Notes:

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Googol - A number equal to 10 to the 100th power (which is 1 followed by 100 zeros). It is larger than the number of elementary particles in the universe, which amount to only 10 to the 80th power.

The Many Roads to Wellness

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 6 Feb 2189

Shepard lay quietly on the med bed, not fully sedated but definitely on the edge of sleep, a rather odd device hanging on a cart at her bedside. Liara was at her side and had winced along with Samantha when Miri had inserted the rather large needles required for the procedure, which Miranda had referred to as a form of plasmapheresis. The device was a pump that, quite literally, was sucking every bit of blood from the Spectre's body. The pump then ran the life-essential fluid through a special extraction device, which removed every single nanite before returning the filtered blood back into the human.

As expected, the procedure went like clockwork and, within three hours, Shepard had been moved from the surgery center to a recovery bed. Without the nanites, Shepard's resistance to anesthesia was minimal, so Miranda informed Liara that she shouldn't expect the woman to be up and about for at least thirty minutes; an extremely long time compared to her normal, nearly instantaneous, recovery.

For Miranda, this was when her work truly began. What she had thought would be a relatively simple process turned out to be much more complicated than she anticipated. She looked to Judea to assist her, explaining the problem. "I never realized just how specialized each group of these nanites are. I'm going through the coding and I have discovered nine unique specialties… but I'm not sure I've found them all!" She shook her head in consternation. "The worst part about this whole thing is that I don't even know if everything Shepard started with is still represented, or if she has possibly lost some of the functionality that was included in the original, complete set of nanites that were injected during the project."

Judea sat back in her chair and stared at the ex-Cerberus operative in dismay. "You mean she may no longer have all the original nanite programs running within her system to repair everything? Like fluid replacement or nerve repair? Is that why they didn't fix her inner ear damage… because they couldn't?"

"I don't know for sure yet… but it's quite possible." Miranda closed her eyes and sighed before adding, "I need to find the Lazarus research files and search through them to locate the original nanite creation protocols, else I can't help her." Sad eyes reopened to meet Judea's golden hues. "The worst part is that I have to tell Liara."

Miranda was initially confused by Judea's reaction… the engineer actually smiled before she explained, "I do not believe the situation is nearly as dire as you fear. Did not Liara send you an urgent message when she was looking through Cerberus files and discovered the truth about Shepard's biotic implant?"

Recognition brightened the doctor's face and she blurted out, "Yes! That's right! Liara might actually already have them!"

Judea laughed at the operative's outburst. "Yes, she likely does… somewhere… because she diligently downloaded ever bit of data she could find from every single station she ever set foot on. We just need to locate the correct files within the mountain of data she collected to get the specific information you need."

Miranda groaned at the thought. "That's more than a mere mountain of data… it's an entire fucking galaxy!"

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 7 Feb 2189

Shepard and Liara had taken the news relatively well, while fully understanding the enormity of the task before them. Immediately setting to work, Liara helped Miranda write the search protocols, finally setting the search engine free on the googolbytes of Cerberus data they had collected over the past four years.

"So that's it then." Liara shrugged discontentedly. "All we can do now is wait."

"Not entirely true," responded Miranda. "I have the existing nanites, which I need to finish cataloguing… and then reinject into Shepard's bloodstream. I don't want to keep them out of her system any longer than necessary."

"I'm happy to hear that." Liara relaxed a little bit, letting her shoulders slump in her exhaustion. "Can you give me a shortened explanation of what you've discovered so far?"

"I can try," Miranda answered with an understanding smile. "But, can we do it at the small kitchen table over a cup of tea?"

"Absolutely…" Liara paused and added, "But I suggest the den, by the fire, so we can have Shepard join us."

"That is an excellent idea, Liara." Miranda stood wearily from her chair. "That way, I only have to explain this once… I hope."

Shepard gave her head a quick shake in confusion. "Wait just a minute." She rubbed her fingers across her forehead and continued, "So all these nanites I have running around my body… Each one of them is a specialist, of sorts?"

"Yes, Shepard. Well, kind of," Miranda sighed. "Not every single one is unique. From what I can tell, they operate in groups, with each group focusing on a particular system. Then, within each group, there are specialties, but somewhere along the way, you lost a subgroup of the Bio-Reconstruction nanites. Something… or someone… must have changed their replication protocols and, now, I can't find a single nanite responsible for production of your neurosynaptic fluids… like what needed to be replaced inside your inner ear. The nanites for that were either modified or lost somehow, so I need to locate the original files in order to undo the damage caused by that lack of foresight."

"And if you never find that one particular file in Liara's data?" Samantha asked.

"That would be the worst case but, should that happen, I believe I can take one of the replicators from a larger group and reprogram it, utilizing the medical programming from the wondrous med bed you have sitting in your Infirmary… just as I will do with every other specialty replicator we discover missing." Miranda shrugged. "Not the easiest nor fastest route, by any means… but certainly one I am willing to take, should our efforts to locate the simpler solution not succeed." She reached across the gap between the chairs and took Shepard's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I will not fail you in this, Sam. I promise."

Shepard gave her an understanding smile and squeezed back. "I know you'll do your best, Miranda… but I won't blame you if the task becomes impossible for a single person to complete, especially with your duties as part of the Shadow Broker Triad. I mean… the Illusive Man had thousands of people working on distinct parts of this project. I fully understand our small group may not be able to pull this off."

"Nonsense, Shepard!" Miranda scoffed and pulled her hand back, continuing, "I don't have to recreate it – I just need to find it." She grinned and glanced at Liara, adding, "And, I just happen to have the best Information Broker in the galaxy to help me."

"Alright! Fine! I get it." Samantha smirked and held up her hands in surrender, having seen the perturbed look she had also received from her bondmate, who was having nothing to do with Shepard's lack of faith in her abilities… and Miranda's. "So, what can I do in the meantime?"

"Well, you can't help us, so do whatever it is you always do… once we get your nanites back where they belong." Miranda answered without hesitation and then queried, "Are you asking for any reason in particular?"

"Well… I do have a Council appearance in two days." Shepard looked back and forth between the two researchers. "And I really don't want to have to explain to them why I can't make it."

"Agreed." Miranda nodded. "That would be bad. I'll make a point of wrapping up my analysis and prepping the nanites for reentry to your bloodstream within the next twenty-four hours. That will give us the night to monitor both their reintegration and your response to it, to make sure everything is as it should be before I let you board that ship and leave Thessia."

"That ship is the Knight Shade," Shepard grinned. "And, she has a full medical facility. If you're really that worried about it, you can always come along for the ride."

"Hmm." Miri pursed her lips before answering, "Depending on what I see, I just may do that."

Liara nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "I have a network access node aboard, as well. We'd know immediately if the running queries find any files of interest… I'd love to have you along to discuss such, should it happen."

"In that case, I'd be more effective here, with access to your lab and research center… and the advanced med bed… to begin developing the programming protocol." Miranda smiled to soften her pseudo-rejection of Liara's invitation. "But, as I said, we'll see. We'll let Shepard's reintegration of the nanites guide our final decision."

CGC, Widow System, Serpent Nebula – 9 Feb 2189

Of no surprise, Shepard's nanite reintegration went as expected and, as scheduled, she found herself once more in the Galactic Council chambers, attempting to act as arbiter for the Krogan demilitarization argument. Urdnot Jara was amazingly composed as she spoke, with no hint of the anger that plagued her statements at the previous Council meeting. "There have been no Warlords violating the warship construction ban since Urdnot Wrex became the Krogan Overlord. Before that, whenever some junior warlord got stupid, we policed ourselves for more than 1300 years…"

Jara paused and her eyes drilled into every Council member sitting at the table before she resumed, "… meaning no Council forces ever had to intervene to maintain the Demilitarization Zone. Not once! That alone should be enough to release the sanctions on the Krogan people, before you even begin to consider our enormous contributions to winning the Reaper Wars." Here, her focus locked on Councilor Quentius as she said, "Our actions on Palaven saved the Turian people," and, then, shifted to Shepard. "And ended in the defeat of the Reapers when we all concentrated our efforts on the final battle in Sol…" Her attention shifted again, this time to Eri'Addan vas Rannoch as she finished, "Not to mention those who died in the Council's service during the Quarian Civil War."

She leaned back in her chair, composed, as she concluded, "The sum of our actions should have earned sufficient trust by now to have earned an end to the Demilitarization Enforcement Mission. It is past time the Krogan become full members of the Council Fleet and are allowed to assist in the defense of Council Space. We deserve it… and you, quite honestly, need us."

Her surprisingly calm speech silenced most, other than the quiet murmurs of support, including Shepard's single word of response. "Agreed." The only protest came from, of course, the Salarian Councilor… but, even then, in a form none would have ever expected.

"I have been instructed by the Dalatrasses of the Salarian Union to object to any such proposal… so, against my better judgment, I would be required to submit a vote of no to any motions raised before the Council regarding the release of Krogan Sanctions." Valern stood and looked Tevos in the eyes as he continued, "As a result of this personal conflict, there will be questions regarding the legitimacy of my vote following the events of today."

"What are you saying, Councilor Valern?" Tevos frowned, demanding, "Explain yourself."

"I have completely disagreed with many of the positions and tactics of the Salarian leadership since the Reaper conflicts began… those conflicts not being limited only to the Krogan issues. They have been very self-centered, with a complete disregard for the lives within Council space… to the point of including our own long-term survival. Dalatrassial ignorance and shortsightedness have been nothing less than astounding."

He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "As such, I will vote in favor of terminating the Demilitarization Enforcement Mission… and then, immediately following this session, I will resign my position… along with a recommendation you temporarily suspend the Salarian Union until they reestablish faith with the Council." In the shocked silence, he paused and looked at Urdnot Jara. "I will then request sanctuary on Tuchanka, assuming the Krogan would be willing to have a Salarian living among them… because I know full well I will be dead from some… accident… within a week, should I ever again set foot on the surface of Sur'Kesh. Even knowing, given our history with the Krogan people, I am not so sure of my safety on Tuchanka, either."

Tevos bolted from her chair at the Salarian's announcement, staring at Valern in silence until recovering from her shock. "Why would you do this?" Looking around at the rest of those seated at the table, she continued, "It is obvious the majority are in favor and the motion will pass… you need not vote for it and resign your position to achieve your goals. You can simply abstain… or vote against, and we will not hold it against you, knowing the truth of the matter."

"You assume my only goal is to finally give the Krogan justice." A brief smile flashed across Valern's face. "That is merely a favorable side effect. My true purpose is to stop ignoring my personal honor in order to protect the deteriorating morals of the current Salarian Union leadership. I can no longer serve two masters, especially two whose goals are so disparate."

Tevos slid back down into her chair, her normally schooled mind whirling in chaos. "But… the Council is not your master. You are here to represent the Salarian Union, however much their interests may differ from the other members of the Council."

With a highly unusual, personal address, Valern responded, "You misunderstand, my dear Raesia." He blinked a few times before continuing, "It has been my honor to work with all of the Council representatives, particularly following our post-war expansion. I find you all noble and eager representatives of your own respective governing bodies, as I have also been during the period of my past service. However, I can no longer say that of myself. The two masters I speak of are the Dalatrasses of the Salarian Union and my own conscience… so my goal is to distance myself from those whose integrity and political goals are no longer something I can place my trust in."

In the ensuing silence, Quentius cleared his throat, drawing everyone's immediate attention. "That is quite the accusation against the Salarian Union, Valern… to recommend suspension with no details or specifics to justify it… but I, for one, applaud you." He glanced first at Tevos, giving her a nod, and then to Jara, to whom he stated, "And, if the Krogan cannot… or will not… guarantee your protection, I would be honored to give you sanctuary on Palaven."

"Thank you." Valern offered up a meager smile. "You have no need of my specifics, Quentius. You have evidence from Sur'Kesh, regarding the unethical kidnapping of and experimentation on Krogan females. You have Linron's offer of support to Shepard, contingent upon her deceiving the Krogan regarding the Genophage. You have the official Salarian refusal to send forces for the final fight on Earth. What more could you possibly need, in order to understand the Salarian Union is no longer a willing and able partner in maintaining galactic law for Council Space? They are doing everything they can get away with to thwart and disrupt it!"

"Gods." Shepard blew out a heavy breath. "They had even planned to assassinate me when we visited Sur'Kesh after the war, counting on my discontentment with the whole 'Galactic Tour' thing to get a rise out of me… to give them an excuse."

Valern nodded quickly. "Yes… But Major Adus Kirrahe stepped in quickly enough to avoid the complete deterioration of the situation. Who do you think sent him?"

"You," Shepard smiled. "He told me as much, though he gave a different reason at the time."

"Yes… and his statement then is still true today." Valern set his jaw and added, "The STG will not be tools of corrupt leadership. They just helped to quell one civil war, but if we are not very careful, there could easily be another."

Jara laughed. "And it will have the same result. The Council Fleet will quash it before it has a chance of victory… and the Krogan would willingly lead the charge!"

After a brief recess and a number of personal discussions between the various Councilors regarding Valern's very unexpected vote and looming resignation, they all returned to the table to continue on with their next topic of discussion – the assignment of the castoff stealth vessels from the Andromeda Initiative. Tevos began the whole process with the question, "Does anyone object to our previous proposal on this topic, from our last meeting, that one ship each goes to the Salarians, the Turians, and the Asari?"

Jara sat stoically, her arms crossed in a defensive posture, knowing the Krogan had no Spectre and, so, would be getting no ship. What she didn't bother to remind anyone about was that they already had one… a fact which everyone had either forgotten, or simply didn't care to bring up – with the wrecked hull of the Huli. What they didn't know was the Krogan engineers were working hard at repairing it, and it would likely be completely restored in another few months. "I believe we wait on the Salarian issue… until that matter is discussed in more detail."

With that, as well as no additional objections being issued by any of the remaining Councilors, Tevos pressed on. "Agreed… So, I'll begin with my own nomination or, actually, Shepard's recommendation of Spectre Moises T'Dura." She shrugged and glanced around the table. "You are all aware of her performance record. Any objections?"

No one said a word except for Quentius, who simply glanced around the table and said, "Apparently not, so I'll simply add in my prospect… whom you all know; Quintian Akril."

Shepard nodded. "Yes. I've met him. He's a good, solid performer and very much a proponent of Council oversight… though maybe a bit overzealous when it comes maintaining order out in the fringe systems."

"Agreed… but better that than soft on them, giving them the chance to bring that disorder into Council Space!" Quentius countered, somewhat aggressively.

Shepard smiled and laughed lightly, easing the sudden tension. "I'm not arguing against him, Councilor. That's precisely why I said yes. I agree with his nomination." She then glanced at Valern, asking, "So that leaves the Salarians. Before we simply pass them up, I'd like to hear if you came with any proposal. Knowing now how you feel about the whole of the Salarian Union, Councilor, who would you recommend to us? Jondum Bau?"

"I would," Valern nodded, "But Spectre Bau is a bit… different. He truly enjoys special infiltration missions… which he is extremely efficient at and which are not typically launched from a large ship with a full crew. He is best on his own, particularly with his current teammate, Kasumi Goto. I would not want to disrupt this highly productive and effective team by forcing them into what, I believe, they would think of as a punishment."

"Punishment? You think they would hate it that much?" Tevos' eyes opened wide, crinkling the tattoo covering her brow, as her voice also reflected her surprise. "Then, who would you suggest?"

"I am afraid my resignation will not be the only thing to surprise you." Valern sighed. "Almost every Salarian Spectre, including Bau… who is definitely an exception to what I am about to say… has been proposed by a primary Dalatrass of the Salarian Union… and it is to them, generally speaking, to whom they pledge their primary loyalty." He blinked twice, fast, and added, "If it were up to me, I would select someone whom I truly trust to be above the sway of the Union and not trust any names forwarded by the Dalatrasses."

Shepard, along with nearly every other person in the room, stared at Valern in shock. The Spectre was the first to recover and actually say what everyone was thinking. "You've got to be shitting me! Are you saying the Salarian Spectres can't even be trusted to fulfill Council taskings if it conflicts with the will of their sponsoring Dalatrass?"

"I am saying most cannot be trusted, Shepard… not all." Valern flashed a quick smile, "Though, hopefully, my words were a bit more… shall we say… eloquent, in their phrasing, than yours?"

"Bastards!" Quentius growled. "If that's the case, we need to fire the lot of them! They are given unrestricted access to all our files… entrusted with secrets shared with no others… and they would betray that trust for the approval of a greedy Dalatrass?"

"For a Salarian, it is no different than any other political maneuvering done to gain favor with those in power. Our entire culture rests on the political standing of our family on Sur'Kesh." Valern scoffed, "You are well aware that Salarian information gathering, even spying, is a matter of course when dealing with others. To us, this is not underhanded in any way; it is simply a competition between minds… a means to an end, for we all understand that 'knowledge is power,' as the saying goes."

"But Spectres, I always thought, were held to a different standard?" Moises scowled. "All the training I ever received taught me differently… that individual Asari interests were to be left behind for the good of the many."

"And who taught you that?" Valern gave her an understanding smile and answered his own question. "Nihlus Kryik… a most honorable Turian who always followed the rules and was born to serve… who was then murdered by one of his own, one who Nihlus believed to think the same, but who had been corrupted by the Reapers." Valern shook his head and continued, "Most Salarians involved in politics have only one mantra… do whatever is necessary to come out on top. It is up to each to define what winning is to them but, I guarantee you, it is tied directly to improving their own status on Sur'Kesh, not to how well they support the Council… not even their own Councilor. I have often been left feeling the brunt of the Council's disgruntlement, even when I had absolutely no control over the mandates handed to me by the Union. This is one of the many reasons why I will be resigning my post at the end of this session. I am done playing… politics… for Dalatrasses with no loyalty but to themselves."

The group sat in silence until Jara leaned forward, a gleam in her eye. "I find your tale compelling… and disgusting at the same time. I would happily lend forces to see the Salarian Union squashed, your political organization turned upside down and inside out to begin a new era of governance. I am also leaning more toward accepting your request for sanctuary than not… but let us finish the business at hand, first. If not Bau, then who do you recommend, Councilor?"

Pulled from her shocked contemplation, Tevos blew out a heavy breath and added, "Yes. Who?"

The name that dropped from Valern's lips shocked most of the newest Council members. "Lonar Maerun."

Eri'Addan sucked in a quick breath. "The Specter accused of the attempt on the life of the Sonax supreme commander Lira Speight?"

"Accused, yes. Never proven." Valern flashed a quick smile. "Sonax withheld Reaper technology key to the war… it was well within our right to send a Spectre to collect it, wouldn't you say?" He glanced at Shepard with the last question, a grin on his face.

Shepard nodded. "I remember that." Her eyes shifted to meet those of the Quarian Councilor. "What you heard in the news was that Spectre Maerun's assistant, Urjon Taltz, was killed during an assassination attempt and the Sonax officials presented his charred body as evidence."

Valern actually chuckled. "There are, however, multiple problems with their cover story; Maerun had fired Taltz… accusing him of being a Salarian Agent instead of a Spectre… and told Taltz that if he got in the Council's way of getting that information for Shepard, he would kill Taltz himself."

"Which is exactly what ended up happening." Shepard shook her head. "The Salarian Union wanted the information to force my hand on the Krogan issue… to make me lie to them about the Genophage cure… but Maerun was successful. He got the info and Taltz ended up dead."

"So Maerun acted a true Spectre, and Taltz was one the Salarian Agents Valern just spoke of?" Jara laughed as she looked to Shepard. "The agent was removed, and you got the data you needed? That's a win-win."

"Some of it, yes." Shepard couldn't help but smile in return. "We still needed more in order to build the Crucible, but it kept the Dalatrasses from getting any more leverage against me and my agreement with the Krogan."

"I like him." Jara looked directly at Tevos and plainly stated, "I vote in favor of all the nominations."

"We need to vote on each, independently," Tevos answered with a smile.

"Then do it, so we can move on to the ship assignments." Quentius opened the voting console on his omnitool. "I believe we are wasting time on something to which we all agree."

With nods coming from everyone seated at the table, Tevos shrugged. "Alright, then. The vote for Spectre Moises T'Dura getting one of the stealth vessels?"

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 10 Feb 2189

"God damn it!"

Miranda slammed her datapad onto the desktop, startling Judea from her work as she practically jumped out of her chair. "Goddess, Miri… what are you thinking? You could easily break that and I don't relish the idea of having to program a new one with all the Broker access protocols simply because you lose your temper." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she focused on her mate and asked, "What has you so angry?"

"Sorry," Miranda mumbled. "It's just this…" She huffed in disgust and closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and meeting Judea's golden eyes. "This damned data query found absolutely nothing! Nothing but high-level notes with references to other sources… projects I've never heard of at locations I never went to… nor cared to see. Damn the Illusive Man and his secrecy!"

Judea fought down the urge to smirk as she replied, "There was a day when you praised his compartmentalization… to keep any one person from knowing too much."

"That's…" Miranda began to protest but paused, seeing the barely contained twitch in her lover's lip, and let out a little chuckle instead. "Damn it, you're right. It's just being a royal pain in my ass, right now, on this particular query."

Judea rose from her seat and walked over to peek over the operative's shoulder. "So… projects and locations? Show me what you have and where we're going next."

"Oh, we're not going there…" Miranda shook her head vehemently as she pointed to a particular line on the screen. "This is no simple data collection trip… I'll have to ask Liara to send part of her army."

"The Barn? I've never known you to shy away from a tough assignment." Judea studied the information on the screen and let out a low whistle. "Well… never mind. I agree… I don't want to be walking into that either, especially since it's been so long. Only the Goddess knows what they may have done there since the Illusive Man quit receiving reports from them. Liara isn't going to like that she has to send someone into that potential quagmire."

"No, she won't…" Miranda sighed, "But, Liara's resourceful and no longer the young, naïve Asari I first met. I imagine she has a specialty team tucked away somewhere, exactly for this kind of operation. I believe her hardest job will be convincing Shepard to not go in person."

Shadow Broker Warehouse, Juxhi, Skyllian Verge – 11 Feb 2189

Commander Solo Arern looked up as Captain Roshida B'Sayle entered his office. "Ah. Excellent response time, as always! Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."

"A new tasking, I hope?" B'Sayle grinned, feeling optimistic since the call from Solo had come in. "Because the team is getting tired of nothing but enforcement runs… You can only threaten so many people with bodily harm before it starts to become extremely tedious… especially when we actually have to follow through on a few. It's most definitely not our favorite thing to do."

"Yes. Completely new…" Solo looked up from his data pad, his lips a straight line, indicating the seriousness of what he was about to say. "We have a need for data from an old Cerberus facility…" He stopped speaking as B'Sayle shot out of her chair to lean over his desk, staring him in the face.

Roshida's expression was one of grim, calculated refusal. "Absolutely not. I will not violate any of the basic tenets you explained to me upon my hiring… and the collection and sale of any of that despicable and appalling Cerberus research data is most certainly one of the items on our Do Not Disseminate list! That is a pact with the Broker that I will not break!"

Commander Solo Arern blinked a couple of times, taken aback by the vehemence of B'Sayle's refusal. After taking a moment to collect himself, he flashed her a smile. "I appreciate your staunch defense of our operational missives, Captain, but I assure you, this is a special case… as we are not selling the information to anyone. This is a request for direct support to Captain Shepard and Dr Liara T'Soni… an exemption pact the Broker agreed to at the start of the Reaper War. An inviolable contract to support them, at no cost and without restrictions, for the stability of the Galaxy by supporting Spectre requests without recompense; the Broker will not earn a single credit on this transaction."

Roshida became immediately curious as she thought about Liara and Shepard. It had been a while since they had spoken, but she knew, without a doubt, that Solo was still completely unaware that Liara T'Soni had been the one to personally recruit her. It made her think there was more to this request… more than a simple Shadow Broker job. Liara had informed her that this could be a possibility, but B'Sayle had doubted that Liara would ever be so desperate for information that she would actually utilize the Broker collection system in such a way. She found she wanted to… no, absolutely had to… know exactly what it was that Liara wanted so desperately. "What do they need?"

Seeing the understanding cross the Asari's face, Solo flashed her a smile. "Excellent! Now, as I was saying, we have a need for data from an old Cerberus facility called 'The Barn.' It is a space station located near the planet LV426, which is located in the binary star system Zeta Reticuli, roughly 39 light-years from Sol."

"Only 39? That's not very far, so it must have been one of Cerberus' early stations, then." B'Sayle shrugged as she added, "But that doesn't tell me what they need. What are we looking for… and who do we need to take it from?"

"That is a very good question." Solo blinked again and continued, "The station was used as a lab, where experiments were carried out on humans, aliens, and Reaper technology in order to enhance the performance of weapons and biotics. Apparently, the research from this facility was later used in a program called Lazarus, which… enhanced… Commander Shepard's physical body in ways I do not care to understand. It is enough to know that these enhancements are what enabled her to live through events during the Reaper War that no… normal… Human would have survived."

"So…" B'Sayle paused as the potential import of the request, coming personally from Liara T'Soni, came to mind. "Oh! By the Goddess! Something is going on with Shepard… and they need the original research notes to try and fix whatever it is!"

Solo nodded. "Yes… I came to the same conclusion and agree that is likely the case. And you, as our best agent, have been selected to handle this priority collection. You and your team will report immediately to Specialist Aldaberto for the full mission brief, specialty equipment and berth assignment." He paused and smiled, "My trust and faith go with you, Roshi… I know you will not disappoint."

Team Lieutenant Celia M'Creno followed her captain into the small compartment just inside the hangar bay where the Kirkliston was docked between missions. Operations Officer Aldaberto glanced at the pair as the hatch swished closed behind them.

"Captain B'Sayle… Lieutenant… I have your mission briefing…" he handed a datapad to Roshida, "… outlined on this device. Download all of it to your omnitools… there will be plenty of time for you and your team to study everything about this mission while in transit."

Roshida glanced at the text on the screen; raising a brow marking, she asked, "Search, retrieve and destroy?"

The Salarian's mouth was set in a grim, straight line as he nodded slightly, saying, "The Barn was one of a small number of Cerberus facilities spared from the destruction visited upon the majority of their installations." He glanced at the datapad as he continued, "Cursory research of the station indicates a continued human presence on board. Beyond that, we have no knowledge."

B'Sayle looked up from the datapad with an outraged expression on her face. "Those ardats were experimenting on Asari? Goddess be damned! Do we know if that is still happening?"

"We do not, but yes… Asari, Krogan… some Salarians." Aldaberto looked down for a moment before returning his gaze to Roshida and Celia. "In all likelihood, Commander Shepard's choice to destroy the Reapers also destroyed whatever pure or modified Reaper tech existed in those labs, but make no mistake, Captain. The probability of encountering some frightfully enhanced organic creation – never mind the numerous mechs employed by Cerberus during the war – is extremely high. You will need to be exceedingly careful, as will your companions. I suspect this will be the most challenging mission your team will ever be assigned."

Roshida actually chuckled. Flashing a quick glance at Celia, she admitted, "And here I was complaining we had become tired of enforcement runs!" She looked at the datapad in her hand once more. "After this mission, we may be glad for a return to that routine."

The Salarian blinked in apparent puzzlement, then brightened as he replied, "Ah, yes. I see you are already anticipating a swift completion of this assignment." Standing, he motioned towards the hanger while concluding, "Your standard combat package has already been loaded, Captain, so if there are no further questions or comments, have your team board the ship… departure is within the hour."

A/N: Lonar Maerun is a name from CDN, but the timeline has changed… If you look it up, ignore the 'canon' dates of the events… but the rest is what I am using as my baseline for story purposes…