Black, White and Gray

by darkshadow585431

Nykai Black was a survivor against the odds. She survived Mindoir, Akuze, N7 training and even met the legendary Commander Jane Shepard before she was a legend. Amatia T'Lorn was strong, smart and determined. She refused to give up the hunt for her bond mates killer and certainly never expected to meet a little human girl that would become important to her.

Authors note: First off, one of my best friends, Logan helped form the ideas for this fanfic and helped write the first portions of it but, sadly, he couldn't finish it with me because he passed away in November 2019. I am not near finished with what we started by any means by wanted to post what we have done. (Peace in death L.D.C 3/28/94 to 11/17/19) Secondly I want to make sure it is known that I do not own any rights to Mass Effect or the varying species and characters. Aside from mine and Logan's OC's, Nykai Black, her family and Amatia T'Lorn, all other characters and names belong to Bioware.

This is a slow moving work in progress, but here's chapter one for now. I will do my best to work on it more when I have some more free time.

Also just to be safe, this is rated M for blood, violence, sexual references and cursing

A Mass Effect Fanfic

Black, White and Gray by darkshadow585431

Chapter One

The Attican Traverse, Mindoir, Year 2170.

Nykai's POV.

Screams of pain echoed across the burning colony as the colonists ran in every direction. Blood and fire spread across the once lush fields of Mindoir as everyone frantically tried to escape both the raging fires and the batarian's that had caused them. In the distance a panicked thirteen year old girl could be seen as she swung around to see her twin brother rush out of their burning house, their mother right behind him. "Nikai, Conner, run!" The words barely left their mother's lips as a batarian slaver grabbed their mother by her hair and yanked her back. She cried out and screamed out at her children, "RUN!" Conner grabbed Nikai's hand and tugged her toward the crop fields nearby. "No! We can't leave mom!" Nikai screamed out. Conner's hand shook in hers as they rushed through the fields. "Nikai hide in the woods! I have to go back for mom!" "No Conner...Conner come back!" Nikai was left alone in the fields. Smoke rose up from her home in the distance. She heard a scream followed by a shout, "Nikai hurry and run!" Conner's words faded as a loud gun shot rang across the fields. Nikai heard the batarian's headed her way but she couldn't move. Her family, her friends, her home, they were all gone! The Batarian slavers had taken everything from her. Nikai wouldn't go down without a fight. Her parents always taught her to stand up for herself. To always keep going no matter what obstacles got in her way.

Nikai stood up quickly and wiped her eyes on her sleeves and rushed back toward her home. She knew it was stupid and most likely futile to even consider what she was considering but she was going to do it anyway. At the very least the batarian's that had murdered her parents and brothers were going to die today! Nikai slipped out of the fields quietly and crouched down behind the shed. She carefully looked around the corner and toward the back door to her house. Her mother's body lay in front of the door bloodied and broken. Nikai lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle the small cry that escaped her. Her twin brother's body lay not far from that. They hadn't just shot him. They had tortured him first. Another sob slipped past Nikai's lips. No! She would not break down yet! Not yet! Nikai furiously wiped the tears off her face and checked her surroundings carefully before slipping around the shed and into her house. Three batarian's were in her house standing over her father and older brother's bodies. They must've fought back because their bodies showed signs of torture as well. Nikai narrowed her eyes as she slipped inside. Her dad kept a katana in the office on display. He kept it sharp and well taken care of but other than to clean and sharpen the blade it was never removed from the display case. Nikai slipped into the office and headed over to the shelf the sword was displayed on. She reached up and pulled the case down carefully and set it on the desk. Quickly she pulled her omni-tool up and hacked into the lock.

The case opened and she grabbed the sword. Slipping back into the hall she moved up behind the closest batarian and despite being quite a bit shorter than him was able to slit his throat quickly and quietly. His body slumped down and she grabbed his body before it had a chance to hit the floor and carefully lowered him down. Working the fields with her family had helped her muscles to be stronger then most children her age otherwise she wouldn't have been able to hold him up. At least she thought it was a him. She then picked the sword back up and moved over to the next one and repeated the process. As she moved to slit the third ones throat he turned to say something to the two she had just killed and saw her. He grew angry and started shouting in a language she couldn't understand and came at her. Nikai dodged his attack and darted out of the house only to run into another batarian. He grabbed her with one hand and lifted some kind of device up ready to shove it into her head. Nikai jerked to try and get free and lifted the sword quickly stabbing him through the leg. By now the other one had gotten outside and when he saw her stab the one that had caught her he rushed over and grabbed her by her hair yanking her back. Her head cracked against his armored chest. She screamed but held onto the sword tightly and it jerked out of the batarian's leg. She felt something slide down the back of her head. She must be bleeding out.

Blood flowed out and some of it splattered on her face. The batarian in front of her punched her in the face hard but she had turned her head so the hit had impacted on her cheek instead. The punch had cut down her cheek badly. Blood trailed down her face to add to the blood already sticking in her hair on the back of her head. He was about to punch her again when a blue shimmer surrounded his body and he was lifted into the air then thrown into the ground head first. He died instantly. The other batarian jerked on Nikai's hair pulling her to her feet against him. The sword was still gripped tightly in her hand as a women walked toward them. Nikai's vision was blurred from the loss of blood and smacking her head but she could still make out enough to tell the women was an asari. "Let the child go!" Her voice was calm but menacing and she was speaking in Nikai's language.

The batarian started shouting at the asari in his own language and Nikai couldn't understand what he was saying as he stepped back pulling her hair hard. Nikai flinched. The asari stared down the batarian. She glanced down at Nikai when she saw movement. Nikai had lifted the arm that she held the sword with and quickly sliced right through her hair and part of the batarian's armor causing him to stumbled back. Nikai dropped down on her knees and quickly rolled out of the way. A blue shimmer surrounded the batarian before he could react, lifted him up, and jerked him forward toward the asari. Nikai looked up and watched as he floated in front of the asari. "Where is Anon!?" Her voice still sounded so calm but there was an angry undertone to it. Nikai pushed herself to her feet and stared at the scene in front of her. Her vision was still blurred causing everything to appear in a mix of fuzzy images and colors. Why could she understand what the asari was saying but not the batarian? The batarian mumbled something in his own language again. "There is no point in protecting him. I will find him. I am offering you a chance to save yourself. I suggest you take it." The batarian growled out something else and the asari shook her head slightly. The blue shimmer surrounded her body and the batarian was thrown back into the shed walls. The asari slowly walked over to the batarian. Before he could move she placed the heel of her boot across the batarians throat and pressed down enough to hold him in place. "Last chance. Tell me what I need to know." The batarian growled out something again. Nikai guessed it wasn't what the asari wanted to hear because she stared down at the batarian and spoke softly, "Find peace in the embrace of the goddess." then snapped his neck with the heel of her boot. Nikai stared at the scene in front of her before lowering down onto her knees. The weight of everything that had happened finally hit her full force and she broke down. Tears were streaming down her face to mix with the blood and her already blurred vision. The last thing she saw was the asari headed toward her slowly and her calm voice speaking to someone.

Amatia's POV

Amatia had arrived on the human colony Mindoir in time to find that Anon and the other batarian slavers had destroyed the planet. A scream caught her attention as she casually walked toward the sound. Amatia rounded the corner to find a girl being held by her hair. The batarian's Amatia was tracking stood before her. Anon had to be here! He had to! Amatia lifted her hand and pulled one of the batarians into the air and threw him head first into the ground. With a sickening snap the batarian died instantly. "Let the child go!" Amatia kept her voice calm but menacing. The batarian glared at Amatia and shouted at her, "How the fuck did you find us Amatia!? Anon is going to be pissed!" He stepped back pulling the girls hair hard. The girl flinched. Amatia stared down the batarian until she saw slight movement. She glanced down at the girl to see her lift her arm with a sword in hand and slice right through her hair and part of the batarian's armor causing him to stumble back. The girl dropped to her knees and quickly rolled out of the way. Clever child. Amatia thought and then focused her attention on the batarian again as he started cursing at the child. "Stupid fucking brat! You cut my armor!" Amatia lifted her hand again and a blue shimmer surrounded the batarian before he could react and lifted him up jerking him toward Amatia. "Where is Anon?" Amatia kept her voice calm but felt that perhaps this human child had noticed the slight undertone of anger laced in it.

She saw the child push herself to her feet and stare at the two of them. Some confusion and obvious dizziness showed on the child's face as the batarian answered Amatia, "Forget it bitch! I'm not saying a damn thing! You can't do anything to me that would be worse then what Anon would do if I betrayed him" "There is no point in protecting him. I will find him. I am offering you a chance to save yourself. I suggest you take it." The batarian glared at her before replying, "Blue bitch! You're dead!" Amatia shook her head slightly as her body shimmered blue again and the batarian flew back into the shed walls. Amatia slowly walked over to him and placed the heel of her boot across his throat and pressed down enough to hold him in place. "Last chance. Tell me what I need to know." "Fuck you!" the batarian barely gasped out. Amatia continued to stare down at the batarian before she spoke softly, "Find peace in the embrace of the goddess." She twisted her foot causing the heel of her boot to twist the batarians neck snapping it instantly. A soft thump caused Amatia to look over at the girl in time to see her on her knees. Tears streamed down her face mixing with the blood from her injuries. Amatia moved to walk toward her as she lifted her hand to respond to the incoming transmission from the human Alliance Military. "There is a single survivor. A young girl. She has lost a lot of blood and is need of immediate medical attention." Amatia reached the girl and lowered down to check for a pulse. She had barely gotten two words out before the girl had passed out. "...come in...Alliance...itary...Anderson." The signal wasn't clear and Amatia didn't have the time to waste waiting for the Alliance to arrive. She lowered down and transmitted a distress signal to the girls omni-tool before standing and turning to leave. "Survive child. There is strength in you. May we meet again in the future." Amatia whispered before walking away.

5 years later

"Hackett! Anderson! Seriously I'll be 18 in like two weeks! Why can't I start the preliminary tests now! I can get them done and be ready to jump in as soon as I hit 18 that way!" Nikai Black stared down the two men standing in front of her while pulling her long black hair back into a loose braid. Though it would be more accurate to say she stared up. Nikai only stood at 5'7" while the two men both stood at over six feet tall. "Nikai. You have been beside me since you were brought here by Anderson five years ago. You know the rules and regulations of the Alliance better then some of our seasoned soldiers. You know until you're 18 the tests cannot be taken!" "But..." Anderson chuckled slightly, "Sir. I think we should let her take them anyway. It's not like we can't officially turn them in a few days after she turns 18. She wouldn't be the first one to complete the preliminary tests so soon after joining. Remember Jane Shepard. Nikai's smart. She'll do fine."

Anderson glanced at Hackett then winked at Nikai who grinned in return. Hackett sighed. "Alright. Alright." Nikai squeeled and threw her arms around Hackett who chuckled and smoothed out his dress blues when she pulled away. She wrapped her arms around Anderson who grinned at Hackett over Nikai's shoulder, "I think we should contact Amatia T'Lorn and let her know." Hackett nodded his agreement and Nikai pulled back from Anderson to look excitedly between the two men, "Amatia! Do I get to talk to her? Please!?" Hackett smiled then started to access his omni-tool before looking down at Nikai, "Why don't you call her Nikai. I believe she is currently on the Citadel on personal business and if you ask nicely she might even come to Arcturus Station to meet up with you." Nikai grinned again and quickly activated her omni-tool.

The image screen pulled up above her arm as the transmission went through. Amatia smiled through the screen at Nikai, "Kai. How have you been?"

"Amatia! Guess what!?" While Nikai continued to talk happily to Amatia, Hackett turned to Anderson, "Make sure to get clearance for Amatia at Arcturus Station. I know that may be difficult because of the tension between humanity and the other races but Amatia and Nikai are close. That could be a good way for our two races to form a strong alliance some day. We'll let Nikai visit with her for the rest of this week then next week we'll give Nikai the preliminary test which I'm sure Amatia will encourage. She's come a long way but I think this will be difficult for her." Anderson glanced over at Nikai who was currently laughing about something, "I agree. She's always been a tough kid. After we finally found out about Amatia and got ahold of her so she could fill in all the blank spots of Nikai's story things made more sense. Lucky for us Amatia was willing to cooperate other wise we may have ended up in a bad situation and I think Nikai would've suffered the most from it." Hackett nodded and spoke quietly, "I think you should put her name forward for N7 training as soon as the opportunity presents itself. She has proven what she's capable of more then once already." Anderson nodded just as Nikai said her goodbyes. "Amatia agreed to meet us at Arcturus. She said she'll leave the Citadel as soon as her business there is done but that she can only stay for a few hours. She said her mission must take priority. I can't wait to see Amatia and I so can't wait to take the prelims!"

6 months later

Nikai Black was standing in a line of Alliance soldiers that had just gotten out of boot camp in her dress blues. Her back was rigid as she held her position carefully maintaining the military pose that had been drilled into her since she first arrived. The CO of the boot camp stepped out and barked out that there was an officer on deck. Every recruit straightened further and saluted as Captain David Anderson stepped up in front of them. "At ease." Nikai lowered her hand swiftly and clasped her hands behind her back standing at ease. "Today you will each be assigned to different squads. Some of you will stay together..." Anderson's eyes landed on Nikai, "...and some of you will be reassigned to an entirely new unit. Most of you will find out just what it is to be a part of the Alliance! You have until 0300 to pack your authorized gear and report back here. Dismissed!"

"HOOYAH!"

All the new Alliance Marines saluted at once then turned and headed off to gather their gear except for one. Anderson walked over to stand in front of her, "Private Black! You were dismissed marine!"

"Yes sir. But I wished to speak with you sir. Off the record."

Anderson nodded and smiled, "Of course. Off the record." Nikai let her hands fall to her sides while maintaining the straightened pose of a marine, as she stared up at Anderson,

"It's good to see you Anderson. Hackett and Amatia sent me a message a few days ago. Hackett didn't tell me you'd be the officer coming here though. Why is that I wonder...hmm...well no matter. I just wanted to thank you!"

"Thank me? For what exactly?" Nikai smiled gently but sadly, "You're the reason I'm still alive today. You and Amatia are I mean. Hackett too. When you found me on Mindoir I was broken. Not just physically. The only thing I thought I had left of my life there was my dad's katana, the scars the batarians left me, and my hatred of them. It wasn't until a few months into boot camp training that I realized I couldn't hold this anger and hate of batarians in myself. The batarians that attacked Mindoir, which destroyed the families and the land there, were bad men. All of them got what they deserved but that doesn't mean that all batarians are bad. I realized that because of what you told me."

Anderson tilted his head slightly, "And what was it that I told you to make you realize that?"

Nikai smiled, "We had been talking about the salarians and turians that had used the genophage on the Krogan back in the 800's. What was done to the krogan was done out of a fear of the unknown. That was what I had said before you had responded with, 'sometimes I think that we're more alike than we might want to admit.' I know you weren't specifically talking about the krogan or any race really. You meant all of them, that all of us are more alike than we want to admit. I realized then that you were right. That there are good and bad people in every race out there, that I can't hate the many because of what the few did."

Anderson smiled and nodded, "Good. That's a good way to believe Nikai. I'm proud of you child. For everything you've achieved. I know you'll go far. Now go before you fall behind."

Nikai grinned up at Anderson, saluted him, then turned and ran to her bunk in the girls' bunker of the compound. The others were just finishing packing their gear and were walking out as Nikai walked in.

"Better hurry up Black! Captain Anderson will be pissed if you're not out there in the lineup in time."'

Nikai smiled at the others, "Yeah yeah. You know he's not as much of a hard ass as you guys think."

"Yeah right. Have you heard some of the stories about him?"

"Exactly." Nikai quickly grabbed the sheath holding her katana from under her bed and pulled it out to check the blade before slipping it across her chest to rest on her back.

"What do you mean exactly Black?"

"You said stories. Most of the time when you hear scuttlebutt it's just that...stories...and stories most of the time have some layer of truth to them but usually it isn't the parts you think. It's the parts you don't expect to be true. Take that situation from Mindoir over five years ago. Some of the stories say that a girl killed some of the batarian slavers and freed the last remaining survivors by unleashing her, until that day, hidden biotic powers. That's only partly true and not the parts you guys probably think."

Nikai finished placing the last of her gear in the duffle bag and hefted it over her shoulder and turned to look at the girls standing at the door way, "The part you guys think is true is the part about the girl unleashing hidden biotics just as the Alliance swooped in to save the day isn't it?" Everyone nodded and one girl stepped forward, "What part is true then if it's not that part?" Nikai walked over and started out the door, stopped at the end of the ramp and glanced over her shoulder, "The part that talks about a girl killing a couple of the batarian slavers. The rest is BS. It was an asari Justicar that used biotics to free the remaining survivors. The girl had passed out before that from blood loss." Nikai turned and continued toward the line up before anyone could respond. The girls started talking amongst themselves until their CO hollered at them to get their asses moving.

2 years later

"Move your asses!" Service Chief Nikai Black shouted at the marines in front of her as the group of thresher maws spit acid at their previous location. Their unit had been sent to Akuze, a colony that had gone silent, to determine what had happened. They found more questions then answers and had hunkered down for the night. A few hours later a scream woke everyone up and they all rushed out to find the marines that had been on guard duty were dead or dying as giant thresher maws came barreling up from the ground all around and in their camp. Their CO 2nd Lt Blake had shouted at the marines to get the hell out of there just as one of the thresher maws spit acid at him. He screamed as the acid ate away at his body killing him. Nikai was the next highest rank and immediately took charge. As she used her sniper to shoot the maw that had sprung up from the ground the last ten marines shot it with their assault rifles, shot guns, and biotics. The maw screeched at them and pulled itself back into the ground. Nikai turned and shouted again, "Head for the LZ now!" She was a few feet away from the others so when another maw sprung out of the ground taking most of the remaining marines with it her focus shifted to the few that had landed nearby. The rest were dead and she could mourn their loss later just like she would do with all of the others. Right now she had to get to the last three left of her unit. She couldn't be the only one to survive this. Not again. Not like her family. Nikai rushed over to them as the maw ripped apart the others. "Lets go! Help me with him!" She shouted at the other two who stared in horror at the scene in front of them. Human body parts were scattered across the ground. Some had been melted into puddles of blood and chunks of meat while others lay shredded on the ground. "Toombs! Kerrington! Snap out of it!" Nikai yelled out with a commanding and calm voice. The two marines blinked and rushed to finally help her lift Private Alvers. He had broken both legs and couldn't walk on his own and the four of them were at a cliff edge. More maws sprung from the ground surrounding the group. Sacrifice the one for the many. Nikai knew they had to move and they wouldn't be fast enough unless they left Alvers behind. Damn worms! Nikai lowered Alvers to the ground quickly and pulled her pistol from her hip and aimed at his head, "What are you doing!?" Corporal Toombs shouted at her. "Chief Black!" Private Kerrington yelled at her. The two men lowered Alvers down and rushed to stop her. She glanced at the maw as it opened it's mouth to spit acid at all of them. Nikai cursed and grabbed Toombs and Kerrington by their arms and jerked them forward. They stumbled over the cliff and slid down it screaming as they went. Nikai looked at Alvers and whispered, "I'm sorry." before lifting her gun. "No wait!" Alvers pleaded. Nikai ignored his protests and pulled the trigger. The bullet pierced Alvers head killing him instantly. Nikai ran toward the only remaining opening as another maw had blocked her from going the same way as Toombs and Kerrington. It was as if the world were moving in slow motion around her as she ran as fast as she could and dove between the maws bodies just as the one spit acid at the ground dissolving Alvers body. She darted around them and rushed for the cliff edge. Sliding down it just as acid hit the ground behind her. She hit the bottom twisting her ankle and causing her to smash into a rock snapping her left arm. The katana she had always kept with her flew off her back sliding to a stop next to the pile of rocks that lay on top of Kerrington's body. His organs were scattered around the rock as if he had exploded. Nikai gritted her teeth and pushed herself to her feet with her good arm. Her left arm hung limply at her side as she moved as fast as she could grabbing her katana as she went. She slung it back over her shoulders and shouted, "Toombs!" There was no sign of his body so maybe he was still alive. The LZ was up the hill from her location so maybe...maybe he had headed that way. Nikai forced herself up the slope. Her ankle screamed at her in protest as she pulled herself up with her right hand. The maws weren't attacking her anymore for some reason. Nikai decided now was not the time to be curious about the chance she was given and moved as quickly as she could toward the LZ. She couldn't access her omni-tool because of her broken left arm so she'd have to wait and manuelly activate the distress beacon at the LZ. Her vision started to blur as the beacon came into view. "Not yet! Not yet!" She whispered fiercely. She felt the trickle of blood slide down her side. Was Toombs at the LZ like she had hoped or was he dead like the other 48 marines from her unit? How could this have happened? How many bones had she broken? Had she damaged any internal organs? The beacon was just a few more feet in front of her. "Come on! Come on!" Nikai chanted to herself, "You've survived worse then this!" Images of Mindoir flashed through her head as she pushed herself to keep moving. She finally reached the beacon and was able to activate it before she finally slumped down to the ground. Her last thoughts were of a man's face twisting in fear before a bullet pierced his brain and a happy time that she wouldn't ever get back. Her world pitched into darkness as she slumped forward and was left laying in a growing pool of her own blood.

1 year later (Year 2178)

"Your mission today is intel. Part of being an N7 is learning how to gather intel alone and as a team. Gunnery Chief Black!" the voice boomed, "Yes sir!" Nikai stood straighter as the N7 training officer got in her face, "You will pick two others to accompany you to the planet Kahje. We have an unusual ally there. This mission may be one of the most important you go on. It may allow alliances that we haven't seen take shape in the last 21 years since First Contact. You will search and make contact with a drell there. He has intel on a Black Ops group known as Cerberus. Find and verify his intel with your team! You will have to discover where he is and what his name is on your own!" Nikai saluted, "Yes sir!" Her CO snapped out his orders, "Pick your team Black!" Nikai stepped forward and turned with a confident step while still maintaining proper military fashion. She scanned the people before her carefully looking for reactions to her gaze. Most glared at her as if to say don't even think about picking me. Rumors had spread like wild fire after the disaster that was Akuze and soon everyone knew that not only was Nikai Black the only survivor of Akuze but she was also the only survivor of Mindoir. At least the only one that was well known. One N7 in particular watched her carefully but didn't glare as the others did. Officially she out ranked Nikai but for whatever reason their CO had still chosen Nikai to lead the team. It wasn't her place to question but part of her had to wonder why he didn't choose Shepard to lead the team instead and why he was allowing her to choose the other two members of said team. Nikai's gaze stayed on Shepard for a moment before sliding to Simmons. Her decision was made and some wouldn't be happy about it. To bad for them. She was not going in with a team that wanted personal glory. "Lieutenant Commander Shepard and Corporal Simmons front and center!" Nikai didn't carry the same commanding voice she had on Akuze but the confidence behind it was still strong. Maybe that was why she was chosen as the team lead despite the five rank difference between her and Shepard. Simmons and Shepard stepped forward. Shepard was curious and Simmons was unsure. Nikai could tell that by just looking at them. "An infiltrator and a biotic. Interesting choices Gunny Black." Nikai swiftly turned and stared right into her training officers eyes, "Yes sir." "You're an infiltrator Black. Why take another one with you?" He was testing her. Of course he was. Nikai continued to stare at him. Her voice was steady and calm when she answered, "The mission is intel based sir. It requires subtletly not power." "Then why take a biotic? Biotics typically aren't very subtle." The biotics in the group held their faces still but it was obvious the comment caused some unrest. "Sir that is a stereotype. Not all biotics are mad bulls rushing into the storm. Some can be very stealthy when it's necessary and Simmons is the best choice. Not only is he one of the more...silent...of the biotics but he will also allow us to have a good defense if we end up in a tight spot with no ammo. He has tech skills due to his sentinal training which we will all need to be ready to impliment should the circumstances change and not allow myself or Shepard to gather the intel. His control of his biotics is the best out of all of the others as well sir!" The other biotics glared at Nikai again and Simmons straightened slightly at the compliment."Good call Gunny." The training officer looked at the Shepard and Simmons then Nikai before speaking, "This is the final mission before you will be moved up to the next level of the N7 program. If you succeed the three of you will only have one more step to go before completing the N7 program. If you do that you will be the first to achieve that rank since David Anderson first achieved it 21 years ago. Black. Shepard. Simmons. Dismissed!" The three of them started to walk toward their bunkers to gather their gear when Nikai stopped and swiftly turned and cleared her throat causing everyone to look at her including her training officer. She saluted and shouted out, "Semper Fidelis!" Their training officer saluted back quickly and efficiently. Shepard and Simmons straightened and shouted, "Hoorah!" then returned his salute. "You three get going." Their training officer smiled at them all then turned away from them to face the other soldiers, "The rest of you stop glaring at Gunny Black! We have work to do!" Nikai turned to look at her team then motioned for Shepard and Simmons to follow her. Simmons walked to her right and Shepard to her left, "So what's the plan Black?" Simmons asked. Nikai glanced over her shoulder and smirked, "Magic." she declared before turning and going through the bunker entrance and heading toward the womens rooms. Shepard watched the confused look cross Simmons face for a second before following with a slight chuckle. Poor kid was clueless. Simmons sratched his head then quickly turned and went into the mens rooms and started packing his gear, "Magic?" he whispered to himself as he checked is amp was good before hoisting his bag over his shoulder.

On Omega an Asari dressed in skin tight black leather pants, a tight fitting hooded wrap around halter top that cut off just below the breasts and then wrapped around the waist with individual straps that criss-crossed over the middle of her stomach. The hood was pulled up over her head and covered her face in partial shadows. Her black leather high heel boots clicked as she walked through the VIP section of After Life. Aria had granted her permission to search the club for her target and said to come see her when she was done. She knew that Anon wasn't there but one of his men was and that particular batarian knew where Anon was currently at. The batarian she was looking for was sitting at the bar trying unsuccessfully to seduce the young asari dancer that was sitting next to him on a break. The batarian became more persisitant and the alchohol in his system was not helping his rough attitude. Amatia watched for a few minutes more before slowly making her way over to them. The asari girl was protesting and trying to free her arm from the batarian when Amatia stepped forward. The batarian glanced up at her then eyed her up and down before releasing the young asari he had been struggling with. The girl glared at him, flipped him off then rushed out to the dance floor to finish her shift. Aria had done a good job getting the batarian into the VIP section for her. Amatia lowered down revealing even more of her cleavage to the batarian as she eyed him with false seduction, "Don't you think that little girl is too...young for you. You seem like a man who needs a more...experienced...women." The batarian's eyes stayed focused on her breasts until she lifted back up and moved closer to him. Her hip pushed against his crotch as she leaned into him. Amatia wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer and whispered in his ear, "I think we should go somewhere more...private." The batarian nodded dumbly and stood on wobbly legs to follow Amatia. She looped her arm around him as they walked out the door. The guard nodded slightly at her as she winked at him. The batarian stumbled beside her as he tried unsuccessfully to kiss her on the neck. Amatia tightened her hold on the batarian but kept calm otherwise until she unlocked the door to the apartment Aria had set up for her. The batarian stumbled forward when she pushed him and locked the door behind her. Before the batarian could move or talk Amatia had thrown him onto the couch using her biotics and walked toward him gracefully. A perverted smile cross his face as she moved closer. When she was within range Amatia lifted her leg quickly pushing her foot against his throat and stared him down, "Where is Anon!?" The smiled faded from the batarian's face the second her boot connected with his neck to be replaced with panic when her face was finally revealed from the light that cast across it. He sputtered and gasped out her name, "Amatia!" A few hours later Amatia walked into the upper levels of After Life and headed up the stairs toward where Aria lounged on a couch. "Amatia." Aria said her name quickly and with a slight amount of respect in her commanding voice. Amatia nodded and replied, "Aria," then moved past Aria's men and sat down on the couch adjacent to Aria's. "Did you have a good time?" Aria asked calmly. Amatia crossed her right leg gracefully over her left and turned her gaze toward Aria, "I know you know what happened. Don't act like you don't. And don't worry. I threw him out the window of the apartment. I believe I may have caused some salarian driving past to have a heart attack. At least I assume so since he swerved and crashed his sky car into the lower levels before stumbling out clutching his chest." Aria smirked and crossed her own legs before turning her gaze toward Amatia. "As long as he wasn't someone on my payroll it doesn't matter." Amatia kept her steady gaze on Aria's face for a few minutes before speaking, "He wasn't. Just a little worm who believed his fortune was here on Omega. I checked into it of course." Aria smirked again. "Good. You know my rules Amatia. Don't..." Amatia stood gracefully, "...fuck with Aria. Of course. I thank you for your...assistance. Goodbye Aria." Amatia walked past the guards and started down the stairs, "Find yourself a nice man to warm you Amatia!" Aria declared quickly. Amatia lifted her arm and waved before walking around the corner and heading out the main doors of After Life. It was time to leave Omega. Her next stop was Kahje, the Hanar homeworld. The batarian, in his drunken state, was quick to inform her that their was a particular drell named Feron that had intel on slave traders, batarian slave traders in particular, and was willing to release the intel to a select few. The batarian would have lived had he not attacked Amatia after she thanked him and turned to leave. She may have had her back to him but that didn't mean her defenses had been lowered even a fraction. Now to get passage to Kahje. As the thought crossed her mind she over heard a couple of humans and asari talking about how they wanted to go to Kahje on vacation. Amatia made her way toward them gracefully as usual. "You are going to Kahje?" Four pairs of eyes turned to look at her as she smiled when they all nodded their heads entusiastically.

En route to Kahje.

Nikai leaned back against the shuttle's seat. Part of being N7's was also figuring out how to get around on your own. Luckily Shepard's mother, Staff Lietenant Hannah Shepard, was stationed on one of the Alliance frigates, the SSV Einstein and was willing to talk to her CO about giving them a lift to Kahje. They weren't able to enter the system on the Einstein but were given a shuttle per Admiral Hackett's orders to use until they would be picked up in 3 months by the Einstein when it was scheduled to fly near the system Kahje was in on their way back to Alliance space. Shepard pushed up off her knees and looked over at Nikai, "So we're landing on an unknown world..." Simmons lifted his hand with one finger up and his eyes closed, "Kahje is the Hanar homeworld and back in the year..." Shepard smirked, "Ok. Partially unknown world." Simmons opened his eyes and looked between the two. Both women were smirking at him. "What?" he declared before allowing a smile to cover his own face, "Anyway...you were saying Shepard?" Nikai asked turning her gaze back. "We have no intel on where this drell is or even a picture to identify him. So what's your plan? And don't say magic again please Black." Nikai chuckled slightly as the shuttle bounced a bit when they entered the atmosphere of Kahje. "We have brains. We have determination. We have each of our own twisted versions of smarts. We can do this Shepard." Simmons chimed in then, "That's a fancy way of saying, 'I have no fucking clue how we're gonna do this shit.' Least that's what I got from that." Nikai feigned shock and clutched at her civilian clothes in mock horror, "I cannot believe you would say that to me Simmons!" Shepard and Simmons looked at each other then back at Nikai before all three burst out laughing. Yep this team was meant to work together. Nikai could feel it. They would find the drell and get the intel within the 3 months they were given. The pilot hollered back from the front of the shuttle, "We're about to land. The hanar and drell are not exactly happy about us being here just so you know." Nikai stood and hefted her duffle bag onto her shoulder after pulling it free of the safetly compartment. "Doesn't matter. We have a mission to do. As far as they're concerned we're just here on vacation anyway. We just happen to be here with the daughter of a slightly famous Staff Lt that's all. Hence the Alliance shuttle. Clear?" Simmons and Shepard both nodded as they followed Nikai's example and slung their duffles over their shoulders. "Whatever you say kid." The pilot moved her arms across the holo panel quickly causing the shuttle to lower and land with a slight bounce. Before Simmons could reach out and open the door Nikai stepped in his way, "We're supposedly here on vacation so we need to call each other on first name basis until we leave so we don't give anything away. Understood Jane?" Nikai looked at Shepard who nodded and replied, "You got it...Nikai." With a nod Nikai turned her gaze to Simmons, "Understood Justin?" Simmons smiled and nodded, "You bet Nikai." Nodding again Nikai turned and opened the hatch to let the door slip open. There was a light drizzle of rain pouring down on them as they walked out of the shuttle. Nikai looked over her shoulder at the pilot, "Coming?" She shook her head before reaching back and grabbing her own duffle. "Not like I can leave. Admiral Hackett and Staff Lt Shepard gave me strict orders to stay here with you three. I feel like an under paid baby sitter." She mumbled as she walked past them. All three marines laughed quietly and followed after their unofficial baby sitter. A hanar floated over to them and politely asked if they were the visitors that he was notified about. A few minutes later they were being led by a female drell and the hanar up a ramp to a small house that sat under a waterfall. Literally. The water cascaded gently over the home and slid down the side into the large pool of water beneath it. Once they were inside the hanar left them to talk with the female drell and he floated down and sunk into the water then vanished quickly beneath its surface. The pilot glanced around the apartment. "Is this place made of glass?" She asked realizing she could see everything outside no matter which way she looked. The drell shook her head slightly, "No of course not. That would be dangerous. It is a material the hanar developed so my people could make homes here that would allow us to keep the houses heated to try and match our home planets temperature more accurately. It is like what humans call a green house I believe. Of course there are temperature settings on the wall there and no one can see inside from the outside. From the outside, as you may have noticed, it is just a reflection like a mirror." The pilot scoffed then walked over and sat in one of the chairs. Nikai glanced at each exit. Door behind her. No windows. A sky light that had a small latch and ladder leading to it. Only two ways in or out. Shepard and Simmons scanned the room as well before looking at Nikai who subtley nodded at them. They turned and headed off like typical entusiastic tourist would discussing what to do first. Nikai turned toward the drell, "So...uh..." The drell turned toward her and smiled, "My name is Yin."

"Yin. Beautiful name." Yin's face tiltled slightly as if she were confused before she smiled, "Thank you." Nikai smiled back, "Yin...I was wondering about the area. Is this the only part of Kahje that has buildings?"

"Oh of course not. We have settlements all over Kahje. This is just the largest one. The main city as it were. There is much more to see here then any other location."

"Like what? If you don't mind me asking?" Yin blinked. Her two eye lids sliding first left to right then immediately the second eye lids slid down and up. Nikai had always found the drell race to be interesting and nearly couldn't contain her excitement, despite her training to remain calm and collected, about being on Kahje and talking to an actual drell. "It is no trouble. This dome has the temples, the markets, schools, entertainment, food locations, and many homes."

"Dome?" Nikai looked up through the glass roof and after staring for a few seconds she realized that what Yin said was true. They were inside of a dome. A huge glass dome. Most likely made of the same materials the house was. "That's right. My people are from Rakhana, a dry rocky desert world. Most of us have still not adapted well to Kahje because of the planet being covered in mostly oceans. There are small islands here and there but 90% of Kahje is water. The domes were built to help my people breathe easier. Each dome is connected by long tunnels. The upper levels are for hover cars, transports, and shuttles while the lower levels are for those that are a bit more energetic and prefer walking between each dome. Most of the drell that walk are soldiers, infiltration units, that kind of thing. They can be quite dangerous so if you walk please do be careful." Nikai felt like a giddy little kid on christmas day. Her stomach fluttered with the excitement of learning about the drell more then any other ever had. Except the hanar of course. "So do your people really have eidetic memory?" Nikai practically bounced on her feet waiting for Yin to answer her. Her calm demeaner as a soldier had all but left her in her excitement. Shepard and Simmons had walked into the room just before she asked and quickly covered their mouths to try and stifle their laughter at Nikai's child like response to being on Kahje and talking to a drell. Nikai glared at them and coughed lightly before straightening up and turning her full attention to Yin as their pilot mumbled about being a damn baby sitter. "Sorry Yin. I've just...I've always found your people to be so inspiring and beautiful. Ever since I was a little girl and my father had told me about a drell that he'd encountered when he was off planet once I've always wanted to come here and just talk to one of you. To hear about your beliefs and your life styles. I'm sorry if I got a bit to enthusiastic." Yin stared for a moment. The look on her face was clear to everyone. She was shocked. "It...it is quite all right. I never...I never thought anyone would find our culture to be so inspiring..." Yin smiled before continuing, "And yes we do have eidetic memory..."

Shepard and Simmons had stopped listening after Yin had started explaining in better detail the eidetic memory of the drell people. They decided to check out the upper level through the roof sky light. As the door shut behind them they checked out their surroundings carefully. "I think this would be a perfect HQ for us. We can see most of this sector up here and it gives us more privacy." Shepard suggested looking around. Simmons looked outside and scanned the large city, "I agree. This place is huge. We need to find a lead asap if we're gonna find our target." Shepard walked over and looked out over the city scanning it for landmarks they could use later. "Agreed. Now we just have to wait for Nikai to get up here with us so we can talk strategy."

Nikai watched as Yin walked down the walk toward one of the houses near the bottom of the stairs for a while before she turned and headed up the ladder to talk with Shepard and Simmons. The pilot mumbled again about kids before laying back on the couch and relaxing. Nikai pulled herself up into the upper level and shut the door quietly. Simmons and Shepard were leaning over a table that sat in the middle of the room. Sweat beaded off both of their heads. "I think our first priority is cooling it off in here some." Nikai stated then walked over to the control panel on the wall and switched the heat off. The cool air from the ocean seemed to slide quickly into the house. "Much better!" Nikai declared with a smile before turning to look at Shepard and Simmons. "First things first...figuring out which of the domes our target is located at. Thoughts?" Shepard leaned on the table, "Well first off Justin and I both think that this room would be a perfect HQ for our mission..." Nikai glanced around quickly and looked out across the city. "Agreed. Second?" Simmons walked toward the door in the floor, "Second we need to bring our gear up here so we can lay some of it out and see what we can figure out. I'll go get it." Simmons climbed down quickly and a few minutes later he hefted one of the duffles he had carried off the shuttle up through the door. Nikai grabbed it from him so his hands would be freed up and walked over to the table again. Sitting it down she opened it up and pulled out a small flat square plate. Laying it on the table she lifted her left arm and accessed her omni-tool. Opening it she scanned over the tile and a holo image popped up above the tile. Closing her tool down Nikai put both hands over the image and moved her hands so the image would expand the size of the table. Simmons walked over and leaned on the table. "So...we have a planetary scan at least. Doesn't tell us population or exact locations but at least it tells us where each dome is at." Shepard leaned forward and activated her tool pinging the location on the map. The holo image zipped to the right and marked a spot indicating it was where Shepard was at. Nikai lifted her hand and marked the spot as their HQ. "Alright so we know where we are in comparison to the rest of the place now. We also know this is Yin's house here." Nikai marked it as an intel zone then scrolled the image over and marked a few more locations, "This is the temple district, the market district, the school district, the entertainment district, and the restraunt district. Yin said that the best place to see a lot of different faces is here where the entertainment is and here where the schools are. The schools are apparently more like training grounds. Mostly for assassins. We don't have any kind of description or any name for the drell we are looking for other then his age and a voice recording." Shepard and Simmons scanned the map quickly, memorizing what they could, before looking at Nikai. "Wait we have his...or her...age and voice?" Simmons asked. Nikai nodded, "That's right. Turns out Admiral Hackett was passed the voice recording from an unknown source. He sent a copy to Staff Lt Shepard just before we headed for the shuttle and she passed it on to me. I didn't get a chance to listen to it yet and I couldn't say anything in front of our..." Nikai coughed jokingly, "...baby sitter..." Shepard and Simmons both nodded and laughed, "Yeah. Makes sense. So can we hear the recording now?" Shepard asked. Nikai pulled her omni-tool up again and typed in a few things before letting the recording play. The recording was filled with static and the voices weren't easy to identify at first. Finally one voice filtered through clearly. The voice was from a man and there was a slight raspy sound coming from him. His voice was gentle, smooth, and had a youthful sound to it. He didn't sound like a child by any means but based on the voice all three would have guessed he was around his early 20's. But then none of them could be sure that drell even aged like humans did. If anyone might know it would be Nikai but even she had very limited knowledge. Nikai scanned the small amount of intel she had been passed before pulling it up on another holo image that lay above the map. "The only description we have of him for now is that he was born in the year 2156 here on Kahje which means he would be 22 now. If drell age like humans that is. I think we should talk with Yin and see if she would be willing to tell us anything at all about the aging process of her people. Then maybe we can narrow the list of possibilites down that way." Simmons pushed off the table, "Yeah. I think you should take care of that part Nikai. After all you already showed her your genuine interest in her people. It would be less suspicious coming from you. While you do that maybe Jane and I should go out and see if we can find anything out at the two key locations you marked on the map. Entertainment and schools." Shepard crossed her arms and nodded, "I mostly agree with Justin."

"Mostly?" Justin asked and Nikai looked at him, "I think she means she agrees excpet that maybe you guys should split up too. One of you go to the schools and the other to entertainment." "Exactly." Shepard said. Simmons smiled, "Right. Gotchya! So when do we meet back here ma'am?" Nikai quickly calculated the distance from HQ to the school and entertainment areas. It was roughly a 3 mile walk to each of them from the house. Nikai only had to go down stairs. "Alright it's..." She checked the time on her omni-tool quickly, "1430 now so lets head out gather what intel we can and meet back here at 1830. That gives us 4 hours. We need to plan for tommorrow then turn in so we can make sure we're up at 0400. With any luck one of us will find out something tonight."

"Right" Shepard and Simmons said at the same time. "So who goes where Nikai?" Shepard asked uncrossing her arms. Nikai lifted her right hand and lightly touched her chin before snapping her finger and pointing at Shepard, "You get to go to the school district Jane. Justin I want you to go to the entertainment district. Try as much as you can to listen for the voice we heard on the recording. Lets move out!" Nikai locked the holo map then turned to head toward the ladder. "Lets do this thing!" Simmons happily declared following Nikai down. Each of them headed toward their assigned tasks. Nikai watched them go then turned to head toward Yin's house when she saw an asari walking toward her. "Amatia!?"

Amatia had convinced the two humans and two asari to allow her passage to Kahje and then had also convinced them that maybe this once they should take their vacation somewhere else. She recommended trying the citadel. All four sets of eyes had lit up at the suggestion and so Amatia found herself standing in her armour on a platform inside one of the large domes of Kahje. Amatia had never been to Kahje but she had studied the planet and its history as well as the layout of each dome. She had a friend among the hanar that had gladly sent her the intel and had said he would take care of getting her a place to stay as long as she needed it. The women she was to meet with, and apparently live with for the time being, was a drell named Yin. Her home was easy enough to find from the landing pad. As Amatia started down the path out of the corner of her eye she spotted a blue shuttle sitting on another platform. The symbol for the Alliance was painted on the side. I wonder...Amatia let the thought slip from her mind for now and followed the path toward Yin's home. As she rounded the corner she saw two humans, a male and female, walk away from her heading down the path that led into the different districts of the dome. She turned her gaze to the third human standing on the steps leading down to Yin's home watching them. She would know that stance anywhere. As the women turned her blue gaze locked with Amatia's purplish blue gaze. A slightly excited but confused look crossed the women's face just before she spoke, "Amatia!?"

Nikai blinked then stepped down a couple of steps and waited while Amatia walked the short distance up the stairs to meet her. Amatia stopped and smiled gently at Nikai, "What are you doing here Kai?" Amatia's voice was calm as always and in the depth of her eyes there was the long suffered pain of loss and suffering she had been so far unable to rid herself of. Nikai smiled after getting over her shock of seeing Amatia and whispered, "Mission for the Alliance. High classification. Sorry." Amatia nodded her understanding. "What about you? You still trying to track down that Anon guy?" Amatia's eyes grew slightly distant for a split second before fading into an unreadable expression. "Yes. I may need your assistance if you can aid me in my search." Nikai knew that the request would have bordered on an all out order to anyone else. To her though this was Amatia and she didn't demand anything from the people she deemed worthy of her time and attention. As a Justicar she wasn't supposed to have any ties to people or possessions except her armor and weapons but well...Amatia wasn't a typical Justicar. She wasn't really a typical Asari either for that matter. Nikai took the last few steps down and stopped next to Amatia. "I'll help if I can. Who's your target?" Amatia glanced over her shoulder when the door behind her opened. A drell women stepped out and stopped immediately. Nikai smiled and stepped toward her, "Yin. I could use your help with something. If you wouldn't mind that is?" Yin turned her gaze toward Amatia, "Are you the asari Gil'landor contacted me about?" Amatia turned to face Yin and bowed regally, "Yes. I am Amatia T'Lorn. Gil said he would discuss my living with you for the duration of my stay." Nikai watched the two and waited patiently for her turn to speak. Yin stepped fully out of her house and looked between the two, "Do you know each other then?" Nikai stepped in and took her turn to speak, "Yes. Could we maybe finish this discussion in your house Yin?" Nikai said quickly motioning to the drell that had stopped on the walk way to stare at the unusual sight of not only an asari, but a human, on Kahje. "Oh of course. Come in. Forgive me for the temperature. I know for humans it can be rather warm."Yin stepped back inside followed by Nikai and Amatia. Yin shut the door once they were inside and walked over to the kitchen area, "May I offer you a drink?" Nikai and Amatia replied at the same time, "No thank you." "Negative." "Um...alright...so Amatia...the room I've cleared for you is up the stairs to the left. Feel free to go and put your...oh...you don't have any bags?" Yin had noticed the lack of any sort of luggage halfway through her sentence. Nikai stepped forward, "Amatia's a Justicar. They don't really own anything except their armor and weapons. The view from the upper floors is beautiful though Amatia." Yin nodded her agreement and Amatia headed toward the stairs, "I believe I will go enjoy the scenery." Amatia walked upstairs leaving them alone. Nikai turned to Yin, "I was actually curious about drell biology if you wouldn't mind answering a few more questions?" Yin smiled again, "Of course. What would you like to know?" "Well...I was wondering about the aging process of drell men. I mean about how long do drell live and does their skin change colors as they age?" "Drell men tend to have duller colors while women have brighter colors until we reach the middle of our life cycles. Then our skin pigment will dull." Nikai glanced at the stairs Amatia had taken and then focused back on Yin, "The middle of your life cycle is how many years exactly?" "About 43 or so. We usually live about 85 years or so." Nikai crossed her arms and thought through the information and tried to decide if maybe she should trust Yin enough to play the recording for her. After a bit Yin started glancing around nervously. Nikai smiled at her, "Sorry but I have one other question if you don't mind?" Yin smiled again, "Sure."

"Is there any way you could get me a list of all of the drell men born in the year 2156?" Yin looked stunned, confused and suspicious all at once as she stared at Nikai without replying. Nikai quickly thought through her options for why she would potentially need that kind of information and came up with a plausible excuse before Yin could think any further about the question, "I know it's a strange request but I'm looking for the son of the drell my father met when he went off planet that one time I told you about. I wanted to thank him. You see his father helped my father out of a bad situation and most likely saved his life. I was able to track down the drell from that day and found out he is already dead but that he had a son that was here on Kahje and was born in 2156. Unfortunately that's all I know. My dad may have told me his father's name but I can't remember it and well...it would just mean so much to me if I could find him and be able to talk to him. I guess that doesn't make much sense does it?" Nikai's face twisted into a slight grimace followed by a downcast look. If Amatia had been watching she wouldn't have believed that Nikai was meloncholy for even a second but Yin would and that's what mattered. Understanding seemed to dawn on Yin's face then, "Yes I could help with that. My family keeps the records of the families so it shouldn't be to difficult. There shouldn't be many to filter through sadly." Yin's face was downcast at the thought of the plight her people were in. They couldn't return home because of over population but they couldn't live here on Kahje without a high risk of getting Kepral's Syndrome either. Nikai reached out and put her hand on Yin's shoulder in comfort and appreciation. "Thank you Nikai. I will go and get the information for you now if you'd like. The records are kept in the temples. Please make yourself at home and I'll be back soon." Yin walked over to the stairs and went up. Her voice drifted down the stairs as she informed Amatia she would return shortly and to make herself at home. Yin came back downstairs and smiled as she passed Nikai. As soon as the door shut Nikai headed upstairs to talk to Amatia.

Nikai found Amatia looking out at the vast ocean of Kahje when she lifted up off the top step. Amatia turned and looked at Nikai then quietly spoke, "The drell you are looking for is part of your mission for the alliance."

"Yes. No point trying to deny it. You'd see through my lie anyway. Always could. He has intel I need and my information on him is very limited. We have a voice recording of him and the year he was born. Nothing else. Not skin coloring. Not height or weight. Not even a picture and we only have three months to find him before our shuttle pilot will be leaving to meet up with the alliance frigate, the Einstein." Amatia sat down and crossed her left leg over her right and seemed to relax against the couch cushions. She wasn't of course, she was still on guard. She was all about seducing and misleading people and Amatia was very good at both. Nikai was as well. Until it came to Amatia that is. It was like having her mother back. Nikai's mom always seemed to really see Nikai. Maybe that was why Amatia had become so important to her but then again now wasn't the time to dwell on those kinds of things. Amatia spoke calmly as always, "I see. I believe we can aid each other then. The drell I am looking for is young. Perhaps in his early twenties. His name is Feron and he has intel on Anon that he may be willing to part with if the right person approaches him. He is most likely the one you seek as well. If he is then you are to find him and gather your own intel for the alliance but I wonder...does he know you are looking for him or will he only be made aware of this fact after you have discovered his location?" Nikai shrugged and crossed her arms as she leaned against the half wall that let you look down on the lower level of the house. "I can't say for sure really. I told you the intel we have is slim at best."

"At worst?"

"Non existent. The intel we do have is from Hackett but there is still no guarentee of anything. Expect the unexpected right!? Anyway my team is out trying to track down any clues they can find and we're going to meet back at our HQ at 1830. That only gives Yin..." Nikai uncrossed her arms and pulled up the time on her omni-tool quickly before closing it again,"...an hour and a half to come back with the list I asked her to get for me. If she gets it tonight at all." Amatia nodded slightly and sat unmoving for a few minutes contemplating everything. "May I hear the recording?" Nikai nodded and pushed off the wall so she could move closer to Amatia. She opened her omni-tool, typed in a few commands and pulled up the files. Accessing the recording she hit play and leaned back against the wall. The recording played and that same slightly raspy, gentle, and smooth voice filled the room. During the recording Nikai straightened up slightly. What was that? Nikai quickly typed on her tool and reversed the recording by a few seconds. Amatia watched her carefully. Nikai pushed play again and listened carefully. There was a sound in the background. She couldn't figure out what it was though but it struck a sensitive nerve and reminded her of something. She couldn't place what though. Nikai typed quickly on her tool again and sifted through the recording carefully breaking it down piece by piece until the only part that was playing was the strange sound. Nikai turned the sound up and hit play letting the recording go from the beginning in case the sound was in there another time before that. Amatia leaned forward slightly and listened carefully with her. The whirring sound increased in volume then slowly faded and vanished as if someone had been passing by the drell while he was talking. What was that damn sound and why did it send a spike of rage through Nikai. "Play it again Kai." Pushing the play symbol the recording started over and Nikai increased the sound again. When the sound was right near whoever had made the recording both Amatia and Nikai looked at each other quickly. Rage was the only clear emotion on Nikai's face while Amatia's was slightly sad and angry. Amatia's expression evened out quickly but Nikai's maintained the rage until the door was heard opening downstairs. Nikai shoved herself off the wall and closed down her omni-tool aggressively before starting toward the stairs. Amatia sent her a look that said calm down. Nikai breathed in deeply then slowly let the breath back out before heading down the stairs to see what Yin had gotten. If she was correct about the sound she thought she had heard that meant there were slavers on Kahje and that would bring more problems.

Time: 1825.

Shepard and Simmons sat up in the upper level of the house with the door open and waited for Nikai to return. "She has like 5 minutes to get here Jane. You'd think our fearless leader would've been back before us. I mean she only had to go down the stairs like 10 feet from the front door. Should we..." The shuttle pilots head popped up through the opening in the floor, "Where'd that Black kid get to?" Shepard stood up and turned toward the pilot with a glare, "That Black kid is our team lead by the authority of Admiral Hackett and therefore is also your commanding officer. Even if that were not the case she has earned the respect that you will show her!" Simmons sat back and watched the possible cat fight that might break out. The pilot glared at Shepard then climbed back down the ladder while complaining again about how she wasn't a damn baby sitter. Simmons sighed in disapppointment at the lack of fighting in front of him. A few minutes later Nikai pulled herself up through the opening in the floor. Simmons and Shepard were about to ask if she found anything when an asari slid gracefully up through the opening after Nikai. "Uh...what's with the asari?" Simmons spoke without thinking. Shepard rolled her eyes at him and sighed. Nikai grinned. Amatia just stood there staring calmly at him. Simmons shivered, "She is so giving me the creeps with that look she's giving me. She kind of reminds me of one of those asari strippers on Omega but with more oompf." Simmons whispered to Shepard who smirked and stepped away from Simmons slightly. Nikai quickly dropped her hand when Simmons looked at her. He had the distinct impression that Nikai had motioned for Shepard to move over for some reason. Nikai slid to her right carefully with a huge grin on her face and glanced over at Amatia. To everyone else in the room Amatia seemed completely calm but Nikai saw the tell that showed she was actually at least slightly annoyed at the comments Simmons had just made. Amatia walked toward him with slow, steady, and confident strides. A small smile covered her face as she got closer. Nikai subtly motioned Shepard back a bit more as she stepped back herself and watched carefully. Amatia was now glowing lightly with biotic energy cascading across her curves. Simmons was shaking slightly and glanced over at Shepard and Nikai. The look he gave them practically cried out for help as Amatia continued slowly moving closer. Nikai grinned again and shook her head no. She lifted her hand and slid it across her throat in the typical your dead fashion. Simmons gulped. Time seemed to be taking forever and then the asari finally stopped in front of him. Simmons was about half a foot taller then the asari and looked down at her face as she pushed herself right up into his face with a slight smile gracing her lips. Nikai lifted her hand up and slapped it over her mouth trying to stifle the laugh that threatened to burst out. Shepard just watched slightly confused and amused at the same time. She couldn't help but to wonder what the asari was going to do. She seemed to strike absolute terror into Simmons without saying a word. Shepard's next thought was I wonder if she'll teach me how to do that. It would so come in handy if I ever get my own command. Amatia lifted her now brightly glowing hand and moved her fist back. Propelling her fist toward what Simmons thought was going to be his face made him screech like a little girl trying to climb a chair in a desperate attempt to run from a spider. Amatia's fist barely bounced off the wall completely missing Simmons face. She pulled her hand back and unfolded it, placed her palm on Simmons cheek then smacked him lightly with a slight grin before stepping back and glancing over at Nikai who was now doubled over laughing her ass off. Shepard was also laughing but not nearly as much. Amatia leaned back against the table and casually crossed her arms under her breasts causing them to lift slightly. Simmons gulped again for a whole different reason and muttered about needing to use the bathroom before slipping down the ladder quickly. Nikai finally fell over onto her knees clutching her stomach from laughing so hard. Shepard had to go over and smack her on the back when she started coughing from a lack of oxygen. After finally calming down Nikai pulled herself to her feet and wiped the corners of her eyes of the tears that had started to build. Simmons would never live this one down.

A few hours later all of the information they had gathered had been layed out for everyone to see and hear. The holo map was stretched out with some new markers on it. Nikai was leaning over the map and had the lower level below the entertainment district enlarged in front of her. The intel Nikai had brought revealed that only three drell men were born in the year 2156 and two of them were seen the most in the lower levels of the entertainment district. After some more digging and putting the info Simmons and Shepard had also brought together they figured out that Feron, the drell Amatia was looking for, was for sure the very same drell they were looking for. The mission had just taken another whole new turn.

2 months 29 days later

"Tommorrow is when the Einstein will be coming back through this system and we still haven't found Feron!" Nikai declared in frustration. She was the CO on this mission and she was failing it miserably. What would Anderson think? What would Hackett think? Amatia watched from her spot against the wall as Simmons and Shepard moved closer to try and calm Nikai down. "Nikai calm down." Shepard said calmly. Simmons smacked her on the back lightly, "Yeah Nikai. We got this. We'll find Feron before you know it!" Nikai sighed and smiled. She looked at Shepard and Simmons then glanced over at Amatia who nodded at her. Nikai turned her gaze back to the map and whispered, "It'll be whatever it is." Shepard leaned on the table, "I think we should try the lower level of the entertainment district again." Simmons leaned on the opposite side, "We already checked there Jane. What's the point of going back and..." Nikai straigtened up quickly, "This is why..." She lifted her hand and repositioned the map then enlarged it on a particular building in the lower entertainment district. She typed in a few commands that pulled up the recording of Feron talking. She intersected the two files and bypassed all of the security around the building. Then she pushed play on the voice recording and the real time recording and everyone listened. The recordings had similiar sounds. There was the sound of someone dropping crates of some kind and doors opening and closing. The building Nikai had focused on wasn't labeled with any kind of marker by them or the drell that lived in the area. That left the question of what was inside the building. "I think we should look more closely at this building. I have a feeling we missed something there."

"Um not to, you know, rain on your wonderful parade but...why do you think that particular building is where we should look closer?" Simmons asked looking at each of them. Amatia pushed off the wall and walked over to the holo map and looked at it for a few minutes. "I believe Kai may be right." Shepard pushed off the table where she had been leaning on the table and put her right hand on her chin while her left crossed her stomach and held her arm up. A classic Shepard stance she took when she was thinking. "Come on! We checked everything in the entertainment district more then once already. It's a waste of time that we don't have. The Einstein will be passing near the system tommorrow evening. We have less then 24 hours to find him and you want to look where we already looked!?" Simmons declared. Shepard let her hand drop from her chin and slid it under her other arm crossing them. "I agree with Nikai and Amatia as well. There is something going on there. Something that the drell are either hiding or are not aware of. We need to check it out but we need to be smart about it." Simmons threw his hands up in the air in anger. "Well you two can waste your time all you want but I am leaving with the pilot in the morning to start out to meet with the Einstein! We've searched Kahje for that drell for almost three months and during that time I've been poked, prodded, threatened, biotically got my ass kicked up one wall and down another, humiliated, and nearly killed all to find one guy that isn't even here!" Nikai glanced at Simmons calmly. She had just calmed down from her own panic attack and now he was having one. "Justin. He's here. He's inside this building. I can feel it. I don't know how but I just feel it. My gut says stay even if it means missing our rendezvous with the Einstein." Simmons glared at Nikai. "This is fuckin bull shit Nikai and you know it!" Shepard started to protest and Amatia moved as if to get in Simmons face but Nikai held her hand up stopping them. Her hand lowered back to her side and she turned to stare down Simmons, "Your right this is fucking bull shit...your attitude is fucking bull shit...your disrespect for, not only myself, but the rest of this team, is fucking bull shit...and your blatent disregard for anyone but yourself that has started showing itself in the past two weeks is fucking bull shit!" Simmons started to protest again and Nikai moved closer and pressed herself against him. Her face inches from his as his biotics flared around him like flames. Amatia tensed up, her own biotics enveloping her body ready to help Nikai at a moments notice. Nikai continued telling off Simmons, "You, Corporal Simmons, are hereby on temporary lock down until Admiral Hackett hears of your insubordination! Which he will in the morning when I contact him personally. This mission is done for you! Pack your bags because you're right...you will be leaving with our 'baby sitter' tommorrow morning and you will not be going with us tonight! Dismissed Corporal!" Nikai kept her voice even and never increased the volume of it as she ordered Simmons to leave the room. He didn't move and just continued to stand rooted in his spot glaring at her. "I said dismissed Corporal!" Nikai put extra force behind her command this time and Simmons finally turned on his heel and marched over to the ladder and climbed down slamming the door as he went. Nikai turned and looked at Shepard and Amatia. "So what is your plan Nikai?" Shepard asked gently. Nikai sighed and leaned on the table again. "Recon first. I know we looked all around this place before but we never looked inside because we were worried about the drell feeling as though we had invaded their right to privacy. I have a feeling it's not the drell's privacy we'd be invading by looking inside there. So here's what we're going to do..."

Three hours later. Shepard's POV

Amatia crouched down on top of the building they were going to enter. She moved quickly and quietly as she slid down the side of the building using a small shimmer of her biotics to land quietly. Shepard was across from the building in her infiltration armor with her sniper rifle set up on the roof edge. She peered through it and watched through the small window of the building Amatia had just dropped down from. Lucky for them every single building on the lower levels of each district were not made of the plexi-glass type material and instead were constructed out of wood and metal as if they had been some of the first to be built after the drell first came to Kahje. Shepard watched through the scope as Amatia darted across the small alley way and pulled herself up the side of the building adjacent to Shepard and the target building. Shepard turned her scope back to the target building again and scanned the area. There was still no sign of movement inside. Nikai had gone in three hours ago and still nothing. Amatia and Shepard started to grow concerned when an hour had gone by and they still had radio silence. The building wasn't that big it shouldn't be taking this long. That was why Amatia had been crouched on top of the target building. She had been checking it out. Shepard didn't see any reason for her to retreat like she did though. A slight movement darted across her scopes vision. An explosion echoed across the alley way and smoke filled Shepard's line of sight. She quickly switched her scope lense settings so she could see through the smoke then quickly looked through it until she saw movement at the door. She held back her shot in case. Moments later she saw movement again and looked just in time to see Nikai bash through the damaged main doors with an injured drell being pulled out behind her. She pulled his arm over her shoulder and forced him to move with her as she shouted out orders through the comms. "Take them down!" Nikai's voice echoed through Shepard's hardsuit head set. Amatia had clearly gotten a similiar request as she dropped from the roof she was on and dashed forward using biotics to propel her into the group that had been right behind Nikai and the drell who must be Feron.

Nikai's POV. Three hours earlier.

Nikai glanced up toward where Shepard was positioned on the roof hidden in the shadows. Nikai whispered into her comm, "In position Shepard?" A few seconds passed and Shepard responded quietly, "Roger that." Nikai looked the other way toward where Amatia was on the other roof, "Amatia you good?" Amatia responded immediately, "Yes..." Nikai turned to hack the alarm systems. A few moments passed and a small click sounded indicating she had hacked the lock. Nikai slipped inside and shut the doors reactivating the lock. If worse came to worse she would just blow the damn door up. Hopefully things wouldn't get that bad though. Nikai lifted her hand and gently touched her right ear piece through her hood, "We're in radio silence now people. Understood?" She watched her heads up display as two lights flickered. One under Shepard's info and the other under Amatia's indicating they understood. Nikai lifted her arm and opened her omni-tool quickly shielding it with her body so the light wouldn't alert anyone to her and activated the camera and recorder in her hardsuits mask. Nikai slipped behind some crates. She had her left hand over her modified pistol and the other near her side ready to grab her katana on her back at a moments notice. She moved forward carefully and skirted around a group of...where those batarians? Nikai quickly ducked behind a crate nearby and peaked over it. The batarians were talking quietly about their next shipment. Luckily Nikai had learned their language and didn't need a translator to understand them. Her omni-tool activating to pull up the translator may give her position away. Most people kept their translators on all the time. Nikai didn't. She felt like she was ease dropping when she wasn't supposed to be.

"That drell Feron has been handy to have around. If it weren't for him we wouldn't have half of the drell slaves we do." Another batarian grinned and nodded his head, "That's for damn sure. Stupid drell doesn't even know he was helping us this whole time. The boss said we were going to take him to. That true?" The third batarian nodded, "Of course it is. He knows too much and we can't risk him figuring out what we're really doing here. With enough beatings he'll make a good little slave." Nikai glared through her hood at them before slipping down and sliding around the corner leading to the stairs. In front of her were the stairs she was looking for. One went up and the other went down. From what she could tell the upper levels were just sleeping quarters. She doubted Feron would be there so she slipped down the stairs quickly but quietly. At the bottom a batarian popped up out of no where and nearly ran right into her. Luckily she had stopped and so had he. To make it better he was looking over his shoulder and hadn't seen her yet. "Shut up Anon! I already know we have to get out of here tonight!" That voice sounded so familiar.

Nikai activated her cloak as the other batarian walked around the corner as well. "Not just tonight! Now Clek! The drell here are getting suspicious of this building and we cannot wait more then a few hours to leave! Now go get the drell Feron and put him with the other slaves in the holding cells!" Clek sneered at the one Nikai now knew for sure was Anon, "Alright I'm fuckin going!" Clek turned and started up the stairs. Was she wrong? Was Feron actually upstairs after all? Clek stopped four or five steps up and glanced over his shoulder at Anon, "After I smoke." Anon glared at Clek and crossed his arms. "Clek! I'm warning you..."

"Anon. I haven't had a cigarette since this morning! I am going to have a quick cigarette then I'll come back down here and get the drell. Until then why don't you get everything else ready so we can leave right away!" Clek turned and stomped up the stairs muttering curses as he went. Anon glared at him again then turned and stormed back around the corner. Nikai moved forward carefully and slid around the corner. Anon stood off to the side looking over a datapad with a scowl on his face. Clek. She knew him from somewhere. Anon was defenitley the batarian Amatia was after. Good thing she had decided to record everything as soon as she had ordered radio silence. Amatia would love this bit of intel. Nikai couldn't shake the feeling that she knew that Clek guy. She shook her head and slipped around another corner. She had to clear her head of all distraction. Nikai breathed in quietly then let the breath out and moved again. So far Anon was the only batarian down here with her. That didn't mean she was going to let her guard down though.

She slid around another corner and heard soft footsteps heading her way. They weren't loud and clompy like a batarian but quiet and reserved like a drell. It must be Feron. Nikai slid behind the nearest crate and deactivated her cloak. Drell had damn good eye sight and her slight shimmering outline would be spotted quickly if she wasn't careful. A young drell walked into the room then. He had a light green coloring on his head that faded to a gold color on the front of his face. Dark green designs were on his forehead like most drell had. His chin faded from the gold into a purple red color. The frill on his chin and neck was a light blue purple color The back of his head had purple covering a large section of his head. Nikai had thought it before and was now thinking it again, if the asari were eye candy for men then drell men so had to be the eye candy for women. She had seen a lot of drell since arriving on Kahje that she found attractive but this one was something else. Nikai shook her head again and focused. The drell walked over to Anon, "I'm leaving now Anon." Nikai felt her legs shake when he spoke. What the hell was wrong with her. His voice was just as mesmerizing as his appearance. Nikai shook her head again to clear it. Focus damn it! "We still need you here Feron. There are more shipments of food coming in tonight." Feron lifted his hand and rubbed his head before sighing. "Fine. But as soon as the last shipment gets here and I check it in I'm leaving." Anon nodded and continued to look through the datapad. Nikai slid back as Feron turned and walked back into the room he had been in.

Anon smirked and walked across the room to a panel. Typing a command in the wall shifted behind the large crates Nikai was hiding behind. She turned and looked over her shoulder. Inside the hidden room were half a dozen cages. In each cage drell men, women, and children were packed in so tightly they couldn't even move let alone sit down. Anon walked toward Nikai. She quickly moved against the crate as far as she could then ran at the wall and jumped kicking off the wall and flipped grabbing the crate edge. She waited until the sound of Anon's foot steps were practically on top of her before she pulled herself up. Crouching down she watched him walk into the hidden room and stop in front of the cages. "Make room slaves. You will have one more in there tonight!" Nikai glared at the back of his head then slid down the other side of the crate and landed quietly on her feet. She turned and crouched down before slipping into the room Feron had gone into. There was another set of stairs that led further down. Nikai thought quickly scanning through the schematics in her mind. The lowest floor divided up into training rooms and showers. Nikai crept down the hall peeking around each corner as she went. Finally Nikai looked around the last corner and saw Feron doing push ups. His jacket was flung on top of one of the crates and his shirt lay on the floor next to that. Nikai took a deep breathe and slowly moved into the room. This damn man was going to be the death of her and she hadn't even talked to him yet. Nikai lifted her hand and sealed the door shut before twisting around and coming face to face with none other then Feron.

He glared at her at the same time that he swung his fist right at her face. Nikai dropped down and shoved off the wall sliding between his legs. She flipped onto her feet and swung around ready to fight him. He came at her and jabbed at her with quick punches. She barely avoided quite a few of them. Finally she saw a small opening in his movements and seized the opportunity. Nikai dodged his right hook and let herself be hit with his left. She locked her arm around his left one and jerked him toward her. They stumbled back and Nikai took advantage of his suprise and flipped him quickly onto the floor. She slid around and straddled his waist locking his arms at his sides and used her feet and ankles to hold his legs down. "Stop." Nikai whispered fiercely. Feron continued to struggle. Nikai sighed and gripped Feron's shoulders and lowered her face mere inches from his, "I'm not your enemy Feron." Nikai lifted her free hand and pulled her hood off her head then set it down on the floor next to them. She looked back at him and their eyes met. Sky blue met blue green for a moment before a banging sound echoed down the hall outside the door. Shit! Nikai grabbed her hood and slid it onto her head then rushed over and grabbed Feron's shirt and jacket and tossed them to him. "Hurry. We have to get you out of here!" Feron caught the clothes and stared at her. He seemed to be confused by her actions. "Will you hurry the fuck up Feron!" Nikai grabbed his pistol that he had left lying on the other crate and rushed over to him.

Feron slid his shirt on then started to pull his jacket on. He stopped half way and looked at Nikai. "In a rush cause you're worried you'll be killed or something?" Nikai continued to stare at his gun as she worked on it to increase the weapons shooting range with less kick back. "Hardly. More concerned with getting your ass out of here alive. These batarian are not smuggling what you think they are. I can prove it if you give me a chance. I swear to you I'm here to help you." Feron slid his jacket fully on and zipped it up then slid the buckles into place. "What are you doing to my gu..." Nikai finished and slipped the pistol into his hand. "It'll work better now. Let me show you the proof. These batarians are slavers. They have half a dozen cages full of drell men, women, and children on the level above us in a hidden room. I can prove it! Activate your omni-tool and I can link mine to yours and show you the footage." Feron stared at her when another bang went off above them. "Hurry up! They're already loading the cages up to leave! You cannot tell me you haven't noticed that drell have mysteriously gone missing over the last few months?" Feron crossed his arms after placing his pistol on his hip.

"Now that you mention it yes. A lot of people were telling me about their spouse, sibling, or child that had disappeared mysteriously recently. Drell have perfect memory but I didn't think about it so the memories didn't resurface and put me into...solipsism..." Another bang was heard from the floor above them, "Feron!" Nikai glanced at the door then back at the drell in front of her. Feron stared at her for a few more seconds before finally nodding his head, "Alright. Let me see the footage." Feron lifted his arm up and activated his omni-tool. Nikai activated hers and typed quickly syncing the tools and pulling up the footage. She played it starting at the scene on the stairs with Clek and Anon and ending with her turning to see him right in front of her. Feron had a fiercely determined look on his face then. "We have to save the others. Help me save them and I'll go with you!" Nikai nodded her head and turned to unlock the door.

Feron's POV

As soon as the door opened Nikai grabbed Feron's wrist and pulled him through. The instant her fingers wrapped around his wrist a connection seemed to form with her. Feron glanced at her face from his position slightly behind her. Did she feel it to? He lowered his eyes down to look at her hand still wrapped around his wrist. This strange connection that seemed to hit him so quickly. He couldn't tell. He resolved himself to push the feeling aside for now to examine more closely later. Right now he had to focus. He gently slipped his arm back. She released his wrist easy enough. Perhaps she didn't feel it. For some reason the idea of that seemed to pierce his heart.

Nikai's POV

Nikai couldn't focus on that strange connection she had felt the instant her fingers had touched Feron's wrist. She couldn't help but to wonder if he had felt it to though. She glanced back at Feron to see if his facial expression would give anything away. He was staring at her hand still holding his wrist. This strange connection seemed to hit her so quickly but it didn't seem like he felt it at all. She resolved herself to push the feeling aside for now to examine more closely when she had a chance to really think about it. She turned her gaze forward again. Feron gently tugged his arm so Nikai reluctantly let go of him. She figured he didn't feel it and for some reason that thought left an ache in her heart.

"This way!" Nikai whispered fiercely to Feron as they continued down the hall. Eventually they slipped up the stairs and she stopped. Feron pressed himself against the wall behind her and waited while she carefully looked around the corner. The wall to conceal the cages was up again and Anon was no where to be seen. Nikai lifted her hand to pull her hood off and attach it to one of the belts on her armor. She pushed off the wall and slipped around the corner. A gun shot went off. Feron moved fast and looped his arm around her waist and pulled her down behind the crates in front of them just as the bullet flew past penetrating the wall. If he hadn't moved so quickly the bullet would have been a direct head shot. "Damn it! Both of you fucking come out from behind there!" Behind the crates Nikai was still under Feron. Their faces were inches apart and unknown to each of them the others heart was pounding so hard it seemed as if it would burst from their chests. Nikai was the first to move. She smiled at Feron, after forcing herself to focus, and slid back to rest against the crates. Feron felt a lump in his throat that he was forced to swallow down as he moved to sit next to her. He pulled his gun from his hip and checked the thermal clip inside then released the safety. Next to him Nikai had pulled her own pistol from her hip and released the safety on it then slid over to peek around the corner of the crate. Another gun shot went off and she ducked back quickly. The bullet had still grazed her cheek and a small line of blood slid down her face. Feron lifted his hand, now with medi-gel in it, to press to her cheek but she shook her head no. "It's not serious. Save that for the people these bastards kidnapped."

Feron was slightly stunned by Nikai's words but slid the medi-gel back into the pouch at his waist quickly. There was one more thing for him to think about later concerning this human. Another voice joined Clek's as he continued to yell at them about how futile it was to try and defeat them. "Clek what the hell are you shooting at!?" Footsteps were heard coming closer. The other batarian was walking over to the crates. This would makes things a bit easier. Nikai slid the safety on her pistol back into place and put it back on her hip then reached back and slid the katana out of the sheath quickly and quietly. Feron watched her as she lifted her hand and put one finger to her lips. A sign to be quiet. She moved the same hand and pointed at Feron then with two fingers pointed toward the crates sitting slightly back from them. If Feron moved to those they could flank Clek and the batarian moving in on their position would also be exposed to Nikai's attack. She could cleanly, for a lack of a better word, slice his head off then slip behind the crates with Feron. Nikai glanced back at Feron who nodded and slid around her. As soon as she nodded he darted across. Gunshots rang out from two seperate guns as he slid on his side and rolled ending behind the other crates out of range of the batarians shots. The batarian that had moved to look behind the crates turned to head toward Feron. Nikai watched and waited patiently for the batarian to pass her.

The minute he was in her line of sight Nikai rushed forward. Her movements were faster then any of the others in the room thought possible as she lifted her katana up and swung it slicing right through the batarians neck. His head flew off and landed at Clek's feet. Nikai immediatley twirled around the body and grabbed it to use as a shield for a split second before diving behind the crates to join Feron. A bullet pierced the batarians body while another one sliced through Nikai's arm. Well she would have a couple more scars now. Feron stared at her in shock. "What was...how did you..." Nikai flicked her wrist splattering the blood on her katana against the wall. She pulled a cloth from the small pouch on her upper leg and wiped the katana down then slid it back into the sheath on her back. "Lots of practise." Nikai smiled at Feron as she spoke. "Focus Feron. There are a couple dozen of these guys up stairs. The only reason I can think for their current absense is that they are loading up the cages with your people in them. We have to move fast if we want to get to them." Feron's face twisted quickly from shock to determination. "Of course. We have to be sure you're right though. Where were the cages at before?" Nikai pulled her pistol off her hip and slid the safety off again then nodded her head toward the wall in front of them, "There. The console on the far wall behind Clek is where Anon opened it from." Feron twisted around and slid to the side of the crates to look around them. Clek was slowly moving toward them with his gun raised. Behind him Feron saw the console Nikai was talking about. He pulled back to look at her, "We have to kill Clek and get to that console fast." Nikai glanced at him then smirked. "I so don't disagree." She immediately faded from his sight completely.

Feron started to say something but then a crackle on his personal comm went off. He lifted his free hand and pressed it to his ear. Right after that Nikai's voice came through, "I'm going to kill Clek. The minute you see him fall head for the console. I'll be waiting." The comm shut off before he could reply. This human was so different then any other human he'd ever met. Feron breathed in then lifted up and fired a few rounds at Clek praying to Amonkira that Nikai wasn't in front of him. Clek turned and shot back barely missing him. Feron ducked back down quickly. Clek growled out at him, "Fucking lizard! You won't get out of here al..." Feron never heard the rest of his words as a gurgle replaced them. Feron lifted up again to see Nikai standing behind Clek. Her sword through his middle. His gun on the floor. Feron moved around the crates and picked up Clek's gun. The katana in his gut was the only thing keeping him alive. Nikai leaned forward slightly while continuing to hold her katana in Clek. She whispered fiercely into his ear, "The drell that you tossed in cages like animals...where...are...they!?" Her voice was fierce and angry. Feron could see the pure hate radiating off her face. Was it hate for slavers or hate for batarians in general? Clek gurgled and coughed as blood came up his throat and slid down his face. "Talk!" Nikai's voice hadn't raised any but if possible the tone had increased to a more aggressive pitch. Clek still refused to say anything and simply lifted his shaking hand and flipped his middle finger up in the human symbol of fuck you. Nikai shook her head slightly. Her anger slid from her face to be replaced with such a sad look that for a moment Feron had thought the anger hadn't actually been there to begin with. Nikai leaned a bit closer and whispered, "I wish we could have known each other in a different life Clek." Nikai pulled the katana out of Clek and he slumped down to his knees. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell over dead. Nikai flicked her sword, wiped in down, slid it back into the sheath, then clasped her hands together. Her words were spoken so softly that Feron almost didn't hear her. He was shocked again when he realized what she was whispering, "Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depths, I ask forgiveness. Kalahira, whose waves wear down stone and sand-Kalahira, wash the sins from this one and set her on the distant shore of the infinite spirit." Nikai lowered her hands and stared at Clek for a moment before turning and heading for the console.

Feron stared after her, "That was..." Feron followed quickly shaking his head as he went. Another thing for him to think on later. In a matter of an hour or two Feron had already discovered half a dozen things about this woman that confounded and enthralled him. Feron stopped next to Nikai and was going to remain silent but couldn't contain the question he had. It spilled from his lips before he could stop himself. "Why?" Nikai was using her omni-tool to hack the system and didn't stop typing as she answered, "Clek...the batarian...he was not just a slaver. He was someone's father, brother, and friend. I do not believe he was always a bad man. At some point he simply choose a bad path which inevitably led him here where he was meant to be. To someone somewhere he was important. He was...good. He deserved a chance for his spirit to cross the sea." She stopped typing on her omni-tool as the console lit up and the wall slid down revealing nothing. As Nikai thought. They had already taken the cages up to be loaded. "Damn!" Nikai cursed then turned toward the stairs in time to see most of the batarian slavers heading straight for them. Feron never had a chance to respond to her as gun shots rang out around them. Nikai was already shooting back. Three fell in moments as she hit them with direct head shots. Feron was shooting back as well and took down three more before another one shot him in the stomach. The bullet pierced him closer to the right side of his body and propelled him back. Feron cried out and clutched his side as he lay on the floor bleeding out. Nikai didn't think she just reacted. Her katana was pulled free of the sheath. She placed herself in front of Feron as the batarians advanced. They formed a half circle around her and held their guns up at her. Nikai had raised up her suits shields to a higher level and even surrounded her katana with it increasing the strength of the sword. "I won't let you touch him!" Feron lifted his head and stumbled to his feet. "Stop...they'll kill you." He mumbled out past the pain. "I don't care! I won't let them have you!" Nikai never took her eyes off the batarians. She directed her words toward them now, "If you want to live I suggest you leave! Now!" All of them snickered and laughed at her. One stepped forward and spoke to her directly, "Just what makes you think you can kill all of us?"

The other batarians started to move to shoot at Nikai but the one that had stepped forward lifted his hand to stop them, "Hold on...I'm curious about what this human will say." The others stopped and waited. Obviously this batarian was high up in their ranks. Maybe second to Anon. Didn't really matter because he was going to die as well. Nikai turned her gaze to the one that had spoken to her but still kept her gaze on the rest as well, "You answer mine and I'll answer yours big guy!" The batarian smirked, "Fine. Within reason of course." Nikai smirked back. Feron was gasping trying to catch his breath behind her. She was running out of time. Feron needed medical treatment. Medi-gel would only slow the bleeding not stop it. Not in this case anyway. "What's your name?" Nikai asked the batarian. His smirk immediately slipped off his face and an intrgued yet confused look covered his features. "That's an odd question. No matter. You will answer first." Nikai continued to smirk at him. She glanced back at Feron quickly. "I'm not your average human. Your turn." The batarians laughed at her except the leader who stared at her quietly. He must have seen something in her gaze because he smirked at her again, "I am Anto Korragan." A batarian behind him stepped up, "Why are you indulging this pathetic human Anto!? Let's just capture her and the drell and get the hell off this pathetic planet!" The other batarians nodded their heads in agreement. Anto glanced over his shoulder at the one that had spoken, "Don't be stupid! This human is no weakling. She would not be so easy to capture and despite his injury the drell is no different. They would fight to the death and take half of us with them. No..." Anto turned his attention back to Nikai, "This one is very different. Tell me human...what is your name?"

Feron leaned against the wall but kept his gun ready to help Nikai. His body shook and his vision was slightly blurred but he was determined to fight with her and not let her die for him. Nikai kept smirking at the batarians, "Nikai Black. Why not just attack like the others want you to?" Feron coughed and gasped behind her, "I am no fool. You are more then you appear to be little Nikai." Feron couldn't stand any more and slid down the wall still clutching his side. Nikai glanced back at him. She had to do something and fast. Her thoughts seemed to spur one of the batarians into moving, "Fuck this Anto!" He lunged for her. Her eyes darted back to him and she shot his leg, spun around with her katana in hand and sliced through his arm then jumped spinning in a circle and kicked him in the back sending him flying into the wall before putting a bullet through his head. She whispered right after the bullet went flying out of her gun, "Kalahira guide him." Anto twisted around and shouted at the others behind him, "I said do not attack her! No one else move or I'll kill you myself!" The others nodded and waited. By the time he had gotten out his first sentence Nikai was already facing them all and blocking Feron with her own body. She was watching them carefully for any movement. "As I said more then you appear. That was impressive. Your actions have proven my point." Nikai slid back to block more of the batarians from Feron, "The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone Anto." Feron coughed again. "Oh?" Nikai's face slid into one of a carefully nuetral look as she nodded, "Take you for example. Your actions before this showed that you are nothing more then a slaver. But then you choose to talk instead of attack me...now I believe that there is also more to you then other batarians. You're smart Anto. As a smart man you should know better then to try and attack me. Now...let us avoid any more needless killing shall we." Anto stared at her and carefully thought through everything she had said.

He had truthfully grown tired of the life he led. Being a slaver was merely a job when he started. This little human was forcing him to think more then he cared to admit openly. Anto glanced at the batarians behind him. Anon would not forgive betrayal but for the first time in his life Anto felt perhaps these men, despite being his own people, should not be allowed to live. Anto smiled at Nikai. Her eyes showed her suprise but the rest of her face remained nuetral as she kept watching them carefully. Feron was fighting to remain conscious behind her. Anto pulled his shotgun off his back and examined it carefully. Nikai crouched a bit lower and waited. To her suprise Anto turned and pulled the trigger on his own men. Her shock quickly slid from her face as she turned, placed her gun back on her hip, and grabbed Feron hauling him to his feet, "Stay with me Feron!" Another cough was her answer. She used the confusion and shock of the batarians at Anto's betrayal to rush up the stairs. They barely reached the top when gunshots exploded behind her. Anto was fighting his own men. She didn't really know what possessed him to turn on them like that and didn't have time to think it over right now. Feron collapsed before she took two steps away from the stairs. "Damn it!" Nikai muttered as she slid her katana back into the sheath not bothering to wipe it down this time. She grabbed both of his wrists and pulled him toward the front door of the building. She'd have to blow the damn door. Out of the corner of her eye Nikai saw the cages. Every single slave had been killed. What the hell happened? Slavers wouldn't kill their...merchandise. Nikai hated that word. She glanced around and noticed the rest of the batarians were already heading toward the stairs to join the others fighting Anto. "Damn. Damn. Damn." Nikai muttered and pulled Feron behind some crates. She crouched down and waited. The batarians ran past her. They never even noticed her. Nikai knew Feron would want to know about the other drell in the cages. She carefully layed him down then darted over to look in the cages. All of them were dead as she thought. What the hell happened?

She examined them more closely and realized what happened. They had killed themselves. Better to die then to become mindless slaves. Was it an agreement among all of them or did some of them simply choose this for everyone? Nikai glanced over and saw that there was a camera facing down at the cages. She quickly pulled her omnit-tool up and sliced the system and downloaded all of the footage. She turned and rushed over grabbing Feron's arms. The gunshots below stopped all of a sudden and Anto appeared at the top of the stairs. "Hurry little Nikai!" Anto rushed over to a console on the wall. "They are disoriented for now but it will not last!" Anto pulled up info on the console about the various slaver rings and transfered it to a disk. He rushed over and held it out to her, "Take this! This disk has intel about every slaver in existence up to now." Nikai stared at him for a second before an explosion from down stairs shook the building. "Take it!" Anto thrust the disk at her and turned to rush over to the stairs. "Anto!" Nikai held the disk in her hand and knelt next to Feron. "Go!" Anto yelled over his shoulder.

Nikai slid the disk into the pouch on her leg, lifted her arm and sent the evac signal to the shuttle pilot, then grabbed Feron's other arm and pulled him toward the door. She stopped behind another set of crates. The gunshots coming from the stairs echoed through the building. Anto was holding them off for her. But why? Damn it all. Nikai carefully lowered Feron again and turned toward the main door. She didn't have time to hack the damn thing. Anto couldn't hold out for long against that many men. She planted a mine on the door and crouched over Feron. A minute later the mine exploded and the door blew apart. Smoke covered the door. Nikai grabbed Feron and moved through the smoke as fast as she could dragging him with her. She used one hand once she was closer to the door to activate her comm unit then grabbed a hold of Feron again. She finally got through the smoke and looked up to where Shepard was postioned. Behind her the batarians rushed toward her. Later she would have to say a prayer for Anto. As the batarians got closer she pulled Feron up and looped his arm around her shoulder instead. "Take them down!" Nikai ordered through the comm. Immediately after a shot rang out and she heard a thump behind her as one of the batarians died.

Amatia's POV

"Take them down!" Nikai ordered. Shepard had fired immediately after and Amatia jumped down from the roof she was on using her biotics to cushion the landing. She rushed over and flung a biotic attack at the batarians that managed to survive the on slaught of attacks Shepard was sending their way. She created a biotic barrier around the three of them and looped Feron's other arm across her shoulders and rushed him away with Nikai. Shepard covered their escape. More then half of the batarians that were left stayed inside and occassionally shot at Nikai, Feron, and Amatia while the other ones tried to take Shepard out. Nikai saw slight movement to her right and noticed that it was Anto slipping away using the commotion as a means of escape. Nikai smiled and lifted her hand to her comm, "Fall back Shepard! We have Feron and we're almost to the shuttle." One last shot rang out before Shepard responded, "Roger that."

Amatia helped Nikai lower Feron down onto the floor of the shuttle and turned to fling a biotic wave out at the batarians rushing up behind Shepard as she darted toward the shuttle. The batarians flew back and Shepard laughed slightly just as she slipped inside. Amatia activated the holo pad to seal the door before heading to the cockpit to inform the pilot they needed to leave immediately. As the shuttle lifted off the ground and headed for the exit to the sphere covering the area Nikai knelt next to Feron and used her omni-tool to scan his body. Shepard sat down behind Nikai and Amatia walked back over to kneel on the other side of Feron. She looked him over before looking at Nikai, "Did you already use medigel on him?" Nikai shook her head, "No...I ran out and before I could check to see if he had any the batarians rushed us. We wouldn't have even gotten out if it weren't for one of the batarians named Anto. He turned on the other batarians and held them off while we escaped." Nikai turned grabbing the medkit off the shuttle wall. She jerked it open and pulled out the medi-gel packs before rushing to pull Feron's jacket and shirt off then smoothing the gel across the injury on his body. "This won't be enough. The medi-gel will only slow his bleeding down." Amatia watched closely and noticed Nikai's hands were shaking. She reached out and gripped Nikai's hands to try and steady them causing the medigel to smear across her own fingers, "Nikai. Let Shepard finish applying the medi-gel." Nikai pulled her hands free and started to apply more medi-gel when Amatia gripped her wrists, "Nikai!" Finally Nikai jerked her face up to look at Amatia. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Amatia stood pulling Nikai with her and motioned for Shepard to take over. Shepard nodded and lowered down beside Feron to finish applying the medi-gel to his injury. Nikai's eyes shifted from Amatia's face down to Feron then back again over and over so Amatia moved to stand so that Nikai couldn't see him. She lifted her hands and gripped Nikai's shoulders, "Nikai you must calm down! Feron will live and you have completed part of your mission succesfully."

Nikai's POV

Anger flashed across Nikai's face for a split second before slipping away as if it was never there and she nodded her head, "You're right." She breathed in then released her breathe before moving around Amatia. She walked toward the cockpit, "Where is Simmons?" The pilot glanced back before turning her gaze forward again, "He's back at HQ still. As soon as I got your extraction signal I told him he needed to start packing up everything and be ready when we got back." Nikai nodded, "Alright. Head for HQ. We only have..." Nikai lifted her omni-tool and checked the time, "...an hour left before we need to randevous with the Einstein." She turned and walked into the back of the shuttle and lowered down to rest on her legs beside Feron. His breathing was less shallow but he was still in danger. They needed a doctor to look at his injury. Shepard was sitting in the seat to the side like before with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. Amatia sat on the opposite side with her eyes closed, her biotics flowed around her in an ethereal glow as she meditated. The shuttle landed on the platform near the house they had been using as an HQ. Nikai opened the door and glanced back. Amatia and Shepard looked at her and waited for her orders, "Shepard you come with me and help with gathering our gear. Amatia look after Feron and our designated..." Nikai lifted her hands, two fingers up forming air quotes, "...baby sitter." Amatia smiled and nodded and they heard a growl from the cockpit. Shepard and Nikai rushed out and up to the house. Simmons hefted a few bags over his shoulders as they walked through the door. He glanced over, "It's about damn time! We only have twenty minutes to meet up with the Einstein!" Nikai barely glanced at Simmons as her and Shepard gathered the last of the gear and hefted it all over their shoulders. Nikai did one last sweep of the house to make sure they hadn't left everything before they rushed out. Yin was walking to path toward the house just as they walked out. "Nikai?" Yin called out. Nikai motioned for Simmons and Shepard to head for the shuttle and turned toward Yin, "It was a pleasure to have to the chance to meet you Yin! I won't ever forget you or your kindness. Kalahira guide you Yin!" Nikai turned and rushed off before Yin could reply. She slid her gear into the storage space on the shuttle before turning to the cockpit, "Let's go. We only have ten minutes left now!" The pilot's hands flew across the holo panel and the ship lifted off the ground and ascended up past the atmosphere of the planet just as the Einstein came into the system. The shuttle just made it in time to dock with the Einstein. The shuttle landed in the shuttle bay and Nikai immediately issued orders to Simmons and Shepard, "You two gather our gear and take it to the quarters we were given before by Lt Shepard, assuming we are still allowed to use them of course. Amatia..." Amatia glanced over and locked eyes with Nikai, "I have information you'll want..." She paused and lowered down next to Feron to recheck his wound, "...Anon was in there."

Amatia's POV

Amatia's eyes slid down slightly in anger, "Anon!" Her gaze landed on Nikai as she gently checked Feron's injury with a tenderness that Amatia hadn't seen from her before. Amatia's anger seeped out of her and she moved forward to kneel on the opposite side of Feron. "Nikai..." She grabbed his shirt and jacket and gripped Feron's shoulder gently, "We must get him to a doctor immediately." Nikai nodded and together they lifted him up with his arms across each of their shoulders. Amatia wrapped her arm around his waist and nudged Nikai's side. When she looked down she saw his shirt and jacket being held out slightly from Amatia's hand. She took them and gripped them tightly before wrapping her own arm around Feron's waist to rest just below Amatia's. They started walking and headed for the medical bay. After arriving they layed Feron down on the closest bed. Amatia turned to walk out. She had seen the connection that seemed to have formed between Nikai and Feron so quickly and felt a rush of deja vu course through her. She had a connection like that once a long time ago. Anon took that from her and Nikai had information about Anon but now was not the time to ask her about that. Amatia walked out nearly running into a young woman as she rushed into the medical room with a mumbled excuse me. Nikai must've sent a message to the Einstein about Feron's need for immediate medical attention. Amatia looked down the hall to see Simmons headed her way. He looked at her and spoke up, "Lt Shepard has asked to see you. She sent me to take you to her." Amatia nodded and followed Simmons clearing her mind of the anger she felt as she went.

Shepard's POV

Shepard headed straight for the Command Information Center or CIC to speak with her mother. As she walked through Hannah Shepard turned and smiled before immediately saluting. Shepard saluted back until Hannah dropped her own hand and walked over to wrap her arms around Jane in a tight hug, "Jane. It's good to see you again. Did you succeed in your final test of the N6 level?" Jane nodded, "Nearly. Our target, the drell, is in the medbay right now. He was severly injured during our escape. Black is with him now. She nearly snapped when Amatia commented about how we had nearly completed our mission." Jane glanced down for a second and crossed her arms putting one hand on her chin in her usual pose to indicate she was thinking. Hannah watched her carefully before she finally looked up, "I wonder what happened to her in the past to make her react that way..." Before Hannah could reply Nikai walked around the corner and into the CIC. She had her head down and seemed deep in thought so Jane spoke up, "Feron alright?" Nikai lifted her gaze and looked at the two Shepard woman, "Yeah. He'll be alright. It will be a few hours before he wakes up though. I need to contact Anderson and our N6 instructor and let them know we were able to get Feron. Amatia will want to speak with him as well most likely." Jane nodded, "Most likely. After we gather then intel we were sent for we have to head back to start the N7 training. When we get through that we will be N7. Only the second and third to achieve that rank!" Hannah chuckled, "You'll both be fine I'm sure. Anderson speaks very highly of you both! For right now go to the quarters you were using before and get cleaned up and rest for a bit. Consider that an order."

Nikai's POV

Nikai straightened up and saluted almost in sync with Jane Shepard before they both turned and walked out of the CIC to head for their quarters. Nikai was quiet the whole walk there and when they were inside and the door was sealed shut Jane turned and stared at her until she finally spoke, "What?" Jane smiled slightly, "Sooo...you're awfully worried about Feron for someone who just met him only hours ago." Nikai for the first time since she was a child felt her face grow red and she swiftly turned away from Jane, "What! I..." She clenched her hands into fists, "...I don't know what you're talking about!" Jane chuckled and walked past to head for her footlocker for a change of clothes, "Whatever you say ma'am." Nikai watched her in silence as she walked out to head for the showers. Just after the door shut Nikai walked over and sat in front of the shared console and pulled up a vid connection to Anderson. His face appeared on the screen almost immediately, "Black. How did your mission go?" Nikai cleared her throat, "It was close but we managed to find the drell, Feron. He was injured and is in the medbay. The doc says he'll make a full recovery if he just rests for a bit. We haven't gotten the intel from him yet." Anderson nodded and stared at Nikai for a second before speaking, "Something is troubling you. What happened?" Nikai blinked a few times and Anderson laughed, "I've known you for a while now Nikai. Off the record, as your friend not your mentor, what happened?" He spoke with fatherly concern then waited patiently for her to say something. Finally she sighed and spoke quietly, "Something strange happened. When I met Feron and our eyes locked for a little bit..." Anderson nodded and waited patiently, "...it was like there was a connection of some sort between us in that instant. Ever since I've been feeling worry for him. After the doc said he'd be alright I was so relieved. It wasn't a reaction I expected. I mean I just met him today so how could I..." Anderson chuckled causing Nikai to stop and quirk an eyebrow at him in confusion. "Anderson?" With a smirk he explained why he had laughed, "It's only happened to me once. A woman named Kahlee Sanders and I met for the first time and the second our eyes connected I felt this overwhelming need to protect her come over me. I didn't know her at all before that. Later I spoke with a friend about it and as a hopeless romantic she felt that it was because Kahlee is my soul mate. I didn't believe her at the time but a lot of strange things have happened since then that make me believe maybe she was right." Nikai felt her face grow hot as the blush covered her cheeks and she coughed, "What...what sort of things?" Anderson smiled, "I'd have bad feelings when she was hurt or feel an overwhelming need to call her just to check on her only to find out she was having a hard time and really needed to talk right at that time, different things like that. We stay in contact as much as we can but unfortunately that's not as often as I'd like. Just let things run their course Nikai and it will all work out." Nikai stared at the desk for a while until the door opened behind her causing her to jump slightly. She nodded and looked at Anderson, "Thanks Anderson. Please keep this between us." Anderson grinned, "I did say it was off the records." Jane walked over and leaned over Nikai's shoulder, "Hey Anderson!" With a smile and a nod Anderson greeted Jane, "Shepard. I hear things went well." Nikai slid from the seat and motione Shepard into it before gathering her gear up to take her own shower. She walked out the door as Shepard laughed about something Anderson said.

Feron's POV

A few days later Feron woke up and started to panic out of disorientation until sky blue eyes met his. He knew he'd seen those eyes before. Two sets of eye lids, first down then up, and left then right, blinked a few times as his gaze focused more and he took in the face of the girl with the smooth skin, dark hair, strangely enticing voice, and eyes the color of the waters on Kahje. She smiled at him and he felt his heart flutter in his chest. When she spoke his heart rate increased again, "How are you feeling Feron?" He blinked a few more times before moving to sit up only to have her stop him with a firm but gentle push on his shoulder. "No. Don't. You got hurt pretty badly. You don't have to worry. You're on an Alliance ship in the med bay. We had to leave Kahje quickly and couldn't just leave you so here we are." Feron lay back and breathed in slowly before releasing his breathe in a quiet sigh, "What happened to the drell that had been captured?" He looked up at her and she sighed sadly, blinked as if trying not to cry, then answered just as quietly, "They're dead. By the time I was able to get you there they had killed themselves. I suppose they felt death was better then slavery." Feron blinked a few times and lay staring at the ceiling in silence for several minutes before sighing and looking at Nikai, "Was there any record of their names?" Nikai nodded, "Yes. I will show everything to you later I promise. For now you need to take it slow. You were hurt pretty badly." Feron closed his eyes and breathed in opening his eyes as he breathed out quietly, "Where are we?" She smiled again and leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, then lifted one leg to cross it over the other, "You're on an Alliance frigate, the Einstein, under my team's protection." Feron stared at her before lifting himself up some on the bed, "Your team's protection?" She nodded and uncrossed her arms to open her omni-tool, "That's right. Our mission was to arrive on Kahje posing as friends on vacation so we could infiltrate and investigate the areas that may or may not have a young male drell that had crucial information. We only had a sound file, no name, no general description and only three months to locate you and secure passage to reunite with this ship before it passed by Kahje. The day we met was the last day we had and we were down to only hours before the Einstein would be arriving in system. You were in danger due to your knowledge of the slavers operating on Kahje and your injury forced me to make a decision without your immediate permission. I chose to extract you from Kahje and dock with the Einstein. Now you need to recover and after you have we will need to gather any information you have about the batarians you were working with. Your eidetic memory will come in handy for that."