Zrocker119: To say that it has been a while since the last chapter would be a big fucking understatement, but this chapter was just such a pain in the ass for some reason. I've rewritten the last 3/4th two times, and even now I'm still not 100% happy with how it turned out. But, I didn't want to keep you all waiting anymore, so it'll have to do.
So, for those that have waited nearly nine months, thank you for your patients and I hope you enjoy.
-Doom Effect-
-Chapter 7-
Start
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When they had first come to the Citadel, VEGA had refrained from breaching the station's security as at the time it didn't serve a purpose. They were only supposed to be on the station for a little more than a week before leaving for Eden Prime. But then he had stumbled upon Fist and all the transactions that the criminal had been a part of throughout the last few years.
After that incident, the AI had shown no restraint. It had taken less than a microsecond before he was in the station's systems and every little secret, no matter how well hidden or buried, was now known to him.
Most were ignored. Simple mistakes are made by the everyday citizen and the like. Only those who committed truly heinous crimes that VEGA added onto the ever-growing list for Alex to unleash his wrath. It wasn't just those on the Citadel that had been found.
No.
This abominable station was simply a rest stop.
Many of the names that had been dug up operated far out into the Terminus Systems and were unfortunately outside of their reach. Because as capable as Alex had proven himself at dispatching foes, they were limited by how quickly they could move throughout the Galaxy. To hunt down each and everyone would simply take up too of their time.
Time that was better spent preparing for the inevitable arrival of the Reapers.
And now that C-Sec had managed to link Alex with the Slayer, their timetable had shrunk considerably. They were no longer able to move about the station freely. And for all his ferocity, VEGA knew that Alex would never harm those that weren't deserving of it.
So the officers currently tailing him and Ms. Tali, each of which had been hand-picked by Officer Vakarian and sported near-perfect records, were off-limits.
"What is the plan, Alex?"
Alex spared a glance around as he continued to lead Tali down the crowded street. "I'm working on it."
"Who are you talking to?" Questioned Tali.
"A friend. Do you have any ideas, VEGA?"
"I have planned out several scenarios that would see you and Ms. Tali evade capture."
"How many of them don't include me tearing through dozens of C-Sec officers?"
"Significantly less," VEGA admitted without a moment's hesitation. "But might I suggest contacting those pursuing us?"
Alex paused in his steps for but a moment before continuing forwards. The thought had occurred to him but he had all but written it off, especially once he learned just who was in charge of the whole operation. Though he liked to play fast and loose, Garrus was stubborn even by Turian standards.
Garrus most likely believed him to be little more than an insane killer. Chances of them being able to talk their way out of this mess was next to none.
"Doubt they will be open to the idea of it."
"It is worth a try. If only so you can clear any suspicions of Tali being associated with our actions."
Alex couldn't help but nod. VEGA had a point there. But before they tried anything, they first had to get Tali to safety. Just as he began to speak, VEGA cut him off.
"I have taken control of several identical, unmanned shuttles. Simply approach the nearby kiosk and I'll see her off to a safe location where we can extract her from once things have settled."
A smirk found its way to Alex's lips. Leave it to VEGA to already be several steps ahead of him.
Keeping his hold on her, Alex calmly led Tali through the crowd and towards the kiosk, making sure to keep tabs on the offices that were slowly closing in on them. True to the AI's word, the moment they approached it a standard VI-controlled transport shuttle descended from above.
"What's the plan, Alex?"
Turning so that he could face her, Alex gently pushed a confused Tali into the awaiting shuttle. "You are going to take this shuttle that a friend provided and go wherever it takes you and wait for me to clear up all the confusion with C-Sec."
Though her face was obscured by the ever-present helmet, Alex instinctively knew that she was scowling at him. But before she could begin to form an argument, he smirked and gave a two-fingered salute just as the door closed.
He heard some banging from the inside as the shuttle flew up, where it joined a group of identical shuttles before they all broke off and into different directions.
"The officers have picked up their pace. How do you want to proceed?"
Walking at a leisurely pace, Alex glanced down at his hand. There was a subtle distortion in space as a small disk-like object was deposited into his open palm. Without any hesitation, he pressed the button located on the top before dropping it.
Turning around, he offered the enclosing officers a small wave as he and his immediate surroundings were consumed by a cloud of smoke. The smoke was completely harmless and didn't cause any discomfort or irritation, but that did stop those close by from panicking at its sudden appearance.
The smoke mixed with a panicking crowd provided Alex with a perfect opportunity to slip into a nearby alley. Knowing that was something they would suspect, VEGA had planned and had another skycar pick him up. As he put distance between himself and the scene, he had VEGA send him Garrus' contact information.
This was going to be an interesting conversation.
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It took Garrus all of the discipline instilled in him from a young age to keep himself from biting out a string of curses. He should have sent in everyone at his disposal the moment the two suspects reached the shuttle kiosk. But the sheer amount of unknown surrounding the Slayer and his capabilities had him say his hand.
And now both of them had managed to slip through his talons. This was going to be an unpleasant failure to report to his superiors.
"What's the plan from here?"
Keeping his anger in check, Garrus turned to face those present with the transport shuttle. Kathin was closest to him while the rest waited for his orders just slightly behind her.
"I want an immediate scan of the area. Even with the smokescreen, the suspect couldn't have gotten far on foot. How's tracking the shuttle coming along?"
"Not good." Answered one of the few humans in the group. "The shuttles registered in the Citadel's systems, but something is keeping us from tracking its movements."
The holo-screen the analyst was working on suddenly became a scrambled mess, as did all of the others. Just as confusion and panic were setting in, Garrus' Omni-tool lit up as it received a call from an unknown number.
Glancing over at his temporary partner, Garrus saw her wearing a grim expression. It would seem that they both had an idea of who was calling.
His Omni-tool continued to quietly ring for several moments, with Garrus internally debating if he should answer. But when it became apparent that it wouldn't stop, he took a slow, deliberate breath and answered.
"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to answer, Detective Vakarian."
"Flynn Taggart, I presume." The panic amongst the officers quieted, everyone now listening in. "Was hoping our first conversation would be after putting you in cuffs."
The man on the other end chuckled. "I can easily say that won't ever happen."
"You think that you can avoid capture forever?" Garrus felt himself growing even more annoyed.
"The only thing I'm avoiding is causing injury to those that don't deserve it. But I digress. I'm only calling to clear up the confusion surrounding the identity of my ally." There was the sound of a door sealing shut before Taggart continued. "Tali is not the one that has been helping me since I began this...crusade of mine. So I would appreciate it if you and those under your command left her out of this."
"I take it Tali is the Quarian that was with you just now?"
"That is correct. I wasn't even aware that she was at the station until a few hours ago. From what my friend has managed to dig up, she's been keeping rather busy with several different repair jobs."
His Omni-tool pinged as a file was uploaded to it. Giving it a look over, Garrus saw that Taggart was speaking the truth. The file contained several videos taken from a repair shop's security camera showing the Quarian hard at work. The timestamps located at the bottom and the address of the shop placed her on the other side of the station when most of the crimes took place.
"Even if she isn't involved with the crimes themselves, she knows you in some capacity."
Again, Taggart responded with a chuckle. "Not as much as you would think. But rather than track down a dead end, wouldn't you prefer to hear answers straight from the source."
Garrus shared a look with Kathrin. Just as he was about to question the man further, he received yet another message.
"Be there in five hours. Bring along whoever you think you'll need." The call ended.
Garrus, Kathin, and the assembled officers were left in stunned silence as the full weight of what had just occurred settled on them.
Kathrin was the first to break from her stupor. "It has to be a trap."
Though Garrus wanted to agree with her assessment, a tiny voice in the back of his skull was telling him that it wasn't as simple as that. "Even so, this may be our only shot at getting answers."
They would still prepare for the worst-case scenario. Better to be safe than sorry and all that.
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To say that Tali was nervous would be a gross underestimation. Since Alex had sent her away, she had heard nothing from him and was growing worried. But there was little to be done.
All Tali could do is sit in the apartment as instructed and wait. Thankfully for her ever-fraying nerves, that ended up not being that long at all as she only had to endure a few more minutes of isolation before the door slid open and Alex walked in, looking no worse for wear.
Closing the door behind him, Alex raised a hand, forestalling her questions as he activated his Omni-tool. He stared at it for a few moments before being seemingly pleased with what he saw and shut it off.
"Alright, we're in the clear for now."
Tali let out a tired sigh. Rubbing her arm she said, "You know, this wasn't what I had in mind when I asked for us to meet."
"Well," he shrugged. "Shit happens."
Tali shook her head. "It's just… someone hacks the Citadel's entire network and then bodies start turning up all over the place. And apparently, you're connected to all of it. J-just what the hell is going on Alex?"
"I stumbled upon something big and let's just leave it at that," Tali was about to argue against that statement but a look from him made her hold her tongue. "Trust me Tali, you don't want to know all the details. Just understand that some bad shit was happening and I had the capabilities to stop it."
He crossed his arms and frowns. "Not that it really matters now."
"What do you mean by that?"
Heading over towards the kitchen, Alex grabbed a glass and filled it with water. He had learned very early on that he no longer required bodily necessities such as eating and sleeping but still did the former to create the illusion of normalcy.
Downing the glass, he sighed. "I was too short-sighted."
In a fit of uncontrollable rage and bloodlust, he had put out all of the names of those that had a hand in the slaving operation on the Citadel. That had been a critical error on his part, one he now recalled VEGA had warned him of, but he had been too enraged at the time to care.
And it was because of his mistake that many of his targets had managed to escape, fleeing the station with their tails tucked between their legs.
The thought nearly caused him to crush the glass in his hand, but Alex managed to calm himself. While the heads of the entire operation had managed to escape by now, their subordinates and "Cargo" had been left behind. And better yet, he had a location.
It was by far the largest storage facility on the Citadel, but it was a target nonetheless. He could still save many civilians from a life of slavery and punish some of those responsible for putting them in their situation. It was a win-win.
"So, what happens now?"
He looked over at Tail, who had yet to move from her position on the couch. He couldn't see her face, but Alex could tell that she was still reeling from this who ordeal.
"I've got one last thing to take care of. After that, I'm leaving the station."
"Leaving," questioned Tail. "Where are you going to go?"
He saw no need to keep that from her. "Eden Prime. I have it on good authority that there's something of great importance hidden there. Not sure exactly where, but seeing as how quickly it's developing, I'm sure something will turn up eventually."
Tali blinked. "Something important? Like what?"
Alex was quiet for a moment, debating on how much he should reveal to her. But in the end, he felt that it wouldn't hurt to let her in the know. This universe had already proven to be different from the one he was familiar with and he was already planning on making sure that thing went differently. And besides, what would her knowing change?
"An acquaintance of mine recently stumbled across a Prothean Beacon." Tali shot out of her seat, practically hitting the ceiling, but he cut off the incoming barrage of questions before she could even begin. "The Beacon itself was in pretty shit condition, so he wasn't able to salvage much. What he did find, however, were coordinates. Ones that pointed to what we know as Eden Prime."
"Something's there, and I plan on being there when it's uncovered."
"Where did this friend of yours find this Beacon?" Tali asked after a few moments of silence.
Alex shrugged. "He didn't say. But, he hasn't steered me wrong before, so I trust him."
Tali wrung her hands nervously. "Is-is it possible for me to meet this man? For him to be able to understand Promethean tech, he must be a scientist of some renown."
"I wouldn't say so. VEGA's pretty good at keeping to himself."
'I would be more than willing to introduce myself to Ms. Zorah.' VEGA said through his earpiece. 'But I question the intelligence behind such a move."
'She'll learn of your existence eventually,' argued Alex. "And besides, when you're eventually introduced to the rest of the crew later, having Tali in the know could prove beneficial.'
'...Very well.'
At Alex's blank stare, Tali found herself growing more and more uncomfortable. He was looking at her, but it was unnerving all the same. Just when she was going to question whether or not everything was alright, her Omni-tool lit up as she received a call.
"Before you answer that call, I need to know something," Alex said calmly, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the counter. "What do you plan on doing once I finish up my business?"
"W-what?"
"I've made it abundantly clear to C-Sec that you had nothing to do with my actions and were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They'll leave you alone, I'll make sure of that. Then you can go back to what you were doing before all this began." He approached and placed a hand on her shoulder. "But if you answer that call, then there's no backing out. You'll get the answers you're seeking but at the cost of being dragged into this with me."
"So, I ask again. Tali, what do you want to do?"
To give credit where it was due, Tali hesitated. She looked from Alex to her Omni-tool and back to him once more. All the while, her Omni-tool kept ringing. But after several moments of deliberate thought, she answered.
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Garrus checked his gear for what must have been the eighth time in the last thirty minutes. Even more certain that everything was in working order, he looked to the other officers that had been assembled. When he and Kathrin had reported back to Executor Pallin about their previous failure, well, to say his superior was disappointed would be an understatement.
His mood had been soured even further once they had reported the breach in their systems and the subsequent message from the Slayer himself. But despite all that, Pallin had kept a cool head and had worked with the information they had been given. Like Garrus and Kathrin, Pallin expected then to be a trap and had brought in as many officers as they could afford.
Upon informing the Council of the upcoming raid in the Zakera Ward, the three heads of the Citadel had gone the extra mile, as Kathrin had put it, and had assigned a Spectre to oversee the entire operation.
Said Spectre current stood alongside Garrus and Kathrin, the two of them acting as his right and left hand respectively as they waited inside a nearby building that acted as their temporary HQ.
While Garrus wasn't the biggest fan of what he considered to be the Council's group of assassins, he couldn't deny their effectiveness in handling these sorts of situations. And besides from what he had heard, Nihlus was one of the few with some semblance of a conscience.
Nihlus looked over the warehouse blueprints one more time. "I don't like this. Even if he does show, there are too many places where Taggart can slip away, especially if his tech expert is as good as we are led to believe."
"As much as I hate to admit it, we're at his mercy," Kathrin stated, earning a disapproving look from the Spectre. One that went ignored as she continued. "Sorry if I'm prying, but I overheard your conversation with the Executor. Is it true that you spoke with the Slayer before all this?"
Nihlus maintained his stare for a moment longer before turning his attention to the warehouse. "I did, though I wasn't aware of his true identity at the time."
"Anything you can tell us," asked Garrus.
"Nothing that you don't already know." Was Nihlus' response, putting a close to the conversation. Before anything else could be said, their Omni-tools pinged. It was from one of the sniper teams.
Nihlus didn't wait for a second longer and answered. "Report."
"I have eyes on someone approaching the warehouse, wearing armor that matches no known manufacturer. Appearance matches those given by eyewitnesses who encountered the Slayer."
Nihlus checked the time. There were still another thirty minutes until the deadline was up. Seems he too had planned on arriving early. "Do not engage. Keep the Slayer within your sights. Inform me when he enters the warehouse."
"Roger that. O-spirits...he's-he's looking right at me!"
Nihlus could hear traces of fear in the officer's voice. "Keep a grip, officer. Is he doing anything that could be perceived as a threat?"
"N-no. Wait, h-he's not looking at me anymore. He's...Sir, he's looking directly at all the other positions we've been posted to. He knows where all our snipers are."
Nihlus had a feeling the Slayer knew where more than just their snipers were. His suspicions were soon confirmed when his Omni-tool pinged and opened a message without his input.
"I'm waiting. Bring the other two as well."
Nihlus felt his throat go bone dry. As a Spectre, he had access to the latest and greatest technological advancements within Council-controlled space. While he wouldn't say it was one hundred percent unhackable. But even so, the firewalls in place should have provided some form of warning to the moment a breach in security had occurred, but he had received nothing of the sort.
And it was all just to deliver a message. How did Taggart even know he was there in the first place? He pushed that thought aside the moment it came forth. With everything that had been displayed so far, he should be too surprised by this.
Nihlus opened a direct link to every officer that was a part of the operation. "Previous orders still stand. I don't want any curious civilians wandering into the area."
Garrus, who had been close enough to see the message, fixed the Spectre with an unreadable gaze. "What's the plan, Sir?"
The Spectre merely grabbed his weapons, a Phaeston assault rifle, an M-77 Paladin heavy pistol, and an M-23 Katana. Securing the latter two to the small of his back and hip respectively, he led the way. "We go in."
Garrus and Kathrin shared a brief look before readying their weapons and following behind him. The walk to the warehouse was short, only taking two minutes total, but one that was layered with a sense of foreboding. Rounding the final corner, they finally laid eyes on the one that was responsible for all this trouble.
Now that he was seeing him up close and not through the lens of a camera, Garrus had to admit that the people he had questioned over last year had not been exaggerating.
The Slayer was indeed large for his species, being about half a head taller than Garrus himself, and much, much more powerfully built. Combined with the battle-scarred armor and stance that just exuded a silent menace, the veteran police officer was understandably hesitant to get within speaking distance.
He wasn't the only one it seemed. Garrus saw that even Kathrin faltered slightly at the giant of a man's presence out of the corner of his eye. Glad to know he wasn't the only one who felt like he was getting in over his head.
Nihlus, having had plenty of experience in being in situations similar enough to this one, was able to force down the feeling of unease and approached the awaiting man with a determined stride.
When they reached the ten-foot mark, the Slayer finally spoke. "You're early. Good." He turned his back to them and approached the entrance to the warehouse, the door opening as he did so.
"Wait," ordered Nihlus, but his words went ignored as the Slayer entered the building. The trio picked up the pace and ran inside, unfolding their weapons right as the door closed behind them. "I said, wait!"
"Don't have time for that," the Slayer said as if he didn't have three highly trained and arms individuals right on his heels. "We'll take once we're finished clearing out the filth."
Neither of the three had time to question what he meant. The door at the end of the hall opened and out walked two Humans and an Asari, each of which was clad in Eclipse Mercenary armor.
The threes conversation came to an immediate halt once they noticed that they weren't the only ones present. They only had a moment to process this before the armored behemoth charged forward.
The Slayer shoulder-checked the closest mercenary into the wall, caving in the man's chest. Leaving the man to choke on his blood, the Slayer's right arm lashed out at the next one, his Omni-tool flaring up as he did.
The Asari's head fell from her shoulders, severed at the base of her neck from the Slayers Omni-blade. His free hand wasn't idle. In mid-swing Alex had brought out his BFP, charged, and fired it at the remaining Merc.
The man had only just begun to unfold his weapon when his entire head exploded, painting the nearby wall in grey matter. Alex looked down to see the one he had bull-rushed was still alive and righted that by bringing his boot down on the bastard's neck with a loud crack.
Alex proceeded to enter the door the mercenaries had come from, leaving the officers and Spectre in a state of shock. They had witnessed the man they were supposed to apprehend, kill three armored mercs faster than any of them could react.
Having the most experience under his belt, Nihlus was the first to shake off his stupor and followed after the heavily armored human. Although he didn't want to admit it, the level of efficiency the Slayer had displayed was worthy of praise.
The sound of gunfire and screams further ahead spurred the Spectre to increase his pace, noting that Vakarian and Merret were following right behind him. Ignoring the brutally dispatched bodies by the door, they entered the main facility.
This warehouse in particular was one of, if not the most used in the entire station. Thousands upon thousands of products passed through it every day. And it was in the mints of all the conveyor belts and shifting crates that they saw what could only be described as true carnage.
In the thirty seconds that they had lapsed behind him, the Slayer had been busy, having added another dozen bodies to his ever-growing kill count. Much like the previous scenes left in the Slayer's wake, none of the kills were clean.
Two humans, one male, and the other female looked like they had been sawed in two with their entrails spilled out. A Salarian was missing his head and right arm, both having been completely blown off. The rest of the bodies were left in similar states of mutilation, painting a grizzly picture.
"A part of me had been hoping that the reports had been exaggerating," Nihlus spoke in a tone that was completely void of any emotion. "But I see now that they weren't."
Garrus shook his head. While he wasn't bemoaning the loss of mercenaries, he didn't agree with the methods that were used.
Following the sounds of gunfire, the group quickly made their way to the next level and saw that they weren't too late this time. Though he had already dispatched several mercenaries, many more were still pouring in. For the first few moments, they watched with morbid fascination as the Slayer worked his way through them, his vast arsenal of weaponry and sheer brutality making it seem easy.
But they weren't here to watch. They didn't know the exact details of why Eclipse was in this facility, but given the Slayers' track record, they had enough information to form a decent idea.
So, with little prompting on their part, the three of them joined in engaging the mercenaries. Garrus hung near the back and began to pick off targets with his sniper, while Nihlus and Kathrine engaged in a mid-ranged battle.
With three new combatants entering the fray, the mercenaries were forced to divert their attention between targets, something that proved to be a fatal mistake on their end.
Taking advantage of the shift in targets, Alex threw caution into the wind, not that it was ever there, and went full berserker mode. Dismissing the HAR in his grasp, he rushed into the thick of it and plucked up mercenary that had been left suspended in the air by Kathrine's biotics and brought them down spine first on his knee, folding them almost completely in half.
Gunfire peppered his back, quickly overrunning the shields he had integrated into his armor, but the grain-sized projectiles did not affect the hell-forged armor itself. He continued on his whole-sale slaughter, ripping and tearing his way through any opposition that stood in his way, with some assistance from Garrus and his group.
He bashed through armor, biotic barriers, and flesh alike. Nothing the Eclipse tried would work. And like all that came before them, they learned too late that there was nothing that could save them from his wrath.
Between the four of them, the Eclipse stood no chance, and just five minutes later the entire contingent of mercenaries that were left behind had been completely and utterly wiped out.
Alex stood amidst all the carnage. Bringing up his Omni-tool, he ignored the bits of flesh and bone that clung to his armor and activated his Omni-tool. With the threat cleared out, he could now focus on the manifest VEGA had uploaded to him. As he looked it over, the others had begun to approach.
"I have an idea of where you brought us here, but I want to hear it from your mouth." Demanded Nihlus, looking at the decimated mercenaries with distaste.
Alex turned to look at them, his expression barely readable through the visor of his helmet. Rather than speak, he chose to tap his Omni-tool. A second later, all of theirs came to life, information regarding Eclipse operations flooding onto their screens.
Making his way towards the area where products were stored, Alex barely heard their sharp intakes of breath as they trailed behind him.
"H-how is this possible," Nihlus asked. He was one of the Council's most decorated Spectres. It should've been impossible for a slaving operation, let alone one this big, to take root in the heart of the galactic community without him knowing.
"I didn't lie when we spoke," Alex said, catching their attention. "I only intended to lay low on the Citadel for a time before moving on. But when I stumbled upon all of this, I couldn't turn a blind eye."
"So you decided to conduct a one-man crusade," Garrus spoke with a tinge of anger in his voice. "You could've turned this information over to C-Sec! Spirits, with how expansive this entire operation was, even the Spectre's would've gotten involved!"
"Hindsight's 20/20. While it would've been a pain to deal with all the bureaucracy, at least fewer of the bastards in charge would've been able to get away. " Alex said, clenching his fists in rage before relaxing.
He turned to them, specifically to Nihlus. "That's why I'm giving you this information now. You are one of the Council's top agents and have the resources to hunt them down more efficiently than I do."
"And what of this," asked Nihlus, waving his hand towards the carnage. "If all you wanted was for someone to hunt the ones responsible, you could've just messaged all the documents to me. Given what they've displayed so far, that seems well within the capabilities of your tech expert."
In a move that surprised her Turian partners, Kathrine shoved past them, stopping only once she was within arm's reach of the man they had just witnessed rip fully armored mercs to shreds. "Why did you want us to see all this?"
She stared straight into his visor and due to their proximity, she was able to see his eyes narrow. After a moment passed, his gaze relaxed somewhat.
He turned his back to them and approached one of the nearby containers. "Because you all needed to understand the full scope of what's exactly at stake." With that said, he reached out and in a display of physical strength that should not have been possible, ripped the door clean off.
Though the three of them had read the reports extensively, they were not fully prepared for the sight of over a dozen people crammed into such a small space.
"My God," Kathrine said under her breath. Many of them were kids barely into their teen years.
Garrus had a similar reaction while Nihlus immediately brought up his Omni-tool, barking orders for some of the officers stationed around the perimeter to come inside to aid in the rescue of civilians.
Throughout all of this, Alex continued to free more and more people from their confinements. By the time he was finished opening the last container, there were well over two hundred people for C-Sec to look after.
Another hour came and went. Within that time, Alex and the others cleared the premises of any remaining hostels. Once the area was safe and secured, those rescued were led out of the warehouse and taken to the closest hospitals to be properly screened and treated for injuries.
Now the only remaining were Alex and Nihlus' group, along with a handful of officers still milling about gathering what evidence they could. One look from Nihlus and those officers made sure to give their group a wide birth.
"So," Alex said, breaking the silence that had been persistent since the last of the civilians had been evacuated. "Where do we go from here?"
The Spectre quirked a brow, or, at least did the Turian equivalent of one. "What? The Great Slayer doesn't have a plan? Color me surprised."
Though he did his best to hide it, Alex was more than a bit caught off guard by the response. He didn't expect such a sarcastic remark from the Spectre. "I do, just not one that ends with us parting on good terms."
Garrus narrowed his gaze. "What? You plan on fighting your way out of here?"
"If I must, though I would like to avoid it if possible."
"You could always surrender. Make it easy for us."
"..."
The detective sighed. "Yeah, I didn't think it would happen either."
Before Alex could retort, Nihlus beat him to it. But what he had to say caused no small amount of shock amongst them and those within earshot.
"We won't be making any arrests today."
"...I'm sorry, what," questioned Kathrine. "With all due respect, this man is responsible for-"
"I know exactly what he has done," interrupted Nihlus. Though his voice never rose above an acceptable level, there was an edge to it that cautioned against further arguments. "While his methods are unsavory, they are nothing I haven't witnessed fellow Spectres commit before."
Alex let out a silent scoff at that. It's funny how the only difference between them is that he didn't have the Council to either paint his actions in a good light or swipe them under the rug.
"Not only that, but he did uncover a secret slaving operation on the Citadel itself, right in the beating heart of Council space." Nihlus turned back to the Slayer. "If there was ever something that would warrant some level of good faith, it's this."
"...I was prepared to fight tooth and nail to escape this giant tomb, but here you are, just letting me walk on out. Won't your bosses be more than a bit pissed though?"
"Oh, I'm certain they won't be on board with my decision, but that's for me to worry about," Nihlus looked him in the eye. "But make no mistake. This is the one time. The next time we meet, I'll do everything in my power to bring you in."
Alex shook his head and had he not been wearing a helmet, they would've seen his humorous expression. They were both more than aware of just how empty of a threat that was.
But he wasn't going to call him out on it.
Nihlus, just by association with the Council, had suffered enough from this clusterfuck of a situation. While he didn't particularly care about the egos of the Council members, he had enough respect for this particular Spectre to not fight him on this.
Besides, with this facility taken care of, there was no longer a reason for him to remain on the space station. He was leaving regardless of what anyone else had to say about it.
With a respectful nod, Alex walked past the Spectre. But just as he was about to leave the room, he paused at the door.
Turning around he called out. "Nihlus!"
The Spectre, along with his partners, turned towards him with a surprised look.
"Regardless of how we meet up again, drinks will be on me. So you watch your back until then."
Nihlus was momentarily taken aback by the declaration but quickly regained his composure. "If circumstances allow it, then I'll take you up on that offer."
Nothing more needed to be said. Alex bid the group one last look before finally making his exit.
Now all that was left for him to do was pick up Tali.
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Well then. The last few weeks had certainly been an experience that Garrus wouldn't ever be forgetting. True to his word, The Slayer? Taggart? Whatever he called himself, had subsequently disappeared from the Citadel. How exactly did he manage to accomplish this without anyone's knowledge? He hadn't the slightest clue.
While somewhat infuriating, that question was above his paygrade so he wasn't going to think about it. He had enough of a headache from all this bullshit as is. So for the moment, Garrus was going to take some needed time off and relax. Maybe take a ship to Palaven and visit his family a visit? It had been some time since he had last spoken to them.
His inner musings were interrupted by someone knocking on his office door. Saying that it was open, Garrus was surprised when Nihlus walked in.
"Detective," greeted Nihlus. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"Just finished submitting my report on the case." Garrus gave him a curious look. "So, I take it the Council wasn't too happy with how things turned out. Or is that something I don't have the credentials for?"
Nihlus chuckled at that. "Oh, they respond about as well as you think they did. But after some convincing on my end, I was able to make them see how having a firefight with a man widely seen as a hero by those rescued wouldn't go over all that well."
Garrus thought about the hundreds of potential slaves that had been freed over the last year or so and nodded. He could see how that would be an issue with some. "So then, what brings you to my office? With how busy you Spectres are, I doubt it's a social visit."
"A little bit of both actually," Nihlus motioned towards the door. "There's something I would like to discuss with you, but I figured it would be more relaxing with drinks in our hands."
Garrus blinked. Of all the things he imagined himself doing, having drinks with a Spectre had not been one of them. "Well, so long as your paying."
"Excellent. Shall we?"
The two of them exited Garrus's office, quickly leaving the building afterward. After that, it was a short shuttle ride to the Presidium. Once there, Nihlus lead the way to a bar normally reserved for those of stations higher than that of a simple detective, but the Spectre was easily able to get them a quiet booth, one that was far enough to not be overheard by other patrons.
A few minutes later and the two had their drinks.
"Now then, what did you want to talk to me for?"
Nihlus took a moment to savor his drink before finally speaking. "For starters, I wanted to thank you for your co-operation. I know how frustrating it can be to have another take charge of an ongoing case and wanted to tell you that you performed remarkably well despite my coming on."
"Wouldn't be the first time I've had to work with others. While I prefer to work at my own pace, I see the value of good teamwork." He thought for a moment. "I take it you've already had the same conversation with Merrett?"
"No. She had already submitted her report and left for Alliance Space before I could get a hold of her." Nihlus took a drink. "Besides, I don't think she agreed with my way of handling the situation."
"She's a bit high-strung. I'll admit that much," spoke Garrus. "But she's not that bad, once you get to know her."
"I'll take your word for it. But regardless, she's not the topic I wish to discuss with you." Grabbing the data slate on his hip, Nihlus slid it across the table.
Garrus looked it over and immediately recognized what he was looking at. "These are the names Taggart gave you."
"Every single one of them," confirmed Nihlus. "They also happen to be my next assignment, and I want you to accompany me."
Setting aside the slate, Garrus looked his fellow Turian in the eye. "Is this an evaluation, Sir?"
"Perhaps. I understand that you were once considered as a candidate for the Specters?"
"That was a long time ago."
"Five years isn't that long," said Nihlus. "I also know you were stonewalled by your father."
"He didn't like how your group operates. No one other than the Council to keep you in check."
"Yet we can go places far outside of the jurisdiction of C-Sec," countered Nihlus. "Make the hard choices so that people like Seleon don't live to see another day. Just like the Slayer does. But unlike him, we answer to a power higher than ourselves."
Garrus clenched his glass a bit harder than necessary. After a moment, he relaxed his grip. Of course, Nihlus was aware of that particular case. "What point are you trying to make?"
"I've read your service record, Vakarian. It's impressive, even by my standards." He set his drink aside. "You've got a sharp mind and even sharper shot, but it's going to waste sitting behind a desk. I'm offering you a chance to do even better."
"So, what's your answer? Reman here and keep detaining petty criminals? Or come with me and make sure the real monsters never see the light of another day."
Well, the answer to that one was obvious.
Grabbing his glass, Garrus brought it to his mouth and downed the entire drink in one go before setting it down with a 'clack'.
"When do we get started?"
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As Nihlus and his future protege discussed how to proceed, another conversation of importance was taking place within the confines of a small, private ship.
"-was able to make contact, but due to interference from the Spectre, the target was able to escape before he could be properly questioned."
The one speaking was Kathrine Merrett, but her voice was much different. Whereas she spoke with a typical American accent before, she now had an Australian one.
"I see. And what did you make of him, Operative Lawson."
Miranda thought of how to exactly describe what she had witnessed not five hours ago. "Unrelenting. Brutal. But most importantly, dangerous. If anything, the rumors we've relied on until now significantly downplayed his capabilities. And I'm all but certain the Slayer held back."
If she was being honest, no amount of preparations could have prepared her for the sight of the Slayer disemboweling slavers. It had taken most of her self-control to maintain indifference to it all.
"He also seems to have a strong sense of morality," continued Miranda. "If we are to attempt recruitment, we'll have to be extremely careful."
"I can assure you, Operative Lawson, once we can track him down, all of the necessary precautions will be taken." There was a slight pause as her boss took a drag of his cigarette. "I can not understate the importance of bringing the Slayer over to our side. If we can replicate his teleportation technology, we can secure a future that sees humanity as the leaders of the galaxy."
"But that is for the future. For now, return to base." Nothing else was said as The Illusive Man ended the call.
Now that she was left to her own devices until they arrived at the base, Miranda took the opportunity to freshen herself up. Entering the bathroom that was exclusive to her, she stripped down to her undergarments and looked herself over in the mirror.
Undoing the bun, she let her hair fall down and past her shoulders and removed the colored contacts from her eyes. The hair dye would fade eventually, so she was stuck as a blonde for now.
It wouldn't be too long before C-Sec learned the Alliance Intelligence Operative, Kathrine Merrett was nothing more than a ghost. But it was already far too late. Though she was unable to accomplish her goal, Miranda was more than satisfied with the little information she was able to gather.
Flynn Taggart, or as he is known to those on Omega. Alexander Slayer had caught her interest. And hopefully, he would be willing to assist them in their goals. But those were thoughts for another time.
Stripping herself bare, Miranda entered the shower and turned the hot water on full blast. Though she had been able to walk out of the warehouse with barely a drop of blood on her, she still felt dirty from stanging amongst such carnage.
A nice, long shower would do wonders to relieve her of the accumulated stress.
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-End-
Zrocker119: And there we have it. Tali is tagging along for the ride and Garrus is heading out with a Spectre. What does this mean for future events? Well, stick around and you'll see.
On a side note, I learned that I was slightly off when it came to the Slayer height. According to his profile, the Doomslayer stands at 6'8" and weighs in at 360 lbs in full kit. Holy shit, the dudes a unit and a half!