knew was that I was onto something. It would have been hard to deal with her while she was all fired up with xenophobic outrage. But now that I had withstood the initial onslaught, she seemed exhausted. Now was the time to press my advantage.

"Why was your bondmate on the quarian homeworld?" I asked. (5)

"Studying the quarians," she replied softly. "Not their technology, but their music. She loved all their art. Said they had old souls. I think that's where my daughters got it from. Both of them loved talking with people, exploring new cultures."

"They sound like wonderful people," I said sympathetically. "The galaxy is lesser for their loss."

"Yes, it is." She was tearing up again. Clearly, our chat had worn her down. Time to move in for the kill. (6) "Do you think they'd want you to do this?"

At first, she protested. Weakly, though, without any of the anger she had expressed at the beginning. "I'm not... I didn't..."

Then her jaw sagged as it finally hit home. "Oh..." She dropped to her knees.

I let her weep for a minute before walking over and extending a hand. She stared at it dumbly for a while before taking it and letting me pull her to her feet. Then I stood there and let the silence do the rest.

"I'm... sending an amended contract," she finally whispered. "No more tests. No more fees. There's enough grief in this galaxy. I don't need to add to it."

I couldn't have put it better myself, so I let her walk away.

"It appears you gave her some food for thought."

It was Miranda—and the rest of the squad. "Yeah," I shrugged. "Just helping an old acquaintance out by talking to that asari. Now I've got to help Liara." I quickly brought the squad up to speed.

"Sounds like fun," Kasumi chirped.

"Sounds boring," Zaeed grumbled.

"Sounds like a hunt," Grunt said.

"Only you don't get to eat it," Jacob pointed out.

"Sounds boring," Grunt decided.

While they were debating the merits of this hacking job, I found a vulnerable security node near the local Tracking Office and hacked it. Based on the findings, I had... sixty seconds to find whatever server was rendered vulnerable. Great.

I wasted a couple seconds reconfiguring my sensors so I could locate this server. The best I could do was whip up a vague distance meter. I tentatively took a couple steps forward. Nope, wrong direction. Backwards—okay, now I was getting somewhere. Wherever this server was, it was roughly thirty metres behind me. I covered five of those metres before realizing I was stuck. Supposedly, it was somewhere in front of me. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly go forward without vaulting over a rail and plunging all the way to the ground—which would definitely be in the wrong direction. So left or right? I picked left.

Of course, the correct choice to pick was right. By the time I figured that out, I had thirty-eight seconds to go. It looked like the server was near Baria Frontiers, where that bitter asari I'd just talked to was hanging out, so I checked out over there. Whoops—apparently, I went past it. I tried to double-back, only to realize that the squad was intent on following me. By the time I politely side-stepped around, pushed and shoved past them, I only had fifteen seconds left. Luckily, I managed to find the server in time.

"Okay, that was fun," I said, "but I think we can do this more efficiently."

"I don't know," Kasumi said casually. "It was kind of fun watching you go back and forth and sideways."

"Just like your rounds on the Normandy," Miranda added.

"He did that on the old Normandy too," Garrus chuckled. "This really is—"

"Say it's 'just like old times,' and I'll tell Gardner to put laxatives in your rations," I warned.

"—very familiar," Garrus finished without missing a beat.

"Anyway," I said loudly, "we can do this more efficiently. Everybody spread out and cover the ground. That way, once I find and hack a security node, we'll be able to triangulate the exact location of the server that was opened up without all this back-and-forth nonsense."

That plan worked like a charm: find a security node, hack it, find another terminal that was rendered vulnerable and set up a transfer. Rinse, repeat, done.

Before I left to report back to Liara, I checked in with Shiala. Judging by the beaming smile on her face, I gathered things went well.

"You did it!" she cried out happily. "I just got the revised contracts. Thank you, Shepard. You've saved Zhu's Hope again."

"It was my pleasure," I smiled. "It's nice to help without having to draw my guns." I meant that—trigger finger gets tired after a while, you know.

"I don't think I could have..."she broke off for a second. "Is it always like this?" she asked. "Yesterday's problems lingering in some new form? Isn't anything ever just fixed?"

Why was she asking me? She was the one with a thousand-year lifespan? Apparently solving her problem meant that I had all the answers. If only it really worked that way. "You've got the power to make a difference, Shiala," I replied. "Not everyone does."

That seemed to satisfy her. "You're right," she said. "You gave us a chance by saving the colony. I can't let them down. I won't. Thank you for what you've done here, Shepard. I'll keep doing what I can."

"Can't ask for much more," I nodded.

"Maybe some time when I'm not organizing the colony and you're not... doing whatever you do..."

She gripped my shoulder for a moment before leaving. I stared after her for a moment.

Did I just receive a proposition?

I decided it would be safer—and less confusing—to just head back to Liara. Miranda wanted to peruse the kiosks for anything that might help us out, so Garrus, Tali and I went up to Liara's office while the others went window shopping.

"Shepard," Liara smiled. "Thank you for getting me that system data. Here." She handed over a pile of credits. "It is not much," she apologized, "but hopefully it will help you on your mission."

"What exactly was that data about?" I asked.

"Do you remember the Shadow Broker?"

Ah yes. Best information broker in the business. Was a bit peeved when some of his agents tried to go freelance during my hunt for Saren. Got even more peeved when I refused to hand over data on Cerberus to him. "I remember," I said.

"With the data you got me, I may be able to find information caches from his agents," Liara explained.

"Why is that so important? Are you on the run from the Shadow Broker?"

Liara's smile suddenly got a lot colder. "Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the Shadow Broker is on the run from me. We crossed paths not long after you died. Since then, I have been working to take him down."

She emphasized that last sentence by slamming her hand on the desk in anger, rattling everything on it. "With this data," she continued, "I am one step closer."

"Liara!" Tali gasped. "Isn't this a little extreme?"

"Just a little?" Garrus asked mildly.

This was definitely not the Liara I knew two years ago. "I've never seen you ready to execute someone in cold blood," I admitted. "What did the Shadow Broker do to you?"

"I was on a job with a friend," Liara replied. "The Shadow Broker's people caught us. My friend didn't escape. I don't know if he's dead or being interrogated, but I need to find him. I owe him my life. And I need to make the Shadow Broker pay for what he did."

"I don't suppose you could continue your work on the Normandy?" I asked. "Or maybe I could help you find him?" Anything that could get her off her private quest for revenge.

"I wish it was that easy," Liara said, "but the galaxy doesn't work that way. Finding the Shadow Broker will take time. I need to find leads, trace information. I can't do that on the Normandy. I wish I could. I'm sorry."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Liara glanced back and forth between me and some data on her terminal, then nodded. "The data you gave me was extremely helpful. It gave me a target. The Shadow Broker has several contacts here on Illium. The most powerful is someone called the Observer. Taking the Observer down will put me closer to the Shadow Broker. I could use your help."

Guess not all asari with issues could be reasoned with. "Tell me what I can do to help," I sighed.

"Your data pointed me at logs kept by Shadow Broker agents," Liara told me. "The logs were deleted, but it may be possible to reconstruct some of it. The Shadow Broker is cautious, though. His agents are referred to only by their title and race."

Behind us, Nyxeris spoke up for the first time. "My inquiries have narrowed the Observer down to one of five operatives: a turian, a salarian, a krogan, a batarian and a vorcha."

Liara took over from her. "If you can refine the list, I will know where to strike."

"Do you have any specifics on these agents?"

Liara shook her head. "They are rumoured to send and receive orders using public terminals around Nos Astra, but that is all. Nyxeris was lucky to get as much as she did."

"I was happy to help, ma'am," Nyxeris said.

"The data is our only hope of determining which one is the Observer," Liara concluded. "And if we wait too long, they will all disappear."

"All right," I agreed. "I'll reconstruct the data and tell you what I find."

"Thank you, Shepard," Liara replied. "When you find something, call me on the comm channel we used in the old days. I cannot risk handling this in person."

We met Miranda and the rest of the squad on the trading floor, just outside the stairs leading to Liara's office. I filled them in on her latest request.

"This will go a lot faster if we split into teams," Jacob suggested. "Cover more ground, you know."

"Exactly," Garrus nodded. "And it'll be less conspicuous than ten people walking together."

"Are you sure Liara didn't go into any specifics regarding the job where she ran into the Shadow Broker's people?" Miranda asked.

"Yes." Miranda seemed quite intent on that question. "Why?"

She paused for a moment before answering: "I think Liara needs to be the one to tell you."

I gave her a hard look. "Do you know something about this?"

"Yes," Miranda replied. "But, judging by what you said of Liara's... state of mind, I think she needs to be the one to tell you."

I decided to let it go for now. If need be, I could always ask her again later. Without being so nice. For now, it was time to hack some terminals. We split up into teams, assigned ourselves areas to search and began hunting for terminals. After a couple hours, we reconvened and compared notes. All we got for our trouble were a couple data points in the form of text fragments.

Garrus was the first to react, muttering something under his breath—probably in his native tongue—that I couldn't understand. It didn't sound good, though. "Garrus?"

"Take another look at the text fragments," he told me. "Focus on the descriptions of the potential targets."

I did what he said.

"… trader tried to kill the batarian. Claims it was because he hates slavers, but the men were more likely fighting over money. Watch for now…"

"Smuggler and assassin have refused to work with vorcha due to lack of trust. Odd to see scruples from the men at this point."

"The turian's asking too many questions. Observer recommends terminating him and framing assassin or salarian contact."

"Turian contact working well with trader. Observer has rescinded kill order against him, given difficulty in securing contact with the trader through other methods."

"Vorcha trader has requested no further contact with the salarian. Salarian is becoming more trouble than he is worth. Observer recommends a kill, but she may have a grudge."

Now it was Miranda's turn to swear. "I still don't get it," I confessed.

"What is the gender of each suspect?" Garrus asked me.

"Male."

"And the Observer?"

I looked through each text fragment. When I got to the last one, I read it once. Then again. Then it was my turn to curse. Reaching up to my ear, I activated my comm and contacted Liara.

"Shepard," she replied immediately. "Did you get any information on the Observer?"

"All five of the suspects are male," I reported. "But the Observer is female. Something's not right."

"But that doesn't make any sense. Nyxeris gave me the information. Why would she... give me the information... unless..."

I focused on the tone of her voice. Granted the intel was clearly faulty, but Liara sounded as if she thought it was deliberate. Before I could say anything—

"Nyxeris," Liara called out sweetly, "could I see you in here for a moment?" Then she quickly said "Shepard, I'll talk to you later" before cutting off our communications.

"Liara? Liara? Damnit!"

"Maybe it was an innocent mistake on Nyxeris's part," Tali suggested nervously. "Maybe Liara just wants to tell her to be more careful in verifying her intel next time."

Garrus and I—the only other people who had talked to Liara so far—exchanged looks. "Do you really think it's going to be so civil?" he asked.

"Oh Keelah," Tali breathed.

"Let's get back there, pronto!" I suggested.

We double-timed it back to Liara's office. When we barged in, we saw a few shards from a broken vase, a large dent in the wall, and a large splatter of blood. Turning to Liara, we saw her sitting at her desk, calmly typing away at her computer. "Shepard!" she greeted us. "It's good to see you again."

It couldn't have taken us more than fifteen or twenty minutes to get back. In that time, the office had been subject to an interrogation, summary execution and preliminary cleanup. I couldn't help but be a little impressed.

"Nyxeris had some interesting data hidden away," Liara informed me. "Thank you, Shepard. I wouldn't have caught her without you. I'm one step closer to the Shadow Broker now. Here."

She reached over with some more credits. "Nyxeris was very well-compensated. You need it more than I do."

"Looks like we missed quite a fight," I said casually. "Did you have any trouble with Nyxeris?"

"She was very talented," Liara conceded. "I imagine that, had she been ordered to assassinate me, I'd never have seen her coming. But her barriers needed practise. Practise I'm afraid she won't be getting."

Ulp. "So what's the next step?" I asked.

"Now I gather information, peel away layers of lies, and shine light into the shadows. The Shadow Broker can't hide forever. I'll keep hunting him." Her eyes blazed with a burning... hatred, I guess as she talked. "And when I find him, I'll hit him with a biotic field so strong that what's left of his body will fit into a coffee cup."

The fact that there was a steaming cup of coffee on her desk made that comment a little bit creepier. "Careful, Liara," I said. "Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. That's the path to the dark side."

"The path to the what?" she asked blankly. (7)

"Never mind," I sighed. "Look, all that anger can't be just from what you've told me. "What else happened between you and the Shadow Broker?"

Liara quickly got up from her desk and turned to look out the window. I waited. After a minute, she started speaking in a soft voice. "Did Ms. Lawson ever tell you how Cerberus recovered your body?"

The rest of the squad jerked their heads towards Miranda in unison. "No," I said slowly. "She didn't."

"We worked together to retrieve your body," she whispered. "To do that, I had to take it from the Shadow Broker, who was going to sell your corpse to the Collectors."

Okay, that was creepy. Why the heck were the Collectors so interested in my dead body? I wasn't that special.

And when I got it, I gave it to Cerberus," she said miserably, sitting back down. "I gave you to them, Shepard. Because they said they could rebuild you."

"Okay, so now I know." I scratched my head in confusion. "I still don't understand why you didn't tell me about this before now?"

Her eyes welled up with tears. "Because I screwed it up, Shepard," she replied. "I barely escaped with my own life. My friend sacrificed himself to buy me the time I needed to get away. And when I gave you to Cerberus, I told myself I was doing it for you. For a chance to bring you back."

She was definitely crying at this point. "But I knew Cerberus would use you for their own business. And I let it happen. Because I couldn't let you go. I'm sorry."

Now I could see why Miranda thought Liara should—no, needed—to spill the beans. "You did the right thing, Liara," I reassured her. "My mission is important. I couldn't do it if you hadn't given me to Cerberus."

Yes, I'm giving Cerberus, the group that screwed tons of people—most recently yours truly—over, two thumbs up. Frankly, Liara needed to hear that.

My decision was vindicated almost immediately. "Thank you," she smiled through her tears. It looked like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. "I... I was afraid you'd hate me."

"Nah," I waved it off. "It's not your fault that their logo's so ugly."

I heard a snort behind me, though I couldn't tell from whom. Liara gave another tentative smile before getting back to business. "So that's why I must destroy the Shadow Broker. For what he did to my friend, and to you, and whatever he's doing with the Collectors."

"Be careful out there, Liara," I warned. "Don't turn into the thing you're hunting."

She smiled again. "Says the dead Spectre working for Cerberus," she teased.

"With Cerberus," I corrected automatically.

"I stand corrected. Don't worry, Shepard. I'm not my mother. Everything I am doing, I am doing of my own free will. For better or for worse."

It was the latter part that concerned me, and not just because she seemed more willing to use contractions. But clearly I wouldn't be able to recruit her. Not while she was obsessed with her own personal quest for revenge.

I was deep in thought on my way back to the trading floor, so I almost missed seeing Gianna. Heck, I probably would've missed her if she hadn't waved at me. And hollered. I asked the rest of the squad to go occupy themselves with something nearby while I sat down and chatted with her.

"Hermia's going to be a very poor woman very shortly. Thanks for the help, Shepard." Gianna smiled like a cat that'd scored a nice dollop of cream. "I love nailing asari. So ageless and superior—then you bust them and they squeal like schoolgirls."

Put that way, it was rather satisfying. "It must be nice having a job that you really enjoy," I said. As opposed to a job that could get you killed on a daily basis. "How'd you get started, anyway?"

"I wanted to be a cop, or C-Sec," Gianna admitted, "but my family had bills. I needed the money a corporate job brought in. Besides, in this job, you don't see things that make it hard to sleep at night. White-collar crime is nice and clean."

Couldn't argue with that.

"Hell, at least this time I didn't have to wear heels and a dress."

That was true. She wore both the first time I met her. If I remembered correctly, she hated them. Well, the skirts at least. "How did you end up on Noveria, anyway? There are lots of corporate jobs out there."

"Scholarship program and a competitive internship," she replied. "Turned out I was only middling at the sciences, but I could always ferret out secrets. You grow up poor and surrounded by rich kids, you get good at hiding yourself. Helps with going undercover."

"So what's next for you?"

"Research," she said. "We've had some hacking attacks lately and I want to make sure they're external. A lot of people are suddenly interested in dark energy. My bosses want to know if it's something to worry about."

"Dark energy," I repeated. "You know, a new colleague of mine was doing some research of her own. Dark energy was brought up as a possible cause for the findings."

"Really?" Gianna mused. "Do you think—?"

"It's not really my call, but I'll talk to her," I nodded. "See if she has a copy that she can pass along."

"Thanks," Gianna said gratefully. "Here's my contact info if she gets the okay. Anyway, this research gig will hold me over until I have to go back undercover."

"Sounds like you do that quite a bit," I noted. "It must be hard going undercover so often."

"It's not so bad," she shrugged. "Go new places, be new people. The only weird part is when you go home and try to talk to people and you forget how to react. Like it's another cover, you know?"

"Yeah, but deep down, part of you likes fooling people," I pointed out. "That's what makes you good at it."

"Part of me, yeah," she admitted. "I grew up poor and working class. Now I walk around the rich and powerful, taking notes, getting evidence. And they never see me coming."

I got a beep from my omni-tool. It was a message from Miranda:

**Meeting with Lanteia in five minutes.**

Right. That thing I said I'd do for Miranda. "I've got to go," I told Gianna. "It's been a pleasure."

"You too, Shepard," Gianna replied. "See you around."

We got up from the table. Gianna looked at me like she couldn't decide what to do next. "Ah, hell with it," she suddenly said.

Then she leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Much better than an autograph," she grinned. "Take care of yourself, Shepard." (8)

Bemused, I joined the rest of the squad. They all looked at me with a variety of expressions, ranging from shocked to impressed to amused.

Garrus coughed to get my attention. "You remember what I said earlier, Shepard?" he asked. "About how my getting these scars would give you a chance with the ladies?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't think you'd take me seriously."

"Very funny, Garrus."

(1): Indentured servitude on Illium is severely restricted in terms of the services required. The myriad laws and regulations involved absolutely forbids any form of abuse, is strictly monitored by authorities and is considered a legitimate source of work credentials when applying for future jobs. Nonetheless, the practise is still abhorred within Citadel space and dismissed as a weak attempt to 'copy' slavery in the Terminus Systems.

(2): This alludes to an assignment Shepard took on as a personal favour, which will be covered in his next personnel report.

(3): As usual, Shepard downplays his own skills and talents.

(4): Some people might point to this as an example of Shepard's selflessness and innate desire to help people. Others might cite this as another example of Shepard indulging his obsessive curiosity. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.

(5): Shepard deliberately used the asari colloquial term to describe a long-term companion, similar to the human term 'partner' or 'cohabitant.'

(6): I don't think Shepard intended to come across as a hunter or manipulator, but there is no denying that he had an almost instinctive knack on how to respond and deal with people, regardless of their species or how long he had known them. More importantly, it is likely that this asari had been bottling up her anger and grief for at least 290 years—in the case of her bondmate—two of which were compounded by the loss of her daughters during the Battle of the Citadel.

(7): A slightly modified quote from the twentieth and twenty-first century multimedia series Star Wars.

(8): Shepard completed numerous tasks on Illium in addition to his various recruitment efforts, but he only mentioned some of them in this log. I wonder if Shepard subconsciously focused on these encounters because they involved people he helped in the past and was able to help again.