Notes:

LEAP - League of Earth Alliance Patriots

Spectre Informants

Spectre Apartments, CGC, Widow System – 15 Oct 2188

"Thank you for allowing me to infringe upon your time on such short notice, Lady T'Soni." T'Dura dipped her head briefly in Liara's direction. "Business first?"

Shepard smiled softly as she and Liara led the way to the den, jokingly replying, "Only if it won't put us off our appetites."

T'Dura's steps faltered and she slowed to a stop, causing her hostesses to stop and turn about to face her as Moises stated, "I am afraid I cannot necessarily promise that."

Liara drew a deep breath before responded, "Well, then. We definitely need to sit down and have a drink as we discuss whatever brings you here." Glancing at Shepard, she continued, "Let us get the unpleasantness out of the way so we can enjoy dinner." Looking back at T'Dura, she very matter-of-factly stated, "We've survived the Reaper War. Compared to that, every other ill pales by comparison. I am confident whatever concerns you are bringing to us will not upset us nearly as much as you fear."

T'Dura nodded in acceptance as she replied, "I certainly hope so, Lady T'Soni."

They had entered the den and, as Shepard walked around behind the bar, Moises handed over a bottle of Akantha. Looking at it, the Spectre grinned. "Ahhh, Akantha. Nice. If this is your favorite, perhaps I need to introduce you to an Earth drink called Bushmills. It's an Irish whiskey that also has a smooth, somewhat sweet aftertaste… so we'll have this now and save the Bushmills as an after-dinner drink, I think."

"Whatever you think is best, Shepard." She turned away to sit down with Liara at the table. Once the drinks were poured and the captain joined them, she accepted the offered tumbler, took a slow sip, and began to explain the purpose behind her visit. Both Shepard and Liara listened with amazement to T'Dura's tale; they had received notification of some of the arrests but had no idea as to the extensiveness of Spectre T'Dura's sweep. When she was done, Shepard looked at her and couldn't help but comment, "We received the news flashes… but either missed a few or simply lost count. Seriously? You arrested eight matriarchs in just over a month? Aren't you a bit worried about pissing off the wrong people?"

Before T'Dura could answer, Liara added on, "More importantly, what does this all have to do with your visit here?" Liara stared intently at the Asari Spectre as she asked her question and then stated, "I do not remember any leaders within the Republic of Armali being on your list of those arrested. I certainly hope you are not here to ask me to surrender to you, as I had absolutely no knowledge of the Serrice beacon." She shook her head in denial as memories of that search wormed their way into her mind. "It would have made things much easier if I had."

"You may rest easy on that account, Lady T'Soni. I have already decided that neither you nor Matriarch Mozia had any knowledge of the beacon's location, specifically for that very reason." She paused, took another sip of her Akantha, and continued, "However, Governess Niana has no such defense…"

"So, why the visit? Where do we enter into that equation?" She paused only briefly as her eyes darted to Shepard and back. "Or are you here to ask our assistance, thinking our current status could be of some assistance with a peaceful arrest?"

"I would never ask such a thing of you, Lady Liara… but, I am sure you, as the leader of House T'Soni, have certain liaisons within Armali. As such, in the event you happened to have any specific association with Niana, I wanted to give you the professional courtesy of forewarning, before I went and stirred up trouble at the government offices."

Liara's brow markings rose with T'Dura's announcement. "And why would you do that? Have you treated ranking houses of the other republics with the same care?"

"I willingly admit that I have not. As a fellow Spectre, I simply decided it was most expedient to approach Captain Shepard and yourself before making any potentially… irreversible… moves within your home Republic." T'Dura shrugged. "Most of those who broke the disclosure law were from remote republics without any standout influential families. And Serrice was an exception, because assistance was requested by the Captain of the Guard. I have no such invitation into Armali."

Her eyes shifted to Shepard as she continued, "You successfully carried the fate of the entire galaxy on your shoulders. I would never presume to breach proper etiquette by failing to extend the respect, in the form of suitable notice, that is due such a famous and influential pair."

"Goddess." Liara rolled her eyes and scrubbed her fingertips across her forehead. "Is this how it's always going to be now?"

"I imagine so," Shepard chuckled. "At least for a few years, anyway, until people start to forget and their fascination with us wanes… and, I have to admit it feels much better than Osoba's presumptuousness." She reached over and captured Liara's hand, pulling it down to her leg and trapping it against her thigh. Turning her attention back to T'Dura, she asked, "So what exactly do you need from us? Are you looking for such an invitation… or, perhaps, an introduction to House T'Soni's real power… Matriarch Mozia? Honestly, if anyone has connections to or arrangements with Niana, it's Mozia, not us; she's our delegate to the Matriarchal councils…"

"That is true enough." Liara drew a deep breath and sighed. "I cannot fault you for your actions… neither regarding House T'Soni nor the whole investigation. When the first report came to our attention, we were shocked… but quickly realized we should not have been. Hiding Prothean technology, even though we all know every race does it to some degree, is against Council law. The war certainly brought our extremely dire need to light… and there were those who continued to purposely hide its existence."

Liara paused and Shepard finished her thought. "We had no intention of going after them; the war caused enough death on its own, without us adding to it." Shepard shrugged as she finished, "They were scared… which is certainly something I can understand. Not everyone is a warrior, even if their own survival depends upon it; they would rather hunker down and hide, hoping someone like us comes along to save them. That's one of the reasons we're here, right?"

T'Dura remained silent for a long moment before answering, "Maybe so, but many of those matriarchs were commandos, once, and know that during times of extreme danger, especially when on such a large scale, there is no room for weakness or disobedience. As Spectres, we are here to keep the Council worlds safe… and I would have the soldier live, rather than give her life to save a coward." She drank the last of her Akantha and set her glass down on the table, the clunk rather loud in the ensuing silence. "Bah. Such talk is idle chatter; ruminations of a fool with too much time to think. I am sorry if I have offended you with my words. It is rude of me to speak thus when you are being such gracious hosts."

"Honesty is never rude… just sometimes hard to accept." Shepard chuckled softly before continuing, "Let's head over to the comm room and we'll introduce you to Matriarch Mozia."

"I honestly do not remember the Matriarch ever mentioning Niana." As they rose from the table, Liara added, "Though, if she was purposely hiding information on the Beacon, she must have been working with my mother at some point. I imagine, had the galaxy not been ripped apart, she may have eventually approached me, given my extensive studies regarding the Protheans."

As they left the sitting room to head to Shepard's home office, the Captain smirked and added, "Assuming, of course, they don't hold killing Javik against you."

"That is not funny, Shepard." Liara glared at her, growling, "And the only reason that happened was because you temporarily lost your mind and went in there to speak with him… alone!"

"Not my best moment… and I'm sorry, Liara; I know I shouldn't joke about that." Winking conspiratorially at T'Dura, Shepard continued, "Besides which, I'm glad you did it; he was an irredeemable asshole who treated you like a servant and who tried to kill me simply because I trusted a synthetic more than I trusted him."

Alliance Military Headquarters, Vancouver B.C., Earth – 16 Oct 2188

Zoë Lawrence had recovered from her knife wounds – and the removal of her left kidney – to the point that sitting in an upholstered chair, placed before a window that allowed a view onto the parade grounds, had improved her mood tremendously. She was also able to have lunch in the secure cafeteria, which was where she was currently seated. She was finishing her meal as she spoke quietly with Jana Cantrell.

Jana had joined Zoë, so she'd have some companionship during her convalescence and to keep her in the loop with intel gleaned from numerous sources by Nina Delacroix and Lee Maxwell. She had finished eating and was about to leave when Zoë placed a hand on her arm. "Help me get back to my room, Jana, and sit with me for a bit. I think you'll be intrigued by the visitors scheduled to see me."

"Of course, Zoë." With Jana assisting, Zoë carefully got to her feet. Placing her right arm through the crooked left arm Jana held out, she used it for additional support as they made their way the short distance to the lift. As they walked, Jana remarked, "I never would have expected to be physically assisting you to do anything, Zoë. And, just who are the visitors coming to see you?"

Zoë chuckled lightly in response before saying, "I'm told I nearly bled to death from my wounds. It stopped me in my tracks, Cantrell. I'm still having some difficulty with…" motioning with her left hand at the two of them side-by-side, "… having to hang on to you in order to keep from falling on my ass. But, all said and done, the exercise is better for me than riding in a damned hoverchair." After a few more steps from the lift to her private room, Jana stopped and assisted Zoë into her favorite chair. "I've never needed help before… always figured anyone close enough to touch me was too close. Now?" She leaned back, closed her eyes and sighed, concluding with, "I'm going to stop pushing people away, Jana… people that care about me, anyway."

"That will certainly be a change," came the smiling reply. "What about these mysterious visitors?"

Her eyelids snapped open, allowing dark brown eyes to scrutinize the gold-flecked brown eyes regarding her. "As my Deputy, I want you with me, Jana. Spectre Shepard is supposed to meet with me… and she's bringing an Asari, but not Dr T'Soni. Oh, and Tim will be joining us as well." Glancing at the wall-mounted chrono, she added, "They should all be arriving shortly."

"Not Dr T'Soni? Who else would she bring with her?" Jana turned at the sound of approaching footsteps, and realized Zoë had no time to explain further. "Sounds like they have arrived."

Tim Stafford moved several chairs closer to where Zoë was already sitting, arranging them in a semicircle about a small table as Shepard greeted them.

"Mr Stafford. Ms Cantrell… nice to meet you." She motioned for Zoë to remain seated as she leaned down to take her hand. "Ms Lawrence – mind if I simply call you Zoë?"

With a tentative smile, Zoë gripped the Spectre's hand, pumped it twice and released it, saying, "Zoë would be just fine, Captain."

She waited expectantly as Shepard introduced her Asari companion. "This is my information operations officer, Riana Iregos."

As Riana approached and began to extend her right hand, Zoë could see the reluctance in her body language, so did something completely unexpected. Bringing both her hands out, palms up in the traditional Asari greeting, she said, "I apologize for not standing to greet you, Vanguard Iregos. It is my pleasure to be formally introduced to you."

After a moment's hesitation to get over her shock, Riana gently placed her hands palms down on those of the dusky-skinned woman seated in front of her. With a forced smile, she replied flatly, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, Ms Lawrence." After quickly nodding in recognition to both Jana and Tim, she stepped back to stand behind Shepard.

"Not like I really had a choice." Zoë's focus shifted to the Spectre as she continued, "But, believe me, I am more than happy to do so; and, I will readily admit to believing it will be on much more pleasant terms than our previous encounter outside."

With a cautionary glance at Riana, Shepard quietly answered, "It will be, I promise you that." Turning back to the Atlas leader, Shepard eased herself down into a chair on Zoë's right. "I was relieved to learn you had survived your encounter with Frédéric Klein, Zoë – I do believe he would have succeeded in killing Hoffman had you not intervened – and I'm sure you count yourself lucky that his blade had not been coated with a fast-acting poison." She shook her head and admitted, "Even so, my own injuries were nothing compared to yours; I spoke with your Doctor Stegmann on my way in. Without giving me any confidential specifics regarding your injuries or treatment, he assured me you will make a full recovery."

"Had I known it was Frédéric Klein wearing that cloaking generator, I might have proceeded in a different manner to stop him." She lowered her gaze to the floor as she shook her head minutely; returning her gaze to Shepard's face, she quietly continued. "Klein always prided himself on being a surgeon. He has intimate knowledge of peoples' physiology, Shepard… whether Human…" Zoë glanced at Riana as she continued, "… Asari, Batarian, Turian." She trailed off as she continued to think about the man. "Because his work was so up close and personal, Klein was acutely aware that any dagger he was wielding might be turned against him by his target, so never coated any of his blades with poison."

A twinge of pain in her side caused a catch in her breathing, which did not go unnoticed by Shepard; the concern in her voice was apparent as she responded. "I did not realize your wounds were so severe, Zoë. Your doctor seems quite confident you will fully recover from your injuries. but I would like you to keep me informed of your progress."

"I appreciate your concern, Shepard, but I believe my body is simply telling me I have extended my escape from that uncomfortable med bed for nearly as long as I dare." Placing her right hand over the bandages under her robe and gown, she asked, "You needed to speak with me about something specific, Spectre?"

Looking at Riana, Shepard nodded nearly imperceptibly; the Vanguard responded by activating her omnitool and walking the edges of the room in which they were seated. Seeing this, Jana stood and followed the commando, her own omnitool alight on her wrist.

Riana's face betrayed her slight irritation at Jana's lack of trust until she stopped in front of the Asari and held up her omnitool, whispering, "Different frequencies, Ms Iregos. The Alliance is continuously changing their eavesdropping frequencies. I scanned just before you arrived… and these are the most recent." Grudgingly, Riana glanced at Jana's display and adjusted her own settings to block any active listening devices. "Thank you. That does save me a bit of time."

Riana's straight-lipped annoyance at Jana turned into the barest hint of a smile as she turned and nodded in Shepard's direction. "The area is clean, Spectre."

Shepard acknowledged this with a nod, then turned in her chair so she could face the Atlas leader without having to twist her neck. "I have some news I need to share with you; it concerns my own plans for the future, Zoë. So far, none of the Alliance news outlets have uncovered these plans, and I need to share them with you…" Shepard quickly glanced at Tim and Jana, "… Ms Cantrell and Mr Stafford, before my intentions become public knowledge; my reasons for this meeting will then become eminently clear."

Zoë, noticing the woman's attention had flicked momentarily to Jana and Tim, nodded in acceptance and replied softly as her mind raced through the possibilities. "Please, continue."

"I am in the process of formalizing my legitimacy as a full-time resident… and citizen… of Thessia." Shepard waited for Zoë's expression of shock and disbelief to fade away before continuing. "As a legally recognized Asari citizen, I cannot hold dual citizenship, which means the end of this month will mark the official termination of my citizenship on Earth."

Zoë sat back in her chair and carefully crossed one bare leg over the thigh of the other. Thinking about what she had just been told as she rearranged the hems of her hospital gown and robe, she finally said, "That news will have the Alliance politicians – and a fair share of Earth's populace – rather upset, Shepard… each to their own varying degree." Sensing the Spectre was about to protest her assessment, she quickly added with a snarky grin, "Not that their unfair and oftentimes hostile treatment of you these past several years hasn't come around to bite the lot of them in the ass. I say good for you and your bride, Shepard!"

Shepard, while not taken aback by Zoë's show of support, still expressed surprise. "I'm a bit shocked by your attitude. I honestly figured you would be one of my chief detractors, Zoë."

With a sigh, Zoë replied, "It pains me to admit to not being among your supporters at the beginning of the war." With a faint smile, she continued in a soft voice. "Of all the people in Alliance space, Shepard, you and your compatriots are probably more aware of my xenophobic background than anyone." Noting Riana's expression of amazed agreement, she went on to explain, "I was a top assassin for the Illusive Man for over fifteen years. Things changed for me in the middle of the damned war and I lost my conviction in the Humans-first-at-any-cost ideals espoused by Harper… Somewhere along the way, he shifted to an all or nothing gamble; if he could not end up ruling the galaxy, he was going to make damned sure no one would survive to rule in his stead. I believe it was all the Reaper-tech in him… and that he had been indoctrinated… possibly on Palaven during the First Contact war. It was a slow process to be sure, but I gradually began to see the contributions of the other races and realized just how wrong Cerberus had been… and how damned many things I had to somehow atone for." A haunted look flickered over her features as she concluded, "I believe my first act of redemption was eliminating The Illusive Man."

Pausing, her eyes dropped to the floor once again and she took another deep breath. Blowing it out slowly, she glanced momentarily at Jana, Tim and Riana before turning her attention back to Shepard. "You have told me your news… and I have, hopefully, explained my position. Now I'm left to wonder why you would inform me… us… of these plans in advance of the news release? Dare I presume this has something to do with me… and Atlas?"

"I think you already know, Ms Lawrence… or have guessed, at least." Shepard smiled softly at the perceptive woman. "Ever since I met Liara, Earth hasn't honestly been my home… and as a Spectre, I'll need eyes and ears here, since it's quite likely I won't be making landfall with any sort of regularity. You mentioned once before about us working together… so, I want to take you up on your offer." A troubled look washed over the Spectre's face, so briefly Zoë would have missed it if she hadn't been intently studying Shepard's expressions. "Liara has convinced me I cannot rip a hole in the galaxy the size of Sol in order to locate… and eliminate… all of the former Cerberus agents like Douglas Walker and Frédéric Klein. So, I have a proposal for you."

With a quick look at Riana, Shepard began, "First and foremost, I want Atlas to become a leg of my information collection network. You bragged, and rightfully so, that Atlas has an effective data mining capability… I want you to employ that ability for me. In exchange, I will grant Atlas, and any agents you assign, Spectre amnesty for missions… pre-approved missions… to target alien-hostile entities within the Sol system." Shepard sat back in her chair and waited, as the look of skepticism on the Atlas leader's face gradually transformed into an expression of hopeful anticipation.

Zoë looked at Jana, then Tim – both of whom nodded their approval – before returning her attention to Shepard. Clearing her throat, she said, "That is a most generous offer, Spectre. We would require some guidance… I wouldn't want Atlas to drift outside of whatever lane you're offering, so we need to know the rules of your proposal before I can accept."

"You discovered Douglas Walker on your own, so just keep on doing what you're already doing. It haunts me to think that if we had shared pertinent data between us, perhaps we would have discovered the plan to poison Prime Minister Trost, along with the identities of the other two assassins as well… including Klein." Shepard leaned forward, and her eyes turned to green ice as she continued, "I want the people who engineered this conspiracy, Zoë. Your first assignment would be to find any of the individuals or groups who were responsible for the recent attacks." Shepard felt her throat tighten as she thought of Admiral Hackett and she fell silent, allowing Zoë a chance to speak.

Given Jana and Tim's reaction to the Spectre's proposal, Zoë didn't really need to think about the offer. "I see this as an extremely beneficial arrangement for all parties involved…" pausing, she showed her teeth in a wolfish grin. "… except our enemies."

"Can I take that as a yes?" Shepard canted her head slightly and raised her left brow in anticipation of an affirmative response.

"Absolutely, Spectre Shepard."

"Excellent." With a smile spreading across her lips, Shepard continued, "Then, I think our best way forward would be to have Riana, as my Information Operations officer, work with Ms Cantrell on our information exchange process… especially since they already have each other's contact information. We'll start out by exchanging all the data each of us collected prior to the ceremony, so we can crosscheck what we found and not waste time duplicating efforts already made. Also, you probably know that we already have Douglas Walker… and I am prepared to release every piece of his testimony to you. He gave us a hard link to Terra Firma as an organization, but I want to nail Saracino… and every other bastard who had anything to do with this attack… to the wall. What really chafes my ass is that there are xenophobes in the Systems Alliance military who are willing to kill our own leaders!"

Shepard didn't get a chance to finish the thought as Tim interrupted, "One of the people I've met while a guest of the Alliance will be researched as soon as I return to our base, Spectre. A Marine sergeant… Diane Häberli. She leaned on me pretty hard until she finally realized I simply wasn't going to speak to her. I got the distinct impression she wasn't sorry to see either Trost or Hackett die out there… and that she was angry we actually managed to prevent the other two assassinations."

"Feel free to follow that hunch to ground, Mr Stafford… but keep me apprised of your progress. If she turns out to be a Cerberus sympathizer or LEAP informant, I want her ass out of the Alliance." Shepard's eyes turned to ice as she added, "One way or another."

"Understood, Spectre." Tim gave an acknowledging nod, glad he was not the true target of her frigid glare. "I'll let you know what I discover… and I'll be sure to pass any potential ops up the chain for your authorization before I run them."

"I want this to be a free exchange of information, so we can play off one another's strengths. If there's any type of support you need along the way, either during the search or for an approved op, be sure to ask." Her focus returned to the leader of Atlas. "We'll find our enemies and come up with operations plans together, Zoë. Once we agree upon a way forward, I'll give you the go-ahead for the op and then provide the necessary top-cover for anyone who is unlucky enough to get themselves caught… a more permanent arrangement that mimics what we did here. Is that something you can work with?"

"I believe so, Spectre." Zoë's lips shifted to a thin grim line as she added, "Though, with the data exchange, I would like to think future joint ops will go much better than this one did."

Shepard nodded in agreement as she stood from her chair and reached out with her right hand, which Zoë willingly took as the Spectre continued, "With that settled, we should be going so you can get your rest. Mr Stafford is now free to travel whenever and wherever he cares to… as are you, once Doctor Stegmann releases you to go home."

Zoë held onto the woman's hand as she slowly rose from her chair to stand in front of the Spectre. "If last month someone had told me I'd be offered a job working for a council Spectre, I would have laughed in their face. Thank you, Shepard, for trusting me… there are few enough people in this galaxy that actually do, and it really means a great deal to know that you, at least…" at which she looked pointedly at Riana, "… have some semblance of faith in me… and Atlas. We won't let you down… I promise." As Shepard dropped her hand and started to turn towards the door, Zoë added, "May the gods protect you and yours."

Council Offices, CGC, Widow System – 16 Oct 2188

After the visit from Spectre T'Dura, Shepard's reasons for visiting Councilor Tevos in her offices the following day had doubled. Raesia simply smiled when first asked about her chat with Osoba. "Seriously, Shepard, you have no cause for concern. After explaining your and Liara's position regarding your desire to raise your Asari children on Thessia, as Asari citizens, the poor man really had no arguments he could make that didn't make him sound like a completely selfish Pyjak standing in the middle of a dung heap. As for your other reason for being here, I am well aware of T'Dura's actions… and you should realize that I am in favor of her arrests, given the extreme efforts to which I had to go to discover the location of that Prothean beacon for you."

"Were you, just perhaps, the one to suggest she may need to contact us before taking any actions in the Armali Republic?" Shepard's eyes twinkled as she made the query, thinking she already knew the answer.

The delicate sound of an amused laugh fell upon Shepard's ears as the councilor responded, "Of course I was." Tevos' elbows sat on her desk, her fingers intertwined with her chin resting upon them, somewhat hiding the triumphant smile that sat upon her lips. "Moises is by no means a politician… and, every once in a while, she needs to be reminded to play nice with others. She is well aware of our friendship, so I am absolutely positive she knew my suggestion was much more than a casual comment made in passing."

"Please don't be offended, but I need to ask." Shepard's expression sobered just a bit as she queried, "Your suggestion was meant purely as a reminder for T'Dura, and not to give Liara and I a chance to divert her away from any potentially… compromising… discoveries?"

The question really set Tevos laughing. A hand went to her chest as she exclaimed, "Goddess, no! If anything, I wanted to provide an excuse for you all to meet, seeing as you will soon be working more directly with her, both reporting to me as your Council lead."

Even though she felt Tevos would never do such a thing, it was still a relief to have her validate that belief so readily. "I suppose a thank you is due, then. Though I have to admit, she did seem uncharacteristically deferential toward Liara and me. Based on the reports I read, I figured her to be much more direct and uncompromising."

"Oh, believe me… She most definitely is." Tevos cast an expression of warning toward her newest Spectre. "Do not underestimate Spectre T'Dura based on this single interaction. My suggestion or not, she would have approached you completely differently had she not already concluded that both Liara and Matriarch Mozia are innocent regarding the beacon."

"As she should," Shepard shrugged. "She seems to be my kind of Spectre. I think we're going to get along just fine." Shepard smiled and gave Tevos a nod. "Now… back to Councilor Osoba. I assume he accepted that I'm not going to play the role of Alliance liaison for him?"

"Yes, he did… grudgingly. He was truly counting on your friendship with Garrus to make this easy."

"My mother is perfectly capable of reaching that goal, but no matter… not as long as he'll drop it and not become an obstacle to my becoming an Asari citizen." Shepard suddenly smiled and continued, "So, with him not throwing up any objections, what's next?"

Tevos opened her omnitool and transferred a file to Shepard. "This is your appointment with the Council of Governesses on Monday… the five who remain in office, anyway. Given who you are, they are fast-tracking this request; they want you as an Asari citizen, Shepard. Have no doubt they count having such an influential couple living on Thessia as a major coup."

"Just great." Shepard shook her head and sighed in resignation. "You do realize we're not going to play their games if we can help it, right?"

"Yes, I do… and, I do believe, so do they." An understanding smile crossed the councilor's face as she added, "I think you will be pleasantly surprised by their lack of demands upon you… other than the immediate future, where they will likely query House T'Soni on their preference regarding the new Governess… to replace Niana, whom Spectre T'Dura is planning to arrest today."

"Gods be damned." Shepard shook her head in amazement. "She really doesn't waste any time, does she?"

"No, she does not." Tevos cocked her left brow, her green eyes glittering with mischief as she continued, "Reminds me of another certain Spectre I know."

Atlas Headquarters, Vancouver B.C., Earth – 16 Oct 2188

At their early evening dinner meeting, neither Nina Delacroix nor Lee Maxwell could hide their expressions of surprise and utter astonishment upon learning of the agreement that Zoë Lawrence had entered into with Spectre Samantha Shepard. Nina had been the first to find her voice; she asked Jana for details about the meeting, particularly concerning the mysterious Asari that had accompanied Shepard. "Riana Iregos? Isn't she the one that refused to share any info on Zoë's condition during her initial call to us? What the Hell, Jana… does Zoë really expect us to simply roll over and give up whatever we manage to uncover? Sounds like a one-way deal to me!"

Jana smirked as she answered, "It will most definitely be a two-way exchange, Ms Delacroix… trust me. I watched this Asari very carefully… looked closely into her eyes; while it was apparent she neither likes nor trusts Zoë… nor me by extension, there was no deceit in her expression or attitude towards either of us. Quite simply, she is extremely protective of those she loves. I believe Maya Brooks' attempt on Shepard's life and her wounding of the Normandy's doctor during the war is foremost in her mind. I seriously doubt she will ever forgive Zoë for that crime, or all the other crimes… particularly the assassinations… she committed previously as Maya Brooks. It's as if she feels that Zoë's apologies are not sufficient to atone for her prior transgressions… that only the loss of her life – in some extremely violent fashion – will rebalance the scales of justice."

Max was mystified by this revelation. "She actually admitted…"

"She didn't need to say anything, Mr Maxwell," Jana interrupted. "Her demeanor when she was introduced to Zoë, while not overtly hostile, was less than cordial. Remember, part of my job when I worked for Jack Harper was observing, evaluating and reporting on the many people he met with personally." A corner of her mouth ticked up as she paused at the memory of their introductions. "She actually seemed to relax ever so slightly when Zoë greeted her in the style of the Asari." Jana demonstrated by placing her hands out, waist-high and palms up before continuing. "I believe Riana was honestly surprised that a previously xenophobic Human would know anything about interacting with an Asari, and it demonstrates to me that Zoë, despite her background as a fanatically intolerant Maya Brooks, knows a great deal more about alien cultures than she admits to those around her."

"And this Asari actually reciprocated?"

"Her name is Riana, Max… and yes, she actually placed the palms of her hands on the upturned palms Zoë offered. It was quite obvious to me that Riana will never consider Zoë a friend, but I do believe she will be civil towards me."

Nina said, "So, what's our first assignment as data farmers for Spectre Shepard?"

"She seriously wants everyone responsible for engineering this conspiracy. We need to find the people or groups – any and all of them – responsible for the attacks. They have already captured Douglas Walker… and will be forwarding us a transcript of his interview with Colonel Culver." Jana glanced at her ever present datapad as she continued, "The Spectre has a solid link to Terra Firma, but she wants Charles Saracino… and every other son of a drooling whore that had anything to do with planning the attack; I truly do not envy anyone that can be solidly connected to this, especially whomever thought killing Admiral Hackett was a stellar idea."

Max asked softly, "Do we have a copy of the medical examiner's report on Reuben Trost?"

"Shepard said she would have everything sent to us; I have no doubt that report will be included. Do you have a specific line of inquiry you wish to pursue?" Jana could see that Max was already thinking about what he needed to do… after a few moments, she prompted, "Lee?"

Hearing his given name jerked him from his reverie. "Yes? Umm, sorry Ms Cantrell. I was just thinking… the small snippet of a vid-file I saw appeared to show Trost in the midst of food-induced anaphylaxis."

Lips pressed together in a straight line, Jana asked, "Anaphy…?"

"Anaphylaxis… a sudden, severe allergic reaction, likely from something in the salad, as that was the only food being served at the time. Death from asphyxiation can occur rapidly in otherwise healthy individuals. Besides needing a copy of the autopsy report, we need to know exactly what was in that salad, Ms Cantrell. If what I suspect is true, someone knew precisely what the prime minister was allergic to and used that knowledge to end his life."

"Not just end his life, it would seem…" Jana mused aloud. "… his allergic reaction was planned as a distraction… as something that would trigger simultaneous attacks on the other three men." Coming to a decision, she said, "Max, you work on Trost's murder. Check with Émiléda and Melina… see if either of them knows what was in that salad. You should speak with Tim and Zoë, since they had just started eating… they may have tasted something different, something that didn't seem to belong with the salad. I'll also assign an assistant to help you analyze the autopsy report. Uncovering the truth concerning Trost's death may lead us to whomever knew of his food allergy, if that was what killed him."

Turning her attention to Nina, she said, "Ms Delacroix, I want to know how in unholy Hell Frédéric Klein has been eluding us since before we reformed Cerberus as Atlas. Was he hiding in plain sight all this time? More importantly, what kind of threat does he pose to us as a group, especially since Zoë nearly crushed his larynx… and since we know he never accepted a job without a big payday, we have to uncover his patron. Who was pulling his strings?"

Nina displayed just a hint of teeth as she smiled in anticipation. "I'll find everything there is to know about the bastard, never fear."