MASS EFFECT: INTERCEPTOR 2

*Episode Six*

The meeting room had fallen into stunned silence. It wasn't often the leaders of every C-Sec division were lost for words all at once, but Arlen had thrown them the curve ball of their careers.

It was Lina who broke the hush, her tone one of utter disbelief. 'Purgatory? I don't understand.'

Arlen breathed deeply. He had to get this right the first time.

'This is an extreme situation,' he said, holding the gaze of each commander in turn. 'We need an extreme solution. I was brought here because I know Zwei better than anyone and I'm telling you he won't crack under questioning, not even under torture. We need to get him off the Citadel for starters, but we can't let him go, he'll suspect something's up if he's suddenly released out of the blue. But if we send his gang to one of the most dangerous prisons in the galaxy, he'll know we're serious. Purgatory is a common solution to problems like him. Even the Council pays good credits to make criminals disappear in the Terminus Systems from time to time.'

The salarian Commander Ota frowned. 'Pardon my ignorance here but as you can imagine, Patrol hardly concerns itself with Terminus affairs. I've never heard of this place, this "Purgatory".'

Enforcement Commander Actis answered for him, the turian's eyes remaining squarely on Arlen. 'It's a prison ship run by the Blue Suns mercenary group. A place for intergalactic governments to bury people they'd rather forget and can't execute by law. I'd give you the details, but the fact that it's in the Terminus Systems should be enough.'

Ota nodded slowly. The Terminus Systems were outside Citadel law, often outside any kind of law whatsoever. 'If we send this Zwei to Purgatory, how exactly will that help us?'

'You'll be sending me there too,' Arlen replied. He ignored Lina's sudden stiffness at the far end of the table. 'I'm going to introduce myself to Zwei's crew, make myself known. I'll be able to listen in, keep tabs on him. If I can get the bomb's location that way, you can pull me out. I doubt it'll be that easy, though. I'm prepared to go deep undercover to get what we need, no matter what it takes.'

'You have a way to gain his trust?' asked Actis.

'Yeah.' Arlen paused, the madness of his own plan achingly clear to his own ears but his path had now been set. 'I'm going to break him out of there.'

Actis scoffed. 'A prison break? In Purgatory? How the hell are you going to pull that off?'

Arlen looked at Lina. 'That I can't tell you. This is a JSTF operation and I can't reveal any more than the broad outline. I'll explain my plan to Commander Lina'Xen, who will then decide what you need to know. All we need from you all is clearance to transfer Zwei out to Purgatory immediately. Not soon, not tomorrow, now.'

Commander T'Rana shook her head. 'This is crazy! You expect us to ship out one of the most dangerous individuals on the station, one who holds the location of an active bomb, out to the Terminus based on what? The half-baked theories of a turian who's barely old enough to be doing foot patrols?'

Lina's response was as hard as stone. 'I expect you to follow orders. Agent Kryik's caution regarding secrecy is well-founded. Network has already actively impeded our investigation today. If you'd released the seized batarian IDs to us from the start, none of this would've happened. That sort of thing usually points to a mole, something we'll address in due time I assure you, Commander T'Rana. That's reason enough for us to withhold the specifics. Be thankful we haven't gotten the executor involved yet.'

T'Rana's features seemed to turn a paler shade of blue under the threat and she pursed her lips sullenly. 'I…see your point.'

The curious stares of the other commanders were interrupted as Lina turned to them. 'I know this is a lot to ask but let's face it, we're desperate. Unlike Commander T'Rana, some of you are fully aware of Agent Kryik's recent history and you know he can get the job done. If anyone's able to do this, it's him. The quieter we can keep this operation, the better and in any case, JSTF is better off conducting it while the rest of you focus on finding the bomb. One thing will lead to a faster resolution of the other, so let's keep that in mind.'

The group murmured their assent uneasily. It was enough for Lina.

'Let's move, then,' she said. 'Commanders Actis, T'Rana, Ota and Vantus, please see Senior Analyst Lorica Da'Nante down below to provide your authorisation for Zwei's release. Thank you all for your time. Dismissed.'

Arlen was slow to get out of his chair, slow enough for Lina to walk around and place a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from joining the rest in filing out of the room. She waited for the door to close before speaking.

'Okay, what the hell is going on?' she asked seriously. 'Arlen, I went along with you there because I trust you, but you owe me an explanation. Purgatory?'

Arlen remained seated but his features were rigid as he stared ahead with grim resolve. 'That's right. I have to get into that crew, Lina. Zwei won't talk to us but he'll damn sure talk to his own. I just need to become one of his own.'

'This is an insane risk, even for you. How the hell do you plan on breaking him out of there to begin with?'

'I'm going to need a field agent.' It was an automatic answer, as if he was reading off a list. 'Someone experienced who can pose as a Blue Sun, someone we can trust. We'll need him to upload Petra into Purgatory's systems. She'll give us the opening we need to escape. I just need to catch Zwei's attention before then. I'm sure Petra will be able to forge internal communications, get me a cell close to his but-'

'Arlen.'

Lina's hand moved to his face, guiding it until he finally met her eyes. The worry he sensed in her was almost enough to break through the shield he'd dropped over his emotions.

'Please,' she said softly, 'I can't do this unless I know you're in the right frame of mind. What I saw in your apartment…'

Something slipped away from Arlen, a piece of the defensive wall he'd built up since Amanda's death. It revealed the frightened youth who'd once knelt in front of another terrorist device long ago and only Lina's voice had been the one to calm him, give him the focus he needed to do the job. That calm could never come back, much in the same way his innocence was forever burned out of him by Krassus' torture back on Zorya, but the guilt he felt towards his quarian friend was every bit as real.

'I know,' he finally said, quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment. 'But we both know this is the only shot we really have. We both know that if we leave Zwei to the other divisions we'll get nowhere. You were right, they need to concentrate on the bomb search, they don't need any distractions. Let's just get this done and end this nightmare.'

Lina removed her hand from his cheek, though the pale ovals of her eyes still looked deeply into his.

'All right, but when all this is over…'

It was as if she'd said something she shouldn't have. Lina didn't finish the sentence and Arlen felt no need to prompt her. He knew at the back of his mind that she had the same regret he did. Friendships were easily taken for granted and come the moment where they could end forever, there were few greater sorrows than knowing one had let a friendship die needlessly.

As they left the meeting room, Arlen knew that he too would make time for her when he came back.

~~~ME-I2~~~

Arlen sat patiently while the on-staff doctor examined him thoroughly. She was a slim, kindly human woman with dark skin and deep brown eyes that narrowed slightly every time she came across an old injury.

'This one here,' she said, coming to a small knot of scar tissue on his neck. 'This almost looks like an allergic reaction.'

'Insect sting,' Arlen remarked distantly. He didn't feel the need to explain how one of Zorya's most toxic lifeforms was once used to torture him.

The small clinic within JSTF was enough to handle any minor injury or complaint, or stabilise someone to be moved to the nearest hospital for proper treatment. The walls were stark and white, with shelves full of various bottles and instruments. Aside from the examination table on which Arlen sat, there was only a small terminal desk for the doctor, a collection of wall-mounted cabinets and a metal sink that looked like it had never been used.

The doctor frowned gently as her gloved fingers traced the large scar running across Arlen's forehead.

'This is a nasty one. Another "insect sting"?'

'Uh-huh,' Arlen mumbled, barely listening. 'Big bugs on Zorya.'

The doctor expelled an irritated breath as she brought up her datapad. 'The big one will be difficult, but other scars should be perfectly concealable. My main concerns are your prescriptions. I'm sure the task force will give you the funding to get anything you need while you're out there, but you'll still be operating without medication for some time.'

Slipping down from the table, Arlen sighed. 'I'm sure the mission will keep me distracted, Doctor.'

'And I suppose if I was to recommend you send someone else instead?'

'Not an option,' he replied with a weak grin.

The doctor shrugged and took a seat at her desk. She opened up a small container filled with some kind of translucent paste and began to mix it with a delicate metal tool, shaking her head with each stir. The concoction was a semi-permanent cosmetic agent that would be smeared over the most obvious of his scars, blending in with his skin to remove his distinguishing features. Along with a new paint job, Arlen could be made to look like a completely different turian.

The door hissed open and through it stepped Lina, along with a salarian Arlen didn't recognise. The commander held up her omni-tool, manipulating it with dizzying speed.

'We've narrowed down five possible cover identities,' she said. 'All criminals with a rep but none who operate out of the Terminus Systems with any regularity. That should cut down the chance of you being made. The only member of Zwei's crew who's seen your face is Serica Ronn, and he's being kept on the Citadel. Here, I'll forward the files to your datapad.'

Arlen picked up his datapad from the examination table and scrolled through several pictures and background profiles. They were all turian criminals, all matching him in basic skin tone and build. His eyes raked their harsh faces one by one, waiting for his instincts to tell him he had a good match. It wasn't enough for him to vaguely resemble them. Amanda had once told him a popular human saying, that the eyes were the windows to the soul. He had to find a man with the same haunted look he saw every time he looked in the mirror.

Lina gestured to her companion, a short, aged salarian with reddish-hued skin that darkened to near black at the top of his truncated horns. 'This is Maro Cannis, he'll be your Blue Sun on the inside. Salarians are highly sought after as mercenaries but nearly all of them join a rival organisation called Eclipse. The Blue Suns were very interested in his services, and to further sweeten the deal he's going to personally deliver you as a bounty straight to Purgatory. That should get him in good with the warden over there.'

Arlen looked up from the datapad long enough to shake Agent Cannis' hand, remarking dryly, 'I hope I'm worth the money.'

Cannis smiled, his reedy salarian voice sounding weathered but friendly all the same. 'Every penny, I'm sure.'

It was only a moment before Arlen's eyes lowered to the datapad once more. 'Is Zwei on his way?'

'Yes, he and his gang were loaded onto maxsec transports twenty minutes ago,' Lina confirmed. 'They should be through the local relay by now. Not that getting him out there was smooth sailing. Commander T'Rana got her courage back towards the end and tried to make a last stand on the issue, but the others shouted her down. That bosh'tet really can't stand me.'

Arlen continued to flick through his options, furrowing his brow. 'Her loss. I'm guessing Captain Ferrata isn't in on this either? I'm on thin ice with my boss as it is. A life in Purgatory might not seem so bad compared to what he'd do to me if he found out.'

'Don't worry about him. You know JSTF has the authority to requisition the services of anyone we please.' Lina turned to the desk. 'Any final concerns, Doctor?'

'Aside from the fact that he only just went through a vicious assault a few hours ago?' The doctor shook her head. 'I'd say he needs at least a week of bedrest. He's in no fit state to go out into the field.'

'Works for me,' Arlen murmured, still reading. 'It'll be all the more convincing if it looks like I put up a fight before Agent Cannis brings me in. You can cover the older scars but leave the fresh injuries alone if you can.'

Lina shifted uncomfortably, her reluctance obvious in every facet of her body language. Though her helmet hid most of her expressions, her exosuit couldn't disguise those signs.

Suddenly, Arlen's eyes grew wide and he tapped a finger on the datapad screen before turning it over for the others to get a look. Lina and Cannis leaned in closer to see a turian who, aside from one distinct detail, was the spitting image of Arlen. He had the same lean burgundy carapace, the same emerald eyes but it was more the aura of hard living this turian projected that convinced them; an air of bitter pain and ordeal that was prevalent even through a still image. His face paint was a twisted white mess of sharp points that made him look like a demon, a pattern easily replicated.

'That's my new cover,' Arlen said as he looked at his doppelganger once more. 'Riko Pavek. Murderer, thief and general scumbag. Should be enough of a reputation to turn some heads in Purgatory. Get the right kind of attention.'

Despite Arlen's confidence, there was that single obvious difference that stood out to Lina and she had to point it out.

'Arlen, this man… His right mandible is shorter than yours. In fact it looks like half of it is…missing.'

Arlen nodded before looking to the doctor. 'You have a set of laser shears, don't you, Doc?'

'Well, yes, but,' The doctor's mouth fell open in shock as she realised what he was implying. 'No, it's absolutely out of the question!'

Already moving towards the medical cabinets, Arlen replied as he began to open various cupboard doors. 'We can't leave anything to chance. I have to make this as convincing as possible. For all we know I could run into someone I put away myself over there. Give me the shears.'

Even Lina couldn't stand idle and she rushed over to grasp Arlen tightly by the arm. 'No, Arlen! I'm not having you mutilate yourself, this is going too damn far!'

Arlen's hands slammed on the counter and he fixed Lina with a glare that made her take an unconscious step back.

'No, it isn't!' he rasped. 'All our lives are at stake here, Lina, you know that! The lives of thirteen million people are at stake! I have the chance to take on a cover identity and get close to Zwei, that's all that matters, not this,' He touched a finger to his mandible and lowered his voice. 'I won't let him win. Even if it kills me.'

The others were left soundless, terrified amazement filling the small room. Arlen's mind was ablaze with purpose, the overwhelming need to continue down the path he had set himself on. He tried his best to ignore the small voice crying out to him to reconsider, smothered as it was by that fire of determination.

Lina seemed to see it herself. She backed away, slowly, and quietly said to the doctor, 'Give him what he needs. Stand by with medigel.'

The doctor set aside her equipment, stood and crossed the room to withdraw a slim silver case from a nearby drawer. She did not look happy as she set the case in front of Arlen. 'Power settings are on the handle,' she grudgingly told him. 'Set it two down from max, should make it clean without incinerating the rest of your face.'

Arlen's breathing had grown fierce. It was only now dawning on him what he had to do and fear began gnawing at his gut. It only intensified as he opened the case to see a small surgical instrument no bigger than a hand, a C-shaped frame with a textured handle and several small buttons running along the top of the grip. He picked it up and thumbed a prominent red button.

The shears lit up, a sharp red beam running between the open ends of the frame, like a miniature hacksaw. The beam illuminated the ridges of his face with warm orange, highlighting the hard lines of his cheeks.

He shut off the tool, the beam dissipating with a hiss. He took a few deep, ragged breaths before leaning over the sink. He put the datapad with his reference picture down on the counter beside him, committing it to memory. It hardly had to be exact but it did need to look correct to the naked eye.

'Got the medigel?' he asked roughly.

'Right here,' the doctor responded, drawing closer while giving him plenty of space.

Agent Cannis winced and Lina turned away, unable to watch.

Blood pounded in Arlen's ears. He raised the tool once more, parting his mandibles and slipping it between his mouth and the right appendage. He forced himself to glance up at the mirror above the sink, adjusting his grip until he found just the right position. A little bit more towards the end. Minute shifts followed until he knew he was just wasting time, trying to avoid the inevitable. He sucked in deep, rapid lungfuls of air through his nose.

It came in a single, terrible moment.

The tool came on and immediately he jerked his arm forward. Flesh sizzled. Bone burned. A gentle ting came from the sink as something hit the metal surface, but it was overpowered by the muffled scream from Arlen's closed lips.

His eyes screwed shut and he spasmed as the shock threatened to buckle his legs. All three bystanders rushed to restrain him, the doctor carefully taking control of the shears and shutting them off right away. Arlen convulsed in their grasp, the stifled cries continuing as blood flowed from the shorn mandible.

'Medigel, Doctor. Now!' Lina shouted. The doctor complied but it took Lina and Cannis some effort to retrain the thrashing turian.

At last, Arlen began to settle. It was all over in a matter of seconds and as the medigel worked its way into his wound, his eyes began to open. They were glazed and watery, and he looked in horror at the spiked tip of his shorn mandible. Moments ago it was a part of his own body, now it was lying in the sink, painted in spatters of dark blue.

The throbbing began in his jaw, a river of white hot pain that made his entire face feel tight. He tried to speak but the movement made it worse, jabbing into his mind until he thought he might pass out. Only the deadening fear of doing so, of not being able to carry out his mission and putting it all to waste, kept him lucid.

'I'm okay,' he lied, the words gurgling from his throat. He managed to point to the desk as he slumped down in the vacant chair. 'Let the medigel do its job and cover the scars, now. We need to get moving in the next couple of hours.'

Lina hung her head, shaken by what she had witnessed. She turned to Cannis. 'Work out the details together. As Arlen said, time is short. I'm going to get your surveillance gear issued.'

It was a flimsy pretext to leave and everyone knew it, but Arlen couldn't blame her. In spite of the crippling agony running through his head, he kept his gaze on Lina as she made her way despondently out of the room.

~~~ME-I2~~~

Ambassador Novari's Presidium apartment was large, open and luxuriously furnished. As the Presidium's night cycle darkened the ring it became a different place, the white vistas turning a deep, dark blue and the shelves and alcoves of dwellings illuminating in thousands of soft golden lights.

She observed the view from the balcony adjoining her living room with detached interest, turning only at the call of her front door. She padded barefoot across her spacious living room, dozens of candles throwing a hazy glow over the expensive silk dress she wore, accentuating the toned curves of the asari's body as she walked.

She grinned seductively as the door opened to reveal Antus Kuril. The turian's creamy facial markings shifted in surprise against the dark grey of his skin. Novari never tired of seeing his reaction to the plunging neckline of her evening dress and it lent a warm excitement to her voice.

'In you come,' she ordered quietly.

Antus obeyed, strolling into the apartment. He was clutching a bottle of asari wine, a mediocre vintage but he was hardly well-schooled in such things.

'I've been thinking about you all day,' he said huskily, setting the wine on a nearby table before turning back to her.

'I know,' she replied. Her hips swayed sensually as she made her way to Antus and slid her hands over his shoulders and around the back of his neck. 'At least you're marginally better at hiding your thoughts than that dull-witted assistant of mine. The last thing I'd want is for Tessarius to ship you back to Palaven.'

Antus responded to her touch in kind, slipping his arms around her waist. He rested his forehead upon hers, threatening to smudge the silver patterns she had applied to her brows only a short time ago.

'That won't happen,' he growled. 'The old man trusts me, I've served under him for nearly six years now. Even if he suspected anything, the fool would just confront me and buy any excuse I fed him.'

Novari gasped lightly as Antus squeezed her body to his. She leaned closer, her shimmering lips hovering just over his mouth.

'I still worry,' she said breathlessly. 'You take so many risks on my behalf.'

'All worth it,' he assured. 'All worth a future away from this damn station. A future with you.'

Her teeth flashed as her smile widened. 'So bold, Antus Kuril. What makes you think you're up to the job of keeping me satisfied for the rest of your life?' One of her hands moved from Antus' neck, down his chest and below his waist. 'What makes you worthy of me?'

Grunting slightly at the contact, Antus was composed enough to reach into a pocket. The shining Optical Storage Disk was impossible to mistake even in the dim glow of the candlelight.

'I don't know, but I think this might help.'

Novari pulled her head back slightly, beaming with joy. She gripped the OSD in her slim fingers. 'And what have we here?'

'Just the latest troop and fleet movements, a few technical readouts and internal comms between Tessarius and various Primarchs. It was all I could scrounge together at short notice.'

Taking the disk from his hand, Novari purred as she closed in for a kiss, 'You really do know how to please a woman.'

Their lips met and Novari moaned softly as Antus' hands quested over her body. They pulled apart a few moments later and Antus spoke as he picked up the wine bottle, taking it in the direction of the kitchen.

'There's one more thing. Those rumours you heard about, the security breach?'

'Oh yes,' Novari replied, crossing the living room to sit back languidly on a large leather couch. 'Something about a break-in at some facility or other.'

The clinking of wine glasses came from the other room and Antus had to shout to be heard. 'Not just any facility. A top-secret weapons storage on Menae. You remember me telling you about the place? Well, it just so happens something was stolen, an advanced suitcase bomb we were going to use against the krogan back in the Rebellions. Frightening thing, from what I've heard.'

Novari's expression grew troubled, at least as much as she would usually let on. Her smile slowly vanished and her brow pursed in thought. 'That's strange. Usually you turians have the strongest security in the galaxy, aside from maybe the salarians. How did it happen?'

Antus emerged once more carrying a pair of large glasses, dark wine swaying within. He handed one to Novari.

'That's the interesting part,' he said with genuine curiosity. 'No force was used. The bomb was stolen right out from under our noses. All our advanced security measures use DNA-encoded safeguards. It would have to be someone in the top brass, no one junior to the rank of general could possibly have gained access.'

A thought crossed Novari's mind. She frowned again as she took a deep sip of wine, voicing her thoughts the moment she swallowed. 'What about Spectres?'

The idea clearly hadn't occurred to Antus. He pursed his brow plates, tilting his head a little as he mulled the thought over. 'I…suppose it could be a possibility, they have Council-level clearance, after all. I'm not sure if Council membership requires cross-species security access for Spectres but it's certainly worth consideration. Well, it would be if I had anything to do with the investigation.'

His eyes travelled to Novari, skating over her body. Her proportions were ample and she knew it, her dress hugging her figure tightly enough that her chest threatened to spill out of it. It was a curious thing, she had found, that some turians had such a penchant for soft flesh. Perhaps it was the sheer lack of it among females of their own species, but then asari seemed to hold that appeal for everyone.

She drained the last of her glass and set it down on the floor. Her gaze continued to hold Antus' and her impish grin returned as she lifted one leg up onto the couch, spreading it slowly to lift up the hem of her dress. She brought up a hand and bit down softly on a finger, speaking from behind her perfect teeth.

'I think you've waited long enough.'

Antus did not hesitate. He too sank the last of his wine and threw the glass aside, descending on Novari with a hunger that made her cry out in pleasure. He did not see Novari's free hand carefully pick up the OSD from the couch and slide it safely out of harm's way.

~~~ME-I2~~~

'There you are!' Lorica called out from the command dais. She almost broke into a run down the ramp as she made her way to Lina. 'I was about to come looking for you, is everything okay?'

Lina's shoulders sagged. She couldn't bring herself to look at her friend and she certainly couldn't purge the anguish she was still feeling after what she'd just witnessed.

'Everything's ready,' she replied, downcast. 'We just need to get Arlen on a fast ride out to Purgatory and we're set.'

Hesitating at her tone, Lorica chose not press her on it, for which Lina was grateful. The most difficult moments were those in which they needed to be professional above all else. The only thing that would help Lina would be to lose herself in her work.

Lorica held up a datapad, its screen filled with audio readouts, vital signs and live speech transcriptions from onboard VIs. 'Between all the bugs and subdermals, we'll hear just about everything there is to hear once he's on the inside. I just hope Arlen knows what he's doing. I was out Omega way a century ago and Purgatory was everyone's worst nightmare even before the Blue Suns took over, the kind of place you talked about but nobody wanted to believe existed.'

'And now I'm sending him right into the middle of it.'

Palpable guilt weighed down Lina's words and Lorica couldn't restrain herself from placing a caring hand on her arm.

'He's sending himself. You could stop him but you know as well as he does that this is the best option, crazy as it is. But you should know by now that crazy is all we do.'

'Yeah,' Lina muttered, unconvinced. 'I just… I can't help but think that if I'd kept in touch since that Forgotten Legion business, if I just took the time to look out for him… He's hurting so much and he doesn't even care.'

Lorcia bit her lip. Her eyes were filled with grief for the quarian but there was an urgency about the asari that made her straighten, unable to be that comforting presence for Lina at that moment.

'I know it's tough,' she said, 'but we're gonna need you to keep it together. I was looking for you just now because you've got a private call waiting. It's Chellick.'

Lina's gaze snapped up on hearing the name. 'Chellick? What the hell does he want?'

Lorica shrugged. 'He wouldn't say. Maybe it's something to do with the walls Investigation are throwing up around this case. We've been trying to get agents in to search the apartment Molach used before heading to the casino but Investigation is barring entrance. They're not letting anyone in there.'

Behind the dark glass of her visor, Lina's eyes blazed angrily. 'That son of a bitch. As if we haven't had enough interdivisional drama today.' She physically composed herself, something Lorica was visibly relieved to see. 'I'll take the damn call. In the meantime, get a sitrep together on the bomb search, Pallin will want an update.'

'All right.' Lorica paused and gave Lina's arm an affectionate tap before letting her hand fall. 'Rip Chellick a new one. For all of us.'

Lina nodded and set off, the fire of authority returning to her as she strode through the command centre. Inwardly, she seethed. It wasn't enough that Chellick used JSTF as a tool to pursue his own vendettas a year ago, bringing them within a hair's breadth of getting shut down and making criminals of everyone there. Now, even after being demoted to a desk in his little Wards precinct he still thought he could throw his weight around.

No, Lina told herself. I'll be damned if he thinks he can still stop me from doing my job.

Lina stormed into her private office, a small room at the far side of the command centre, up a spiral staircase. It overlooked the whole operation but was nowhere near the size of the briefing room. After all, the commander was expected to lead from the command dais, relegating the office to minimal use during operations. It was doubly true since Lina had taken charge and she had to push aside a forgotten stack of thin-strips to access her terminal.

She pressed a blinking green light on the haptic keyboard and a holographic display flickered on to reveal a turian with beige skin, fading to grey in the centre of his face. The white paint on Chellick's lower jaw and mandibles shifted as he rushed to be the first one to speak.

'Lina,' he greeted, his smooth bass tones grating against the terminal's tiny speakers, 'it's been a long time.'

'Not long enough,' Lina replied icily, crossing her arms.

'Come on now, that's hardly an appropriate tone to take with your old boss.'

She leaned forward slightly. 'You're not one to lecture anyone on propriety, so can the false pleasantries and tell me why your division is stalling our investigation into Urqar Molach.'

Chellick grinned, a sly expression that Lina knew better than to trust.

'Ah yes, that troublesome individual. Well, troublesome no longer after Zwei Jaeger decided to remove his head from his shoulders.' Chellick took a moment to consider his next words. 'Investigation was already tailing Molach from the moment he landed on the Citadel. Agent Karius, another of Jaeger's unfortunate victims, was a sad loss to the division. Of course, you managed to catch his killer but Molach's death has left this case in…limbo? Is that what the humans say?'

Lina's voice hardened. 'I'm taking it out of limbo. This is a direct order, Chellick. Let our people into Molach's apartment so we can search for clues.'

'What? You don't trust us to do the job ourselves?' Chellick chuckled.

'No, I just don't trust you. You threw away your chance to cooperate when you denied us access to the crime scene. We don't have time to play these games. It's not something I relish but I won't hesitate either, the stakes are too bloody high. I want everything Agent Karius gathered on Molach, the case file and whoever was handling it office-side on hand for a debriefing ASAP. I also want immediate access to that apartment. We're taking full control of this investigation.'

Chellick let out an exaggerated sigh, a sound that made Lina's temper boil.

'That's where things get difficult,' he said lamentably. 'I'm not in charge of the investigation and with Agent Karius dead, my superiors are reluctant to let this go. You know how we feel about cop killers.'

'First of all,' Lina snapped, 'Zwei Jaeger was the one who killed Karius, not Molach. Second, if you're really powerless in all this then why am I even talking to you?'

'I was asked to relay this information to you on behalf of my department. They thought given our history-'

Lina raised her voice now, her rage building. 'If they really know your history with us, you would be the last person they would send to liaise with us!'

Again, Chellick gave her his mocking smile. 'Of course I knew there might be some ill feeling here. Perhaps I was naive to think that we could put the past behind us, but I thought you deserved an explanation rather than having you seek one from us. I confess, I was actually concerned that the animosity would be of a more…personal nature.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, not to make things even more awkward than they already are, but…' The image shuddered as Chellick spread his hands in a helpless gesture. 'Well, you did take my job.'

Lina breathed in hard, forcing herself to calm down. Deep down she knew Chellick was just stalling for time, and it was working. The man played these games for fun. That they happened to be part of his job was just a bonus to him. All Lina could do was outplay him.

'All right,' she said evenly. 'I'll have our people get in touch with yours and we'll straighten this all out. That's another human saying, I believe. One hand washes the other.'

'I'm glad we could reach an understanding, Commander.'

Lina didn't miss the note of condescension in the last word but she was done with Chellick. She would not allow him to dictate her next course of action. Already a plan was forming in her head as his projection disappeared from the terminal and she made her return to the command centre.

~~~ME-I2~~~

Arlen flexed what remained of his right mandible. The same cosmetic paste used to cover his scars had been layered over the medigel, making it look like a much older wound that it actually was. He would have to be careful to avoid any serious knocks until it all hardened properly, if that was even possible.

His face paint had been reapplied in the manner of Riko Pavek and he'd spent every moment of the procedure listening to interview recordings with the turian himself. Thankfully their oral range was not too dissimilar, avoiding the need for voice-disguising subdermals near his vocal chords. The less he had to rely on devices that could fail, the better.

As he leaned over the sink in the empty clinic, Arlen gave himself a final once-over in the mirror. The sink below was still spattered with his blood, but the shorn half of his mandible had been taken away to be frozen. At the end of it all there would be medical procedures to reattach it, or craft a suitable prosthetic if that wasn't possible. His face paint had been reapplied and now his mouth sported thick white teeth, his brow and eyes made to look sharp and intimidating with jagged patterns.

Arlen twisted his head, admiring his handiwork. For all intents and purposes, he was now Riko Pavek.

The door opened and Lina entered. There was an odd intensity in the quarian's stride and it was clear that whatever horror she'd felt at Arlen's amputation was now gone, or at least pushed far down enough for it not to interfere.

'We're all set,' she told him. 'Cannis is waiting for you.'

'Good timing. I'm done here.'

Arlen turned to face Lina and she cocked her head slightly. 'It's so strange how easily you turians can disguise yourselves. A lick of paint and impromptu body surgery can go a long way.'

Arlen's smile seemed hideously lopsided with the missing mandible. 'Easy for you to say. All you need to do is change suits.'

Lina chuckled, shaking her head gently before looking at him again. Her eyes shimmered beneath her visor.

'Be careful out there. Okay?'

Arlen's smile slowly vanished. 'I'm going to find us that bomb and I'm going to put Zwei away once and for all. I'm not sure if careful comes into the equation but I'll try not to do anything stupid.'

On impulse, Lina stepped forward and placed a hand on Arlen's chest. His C-Sec armour was gone, replaced by a rugged, dirty spacer outfit. Her fingers pressed down on him briefly, expressing something, though he wasn't sure what.

'All right,' she whispered. The sound was probably louder than intended, amplified by her helmet. 'Let's get to work.'

She lowered her hand and turned around. Arlen didn't have time to consider the significance of the moment as he made off after her, following her out into the corridor. They wound their way through the command centre and up the main ramp to the exit. A loud shout halted them both near the top.

'Arlen! Hey, Arlen, it's me! Eddie Lang!'

Both pivoted in surprise as the burly young human half-jogged up the ramp after them. Arlen frowned in astonishment and Lina's voice matched his expression.

'You two know each other?'

'What's he doing here?' Arlen asked.

'We were questioning him over what happened at the Dilinaga Concert Hall earlier.'

Lang doubled over, panting heavily. 'Yeah, they wanted to ask me if Ronn's goon told me anything about Zwei Jaeger's plans. He didn't, but this is so great! This is the Joint Security Task Force command centre! This place is like some kind of weird myth over in Enforcement, like the Bermuda Triangle back home.'

Lina ignored his gushing, speaking to Arlen alone. 'He's been like this since he arrived. You made quite the impression on him.'

'Damn right he did!' Lang continued as he straightened, taking a deep breath. 'I've only seen that kind of stuff in action vids, I didn't think anyone really fought like that in real life. So is this what you really look like and that was just a disguise before, or…?'

Impatience hissed out of Arlen's nostril slits. 'Look, Officer Lang-'

'Call me Eddie.'

'Officer Lang,' Arlen repeated. 'We're busy here and can't afford to stand around for a chat.'

Lina's head twitched towards him. 'Actually, this is quite convenient.'

Confusion passed over Arlen's features. 'What is?'

She didn't answer, instead returning her gaze to Lang, an unusual light in her eyes.

'Arlen, you go on ahead and meet up with Agent Cannis, he'll take you to the docks and brief you on the ship. All your readouts are coming through loud and clear, and Petra has been uploaded to your omni-tool. We'll see you on the other side.'

Arlen nodded sharply. He didn't know what had suddenly caught Lina's attention but it didn't matter. He knew what he had to do and now he could turn his mind solely to his mission. He departed, exiting through the large double doors ahead and disappearing from sight.

Lang shifted his weight uncertainly from one foot to the other. 'So…was there something else you needed from me, Ma'am?'

Lina folded her arms across her chest. Her tone was cordial. 'Actually, yes, Officer Lang. That is, if you don't mind doing us a big favour.'

*Enjoying the story? Please take a moment to Fave, Follow and let me know how you feel with a Review. It really helps to get more people reading and makes this job a whole lot more awesome!*