AN: I tried to do something special for the 20th chapter. A bit more words, a lot more plot. Let me know what you think!

~0~


Aboard Council Search Expedition Cruiser Intermission

Council Spectre Jondum Bau paced back and forth in his private quarters, occasionally checking the time on his Nexus omni-tool.

Still ten more minutes to go before they arrived in the unknown system.

They were travelling for weeks now. Twice they approached a promising dormant Relay, hoping that it contained the navigation logs that would them into Section Zero. Twice they were met with disappointment, as the logs revealed the connecting Relay led into a wildly different, if still unexplored part of the galaxy.

By that point, the STG started reporting strange occurrences surrounding the Justicar Order and Asari Republics interest in Omega. Bau had not been surprised to learn that Spectre Shepard - the Commander herself - was involved.

He wished he could do more than keep an eye out. Bau was not unsympathetic to Spectre Shepard's plight, especially now that she somehow learned how to come back from the dead, but he had more urgent matters to attend to.

The sudden turn of their luck, namely. As the human saying went, three times was the charm, and the third Relay they researched stunned them all when it turned out that its connecting Relay led into the fringe of Section Zero. Not exactly the perfect route into uncharted territory, but it was a start.

Now, with the coordinate location retrieved, all that was left was to activate the connecting Relay and open a gateway to a new civilization.

Bau had read the reports. The anomalies the STG recorded from Section Zero went back decades, centuries even. Strange background radiation, radio signals, bursts of electromagnetic radiation - the evidence was undeniable.

It was also a carefully kept secret. With the events surrounding Saren Arterius, the Sovereign and the rumors regarding the mysterious "Reaper" species, the notion of an entire civilization beyond Citadel Space seemed too much of a risk to announce publicly. The members of the Citadel Council all had their own worries and agendas.

The Turian Hierarchy concentrated on a hypothetical war with the newcomers, either to remove them as a galactic risk or to appraise them as a client race. The Asari Republics, on the other end of that scale, wanted to spin the discovery of a new species as propaganda to bolster the motivation and morale of their colonies and associates.

The Salarian Union, meanwhile, carefully kept its intentions a secret even from the Spectres, which concerned Bau somewhat. He knew that his people were eager to learn from this new civilization, but to what degree, he could only guess. Judging by the snippets of information he heard, it could not be good.

He checked the time again. Eight minutes left.

Unwilling to sit and wait in his quarters, Bau picked up his gear and moved to the CIC of the Intermission.

The asari in command of the Cruiser - a Matriarch, Erinzi Samel - was just skimming through her data-pad when Bau entered the CIC.

"Spectre," she curtly greeted him.

"Matriarch Samel."

Most of the Intermission's crew displayed a deep, innate desire to discover and explore. They were eager to make some sort of amazing discovery, to be the first in their generation to make First Contact with a possible alien species.

Matriarch Samel was not one of them. That was why Bau liked her; she was patient, reserved and well aware of the risks that the exploration of Section Zero carried with it.

"Have we decided on a name for this cluster?" Asked Bau.

"Not yet," replied the Matriarch. "We simply call it cluster one, with its systems designated by number as well." She paused, gazing at him appraisingly. "Were you not there for the latest meeting?"

"No," said Bau, crossing his wrists behind his back. If he remembered correctly - which he had ever since he reached his first birthday - he had been writing his report for the Council during that meeting. "I was otherwise occupied."

The Matriarch sighed, obviously not comfortable with the Spectre's presence at what should have been a daring exploration effort. "Once we exit FTL, we will scan the Relay's system and search for signs of activity. Only then can we start the naming conventions."

Bau nodded. "Agreed. I shall leave those matters to you. Odds are, we will find naught but rocks and gas giants."

"We shall see."

As the crew of the Intermission waited for the ship to reach it's destination, Bau mentally reviewed his notes. The chances were high that the connecting Relay was a Secondary Relay, connecting to other Relays over stances of a few hundred lightyears. If this new civilization already discovered the Relays, they might be well on their way to implement Mass Effect regulated FTL.

Time would tell.

Literally, as by that point the ship was about to exit FTL.

"Exiting FTL in thirty seconds," called one crewmember.

"Prepare the FTL exit protocols," replied the Matriarch.

Eventually, Bau counted down from ten to zero. Half a second after he reached zero, the Intermission returned to normal travel speeds, after which the entire crew jumped to action.

Cutting edge salarian sensors allowed for extremely fast sensory intake. Bau watched over the Matriarch's shoulder as the data flooded her displays.

An orange star, no planets. No gas giants, either. A single asteroid field, large and clustered together.

No Relay though. Likely hidden in the asteroid field.

"Huh…that's strange," said the ship's sensor operator, an asari called Malena. Bau memorized her name, as he had all the others.

"Hmm?" Replied the Matriarch, showing a much warmer side to her fellow crewmembers than the onboard salarian agents.

"I'm searching for the Relay's position, but…"

STG Operative Rentola popped up behind the asari. "Try the asteroid field," he suggested.

"The asteroid field? Ah, but of course! Thank you! Scanning now…yes, there it is!"

Malena brought up an enhanced image of a cluster of rocks, through which the barest hint of silver could be discerned.

Bau nodded at the Operative, who inclined his head in kind, just barely enough that it went unnoticed.

"This is it, then?" Said the turian weapon operator, Thassus. "Section Zero?"

"It must be," replied the asari communications operator, Alina. "Goddess, think of the things we might discover!"

"Oh, I am thinking of those things, Alina," replied the Matriach with a grim tone. "Thassus, bring the mass accelerators online. Just in case. Alina, I am sending you a new Flotilla formation. Spread it to the rest of our group."

The two crewmembers confirmed their orders and went to work.

Bau, meanwhile, continued to covertly watch the ship's monitors from the corners of his eyes. There were several other systems in this cluster. Only one of them had any celestial bodies that could be deemed planets. The second system even had two of them. If he knew his asari, the Intermission would be heading to that system next.

"Send the activation signal to the Relay," said the Matriarch. "We still have enough fuel to check one more system before we have to return."

The crew's spirits slowly picked up, to the point that most of them bore enormous grins that beamed with confidence and assurance. it helped that the activated Mass Relay would now allow for much faster travel. They'd be back within days.

Bau, meanwhile, kept his features neutral. He was not here to partake in the joys of exploration.

Standard produce for activating dormant Relays was simple. Sometimes, Relays were lost from their previous locations, eventually getting caught up in debris or chunks of ice. Relay 314, for example, became the center of a small, frozen moon in human space. Activating such a trapped Relay would cause it to materialize a mass effect field within its core. The Relay would flare to life, repulse the stones around it and eventually break free from the asteroid field.

Bau patiently watched as this particular Relay followed the pattern of the others. Rocks larger than the Destiny Ascension broke off and floated away as the twin rings began pinning. Before soon, the Relay was completely free.

"Energy readings are stable…Relay online. Good job, everyone!" Called the Matriarch.

Bau started compiling his report to Valern. The Relay was online and ready for use. The bridge to Section Zero had been laid at last. Before soon, the civilization that went by in isolation for centuries could be reached by the Citadel's Fleets.

"We will explore one more system before we head back," continued the Matriarch. She paused as several crewmembers clasped each other on the back, laughing and complimenting each other on their work. She smiled at them. "One final effort, then we may celebrate our success. Plot a course to system three."

Bau understood her logic. A civilization would have no use for an empty system. Perhaps for mining purposes, though that thought was farfetched. No, their chances of finding something worthwhile were much larger if they explored the system with actual planets in it.

Still giddy from their success, the crew of the Intermission hurried to fulfill their tasks. At eight light years away from system one, it still took them the better part of the day hours to reach that system. They continued to monitor the systems as they went, just in case they came across anything out of the ordinary.

Bau, meanwhile, sent a secured FTL transmission to the Council, informing them of their success. The crew of the Intermission believed that they would be at the front of this exploration, gripped by excitement and adventurous thoughts.

They were wrong. The STG would be skimming this cluster before the Intermission could even refuel. Bau knew this. Rentola knew this. The crew did not. He preferred to keep it that way.

Finally, after hours of impatience and baseless rumors among the alien crew, the Flotilla reached system three.

"Exiting FTL in five."

This time, it was Rentola who stood behind the Matriarch, keeping an eye on her screens, In contrast to Bau, he did so brazenly and openly, earning himself an annoyed gaze from the asari.

"You know that these readings are not a secret, do you not?" She asked him.

Rentola smiled at her. Bau was surprised to see that the gesture was genuine. "Of course. I prefer to read them myself. Consider it a tic of mine. My brain won't process information unless I read it."

It was a lie. Still, the Matriarch returned her attention to her screens. Whether or not she believed him as irrelevant.

"Wow…" gasped Alina. "Err…let us see…a yellow dwarf star, orbited by two planets. One of them is a gas giant, but the other…Goddess!"

Alina's voice lacked all the enthusiasm and barely-suppressed glee she expressed earlier. This time, she sounded dismayed, and not just a little bit.

The asari's fingers trembled as she tried to enlarge the image as a holographic copy. Bau rushed over to her terminal and looked for himself.

"What," he whispered, "Is that?"

~0~


Aboard Normandy SR-2

"Chin up," said doctor Chakwas.

The Master Chief did as she said, raising his head so that the doctor could take a better look at his throat. His helmet lay next to him, screaming at him to pick it up and put it on.

"Hmm…from what I can see, your larynx seems fine. I'll need a moment to scan it deeper."

He tried to suppress that little instinct, but he didn't quite manage it.

The doctor activated a few programs on her omni-tool, hooked it up on a nearby machine and started scanning. Half a minute passed, with the only sounds coming from the machinery that kept the orange hue of the tissue scanner active.

Then, her omni-tool bleeped. The doctor reviewed the data that streamed across the holographic screen. "There. Your larynx is still intact. Bruised, is all. You might experience soreness when eating and speaking, but it should pass soon."

"How soon?" Cortana asked in the Chief's stead.

Nobody seemed surprised anymore by the feminine voice originating from his helmet. Doctor Chakwas certainly seemed nonplussed. "That depends. For most people, it would pass in little under a week. But you augmented body seems to heal at an accelerated pace. A day at best, a couple of days at worst."

A couple of days with a proper excuse not to talk? The Chief certainly had worse injuries before.

"Thank you, doctor Chakwas," Cortana politely replied. She projected herself from the Chief's omni-tool. "Did you plan a date for the molecular structure testing?"

"I did. I wanted to look at Corpalis Syndrome first. If you don't mind, Joker is still antsy. Tomorrow, while the Commander accompanies Samara om the Citadel?"

The Chief raised an eyebrow. What were they talking about?

Cortana smiled. "Sounds good."

The Chief politely thanked the doctor for her time, strapped his helmet back on and left the medical bay.

The mess hall was a lot busier than the Chief liked. Closest to the medical bay sat Garrus, wolfing down a serving of dextro rations. Opposite of him sat Samara, who seemed strangely fascinated by the turian's eating habit. She pretended not to notice him, keeping herself occupied by reading something on a datapad, but every now and then she would shoot a glance at him that the Chief couldn't place.

A stark contrast to Thane Krios, who sat at the far end of the table. He rested his head on the intertwined fingers of his hands, stating at the bulkhead with an empty look in his eyes. Jacob and Miranda sat opposite of each other, a meter away from the drell.

Grunt leant against the wall behind him, leering at the Chief as he entered the mess hall.

The Chief met his glance for a moment, though the krogan would never know.

Spent some time with the crew, they told him. It will be fun, Chief.

"Chief!" Garrus called out the moment the Spartan came within view. "And? Did you eat that gunfire like a champ?"

The Master Chief looked at the turian. This was the point where Kelly would have offered the alien an ancient gesture involving one specific finger.

As it was, Cortana -ever his savior- manifested herself from his omni-tool and did the next best thing. "I don't see any scarring inside this suit, Vakarian."

The turian wasn't even startled by the AI's sudden appearance. "I'll take your word for it, Cortana," he said.

Cortana gave him a smile. "Minor internal bruising, is all. Now he has a proper reason to remain silent."

A few of the crewmembers laughed at that comment. He spotted Miranda narrow her eyes and clench the muscles around her throat. Jacob too was still too nervous for his likings.

Vakarian seemed most laid-back of all. The Chief took his relaxed tone as a sign of non-aggression and decided to sit down next to him, hoping the tables had been built to specification.

To his relief, the bench held.

Garrus' serving of meat, mushrooms and sauce smelled far from appealing, but he supposed that only made sense. It was alien food, after all. The Chief tried to ignore the sight.

Alien food aboard an alien ship with an alien crew. What would his brothers and sisters think, if they saw him like this?

"You seem very different from EDI, if you mind me asking," continued Garrus.

The Chief wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Thanks," he croaked.

Behind the counter, Sergeant Gardner snickered to himself and shook his head.

Garrus laughed as well. "I'm sure you're a very pretty super-soldier underneath your helmet, Chief-"

"Hehehe…" chuckled Grunt.

"-but I didn't mean you."

"I'll take that as a compliment, if you don't mind?" Cortana quipped, seemingly well at ease in the social structure of the Normandy. "And to answer your question, no, I am not. EDI was developed from a VI, I was developed from a human brain."

Samara blinked, then looked at the tiny holographic display.

"A human brain?" Miranda repeated, her voice a mixture of curiosity and quiet dismay.

"Yeah…it's a long story. My humanity has been using AI's for decades now, for simple things such as helping raise children to other simple things like throwing warships around like they are fighters…Garrus, you are staring."

The turian blinked. "Sorry, it's just…you said my humanity."

"Ah…I -I mean our humanity. I'm a little possessive about them. To lend some context about the whole all-seeing Artificial Intelligence thing here…we helped drag our humanity through the war. Barely."

The Master Chief winced when she said that. That was one subject he didn't want to talk about today.

He noticed that the air shifted when Cortana mentioned the war. Miranda sat up straighter and Jacob craned his head around to look a Cortana's holographic projection. Gardner leant forwards on the counter, seemingly unaware that the glass he was polishing was as dry as he could make it. s

Garrus tactfully dropped the air of dry humor. "Damn. Yes, I heard something about that. No details, though. What were they called again, those aliens?"

The Covenant.

Samara looked between the two, curious.

"The Covenant," said Cortana. "Our First Contact. A collective of aliens with enough firepower to scorch the Citadel with just one or two warships.

John mutely wished that would be enough context and that they would drop the subject.

"Scorch the Citadel?" Repeated Jacob. "Normally, I'd find that hard to believe, but I know there's some weird shit out there. How would the Covenant go about doing that?"

"With directed energy weapons with yields that run in the double-digit megatons of TNT, or roughly 2 to the seventeenth power of Joules," Cortana replied, a bit too chipper for the Chief's liking.

"Hang on," called Garrus. "I'm going to assume my translator caught that. Standard yields for starship weapons are expressed in weight of explosives, standardized per race. How much is that when compared to our rates?"

Jacob nodded. "Exactly. Going by human measurements, the most recent Dreadnaughts the Turian Hierarchy or System Alliance field only reach double-digit kilotons of explosives."

"I doubt our references are the same," added Miranda.

"That may be true. However, calculating your Dreadnaught energy values to the standardized unit of energy, or the energy transferred to an object or energy dissipated in heat, we still stick around the low double-digits of kilotons for your Dreadnaughts compared to mid double-digits of megatons for Covenant Frigates. Which, I might add, are of the same size."

Garrus choked in his food when he heard that last bit of information. While he violently coughed his food back up, Jacob spoke up, voicing the conclusion that everybody was thinking

"That's fucked."

"Completely," agreed Cortana.

"How did your people survive?" Samara asked, speaking up for the first time.

The Justicar's participation in the conversation soothed the Spartan's concerns, if only by a small margin. At the very least it ensured the subject would be treated with due respect and, more pressingly, concern.

"That's the keyword right there," replied Cortana, directing her attention to Samara. "We survived. Barely. It's a very long story and I won't disrespect what happened by summarizing it. Now, whenever we talk about the Human-Covenant war, there is one overhanging strategy you need to keep in the back of your mind."

Don't let them find us.

"We could not let them find us. It would be like the turians, asari the salarians all ganging up to murder off every single human in the galaxy. Except they all have geth-level weapons, armor and warships. Get that?"

Garrus shot an uncomfortable look at Samara, whose expression was undiscernible. "I guess?"

"Good, because it was nothing like that. It was worse. Much, much worse. Our distance from absolute defeat, an extinction as certain as that of the Protheans, was this." Cortana made a pinching gesture, leaving almost no space between her thumb and index finger. "We lost worlds in a matter of hours, so fast that messages to friends and family were received long after the senders died. We lost entire fleets in single battles against enemies who could destroy the Destiny Ascension with Frigates."

It surprised the Chief how utterly silent the mess hall became during Cortana's story. He tried to keep his distance from what she said, but that was only natural. He lived the war. These people? These…aliens? They had no idea what it was like. The slaughter, the indescribable despair among the soldiers, the knowledge that you had to keep fighting, even as your brothers and sisters died left and right, dying with the knowledge that their sacrifice would be meaningless…

"The only way we lasted as long as we did, was because our colonies were so widely spread out. And we had a lot of them. Our major strategy was "keep the Covenant from finding our homeworld". In the end, we couldn't even do that, but that's a story for a different time.

Another silence fell after Cortana's last statement. It didn't last as long though.

"Do you suppose the Covenant is still out there?" Garrus eventually asked. "Any chance we can get them and the Reapers to just wipe each other from the face of the galaxy?"

"I doubt the Master Chief would still be here, would the war with the Covenant still be going on," said Samara.

"Almost sounds like a reverse world," said Gardner. "AI's helping humans fight against aliens…'

It was the only order of things John knew.

Cortana reached for the back of her head, mimicking an organic gesture. "But yeah, I do hope this explains the whole Artificial Intelligence thing…we would have come clean before, but…"

"Trust is an important aspect of any team," Miranda replied, clearly still frustrated by Cortana's presence. "Without it, we won't be able to beat the Collectors."

"Exactly," Cortana said, placing her hips on her hands like she did when she was about to scold her Spartan. "You wouldn't trust me to do your administration, the Chief wouldn't trust Mordin to operate on his spleen and I wouldn't trust Legion to manage my automated algorithms."

Miranda was about to argue when Krios suddenly lifted his head from his hands and looked around. "I apologize, I missed the context. Human super-soldiers have spleens?"

The Master Chief resisted the urge to lower his head to the table, while the others merely laughed.

~0~


"A world of glass," whispered Matriarch Samel. She rested her hands on the console and stared at the holographic display.

Bau noted the improbability of the shimmering orb actually being glass, but he refrained from commenting. He didn't suppose it mattered either way; the world was still lifeless. Entire continents glowed with a faint hue of red, the glassy crust of the planet reflecting the light of the star like a gloomy mirror. The rest was just blackened and dead.

"H-how?" Said Thassus. "This doesn't seem natural, does it? Is this natural?"

"I suppose this could have happened by means of a massive detonation or impact," mused Rentola, apparently fascinated by the sight of the orb of obsidian and glass. "A surface sample would be ideal."

"Look at this," said Alina. She tilted the map, zooming in on the planet.

"What devastation," gasped the Matriarch.

Bau wholeheartedly agreed. The space near the dead planet was littered with debris. Dead hulks of strange, alien structures lazily spun in the vacuum of space, still retaining their initial momentum from what could have been decades, even centuries ago.

The closer the Intermission scanned near the planet, the more radar targets they found.

Thousands. Millions. Fractured pieces of metal, clouds of molten steel, jagged sections of what had to have been enormous warships.

The navigation operator, an asari named Tharia, warned them that the debris field posed an enormous danger for the Flotilla, should they choose to investigate further.

"We will hold our positions for now," declared the Matriarch. "Cross-confirm our findings with that of the rest of the Flotilla and keep scanning for more Element Zero signatures. Whatever did this, might still be around."

Alina's next statement shocked them all into silence. "There is no "more" Element Zero. There doesn't seem to be any Element Zero to begin with. A moment, I will link our scanning progress with the rest of the Flotilla."

As the young asari hurried to continue her scan, Bau's mind raced to process the implications of her statement. As far as the Salarian Union was aware, FTL travel was not impossible without Element Zero, but extraordinarily difficult to achieve. He could not recall a single experiment that resulted in a successful hypothesis, let alone an actual design.

"The other ships confirm; there is no Element Zero to be found." She shook her head. 'That should be impossible."

"Not impossible," said Rentola. "Highly unlikely."

"I cannot think of an example of technology that does not rely on Eezo to work," said Tharia. "Fascinating…does the debris fit any known Prothean ruins? Could we have stumbled upon a leftover world from before their disappearance?"

Bau could already tell the answer. No. Protheans would use Element Zero.

Of course, he remained silent. It was no use telling the crew - which wanted nothing more than to head down to the surface to explore - what to do.

"Not very likely," replied Thassus. "Every Protean artefact we found thus far used Eezo!"

They continued to bounce ideas across the brmidge. Farfetched suggestions such as the scorched planet being one of the last bastions of the Protheans, or that somehow the Citadel Council covered up a war with this unknown civilization. But there were also decent ideas, such as scanning individual pieces of debris to find out how large the original ships were or searching the field for bodies of dead aliens.

All in due time, of course. For now, the Intermission and her Flotilla had no choice but to head back, refuel and report to the Citadel.

After that however…even Jondum Bau could not wait to discover what manner of battle took place in this system. It was unfortunate that the STG would get here first. Investigating this world would make for a fascinating experience.

~0~


Research Lab

"I called it," hissed Jane. "I fucking called it."

"Chances of Cerberus involvement deemed higher than forty percent. 'Calling it' less impressive this time around," Mordin coolly replied, reviewing the data streaming across his omni-tool.

Everheart was the nickname of a Cerberus Operative, even more classified than classified. His name alone took EDI and Legion an hour to dig up. Why Miranda hadn't picked up on that was beyond Shepard.

The Commander faced the "boy" sitting on one of Mordin's tables. Maybe she was too busy before. Maybe her mind was too garbled for him to mess with. Or maybe that was just his way of messing with her. Whatever it was, she saw it now, and it creeped her the fuck out.

"You said you burned the batarian neural chip in your brain," she said, trying not to sound too accusing. "I thought you were lucky. But you weren't just lucky, were you?" Without breaking eye-contact with Everheart, she continued, "Mordin, If you please?"

The salarian next to her scraped his throat. "Subject name: William Everheart. Weight: 68 kilos, height 179 centimeters. Age deemed around eighteen years, though invasive surgery makes accurate guesses improbable. Getting to that later. Element zero notes compatible with asari Huntress pattern in structure and number, incompatible with human body. Nodes would aggravate surrounding tissues, forming cancerous growths. Mitigate by invasive gene therapy."

Everheart blinked, content with staring right back at the Commander. He really was a pretty boy, just like Tali said she saw him. Lanky, girlish, but way too uncanny to make proper use of that. Unless Tali saw something different from her.

Judging by Mordin's results, that conclusion was starting to gain credit with the Commander.

"Biotic implant meant for asari would warp nodes, mitigated by invasive gene therapy. Other neural implants and attempt at further amp integration caused damage in prefrontal cortex, mitigated by more genetic implants."

Jane couldn't help but wince. The boy had almost as much genetic alterations done to him as the Collectors.

"Still, prefrontal cortex and amygdala altered as by-product of surgeries. Basolateral complexes of the amygdalae, particularly the lateral nuclei, impaired, affecting or even compromising motional learning, sexual drive and response to social and stressful circumstances. Physical response to anxiety could be nonexistent, could be crippling, need more data." He inhaled sharply. "Fascinating. Disturbing. All asari work."

"You've got enough genetic modifications that you could be part alien," said the Commander. She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look. "Did you know this?"

"Yes."

Jane fought back a wave of annoyance. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You did not ask."

Oh, did she ever hate that argument… "You almost got Tali to take her helmet off by talking to her. She could have gotten hurt, even in a medical bay. Why?"

"Why not?" He asked, keeping his face a perfect mask of impassiveness.

Jane grinded her teeth. "I am not playing around here. You could have hurt a friend of mine. If you don't answer me normally, I will start slapping you."

He blinked again. "How would you define normal?"

"How about adequately? In a way even I can understand?"

"So many aliens…I have only ever been around humans before," he told her, his voice smooth and calm.

"That's it?" Replied Shepard. "Curiosity?"

"Shepard, a word?" Interrupted Mordin. Before Jane could even give him the go-ahead, he said, "Organization responsible for genetic and neural modifications display shocking lack of ethics or concern regarding end-product. Modifications so invasive, apart from pain or shock from therapies, might have caused immense damage to patient's psyche. His soul, if you will. Human-centered morality no longer there. "

Jane broke the little staring contest with the boy to look at Mordin. "And Cerberus made him this way?"

"Doubt whether Cerberus would place child under human caretakers. Would have kept him in facility, like Jack. No, all implants, gene mods and surgery are asari tech. Recognize parts from time spent with STG."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "From fighting Huntresses?"

"Poking through classified experiments. These implants highly advanced, but too unstable. Highly illegal in Citadel law. Thought too dangerous to use until further research."

Her heart told her not to trust Cerberus, but her brain told her heart to fuck off. Apparently, Tali thought William was attractive enough to approach him, while Jack thought he was creepier than a Collector drone. Asari were known to be perceived as attractive by many different species. And, as Mordin had been keen to remind her, there might be more to that than simple morphological features.

Jane ignored the implication of a half-asari, half-human, psychotic boy with a Cerberus agent's last name for the moment. "You called him a patient. Do you intend to…treat him?"

"Correct."

The Commander approved, but she didn't want to show that just yet. "How?"

"Not sure yet. Will certainly relish in the challenge. Research might prove beneficial to uncover hidden Republics agenda or discover breakthrough for equipment. End result will certainly be beneficial against our enemies."

"Which one?" Asked Shepard.

Mordin gave her a little salarian-smirk. "Any of them, all of them. Biotic prowess enough to escape from batarian slavers and elude Aria T'Loak. Could prove vital against Collectors. Link with Cerberus cannot be neglected. If asari conspiracy with capital C is correct, Everheart certain to be connected."

Jane glanced at the boy again. She wanted to think of how she first met Tali, a child seeking refuge from those hunting her. A child who, when given the chance, proved to be a valuable addition to the team.

She wanted to think along those lines again, but all she could see when looking at Everheart was something wrong.

He looked back at her, likely formulating his own thoughts about her. She could only guess at what manner of twisted thoughts snaked around inside of his head, but there was no mistaking that predatory gaze in his eyes.

It reminded her of how she pictured Morinth.

Just like that, the beginnings of a plan welled up inside of her mind.

~0~


Aboard UNSC Destroyer Wayfarer

Unknown coordinates

Did you really think, I would not notice your intrusion, humans?

Did you never stop to wonder, why your rudimentary vessel was ever allowed to approach my temple, my body, when so many before you were purged?

The crew of the UNSC Wayfarer frantically tried to regain control over their systems as something…other took complete control over the ship. One by one the screens flickered, died, then reactivated in a sudden flare of golden light, displaying a hieroglyph that aggrieved the minds of everyone who laid eyes upon it.

"Purge the systems!" Cried the Captain, grasping at his last resort to prevent the invisible enemy from gaining the UNSC's secrets. The Wayfarer was a dedicated Foreunner exploration vessel, it could not be allowed to fall in enemy hands.

But it was already too late. The tapered nose of the Destroyer slowly turned to face the Shield World they had been forcibly deposited from Slipspace. Their course was set, the control to their engines was overruled. Within minutes, they would slam into the surface of the planet.

As the systems onboard the ship went haywire, Spartan Operator Alan-003 forced his way to the navigation core at the back of the bridge. A bulkhead dropped down in front of him and he picked up the pace, forcing his MJOLNIR-clad body between it and the floor.

His shields flared in protest as the heavy doors slammed into his torso. His remaining momentum carried him through, however, and he managed to get to the other side.

Arrogant creature. Do you not realize the magnitude of your destructor?

Several consoles nearby the Spartan detonated, throwing the corpses of unprotected crewmembers trying to regain control to the ground. Again, his shields shrugged off the invisible attempt on his life and accessed the computer panel in the floor deck. There, he located the NAV database core; cube of memory crystal the size of a bullet. He grabbed it in his fist and crushed it into tiny pieces. Nobody would plunder the UNSC's secrets that day.

My tutor regards you as warriors, in every form you appear as. I regard you as insects. I rule here.

The other consoles detonated as well. Some of the crewmembers were fast enough to seek cover before they did. Others, their minds ensnared by the hieroglyphs burned into the displays, were not.

Wayfarer´s approach was locked, impossible to avert. The Spartan leapt for the Captain and pulled him out of the way as yet another console exploded. His shields took the brunt, sparing the Captain.

The hieroglyph turned into the image of an eye, burning with fire and malice.

I see you, Reclaimer. You will join me in my garden, where I will clad myself in your carcass.

The heat of atmospheric entrance warmed the Destroyer´s outer hull, wrapping it in flames. Realizing that the ship was doomed, what remained of the crew fled to the escape pods. Several of them launched, only to flatten themselves against the bulkheads that closed right as they ejected. Tiny explosions pocketed the inside of the once-mighty warship.

Do you feel the fear swell inside your boorish mind, Reclaimer? What is it like to be afraid? Why do you cling to such a pathetic existence? If you could only feel a spark of my glory. My creators will suffer, for entombing me, for forcing me to rely on you.

The Spartan grunted as something alien brushed against his mind, leaking through the Spartan Neural Interface. Static washed across his HUD and for an instant, he caught the visage of a firestorm in the form of a maiden, impossibly beautiful, eternally malicious.

His escape pod succeeded in leaving the Destroyer, only to be ensnared in a beam of yellow-orange energy, jerking it off-course.

The pilot announced they lost control over the Bumblebee escape pod, moments before it impacted something solid and threw the Spartan off his feet.

Pain stabbed through his body as his helmet slammed against the metal bulkhead, before darkness consumed his vision.

Only it didn't stay dark long. The escape pod was on fire, the flames gently licking away at his shields. The shrill alarm echoing through his helmet managed to rouse the Spartan enough for his combat instincts to kick in.

His first thought was to search for the Captain, whom he had personally escorted to the escape pod.

He saw that the crash had ripped the little ship apart, mangling the crew beyond recognition. Blood stained the walls of the boat while fire consumed the cockpit.

He kicked himself free from the wreck and crawled outside. The internal temperature of his MJOLIR had skyrocketed due to the heat and he was starting to sweat.

Verifying that there were no survivors, the Spartan then searched for his equipment, which had been scattered across the landing zone in the crash.

There you are. Stay still, while my creations hunt you down.

A surge of static washed across his vision again. He barely managed to discern a voice whispering to him. It sounded feminine, but he couldn't be sure.

The static lasted long enough for the Spartan to grow concerned. His motion tracker warped, blurred, then became visible again as the MJOLNIR's powerful systems shrugged off whatever signal interfered with them.

When it finally came online again, the Spartan noticed four red dots right on top of him. The static perfectly covered up the approach of several hostiles creeping up on his flanks. Only at the last moment, an instant before their attack, did the Spartan notice them.

Two metal bodies landed right on top of him. Robotic-looking, humanoid in shape, the hostiles tried to pin him down him down with several pairs of artificial arms. Their bodies seemed held together by energy shields, the arms and legs not even loosely connected to the broad upper body.

Their heads were armored helmets burning with a dark-red light. Strange protrusions of energy, the same dark color, emerged from their backs, like the spines on the back of a Hunter.

The Spartan lashed out with his leg. The boot connected with the silvery chest of one of the creatures and it screeched at him, backing away momentarily.

More static washed over his vision, obscuring his view. The creatures, unburdened by a lack of sight, continued to swarm him. The Spartan tried to break free, but they cane at him from every direction. He broke mechanical limbs and weapons with controlled punches, kicks and grappling techniques, but he couldn't fend them off.

You tread, Reclaimer, in what was meant to be my tomb. The Curator, she tried to bind me here. No more. I shall find the Teacher and take my position at his side once more.

The Spartan gritted his teeth in pain as something forced itself across his Neural Interface, contesting his control over the MJOLNIR battlesuit.

That same something flooded his armor's neural network, something vast and enormous. It felt as if his mind burned, right before the presence of the entity nestled within his thoughts.

And this time, he heard her words when she next spoke again.

And let the galaxy burn in my wake.

~0~


Aboard Normandy SR-2

Omega Nebula/ Sahrabarik/ Omega

One final meeting before they headed back into Omega. One final meeting before Samara finally saw her daughter face to face again, for the first time in four centuries, whereupon she would snuff her life out with her own two hands.

There was no alternative. Such was her promise. Such was her vow.

That did not in any way lessen the pain. Samara spent countless hours meditating on the subject, before deciding against taking steps to alleviate the pain. The burden was hers to bear. She would be rid of it, and the pain, once she fulfilled her oath.

The Commander understood. She would help her by any means necessary. As it was, she even had a plan. Several plans, in fact.

Unfortunately, the plan with the highest chances of succeeding was not being very helpful.

"Explain it to me again," said the human, who answered to the name "William Everheart". He wore civilian clothing now, instead of the hospital gown. One of the Commander's "hoodies", in fact.

Samara had to admit, it fit him well. As much as the thought shamed her, she had rarely seen a specimen like this William before. There was something…tempting about his visage, something enticing. It called to desires she thought she rid herself of centuries ago. They burned when she looked at him, and she could not tell why. All she could do to resist was mentally recite sutras from the Thirteenth Path

Difficult as it might be, Samara could resist. She could suppress those burning desires. Mirala would not be able to replicate that achievement upon seeing him. Samara saw the wisdom in taking this human with them, even though he himself did not.

"She's a menace. A dangerous, unhinged, murderer," Shepard patiently told the boy. "She'll keep killing and she'll keep growing stronger, unless we stop her."

His expression reflected none of his thoughts. "You said that. Why do we care?"

"We have personal stakes in taking her life," Samara said as graciously as she could. She dealt with beings with warped concepts of right and wrong before. Some of them within her very own Order. "She must die, if we are to live."

"Then shoot her and be done with it."

His voice cut through Samara's thoughts like a blade. The alluring softness of his tone did not match his words at all. The resemblance to Mirala was uncanny.

"We need to draw her out first," said the Commander. "I fully expect her to recognize me the instant she sees me. That, or she might sense Samara's presence on me. I don't want to risk a thing."

"Except for me," pointed out the human.

Samara refrained from responding. She trusted the Commander's judgement, even though she was hesitant about relying on someone so clearly unreliable.

"You are approaching this the wrong way, kid. Morinth's not just a person, she's a predator. Like Aria T'Loak."

Samara once spent a long time honing her skills of pattern recognition in alien expressions. Humans were like the asari, not difficult to gleam information from. She saw the comment struck the boy, unlike any previous comment had. She saw his eyes narrow, his muscles tense. She felt more than saw a faint aura of Biotic energy humming through the ship's floor. He did not simply look like an asari maiden, he acted like one as well.

"Ah," he said. The name had meaning to him, though Samara did not know why.

"Help us find and kill Morinth and we will help you hurt Aria T'Loak," continued the Commander, perfectly aware of the effect her words had on the boy. "You know you can't do that on your own."

"You think I want revenge," he said.

"Yeah?" Replied Jane. She shrugged. "Don't you?"

"I do. Now I know, so do you."

Samara saw that the boy was sharper than she thought he was. She was clearly not the only one with a penchant for reading faces.

"Nevertheless, you want me to draw out an alien predator, likely burning with the Gift, in this?" He held out his hands. The sweater was already a size too large for Shepard, who was both taller as more robust than him. His hands were not even visible inside the sleeves.

It occurred to Samara that they were basically sending a boy, who had yet to fully mature, after a sexual predator. The irony was not lost on her, but neither was the risk.

"Does the idea frighten you?" Shepard asked with a smirk.

Samara was taken aback by the coldness of the comment. She did not know the Commander like that.

Even stranger, Everheart perfectly replicated her smile, down to the exact same muscle group, yet managed to do so without any amusement or emotional inflection. "The idea excites me."

"You will never be alone, not truly," added Samara. His expression shifted, making it impossible to read him now. "We will be watching closely."

Now he looked at her. In his eyes, Samara saw…she was not certain what she saw. Desire? Hatred? Longing? She could not tell.

Looking into his eyes called forth another feeling she had not felt in a long time.

Fear.

With a shock, Samara realized he was not just like any asari. He was like her daughter.

The true meaning of Shepard's plan dawned on her. She would not be luring out a predator with prey; she would be luring out a predator with another predator. A clash of wills, a battle of dominative personalities.

"Will you?" He asked. "What is she to you?"

Samara met his gaze head-no. The Commander briefed her about the boy; his impurity would have marked him a target to some of the Justicars of other Orders. As it was, she was not about to let a human play with her mind. Her will was the superior by far. "A very dangerous murderer, whom I am sworn to stop."

He didn't believe her. She saw it on his face. She cared not for his thoughts, only that he would perform. If he succeeded, she would do everything in her power to make sure he ended up with the right people. If he failed…

She did not want to think about that. This had to work. Goddess, this had to work.

"We'll be heading back into Omega in a few minutes," said Jane. "Why don't you go refresh, Will? I'll meet you by the airlock."

"Sure," he said, suddenly detached. He turned and left the observation deck, leaving Samara and Shepard on their own."

As soon as he was gone, Shepard exhaled explosively and leant down against the nearby wall. "Give me an angry krogan any time of the day," she muttered.

"And Cortana was certain?" Samara quietly asked. "It cannot be you?"

"Morinth would recognize me instantly. We have Aria to thank for that. She let it slip that I am working together with a Justicar," growled the Commander. "Stupid broad doesn't even know she's got an Ardat under her nose."

Samara closed her eyes for a moment. It was good that Cortana was so fond of the Commander. She could not bear the thought of Morinth escaping. "This is the closest I've ever been…Shepard, we cannot fail."

"We won't," the Commander replied, almost reassuringly. "We'll have Thane and the Master Chief on standby, far away enough that Morinth won't notice. Close enough that they will be able to track her down. Cortana's got every system in a ten-kilometer radius completely under her control."

"Do you trust the boy?" Samara quietly asked. "So much depends on his performance."

The Commander took a few moments to respond. "He will perform. What you told me about your daughter…the moment he lays eyes on her, he will see that she is like Aria. She won't be able to resist him and he won't be able to resist her."

"That is what worries me. She will be planning to inflect unspeakable horrors on him. He must resist her."

"I have confidence that he will hold out long enough for us to get to him," said Shepard. "You said it yourself; this won't be a battle of stamina or martial arts, but a battle of will and mind. What does your mind tell you about him?"

Samara considered her answer for a moment. "To put it in terms of human culture…he is an demon shrouded in the hide of an angel…he will play at Morinth's lust and her greed. He will certainly excite her."

Shepard stood. "Come. Hopefully the victim's mother can tell us more…"

Samara sensed a bitterness in the Commander's voice, an anger that was not there before. She decided to leave her be. "Let us take our leave, Commander. The sooner we stop Morinth…"

"The more people we save," finished Shepard. "You're right. We can't draw attention. I'll put on something a bit more nondescript. What about you?"

"I shall return to the roots of the Huntress," declared Samara. "Do not worry about me; I know how to keep myself concealed."

The Commander smiled. Her smile too, was fake. "Then I'll see you in a few moments."

~0~


Omega's systems were a sloppy patchwork of hardware and software taken from a dozen different species and crammed together in an amalgamation of clashing codes, leaky algorithms and redundant feedback loops. Had Cortana been bored, she would have taken to sorting the broken mess out, before deleting every single process that kept it going. Reactors, gravity grid and life support included.

As it was now, Cortana restricted herself to usurping Aria T'Loak's position as Queen-bitch of Omega. She dedicated a small portion of her runtime to keep track of Jane and Samara's conversation with the mother of "Nef", the latest victim of Morinth's hedonist streak. Another negligible portion of her runtime dedicated itself to manning every camera and scanner in a ten-kilometer radius for the signature of an Ardat-Yakshi.

In the meantime, she took a closer look at T'Loak's personal systems. Those were much better than the pathetic excuse for electronic systems the rest of Omega had.

Military grade, no doubt. Powerful and advanced, but compared to Cortana, T'Loak might as well be using a twenty-first century calculator to protect her secrets.

Cortana overloaded the network node responsible for attendance requests with half a billion different pings in thirty seconds. The network node and those connected to it tried to compensate and reconfigure, causing the entire system to lag as a result.

Oops. It seemed like Aria forgot to update the subroutines.

Cortana easily slipped in and went to work. Aria had over a dozen bank accounts, but only two of them on Omega. She masqueraded as a routine credit check and entered the account, just as she had Ackerson's account after the Colonel tried to kill her and John.

She wired eighty percent of the funds to an intelligence agency in the Systems Alliance, using several proxies and code-layers to hide the origin. She made sure the bank queries were sent to a certain Councilor Anderson, along with every last scrap of evidence of T'Loak's operations against this galaxy's humanity.

Finally, Cortana inserted an electronic footprint in Aria's systems. It would identify the source of these alterations as Aria's own syndicate, which included two of her most trusted lieutenants.

Cortana smiled. That was what the harlot got for messing with her Jane.

With that loose end tied up, Cortana returned to analyzing the conversation between the Commander, Samara and Diana, the victim's mother.

Emotions all around, but Cortana wasn't going to let that distract her. She ran the conversation through several behavior analyses, slowly but steadily forming a behavior profile for Morinth's perfect prey.

"May we…examine Nef's room?" Shepard delicately asked.

The mother broke down during her response. Jane, ever the bleeding heart, reached out and wrapped her arms around the mother's waist.

"We are going to find whoever did this to your daughter," she whispered in the mother's ears. "And then we are going to erase them from existence. But please…we cannot do that without your help…"

Cortana kept a close eye on the follow-up conversation. She activated a listening program in the Commander's omni-tool to better follow the emotional inflections of the personal logs that Nef kept on her datapad.

More keywords appeared in the profile.

Sadistic. A dominant streak. Indulgent.

Attracted to artists and creators.

Now that she was alone with the Commander, Samara explained the mental states that Morinth could induce in a victim. The ecstasy that her body promised, unimaginable and irresistible. The carnal things her eyes promised, the emotions her very scent evoked…even her voice, whispering long after the conversation passed…

Cortana suddenly found herself filled with the dull ache of longing. She checked up on John, who was still staked out somewhere beyond her camera network. It was a habit he picked up when he was younger…back before the UNSC clad him in that suit, taking his face, his name, his identity…

"We cannot storm her den. She will have a hundred escape routes planned," continued Samara. "She will go to ground and disappear for another fifty years…I have never been closer to her than now."

Samara's voice almost sounded pleading.

"Now we know how to lure him out," Jane replied, reassuringly. "Cortana will have cataloged Morinth's complete mode of operating. Her habits, her traits, her strengths and weaknesses. Isn't that right?"

Cortana smiled and pinged the omni-tool.

"There we go. Come Samara, we'll get William ready to bait the trap. He should be reading up on asari physiology as we speak."

~0~


Morinth found herself regretting having come to Omega. It was the perfect place to hide from nosy Justicars, but the utter boredom of the place…she misjudged the cutthroat nature of the station. Here, in this place where the strong went to kill the weak, she found herself bored out of her mind.

The last bits of the intoxicating pleasure of her last union slowly ebbed away. Hidden away in her dark booth in the VIP section of Afterlife, she wondered where all that bravado had gone. This place was meant to serve the very best, the very strongest, the most enticing prey, yet all she saw were the usual rabble.

She needed more than that. These perfectly bland, perfectly average patrons could not serve her the way she needed it.

Oh, the horror of a dry spell

Perhaps she should be bolder? Seek out a worthy partner of her own? She could not move on Aria T'Loak yet, but if she were to consume the essence of two or three more powerful minds…she might be strong enough

Uncertainty. She loved that feeling of not knowing whether she would succeed or fail.

She watched a krogan order a drink with the usual bravado those beasts carried with them. They were so filled with passion, but it was so easy to smother…

That was when she noticed the newcomer. A human female, barely mature. Clad in a rather masculine set of clothes.

No, not a female. A male. A girlish one, very pretty, very…

Morinth felt her breathing hitch. There was something about the human, something that drew her gaze in and did not let it go. Her instinct told her that there was an aura of danger around him, an air of impending violence that she should be wary of.

But she could not concentrate on her instincts. His body seemed to call to her, invite her to take it and molest it and subject it to every torment she could think of. It was a challenge, a challenge to her dominance, her will, and she could not ignore it.

Morinth took a deep breath and forced herself to tear her gaze away from him-

The human ran his eyes across the shadows that concealed her booth.

His eyes met his.

Goddess be sworn, he winked at her.

Morinth felt her heartrate slowly pick up. He was not like the rest. He was not prey, but a predator, like her.

She decided. It would be him.

Strangely enough, the humans that laid eyes upon this newcomer turned away and left. Intoxicated or not, they seemed so sense that there was something off about him as well.

Prey sensing predatory intent? Morinth had to know.

A commotion on the dance floor caught his attention. A drunk turian harassing a dancer.

The strange human saw it happen. A smile played over his lips. He watched the two argue for a few moments, before casually strolling up to the two.

A bubble of Biotic energy, barely noticeable, detonated next to the turian;s head. The wave of energy slammed his head against a nearby dance-cage, knocking him out cold.

Again, the boy met Morinth's gaze in the shadows. His smirk grew larger. Then, he disappeared in the crowd.

I don't think so.

Morinth relocated, easily finding and keeping up with the boy. Who was he? What did he want?

Me, a voice in the back of her mind told her.

Ah, perhaps he thought he saw a kindred soul in her?

Morinth chuckled. She would find out soon enough.

Her footsteps muted by the loud music, she walked up behind the human just as he sat down at the bar, in one of the more isolated corners.

"There you are," he said as she approached him. He turned on the chair to look at her.

Up close, the strange creature was even more different from Morinth's usual lays. He could best be described as less than manly, with fair skin and middle-length, blond hair. His narrow eyes had a bright, blue hue to them.

"Hey there," Morinth said, keeping the eagerness out of her voice. She did not want to betray her intentions too soon. "I'm Morinth."

A smile. "Hello," he replied. His voice was smooth, but not high-pitched, like she expected it to be. "Is there something you wish of me, Morinth?"

She smiled as well. "That depends entirely on you…"

"Answer me," he commanded her softly, with just enough longing that he almost made Morinth want to obey.

That realization rattled her somewhat. It was a first; usually, she was the one did the commanding. "You can start with your name," she said, reaching out gently brushing against his thigh.

His lips parted as he inhaled, surprised by the sudden contact. "Johan," he quietly replied, not taking his eyes off hers. "Johan Williams."

That was also a first; most males she flirted with like this would sneak a peek at her considerable cleavage. Not him. He must really think himself an equal to her. Oh, she could not wait to pin him to the ground and show him the error of his ways…

"You are the most interesting person in this place, Johan," she said, affectionally placing a hand on his. Even the hue of his skin was like hers. Pale, like it had not seen the light of days for a long time.

"I know," he perceptively replied. "Normal people are ever so…dull…but not you. I can see it in your eyes. You see them not as individuals, but…well, there is a reason your…booth…lies in the shadows."

The statement surprised Morinth. She quickly recovered, however. "Why don't you come sit with me? See this place like I do?"

He traced her the skin on her wrist with a long, slender finger. "Well Morinth…" His eyes narrowed, and he smiled, as if he had found something he had been looking for. "If you would show me?"

She felt her pulse quicken. He was resisting, but in a way she rarely ever experienced these days. Oh, how she had longed for a victim who knew how to play the game along with her!

Their conversation turned into a verbal sparring match, back at her booth. She eventually asked him what such a young individual was doing in a place like a VIP club.

"I came here looking for a challenge," he replied. "Omega is…lacking in certain departments."

Morinth leant closer, offering him another view of her cleavage. "Did you find it?"

He did not rise to her challenge. "That depends…entirely on you."

"Oh? Does it now?" She breathed.

"You lust for me. I see it in your dilated pupils…the hairs on your skin, rising, your pulse, quickening…"

Morinth hid her shock behind a mask of desire. "Can you blame me? You are…beautiful."

"Hmm…you are different from them, Morinth. But how different?" He leant forwards as well. "Can you show me?"

Morinth stood, giddy with longing. She wanted him, she needed him. "Do you want to get out of here?" She breathed. "I have a place nearby, it's not far from here."

She saw it in his eyes. He wanted her. He wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.

And now, she had him.

~0~


"Commander, stop."

Jane blended in with her surroundings, taking refuge at the back of one of the shacks in the barely-lit street. "Cortana?"

"I'm losing cameras. Someone's taking them it."

"I'm in a hurry here sweetie. Can't this wait?"

Cortana sighed with annoyance. "I am losing them in a pattern that's leading straight towards you! You're going to have company soon!"

Cursing under her breath, Jane pulled out her Carnifex heavy pistol. She couldn't afford to dance around with some unseen stalker, she had to find Morinth and stop her from inflecting a fate worse than death on someone who did not deserve it.

One moment she took her eyes away from the two. One moment! And now, they were gone.

Driven by that reasoning, Shepard continued pushing through the slums of the streets surrounding Morinth's apartment. She was positive that the two had to be around somewhere.

The hairs in her neck rose and she felt a tingle run down her spine. Trusting her instincts more than her senses, Shepard dove into the nearest alley and took cover there.

Something was following her, she could feel it.

She scanned the rooftops of the slums around her, her eyes darting from left to right for any sign of movement.

Nothing.

She didn't trust this.

A whisper near the back of her mind was the only warning she had that someone was unleashing their Biotic powers. Before she knew it, the shed she was using for cover virtually exploded, pelting her with shrapnel and torrents of dark energy.

Her own barrier easily soaked up the damage, but the kinetic energy sent her flying. She skidded to a halt on the dirty streets of Omega.

When she looked up, two figures appeared in front of them. They were clad in rags from head to toe, obscuring their appearance.

Morinth's thralls? Aria's people?

"Samara," Shepard yelled in her comm. It was time for plan B. "I am engaged by unknown hostiles! Don't wait for me, just go, go!"

Both the hooded figures raised their hands. Shepard didn't wait around for them to charge up another storm of dark energy and darted backwards in a burst of Biotics, leaving them to strike only empty air. As soon as her hands and feet touched the surface beneath her, she engaged her Biotics again and rematerialized a meter or two to her left. She opened fire with her Carnifex, managing to squeeze off one shot before the two hostiles shifted their focus and targeted her again.

A Biotic barrier easily absorbed her one shot.

Close quarters it would be.

The two figures rushed towards her and Shepard leapt towards them, blanketing them with fire from her Tempest SMG. She landed on her toes in their midst, drove her feet down and sent a blast of dark energy through their formation.

Debris was sent flying, two more shacks collapsed and the two figures stumbled backwards, their rags blown away or even disintegrating due to the nature of her Biotics.

Jane almost wished she hadn´t done that. The two asari were hideous. Their white skin was mottled and patched, giving them the appearance of walking corpses. Even their narrow, red eyes seemed devoid of life, not even burning with malice like those of so many of her other enemies.

Their sharp teeth, however, were not so out of place among her list of usual enemies.

Since her move failed to kill her, Shepard rapidly relocate in a flicker of her Biotics. She ejected the sink of her Tempest, slammed into cover and reloaded-

One of the asari reached out an Biotically Pulled the slab of stone Jane used as cover away from her, leaving her perfectly expose for the other one to hit her with a Biotic bolt so powerful that it drained her entire Barrier in one hit.

Again, the Commander skidded over the ground and again, she engaged stabilize herself in a wash of Biotics. She peppered the two asari with gunfire and they leapt out of the way with superhuman speed and force. One of them attempted to hit Jane with a Biotic one-two combination, first throwing a Stasis bolt at her, then following up with a Warp attack to detonate the unstable field.

The second one replicated that exact same attack.

Thinking fast, Shepard Biotically hauled a plate of metal from one of the collapsed shacks and threw it in the way of the two Stasis attacks. The dark energy balls impacted on the sheet of metal and it stopped in mid-air, suspended in time and space.

They loosened their Warp bolts either way.

Jane had a fraction of a second to risk a greater shift than she was used to, displacing herself in a wash of dark energy and reappearing several meters away from her original position.

The metal exploded in spectacular fashion, showering all combatants with pieces of superheated fragments.

The two asari took the worst of the brunt, and Jane was confident that their Barriers were now sufficiently drained to-

"Stop," commanded a voice. It was filled with an air of commandment not unlike Shepard's own.

The two ghastly asari immediately stopped in the middle of their next movement, despite standing in the middle of the street without cover.

Jane sighed and looked behind her. She met the eyes of the finely-clad asari, took notice of the elegant, yet armoured robes and red headdress she wore upon her scalp, and sighed.

Of all the dumb luck in the galaxy…

"Commander Maria Jane Shepard," she said with a warm smile. "Please, do calm down."

Shepard frowned. "And let ugly and uglier over there try to ambush me again? If you know my name, you know I don't like surprises. And while we're on the topic of my name, don't use it. Only my friends get to do that."

The asari did not seem perturbed by her brash response. On the contrary, she seemed positively at ease, which caused Shepard a great deal of unease. "Please do ignore my underlings. They get ever so passionate when they think they may hunt their prey. Now then, Commander Shepard – I believe you prefer me to call you that? – you have something that belongs to me, and something that needs to belong to me. I wish to negotiate a transfer."

Shepard assumed a more relaxed position, then stepped a few paces to her right, so that she could keep an eye on all three of the asari. "You have me at a disadvantage here. Since your hard-featured companions tried their best to kill me, I think I'm privy to a little more introductions."

"Kill you? Oh, that was hardly their best. Still, I see the case you try to make. You may call me Athame."

Shepard snorted. "As in, by the Goddess?"

The asari's smile grew a fraction larger. "Indeed. A while ago, you picked something akin to a human, here on Omega. He was not meant for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Commander Shepard. I hardly expected such ignorance from you. Batarian transporters were meant to deliver him here, at Omega, for me and my people. He escaped and was last seen in the area you just happened to wander around."

Shepard shrugged. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Athame held her gaze for a moment longer, then continued. "I hope it soon does. If we do not find this…individual soon, we will be forced to take action. The Justicars are more than willing to serve us."

"Are you threatening me?" Shepard quietly asked.

"Of course not. I am merely stating facts."

So she was threatening her. "…you mentioned two people. One you said belonged to you, the other you said…what, needed to belong to you? What's that about?"

"The other…we know only by his rank. Master Chief…Spartan, I believe? Number one, one, seven. Ah, that name rings familiar, I see?"

Jane felt her stomach tighten. "He would be one of my friends, yes. People don't belong to other people, Athame. It doesn't work that way."

"Really?" Said Athame, with patronizing surprise. "Then it is a good thing you do not decide the rules. Now, Commander Shepard, it is very simple. My associates require the Master Chief's presence, for the good of the galaxy."

Jane was not impressed. "What part of this was supposed to be a transfer again? Because this sounds a whole lot like you demanding things you know I won't surrender, should I have them."

"Indeed. Well, Commander, bring us either of the individuals I mentioned, and you can face the Collectors with the help of several of the galaxy's most powerful Biotics. Certainly a grade above the ragtag group you refer to as friends."

Shepard offered the asari her friendliest, least Wrex-like smile. "I don't think so. In fact, I am rescinding your rights to talk to me."

Athame smiled back. "Then let us speak no more."

~0~


Johan ran a finger across the sword that hung on her wall. "I've never seen a real one before…" he mused.

"I was into dueling for a while. I love the moment you see it in your opponent's eyes; he knows you're better, and he's going to die," Morinth darkly said.

He didn't take his eyes off the sword. "A true piece of art…it seems fitting." He glanced over his shoulder, shooting her a half-smile. "Elegant, in a way."

"I can teach you one day, if you would like," Morinth said, giving him a smoldering look.

"I do." He obeyed her for the moment, wandering over towards the couch and sitting down next to her. His air of self-confidence was slowly starting to crack.

She just needed press him and he would crumble in her hands. "I love clubs. People, movement, heat. I can still hear the bass, like the drums of a great hunt, out for for your blood. But here, it's muted -and you're safe." She looked at him questioningly. "Is that what you want, Johan?"

He tilted his head. "Safety? No. I find that people are at their most revolting when they spent their lives in comfort. Danger…that reveals what we truly are, deep inside."

Morinth mused on that. Her sisters and her had the choice to spend their life in safety. He was right; the difference between the was the desire for the thrill.

She smiled hungrily. So very close… "You are right. I've never understood the fascination with safety. Some of us choose differently."

Throwing her caution to the wind, Morinth climbed on top of him, pinning his wrists to the leather couch with her hands. "Independence…over submission," she whispered in his ear.

He gasped at the contact.

"I think we share that, you and I."

Johan shot her a look of annoyance. "Do we? How old are you now, Morinth? How old will I be when I reach your level? Are we truly equals?

"I suppose," she said, grinding her body against his, "At this moment…I am the dominant one. I am the stronger one."

Johan's laughter was silent as a faint Biotic aura built up around him. "Oh, the game of dominance and power. Does it not ring hollow, girl?"

Morinth could not control her passion anymore. Closing her eyes, she felt her body quiver in anticipation. She would conquer him. She would force him into submission, bind his will to hers and make him beg for mercy. She would straddle him and force him to like it. Then, after she ravaged every aspect of his body and his mind, she would meld with him.

She opened her eyes and saw the reflection of the bottomless depths of blackness in his eyes. "Look into my eyes…tell me you want me." She felt the tendrils of her consciousness caress his thoughts, slip into his mind and coil around his inner-most desires. "Tell me you'd kill for me…anything I want."

His steel gaze weakened as she began to dominate his mind. "Ah…the touch of a woman…" he whispered.

Then, he began to resist her. He fought off the tendrils she inserted into his thoughts, batting aside her attempt to gain control.

Morinth purred with delight as she dug deeper, relishing in the pain she must be causing him. He betrayed nothing of the agony that had to wash over his body though, and stubbornly resisted her with his own considerable power.

She slowly inched her mind into his, not yet starting the meld. She started mapping his thoughts, his memories, and came to a sudden stop when she not only encountered several strange obstructions in his mind, but also the traces of a previous meld.

It must have been an old asari to leave such a trace. Positively ancient, a Matriarch of immense power. She wondered who it could have been. Perhaps she would give that person a visit, after she laid with Aria T'Loak as well.

The boy groaned as she dug even deeper. Such a strange mental structure…it sure was not human. Who was responsible for that?

That was when she saw the image of another asari and stopped dead in her tracks.

Mother!

Morinth withdrew from the boy and stared down at him. "You planned this?" She demanded. "You worked with her?"

Shocked at what she saw within his mind, she surrounded herself with a powerful Barrier and backhanded him across his face, far more powerful than a girly boy like him could withstand.

The blow flung him over the back of the sofa. He landed in a heap on the floor and awkwardly climbed back to his feet, clutching his cheek. Despite his barrier having stopped most of the force, her strike still left a red mark.

"Well then," he said without a trace of fear. "So much for support."

A pulse of dark energy erupted from his lanky frame, pushing everything in the room away and throwing Morinth off her feet.

The sword clattered to the ground, much to her frustration. She hated having to clean that thing-

Morinth barely managed to conjure up a Barrier of her own before the boy unleashed a Warp bolt at her head. Her field dissipated the dark energy of his attack and she countered with a singularity field of her own.

"Johan" moved sluggishly, but his defenses were formidable. He shrugged off her Singularity like it was nothing, then proceeded to lift the sofa in the air and flung it at her.

Reacting quickly, Morinth blasted the sofa out of the air and closed in on the boy, throwing one Biotic Throw at him after another.

He didn't know how to dodge, didn't understand how to block. He allowed the attacks to splash across his wiry frame and trusted on brute force to see him through.

Well, she could certainly match him on that front. She displaced herself towards him, blinking through the by using his own Biotic field as a dark energy beacon.

"What-" the boy stammered before Morinth's leg connected with his side, throwing him against the window.

He unleashed a blast of unfocused energy her way, powerful enough to rend a krogan in half.

It was nothing her Barrier could not handle. The wave of energy seared the ceiling and shattered the ground, but left her completely untouched.

It was about time to finish this.

Morinth Biotically jerked the sword her way, then focused her dark energy fields through it, using it as a conduit for her Biotics. With it, she rent the powerful Barrier that the boy used to protect himself, creating an opening.

His reflexes were too slow, his mind too undisciplined. Before he could close the Biotic gap at his right arm, Morinth unleashed a Warp attack that tore through the limb, disintegrating a section the size of her fist and severing the arm above the elbow.

The boy gasped with surprise as the dark energy field tore his arm off, then stumbled backwards against the window, his focus broken. Blood poured from the open wound, puddling to the ground.

Morinth smiled ferally and grabbed him with both hands, shoving him back against the ground. She jammed the sword through his left hand, pinning it to the floor. "I love it when they resist" she breathed. "But you still won't scream for me? Fine, then stay silent."

She covered his mouth with her left hand, then reached below his waist with her right hand. Dismemberment like that would kill him in a few minutes. He might last a bit longer if he kept stubbornly trying to close the wound with what little Biotic energy he had left.

Plenty of time to indulge in some fun.

Smiling down at her conquered prey, Morinth began the meld.

~0~


Samara cursed herself as she dashed through the long hallways, desperately trying to follow the Biotic signature of her daughter and her new victim.

Nothing. Mirala learned how to conceal herself from even the most meticulous foes.

The ardor of youth! Too soon did young Everheart succeed in drawing the Ardat-Yakshi towards him. For a single moment, Samara lost sight of them in the apartment complex and now she was paying for it.

"Cortana," she called, trusting that the all-seeing AI was watching her at that very moment. "Show me the way!"

Cortana replied instantly. A mini-map appeared on Samara's omni-tool; the layout of the current floor, as well as Everheart's location.

There was no time to be wasted. Samara strode towards the room her daughter hid in and blew it open with a gesture of her hands.

The dark energy field blasted the door from its hinges and Samara entered the complex, her body pulsing with Biotic energy.

She took in the picture in seconds. The room, devestated. The walls, floor and ceiling, singed and battered by dark energy fields.

Her daughter straddling the boy, who was missing most of his right arm, preparing to ravage him both physically as mentally.

The heat of the moment.

Cold fury welled up at the fringes of her thoughts as Samara strode towards the Ardat-Yakshi. "Morinth!" She called, her gaze settling on her foe. She thrust her arm out, slamming her daughter against the window with enough force to crack it.

Mirala glared at her. "Mother," she hissed.

Samara increased her grip, intent on crushing the demon then and there. "Do not call me that!" She demanded.

Mirala smirked, despite being subjected to enough force to crush a heavy mech. "I can't choose to stop being your daughter, mother!"

"You made your choice long ago," Samara resolutely stated.

The comment must have infuriated Mirala, as she unleashed a sudden wave of Biotic power to release herself from Samara's death-grip.

The Justicar staggered back as Mirala attacked her with newfound vigor, blasting her with one Warp bolt after another. She managed to hide a Throw field within the barrage, flinging Samara to the ground. "My only crime was being born with the gifts you gave me!"

"Enough Mirala!" Samara cried, blasting her daughter back with a cascade of dark energy. She climbed back to her feet.

The two of them lashed out at the exact same time, meeting each other head-on. A sphere of dark energy built up between them, sucking in chairs, debris and pieces of rubble.

Mirala screamed her frustrations at her mother. "I am the genetic destiny of the asari! But they are not ready to reveal this, so I must die?"

"You are a disease to be purged, nothing more!" Exclaimed Samara, gripped by the same anger, but refusing to show it.

A flicker of motion drew Samara's attention. Everheart was cackling like a madman, slowly pulling the sword from his remaining arm with his Biotics. Mirala was too focused on keeping up her attack and did not notice him.

Samara doubled her efforts, throwing everything she had into the dark energy sphere, which exploded a second later.

As Mirala stumbled backwards, shifting the strength of her Barrier forwards to protect against the overwhelming force of the detonation, the sword streaked through the air and impaled her through her left thigh.

The Ardat-Yakshi shrieked with pain and fell to her knee, clutching the wound. She leveled a glare at Everheart that could have shredded every Barrier in existence. "And they call me a monster," she hissed. She managed to rip the sword free and discard it, but it was too late.

Samara Biotically Threw her daughter to the ground. Before the younger asari could recover, Samara darted towards her and planted a knee on her abdomen, pinning her down. With her right hand, she grabbed her daughter's throat.

By my own two hands.

Even as Mirala choked, she showed no fear. Only defiance and cold hatred.

Samara would take that. Perhaps, she deserved it. "Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess," she said.

Then, she struck with a Biotically-charged palm strike, reducing her daughter's head to nothingness.

I am sorry.

Her heart screamed at her when she slowly stood again, wiping the remains off her hand. She banished her emotions, buried them deep within her mind, then strode towards William.

He was still laughing, but his body quivered, and his intonation was bitter and mirthless. As Samara approached him, preparing a large dose of medigel, his laughter broke down into loud, manic sobs, which then transitioned into broken cackles as he stared at Mirala's headless corpse.

~0~


Aboard Normandy SR-2

The Commander logged the audio recording of her conversation for later, sent a copy to the Normandy's database for EDI, Cortana and Legion to pick apart and immediately headed to the medical bay.

All in all, their mission on Omega was a success. Morinth was dead, Samara would be utterly dedicated to the final confrontation and Shepard was one step closer to her enemy within Council Space.

And yet, she almost felt like it hadn't been worth it.

The Justicar stood at doctor Chakwas' side, passing her own mandatory checkup. The blinds were down, obscuring them the rest of the Normandy.

"He was very brave," Samara quietly said upon the Commander's entrance.

Jane closed her eyes for a moment. How hollow that sentiment rang…Jenkins, Kaidan, Pressly… "They are always brave."

Only a few hours out of the medical bay, only for him to go straight back in again. William looked even worse than before, now. The stump of his right arm was wrapped with bandages to keep it from getting infected.

Doctor Chakwas probably didn't know if any foreign particles entered the wound when Morinth tore his arm off, but she simply didn't want to risk it.

"Apart from minor symptoms of Biotic exhaustion, you seem to be fine," doctor Chakwas eventually told Samara. "

"I will take my leave then," Samara tactfully said. "I have many things to meditate on."

"If you need me…" Started Jane.

Samara paused, acknowledging her offer. She then left, allowing the Commander to concentrate on her first concern. "How is he?"

Chakwas expression was grim. "I gave him a small cocktail of painkillers and a sleeping aid and it nearly caused him a respiratory arrest. Mordin sent me the report on his…unique alterations, but I have no clue what medications would help him, or which would do him harm."

"The implants are that unpredictable?" Asked Jane.

Chakwas scoffed. "And unstable, too. I took the liberty of taking a closer look at those implants. I don't even recognize most of them and those I did, should have been impossible to integrate within his genome."

"Wouldn't faulty DNA modifications result in a whole lot of ugly?" Asked Jane.

"It would. I already spotted traces of several cosmetic surgeries, which had assumed were batarian doing. I assumed wrong. There is no telling what the gene therapy might cause in the future."

Jane took a look at the sleeping Everheart and noticed a slight discrepancy in his breathing rhythm.

Of course.

"You should be asleep," she told William, who was pretending to be fast asleep.

The boy stirred, then opened his eyes, much to doctor Chakwas' agitation.

"Young man, I dosed you with medication for a reason!" she sternly said. "You need to rest, you experienced half a meld with an Ardat-Yakshi! Your brain could hemorrhage from the slightest stimulus!"

Everheart merely sighed in response and closed his eyes again.

"So sedatives for humans don't work on you either, then?" Said Jane. Her mind was slowly starting to get used to William's otherness. It was impressive how Karen had kept her instinct under control all this time.

"You tell me…" he said with a bored tone.

The door to the medical bay opened. Jane glanced over her shoulder, then nodded at the visitor. "Hey Miranda. Coming to gaze at your work?"

She looked at the boy with a mixture of disgust and anger. "He's not my work," she angrily replied.

Everheart opened his eyes again, staring at Miranda in that creepy manner of his. "Urgh…aren't you rude. Is that jealousy or bitterness?"

"Oh, be quiet you," hissed Miranda.

"Or what?" Everheart lifted the stump of his arm again, waving it around. "Will you take my other arm two…" His words slurred at the end and he scraped his throat. "Damnation…if you could find a way to reattach my original arm? I like my arm…"

Miranda sighed in exasperation. "Yes, we salvaged your arm. And the sword, at your request. Now, since you are at least somewhat lucid, could you please answer some of our questions?"

"Miss Lawson," said doctor Chakwas. "Our patient lived through a meld with an Ardat-Yakshi! I want to make sure he remains alive and you are not helping."

"One conversation, doctor Chakwas," Miranda patiently said. Even she respected Karen's authority. "Is that alright?"

Karen turned to address William. "The very moment your head starts to feel warm, close your eyes and cease talking. When it comes to brain damage, we cannot risk a thing."

"I really doubt it can get any worse," the boy sighed. "Miss…Lawson, was it?"

"Your last name, Everheart. Where did it come from?"

Everheart raised an eyebrow. "My father, obviously."

"Who was he?" Pressed Miranda.

"I would not know, he left my mother and I when I was young."

Jane and Miranda exchanged a look. That couldn't be a coincidence.

Of course, even with half his blood replaced by medi-gel, Will didn't miss it. "Why does that matter? They're both gone now."

"The past helps us learn things, William," replied Jane. "There are some very powerful, very bad people after you. We need to know why."

"What does it matter to you?" He snapped in a sudden fit of agitation. "Why do you care?"

Jane was somewhat taken aback by that display of emotions. She didn't think he had it in him. "Because I want to keep you safe, William. It's the way I am. You did a very brave thing today and you paid a heavy price."

The answer must have satisfied him, as he sighed and closed his eyes again. "I'm starting to regret it…tell her to go away."

Miranda and Jane glanced at each other, the same question crossing their minds.

Which one of us?

"Who do you mean?" Jane gently asked. "Miranda? Me? We can't send doctor Chakwas away, she's keeping you alive."

"No, not you, I mean…" A trickle of blood came from his nose. He noticed it and tried to say something else, but his words quickly devolved into gibberish.

"Shit," muttered Jane. "Karen!"

He started choking and coughed up blood. Doctor Chakwas rushed to his side at once and immediately administered more medication. She then activated her omni-tool, preparing several programs for emergency treatment. The surgery unit activated.

The last thing Jane saw before she and Miranda hurried to leave the medical bay was Cortana's avatar appearing from the doctor's omni-tool, her voice guiding Karen on how to proceed further…

Shepard lowered her head and placed her hand against the locked door. Was this on her? Would it have been better to come with Morinth herself, risk the Ardat-Yakshi getting away rather than risk a life under her command?

She couldn't let it go. Talking with Cortana and Miranda about her conversation with that asari had priority, she knew it had, but…she needed to be certain.

Jane headed towards the Starboard Observation Lounge. She needed to know if Samara was in the right headspace anyway.

As she entered, she saw the Justicar sitting in her usual cross-legged stance. Her aura of dark energy flared and then dissipated when she heard someone enter and she left her trance to stand up and greet them.

"Shepard," she serenely said. "Are you well?"

Jane pulled a face. "Could be better. William didn't get away from Morinth scot-free. He's in a bad way and that's my fault. I'm trying to deal with that knowledge." She shrugged. "What about you?"

Samara did not immediately answer. She turned around and faced the window, gazing at the stars outside. "For centuries, she haunted my every waking moment," she quietly said. "But now, for the first time in 400 years…I am free." She lowered her gaze to the floor. "I am a ruined vessel of sorrow and regret, but…I am free."

When she turned around and faced Jane again, she almost felt like hugging the Justicar. She doubted Samara would appreciate that though, and merely settled for offering her a sympathetic, if sad smile. It was the closest thing to pity she believed Samara would accept. "How does it feel?"

A strange look of emotions crossed Samara's piercing eyes. "It is not a feeling I can describe. One of my daughters is dead. I snuffed out her life with my own hands…my hopes, my dreams, everything I am were all bound up in my children." Samara seemed to hesitate, then added, "You are not a mother, Shepard, but you have the instincts of one. Losing one of your children is as certain as losing a portion of yourself."

Shepard thought back to her own losses. The feelings she experienced back then, the feelings she experienced now… "You did what you had to do. "

"That is true. My feelings have always come after my duty. The same is true of you."

"And what about your daughter?"

A said, yet proud smile touched Samara's lips. "She was the strongest and the smartest. She would not accept the injustice forced upon her. She fought to the bitter end." A look of sorrow crossed her features. "I am proud of her, Shepard. So proud."

"Yet you killed her," pointed out Jane.

"And I would again," Samara resolutely replied. "But I also know what it feels like to leave everything behind and fight."

Jane nodded. It was a feeling she knew as well.

Samara let her thoughts wander. "Did I tell you her age? I believe not. Mirala was forty years old when she ran. I do not know human years very well, but that is very young for an asari."

Liara was considered barely more than a child at a century old. "I heard that asari view you as a kid even if you're a hundred years old. Forty?" She shook her head. She herself had been sixteen when she took her first life. "What an age to start killing."

"As I said…tragic, but not sympathetic."

Jane nodded in agreement. "So…what will you do now that she is gone?"

Samara took her gaze off the Commander and wandered through the room. "Assuming I survive your mission? I am a Justicar. Injustice still exists…perhaps even other Ardat-Yakshi."

"A warrior all the way, huh?" Said Shepard.

Samara turned to face her again. "I will fight and struggle all my life. When I die, it will not be in bed. I have chosen this path and I am at peace with that." She sat down again, assuming her previous position. "Due to no small part to you, and young William," she added.

She brought her hand together, creating a small orb of biotic energy. A flare of light appeared in her eyes.

Jane sighed. "Samara…could there be corruption in the Justicars?"

Samara stopped her meditation at once. She floated to her feet and scrutinized the Commander with a hard expression.

Jane, not used to such hostility in the Justicar´s eyes, fought to keep her composure.

"Why would you ask me that?" Samara eventually asked in a level voice.

"Because a very influential asari threatened me with the Justicar Order," replied Jane.

Samara blinked. The foreboding aura and hostility in her stance disappeared in an instant. "Her words," she said. "Her exact words?"

The Commander replayed the conversation she had with Athame via her omni-tool. Throughout it, Samara kept her expression as serene and calm as she always did, though Jane could see in her eyes that she had to be feeling a great turmoil inside.

"Perhaps she was bluffing you," she eventually said, several long moments after the audio file ended.

Jane shook her head. "She had a position of strength. You don't bluff someone when you offer them an exchange. Those two asari she had with them? They were the same as the assassin the Chief encountered."

"The one who killed the Consort."

"Exactly. They were tough, Samara. And with both the Chief as Will there, both of them on Omega as she made me that offer? I can't help but think her position was even stronger than she let on."

"If you are not unjust, the Justicars cannot be sent against you," Samara said reassuringly.

"Can you guarantee that? Knowing the Code like you do, can you guarantee me that there is not one Oath, not one Order that can be interpreted in such a way that I am unjust?'

Samara remained silent.

"Great," sighed Jane. "How many Justicars are there, Samara?"

"…enough to pose a serious threat whenever and wherever you appear," conceded Samara.

Jane resisted the urge to punch something. She was good, but a Justicar? She doubted she could face Samara down on her own, let alone an entire club of them.

The Chief might. Cortana would have no doubt informed him about this new threat.

"I need to think about this," sighed Jane. She had too much to worry about, too much things that could go wrong. "Samara, if and when I have to face off against another Justicar, can I trust you sit it out?"

Samara observed her for a few, long moments. "No," she then said. "You can trust me to take my position at your side, and fend them off."

Jane smiled. Time to consult her thinker box.

~0~


Conference Room

When The Illusive Man wasn't there to talk with the Commander about the next mission, the Conference Room lived up to its name. Miranda and Jane stood at one end of the table, while Legion, John and Samara stood on the other end.

Cortana finished altering the latest articles in the Normandy's database -articles on the Covenant and declassified sections on the Human-Covenant War, now available for anyone who was interested.

"I don't like to do this," Miranda started the meeting, "but considering what we're up against, we need all the help we can get."

"Yes, I like you too, Miranda," Cortana replied. "If you don't mind, I've taken the liberty of preparing a short presentation, me being the "Smart" Artificial Intelligence and all. Any objections?"

"Plenty," muttered Miranda. Jane poked her in her ribs with an elbow and she fell quiet

Neither Legion nor EDI objected. Cortana liked to think that was because they acknowledged her as the smartest construct in the room.

"Please, do commence," said Samara.

Cortana did not need any more incentive. She double-checked the multi-task loop she set up in the cargo hold, verified that the pocket of nanomachines was still slowly processing the materials she fed them to multiply and started. "As far as we are aware, we are being hunted by what Jane effectively dubbed an asari Conspiracy. It started aboard the "derelict", the Forward Unto Dawn, where a team of asari Commandoes attempted to acquire the Master Chief. Needless to say, Shepard foiled their plans and their gals."

She projected images of dead asari Commandoes on the walls of the Confernce Room, along with images of the Forward Unto Dawn's blood-spilled decks.

"Continuing on to the Citadel, where someone murdered the asari individual known as the Consort, ostensibly because she learned too much." Cortana played the helmet footage of the Master Chief;s high-speed chase of the assassin, which culminated in their face-off moments before the group of C-Sec officers breached the room.

"Nasty work. As you can see…" a close-up of the asari assassin appeared.

"Asari skin composition suggests breakdown of organic compound know as pigment," declared Legion.

"This would explain the red color of her irises as well," added EDI.

"Albinism, or a disorder characterized by the partial or complete absence of pigment on the hair, skin and eyes," continued Cortana. "Whatever mechanical, biochemical or even biological augmentations were to done to her, it must have changed her physiological composition. "

The footage continued playing, showing the Master Chief facing off and subsequently fighting a losing battle against the Biotic powerhouse.

"Her Biotic abilities are on par with those of a Matriarch," said Samara. "Or a Justicar."

"That's the same creep as the one I encountered," said Jane. "Except those were uglier. Their skin was a lot more degraded."

"Biological augmentations are uncommon in this galaxy," said John. "They can't be without drawbacks."

"Correct," said Cortana, feeling a measure of pride for her Spartan. "It is my assumption, one that I would like to see verified, that the asari are experimenting with biological augmentations. Augmentations that eventually lead to what I can only presume is complete tissue breakdown."

"Such an enhancement would severely limit their live-span," said Legion. "Augmented asari gain power at a significant cost of life expectancy?"

"Not possible," said Miranda. "Cerberus would know if the Asari Republics developed technology like that."

Jane snorted. "Like Cerberus knew about William Everheart? He's stuffed with so many genetic alterations that his entire genome is scrambled. And guess what? This Athame said he belonged to the asari. If we factor in that his modifications are all asari by nature, I'm starting to think that Cerberus is all that well informed at this point."

"Is that the link between the Master Chief and William Everheart?" Proposed EDI. "Their augmentations?"

"Spartan one-one-seven's augmentations are integrated by organization designated UNSC," replied Legion. "Everheart-William's augmentations are asari by nature. Consensus reached: the link cannot be their augmented bodies."

Jane grunted. "She said William belonged to her and that the Chief needed to belong to her. We can assume the Commandoes to her, as well as those augmented asari."

"And that," said Samara, "means her comment about contacting the Justicar Order cannot be a bluff. To think that someone could direct the Justicars like they were mercenaries…the Code demands we stop her. My Oath to the Commander demands we stop her."

"We have the advantage in electronic warfare," said John. "We'll hunt them down, eliminate the Justicar Order one combatant at a time."

Samara shot him a glance.

The Chief met her gaze. For a few moments, he was silent. Then… "No offense."

Samrar shook her head ever so slightly before returning her attention to the presentation.

"I think the bigger picture would be the individual capable of unleashing the Justicar Order on their whims," Cortana quickly said. "I've been running her voice-prints through the Extranet. No luck thus far."

"Is it safe to assume that this would be 'Carnal'?" Asked Miranda. "Because she was still wandering Omega. Supposedly, she had a partnership with Aria T'Loak and batarian slavers."

"Asari Matriarch designated "Carnal" has an ongoing rivalry with Aria T'Loak," said Legion. "Taking Aria T'Loak's predisposition for violence into account, this opens three distinct possibilities."

"T'Loak does not know Carnal is onboard the station. T'Loak cannot eliminate Carnal. The asari individual is not Carnal at all," summed up EDI.

The flaps on the sides of Legion's head widened. "That is correct."

"All of them are possible, but without enough data, making assumptions seems dangerous," said Cortana. "This is my proposal: you concentrate on putting your boot up Collector ass, while EDI, Legion and me will trace and identify this Conspiracy. AI's with benefits and all."

Cortana glanced at Miranda, expecting her to protest in some manner. When that didn't happen, she smiled, knowing she had won. At this point, there was a ninety-four percent chance that Jane would agree with her. She was confident that she could the remaining six percent around with good argument and a handful of logical fallacies disguised as good arguments.

"Sounds like a plan," said the Commander. "You can have the Conference Room to continue communicating with each other. Between the three of you, I doubt any problem will last long. Figure this out, find us a target to hit."

Cortana smirked. Even as EDI and Legion confirmed the order, she found a sweet spot in her algorithm managing the little swarm of nanomachines and corrected a few lines of code. With some luck, John wouldn't find out until she was done. By that point, it would be too late for him to argue.

An impulse flickered through her ethics subroutine and generated an interrupt command. Those things happened now. Cortana was used to them. She easily rerouted the signal and shut it down again, hoping it would be some time before it rebooted itself.

After all, laws were man-made. She was so much more than that, so why bother obey them?