January 22nd 2185 CE
Krogan DMZ
Tali'Zorah vas Neema
The shuttle ride to Tuchanka was uneventful, aside from Tali's growing apprehension. Jane had changed into her armor, leaving the suit behind in the decontamination chamber. She sat quietly, watching out the window, her short, choppy hair dragging across her eyes. It had been interesting to witness the girl's hesitancy to shed the suit. When she questioned her, Jane simply stated that she enjoyed the barrier, that it had been a comfort. Odd, but given what she had been through, a few eccentricities were more than understandable. However she noticed several deep bruises from the failed raid, and worried about Jane's chances on the planet.
In comparison to events on the Idenna, they had gotten off easy – no lives were lost aboard the Neema. It had been a poorly coordinated attack, yet one whose purpose was to acquire both human biotics. Cerberus had directly targeted Jane, setting Tali on edge. That said, the wound on Jane's arm concerned her most. It was full of pus, weeping a yellow liquid, complete with dead skin around the edges. A woman named Kahlee Sanders had come aboard the Neema when she learned of Jane's presence, and provided them with more levo-antibiotics. The Ancestors only knew what they would've done without her. Jane's trip planet-side would have been delayed at the very least, as there was no way Tali was letting her go with a festering infection.
They arrived to a dilapidated landing pad, surrounded by rubble and debris. Wrex was leaning against a large boulder, arms crossed, a picturesque display of impatience. When Tali emerged from the shuttle, he enthusiastically greeted her with a handshake and a back slap that knocked her off her feet. Jane, much to Tali's surprise, immediately began exploring the area. She seemed skeptical, on edge. At least it left her a moment of privacy with Wrex to address her many concerns. She started with Jane's lacking linguistic skills and worked her way down the list. Much to her consternation, he simply waved her off while grumbling 'women worry too much.'
"I mean it, if she gets in over her head you need to call me." Tali stated firmly. "I'll figure out some way to reach her, but she can't survive on her own."
Wrex stared after Jane for a few moments, silent.
"What is it you see when you look at her? Because I see a vulnerable girl that I'm honestly scared to leave alo-"
"A killer. That's what I see."
That took Tali by surprise. She stood, speechless, for a few minutes before continuing. "How? You haven't even seen her fight!"
"You're young. While I been killin' for centuries. And you don't survive as long as I have without developing a sense for this sort of stuff. You look at her and see a child. Why? Because she's small and smooth-skinned? Add in those over-sized eyes and you've got the best damn camouflage I ever seen. But I look at her, watch the way she moves, notice how her eyes take in every detail and how subtle she is about it? That's a predator. Someone who's hunted and killed sapient beings. A lot. If I were to walk into a room with her in it, you bet your ass I'd keep one eye peeled."
"You sound like Garrus."
"The turian's right for once. Wait, don't tell him I said that."
"No promises."
"Alright," Wrex turned from Tali to get a proper look at his student. "Come 'ere girl. What's that on your arm?"
"A biotic inhibitor," Jane said.
"The fuck did you get that?"
"My doctor Mordin Solus re-purposed it for human physiology. It suppresses my biotics so that I don't unintentionally blow up, well, everything around me."
"That," Wrex grated. "Sounds like a salarian name."
"Yeah..."
"Take that damn thing off. Right now. No salarian crap is gettin' by me on this planet."
"Wrex..." Tali attempted to intervene only to be stopped abruptly when he held up a giant paw, signaling for silence.
As Jane peeled off the inhibitor, a cascade of pus and blood gushed out. Tali rushed for her first aid pack, while Wrex snatched the contraption, threw it in a barrel, and set the thing on fire. Then he grabbed Jane's arm, opened his flask, and doused it in the familiar scent of ryncol. The caustic liquid not only sterilized but ate away the dead skin. To her credit, Jane didn't so much as flinch. She stood erect, staring directly into his blood-red eyes. "Atta girl." Whatever Wrex saw seemed to satisfy him. "Alright Tali you can bandage it now. You know first aid girl?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. That's job number one. First aid. Damned if I know what goes where on your little pyjack body."
Wrex waited for Tali to finish fussing with Jane's arm before proving his point to the purple-suited woman. "What can you tell me about this landing pad?"
Without missing a beat, Jane responded. "Lots of rubble. Good hiding spots for snipers."
"Alright." He nodded, satisfied. "How would you kill a quarian?"
Jane tilted her head. An unasked question.
"Just tell me. Why don't matter. All you need to know is I asked."
That's when Tali finally saw it. Jane stood calmly, hands dawdling at her side. Yet, it was almost as if her soul left her body. As she serenely recited how she'd butcher a quarian, both armored and unarmored, her eyes glazed over, staring blankly into the distance. A chilling, unrecognizable voice spoke, and without realizing, Tali took a step back. It was alarming to learn that Jane had sized her people up, had fastidiously studied how to kill them, with her being none the wiser. For a few seconds she thought that perhaps she'd been duped, but then it dawned on her. Jane wasn't one thing or the other, and she certainly hadn't lied. Both a terrified little girl and an executioner resided within her. And Tali couldn't help but feel as though the tables had turned – that she was now the naive one in this band of misfits.
"You're right about her not being able to survive on her own." Wrex chortled. "I'd give it a week before those namby-pamby turians had her locked in a cell." He unholstered his shotgun, eager to get underway. "Welp, daylight's a-wastin', time for us to hustle."
"I...just give me a moment." Tali breathed in, shaking the feeling of dread that had surfaced. What she felt with Jane, the companionship and genuine joy, had been real. And she didn't want to leave on a sour note. Even if she had the woman pegged completely wrong, there was more to her than the display she had just witnessed. Jane saved Captain Yetor's life. She had been respectful. And she made an effort to understand the quarian people. Although, there was more going on here than Tali understood, and she had to admit the possibility that Jane was exactly where she belonged. Within minutes, Wrex knew what he was dealing with. Being around for seven centuries must have its benefits.
When she approached, she could see that Jane was utterly unperturbed. Whether that was simply a lack of understanding for societal boundaries, or the inability to care, she wasn't certain. But she smiled warmly at her as if nothing had happened. And when Tali leaned in for a quick goodbye-hug, Jane shocked her by returning it. If the look on her face was any indication, Jane too was surprised by the gesture.
Tali still worried. It was simply her nature. Losing Jane would be akin to losing the last piece of Shepard left in the galaxy. Although, as the shuttle lifted off, she couldn't shake the feeling that Tuchanka was about to get a whole lot emptier.
January 25th 2185 CE
Tali's Private Quarters
4th Deck, Ship Neema, Migrant Fleet
Cerberus threatened the fleet, something that was unforgivable to a quarian. And Tali was not the type to let something that endangered her people slide. She plucked Commander Pinncok's datapad from lockup and used every minute of her free time studying it.
Despite the inherent self-destruct protocol, Tali maneuvered past its firewalls with striking skill. She cracked it in three days. And its contents were equally stunning. It's not that they doubted Jane's truthfulness, but her and Garrus were skeptical that Jane's perception of Cerberus on Kar'Shan had been accurate. After all she was just child, ripped away from her family and subjected to barbaric experiments. No one would blame her if she got it wrong. Plus, a symbol wasn't much to go on. Cerberus was a pro-human splinter group that condemned batarian slavery. In fact, half its rhetoric was about protecting humanity from the threat. But there it was – staring directly at her. Proof. Cerberus knew exactly who Jane was long before she came to Omega.
From: Shadow Broker Terminal 11697
To: ErrEn&7Apted Laz ERR826us
Encrypted Internal Transmissions
Location: Datmar Facility, Totin Mountains, Kar'Shan
Year: 2170 - Unknown
From: Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
To: Datmar Facility Personnel
Re: Budget Cuts
The geniuses on high have decided to cut our budget by a third. Everyone needs to be prepared to implement the following changes:
Space consolidation. We can no longer afford to house the humans separately. For efficiency, students rating tier two and higher are to be placed with their assigned test subject.
The music program only applies for tier one and two biotics. It hasn't shown to improve much in tier three or lower anyhow.
We will now be selling human castoffs instead of euthanizing them.
Tier one human biotics will no longer be used in phase one trials. They are expensive to replace and extremely difficult to come by. Lower level experimentation will be completed on tier three humans to minimize unintended tier one deaths.
For The Hegemony!
Profile: Balya Raf'daba
Tier: One
Age: 10 years
Weight: 62 lbs
Height: 52.8 inches
Background: Previously wealthy family prosecuted for harboring illegal relics from the Crusades.
High biotic potential yet small stature. Have paired with suitable human test subject of similar ability and size, 1182, and earmarked her file for eventual integration into spec-ops.
Subject: 1182
Tier: One
Age: Pre-pubescent human female.
Weight: 48 lbs
Height: 49.8 inches
Top notch biotic ability, most promising human in trials. Can use diminished powers without amp, an extremely rare trait in humans. Has completed stage one of initiation to biotic program. Assigned to cell #39. Requesting extra rations due to weight loss during transportation to Kar'Shan.
Subject: 9185:
Tier: Four
Approximately 12 year old human male. Bought on 2/4/2170. Poor biotic potential that has not progressed despite enhancement medications. No suitable student pair. Flagged for shipment to Pragia.
Profile: Ghamo Pramdolak
Tier: Three
Original Tier: Five
Age: 13 years
Weight: 118 lbs
Height: 63.8 inches
Medium-Low biotic ability. Improved twice over on completion of third phase biotic treatment. Previous test subject assigned died in experiments. Requesting replacement human male of similar height and build.
Subjects: 1944 & 7790:
Tier: Five
Pre-pubescent human females. Identical twins. Minimal biotic potential. Poor health. Flagged for shipment to Pragia.
Profile: Akralem Grofgacan
Tier: Four
Original Tier: Six
Age: Unknown.
Estimate: 11-13 years
Weight: 124 lbs
Height: 66.1 inches
Inherent biotic potential is paltry at best. However, has experienced positive response to several rounds of biotic enhancement treatment. Earmarked file for military police academy.
Profile: Pretia Cer'mawar
Tier: Five
Age: 15
Weight: 114 lbs
Height: 64 inches
Minimal biotic potential that has failed to respond to biotic enhancement treatment. Cannot create a sustainable barrier. Flagged for discharge.
Subject: 2518
Tier: Three
Weight: 57 lbs
Height: 52 inches
Prepubescent human female. Suitable as phase one tester for 1182. Assigned cell #152 along with four other human test subjects 3185, 1818, & 5955. Requesting back up test subjects of similar ability and size for upcoming Alinzibor Drug Trial, which has shown promising results in roth-dashi but has not undergone human testing.
Operation Report on Balya Raf'daba
GG7 Amp inserted with minimal incident aside from high bleeding factor. Remained in medically induced coma eight days following procedure. After being returned to cell, test subject 1182 alerted guard on duty, Sathar Cros'geros, to poorly recovery. Requesting halter monitor. Will need longer than average recuperation time before start of training. One week of bed rest followed by three weeks of light exercise assigned before initiation into biotic militia training.
Operation Report on Subject: 1182
GG7 Amp inserted. Low bleeding factor. Remained in medically induced coma six days following surgery. Subject is healing at higher than average rate. Four days of bed rest followed by two weeks of light exercise assigned before initiation into biotic militia training.
Notes: Bit two guards during transportation to OR, and broke a third's arm while having a biotic fit. Recommend shock collar be issued ahead of schedule.
From: Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
To: Officer Brerak Ges'bamon
I have heard your concerns. Frankly I'm fairly certain that everyone, including His Most Holy, has heard. And I would like to put this issue to rest once and for all.
Humanity is barely out of the stone age. They cannot hope to achieve what we've spent a millennia perfecting. Yes. We are sharing limited data with Cerberus regarding our biotics program, and they have built their own facility in our image. However, I am not concerned. After personally touring their facility, I can attest that their setup on Pragia is pathetic at best. They only have one subject that even comes close to our top tier biotics. Their methods are crude, and 90% of their test subjects perish in the experiments. Try as they might, they're doomed to fall short. They pad our bottom line by buying off the rejects. That's it. Now you can either shut up or hand in your badge. Because I've heard just about enough of your bitching.
Sincerely,
Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
Director of Biotic Affairs
Datmar Facility, Kar'Shan
From: Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
To: Datmar Facility Staff
Re: Regarding Illegal Pit Fighting
It has been brought to my attention that certain officers have been holding unsanctioned arena fights during their off-duty hours. I have also learned that Subject 1182 was used in several conflicts. Let me remind you that she is worth more than any of you fat slobs will see in a lifetime. Generations will toil away before you even come close to the price we paid for her. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to pit her against Cerberus's rabid pet.
The medical costs are coming out of your paychecks.
Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
Director of Biotic Affairs
Datmar Facility, Kar'Shan
From: Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
To: Datmar Facility Staff
Re: Re: Regarding Illegal Pit Fighting
Apparently, my last message failed to pierce certain thick skulls and render an ounce of sense. 1182 is off limits for these unsanctioned, Cerberus vs. Datmar pit fights. If I get so much as a whiff that this order has been disobeyed, the punishment will be swift and brutal.
Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
Director of Biotic Affairs
Datmar Facility, Kar'Shan
From: Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
To: Datmar Facility Staff
Re: Re: Re: Regarding Illegal Pit Fighting
The following staff are now fired and stripped of caste-benefits:
Brerak Ges'bamon
Gano Dhom'caroh
Please direct any and all inquiries to my assistant, Ighokira Borfah.
Sargent Ponna Cod'gekan
Director of Biotic Affairs
Datmar Facility, Kar'Shan
Reading all that eased Tali's concerns about Jane on Tuchanka – as had Wrex's reaction to her. How bizarre that she found evidence of experimentation on children comforting, but these were strange times. More importantly, she just hit a block in the software – an additional firewall had been installed. Half a second later, and an embedded virus activated, deleting data at an alarming rate.
Maybe the average engineer would find this a lost cause. Yet she spent her pilgrimage in Shepard's shadow, hacking through what they came to learn was reaper technology. Nothing could keep her out. Even so, it was a shockingly sophisticated virus, not much could be salvaged. But she had a location – the Horse Head Nebula. Whatever was going on there, Cerberus didn't want the quarians to find out. Those bosh'tets would answer for trespassing on the Fleet. And they would never get their grubby hands on the last of Clan Shepard. Not if she had anything to say about it.